The drums of war at the southern foot of Hengshan have been beaten. Han Gang only entered the city from Xinzheng Gate three or four times a day and went straight to the imperial city, so he knew that the battle situation on the Yan Road was already in full swing.

"This battle will be won."

In the recital to the Son of Heaven, he repeated his faith again and again. With the recovery of Luowu City as the minimum goal, it is indeed not difficult to achieve.

Although the voices of the dissent still existed, after the loss of Han Qi, the voices of the elders and important ministers did not decrease much. However, the persuasiveness of their words to the Son of Heaven has become less and less convincing - their influence on the court gradually declines as they leave the court for a long time, which is an inevitable end.

The thirst for good news of the military situation made the Son of Heaven instruct him to go down, even if he went to sleep, as long as it was an urgent report from Yan Yanlu, he would be awakened immediately.

Based on the joint judgment of Han Gang and Wang Shao, the estimate of this battle is 'should be able to win'. Although both of them hope to take Lanzhou first, it doesn't mean that they will talk nonsense with their eyes open.

If Han Gang was to consider the party members, there was no way to find the key to their victory.

Over the years, the gap between the national strength and military strength of the Song and Xia countries has become wider and wider; When it comes to grain and ordnance, the Song army is far superior to the party's side; The morale of the army also rose year by year with the decline of Western Xia; In addition, the rewards received by the officers and soldiers who participated in the expansion of the territory in Hehuang, Jingnan, and southwest made the western army look red-eyed and thirsty for war.

If the party wants to win, it can only pray for luck. Let the leading generals such as Chong Ge commit stupid acts on the battlefield, so that the army of the Great White Kingdom can reverse the strategic decline through tactical success, and finally achieve victory.

It can't be said that there is no such possibility, and luck is indeed a very important part of the battle. It is also possible to see victory and suddenly reverse it due to a gust of wind.

In addition, if the party wants to survive the war, there is also a hope that there will be something in the Great Song Dynasty. Just like the attack and defense of Luowu City that fell short because of the rebellion of the Gyeongju army. It just so happens that now in the south – not Guangxi, of course – but Huainan and Jiangdong, this year there is another drought of locusts, so that the harvest is not in autumn.

Han Gang vaguely remembered that someone told him a few years ago that since the founding of the Great Song Dynasty, floods, droughts, and locust plagues have been continuous, and there are factors such as the vast territory of the country, but there seems to be some kind of cyclical cycle. Every once in a while, there will be a big trouble, and for several years in a row, there will be a great disaster in all parts of the world. It's just that I can't remember who I heard for a while.

The year before last year, there was a great drought in the north and the two Zhejiang roads, and the red land was thousands of miles away, and the locusts were flying all over the sky, and this year it was the northern part of Hebei, Jiangdong, and Huainan that encountered a drought and locust disaster. It seems that next year it will be the turn of Jinghu and Shuzhong.

"Can Yukun know Zhang Yu?" Wang Yan's voice sounded in his ears, making Han Gang come back to his senses at once. The gold medal that had just galloped by the horse downstairs was handed over in a hurry, which made him distracted for a while.

"How could the famous Zhang Tiejian not know him? At that time, they guarded Luo Wucheng together, and withdrew to Suide with the army, and there was an uncertain victory on the way, beheading the pursuers thousands of levels. Over the years, there have been occasional correspondence exchanges. Han Gang asked back: "What's wrong with Zhang Tiejian?" Do you feel that he commanded the battle in Qin Fenglu well last month, and is ready to transfer him back to Beijing to take up a post? ”

"Yukun is right!" Wang Yan nodded, picked up the wine glass and compared, "Zhang Yu may be going to Beijing again." The palace marshal Song Shouyue recently died of illness, and the vacant post of deputy commander of the Infantry Military Division, the Son of Heaven intended to let him take over. ”

"Oh? That's really gratifying! If Zhang Yu can take over the position of Song Shouyue, the voice of the Western Army in the military will be louder, Han Gang is happy to see it, and he raised his glass and drank with Wang Yan. Then he asked: "But Zhang Yu is also the commander of the four compartments of the Sun and Tianwu, who is the vacated position for?" And who will take over the position of deputy manager of Qin Fenglu? ”

"Qin Fenglu is estimated to transfer Yanda back, and there is no need to be weighted and dispatched."

When Han Gang was still in Hehuang, Yan Da was promoted to the deputy head of Qin Fenglu by the Son of Heaven, but because of his lack of qualifications, he was given the prefix of power and dispatch. Now a few years have passed, after going around Beijing and Huanqing Road, he has been promoted to another level, and indeed it is enough to add a power word, "Among the generals of this generation, the Son of Heaven values him the most, and he will be a stable captain in the future." ”

"It's also a fortune, and I can't force it. And he was born in Jingying, how can the Son of Heaven look up to him. Wang Yan shook his head and sighed, "As for the commander of the four compartments of the Sun and Tianwu, it should be a kind of monk in order, and his commander of the four compartments of the Dragon God Guard has not been transferred to others." ”

"The country of the Western Thieves is declining, but the armaments still exist, and it is not so easy for the Planters to win. However, it is not difficult to retake Luo Wu in this battle, as long as Luo Wu City is taken down, Chong Ge will definitely be promoted to a higher level, and no one in Zhang Yu's class can say no. It's just that the dragon god quadrant on his body is also taking over in order? ”

"It's not clear, but I think the idea of the Son of Heaven should not be progressing in an orderly manner, and it is likely to be promoted more and more." As a close minister of the Son of Heaven, Wang Yan's ears and eyes are much better than Han Gang's, and his conditions for observing words and emotions are also superior to Han Gang's.

