Outside Ban County, heavy snow is rising with the cold wind, dancing in all directions, and the sky and earth have already become the same color.

The snow started to show up the day before yesterday, and it continued intermittently from yesterday to today, but it was indeed magnificent.

In the huge camp, the soldiers stopped their daily rotation of drills, sports games, military fairs and other activities early, but they were still busy with something.

There was an overly spacious barracks in the middle of the camp, and Zhang Xing, the leader on the left wing, carried a long bench and sat on the outside of the door, staring blankly at the heavy snow falling above his head.

The inside of the barracks, separated by a wooden wall behind him, was steaming with heat. There were seven or eight corridors, plus dozens of desks in three or four rows. They were full of documents, forms, paper and pens. The leader of the gang, Wei Xuanding, was

Leaders Xiong Bonan, Shan Tonghai, leaders Zhou Xingfan, Yan Qing, Zu Chenyan, Liu Zhouchen, Zhang Jinshu, Dou Lide, Zheng Ting, Lu Mingyue, Sun Xunzhi, Zhuge Dewei, leading hundreds of officers and civil servants, were arguing and thinking there.

and issuing orders, plus a dozen spear-wielding guards and constant messengers and heralds, it almost turned into a vegetable market.

There was only one Jia Yue, fully armored and wearing a half brown fur cloak unique to generals. He was standing silently by the gate behind Zhang Xing, staring at the heavy snow above his head in a daze.

"Good snow."

After watching for who knows how long, Zhang Xing suddenly sighed quietly on the bench.

"Yes." Jia Yue behind him nodded expressionlessly.

"Heidi Ye Rennian, if it weren't for this snow, Hebei wouldn't be able to survive next year."

Obviously, with the arrival of the heavy snow, everyone has realized the strategic significance of this snow, whether they paid attention to it early or realized it later.

After a while, Jia Yue came again and asked, "Were you waiting for this snow?"

"Yes." Zhang Xing nodded. "But I didn't expect to wait...and I didn't expect there would be so much trouble after arriving."

"Something is better than nothing." Jia Yue could only say.

"Trouble is only temporary."

Zhang Xing also nodded.

Besides, these days, Zhang Dalong is staying in the winter camp here in Ban County, and there is of course no problem. There is also no problem in organizing the army, killing people, allocating farmland, and holding sports games...

No matter who it is, you can say that he acted with caution, that he was cruel in his methods, or that he was kind to women, but few people would say that what he did was unreasonable.

But in fact, Zhang Xing knew very well that this was not the real reason why he stayed still for so long.

With so many troops and horses, and a decisive victory won, we can always divide our troops to do other things, and we can always send reliable troops to take the opportunity to expand the results of the battle.

But he never moved, sitting back and watching the three counties resume their defense, and even the new Bohai governor of the imperial court arrived. However, he did not dare to go from the south, nor did he dare to go to the county government under the eyes of the army. Instead, he went to the northernmost Nan

Skin.

There are of course many reasons for not moving, but one important reason is that since setting foot on the land of Hebei, there has not been a single rain or snow in the entire Chidi of Hebei for thousands of miles. This is a place that has been brutally fought and organized plunder by the army.

, covering a really big problem obscured by severe cold and moderate to mild famine across the entire territory.

In the feudal era, Zhenqi was not used in production, and the common people were sucked out of the Wei Dynasty without leaving any room. There was almost no savings among the people, so this kind of natural disaster could have a negative impact on any political strategy and military achievements.

Under such circumstances, if there is unbridled expansion, one of the most realistic problems is that the next year gang will not be able to support the corresponding production activities, and the entire Hebei will further break through the bottom line due to the combination of military operations and famine.

This is obviously difficult to accept for Zhang Xing, who has to consider economic and people's livelihood issues in everything he does.

However, when it really snows, life-saving heavy snow appears, and new and imminent troubles arise.

Zhang Dalongtou sat for a while, and suddenly someone walked out of the door, but instead of leaving, he came to the side of the snow and bowed his hands in a salute.

