Kou Ji was taken aback, and asked: "Who is the poor person in Bianjing who needs you to be pitiful? Wouldn't it be the women in Fireworks and Willow Lane? You should know who you are.
Before you got married, going to the fireworks and willow alley to provoke those women is to provoke them. "
Kou Tianci said solemnly: "It's not them! I never provoke them!"
"Who is that?"
Kou Ji questioned.
Kou Tianci hesitated and took out a sign from his arms.
After Kou Ji saw the brand, he was taken aback.
"The brand that the official gave you?"
Kou Tianci nodded solemnly.
Kou Ji suspiciously asked, "Didn't it mean it's useless?"
Kou Tianci nodded and said: "It was useless before, but I recently discovered that there are such a group of people in Bianjing City. After seeing this brand, they will obey me."
Kou Ji raised his brows.
"Speaking of which, the brand given to you by the official is not ordinary."
Kou Ji asked casually, "Who are those people?"
Kou Tianci slowly shook his head, and said, "I asked, they refused to say."
Kou Ji was taken aback and asked: "Have you seen them?"
Kou Tianci confessed: "When I discovered that someone saw this sign, I was obliged to take me to find other people from now on. Finally, I saw someone in a dilapidated mansion in Xiwazi City. To them.
They are all very old, the oldest one is over 80 years old.
The youngest is in his sixties.
Most people have no children, and they live very poorly one by one.
I asked them why they saw this brand and would obey me, but they refused to say.
I saw their poor lives. Many people don’t have money to treat them when they get sick, so I want to get some money from the mansion to help them. "
Kou Ji thought about it: "Since the official has given you the brand, it means that he has handed over those people to you. If those people are capable, the official should not abandon them.
If the identity of those people can be seen, the officials should take care of their birth, old age, sickness and death.
Now that the officials have not only abandoned them, but also regardless of their birth, old age, sickness and death, it shows that those people are not only unsightly, but also have no value at all.
They may have existed in Bianjing for decades, but they have never revealed a trace and are not known by outsiders.
Seeing a brand, you can still obey.
Then they are probably born in the army, and they are still very loyal people.
Being loyal and courageous, it must have shed blood for China.
Even if you are old and useless, you should be kind. "
Speaking of this, Kou Ji stared at Kou Tianci and said: "You withdraw 100,000 pennies from the mansion to help them, and I will not stop it. But you are too young to get the money and you may not be able to get things done properly.
When the mansion’s business was cut before, several loyal foreign affairs treasurers refused to leave, and now they are all staying in the mansion.
I turned around and picked two cleverly following you.
With their help, you should be able to get things done. "
Kou Tianci smiled after hearing the words, "Thank you, father!"
Kou Ji said calmly: "Don't rush to thank me first. If you are eager to improve their lives and living conditions, you must use their minds in the future. They are all in the ranks, and what they can do for you is to help. You block the knife, or help you bleed.
They are so old, so stop tossing them.
Let them live their lives in peace and stability. "
When Kou Tianci heard the words, his face was a little droopy.
Kou Ji stared at Kou Tianci and continued: "As our father and son, many people can be used, or many people can die for us. But the reason why people are called humans is because they are human.
Even though our father and son have identities, they cannot lose their humanity, let alone treat human lives as a waste.
I will not do things that go against common sense, morality, and ethics, and neither can you. "
Kou Tianci squatted his face, and said in a low voice, "I see..."
Kou Ji nodded and said: "When you need to hire people, I will naturally give you people. Before that, don't give me crooked thoughts. Those people, treat them as ordinary old people, and occasionally go over and chat with them. Chatting and listening to them tell stories from the past is enough.
Do nothing else. "
"Oh… "
Kou Tianci answered in a low voice and left the attic.
After Kou Tianci left, Kou Ji rubbed his eyebrows with a headache.
"Lu Ming?!"
"The villain is here!"
"Follow God's gift and find out what the identities of those old people are."
"..."
Although Kou Ji had determined that those people approached Kou Tianci because of the brand in Kou Tianci's hand.
But for the safety of Kou Tianci, it is necessary for Kou Ji to touch the bottom of those people.
After Lu Ming left, Kou Ji went down to the attic.
Go to the backyard to accompany Xiang Yan.
Knowing that Kou Ji was going to expedition again, Xiang Yan had a smile on his face, but his eyes were full of worries.
Kou Ji had been to Xixia before, was assassinated and almost died.
Xiang Yan was really afraid that Kou Ji would encounter any danger when he went to Hexi.
