Governor's Palace.

The banquet room is warm like spring, several braziers are beating with red flames, the next people say that the food will be served, put on the table in front of everyone, with a meal system, the food is also simple, one person and a pot of stewed mutton, a plate of pickled pickles, and a big bowl of wine, after drinking, someone will come to continue.

Everyone chatted casually about the customs and customs of distant Chang'an, no one said anything about the war, until they were full of wine and food, the people withdrew to eat, and served tea, Qin Huaidao made a look, and the governor Xue Wanshu understood and signaled the people to leave, and the martial law outside the room was not allowed, and no one was allowed to approach.

Everyone knew that it was time to talk about business, so they all sat upright and looked at Qin Huaidao.

Qin Huaidao arched his hand towards Xue Wanshu, who was at the head of the city, and said: "Governor, this general has found out that the Taiyuan Wang clan is obstructing it and persuading the Khitan and Goguryeo to form an alliance on the banks of the Nenjiang River, with the intention of dividing the Tang Dynasty, and the specific content is not clear. ”

"What, are you sure?" Xue Wanshu's face changed, if this is the case, Yingzhou will bear the brunt.

"There is a lack of direct and powerful information, and there is a certainty of six or seven percent." Qin Huaidao didn't say death.

Xue Wanshu was silent, her eyes flickering, as if she was thinking about something.

Qin Huaidao was a little surprised, and stopped and waited.

After a while, Xue Wanshu said: "It seems that this news is true nine times out of ten, the governor of Pontus received the news yesterday that a caravan entered the territory of Goguryeo, with thousands of people, and it is said that the caravan does not go out at this time, according to the report of the people below, it is said that it is selling cloth, and I don't care, now it seems that there is a fraud." ”

"Cloth?" Qin Huaidao's heart moved, and said: "This cloth may be a cover-up, so that they can pass through the border pass of Yingzhou and enter the territory of Goguryeo, no more than a thousand people, no less, it may be to escort someone, can you please supervise how many donkeys and mules there are in this caravan, so as to judge whether it is a caravan or not." ”

"It's simple, Feng'er, you go and arrange it, let people ask about the situation." Xue Wanshu explained on the spot, but she was a resolute character.

Qin Huaidao likes to deal with people with this kind of character, no nonsense, decisive, and efficient.

"I'll put this on beforehand, but what's the matter?" Xue Wanshu asked after watching Xue Feng leave.

And straightforward people can't go around in circles, Qin Huaidao said: "Then I will say bluntly, the Siwandan Department can eat is basically taken away by our side, but there are more than 30,000 people in the Siwandan Ministry, and when the army returns, there will be 50,000 or 60,000 people in the Siwandan Ministry, there is no food, the yurt house has also been burned in half, the weather is cold, there is nowhere to live, in order to live will definitely rob other people's property, in this way, the Khitan departments will be in chaos, recently there is no life on the grassland, our army wants to borrow Yingzhou to live for a while, and please ask the governor to agree, of course, it should be spent, At our own expense. ”

Xue Wanshu saw the spoils of war, and she didn't have to worry about life, so she promised: "No problem, the conditions in Yingzhou are poor, everyone will take care of it, and if you need help, just mention it." ”

"Thank you Governor, there are a lot of loot this time, first take out 30,000 sheep, of which 20,000 are with the help of the Governor's Office, and the other 10,000 will be sold at half the market price, okay?" Qin Huaidao said bluntly, you can't live in vain, otherwise you will be disliked, and in addition, you can't do it in vain if you find someone to help sell it, and it's most appropriate to give up half of the profits.

20,000 sheep is tens of thousands of pieces of silver, which is not a small amount.

Xue Wanshu didn't expect Qin Huaidao to be so knowledgeable at a young age, and he was as careful as a hair, he wanted to be in front of everything, it was very comfortable and easy to deal with such a person, and he smiled: "General Qin is polite." ”

"That's right, please don't be too little, in addition, we need to repair the crossbow arrows by the blacksmith, and the salary can be doubled, and it will be deducted from the silver from the sheep sold, okay?" Qin Huaidao continued to ask.

