I studied in modern times

Chapter 593: Happy to hear the battle (2)

Xiang Zonghui paced back and forth and arrived at the official office of the Economic Strategy and Appeasement System, which had now moved the shogunate from Lanzhou to Xizhou.

Then, he was invited to the courtyard of the back house.

By this time, the yard had been cleared.

A huge sand table, two to three feet long, was placed in the yard.

The senior generals on Xihe Road were gathered in front of the sand table, holding long sticks in their hands. What were they pointing at?
The younger generation of these generals served as assistants.

These people were holding thick booklets in their hands, flipping through them and looking for something.

As the economic and strategic appeasement envoy of Xihe Road, Zhao Xi was wearing a purple robe and was surrounded by the crowd in the middle.

"Zifa is here." When Zhao Xi saw Xiang Zonghui's figure, he immediately smiled and led the generals to greet him.

The generals also bowed their hands to Xiang Zonghui and saluted: "The last general has seen Xiang Gongzhi."

It seemed that they had a good relationship with Xiang Zonghui.

In fact, it can be said that it feels like a fish in water.

This is surprising.

Because, in the Song Dynasty, when relatives were outside, they often made the relationship very bad and offended people everywhere.

Sometimes, they even deliberately look for trouble to make everyone unhappy.

Unfortunately, the court turned a blind eye to this.

Even intentionally indulgent and tolerant.

Even when Gao Zunyu was a general in Xihe, he would pick on others every now and then, irritating several civil and military ministers, and causing him to be impeached several times.

Since Xiang Zonghui and Gao Gongji took office in Xihe.

The relationship with the superiors and subordinates is good, which is very unusual.

Therefore, the Yushitai side was very vigilant.

Since May this year, people have been accusing Xihe Wenwu of being "arrogant" and "domineering".

These guys didn't dare to scold Xiang Zonghui and Gao Gongji directly, so they caught people who were close to them and scolded those who said good things to Xiang Zonghui and Gao Gongji.

However, the civil and military generals here in Xihe have long been afraid of boiling water.

Like Zhao Xi - he is about to retire, and no matter how harsh the crows scold him, they can't hurt him even a hair.

On the contrary, when he becomes official, the court will still ceremoniously commend him.

If you can achieve military exploits before taking up your official career.

You can even become a bachelor of Zizheng Palace, and even enter the official career with a Jie Yue.

Therefore, Zhao Xi was full of energy.

The friendship in Hezhou was originally a drumbeat in my heart.

But in June of this year, the emperor sent his two nephews Zhong Jianzhong and Zhong Shizhong to Hezhou by decree. The decree personally removed the brothers Zhong Jianzhong from the rank of junior envoys directly in Youban Palace and became the inspection envoys of Hezhou. .

Zhong Yi understood instantly.

So, he didn't care anymore - for civil servants, being bitten by crows was a terrible thing.

But for the military minister, as long as the holy love is not lost, the more fierce the crow bites, the more promising the future.

The reason is simple - every bite of the crow now can be a crime in the future.

What is this called?
The handle is delivered to your door!

Therefore, he got closer to Xiang Zonghui and Gao Gongji.

I wish the crows would curse more.

The Tibetan officials were even more domineering - their dealings with Xiang Zonghui and Gao Gongji were all fair and aboveboard.

The crows didn't dare to bite them either.

Because, on behalf of the emperor, it is the job of the relatives to comfort the Tibetan officials.

It is impossible for the soldiers and horses of the Fan officials to threaten Bianjing.

Xiang Zonghui smiled, returned the courtesy with Zhao Xi and others, and then came to the sand table and looked at the densely marked chess pieces on the sand table, covering the hills.

Xiang Zonghui didn't understand military affairs, let alone geography.

But when he looked at the sand table, his eyes were still shining.

"Ms. Zhao..." Xiang Zong asked back, "Are you ready?"

Zhao Xi looked at the densely packed chess pieces on the sand table surrounding the border of the Song Dynasty.

The veteran general's eyes showed a fierce light: "Zifa, I and the Xihe generals have already made up their minds."

"This time, we must let the Western bandits lose a few of their teeth under Lanzhou City!"

"As for the ghost chapter?"

Zhao Xi looked at the vast wilderness from Xige City to Fugong City in Hezhou.

"Now that you're here, don't think about leaving!"

The Western bandits and Tibetans have been preparing for war since the beginning of this spring.