Kojla sat down with Xiang Yan's hand, and laughed in a low voice: "You don't have to worry about me, you are an old husband and wife, you still don't know me. Going to the Western Regions is not dangerous, it is really dangerous. will not go."
"Even though I say that, my concubine is still worried about you."
Xiang Yan sighed.
Kou Jishi laughed and said: "If you have time to worry about me, you might as well worry about Godsend. Now Godsend has grown up, and has reached the age of being able to cause trouble and daring to cause trouble. When I am not in Bianjing city, you should watch him more. Don't let him cause a catastrophe."
Xiang Yan couldn't laugh or cry and said, "How old is he, what can cause a catastrophe."
Kou Ji smiled and said: "The human heart is complicated. Even if he is unwilling to cause trouble, someone will use his identity to calculate him and throw trouble on him."
When Xiang Yan heard the words, her face suddenly became stern, "Whoever has the courage to eat the bear heart and leopard, dare to count people in my Kou Mansion."
Kou Ji said frankly: "When I was in Bianjing, naturally no one dared to calculate Kou Mansion. But when I was away, that might not be the case. Some people might jump out after the official returned and left Beijing.
I went to Xixia before, and the official family left Beijing before, and others bullied you. Have you forgotten? "
Xiang Yan's expression changed slightly, and said, "With the current power of my Kou Mansion, does anyone really dare to calculate my Kou Mansion?"
Kou Ji smiled and said: "No one dares to make big calculations, but there are small ones. They may not dare to cheat our Kou Mansion, but they still dare to do things that use our Kou Mansion to seek some benefits. "
Where there are people, there are rivers and lakes.
There will never be a time to rest in the struggle between the rivers and lakes.
The Kou Mansion is now a big family. Someone can calculate the Kou Mansion and take advantage of the Kou Mansion while Kou Ji is away, or take advantage of the Kou Mansion's prestige. It may happen.
Kou Ji didn't know how long he would have to stay to go to Hexi, so he needed to give Xiang Yan some advice.
Let Xiang Yan stare at the people inside and outside Kou's mansion.
So as not to be calculated, so as not to be exploited by others, and tarnish the reputation of Kou Mansion.
Xiang Yan solemnly said: "The concubine will stare at her."
Kou Ji nodded and said: "Well! If you are undecided, please consult your grandfather. Don't look at your grandfather's old age and don't care about everything. If he really speaks, half of the people in the court must listen."
Xiang Yan laughed when she heard this, "Grandfather is our living ancestor. With his old man in his house, no one dared to lash out at my Kou Mansion."
Kou Ji laughed when he heard the words.
Kou Ji accompanied Xiang Yan to say some thoughtful things, and told Xiang Yan some things.
When I was about to keep warm.
Lu Ming appeared outside the room and gave a report.
Kou Ji could only leave Xiang Yan temporarily and took Lu Ming to the study.
Enter the study room.
Lu Ming opened his mouth and said: "Young Master, those people the Young Master went to meet, the villain has met. But the identities and origins of those people have not been found out by the villain."
Kou Ji frowned slightly, "Don't worry, send someone to stare at them and check them slowly. Sooner or later they will find out their identities."
After Kou Ji finished speaking, the door of Kou Mansion appeared outside Kou Ji's study with a letter.
"Master, someone quietly put a letter at the gate of the mansion, it said, let you personally open it."
"Come here and I'll take a look."
The door handed the letter to Kou Ji.
Kou Ji opened the letter. After reading it carefully, he threw the letter into the brazier and said to Lu Ming, "No need to check it."
Lu Ming looked stunned.
Kou Ji said frankly: "People guessed that we would investigate them, so they sent me a letter specifically to show their identities. But their identities are a bit special, and I can't tell you."
Lu Ming nodded when he heard the words, and left the study.
After Lu Ming left, Kou Ji sighed, "It turned out to be a group of poor lonely wild ghosts. It's no wonder that the officials will unceremoniously throw them to Godsend."
When Emperor Taizu of Song Dynasty Zhao Kuangyin and Chen Qiao mutiny in the past years, he almost defeated the city of Bianjing without a single blow.
Those people are the goalkeepers in the city of Bianjing in the past.
Although they voted when Zhao Kuangyin entered the city of Bianjing, they did not accept the high-ranking officials promised by Zhao Kuangyin.
Instead, he chose to hide in the city of Bianjing and became a soldier and horse that secretly guarded the city of Bianjing.
Until now, Da Song has served three officials and none of them used them.
They are now very old.
To Zhao Zhen, they are tasteless.
Therefore, Zhao Zhen generously rewarded Kou Tianci.
No one mentions them, no one cares about them, because they once had the serial number of the previous week.
