Shen Dayuan, the investigative envoy sent by Zhu Shengfei, arrived in Chengji County on the third day after Chen Qing left. Shen Dayuan was also a confidant brought by Zhu Shengfei to take office.
Shen Dayuan did not come from a professional background. He was originally just a minor civil servant in Caizhou, but he was a distant relative of Zhu Shengfei. After climbing on Zhu Shengfei's lap, he began to rise rapidly and was appointed Danyang County Lieutenant. In less than three years, he was promoted to Danyang County Lieutenant. He was transferred to the Ministry of Punishment, and now he followed Zhu Shengfei to Sichuan and Shaanxi, where he served as the Xuanfu envoy, government official, judicial officer, and military officer, with great power.
This time Shen Dayuan also held back his energy and wanted to take care of Chen Qing for Zhu Shengfei. He came to the military camp with more than twenty followers. Yang Yuanqing welcomed him into the military camp. Shen Dayuan looked at the military camp and asked coldly: "You Chen Tongzhi What? I was ordered to ask him about something and ask him to come see me!"
Yang Yuanqing bowed and said: "Shen Canjun didn't know something. The Xixia army invaded Xining County, and Chen Tongzhi led his army to Xining County three days ago."
Shen Dayuan was stunned. Chen Qing was not in Chengji County. How could he execute this suspension order?
"When will he come back?"
"I don't know about this. I hope the war will end soon!"
Shen Dayuan raised his sparse eyebrows, looking forward to the end of the war? The war between Song and Jin is not over yet!
Since the real owner is not here, we can only beat the drum first, collect evidence, and get witnesses and physical evidence. Even if he doesn't come back, it doesn't matter. What the Xuanfu Envoy wants is not to be suspended, but to be dismissed.
"Okay! You must have a general named Zhang Jian here! Let him come to see me."
"Zhang Jian is no longer here."
Shen Dayuan banged the table, gritted his teeth and asked, "What do you mean you're not here anymore?"
Yang Yuanqing looked calm, "He violated military discipline half a month ago and was beaten by Commander Zheng. He has a grudge in his heart and has left the military camp. If you don't believe it, you can look at the patrol records and military affairs records every night. It is very clear on it. Everything was recorded.”
"Bring me the records, I want to make a copy!"
Yang Yuanqing ordered his men to get the copy, and Shen Dayuan said again: "In addition, I have some things to ask General Yang!"
"Shen Canjun, please tell me!"
Shen Dayuan winked at his men and asked him to take notes. Shen Dayuan asked: "About half a month ago, General Yang took people to Guanzhong to transport a batch of supplies, right?"
Yang Yuanqing went to Zhongnan County to transport materials, and there were records at the passes along the way. This cannot be denied, and Chen Qing did not want to deny it, but they were well prepared when they went to Zhongnan County to transport money and materials.
Yang Yuanqing nodded, "It is true!"
Shen Dayuan perked up and asked quickly: "I want to know what materials are being transported?"
"Mainly food, but also military supplies such as armor, kerosene, bows and arrows."
"That's nonsense. What you are carrying are copper coins, silver, and cloth. Now, how dare you still lie to me?"
Yang Yuanqing sneered: "Why am I talking nonsense? We have a transportation list. The materials to be transported are clearly written on it. There are also inspection seals at the passes along the way. Moreover, our commander specially wrote a report for this transportation and handed it over to Wu Dutong, didn't Shen Canjun investigate before he came?"
Shen Dayuan was speechless for a moment. Both he and Zhu Shengfei had just arrived in Hanzhong and knew nothing about this kind of material transportation process. It was only because of Fu Xuan's tip, and Fu Xuan tipped off his in-law Pan Daguan. It was through Zhang Jian's betrayal that Zhang Jian disappeared.
Shen Dayuan suddenly realized that it was not easy to investigate this matter. Others did it perfectly, but they didn't have any breakthrough.
"What about the soldiers involved in the transportation? I want to talk to them."
"Reporting to Shen Canjun, they all followed Tongzhi to fight against the Xixia Army and are not in Chengji County."
Shen Dayuan went a little crazy, gritted his teeth and said: "Open the warehouse, this special envoy will inspect your warehouse!"
Yang Yuanqing immediately ordered the sergeants to open the gate of the warehouse tent and prepare the warehouse account books. All the money would not enter the camp warehouse at all, as he was not afraid of being inspected by the other party.
Shen Dayuan walked around and finally found the clue. He asked very excitedly: "Haha! I want to know where the money you spend to buy grain from big households and sheep from Qiang people comes from? No. Tell me, is this all your personal money?"
