Ma Huaide put down the book in his hand and said to the prince who came in: "Has the Khitans all arranged the Khitans?"

Wang Gongyi bowed: "I have already made arrangements when I return to the prefecture. In order to prevent accidents, they were arranged to go south of Yishui and live in villages."

Ma Huaide nodded: "It's good. The Khitan people sent a few times, and we were asked to send people back, which was extremely annoying!"

Wang Gongyi said: "There are more than 300 people here this time, so how could the Khitan give up? However, the Privy Council has already replied that we don't have to pay attention to the Khitans and arrange the escaped people properly."

"Is there enough food and grass?"

Wang Gongyi said: "It's enough now. The court has written a document and ordered Hebei Road to build a railway as soon as possible. This winter, the railway will reach Zhending Prefecture, and then go to Dingzhou, Baozhou, and all the way to Xiongzhou. Once the railway is opened, it will be convenient for us here."

Ma Huaide nodded: "It seems that the court is determined to have a fight with the Khitans. It is summer and not the season for the Khitans to fight. We just need to prepare more. If the railway is built in winter, everything will be different."

The direction of the railway was actually to travel north along the eastern foot of Taihang Mountain, and after arriving in Dingzhou, then to Xiongzhou eastward. Relying on the railway in this way, block the Khitan cavalry and destroy their mobility. Along the railway, several towns were built into military strongholds to form a front line. As long as there was sufficient preparation, the Khitan was not afraid of destroying the railway, and the Song army could repair it quickly.

Ma Huaide has been in the army for many years. When Wang Gongyi said that, he knew what the court meant. What is really terrifying about the Khitan is not how powerful the combat power is, but how quickly it goes, making the Song army exhausted. Once a front is formed, the advantages of the Khitans will be gone.

After saying goodbye to Ma Huaide, Wang Gongyi left the official hall and returned to his magistrate hall. He ordered someone to call the Tuazi and said to him: "Many of the Khitan people who fled south have reported your name. Now the state yamen has placed them on the south bank of Yishui. You go over and watch them, and they are not allowed to cause trouble. For these people, we have had dirty things with the Khitans and they cause trouble, but it is not good."

Tu Ai Shi bowed and said that he had left the yamen and left the south bank of Yishui.

Xiongzhou City is on the banks of Yishui, and the land within ten miles of the south bank is all under Xiongzhou. The people here are not two losers, but they are all under the rule of the Song Dynasty. Since the reign of Emperor Taizong, they have been exempted from taxes, but on the front line, they have undertaken a lot of labor.

After crossing the river on a ferry and walking far west, I saw the tents set by the fleeing people. The families were making friends, life and death, cooking outside. The children ran around the tent, laughing and cheering.

Tuoya stepped forward and said to the servant who was guarding here: "Where is the family of Meng Xuejia who came here?"

The officer pointed to the place near the river and said, "They live next to them, so it's very easy to find. Absen, this Meng Juejue is amazing. Half of the families here escaped with him. I heard that Absen was recruiting him, but I wonder if it's true?"

Tuaji agreed in a vague manner and followed the direction he pointed, and went all the way.

I lived here for the past two days, although I had rice, but no vegetables and meat. Today, Meng Xuezhao and a few people went down the river together, caught a few fish, and were packing them up there. When he saw Tu Ai Shi coming, he hurriedly got up and saluted.

Tuoji said: "After a scholar stayed here for a few days, are he still used to everything?"

Meng Xuejue said: "It's good if you can escape the tiger's mouth. In the past two days, the yamen has sent rice to avoid being hungry. However, there is no grass market nearby, no meat and wine, so birds fade out of their mouths. Today we went down the river and caught a few fish. The escort came to taste it together."

Tu'aoshi saw the people who were cleaning up, not far from the river, under a big tree, cut a piece of wooden board to clean up. The fish's internal organs were thrown on the ground, and the scales were everywhere, which was really pickled. He said, "It's still early now. We went to the ferry over there to have two glasses of wine and talked about gossip. You people are now suing the two countries, but they are not careless."

Meng Xuejue said: "Okay. Okay, wait a moment, I'll clean up."

As he said that, he returned to his tent, changed into a long gown, washed it carefully, and walked towards the river with Tuoyashi.

After walking a few miles, we arrived at the ferry, which was noon. Tuaji pointed to a tavern and said, "The one brewed good wine, and the carp was very delicious. Let's go and eat fish and drink two more glasses of wine."

I sat down under the shed in front of the tavern, and the servant came over. Tuaoshi asked for a little wine, a few vegetables, and another fish.

After a while, the wine and food came up, Tu Ai Shi and Meng Xuejue drank a glass of wine together. He said, "Scholar, now that he has arrived, how can he live in the future?"

Meng Xueshou said: "The people from the State Department have said that the place we are in is free land. The yamen can lend us agricultural tools and plow oxen to cultivate the land. It is good to say that it is exempt from three years of tax service."

Tu Ai Shi said: "It is not easy to reclaim the fields. Although there is idle land there, there are reeds and countless ditches everywhere. If you don't plan early, it is not easy to reclaim. For the court, it is not difficult to lend you agricultural tools and plow oxen, but you should not cause trouble."

After saying that, he drank another glass of wine with Meng Xuejiao.

Putting down the wine glass, Meng Xuejue said, "What are you talking about with my brother? We are fortunately helped by Texas to cross the river and fall. This is a great kindness, and we will never finish it in our lifetime, so how can we cause trouble!"

Tu Ai Si smiled and shook his head: "Scholars, people's hearts are not enough! It is said that Zhuozhou has a heavy army, so you have escaped the river. But after crossing the river, you don't have to go to serve. No matter how heavy the army is, you have never experienced it? For some people, whenever they have difficulties now, they have to say that they are not as good as serving at that time. There are a hundred people, all kinds of people, and all kinds of people are there."

Meng Xuezhao shook his head repeatedly: "Don't worry, there is no such person here! Everyone escapes from death and saves his life, and it is already a great thanks. How could he think about those things that are messing around!"

"Drink, drink!" Tuaya raised his glass and just persuaded him to drink.

Meng Xuejue said what he thought, but others were not sure. Leaving his hometown and reopening idle fields is not easy even if the state government helps him. Although there are many idle land in this area, it is not easy to cultivate. Due to the large number of water and many reed marshes everywhere, there are many difficulties in reed marshes that are lacking in a suitable agricultural tool. Although Xiongzhou has loaned agricultural tools, there are no suitable ones.

The Tongzong Wang Gongyi knew this well, so he sent Tu'aoshi to come here to watch and not have any trouble. Although the escaped people now thanked the court for their gratitude and encountered difficulties later, it would be very difficult to say. If one is not good, they gathered to make trouble, Xiongzhou is really not a person inside and outside. In order to accept them, they have already had a feud with the Khitan. As a result, the people who came were greedy, wouldn't it be annoying?

Tu Ai Shi knew his boss’s thoughts and knew that among these people, Meng Xuejiao had the highest reputation. Today, he specially invited him out to explain it clearly to Meng Xuejiao and let him comfort these people who reclaimed the land. Don’t feel resentful when encountering difficulties later, and make it difficult for Xiongzhou to do it.
Chapter completed!