In the Song Dynasty, they did not have an official number or name.
Therefore, no one regards them as soldiers and horses of Song Dynasty.
"I don't understand what they think..."
Kou Ji couldn't understand the thoughts of those people.
If it was the last week of the past week, when Zhao Kuangyin and Chen Qiao mutiny, he could fight with Zhao Kuangyin, leaving the reputation of being a loyal minister and good general to the world.
If there is no last week in my heart, why after surrendering, why not accept Zhao Kuangyin's high-ranking officials
Kou Ji couldn't figure out what those people thought, so he didn't bother to think again.
Anyway, they had no ability to harm Kou Tianci, nor did they have the ability to harm Da Song Sheji.
Kou Ji didn't care at all.
After clarifying the origins of those people, Kou Ji can safely let Kou Tianci contact them.
He doesn't have to think about it all the time.
After nightfall.
Kou Ji and Xiang Yan packed up their bags.
Kou Ji rushed to Hexi this time. He didn't know how long he would stay, so he had a lot of things to bring.
After busy packing up for half of the night, I packed up more than a dozen carts.
After finishing cleaning up, I stayed with Xiang Yan for a while, and the sky was bright.
Kou Ji didn't rest much, so he got on the carriage and set off on the road to Hexi.
It's different from going to Hexi before.
Kou Ji is a light car and Jane this time. He didn't bring many people or things.
So there are only more than two hundred people in a row.
In the city of Bianjing where people come and go, it is not very eye-catching.
Out of Bianjing City, all the way west.
Arrived in front of a straw shed five miles away.
Kou Ji ordered the carriage to stop.
In the straw shed.
Zhao Zhen, Lu Yijian, Wang Zeng, and Zhang Zhibai were sitting among them, all dressed in plain clothes.
Kou Ji entered the straw shed and sat down after the salute.
After Zhao Zhen settled down in Kou Ji, he said to Kou Ji: "I know that my fourth brother likes to eat rare treasures, so when my fourth brother is leaving, I specially ordered the imperial dining room to make good treasures for the fourth brother. ."
Zhao Zhen waved his hand.
Chen Lin brought six eunuchs and appeared in the straw shed with a huge food box.
The food box opens.
A rush of heat rushed out.
Chen Lin instructed the eunuch to put a dish of delicious food in front of Kou Ji.
These are things that Kou Ji hasn't eaten.
One by one looked very extraordinary.
Zhao Zhen is an unprecedented luxury.
Kou Ji was not polite, took his chopsticks and ate.
Zhao Zhen, Lu Yijian, Wang Zeng, and Zhang Zhibai sat with them, and frequently toasted Kou Ji to drink.
Three rounds of wine.
Zhang Zhibai said with a serious face: "This is a long journey to Hexi, Kou Shu cherishes it."
Kou Ji nodded and smiled, raising his glass to invite Zhang Zhibai to take a swig.
After Kou Ji and Zhang Zhibai drank stubbornly, Wang Zeng raised his glass and said, "When Privy Councilor Kou triumphs, the old man will lead the horse for you."
Kou Ji let out a laugh, and had a drink with Wang Zeng.
After that, Lu Yijian also raised his wine glass, and said with a solemn expression: "The thieves are in a situation and they are powerful. Privy Councilor Kou must be careful to deal with it. The safety of half of the Song Dynasty is in the hands of Privy Councilor Kou, and Privy Councilor Kou should be aware of the importance of it. ."
Kou Ji nodded, and had a drink with Lu Yijian.
Zhao Zhen finally raised his glass and said to Kou Ji: "I will entrust my fourth brother with everything in Xijiang. For all military affairs in Xijiang, my fourth brother will make a decision, and I will not intervene.
I don't ask for much, so I can keep the thieves out of my Song Dynasty.
If there is no spare force to fight back, then wait for the opportunity and don't take risks.
I am worried about the territory of the Western Xinjiang, but I am more concerned about the safety of my fourth brother. "
Kou Ji nodded, raised his wine glass and drank a swig with Zhao Zhen.
After the swig, Zhao Zhen put down the wine glass and told Chen Lin: "Take the sword of the emperor, the arrow of the king's command, the flag of the king's command, and the python robe..."
Kou Ji, Lu Yijian, Wang Zeng, and Zhang Zhibai were all a little moved when they heard this.
Zhao Zhen gave the emperor sword, the king command arrow, and the king command flag, all four of whom could understand.
But what's the matter with the python robe
Zhao Zhen is going to give Kou Ji the title
Or is it implied that Kou Ji won the Black Khan Dynasty and the Allied Forces of the Liao State and gave Kou Ji the title
The four of Kou Ji looked puzzled.
