Fu Song

Chapter 243 Step through the iron shoes and find nowhere

In fact, Ma Xing has much more information about the north of Hengshan than Wang Jun imagined.

However, most of this information is focused on how Xiao Ding conquered cities and lands, opened up territories, opened up wasteland, opened workshops, resettled refugees, encouraged farming and so on.It is very difficult to obtain such confidential information as weapon manufacturing.

Ma Xing was really shocked to get such news from Wang Jun.

You know, for so many years, the Song Dynasty has been able to compete with the Northern Liao Dynasty. Apart from being really rich, the main reason is that the armor is strong and the weapons are sharp.Strategic weapons like the Divine Arm Bow, which suppressed the cavalry of the Northern Liao Dynasty, were even more classified.

In the whole world, only the craftsman camp in Bianliang City can build it.

"How did they make it?" Ma Xing asked bitterly.

Most of Xiao Ding's subordinates are barbarians, and the backbone of them is mainly Hengshan Dangxiang. If Xiao Ding can build a magic arm bow, it is very likely that the Dangxiang people have mastered this technology. At one point, Ma Xing felt panicked.

"My friend said in the letter that some craftsmen brought by Xiao Erlang had reverse engineered the God Arm Bow in the weapon workshop over there. In the end, it was concluded that as long as the material problem is solved, the God Arm Bow The manufacture of the arm bow is not a difficult problem. It took them a year to make this weapon, and now it has begun mass production. Of course, the quality is not as good as that made by the Jingshi Craftsman, because the level of those craftsmen , still needs to be improved.”

"As long as you know how to make it, as time goes by, the more these people make, the higher the quality will naturally be!" Ma Xing looked at Wang Jun and said, "How is your friendship with the friends over there? Got more information?"

Wang Jun couldn't help being startled.

Ma Xing didn't hide anymore, and said directly: "Wang Zhijun, I hope you can find out more about Xiao Ding's attitude towards the court now?"

Wang Jun couldn't help being shocked: "Bachelor, based on my understanding of Director Xiao, he is absolutely loyal to the court."

"It used to be loyal, but now it's not necessarily so!" Ma Xing snorted: "If you really want to be loyal, can he imitate the bow of the god arm? If you really want to have no dissent, can he expand his army by tens of thousands?"

"Bachelor, Director Xiao wants to clear the Qingtang, break through the Western Regions, expand the territory for the country, and also make the country no longer have to worry about border troubles in the northwest. Next, he can concentrate on using troops in the north. Naturally, he will expand his army. And his troops, But they are just some foreign soldiers." Wang Jun's voice became smaller and smaller, and he felt that he was really a little irrational. "The general manager will never have second thoughts about Guochao."

"It's just a fan army!" Ma Xing sighed, Li Xu was just a wolf, but Xiao Ding was really a big tiger, now this big tiger has grown out, and has grown wings under its ribs, I hope this fierce tiger with wings is really loyal to Guochao. "Wang Jun, we can't put major national affairs on one person's mind. Whether it's running the country or running the army, the most important thing is checks and balances. When a person has no checks and balances, big things are bound to happen. People's hearts , is always insufficient. This is not only about Xiao Ding, but also about Xiao Ding's subordinates."

Ma Xing couldn't help worrying about the form north of Hengshan.

According to what he has learned so far, the current Xiao Ding basically no longer depends on the supply from the imperial court and can live comfortably.

The actual salary paid to him by the imperial court is only the quota of [-] soldiers for the three armies of Guangrui Army, Dingbian Army, and Zhenrong Army. Weapons, armor, and other supplies and pensions are also approved according to this figure. .

But how many people does Xiao Ding have now?
Thirty thousand cavalry and twenty thousand infantry can be mobilized at one time.

This year Xiao Ding has been fighting almost all the time.

Fighting on the Qingtang Plateau defeated Blind Yao and Mu Zhan.

Fighting in Guazhou, Suzhou and other places defeated the local forces headed by the Zhang surname, and at the same time opened the door to the Western Regions.

At this time, he was still provoking the Liao people, and fought a few battles with Yeluhuan.

And these wars were not ordered by himself, the pacifier, nor was Bianliang's intention, it was purely Xiao Ding's doing.

Sending someone to question him, Zhang Yuan, the long-time chief who stayed behind in Xingqing's general manager's mansion, made the special envoy half dead with a single sentence.

It was the Fan army who fought, and it had nothing to do with the imperial army.

What else can you say?
The Fan army does not take half of the imperial court's salary, and does not eat the imperial court's Lumi, and now the forces they have fought are either the enemies of the Guochao, or the forces that have taken in the Guochao traitors. , I'm afraid that the world will say that the imperial court is merciless and ungrateful, and is too harsh on these loyal people.

