In Shangjing, the capital of the Liao Dynasty, outside the thick city gate, a man was pacing in front of the door with his neck hunched, as if this would keep him a little warmer. He and other herdsmen and common people were watching the scene outside the city with curiosity.
It was only October, but a little snow had already fallen on the grassland. The weather was very cold. The sky was gray and the snow on the ground had not yet covered the dry grass, which looked like an old man's gray hair.
Deep in the sky full of snow, a dark mass of people and horses were surging, and the snow was hazy, like a blurred picture.
A herdsman not far away said in Khitan: "A big battle is about to start. The tribal troops are coming." There are many tents in the north of the city, all of which are soldiers from various tribes.
The man with his neck shrunk was a man named Zhang Fugui. He had dealt with the Khitans for many years and could speak Khitan.
Zhang Fugui was wrapped in thick fur, tied with a hemp rope around his waist, and covered with a wide dog-skin hat that reached his shoulders. As long as he didn't speak, it would be hard to tell whether he was a Khitan or a Han Chinese. Khitans and Han Chinese have different facial features, but both have yellow skin, and it is difficult to tell them apart just by looking at the small half of their faces under the dog-skin hat.
However, in the south of the city, Han people and Khitan people live together, and there are the most Han craftsmen, so it doesn't matter even if you are discovered to be Han.
Zhang Fugui watched for a while, then shrunk his neck, put his hands in his sleeves, hunched his back and went into the city silently. Most of the people in the south of Shangjing are Han people, but Zhang Fugui still felt uneasy here. He was usually cautious and rarely smiled.
He walked along the quaint and old streets in the snow, pushed open a door, and lifted the leather curtain hanging on it. What was reflected in the curtain was a pile of red firewood with a blue glow, and an iron kettle was hanging on it. The lid of the iron kettle was shaking with the steam. There were two people sitting next to the firewood, a thin old man over fifty years old, and a bald and thick-waisted man with long hair. Zhang Fugui kept his eyes on the bald man's face.
At this time, the old man stood up and said: Alang, he is here. I told him that you went out of town. I don’t know if he understood, so he waited here by the fire.
Zhang Fugui nodded, walked over and said slowly in awkward Khitan: I went out for a while, Abu, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for a long time.
The Khitan man Abu pointed directly to a large package in the corner and said: I have brought the leather, and I will send you ginseng tomorrow.
Good, thank you Abu, you are trustworthy. Zhang Fugui shook off the snow on his body, walked over, picked up the package and checked the leather.
Abu said: Don’t worry, they are all good stuff.
Zhang Fugui smiled and pretended to look at the leather, acting like he was very concerned about the product. But in fact, he couldn't make any money with this thing, and he didn't want to make a fortune from it.
Zhang Fugui did trade northern goods in the past, mainly through cooperation with the Han people in Youzhou, and asking the Khitans to bring ginseng and furs of rare animals from the northeast. These things were rare and precious in the Central Plains and even in the southern countries, but he could not make much money by traveling too far, and the risks were huge due to his lack of strength. He was likely to lose everything along the way.
Later, he was found by the imperial court officials and made into a spy. It was still dangerous, but the reward was very generous.
If it weren't for wealth and livelihood, who would be willing to go to such an unfamiliar place with all the difficulties? Zhang Fugui first looked for a Khitan to cooperate with, and that was Abu.
And this Abu is even more dishonest.
When they got to the grassland, Abu wanted to kill Zhang Fugui for all the money he brought with him. Zhang Fugui persuaded him that he would give him all the money as long as he got some leather and ginseng, and also the next chance to make money.
At that time, life and death were just a matter of a thread. Human greed saved Zhang Fugui's life; it was because of interests, not credit and sympathy. This established a path. It was not easy for Han'er to come to Shangjing, and most of the craftsmen there were brought over from Youzhou.
Zhang Fugui continued to observe Abu in the light of the fire. Abu was roasting a piece of dried meat over the flames and did not seem to suspect anything.