Zhao Zhen didn't explain anything, but gave Kou Ji the same thing.
After Koti Shane.
Zhao Zhen exhorted: "Go to Hexi now, below the second grade, the fourth brother can cut first and then play."
In other words, when Kou Ji went to Hexi, it was the largest in Hexi.
Because within Hexi, and among the officials transferred to Hexi, there were no more than Grade II.
"Hey..."
"I personally wear python robes for my fourth brother."
"..."
Zhao Zhen refused the dissuasion of the three of Lu Yijian, and personally put on the python gown for Kou Ji, and sent Kou Ji on the journey.
When Kou Ji's team disappeared in the eyes of the four Zhao Zhen, a piece of snow drifted down.
When he was conquering Hexi, Kou Ji was walking to Hexi in the snow.
Now when I go to Hexi again, I'm walking in the snow again.
When it snowed in Bianjing.
It is also snowing in Hexi, the snow is much heavier than Bianjing, and it is accompanied by a cold wind.
Zhong Shiheng stood in the cold wind, letting the snow fall on him, unmoved.
He stared straight at the barracks beyond the border of Shazhou.
"Has the envoy returned?"
Chong Shiheng stared at the barracks of the Black Khan Dynasty and the Allied Forces of the Liao Kingdom for a long time, and asked the soldiers next to him.
The soldier tightened the leather jacket on his body, and said solemnly: "I haven't come back yet."
Zhong Shiheng frowned and said in a low voice, "I don't know how long he can drag it."
The soldier pursed his lips and said nothing.
After the Liao soldiers appeared on the border of Shazhou, they did not hide it in the slightest.
After Zhong Shiheng discovered this, he immediately dispatched envoys to hold him accountable.
After experiencing the Tongtaiguan World War, the Liao Kingdom became a subordinate of the Song Dynasty.
A soldier and horse belonging to the state appeared on the border of Song Dynasty. Song Dynasty could regard him as a provocation and send someone to accountability.
Although he knew that the Liao Kingdom was going to turn his face with Song Da Song, Chong Shiheng still followed the procedures and sent people to accountability.
The purpose is to delay some more time.
Every day of delay.
Can buy a day of marching time for reinforcements.
Every day of delay.
It will be able to buy the people in Shazhou, Guazhou and other places one day to retreat.
After Zhong Shiheng handed over the news that the Black Khan Dynasty and the Allied Forces of the Liao Kingdom had arrived at the border of Shazhou, he quickly got a reply from the court.
The imperial court's order to Chong Shiheng was simple.
Fight if you can, and retire if you can't.
Conserve strength, contain the enemy, and gain time for reinforcements to reach the battlefield.
Don't contend head-on with the Black Khan Dynasty and the Liao State Allied Forces.
The imperial court could allow Chong Shiheng to retreat to Yumen Pass and Yang Pass, and take advantage of the pass to guard.
However, if Chong Shiheng wants to retreat to Yumen Pass and Yang Pass, he must abandon Shazhou, Guazhou and other places.
Zhong Shiheng knew in his heart that without reinforcements and geographical advantages, the 50,000 soldiers and horses he led could not stop the 800,000 troops on the opposite side.
So he is ready to go back.
But before he retires, he must buy enough time for Li Di to take people to empty the things in Shazhou and Guazhou.
Zhong Shiheng has been in the northwest for many years and has seen how to use war to support war.
He is well aware of the drawbacks of fighting to support war.
So he will not leave a grain of food as an enemy.
Chong Shiheng stood on a broken beacon tower left by the Han Dynasty, staring at the enemy for a long time before returning to the barracks.
In the evening.
The envoys sent by Zhong Shiheng to the enemy camp returned to Shazhou.
The first sentence the envoy saw Chong Shiheng said was.
"The enemy is about to attack!"
The Black Khan Dynasty and the soldiers of the Liao Kingdom have been in the border of Shazhou for more than a few days.
The grain, grass, cattle and sheep that they robbed from the Uighurs in Xizhou have already been consumed.
If they do not attack again, they will have to go hungry.
After Chong Shiheng learned that the enemy was about to attack, he immediately ordered the entire army to be on guard.
At the same time, send someone to find Li Di.
Li Di hurried to the barracks.
Zhong Shiheng asked Li Di, "have the people withdrawn yet?"
Li Di said in a deep voice: "The people have almost evacuated. But only half of it has been shipped out from the treasury, and there are still five million tons of grain and one million tons of dried fruits that have not yet been shipped out."
Zhong Shiheng was silent for a while, and whispered: "Burn it."