Since June, their actions on the border have become increasingly large.

Especially the Western bandits, they were collecting food and soldiers everywhere in Hengshan.

Tiandu Mountain is almost turning into a construction site.

Zhao Xi is not blind, how could he not know?
What's more, the Song Dynasty can now detect the movements of the Western thieves through a large number of informants and insiders who are close to the Song Dynasty.

no way!
The long border between Song and Xia was home to hundreds of Qiang and Dangxiang tribes, large and small.

These people, who have always had breasts, are like mothers. They are typical wallflowers who fall on both sides when the wind blows.

Nowadays, the Western thieves are expropriating food and young men on a large scale for the Sixth Battle of Lanzhou.

Inevitably, the interests of these tribes were harmed.

In addition, Xihe Road has changed its conservative policy in the past.

For those who come to invest, no matter their origin or status.

All were accepted and treated equally, and all were arranged to go to Mianzhuang to reclaim wasteland and farm land.

As for whether there are any spies from the West among these people? Careful work?
Xihe Road’s attitude is no matter what!
Why not?
This is because Xihe's Mianzhuang will deal with newly arrived fleeing people in a very aggressive manner.

In the first few months, they will be given the hardest and most physically demanding work in the cotton village.

For example, building canals, clearing wasteland, composting, etc.

These tasks last a whole day.

Even if you are a tough guy, when you go to Mianzhuang and face such heavy physical labor, you will be exhausted and out of breath after three to five days.

Moreover, the cotton farms are all in the wilderness, and the employees live in nearby sheds.

For ordinary craftsmen and spies, as long as they enter Cotton Village, it is almost like entering prison.

And these craftsmen and spies were originally nobles of the Western Thieves.

At least he was a junior officer.

How can you bear such a life?

Within ten days and a half, you will want to run away.

However, Xiang Zonghui and Gao Gongji liked raising dogs very much.

They brought the Luojiang dog, the most famous dog breed of the Song Dynasty, from Bianjing.

It was the Luojiang dog that during the Renmiao era, the censor Song Xi wrote to the imperial city to raise dogs as a guard.

This breed of dog is a famous dog in Shu.

Although it is small in size, it has a well-developed sense of smell and is agile in speed.

After special training, they can accurately track the scent and bite it and not let go.

And because of their small size, they eat less.

So people from all over Xihe sent people to Shu to buy dogs.

Nowadays, every cotton village, big and small, has Luojiang dogs, ranging from a few to dozens.

These alert, loyal puppies are sensitive to all movement.

As long as someone dares to run away, they will bark immediately to notify their owners.

Then, lead the master to track down the escaped hired man.

In addition to the Luojiang dog, there is also a local dog breed in Xihe that is hybridized with a wolf.

Strong in physique and fierce in temperament.

Nowadays, most of them are kept by the government and the army.

Luo Jiang Dog and this breed called Xihe Dog are matched in size.

Weaving a big net on Xihe Road.

As long as one comes in, it is extremely difficult to escape.

Very effectively protected the interests of major cotton farms.

Nowadays, the probability of successful escape of hired workers in cotton farms across Xihe has dropped by 90%.

All those who are caught evading work will be severely punished by the government - because they have violated the contract, they must work for their employer for one to three years without pay to make up for their losses.

During this period, the employer has the right to put shackles and shackles on them to prevent them from escaping.

Under such an iron fist, the Xihe government was not afraid of spies and spies from the West.

I even wish they would come more. Therefore, the border was opened directly without distinguishing the escapees at all.

Who doesn’t like free labor? !

Under such circumstances, although the relevant parties in Xihe are not fully aware of the movements of the Western Thieves, they can still roughly guess them.

However, the Western thieves knew nothing about the Song Dynasty, at least they were ignorant.

As early as last month, Zhao Xi had already received accurate information and knew that Liang Yifu, the Prime Minister of the Western Bandits, had led Tie Yaozi, the absolute elite main force of the Western Bandits, to the Gaolan Palace at the foot of Tiandu Mountain.

Liang Yifu and Tie Yaozi are both here.

Can the massive attack by the Western bandits be far behind?

As for the goal?

No need to think about it, it must be Lanzhou!
Except for Lanzhou, at this stage, there is no other place on Xihe Road where the Western thieves can make such a big move.

"Now, Liang Yifu, Prime Minister of the Western Thieves Kingdom, has assembled 30,000 elite troops from the Qizhuoluo and Nan and Youxiang Chaoshun departments in the Tiandu Mountain area!"

