The water in the pot boiled. Du Zhongxiao took a piece of meat and rinsed it out, dipped it in a sauce bowl, put it in his mouth and ate it. He said to everyone: "The pot is ready, let's eat the meat!"

Several people put the meat in front of them into the pot, and they were cooked and they couldn't help but praise it. It was autumn, and it was the season for slaughtering livestock to prepare for winter. The meat was fresh and cheap, and Wang Pu gave a lot of it.

While drinking and eating meat, Du Zhongxiao said, "Zhao Zi has entered Yizhou. Two days ago, the official document said that there were less than a thousand households in Yizhou, and the other two were less entrusted and had fewer jobs and good news, which was simply not a town. If there were no trade routes in the Western Regions, it would probably be like this, with no people. During the Tang Dynasty, there were two trade routes in the north and south, which were combined to Yizhou, and from there to Hexi, and to the Central Plains. Later, Dangxiang occupied the Central Plains and closed the trade routes, and Yizhou would be abolished. If the railways were connected to Yizhou, both the north and south roads could flourish, and Yizhou would be expected to revive it."

Fu Bi said: "The Kingdom of Khotan is rebuilt in the south, how should the Jieshuai deal with Yizhou?"

Du Zhongxiao said: "Yizhou is at the intersection from Hexi. Its status in the Western Regions is similar to Shengzhou on Hequ Road. Moreover, there are many Central Plains remnants there, so they are naturally county and county, and officials are sent to deal with it as prefectures and counties of the court."

Fu Bi nodded: "Yes, if you want to be stable in the Western Regions, you must have counties and places, and you cannot be completely kingdom autonomy."

Du Zhongxiao smiled and said, "The place where the kingdom is autonomous must be done. It is necessary to do it. It is like a place where the railway leads to it. The place where the land is prosperous, so naturally there is no need for kingdom autonomy. Although the manpower is insufficient for a while, it will not be like this after a long time."

Li Fugui said: "What Jishuai said is that over the years, there have been many more officials, but there are not enough official positions. In the past two years, because of the vigorous construction of factories and supervisors in the Central Plains, all of them used officials, and there were many more officials, which was not as difficult as in the previous few years. It was precisely because of the construction of factories and supervisors in the mainland that there were insufficient officials for a while, and no one was willing to come to the newly opened land. In the past few years, the railway was built and the official positions in the mainland were not enough, so are you still worried that no one would come? It was just a temporary matter, and you don't have to worry about dissatisfaction with officials."

Tian Jing said: "Yes, just a few years ago, many officials were forced to become subordinates and were not allowed to be promoted. In recent years, so many new land has been developed and many more official positions have happened to have the right to set up factories and start supervisors in the mainland, and there were only a shortage of officials."

Du Zhongxiao sighed: "That's true. As for Hequ Road, except for Shengzhou's officials, most of the other states only have magistrates, and even the magistrates cannot be fully equipped. At this time, when the Western Regions are opened, there will be more lack of officials."

Although there are preferential policies, most officials are still unwilling to come to Hequ Road to serve as officials, let alone the Western Regions. Only when railways are opened and the place is prosperous can officials be fully equipped. Without railways, it will take nearly a year from the mainland to the place where they serve, and no one can bear it.

Fu Bi said: "Yizhou has a special status. It is actually a major trade route to enter the Central Plains in the Western Regions. However, due to the isolation between the east and west sides, the trade routes will not go from there, so they are left out. After the imperial court entered Yizhou, it would be difficult to solve if Gaochang did not change the policy of not opening up the trade routes."

Du Zhongxiao said: "How many people are there in Gaochang? When the railway is built in Yizhou next year, I will take my own army of Zhang Ji to meet them!"

Fu Bi sighed: "There are small forces in the Western Regions. The best way is to welcome the imperial army and not use weapons. Once they fight there, those tribes will entangle each other, and I am afraid that the situation will be unsuccessful."

Du Zhongxiao said: "This is a matter of no way. If you don't fight a war, there will always be people who don't give up. The railway leads to Yizhou, with Yizhou as the base, and all parts of the Western Regions are in their hands, so there is no suspense. The forces in the Western Regions do not understand this clearly and must wake them up!"

