Early the next morning, Pang Gang led a team of personal soldiers under the leadership of Jiang Laohan to the Crescent Mountain, the road was rugged and difficult to walk, although it was only more than 30 miles, but they had been walking for more than an hour before they came to the destination.

Crescent Mountain as its name, a curved arc makes the whole mountain look like a crescent moon, there is also a small mountain village called Crescent Village at the foot of this mountain, Jiang Laohan led everyone to the front of the small mountain village, this is a very small mountain village, there are only more than ten families in the whole village, when Pang Gang and his party came to the small mountain village, several children playing at the entrance of the village were curious to follow them and laughed.

As soon as they arrived at the entrance of the village, before they could take a breath, the anxious Pang Gang urged Jiang Laohan to take them to the foot of the mountain. Jiang Laohan had no choice but to accompany everyone to the foot of the mountain, Pang Gang and everyone kept looking for it on the ground. After a while, Pang Gang found a piece of black ore on the ground that was larger than the tungsten ore he picked up yesterday, Pang Gang took out the ore he found yesterday and compared, the two were almost identical, Pang Gang took advantage of the lack of attention to go to a remote corner and took out the mutated "Modern Weapons Encyclopedia" to look at the ore, when he saw "Tungsten ore fifty, do you absorb it?" The cells of the whole body are almost boiling.

He knew that the tungsten ore he had been looking for was here. He immediately returned to the team and said to Jiang Laohan: "Old man, is there much of this kind of stone mountain?" ”

Jiang Laohan shook his head and said: "There are not many such stones on the mountain, if you want to find these stones, you have to find them slowly." ”

Pang Gang said decisively: "You can't find it slowly, this official immediately sent someone here to mine this ore, and the ore must be mined in the shortest possible time." ”

After finding the ore, Pang Gang did not stay long, but returned to Laizhou with people non-stop, and after returning to Laizhou, he first found Weijiang.

"Wei Tongzhi found a mine thirty miles east of the city. This mountain produces a kind of ore, and the official wants to mine ore there, do you have the talent to mine ore? ”

"Back to the adult, there is no talent in this field under the lowly subordinates." Wei Jiang showed a look of embarrassment on his face, and then said: "But I have heard that there are some craftsmen in Laizhou City who are more experienced in mining, if you want to mine these ores, you can find them out and let them mine ore for adults, but if you want to open a mine, it will only be through the nod of the prefect, after all"

Wei Jiang didn't continue, but Pang Gang understood what he meant, Shu Feisong was the prefect of Laizhou after all, although Pang Gang was said to be a general in charge of the garrison of Sanzhou, but he couldn't interfere too much in civil affairs, otherwise it would not be good to be entrusted.

"You don't have to worry about this, I'll tell Shu Zhifu." Pang Gang waved his hand, his tone was very firm, he would never let go of this tungsten mine that he had found with great difficulty, and he would not hesitate to sweep him away if anyone stopped on the road, but according to Pang Gang's estimation, Shu Feisong would definitely not offend him for these trivial things.

Sure enough, when Pang Gang found Shu Feisong to talk about it, Shu Feisong nodded without hesitation and agreed, obviously these ores are of great use to Pang Gang, but for Shu Feisong, these ores that can neither be eaten nor spent are no different from a pile of useless broken stones, so why should he be a villain in vain.

After staying in Laizhou for two days and arranging some matters, Pang Gang set off again, but this time his purpose was not to meet Qingzhou, but to go to Dengzhou, the easternmost part of his defense area.

Pang Gang rode on horseback, letting the morning sun shine lazily on his body, he rushed to the whole body with a fresh smell, which also made him feel that his brain was extraordinarily clear, and Pang Gang, who was sitting on horseback, recalled the situation he got about Dengzhou when he came.

Dengzhou is located in the easternmost part of the Shandong Peninsula, and its geographical location is very important, so the imperial court also set up Weihaiwei in Dengzhou and stationed heavy troops to protect Shandong from the invasion from the seaside. In the Ming Taizu period, even a water division was set up, but since the middle of the Ming Dynasty, Dengzhou is also the same as the guards in the Ming Dynasty, the military equipment is slack, Weihaiwei has almost become an empty shell, and the military households in the guard have also fled and scattered, almost in name only.

"Alas! There is still a long way to go! As soon as he thought of the situation in Dengzhou that he had heard, Pang Gang couldn't help but sigh in his heart, and he didn't know how hard it would be to really include Dengzhou under his command.

Since Pang Gang and the others were not in a hurry to go to Dengzhou this time, they also slowed down the pace of their march and did not arrive outside Dengzhou until the next day.

Dengzhou Governor Lu Yingzhi and Dengzhou Commander Tongzhi Wang Zhong had already received the news that Pang Gang was coming, and the two of them jointly went out of Dengzhou City to meet Pang Gang, and in a polite greeting Pang Gang ordered the sergeants to camp outside the city, and he took more than 100 personal soldiers into the city with Wang Zhong and Lu Yingzhi.