Zhuoluo and Nan, and Chaoshun in the right compartment, are the two Xixia supervisory military divisions that Lanzhou faces directly.

With Liangzhou as its core in the Tang Dynasty, it was one of the core territories of the Western Bandits.

When Yuan Hao founded the country, he made the country the Twelve Supervisory Military Division.

At that time, Zhuoluo, Nan and Youxiang were facing the same direction, and they were still in the rear.

It is the most important economic zone and grain-producing area in the West.

But now, with the expansion of Xining, the Song Dynasty has Xihe Lanhui.

What was once the rear has become the front line.

As a result, Lanzhou became a thorn in the side of the Western thieves, a thorn in the flesh, and they were eager to pull them out!

"With the thieves' system, once activated, 30,000 elites can threaten 300,000 men and attack our Lanzhou!" Zhao Xi said softly.

There is no doubt about it.

This is the system of party members.

With a handful of 20,000 to 30,000 elites as the core, and threatening hundreds of thousands of young men, young women and children, they started a wave of attacks on the Song Dynasty.

What is important is that one force can reduce ten meetings.

Moreover, they do not care at all about the loss of young men or even women and children.

Therefore, in the past Song-Xia wars, the Song Dynasty was always easily shocked by the huge army of the Western Bandits.

Then they didn't dare to act rashly, or they were so proud that they defeated several weak armies of Western thieves, so they underestimated the enemy and advanced rashly.

Then they were cut off from their retreat, surrounded in a small area, and divided and annihilated.

From Sanchuankou to Haoshuichuan, this is the case.

But the Song Dynasty quickly learned its lessons.

Starting from Duke Fan Wenzheng and Duke Han Zhongxiang, they began to build fortifications on the border.

Fortresses began to rise one after another.

Western thieves were often hit on the head in front of these fortresses and their heads were bleeding.

Typical examples are the Battle of Guangshun City in the Yingmiao era, the Battle of Dingxi City and the five Lanzhou battles that ended last year.

With so much successful experience, Zhao Xi will naturally not copy the wrong answer. He replied to Xiang Zong: "I intend to rely on the strong city fortress in Lanzhou to defend Lanzhou and dozens of surrounding forts to fight against the Western bandits."

"Keep it locked in!"

"Wait until their food is exhausted, then use your fine cavalry to cover them up and defeat their main force. We don't seek to annihilate them, but to disperse them!"

"At that time..." He licked his lips: "The hundreds of thousands of innocent women and children held hostage by the Western thieves can all be rescued."

"As for the ghost chapter..." Zhao Xi said: "I want to put it in..."

"Then choose an opportunity to encircle and annihilate the main force!"

Ever since he was driven out of Xige City by Zhong Yi, Qing Yi had been wandering around the plateau with his tribe.

They even killed a Song Army light cavalry that penetrated too far into the plateau.

This is the Qingyi Jiegui Chapter, or the combat characteristics of Tubo in the Qingtang Dynasty.

They don't care about the gains and losses of a city or a place at all.

If you want it, give it to you!

But if you go too far, the supply line will be stretched too long.

That would be embarrassing.

Directly cut your retreat and cut off your food route.

Then force your army to starve on the plateau and eat sand.

In the end, no matter how many troops there are, they can only retreat with hatred.

But at this time, they will come out.

Both the Song Dynasty and the Dangxiang people suffered this loss from the Tubo people.

And it’s a big loss!
Especially party members, they already have some PTSD in this regard.

Veterans like Zhao Xi are very good at summing up experience.

Therefore, he firmly rejected the plan to advance deep into the plateau.

He just asked Hezhou and Xige City to increase their efforts to attract and lure the ministries under Qingyi Jiegui Zhang.

Now it seems that the effect is remarkable!
Reliable intelligence showed that Qingyi Jie Guizhang was bringing his main force down from the plateau in the name of migration.

As long as he comes down and enters the area controlled by Da Song.

Does he want to leave again?

But he can't help it!
This is not only Zhao Xi's personal opinion, but also the result of many days of deliberations between Xihe generals.

Xiang Zong nodded after listening to Zhao Xi's words: "Mr. Jinglue's plan is very good. I wonder what I can do?"

When the generals Zhao Xi and Xihe heard this, their eyes shone with light.