"Who is it?" Han Gang poured another glass of wine for Wang Yan and himself, and asked casually.

"How could I possibly guess?" Wang Yan shook his head, "Seriously, if you only talk about military merits, it is possible for Gao Zunyu and Miao Zhu, and Zhang Shouyue in Jingyuan is not hopeless." As for Hebei and Jingying, no one has enough merits. For example, today's selection of the army is based on military merit, and it is no longer the old days of seeking capital. Whoever comes up is a good thing for the army. ”

"That's too much." Han Gang smiled hahaha, "It's better to drink." ”

The three yaguan troops with only a dozen are the highest generals of the Great Song Dynasty military, all of whom are eight lieutenants, the front of the palace, the guard horse military division, and the guard infantry military division are all commanders and Du Yuhou, plus the two four-compartment commanders of the four armies of Zhuri, Tianwu, Longwei, and Shenwei, a total of eleven positions. The privy councillor is in charge of the military register, the tiger talisman, and the three yamen are in charge of the armies, each with its own division, 'the military talisman comes from the secret court, and cannot be unified by the people; The soldiers are subordinate to the three ya, and they are not allowed to be autocratic' - after Guo Kui became the capital of the palace back then, he became a member of the Privy Council with the same signature, and he could no longer go back to serve as the manager of the three ya, so Wang Yan and Han Gang did not mention his name.

Small envoys, ambassadors, palace envoys, this is the middle and low-level generals, and the highest is the seven-rank imperial city envoy. further up into the horizontal class, that is, the middle and high-level of the army, there are only thirty places; After the horizontal shift, you have to sit on the Jiedu envoy and the observation envoy, and at least you must be the Zhengren Assassin of the Fifth Grade, so as to be qualified to be the Sanya Commander. Moreover, the eleven positions of the three yaguan armies will be divided by at least one-third of the emperor's relatives and former ministers of the palace, and the ones that can really fall into the hands of the leading generals are at most seven or eight positions. The competition is fierce, you can imagine.

It's just that for Han Gang and Wang Yan, who is chosen to manage the army is too far away from them, and it can only be regarded as a matter of discussion. From Han Gang's point of view, Gao Zunyu, Miao Zhu and Zhang Shouyue, who have a friendship with him, all hope to enter the Sanya, which is also good news, and Zhang Yu's entry into the Sanya, which is worth celebrating, but it is only a celebration.

Wang Yan and Han Gang drank two more glasses, and suddenly something sounded: "By the way, there is something I forgot to say." Guangxi is in an urgent report today, there are changes in Yongzhou! ”

"Has there been a change in Yongzhou?" Han Gang looked at Wang Yan's expression, not half nervous, but a little banter, knowing that it must not be the one he had mentioned several times. "What's the matter?" He asked.

"The barbarians gathered to loot Guwanzhai on the fifteenth day of September."

"Guwanzhai [now Fusui North, Guangxi]?" Han Gang does not work in the Privy Council, he is not qualified to see the map sand table, and he doesn't know where Gu Wanzhai is, but he just looks at Wang Yan's attitude, as if this time the matter is not very serious.

"It's a walled city a little south of Yongzhou. Because it is at the intersection, and on the north side of Zuoshui [Zuojiang], business travels come and go, and there are many households around the walled city, so it has always been regarded as a big village, and the wealth is also somewhat famous in the local area, so it attracts the barbarian Koucheng...... This is what Su Mian said three times and four times in the book, the situation in the south is critical, and it is urgent to be looked after by the temple. Wang Yan Ha Ha Da Lu laughed and teased Han Gang.

Han Gang frowned, but he couldn't let go. Although he and Su Mian are only a few sides, it can also be seen that he is not a man of his mouth, and he is a barbar, how can he let his alarms go on repeatedly?

Seeing that Han Gang still had doubts in his heart, Wang Yan smiled and said: "Yukun, do you know that Li Qiande, who is in Jiaodao, also has an expression today, and he pleads guilty in the table, saying, 'There are new difficulties, and if you don't buy with Tonghe, you don't dare to send someone to Beijing to pay tribute'." This is suing Guizhou Liu Yi's royal writ! …… Li Qiande is still in Youchong, and his mother listens to politics. The Lord Shaoguo is suspicious, is it possible to commit a crime in the north? ”

In the northwest two places, it is not uncommon for the Queen Mother to lead the army to fight, but Han Gang doesn't think that the Jiaozhi people have this ability, so he can only put it aside if he thinks about it, and wait until the news comes later.

"It seems that I am indeed thinking too much, if it is just a barbarian, with the strength of Yongzhou, it should be successfully exterminated."

"Of course." Wang Yan smiled again, now Wang Anshi Bingzheng, although there is a murmur in the court, it can't interfere with business, which makes his mood very good, and he can also make fun of Han Gang, "Yukun, you have not helped Yongzhou less, if you can't successfully suppress it, I don't think Su Mian will have the face to see Yukun again." ”

Han Gang shook his head and raised his glass to Wang Yan: "It's still just about the bar in the cup." ”

After the wine and food were full, let the companion go to meet the money, Wang Yan and Han Gang walked out of the restaurant one after another. It has already been handed over for the second watch, and the market is brightly lit and pedestrians are weaving. The stars make up for it, and the winter triangle shines brightly.

Han Gang and Wang Yan went out together, and the mounts of the two had already been pulled over. Wang Yan held on to the saddle, looked up at the starry sky, and stood still.

"What's wrong?" Han Gang asked

Wang Yan's brows furrowed tightly, and a voice came out between his teeth: "It's a comet!" ”