Zhang Xing said nothing and patted the other side of the bench. The other party understood and sat down, but he was a little cautious. However, it was the head who had just come from Henan today.

Get Zhang Jinshu.

"Longtou, apart from the apparent desertion issue, I am here this time to report to you some news and trends in the Eastern Territory." Zhang Jinshu lowered his voice and spoke sincerely, without making any fuss. "A

Because of the constant transfer of supplies, complaints gradually flowed out in the Eastern Territory, mainly among the people, but they have spread to local officials and leaders. Another thing is about your previous large-scale army consolidation. At the beginning, because of the Battle of Pingyuan.

It was really shocking, and no one mentioned it much, but now that the limelight has passed, the discussion has started, saying that you will not leave any bit for the leaders, and you will eat them all... This is obviously coming from Jiyin.

of."

"I understand." Zhang Xing's face didn't change, but he nodded slightly. "Thank you for your hard work... Let me see, after Hebei is stable, it is not impossible to go back to Jiyin... Your place is very important. If there is a shortage of

People, come straight to Hebei to look for me."

Zhang Jinshu was overjoyed when he heard this. He immediately stood up again and bowed his arms to the end: "It's not hard! You should do your best for the leader."

Zhang Xing nodded again, and Zhang Jinshu took the opportunity to leave.

"It is said that this person has always been disliked in the gang, but he seems to be indispensable..." Jia Yue watched the other person leave, thoughtfully.

"It's not that this person is annoying at all, but that this position is naturally annoying... It's just that once a person stays in a certain position for a long time, he will gradually become integrated with the position." Zhang Xingyi said.

"Actually, I'm the same way. It's quite troublesome."

Jia Yue was thoughtful and fell into silence again for no reason.

After a while, Xiao Zhou and Yan Qing also came out together. They looked at each other and Yan Qing took the initiative to take half a step back. Zhou Xingfan was the first to speak: "Third brother, there was an obvious commotion in the camp after the snow started. Yan Qing and I were right.

For a moment, I feel that some things still require you to make your own decisions in order to convince others."

Yan Qing immediately nodded.

Zhang Xing thought for a moment and nodded, but he was not in a hurry to go in. Instead, he asked Zhou Xingfan to go to the kitchen in person and have someone deliver salty hot porridge with minced meat and ginger and green onion to the barracks behind him. He watched the meat porridge go in.

The noise in the barracks gradually stopped, and then he and his three confidants stood up and walked into the barracks behind them.

"Let's talk about it. Is there anything that can't be dealt with or is too difficult?"

After entering, Zhang Xing first took a bowl of porridge from the desk, stood among the people and drank a few sips, then took the porridge back to the desk that technically belonged to him, and then sat on the chair to ask.

"There is something I need to change my story about." Wei Xuanding put down his porridge bowl and said directly with a tired face. "The firewood problem I told the leader yesterday and the day before yesterday when it just snowed was actually enough... I have been letting the soldiers in the field for the past month

We took turns logging in the surrounding forests, and logs and firewood were piled up everywhere. But when it suddenly snowed, there was suddenly a need for more firewood everywhere, and transportation became more difficult. There was also a shortage in every county, city, village, and town that we usually didn’t need to take care of.

...So, the problem is distribution and delivery."

Zhang Xing nodded: "What do you need if you want to distribute and transport it as much as possible?"

"It's nothing more than using as much manpower as possible." Wei Xuanding said seriously. "We discussed it and felt that just sending soldiers to the fields would not work. It would be better to follow the example in the east and use food and money to recruit civilians. And

After the people in various places got up, as locals, they naturally knew how much firewood was needed to be sent to various places and where was the best way to go... But in this case, money and silk were all that mattered, and food was tight. Especially the people of Hebei were very interested in us.

After all, it’s no better than before in the Eastern Territory. We have to use the most scarce food to support them, but food is too expensive, and it’s all military rations squeezed out from the Eastern Territory.”