"I just want to ask you on official business to confirm once again whether the "Yuanyou Army Reward Order" applies to the Xihe Prefectures?"

Xiang Zonghui nodded seriously: "Please rest assured, sir!"

"The imperial decree has been issued!"

"Today's officials speak gold and never change a single word of their words."

"The various rewards in the military reward order will never be short of the soldiers!"

Even if the court refuses to give the reward, Xiang Zonghui will bring the other cotton village owners to cash it in.

It’s not about how enlightened they are.

Not to mention how much they love the Song Dynasty.

Rather, they all know that this battle is related to whether they can grow cotton safely in Xihe and make a fortune.

At the same time, it is also related to whether they can have an endless supply of cheap workers in their cotton farm.

You know, land reclamation is a very expensive thing.

Without enough manpower, it would be impossible to cultivate much wasteland.

Today, more than 70% of the land in Xihe Road Prefecture is silently in place, allowing weeds to grow and the mountain wind to blow.

At least 40% of these lands are flat.

Many wastelands are even right on the edge of the Yellow River!

Every time he thought of this, Xiang Zonghui felt like his heart was cut by a knife.

How long can he stay on Xihe Road?
One year? Or two years?

It won’t last more than three years!
He must cultivate enough land as soon as possible and turn this land into his property back to the clan.

Therefore, Xiang Zonghui hoped more than anyone else for a great victory for the army.

He is also more willing to spend money than anyone else!
What's more, Xiang Zonghui doesn't actually need to pay for it himself.

The funds for next year that the imperial court transferred to Xihe through Yongxing Army, Shaanxi Road, and Chengdu Road were already being escorted and delivered as early as early August.

By October this year, it will all be in place.

That’s a full military expenditure of four million dollars!

Moreover, the small official also fulfilled his promise and ordered the Shaanxi Transportation Department to send salt banknotes worth one million guans as the upfront cost of purchasing Xihe cotton.

The will has been made clear, and the remaining money will be sent to Xihe in the form of Jiaozi after Mian Mian enters Beijing.

With money in hand, Xiang Zonghui naturally dares to make promises and guarantees!

Hearing Xiang Zonghui's reassurance, the Xihe generals present were extremely excited.

Especially the Tibetan generals were all licking their tongues and swearing in their hearts that if they didn't pluck the hair out of Zhao Guan's family this time, they would be sorry to themselves, let alone their wives and children!

no way!
In the past, the rewards given to Xihe by the Song Dynasty were often inaccurate and untimely.

Even the rewards they received from the generals were often in arrears.

Fortunately, after the current officials came to the throne and went to Beijing to meet the emperor, they ordered the Privy Council and the Ministry of Household Affairs to settle the arrears of rewards over the years at once on the spot.

Even give them one point of interest as compensation!

This makes them very excited.

At the same time, confidence in the Song Dynasty court was restored.

Now, they all followed Xiang Zonghui and Gao Gongji and planted some kapok.

Not much though.

It's only a few dozen acres or a hundred acres.

But as the cotton bolls begin to burst, the harvest season begins.

They all know that this thing will definitely make money.

The court didn’t lie to them!

As a result, confidence in the court rose again!
Since the imperial court keeps its word and rewards are enough.

What are you waiting for?
Western thief?

It’s not like I haven’t beaten the Western bandits before!

In last year's Dingxicheng and the five Lanzhou battles, in which of them did the Western thieves not be beaten to the point of crying for their fathers and mothers?
Even if the Tubo people are added this time.

For the generals of Xihe, it is not a big problem.

Many people are even dreaming of a better future in which they defeat the Western bandits and Tibetans, take the captives, reclaim the land, plant more kapok, and earn more copper coins.

This is a labor force of at least hundreds of thousands!
How much wasteland must be reclaimed? How much cotton is grown?

So, everyone is just looking forward to the Western bandits and Tubo people coming soon!
It's best to come towards their defense zone!

……

Zhao Xi took Xiang Zong back and entered his study.

"Thank you for your hard work." Zhao Xi asked Xiang Zonghui to sit down.

"Don't dare!" Xiang Zonghui quickly handed over his hand.

"On the court side, we have to ask the officials and senior executives Gou Duoduo to help." Zhao Xi said: "Especially the Cisheng of the two palaces, please ask the two relatives of the country to give you a lot of kind words, so that the Cisheng will not listen to the villain's slander. ”

Xiang Zonghui immediately patted his chest and assured: "Don't worry, sir, with Xiang Zonghui and Gao Jun here, neither the crows at the Yushitai nor the clowns in the Imperial Academy can even think of slandering Cisheng."