This is really like a dumb man eating yellow lotus, unable to express his suffering.

Ordinary people naturally cannot understand what people like Ma Xing are worried about.

They only know that Xiao Ding is a great hero of the country.

On Hebei Road, the Liao people were beaten to cry for their fathers and mothers. As soon as he left, Hebei Road collapsed.

In the northwest, Li Xu, who claimed to be the king of Pingxia and betrayed the country, was defeated by Xiao Ding and chased away like a rabbit.

Now, even the Tubo people were beaten to the ground by Xiao Ding. It has been so many years. I only heard that the Tubo bandits frequently harassed the borders of the country and Korea.

Xiao Ding's reputation in the Song Dynasty is very good.

But they couldn't see that the power in Xiao Ding's hands had far surpassed that of the traitor Li Xu.

If these foreign troops were to be split up and go their own way, then Ma Xing would not have any worries at all.

But now, these foreign troops have gathered under the command of one person, and only obey his order, which is terrible.

What's even more frightening is that this person is no longer dependent on Guochao for logistics, and they are basically self-sufficient.

The refined salt in Yanzhou, the various mines in Hengshan, the fertile land in Xingling and Hehuang, the high-quality horse farms in Heishan, and the commercial road leading directly to the Western Regions all make Xiao Ding's wealth increase every day.

Ma Xing dared to bet anyone that if the imperial court proposes to recruit Xiao Ding to return to Beijing at this time, it will definitely not be able to do so.

There are many ways to say no.

Like, a few more rebellions over there?
For example, suddenly a Tubo rebel army attacked Qinfeng Road and other places?

The most serious thing is that the other party will even deliberately provoke a war with the Liao people in Xijing Road and other places!Oh, by the way, now they can even start a war with the Shangjing Road of the Liao Kingdom.

That would be big trouble.

Song Dynasty wanted to go to the Northern Expedition, but it was definitely not the time.

Sometimes when Ma Xing thinks about the vastness of the area under Xiao Ding's control and the number of people under his control, he can't help breaking out in a cold sweat.

Just in the battle a year ago, Xiao Ding captured hundreds of thousands of people from Tubo at one time and flooded them into the land of Hehuang to farm and graze for him.When receiving Xiao Ding's good news, Ma Xing didn't know whether to cry or laugh.

Speaking of it, this can be regarded as a great achievement of his Ma, but he has no intention of reporting to the court to ask for credit.In Ma Xing's view, there are two possibilities for this kind of credit. One may be to let him, Ma, shine in the annals of history. After all, Xiao Ding is still under his command. Naturally, he has a share of all the credits of Xiao Ding, and he is still the biggest. The power of decision-making.In the eyes of outsiders, without the support of others, Xiao Ding certainly can't do anything.

But what about another possibility?He Ma Xing will become a sinner of the country, and he is the kind of person who cannot be redeemed after a hundred deaths.

Under the afterglow of the setting sun, Ma Xing looked at Siwu Fort in the distance.

As a result of the excitement of the pacifier, he went to the vicinity of Siwu Fort on his own will, boarded a high ground, and looked at the military stronghold stuck on the throat.

For the purpose of An Fushi, Suide Zhijun Wang Jun mobilized nearly [-] infantry to guard.

"Do you know why I don't allow Xiao Ding to attack Li Du?" Ma Xing looked at Cheng Gui and Wang Jun beside him.

"The bachelor said that the meritorious service should not be obtained by Mr. Xiao alone. He always gets some points with others." Wang Jun said with a smile: "Isn't this also giving some hope to Commander Li and the general? , maybe everyone doesn’t even have to drink soup!”

Ma Xing didn't laugh: "Li Du still has tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, and they are the kind of soldiers who have seen blood and fought in great battles. I won't hide it from you. I don't want these people to fall into Xiao Ding again. You and Li Dan, give me some strength and defeat Li Du. Now his subordinates are not saying that the army is scattered, but they are always in discord. If the tens of thousands of soldiers under Li Du can be recruited, The strength on Shaanxi Road will increase a bit!"

Cheng Gui and Wang Jun looked at each other, and the comforter of Xindao was so afraid of Xiao Ding. Are you already thinking about how to resist Xiao Ding?

"Don't worry, bachelor. I will study with the generals later on how to launch an attack on the enemy in front of us!" Wang Jun nodded and said: "But we have to face Siwu Village, and the one with more hope of breakthrough is Commander Li Du!"

"After the beginning of spring, whether it's Li Dan or you, I hope to get good news back." Ma Xing said.

Cheng Gui knew that Ma Xing wanted to make some necessary arrangements before he left Shaanxi Road. Otherwise, Lan Sixin, a civil official without any military experience, would be in trouble if something happened to him on Shaanxi Road. was caught off guard.