Several people nodded. The generals here on Hequ Road knew this truth, and the forces in the Western Regions might not be clear. The current Song army is very different from before, with enough horses and camels, three to five hundred miles to ensure it. With Yizhou as the base, Gaochang can almost be penetrated.

Eating meat, drinking wine, and talking about the recent situation in the Western Regions, several people were eating enthusiastically.

There was snow outside the window, and cold wind came in from time to time. With the warm fire channels in the room, it was a different taste. Du Zhongxiao was on Hequ Road and had always felt depressed since his victory. Until today, Zhao Zi's army entered the Western Regions, and the situation gradually became clearer and his mood improved.

There are nearly 4,000 miles between Hezhou and Yizhou, and a railway connects the two ends. It takes less than ten days to reach. The army of Hequ Road can enter the Western Regions with almost no effort, which is something that the forces there cannot understand. If the Gaochang Kingdom still had no movement at the beginning of next year, after the railway was built to Yizhou, Du Zhongxiao would have to lead Zhang Ji's 50,000 troops to advance to the Western Regions. At that time, there was no need to ask Gaochang's opinions, just fight all the way. He took Yuchi Sanlang to the south to rebuild the Kingdom of Khotan.

At that time, Du Zhongxiao should leave Hequ Road. It would be better to leave with his achievements than wasting three years here.

After drinking a glass of wine and eating two pieces of meat, Du Zhongxiao felt his chest guts open. Looking at the snow outside the window, "It will snow like this early this year, and the next year will definitely be a good year. Last year, I will open up Hequ Road and next year to the Western Regions. My mastermind is really a perfect merit!"

Fu Bi said: "Jingshuai said this very much. In three years, one will spread the river and another will spread the Western Regions! Come on, let's drink a drink!"

After drinking, Fu Bi said, "In the past year, everything in Hequ Road has stabilized, and the people have been safe and prosperous. On the Khitan side, Yelu Chongyuan and Hong Ji fought hard in the Ruzhou area, and they still can't see a situation. The other forces are mostly waiting and watching each other and have not personally come to help. On the side of Dangxiang, after being defeated in Hezhou, they were scared and kept forging artillery and building cities and defending with all their might. In addition, because of the defeat, the Prime Minister Mozang Epang concentrated his power, and the political struggle was fierce, and there was no power to attack. At this time, more than 100,000 troops on Hequ Road entered the Western Regions, which was a good time for the generals to follow the commander!"

Du Zhongxiao said: "I first fought in Hezhou and lost to Heishan Military Supervisor and Baima Military Supervisor. I was not prepared to enter the Western Regions. It was not until later that Dangxiang gave up the Heiwater Military Supervisor and was in peace for peace. Zhao Zi led the army to garrison. He suddenly realized that the Western Regions were close to you! Heaven and God did not take it, but instead suffered the blame. At this time, it would be unreasonable not to seize the Western Regions! At this time, I have occupied Yizhou, and everything will be waiting for the next year, and the railway will be built there!"

Li Fugui said: "A few days ago, I have started to transport supplies to Juyan, which is enough for the 50,000 troops to use for half a year. Zhao Zi brought 3,000 troops to Yizhou. To be honest, there are not many troops to Juyan, which is not too much. The roads there are not impossible to pass in winter, but they are just difficult to walk. If you use more pack horses and camels, you can also transport supplies in winter."

Du Zhongxiao nodded: "From Shengzhou to Yizhou, it is four or five thousand miles away. When I first came to Hequ Road, who dared to think about where he could get there in a year or two? Thousands of miles are things that cannot be thought of in the Central Plains. But here, between these four or five thousand miles, there are only Hezhou and Juyan. It is a very wonderful thing to think about. A hundred thousand troops, even if they leaps thousands of miles, it is a strange thing in the world!"

After Zhao Zi entered Yizhou, it was a foregone conclusion that Hequ Road attacked the Western Regions, and everything began to unfold in an orderly manner. After more than a year of training, although the army did not restore the combat power of the Yingtianxiang Army, it was not the same as a year ago. At this time, the west could not attack Dangxiang, and the east could not attack Khitan. The more than 100,000 troops on Hequ Road happened to have the breakthrough of the Western Regions. Du Zhongxiao served on Hequ Road for three years. If he took office and left, the next year would be the last year, and he would be in the time to enter the Western Regions.
Chapter completed!