As for the official family?

Neither Zhao Xi nor Xiang Zonghui mentioned it tacitly.

Because they knew very well that many things on Xihe Road now were actually like this because of the micro-control of that little official's will one after another.

Of course - the officials won't admit it.

This is because all edicts are sent inward - that is, they are not sent through Tongjiansi and Dutang, and then are delivered by horses, directly through the people of the Inspectorate, and delivered to their hands.

Moreover, all decrees are sealed with fire paint, and at the end of the decree, there is an instruction to "Go away".

"By the way, where is the senior executive Gou?" Zhao Xi asked curiously.

Xiang Zong smiled back: "Jun Zheng has gone to Qinzhou now and is visiting Zhao Sizhong and Kunzhong. He invites these two Kunzhongs to come to Xizhou to appease the Tubo people."

The three brothers Zhao Sizhong, Zhao Chunzhong, and Zhao Jizhong are the only remaining members of the Xisiluo bloodline.

As descendants of Fozi and Zanpu, the three brothers have been away from the Qing and Tang tribes for more than ten years.

But he still has a high reputation in the hearts of various tribes in Tubo, especially among the lower class herdsmen.

Inviting them to appease and comfort the Tibetan people is the best choice.

"In addition, Junzheng will also work with Master Puji Huai'en to respectfully invite Buddha's tooth relics to bless the Xihe prefectures and comfort the people..."

When Zhao Xi heard this, his eyes lit up and he quickly asked: "Master Puji Huai'en, when can you come to Xizhou and Lanzhou?"

On Xihe Road, the most prestigious monk today is none other than the monk Zhiyuan who was named Puji Huai'en by the emperor.

The most famous one is the Buddha's Tooth Relic enshrined in the Zisheng Zen Monastery in Mobang Mountain.

If Zhiyuan and the Tooth Relic of the Buddha can be welcomed to Xizhou and Lanzhou before the war, there is no doubt that morale will be improved.

Especially for those Tibetan officials and Tibetan soldiers who worshiped Buddhism enough to risk their lives.

This is not just as simple as getting chicken blood!
"The master and the Buddha's tooth relic should arrive in Xizhou at the beginning of next month." Xiang Zong replied.

"Good!" Zhao Xi stroked his palm.

He was a little more sure of the victory of the war.

Of course, Zhao Xi knew in his heart that this must be another command from the Bianjing official family to surrender.

Then he went to invite the grandson of Gusiluo, and then he went to ask the monk Zhiyuan and the Buddha's tooth relic to help.

Zhao Xi knew as soon as he heard it that this was the official's style.

"By the way, Sir, just now Bao Shun came to me with the military leaders who came back to Yi this year to beg me." Xiang Zong recalled the reason why he came to Zhao Xi, and said: "Please give me a thin noodles, Mr. Jinglue." , and also sent a military note to the military leaders of the various ministries.”

Zhao Xi nodded with a smile and said: "Since it is a business matter to ask for mercy, I naturally have to give the business a face."

"However, the military leaders of the various tribes cannot order troops based on familiar tribes."

"Only if you have three or four dice, you can draw one dice as a guarantee."

"Moreover, they can only work for logistics and baggage, and are not allowed to fight on the front line."

Ka Yika, these newly returned tribes, do some PUA and test.

This is a common technique used by civil servants in the Song Dynasty.

Some people even deliberately belittle and humiliate the tribal leaders.

Of course, this can easily capsize.

Therefore, few people use it now.

Especially here in Xihe, the situation is very special. The number of Tibetan people here overwhelmingly exceeds that of the Han people.

Therefore, we must pay attention to the methods and methods, and do not go too far.

"Thank you sir!" Xiang Zong stood up and thanked him.

He and Zhao Xi are already very familiar.

Therefore, the two can often act in harmony with each other.

Just like what Zhao Xi said deliberately in the courtyard in front of the Xihe generals.

He was very cooperative.

Nowadays, this matter is also common.

Two people, one is a good person and the other is a bad person, they are trying to measure each other's standards.

After all, it’s all for the country!

Thinking of this, Xiang Zonghui remembered what the junior official called him before he left Beijing: uncle.

My heart suddenly felt warm.

(End of this chapter)