After everyone exchanged pleasantries, Sun Tu realized that the reason why Huangfu Duan came to Qingzhou to defect to him so quickly was actually forced by the situation. He could no longer stay in Liao Kingdom and had no choice but to flee. To put it carefully, this situation can be considered a blessing. Given by Sun Tu.
The trouble Sun Tu made in Xixia was too big. Although he was able to return safely with luck and strength, the Xia people refused to let it go, and they had many conflicts and negotiations with the Liao people, because in their eyes, that person Sun Qianli, who caused chaos in Xingqing Mansion, was a Liao spy.
Naturally, it was impossible for the Liao people to admit their fault, and during the negotiation process, they slowly figured out the origin of Sun Qianli, and discovered that this person actually caused trouble in Nanjing before and escaped from Yelu Dashi. General of the Song Dynasty, now they really want to find out who saved him and took him out of Daliao.
As a result, people like Huangfu Duan were implicated, and he, in particular, became a key target of the Liao government. Thanks to Huangfu Duan's cleverness, he escaped in time and fled the Liao Kingdom when he saw the situation was not going well, thus avoiding the trouble later. After many hardships, he finally came to the Song Dynasty and appeared in Qingzhou City.
After listening to his story, Sun Tu couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "So it's me who has implicated Brother Huangfu. If you hadn't saved my life back then, I would be safe and sound in the Liao Kingdom now."
Huangfu Duan quickly waved his hand and said: "Sun Dujian, you are serious. If I hadn't saved you at that time, I might have been killed by horse thieves on the way to Xixia. So in the end, it's better for you to save me and help me more." Ah. Besides, even if this incident had not happened, I actually have no intention of staying in Liao for too long, because there is no possibility for me to get ahead at all."
"Oh? Why is this? Brother Huangfu, you have the unique skill of raising and treating horses. Are the Liao people so ignorant of others?" Sun Tu asked out of curiosity.
Huangfu Duan smiled bitterly and said: "The Khitans naturally look down on my little skill. There are many talented people in their country, so there is no place for me. After all, I am not a Khitan, and I am not even a Han. They can't trust me at all."
As soon as he said this, everyone couldn't help but look at his very different appearance. Even Duan Jingzhu was looked at for a while. These two people really have too special looks, and it is difficult to win the recognition and trust of people around them based on their appearance. One has a purple beard, the other has yellow hair, and their image is too prominent.
Sun Tu, on the other hand, behaved very casually and said with a smile: "That's because they don't know how to inlay gold with jade. This time they have given me an advantage in Qingzhou City. With Brother Huangfu coming to invest, it will be even more powerful for me in Qingzhou." Did you know that I, Qingzhou, are currently training to prepare troops, and in my opinion, the strongest in the army are the cavalry, but I lack experts who can raise good horses, so your coming here can be a help in times of need. .”
After hearing this, Huangfu Duan felt at ease, knowing that Sun Tu had accepted him, so he humbled himself a few more times, and then said: "Actually, when I arrived here, I had carefully inspected the area in the western suburbs of Qingzhou. The plains are quite lush with vegetation, and if we can enclose the land to raise horses, maybe within a year or two we can let the governor form an elite cavalry force of three to five hundred people."
He is indeed a sensible person, he knows his own value very well, and he showed it directly at this time. These words really aroused everyone's interest, especially
It was Sun Tu who leaned forward a little and asked solemnly: "Is this true?"
"I don't dare to lie about such a big matter." Huangfu Duan said and looked at Duan Jingzhu: "Actually, Brother Duan's knowledge of horses is not as good as mine. If I can let him cooperate with me, then It will be more successful.”
"Oh, is Brother Duan also a horse breeder?" Luda asked curiously, but Duan Jingzhu blushed and hesitated before saying: "I... before I made a living in the north, I stole horses, but for me I do know a lot about raising horses."
Horse thieves were a rare profession in the Song Dynasty. After all, there was a shortage of horses in the Song Dynasty. Except for wealthy families, horses were raised by the government and the army. No thief in the world dared to specifically target these targets. This made everyone also think about Duan Jingzhu. Their interest increased greatly, and many people unconsciously looked at him carefully, which made him feel very nervous.
Sun Tu did not hold any prejudice against him: "If you come here sincerely, I will use you. But Brother Duan, I don't care what you have done before, but as long as you really join our Qingzhou Army, then you will act accordingly in the future." You must abide by military discipline, and you must not do whatever you want as before." This is the foundation of the Qingzhou Army, and Sun Tu will never relax. Even in time, he has followed the rules since joining the army, and it will never be the same as before. Just do what rats and dogs do.
Duan Jingzhu hurriedly clasped his fists and said seriously: "If Meng Dujian does not give up and joins the army, I will strictly abide by the rules of the army and dare not slack off at all."
"That's good." Sun Tu smiled with satisfaction. Huangfu bringing them to vote was indeed an unexpected surprise. But then, he frowned slightly: "It's a good thing that you two can come. However, our horses in Qingzhou are really limited now. Otherwise, I can leave the foal to you now. Maybe next year at this time Something can be gained.”