At this time Abu said: I heard that you went out of the city. It’s best not to go out casually for a while. There are troops everywhere near Shangjing. I heard that several men were killed as spies a few days ago.
Zhang Fugui said: Then how can I take the leather out
Abu said: Wait until winter is over. It is too cold to travel south now. The Liao army will not be on the march for more than two months. When this period is over, the road will be easier to travel.
Zhang Fugui nodded: Thank you, Abu, for the reminder.
He got up and brought a pot of wine and some cheese to entertain the Khitan man, and did not send him away until it was almost dark.
At this time, the snow stopped. Zhang Fugui opened the curtain, looked up, and paced back and forth in the room. Finally, he took out the key and opened a door, and suddenly a cooing sound came from inside.
Zhang Fugui made a sound, but the pigeons didn't understand and continued to run around in the cage. He took a small bowl of food and put it in, whispering: Eat, and go home when you are full.
At this point, Zhang Fugui felt a pang in his heart. He really wanted to write a letter home, but he couldn't tie anything too heavy to a pigeon's legs, so the message had to be as brief as possible.
He sat down at the table and began to grind ink, looking back from time to time to observe the movements of the pigeons.
After getting everything ready, Zhang Fugui took a bench and opened a small window to look at the sky again. It was a dark sky, the snow had stopped, and there was not a single star. He opened his hands and let the two pigeons fly out of the window, and then said: Let's go home, let's go home. As he said these two words, his eyes were a little moist.
In late October, at the Bazhou Headquarters on the south bank of the Juma River, Guo Shao successfully obtained news from thousands of miles away.
Most of the more than 50,000 cavalry of the imperial army have retreated to Bazhou. Because a large number of cavalry need food on the north bank of the Juma River, they now have to save the stored food and transport it to the front line.
Bazhou became the headquarters of the Hebei Front Camp Military Office. This place is in a good location, close to the Juma River, in the middle section, not far from the western line of Zhuozhou and the eastern line of Jinzhou; and it is an important fortress town in the mainland of the Great Zhou, which has been operated for many years and the city is very solid.
Guo Shao unfolded a small piece of paper, took a look at it, and said to the civil and military officials sitting below: The Liao army is about to move south.
Everyone started talking about it. Tan Shitou, who was standing by, looked at Guo Shao in surprise, as if to say: Your Majesty said that there would be news coming from the capital soon, and it turned out to be true.
Ignoring everyone's comments, Guo Shao gave the order directly: Issue an edict immediately, and let all the main forces of the Palace Guards Cavalry and Infantry Division, except for the Huben Left Wing Infantry, go north to station in the three states of Xiongba and Yi, and await deployment.
Wei Renpu bowed and said: “I obey your order.”
Guo Shao added: "Do everything you can to speed up the transportation of grain and ensure the grain reserves in the four cities of Zhuozhou, Gu'an, Xincheng and Jinzhou. Once the Liao army moves south, the grain transportation route will be threatened."
Prime Minister Li Gudao: I obey your order.
Guo Shao issued two military orders very quickly, and his expression eased slightly. He looked around and said: The winter war is inevitable. Our Great Zhou army will deploy about 270,000 soldiers along the Juma River. It is estimated that the Liao army should have more than 100,000 cavalry and some Xi infantry. This war is related to the survival of the country, and we must go all out.
Everyone's expressions froze and they all clasped their fists to express their opinions.
Guo Shao said in a deep voice: According to the Privy Council's strategy, in this winter's battle, the strategy is to protect the integrity of the fortifications on the Zhuogu-Xinjin front. We must not rush for success.
At this time, the sound of rumbling drums came from the distance outside the hall, as if urging the prelude to the war. Guo Shao's heart tightened inexplicably. He took a deep breath secretly, quietly waiting for this long and difficult period to pass.
Everything will pass. Think about the battle of Shouzhou. We were still suffering with our heads on the line during that time. Looking back now, it is just a more profound memory.