Yingzhou Mansion is the territory of the Governor, and it is a bit impersonal to bypass the Governor's Mansion and directly find the people to build it, and the best craftsmen are in the Governor's Mansion.

There is nothing to do in the winter, let alone double, and there are people rushing to do it, Xue Wanshu knows very well that Qin Huaidao is deliberately giving the Governor's Mansion a chance to make money, this is a respect for the Governor's Mansion, and it is also a gesture of goodwill, which scheming a teenager should have, no wonder he can win the battle, and said with satisfaction: "I don't know how much?" If it is only a small amount, there is a blacksmith in the Governor's Mansion who can do it for you, and there is no need to negotiate wages. ”

"The salary still has to be given, it is not easy in the cold weather, our army has a lot of damage that needs to be repaired, and another 100,000 spare pieces are built, 50,000 feather arrows, how much silver is needed, please ask the governor to say bluntly, if the silver is not enough, use the sheep to deduct it." Qin Huaidao hurriedly said, 300,000 cattle and sheep were seized, which was enough for a while.

"There are 150,000 in total, a lot of them, and they need to rely on the hands of the people, and the governor's office will do it for them to ensure that nothing goes wrong." Xue Wanshu agreed.

"There's one more thing that needs the help of the Governor's Office." Qin Huaidao continued.

Xue Wanshu tasted the sweetness and asked with some expectation, "What's the matter?" ”

"Xiaguan needs some people who know how to needlework to help make winter clothes, the more people, the better, the salary is also doubled, the urgency, the time is very fast, it needs a place to concentrate on production, easy to manage, manage a meal at noon, I don't know if the Governor's Mansion can help recruit some?" Qin Huaidao asked.

"This matter is simple, the Governor's Mansion can issue a notice to make a production site, and the Governor's Mansion will vacate a few warehouses, which should be barely enough." Xue Wanshu is not a stingy person, and she agreed.

"Thank you for your help." Qin Huaidao said from the bottom of his heart, once the arrows and woolen winter clothes are done, the combat effectiveness of the troops can be greatly improved.

"General Qin doesn't need to be polite." Xue Wanshu could also see that Qin Huaidao would definitely become an upstart in the imperial court, and it was too late for this kind of person to make friends, so how could he refuse, and added: "A few people will live in the Governor's Mansion, and someone has been arranged to clean the wings, so it should be about the same." ”

"Then there is labor, everyone has already eaten, why don't you disperse first?" Qin Huaidao agreed.

"Okay, let's take everyone to settle down first." Xue Wanshu got up.

Everyone got up one after another, followed to a courtyard, the wings were opened, some people came out after cleaning, one person in one room, the inside was complete with all the products, and the arrangement was very thoughtful, Xue Wanshu could see that everyone had something to discuss, and left after settling down.

Qin Huaidao motioned for everyone to gather in their own rooms, the stool was not enough to sit, they all stood, Qin Huaidao asked An Guogong to sit down with himself, as a sign of respect, and admonished: "An Guogong, brothers, two things must be done well, first, everyone must not leave the Governor's Mansion without permission, to avoid chaos, it is a guest from afar, and it is not possible to cause chaos to the Governor's Mansion, and if you have time, you will organize everyone to practice crossbow and archery." ”

"Obey!" Everyone hurriedly agreed, they are not tired these days, and they are not in the mood to hang out, besides, Yingzhou is a border city, where is it comparable to Chang'an, there is nothing to visit.

"The second thing, put the raw water in the ginger after boiling, it is practical, do not drink raw water, to prevent illness, in addition, everyone must soak their feet in hot water every night, hot water also needs to be boiled with ginger, to avoid sores, but also to help everyone's body recovery, especially the wounded, if there is a violation, thirty military sticks." Qin Huaidao continued to advise that this matter was too important and must be dealt with seriously.