Siwu Fort, a fast horse galloped from a distance, arrived at the bottom of the city, got off the horse, and after some conversations, the gate of the fort opened a gap that could barely allow people and horses to pass through, allowing the man who was obviously a scout to slip through. Come in.

"What, you said Ma Xing, the pacifier of Shaanxi Road, is less than [-] miles away from Siwu City?" Zhang Yunsheng, the guard of Siwu City, stood up abruptly when he heard the scout's answer.

During the daytime, a large number of soldiers and horses were found approaching Siwu Village. When the banner showed that the commander of the troops was actually Suide Zhijun Wang Jun, Zhang Yunsheng once thought that the war that had been quiet for several months was about to break out again, but why? I didn't expect that the majestic Shaanxi Road appeasement officer would appear here.

"Are you sure there are only three thousand soldiers?" Zhang Yunsheng asked again.

"Yes!" The scout replied affirmatively, "There is no trace of other soldiers and horses within a range of dozens of miles."

Waving his hand to signal the scouts to retreat, Zhang Yunsheng thought for a moment, then turned and walked into the inner room.

"Father-in-law, tell me, what does Ma Xing mean?" In the secret room, the person who sat and tasted tea was actually Li Du, who now controls Xiazhou, Shizhou and other places, and still has tens of thousands of soldiers under his command.

"No matter what he means, it's easy for us." Li Du put down his teacup, "You go there yourself, meet Ma Xing, and bring my meaning to you."

"But father-in-law, can Ma Xing really tolerate us?" Zhang Yunsheng said: "We have formed a big enmity with the Suide people, and this Ma Xing was almost forced by us to abandon Yan'an Mansion. Literati want to save face the most. Now that we are at the end of the road, he is willing to let go of his prejudices and take us in? Even if he takes us in, how can we ensure that he will not settle accounts in the future? The Song court has done such things more than once or twice I'm back!"

Li Du lowered his head and said after a long while: "I believe in the judgment of the elder brother, this may be our last chance. We will work hard to survive. As a result, in the future, we may not have a chance to make a comeback. And if we continue to hesitate, when the Song Army launches an attack, we will not even have the chance to surrender. Yun Sheng, there is still a big difference between being forced to surrender and voluntarily surrendering. Big one. Don't worry and go boldly, Ma Xing won't do anything to you."

"My son-in-law is not afraid of death!" Zhang Yunsheng said dissatisfiedly.

Li Du laughed: "Go and tell Ma Xing that my Li family has a sworn feud with Xiao Ding!"

Wang Jun didn't expect that the news of the pacifier in his army would be inquired by the enemy, which made him very shameless, and with a black face, he scolded a group of scouts under his command bloody.Because if the enemy's spies didn't sneak into the vicinity, it would be impossible to inquire about such top-secret information. Maybe someone under his command would leak the secret!This matter needs to be investigated strictly, but it is not a joke.

But Ma Xing was very happy, and felt like he had nowhere to go, and it didn't take much effort to get it.

The army has been attacking Siwu Pass for nearly a year, but it has not been able to take it down. When I came to take a look, the enemy was about to surrender. This is really a refreshing thing.

If the person who came was an unknown person, he would still be a bit suspicious, but the person who came was the guard of Siwu Pass, who had caused Wang Jun a lot of suffering this year, so that was another matter.

"Li Du is at Siwu Pass?" Ma Xing startled Zhang Yunsheng when he opened his mouth. He looked at Ma Xing with extremely strange eyes, and Wang Jun, who had been keeping a dark face, suddenly became excited, looking eager to try.

"There's nothing hard to guess. If Li Du hadn't arrived at Siwu Pass, you wouldn't have come here." Ma Xing said bluntly, "Is Li Xu dead?"

Zhang Yunsheng shook again. In his eyes, Ma Xing was now a monster, and Wang Jun on the side also stared at Ma Xing with wide eyes.

Even Xiao Ding was not sure whether Li Xu was alive or dead, how could Ma Xing conclude that Li Xu was dead just because Zhang Yunsheng ran and said he wanted to surrender?

(I think I need to explain, the protagonist of Fu Song is not only Xiao Cheng alone, but actually the three brothers and sisters! So Xiao Ding's roles are also the same, and in the mid-term, Xiao Qi's roles will also reappear. In addition , Only one chapter is updated a day. Firstly, he is recovering from a serious illness, mentally weak, and has to work, so he can't stay up late. Secondly, the shooter is also trying his best to write more. Each chapter is more than [-] words! I want two updates. , it is also possible to split it into two chapters, but that is not interesting.)
(End of this chapter)