Kulun said: "General Hu, this is a top-secret mission, the marshal and I have discussed it, but you must carry it out." ”

Hu Zhenbang said solemnly: "Thank you for the love of the marshal and the old general, please just ask." ”

Kulun sighed slightly: "My secret agents have detected that a master of the Song people has infiltrated most of my capital Shangjing, and wants to wait for an opportunity to recapture the twelve volumes of the first collection of the "General Essentials of the Martial Arts" compiled by your biological father during his lifetime. ”

Hu Zhenbang was surprised: "I heard that the prince Suo said, my biological father's "Wujing General Essentials" is divided into two episodes, each of which is twenty volumes, and it is officially owned by the Song people.

Yelu Kokand interjected: "General Hu, let's tell you the truth, there were many Qimen weapons in the grassland exam that day, which were imitated and improved by General Ku Lao according to the first twelve volumes of the Song people's "General Essentials of the Martial Arts". ”

Seeing that Hu Zhenbang's face was even more surprised, Yelu Kokand said: "On the same day, the Jin people sent a master to sneak into your biological father's house, and snatched the last eight volumes of the previous episode of the "Wujing General Essentials", and the other twelve volumes were protected by your biological father. ”

Hu Zhenbang said: "My father-in-law is as kind to me as a mountain, and my father-in-law also told me about this situation, and now I think about it, my father-in-law did not hand over the posthumous volume of "Wujing General Essentials" to the Song Dynasty. Thinking of his father's tragic death under the butcher's knife of the Jin people, I couldn't help but feel sad and indignant. But he was puzzled as to why his father-in-law failed to follow his biological father's will and return the book to the Great Song Dynasty.

Cullen said, "It's not that your stepfather didn't do it, he agreed to your father that day." Our Khitan people, has never been more scheming than foreigners, is agreed, is determined to do so, it is also a coincidence, that day coincided with my visit to his house to invite him to hunt, accidentally saw his study in the bloodstained this twelve volumes of books, a moment of curiosity, glanced over, only to see the description of all kinds of long and short weapons, long-range weapons and defensive weapons on the detailed description, the drawings are exquisite, I don't feel fascinated, even into the later Suo Wang Ye came in, I don't know. Your father-in-law and I have always been good friends, and when he saw me like this, he agreed to lend me a look, but asked me to return it after reading it, so as to fulfill the promise made that day that your biological father would return this book to the Great Song Dynasty. ”

Hu Zhenbang's mind was racing: "No wonder you will see so many new weapons and ordnance in the exam that day, and they are all learned from the Song people." Although the Liao and Song dynasties negotiated peace, the Liao people have made great efforts in recent years to expand their territory and open up their territory, and sooner or later the two countries will have a war. Most of these ordnance had been copied by the Liao, and if it went one step further, obtained the last eight volumes of the former collection captured by the Jin people, and then managed to steal the twenty volumes of the latter collection of the Song people, wouldn't it be a great increase in strength, and it would inevitably help it seize a large area of the country. ”

At that moment, he asked, "So it seems that the twelve volumes of this book must still be in the hands of the old general?"

Cullen laughed and said, " Yes, it is indeed still in the hands of the old man, just because the old man studied these new weapons, not once and then can be thoroughly understood, so I discussed with your father-in-law, and borrowed me for a year and a half to study, this borrowing is so many years, these years, although my Da Liao and the Song Dynasty did not have a large-scale war, but there were occasional disputes at the border between each other, this matter was ordinary, but the envoys of the Great Song Dynasty came to our court governor, all of them had an arrogant attitude, and even when the court angered the saint, provoked the non-saint to be broad-minded, but also knew that its strength was strong and did not want to act rashly, I am afraid that the war would have been rekindled。 Therefore, the Holy Decree asked me to intensify the study of the military equipment of the Song people in preparation for the needs of war, so this strange book has not been returned to your father-in-law for a long time, and soon he retired and did not ask me for this book again. ”

Hu Zhenbang said secretly: "This book was originally not a thing of Liao, but you forcibly possessed it so much, but now you are still conclusive, it is really a robber's face." He thought to himself, but said: "Since this book is still in the hands of General Ku, why not be afraid that these Han people will try to get it back." Mo said that the general's mansion is impregnable, even in Shangjing, it is easy to round up a few Han people. ”