If you really drink raw water and fall ill, or have sores on your feet and can't walk, you can't fight this battle.

Everyone didn't know why, and they were a little surprised.

Qin Huaidao didn't bother to explain, and told Fang Yiai and Li Yixie: "From now on, the pro-guard army is responsible for keeping an eye on military discipline, not allowed to leave the camp, not allowed to drink raw water, must soak their feet every night, is not allowed to gamble, is not allowed to fight, must bully the weak, those who violate the order, and fight with thirty military sticks, no matter who it is, don't say anything unpredictable." ”

"Obey." Seeing that Qin Huaidao attached so much importance to it, everyone didn't dare to be careless.

"Lee joins the army." Qin Huaidao looked at Li Dejian.

"In!" Li Dejian hurriedly clasped his fists and saluted.

"To count the merits of the war, everyone must make a good record and write a military report to send it."

"Obey." Li Dejian gratefully agreed.

At this time, Xue Feng hurriedly came over, and Qin Huaidao said after entering the door: "Xue joins the army, there are just two things that need your help, one is that you need to marinate a batch of jerky, so you need to use the cattle and sheep in the army, and you have to find someone to do it." ”

"It's a simple matter, ask someone in the city who is proficient in this way to help, and give some silver taels." Xue Feng agreed.

"I'll leave this matter to you, besides, can there be courtesans and maikos in Yingzhou?"

"There are some, the general wants to ......" Xue Feng was a little surprised.

Cheng Chumo and the others smiled ambiguously.

"Laugh ass!" Qin Huaidao scolded with a smile: "Thinking about all the mess every day, finding some people to sing and dance some songs and dances, one hour a day, you have to have some fun if you don't let the brothers out of the camp, otherwise something will happen sooner or later, how much money do you need to find Li to join the army." ”

"Obey." Xue Feng agreed, and when he saw that he had nothing to do, he hurriedly went.

Qin Huaidao looked at Li Dejian: "Count the spoils of war in the army, and all the property will be kept by you in the future." ”

"Obey!" Li Dejian hurriedly agreed, this is a heavy trust.

"An Guogong!" Qin Huaidao continued: "After the statistics of the war exploits come out, the reward for meritorious deeds will be doubled, in addition, two hundred yuan for the war dead, fifty percent for the seriously wounded, and twenty percent for the lightly wounded, one should be paid from the spoils of war, and the spoils will be paid after realizing the loot these days, what do you think?" ”

"Could it be too much?" An Guogong is overjoyed, and he is worried about this matter, they are all his own people, and they are distressed by the death and injury, and it is difficult to explain.

"It's not too little, after returning to Chang'an, the general can't control it, but as long as the war is outside, he will be compensated and rewarded according to this example, and the order will be passed on to the army, and it will be dispersed if there is nothing to do." Qin Huaidao made the final decision.

"Obey!"

Everyone was overjoyed and left one after another, such a high reward, this soldier is easy to bring.

Soon, only Qin Huaidao was left in the room.

Qin Huaidao sat quietly for a while, reviewed the recent events and arrangements, and after making sure that there were no omissions and mistakes, he went out and called a passing maid to help, and asked someone to bring hot water, take a good bath, and fall asleep in the bed, he was really tired these days.

……

Governor's Mansion, in the study.

Xue Wanshu was reading a piece of information, her face was a little heavy, a knock sounded, Xue Feng pushed the door and asked curiously, "Uncle, what are you looking for me?" ”

"Sit down and talk." Xue Wanshu put down the information, pointed to a low stool opposite, and after Xue Feng sat down, he asked, "You have followed General Qin for a few days, what do you think of this person?" ”

"Scheming, calculating, perceptive, and bold, daring to fight, the coming day is definitely not simple." Xue Feng said solemnly.

"It is rare to make our Xue family Qilin'er so highly evaluated, rare, rare, talk about what has happened these days, the more detailed the better." Xue Wanshu was upset.