Li Di felt a pain, and asked: "The enemy is about to march?"
Zhong Shiheng nodded slowly.
Li Di gritted his teeth and stared at Chong Shiheng and said, "The old man will now take people to transport grain, as much as possible. Once the enemy shows up, you will order people to burn grain and dried fruits."
After many years of accumulation in Shazhou, a large amount of grain reserves have been accumulated.
The people in Shazhou have also accumulated a lot of grain in their hands.
When the people were retreating, they couldn't finish the delivery of their own food, let alone help deliver the food in the treasury.
Li Di’s manpower is limited. In addition to transporting a large number of cattle, sheep, horses, gold and silver seized by Chang Shiheng in Yizhou City, he also has to dispatch manpower to drive away cattle, sheep and horses raised in Shazhou. The rest can transport food and There are very few people who have dried fruit, and it is impossible to deliver all the food and dried fruit in time.
The Zhenxi Army now has to guard against the enemy soldiers and clear the route of subsequent retreat. There is no way to help Li Di deliver food.
Therefore, if the food cannot be delivered, it can only be burned.
Just when Li Di gritted his teeth and was about to leave the camp.
Suddenly someone came to report.
"Gong Li, the same kind of knowledge, General Yuanshan Department led 10,000 horses to rush to help.
Chung Shiheng and Li Di both looked happy when they heard this.
"Quick! Take them to deliver grain and grass!"
"By the way, select 20,000 people from the captive army of Xizhou Uighurs and follow them to deliver food and grass! With them staring, we can also safely let the captive army of Xizhou Uighurs go to the rear!"
"..."
The soldiers and horses of Yuanshan's troops appeared, as if raining in time.
Completely solve the difficulties Li Di encountered.
Li Di took the soldiers and horses of the Yuanshan tribe and the 20,000 prisoners of the Uighurs in Xizhou, and began to deliver food and dried fruits overnight.
At first, Zhong Shiheng was a little worried, worried that the people from Yuanshan Department took advantage of the fire, so he brought a soldier and horse to stare at him in secret.
But when he discovered that after receiving the task of transporting grain and grass, the soldiers and horses of the Yuanshan Ministry did not hesitate to unload their armours and helped Li Di start to transport the grain and grass, he knew that the soldiers and horses of the Yuanshan Ministry had come sincerely. Helping.
Because for any soldier and horse, the armor on the body is the life-saving capital.
When a soldier and horse can take the initiative to remove their armor in front of outsiders, it means that they have entrusted their lives to outsiders.
Chong Shiheng had no reason to doubt the soldiers and horses of Yuanshan Ministry who could entrust their lives to the Song Dynasty.
So he decisively gave up stalking.
Not only that, he also sent people to tell the generals of the Yuanshan Tribe, and asked the generals of the Yuanshan Tribe to stare at the prisoners of the Xizhou Uighurs. Once the prisoners had any changes, the soldiers and horses of the Yuanshan Tribe would be You can chop first and play later.
After entrusting the rear affairs to Li Di and Yuanshan's soldiers and horses, Chong Shiheng threw himself into the battlefield.
The coalition forces of the Black Khan Dynasty and the Liao Kingdom quickly assembled at dawn.
The loud horn of the horns was weakened by the blowing of the cold wind.
But Chong Shiheng still heard clearly.
"Kill it!"
Facing a strong enemy, Chong Shiheng did not choose to blindly defend.
When the enemy was reorganizing the army, Chong Shiheng ordered the soldiers of the Western Army in Yibattalion to lead a captive army of 30,000 Uighurs in Xizhou to kill the enemy.
The artillery roared when the soldiers of the Western Army and the 30,000 Uyghur Captives of Xizhou in the town of 1st battalion attacked the enemy.
Some were facing the enemy camp, and some were facing the 30,000 Uighur prisoners of Xizhou.
The artillery cannot be shot into the enemy camp, but the roar of the artillery can disturb the horses in the enemy camp and cause a brief period of chaos for the enemy.
The artillery did not kill any Xizhou Uyghur captives. It was just a deterrent, like a knife in the hands of a war officer, forcing the 30,000 Xizhou Uyghur captives to fight with the enemy.
In the enemy camp.
The moment when the shouting sounded.
The Black Khan King Yu Sufu was shocked, and the Liao general Xiao Bidi was also shocked.
The soldiers of the 800,000 Black Khan Dynasty and the Liao State Allied Forces were also shocked.
With such a huge disparity in military strength, they all felt that the enemy would not have a second reaction other than fleeing in embarrassment under their chase.
But now, the war has just begun, and the enemy has taught them a lesson.