"Then bring out the food, and save it at most." Zhang Xing made the decision without hesitation. "Otherwise, you will freeze to death before starving to death... This is the most important and important matter. Thank you, Mr. Wei, for your hard work."

Together with Lao Zheng, we will take the lead in handling this matter."

"I know." Wei Xuanding breathed a sigh of relief.

Zheng Ting, the leader in charge of the logistics of the troops here, also said yes.

"Who else has a problem?" Zhang Xing continued to urge.

Thanks to Wei Xuanding's start, the others no longer hesitated and moved forward one after another.

"Longtou, this morning someone who left during the army reorganization came to me and said he wanted to come back." Dou Li

De is a quick drinker of porridge. He finished it early and was the first to speak. "Japanese people can't stand it in winter, and they can't stand it even more when it snows."

"How many people are there and who is the leader?" Zhang Xing blurted out and asked.

"Originally, there were only one or two thousand left when we left, but now there are only four or five hundred left. In the Salt Mountains of the Bohai Sea, east of Wudi County, facing the sea, there is a tidal flat between the mountains and the sea. We could have counted on one or two, but now the sea is completely empty.

It's an ice floe, and the tidal flat is covered with snow." Dou Lide answered seriously. "The leader's name is Liu Heitao. He is a low-income man who dares to fight and fight. He is a master of Qijing who has mastered both the Ren and Du channels. Hebei has

I'm optimistic about him, but he's just a bit of a fool... In his early years, he went to Dengzhou with Chief Gao and came back. It is said that he also went to Dongjun to work for Chief Niu, but he didn't stay. In the past, the army couldn't stand the rules of the army, so he ran away with them.

Oh... I was a subordinate of Leader Hao before I left."

"I have an impression of him." Zhang Xing thought thoughtfully. "But since he is a subordinate of Leader Hao, why did he come to you again?"

"We are fellow villagers." Dou Lide smiled. "We have known each other for a long time."

When Zhang Xing came to his senses, he felt that he had been confused by the heat in the barracks.

When entering Hebei, people from Hebei must be re-employed, otherwise nothing can be done.

But among the first batch of Hebei leaders appointed, Gao Shitong nearly tricked everyone to death after his last outrageous maneuver. Basically, he no longer has any momentum. Hao Yide and Fan Wang are typical rough and loyal leaders. Some people look forward to it and have no politics.

Their abilities and thoughts are all in their respective camps; and the remaining Sun Xunzhi, Zhuge Dewei, and Dou Lide are all participating in handling all the general affairs in this camp at the moment. However, Sun Xunzhi is timid and only does his duty. Zhuge Dewei has a poor reputation.

Although he was powerless, Dou Lide naturally became a spokesperson for Hebei people.

As the saying goes, a person's achievements depend not only on ability and character, but also on luck. If you stand out at a critical moment and become the leader of a specific group of people in a specific environment, it is likely to change everything.

"It's not impossible to come back." After thinking for a while, Zhang Xing calmly replied. "They are all rebels. It is too harsh to refuse to save them.

But since you are leaving and coming back, you have to add another level according to the new surrender... The tribes dispersed, and those who should take their families to the fields will go to the fields, and those who should join the craftsmen's camp will go to the craftsmen's camp. Liu Heitao will come back to do it.

There is a team general, and a leader must come forward as a guarantor. If he runs away again, the leader will have to deal with the matter himself or this person can come back and continue working. Similar to guarantees, each leader must have an upper limit. You can

Let’s discuss it and the whole system will come out.”

Dou Lide responded solemnly.

"Zhang Longtou." Unexpectedly, the next person to speak was Shan Tonghai, the rotating leader who only recharged his account here. However, there was some substance to what he said. "It's the twelfth lunar month, and it's snowing again. There's a lot of

The sergeants from the East all want to ask if they can go home for the New Year..."

"It's impossible for them all to go back." Zhang Xing thought for a moment and shook his head helplessly. "It's human nature for the sergeants from the Eastern Region to have this idea, but as long as the sergeants from Hebei cannot support the overall situation, enough people must be left behind... Draw lots and divide the points.
To be continued...