Xue Feng agreed and reported everything that had happened recently.

Xue Wanshu is also a veteran general on the battlefield, a little bit thorough, there is no need to explain too much, after listening carefully, he pondered, his face was full of solemnity, and said after a while: "This person is a great talent, integrating painting into command, unheard of, and what is even more terrifying is that this person brainstormed before the war, and then deployed in detail, going deep into the first layer of the captain, so that every soldier can understand the deep meaning of the plan and avoid not implementing it in place, this method is unprecedented." ”

"That's right, my nephew was a little shocked." Xue Feng exclaimed: "Since ancient times, the command has been conveyed layer by layer, but General Qin called all the officers above the captain to study and deploy together, at first the nephew thought that General Qin was too casual and incompetent, first listen to everyone's opinions and then say, soon the nephew found that he was very wrong, everyone's opinions were finally denied, and a new set of plans was taken, but it was better than what everyone proposed, impeccable, everyone was convinced, and followed the implementation, and what is even more terrible is that once the plan is determined, no one is allowed to oppose and question, and it must be resolutely implemented." ”

Xue Wanshu moved: "Brainstorm first, and then come up with a better plan, so that everyone is aware of the gaps, problems, is conducive to the understanding and implementation of the new plan, once determined, stick to the end, it can be seen that General Qin is resourceful, insightful, and has his own principles and bottom line, this kind of person is a natural commander, Datang will have a place for this person in the future, and even become a pillar in the army, you two are of the same age, and make more friends in the future, which is beneficial to the family." ”

"Remembered." Xue Feng solemnly agreed.

"Look at this." Xue Wanshu threw the information over.

Xue Feng took a closer look, his face changed greatly, and he immediately said: "Uncle, I'm afraid that this light-changing guard has been bought, so that Goguryeo may come to Yingzhou at any time, once the Khitan also intervenes, the two sides will attack, and the Yingzhou city may not be able to stop it." ”

"This is also something to worry about for my uncle, Yingzhou City is still not strong enough, but the weather is cold, and there is no way to increase it height and strengthen it." Xue Wanshu looked worried.

"It's better to clear the wilderness with strong walls, once the enemy comes to attack, there is no house to shelter from the wind and cold, there is no food to eat, there is no people to hostage, no one helps to build equipment, and the army will be withdrawn if it can't last a few days." Xue Feng proposed.

"If you can't do this as a last resort, the people will become displaced people when they leave their homes, and Yingzhou City can't accommodate so many people, it's getting late, let's discuss it with Lord Qin tomorrow." Xue Wanshu sighed.

Xue Feng thought for a while and said, "Uncle, General Qin asked me to find someone to help marinate the jerky for later use, and also found some courtesans and maiko to go to the camp to sing and dance for an hour every day to relieve the boredom of the soldiers, and also issued a strict order that no one was allowed to leave the governor's mansion without permission, you see?" ”

"Oh?"

Xue Wanshu thought for a while and said with a smile: "General Qin restricts his subordinates not to go out, this move is very good, it can save a lot of things for the Governor's Mansion, this person can think about others, it is worth befriending, as for the matter of marinated jerky, they have a lot of loot, there is no shortage of ingredients, I am afraid it is to prepare for the next battle, help it complete it as soon as possible, as for the song and dance, the Governor's Mansion has some, so don't look for the outside, so as not to spread criticism, go and rest." ”

"Whoa!" Xue Feng promised to leave.

Xue Wanshu's index finger lightly buckled the case, and she pondered.

After a while, Xue Wanshu breathed a long sigh of relief: "This person is really extraordinary...... I'm afraid that the pattern of the court is going to change, and the Xue family should also plan one or two in advance. ”

……

Early the next morning.