"Shen Canjun is absolutely right. Our commander-in-chief used his personal money to buy this. In addition, the sheep were given to us by the Qiang people, and we didn't spend a penny on them."
Shen Dayuan was so angry that his eyes burst into flames, and he said angrily: "How can your ruler get so much money?"
"It was a reward from the Emperor. If Shen Canjun doesn't believe it, he can ask the Emperor."
Shen Dayuan's eyes suddenly widened.
.........
Xining County is also called Ganquan Fort. The population and scale of this fort are no different from the county seat. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is a county seat. It is called Xining County on the map of the prefecture government, but on the military map, it is called Xining County. But it is an extremely important military fortress.
It was like a sharp knife stuck in the northernmost part of Qinzhou, so that the Xixia army in Huizhou and Deshun Prefecture did not dare to go south easily.
Xixia has always been eyeing Ganquan Fort and has wanted to get this military fort many times, but the Jin soldiers have always refused to agree. Even if the Jin soldiers abandoned Xihe Road and retreated eastward, a hundred Jin soldiers were still symbolically stationed in Ganquan Fort.
Don't underestimate these hundred golden soldiers. It is because of their existence that Xixia covets Ganquan Fort, but they dare not act rashly. The Jin Kingdom wants to transfer Xihe Road to the Qi army, not the Xixia people.
This was also the main purpose of Chen Qing's trip to Xining County. He also wanted to capture Ganquan Fort first, and then use Ganquan Fort as a logistics center to launch an attack on the Xixia Army stationed in the northern part of Deshun Prefecture.
Chen Qing's army marched day and night. In the evening, the army arrived in a valley about ten miles south of Ganquan Fort. This area also belongs to the Loess Plateau, with crisscrossed ravines and large mountainous differences. Small villages are hidden among the huge mountains. within the ravine.
The ravine where Chen Qing garrisoned is called Liupi Valley. It is one of the very few ravines with a name because there is a Liupi Village in the ravine.
The Jin soldiers did not massacre the villages in these ravines, because the Jin soldiers also needed their existence to serve as guides for the Jin soldiers or to serve as supply points for patrols.
As soon as it got dark, Zhao Xiaoyi brought two old men to Chen Qing's tent.
Chen Qing enthusiastically invited the two old men to sit down in the tent, and said with a smile: "You must also understand that my army must take Ganquan Fort when it comes here, but I don't know much about the situation of Ganquan Fort, and I only learned about it not long ago. I know there are Jin Bing inside, can you two tell me about it?"
The two old men looked at each other, and the older man said cautiously: "Actually, the Jin soldiers from Ganquan Fort have already withdrawn, leaving only a hundred people, so it's nothing to worry about. The key is to be careful of the Xixia people."
"Have the Xixia army also arrived?" Chen Qing asked.
"The Xixia Army has always had spies operating near Ganquan Fort, but just a few days ago, another spies came, but the number was much larger than before."
"How many were there before and how many are there now?"
"There used to be only a few people, but two hundred people came in the past few days. I don't know where they are now? But they must still be near Ganquan Fort."
Chen Qing frowned. Could it be that the Xixia people knew about his dispatch of troops? That shouldn't be the case! His dispatch of troops was very secretive, and not even the officials and people of Chengji County knew about it.
Could it be...because Zhu Shengfei took office?
Chen Qing had a vague intuition that it was more likely that the Xixia and Qi armies would undergo changes due to Zhu Shengfei taking office.
"The other side only has a hundred defenders. How do you two old men think it would be easier for me to capture it?"
"Let my brother answer this question! He was also a soldier of the Song Army before." The old man pointed to his silent companion next to him and smiled.
"This old man turns out to be Song Jun?" Chen Qing was in awe.
The thin old man sighed, "It's just the dead soul of Yongle City, why should I mention it?"
Chen Qing was silent. It turned out that Yongle City was defeated. It was the most tragic failure of the Song Dynasty in attacking Xixia, and Song Shenzong also died of illness.
The old man said to Chen Qing again: "Ganquan Fort is as important as Yongle City, and more importantly, it has water sources. Xixia has always been eyeing it, but did not dare to offend the Jin soldiers. But once the general sends troops, Xixia will definitely risk it. I
It is recommended that the general send out troops tonight. Once the Xixia people discover the general’s army, it is very likely that they will seize the city tonight.”
Chen Qing nodded. Two hundred spies had appeared near Ganquan Fort, so the large army must be nearby.