After entering the city, Pang Gang was a little surprised to find that Dengzhou City was quite prosperous, compared to Qingzhou, and Pang Gang carefully observed that the people here were much stronger than Laizhou in terms of dress and mental outlook, and there were not so many beggars and homeless people on the street.

Pang Gang accompanied the Dengzhou prefect Lu Yingzhi and the commander of the Tongzhi Wang Zhong into the prefect's yamen, and the two invited Pang Gang to enter the main seat, Pang Gang did not refuse, and simply sat up.

After the maid served tea, after everyone finished greeting him, he commanded Tongzhi Wang Zhongcai to say with a hint of apology: "Huge man, a few days ago, I also received the news that there were chaotic soldiers in Laizhou, but I was really ashamed that I was unable to send troops to rescue." ”

"Yes! My lord, our armaments in Dengzhou are not much better than those in Laizhou. Lu Yingzhi also said on the side: "I really have more than enough heart to help Laizhou, but I don't have enough strength." ”

Pang Gang's brows immediately furrowed when he heard this, what did these two people want to do as soon as they sang and harmonized, and they gave themselves eye medicine as soon as they came in.

Thinking of this, Pang Gang raised his head and slowly looked at the two of them, Lu Yingzhi, the prefect of Dengzhou, was a talent, and the long beard under his chin made him look elegant, but there was not a trace of cunning in his eyes. The commander Tongzhi Wang Zhong is a typical military general, with a burly figure and a short beard, but a pair of goldfish eyes make him look a little funny.

The two accompanied Pang Gang in the hall and said painless words, listening to the yin and yang strange words of the two, Pang Gang couldn't help but have a nameless dark fire in his heart. And Pang Gang also saw a strange look in their eyes, although this kind of look was only fleeting, but unfortunately Pang Gang was caught, Pang Gang called this kind of look disdain, and after reading the meaning of their eyes, the look on Pang Gang's face gradually became serious.

He said lightly: "This official naturally won't blame the two, but this official is ordered to inspect the defense of the three states, and he has a heavy responsibility, so he has to come here, I don't know why Wang Tongzhi taught me?" ”

Wang Zhongyi arched his hand and said: "My lord, don't dare to hide from each other, don't look at the prosperity of Dengzhou City, in fact, it is just a superficial effort, Dengzhou due to the lack of salary and silver allocated by the Ministry of War for many years, and Weihaiwei is useless, most of the current soldiers are old, weak, sick and disabled, and they have reached the verge of collapse." ”

Looking at the regret and grief on Wang Zhong's face, and then looking at Lu Yingzhi who had been sitting on the chair and drinking tea by himself, Pang Gang sneered in his heart, although this Wang Zhong looks quite vulgar, but he is not a fuel-efficient lamp, he keeps complaining when he sees Shangguan coming, do you want to win sympathy? and this Dengzhou prefect Lu Yingzhi sang and harmonized with him just now, it seems that the relationship between these two people is not simple.

As if he hadn't heard Wang Zhong's words, Pang Gang still asked: "Wang Tongzhi, although you have your difficulties, there are still some necessary things to do in your official duties. As a fellow governor of Dengzhou, Weihaiwei is also under your jurisdiction, so let's get ready today, and you will accompany this official to Weihaiwei to inspect tomorrow! ”

When Wang Zhong heard this, his face immediately showed an anxious look, and he hurriedly shouted: "Your Excellency, don't be in such a hurry, Weihaiwei is located in a remote area, and the road is not easy to walk, it is better to let the lowly post hand over Weihaiwei's account book and military registration book to you, what do you think?" ”

"Hmm!" When Pang Gang heard this, his face suddenly darkened, and he said solemnly: "Didn't you just say that due to the lack of salary, the armaments of Weihaiwei and Dengzhou were relaxed?" This official will now see with his own eyes how he can relax the law. Why, can't it? ”

"Absolutely! Of course! Wang Zhong's face became bitter, and he secretly glanced at Lu Yingzhi with his eyes, but Lu Yingzhi drank the tea in his hand as if he didn't see it.

Seeing Wang Zhong, whose face turned slightly pale, Pang Gang continued: "Also, at the moment of tomorrow, this official is going to inspect the Dengzhou garrison on the school ground, I want to see if the Dengzhou garrison can still take on the responsibility of replacing the emperor!" ”

"This"

"Well, what's the problem?" Pang Gang's sharp eyes immediately swept towards Wang Zhong.

The eyes like lightning made Wang Zhong fidget, and he swallowed back what he was about to say.

After Pang Gang finished saying these words, he immediately got up and stood up, and strode out of the door regardless of Wang Zhong and Lu Yingzhi's retention.

Looking at Pang Gang who was striding out, Lu Yingzhi and Wang Zhong couldn't help but look at each other in the scene.

Wang Zhong couldn't help but complain: "Lord Lu, you have taken a stupid step, this Dingyuan general's surname is so popular, it is clear that he will inevitably reprimand the official when he inspects the guard and the defenders, and the official will be in trouble at that time." ”

"What are you afraid of?" Wang Zhong glared at him, "A yellow-mouthed child, if you don't give him a dismount today, he won't know how to ride on our heads in the future, and how will we continue to trade in the future?" ”

(To be continued)