Qin Huaidao slept until dawn, his spirit was greatly lifted, he was resurrected with full blood, and when he came out, he saw that Luo Zhang was practicing the crossbow, and shouted: "Luo Zhang, have you eaten?" ”

"Uncle, wait for you, the governor sent someone to invite, I saw you sleeping, and I worked hard during this time, so let them go back first." Luo Zhang explained and walked up.

"Let's go, let's see."

The two walked forward for a distance, and Xue Feng hurriedly came over: "General, please come with me, eat something first, the governor is waiting in the study, and there is something to discuss." ”

"Let's go."

The group came to the banquet room to eat something, and hurried to the study.

In the room, Xue Wanshu was studying the information, her brows were tightly locked, and when she saw Qin Huaidao coming, she got up to greet him, and said enthusiastically: "General Qin, please come over, there are really some things to discuss." ”

"You're welcome, I'm idle anyway, you say." Qin Huaidao said politely.

Everyone sat down, and Xue Wanshu said bluntly: "Do you remember the caravan you said yesterday?" The report said that it was selling cloth, I found someone to check, there was not a donkey and mule, all the war horses, one person and two horses, one batch of them was used to transport supplies, packed in cloth bags, no one knew what it was, such a configuration could not be a caravan, the old man suspected that the border guards would have been bought. ”

Qin Huaidao's heart tightened, normally speaking, the caravan would use donkeys or mules to transport materials with stamina livestock, the road is not easy to walk on snowy days, it is normal for one person to rotate two horses, if there is a problem with the caravan, nearly a thousand people suddenly enter the Goguryeo realm There must be something strange.

"What do you mean, Duke?" Qin Huaidao asked bluntly.

"The Khitan secretly assembled in the west, the old man was worried that Goguryeo and the Khitan would join forces, and suddenly launched an attack, under the attack from the east and west, the city of Yingzhou was low, and it was afraid that it would not be able to hold it, and it was unrealistic to requisition the people to repair the city, so General Qin could have a solution? Please also consult me. Xue Wanshu said solemnly.

The city of Yingzhou is indeed not high enough, it is easy to enter it with a cloud ladder, and there is no way to increase it or strengthen it on a cold day, Qin Huaidao pondered for a moment, and suddenly there was one in front of him, and asked: "If the city wall is doubled, it may be held?" ”

"If you double the height, it's no problem to hold on for more than ten days." Xue Wanshu looked at Qin Huaidao in surprise, her eyes were a little more curious, a little expectant, and she couldn't wait to know what Qin Huaidao would do.

Xue Feng also looked at Qin Huaidao curiously, it was impossible to construct in a cold day, how could it be heightened?

"Uncle?" Luo Zhang shouted even more worriedly.

Qin Huaidao waved his hand to signal Luo Zhang not to worry, and explained: "I'm afraid ten days is not enough, Yingzhou must hold on for a month, the Khitan and Goguryeo will retreat by themselves, the danger will be lifted, and the imperial court will have a countermeasure after the beginning of spring." ”

"Newspaper—"

Suddenly, an anxious voice sounded outside the door: "Governor, Xue Tao, the captain of the border pass, has come to report that Goguryeo has suddenly sent troops, the border pass has been lost, the guards have rebelled, and the Goguryeo army may arrive at any time." ”

"What, what about Xue Taoren?" Xue Wanshu staggered to his feet.

Xue Feng opened the door and asked, "Where is my brother?" ”

"The news brought by Captain Xue desperately collapsed at the gate of Dongcheng, and he lost too much blood due to excessive blood loss." The other party quickly explained.

As soon as Qin Huaidao heard that Xue Tao was Xue Feng's younger brother, his message was credible, Goguryeo really sent troops, there was no such place in history, it seemed that his arrival had affected the trend of history, I am afraid that it was the ghost of the Taiyuan Wang clan again, he was angry in his heart, looked at Xue Wanshu and said: "Governor, under the command of the five thousand soldiers and horses, Yingzhou cannot be lost." ”

Xue Wanshu didn't expect Qin Huaidao to hand over the military power directly, and was moved in her heart, and hurriedly said: "General Qin has a heart, let's discuss this battle, Feng'er, give the order, close the city gate, the first battalion of the border army will be on guard on the city wall, the second battalion will participate in the battle at any time, and the third battalion will be responsible for patrolling the whole city. ”

"Obey!" Xue Feng hurriedly went.