Kulun said: "General Hu didn't know, so yesterday, I received a secret report that the Jin people had also sent masters to sneak into Beijing for activities, and they were also looking at the twelve volumes of the "General Essentials of the Martial Arts", if this book was taken away by the Jin people, plus the eight volumes they stole before, it would be a complete first collection, which would be a great disadvantage to my Da Liao." In addition, although this book is in my house, if there are military craftsmen in my armory who are bought, there is also a possibility that the secret of this book will be leaked. ”

Yelu Kokand also said: "It is really difficult to sleep, the Song Dynasty is incompetent, and the current emperor emphasizes literature and light on military force, so he doesn't want to be the enemy of my Daliao, so he doesn't have to worry too much." However, the ambition of the Jin people is great, and the momentum of ambition is heard from time to time, and the last eight volumes of the "General Essentials of the Martial Arts" in the hands of the Jin people are the culmination of the Song Dynasty's selection of generals, marching and camping, ancient and modern formations, communication reconnaissance, city attack and defense, and fire attack and water warfare. ”

Hu Zhenbang saw that the two of them were slow to enter the topic, but it was inconvenient to ask more, so he had to listen patiently to what the two of them said. I thought to myself: "Although I am raised by the Khitans, I am a Han after all, how can I see that the Liao people have obtained the military secrets of the Song people, and they will use it to deal with the Great Song Dynasty." ”

Seeing that he was silent, Cullen knew that he was confused, so he said: "General Hu didn't know what task he had for you, so he didn't say anything, so I just said it." I have found out that there is an Huanghe Hutong on the central avenue of Shangjing, where there is a tea shop called 'Fuliang Tea Shop', and it has been ascertained that the owner of the tea shop is a Song person (spy, secret agent), and this tea shop is also the place of contact he set up here, the shop has only one owner, and there is no partner, and now you are ordered to go to the third watch tonight to get rid of it, I don't know how many people you want to bring?"

Hu Zhenbangqi said: "Since it has been proven that it is the secret station of the Song people's contact, why not wait for their henchmen to arrive and catch them all?"

Yelu Kohan said with a smile: "General Hu really has a long-term vision, and the marshal also made such a plan at the beginning, but the other party has not shown his traces for a long time, I am afraid that he is only acting in secret, and now the Jin people have sent high-ranking people to infiltrate, and the enemy situation is rampant, it is better to eradicate it as soon as possible to cut off the troubles, so as not to take care of one and lose the other, as for the rest of the party, as long as the precautions are stepped up, it will be difficult to cover up the hiding in my capital." ”

Hu Zhenbang nodded and said: "The young general only needs to go alone, and it is inevitable that there will be many people." ”

Kulun said: "General Hu is brave and strategic, I and the marshal are very relieved, but the Song people dare to come to Beijing to lurk, and they must be first-class masters if they want to come, as the saying goes, they are not afraid of 10,000, but they are afraid of just in case, it is better to send two of my henchmen to follow, and it is good to act at the opportunity." ”

Yelu Kohan didn't wait for Hu Zhenbang to speak, so he stroked his palm and applauded: "This is a perfect strategy, very good, very good!"

Hu Zhenbang said secretly: "These two people sing and laugh, after all, they still can't rest assured of me, and this time they have to send two masters to follow, they must be guarding against me." ”

Jelukoand said, "Today you will stay in my marshal's mansion, and before you move at night, I will call you again." While speaking, he clapped his hands twice and called the maid to set up a banquet. As soon as the third watch arrived, he taught Hu Zhenbang to carry out the task.

Yelu Kokand and Kulun knew that Hu Zhenbang drank an amazing amount of alcohol, and they couldn't help but toast to him while talking and laughing, Hu Zhenbang drank more than 20 glasses of spirits, and said to the two: "The big handsome, the old general, the young general is on a mission, and he doesn't dare to drink more, so I will take a break and ask the two adults for permission." ”

Yelu Kohan laughed and said: "Yes, I drank so much that I almost forgot that General Hu had important things to do, so I let people take the general to rest." Yan will summon a maid and ask her to take Hu Zhenbang to a side room on the east side of the Marshal's Mansion to rest.