This year's winter is colder than in previous years. Du Zhongxiao sat in the study room and read some idle books. After nearly a month of busyness, he finally explained the matter of Changpingsi and handed it over to the judge Lu Ge. Di Qing from the south is progressing smoothly. He marched into Guizhou and was gathering troops. Nong Zhigao's main force plundered all the way and retreated to Yongzhou. The captured prefectures and counties have been abandoned by the rebels and the official army has been recaptured one after another.

Suddenly, Shi Quanbin hurried in and said to Du Zhongxiao: "I have the right to recommend you and I will enter Beijing quickly!"

After saying that, he waved his hand and let the little yellow gate outside come in and said to Du Zhongxiao: "This is the official who sent the order, and I am familiar with me. Tiju first discusses with me, and then goes out to receive the order. We clean up and immediately rushed to Fancheng to take the bus!"

Du Zhongxiao was shocked and stood up and said, "What's the matter? It's so urgent?"

Shi Quanbin waved his hand and asked Xiaohuangmen to leave, went to prepare, and said to Du Zhongxiao: "It is certainly not a trivial matter to be so urgent. He held it down and said."

There is a procedure for the decree. As the chief official, Du Zhongxiao had to lead his subordinates to receive the decree. After confirming the content, the court order was collected in the pen holder. These things were complicated, and Shi Quanbin asked other officials and Xiaohuangmen to prepare first.

The two of them sat down, and Shi Quanbin said: "Superior, the court intends to send troops to Beijing for discussion this time!"

Du Zhongxiao was stunned for a moment before saying, "I read the news in the past few days. The army of Taiwei Di was progressing smoothly, and Yang Qian also recovered several places--"

"It's not the south, it's the north!" Shi Quanbin interrupted Du Zhongxiao, "The overall situation of the Nong Zhigao Rebellion has been decided. It only depends on when Taiwei Di will enter Yongzhou. Whether we go or not is no longer related to the overall situation."

Du Zhongxiao looked at Shi Quanbin and was stunned for a while before saying, "North? What big thing happened in the north? Is it necessary for the two countries to fight?"

Shi Quanbin said: "The Khitan Crown Prince Yelu Chongyuan led a large army to surround Tanglong Town, and the court intended to send troops to rescue. We were just ready to dispatch the army, and there was a train heading north, so the court asked us to go and ask."

Du Zhongxiao was confused for a moment and asked Shi Quanbin: "What happened? What is the ins and outs? You can't go crazy. Suddenly, you will start a war with this dynasty and occupy Tanglong Town."

Shi Quanbin slowed down and said to Du Zhongxiao: "A few months ago, the Khitan king led a large army to conquer Dangxiang. The battle went smoothly. The vanguard had already reached the foot of the Qilian Mountains of Dangxiang. The defeat of Wuzang Epang, and captured the empress Wuzang. The army was at the city, and Dangxiang had no choice but to seek peace. The Khitan army was old and had no intention of destroying Dangxiang. Therefore, the two countries agreed to peace, and Dangxiang submitted a letter to the Khitan."

Du Zhongxiao still didn't understand: "The Khitan power is nothing, defeating Dangxiang is nothing, it just has something to do with this dynasty? Why did he attack Tanglong Town?"

Shi Quanbin said: "The volcanic army was very familiar with the customs and geography there. Dangxiang praised the ministers and clearly assigned the Heqing army and Jinsu army and other places built by the Khitan a few years ago to the Khitan. Among them was Tanglong Town. The Khitan used this as an excuse to ask for it from the dynasty, but the dynasty did not allow it. When Yelu Chongyuan returned, he surrounded it and wanted to attack it forcibly! This matter was urgent, and if it was broken, the matter would be difficult."

Du Zhongxiao nodded and finally understood what was going on. Tanglong Town was in the Song Dynasty, between the Khitan and Dangxiang, and was a place where the vassal tribes were defended. The leader Lai's family dealt with the three forces, named under the Song Dynasty, and also paid tribute to the Khitan. When Yuan Hao rose, he once captured Tanglong Town, and from then on it became the land of Shangdangxiang. When Du Zhongxiao was in charge of the fire army, he suddenly sent troops to occupy Tanglong Town, which was already an empty city, and rebuilt. Although there were nominal people who Lai's family became magistrates, they had actually been under the control of the Volcanic Army and completed actual control.

Tanglong Town has been very prosperous in recent years. Although it was affected by the Khitan and Dangxiang wars, it was not abandoned as a window for trade. The Khitan had long seen it and was coveted. As soon as the war with Dangxiang ended, it immediately started.

In name, the family also surrendered to the Khitan. In the past, the Khitan often sent troops to plunder there, and this title was an excuse for them to send troops. With the recognition of Dangxiang, they felt that the opportunity had come. It happened that Nong Zhigao rebelled, and Di Qing, the most powerful general of the Song Dynasty, led his troops south, and the Song army's strength in the north was weakened. At this time, it was not occupied by Tanglong Town, which was a way for the Khitan to let the fat meat fly away. How could he bear it?

If it were in the past, the Song Dynasty would not send troops in such places. If it was occupied, it would be just pretending not to know and admit it. If the military strength is not as good as people, the exchanges between the two countries would be at a disadvantage, especially when it involves disputes of interest. In recent years, Tanglong Town has provided a lot of wealth. The industrial and commercial development brought by Du Zhongxiao on West Jing Road made the court rich and the military strength significantly increased. We can't bear it so much.