Qin Huaidao originally thought that he could rest in Yingzhou for a few days, but he didn't expect Goguryeo to attack, and things were more complicated than expected, so he quickly spread out the map, and while thinking about Goguryeo's move, the Khitan may also move, what kind of chess is the Taiyuan Wang family arranging a game of chess?

Soon, Qin Huaidao found a problem, the border pass was lost, even if Goguryeo tore through the defense of Yingzhou, it was completely possible to send a force of soldiers and horses to besiege but not attack, the main army went south and took Pingzhou in one fell swoop, and the Khitan was originally west of Yingzhou, directly south through the Great Wall, and Goguryeo joined forces with Youzhou, Youzhou was broken, and the Tang Dynasty was in danger.

Yingzhou has become an isolated city, and there is no point in holding it.

"Shhhh

Qin Huaidao secretly took a breath of cold air, although it was just a guess, but all kinds of signs showed that it was completely possible, otherwise, why did the Khitan secretly gather troops and horses to the west of Yingzhou, and why did Goguryeo suddenly take the border pass, there must be a shocking conspiracy behind this.

If the Khitan and Goguryeo really want to join forces to divide the Tang Dynasty, they will never allow the isolated city of Yingzhou to exist, and if they hold back the army, they will inevitably march on two routes at the same time, all the way south along the coastline, conquer Pingzhou, and take Yingzhou all the way, completely cutting off worries.

How should Yingzhou choose?

At this moment, Qin Huaidao's brain was running wildly, constantly deducing various possibilities.

Xue Wanshu couldn't help but ask, "Does General Qin have any ideas?" ”

"Governor, I am worried about the division of troops in Goguryeo, all the way to Yingzhou, all the way to Pingzhou, since it has been shot, Goguryeo has no reason to be afraid, it must be fast, as long as Pingzhou is taken, the soldiers are in Youzhou, the Khitan will also cross the Great Wall to Youzhou, once Youzhou is lost, the Central Plains will become undefended." Qin Huaidao guessed in his heart.

Xue Wanshu's face changed greatly when she heard this, and she looked at the map and was silent.

As a general, Xue Wanshu also knew that Goguryeo suddenly made a move on a small border pass, and there must be a big move behind it, thinking of the recent Khitan secret assembly of troops in the west, it is really possible to go south to Youzhou, if this is the case, then the Xi people are probably also involved.

The area and population of the Xi nationality are twice as small as that of the Khitan, located south of the Khitan, east of the Eastern Turks, north of the Great Wall, and southwest of Yingzhou.

Qin Huaidao's eyes also fell on the position of the Xi people, and he said in a deep voice: "Dudu, the Xi people have a small population and not many soldiers, and the Taiyuan Wang clan is afraid that they did not win over the Xi people, but gave the Xi people to the Khitan and tempted the Khitan to go south, and the Khitan and the Xi people are next to each other, and they are happy to swallow the territory of the Xi people and go south after getting supplies." ”

"It makes sense, the Khitan is a group of white-eyed wolves who can't be fed, after taking the territory of the Xi people, the soldiers will come to Youzhou, and if they have the opportunity, they will be introduced to the Central Plains to plunder, if they don't have the opportunity, they can also negotiate with the imperial court, and they want to go to the territory, and Goguryeo can annex the territory of Yingzhou, and the imperial court has to temporarily compromise in order to stabilize the situation. Xue Wanshu said coldly, and a wave of fighting intent erupted.

Although the general is old, the majesty still exists!

"General Qin, if Yingzhou is handed over to you to command, how will you fight?" Xue Wanshu looked over with a firm gaze.