"Captain, in fact, we prepared more than thirty horses to present to you as a meeting gift, but..." Huangfu Duan said with a somewhat embarrassed expression.
"Huh? But what went wrong? Did the Liao Kingdom prevent the horses from passing through?" Sun Tu asked hurriedly. Thirty horses is indeed not a small number for the border between Song and Liao. Just as the Song Dynasty strictly controlled the flow of iron weapons to the Xia Kingdom, the Liao Kingdom also took a very strict look at horses going south.
Duan Jing shook his head slightly without wanting to live there: "No, I had already planned the route from Liao to Song Dynasty, avoided the interception of Liao soldiers on the border, and brought the horses safely to the territory of Song Dynasty. As a result, we Although we escaped the Liao people's obstruction, they fell into the hands of the Song people and were seized by a group of strong men who claimed to be from Zengtou City... We once wanted to recapture those horses, but Zengtou The city is well-defended and we can't get in easily, so we had to give up in the end... "
"Zengtou City..." Sun Tu frowned slightly, and he couldn't help but have some thoughts about Cao Cao's arrival. Just now, I thought of Zengtou City because of Duan Jingzhu's appearance. Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, the other party actually mentioned this place.
Qi Desheng on the side saw that Sun Tu was confused, so he explained: "Zengtou City is quite far away from me in Qingzhou. It is a small town in Lingzhou. It is occupied and run by a family named Zeng. For many years, Zhendian is also called Zengtou City. I heard that Zengtou City has now built high and strong walls, and its city is not as strong as Lingzhou City, and they are indeed
There are rumors that the Zeng family made their fortune by doing business without capital, and they also have hundreds of elite soldiers and generals under their command. Even the local government is very afraid of them, so they can only turn a blind eye. "
Sun Tu's expression changed several times. Although some were dissatisfied that people from Zengtou City had robbed the horses that should have belonged to him, but on second thought, they may not have known that these horses were given to him, so it didn't count. If you really want to be your own enemy, if you conquer it for this reason, it is indeed unfair and unjust.
More importantly, he is currently reorganizing his army and training to prepare for the attack on Liangshanbo next year. He really doesn't want to cause trouble at this time. Moreover, it is already winter, and it is freezing and snowing, which is really not conducive to sending troops on an expedition. The Qingzhou Army had just fought a battle with the Liangshan bandits, and they really needed to rest for a while.
After some pondering, Sun Tu finally made a decision: "Leave this matter to me, and I will accept your wishes. I will send people to Zengtou City and ask them to get the horses back. I think, with the reputation of our Qingzhou Army, they dare not not give me this face!" Sun Tu said casually, and he did have the confidence to say this. After all, who in Shandong doesn't respect the Qingzhou Army now? , those bandits and bandits who occupied the mountains as kings were either wiped out by his troops, or they fled to Liangshan to protect themselves. Was he really so courageous in Zeng Toushi
Seeing what he said, Huangfu Duan and the others naturally had no objection. Duan Jingzhu only mentioned this matter to show respect and sincerity, not to encourage Sun Tu to go to Zengtou City to regain his position.
The matter is settled, and it can be regarded as confirmation of the acceptance of Huangfu Duan and Duan Jingzhu. Immediately, Sun Tu asked people to place them in the military camp, and at the same time asked people to open a table in a restaurant in the city, and entertained them in the evening, which was regarded as a blessing for them.
After everything was arranged, Sun Tu called Lin Chong to him: "Brother Lin, do you have any other military matters on hand recently?"
"It's just that for one or two hours every day, we have to teach the soldiers how to practice shooting."
"This is not too important. Let's do this. You can take some people to Zengtou City and ask them to get the horses back." Sun Tu suggested immediately. Although there are only more than thirty horses, it is still a big gain for the Qingzhou Army. What's more, according to Duan Jingzhu and others, these horses are still breeding horses. As long as they are well raised, they will be a team in a few years. How could Sun Tu not pay attention to the cavalry team
Lin Chong looked at Sun Tu with some surprise: "Why did the governor think that I would make this trip?" He admitted that he was not good at talking, and going to Zengtou City was really not what he was good at.
"Because your old friend is here in Zengtou City, it will be easier to talk."
"Ah? But who is he?"
"Shi Wengong, he is also Master's disciple. He should have some friendship with you, right?"
"Huh? Senior Brother Shi and I haven't seen each other for many years. Didn't you expect that he is actually in Zengtou City?" Lin Chong said slightly surprised. He didn't wonder why Sun Tu knew this. He just nodded in agreement after pondering: "Then I'll just make this trip. As long as everything goes well, I can be back in ten and a half months."
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On New Year's Eve, I posted the post early, and then went to have dinner with my family after posting. . . . . .
Finally, I wish you all a happy New Year and all the best. The most important thing this year is good health. . . . . . . .