Shi Quanbin said: "Tiju once knew the Volcano Army, and now the Yingtianxiang Army is ready to go to war. The Khitan encircled Tanglong Town. It is very important to look at the Tiju. The court asked us to return to Beijing, and the intention is here."

Du Zhongxiao said: "I'm here. It just so happened that my family has returned to Xuzhou these days. I cleaned up and went to Beijing with the Tuanjian."

Shi Quanbin said: "No hurry. This matter is serious. Let's discuss how to answer after entering Beijing. Should we defend Tanglong Town? If we want to defend, we need troops to rescue. Will we send troops to Tanglong Town? If the Khitan does not retreat, should we fight?"

Du Zhongxiao said: "Tanglong Town is under the rule of the volcanic army. Not to mention how much money can it receive in a year, how can the land of this dynasty be attacked at will? Of course, we have to send troops to rescue it. When we get there, the Khitan soldiers will naturally fight if they do not retreat. Otherwise, what face will the court still have?"

Shi Quanbin nodded: "I understand when Tiju said this. There is another thing that the court should have intended to use our Yingtianxiang Army. The Khitan is not comparable to Nong Zhigao. Xiang Cheng's elite force. Are you sure to win the battle against them?"

Du Zhongxiao frowned: "The country trains the troops for one day, and it is used for a while. Since our army is ready, we will naturally use our army. The military is inconsistent, who dares to say that we will win? It is not the way to use troops. As far as I know, Yelu Chongyuan is only five thousand cavalry, and even if some infantry followers are just 10,000 or 20,000. Our army has more than 20,000 troops, and the troops are equal, so we can rescue them. Leading troops to fight, we only ask if we should do it and do not have the confidence to win, and we will not fight? It is just that our army is fighting against the enemy, and the rest of the troops are ready and reinforcements are successively."

After hearing this, Shi Quanbin was not good at asking again. He was satisfied with the artillery of the Yingtianxiang Army, but other cavalry and infantry were mainly firearms, and he was really unsure. Without actual combat inspection, would these new things work? Using proven as the foundation and supplementing them with firearms is the right way to make people feel at ease. Du Zhongxiao's big defeat and establishment, and all of them were pushed back and started over, which was always a bit worrying.

He was able to make some contributions when he left the palace to lead the second army and faced a weak brigade like Nong Zhigao. Now he was facing a strong Khitan army. Can it be really possible to fight with the Yingtianxiang Army? Not to mention winning, as long as he was evenly matched, Shi Quanbin would be grateful.

After leaving the study room, he received the imperial edict and took some cleaning up. He left his colleagues in the yamen. Du Zhongxiao and Shi Quanbin rode a fast horse to Fancheng Station. There was a special carriage prepared for Du Zhongxiao. After confirming the time with the station, he hung it after a truck and headed straight north.

When they arrived in Ye County, they changed the truck to Kaifeng Prefecture and hung it behind. Before dawn the next day, Du Zhongxiao and the others had arrived in Kaifeng Prefecture.

After leaving the station, he looked at the moon in the sky. Shi Quanbin said, "It's too early, and the city gate will open in a while. Let's find a place to rest. The capital is colder than Suizhou. How can you stand it in the early morning?"

The train station was outside the city, and it had been very prosperous for several years and became a small town. Not far away, there was a tea stall carrying red lanterns and still waiting for guests. Du Zhongxiao and Shi Quanbin took their entourage over and sat down with their subordinates.

Dr. Tea came over and bowed: "Thank you for your hard work. What should I use?"

Du Zhongxiao said: "The weather is cold, let's get a pot of hot tea first. Good tea is not limited to the price."

Dr. Tea agreed.

Du Zhongxiao said again: "If there are hot buns and wontons, use them best. At this time, I wonder if there are any?"

Dr. Tea said: "Yes, yes, there are wontons there. The younger ones just go buy some for the guest. Is the guest a foreigner? This is Kaifeng Prefecture, and I don't know how many cars come and go every day. Even at night, there are trains stopping, and we never stop in places."

"Oh——" Du Zhongxiao nodded, "Only Kaifeng Prefecture can do this, how can it be so lively?"

At this time, the lighting and signal lights of the train at night are both problems. In a deserted place, there are not many cars on the road, and the front and back are far away. With the huge lights, the rear can be seen. There are special red lights at the rear. Once it is on, the rear car will know that the car in front of the train has broken down. Kaifeng Prefecture is different. There are too many trains passing by, and the station must be open at night and will never be idle. Especially when it comes to Xijing, it is the top priority. There are people patrolling the entire road, and there are signals similar to beacon towers.

Although railways and trains were brought to this era by Du Zhongxiao, he really didn't know these details. People are smart and talented, and they can always come up with solutions when encountering difficulties. They don't have to participate. Unfortunately, Du Zhongxiao has limited knowledge and has never been able to make high-brightness lights. The train's signal lights and oil lamps are far from enough, and it is extremely troublesome to ensure operation.

This is how the railway duplex was first laid between Kaifeng Prefecture and Luoyang. Without a duplex, there were too many cars on the road, and if one was not good, the two cars would collide. With a duplex, just solve the problem and rear-end collision.
Chapter completed!