"This matter is simple to say, but it is very important to me."
Chen Ling sat cross-legged and smiled bitterly.
"About twenty years ago, when the late emperor was here, a dragon fell into the sea outside the Huaihe River. My father, as a general who had just surrendered, was ordered by the emperor to go out to sea to find the dragon's corpse. The dragon's corpse was found, but in the end he also met the Dongyi great. Although the Governor was not yet a Grand Master at that time, he was already a well-known figure among the Grand Masters, and there were enough Dongyi and Yaozu Erdao navy around him... The Wei navy was naturally defeated in one battle...
"Now that they were defeated, everyone fled in panic, looking for a way to survive. Only my father, a newly descended person with the emperor's life in his body, was shattered by the Dongyi master and his arm was still alive. He would rather die than retreat. As the saying goes, good fortune and misfortune are hard to come by. Unexpectedly, this move actually attracted the great governor's admiration. He shouted to stop him on the spot, and even separated an arm from the dragon corpse, asking my father to bring it to the late emperor to see.
"After returning, the late emperor appreciated my father's loyalty and bravery, and rewarded me with one of the ferocious and thinly thorned dragon bones. My father took it home and found a craftsman for half a year to separate it. Then he got forty golden awls, which he thought would be passed down to the world."
At this point, Chen Ling pointed his finger at Zhang Xing: "Zhang Baishou, do you understand what I said?"
Zhang Xing nodded slowly: "If what I have predicted is correct, you want to say that it is not easy for your Chen family to continue. Your ancestors worked hard and were crippled before they were recognized by the Wei Dynasty and were able to continue to prosper, so they are not willing to get involved in this mess." Things that caused the family to take risks they shouldn’t have taken.”
"Not bad..." Chen Ling immediately raised his palms. "I knew you were someone who could really understand me! What is a dragon bone? What is a golden awl? What are Wang Zuojun's copybooks and the Metasequoia Forest business? The key is, the continuation of my Zhongli Chen family! Moreover, this is also It's not a matter of my father's arm. You should know that my ancestors built the Wubao and made the Chen family prosperous in Jianghuai for two hundred years. It's not just my father's case. Zhang Baishou, do you know what the situation was like in the Jianghuai area in the past two hundred years? "
"I know a little bit." Zhang Xing lowered his head and drank a glass of wine, feeling real admiration and emotion in his heart.
I am really impressed and impressed.
You must know that before the Wei Dynasty destroyed the Eastern Qi, swallowed up the Southern Chen, conquered the Northern Wilderness, and divided the Wu clan into three parts, the world was basically divided into north, south, and east. Jianghuai was located on the dividing line between the north and the south, and had always been a place where wars between the north and the south were repeated. … If the North wants to invade the South, or if the South wants to make the Northern Expedition, it is indispensable to have troops in the Jianghuai River.
In the past two hundred years, there have been no fewer than ten battles involving more than 100,000 fine armor.
Not to mention, both the north and the south are also internally unstable. The south has changed three or four times in two hundred years, and the north has also changed two or three times. In between, there have been internal struggles among powerful ministers, palace coups, and large-scale civil strife. The Chen family has Wubao, the lowest form of tyranny, has been prosperous for two hundred years. It is definitely not something that can be described as lucky.
"It's good that you know. It's easiest to talk to a smart person like you." Chen Ling answered with a sigh while holding a cup. "To tell you the truth, I have three family mottos in my family, and I dare not forget them even half a day... One is that when fighting from all over the world, be brave and take the lead, be loyal and die without fear! What do you think of Zhang Baishou? How brave is he?"
"It's a shame." Zhang Xing held the cup in both hands and drank it down in one gulp.
"Okay!" Chen Ling drank it all in one gulp and continued. "Secondly, when the world is in chaos, it is not a pity to maintain bravery while neglecting wealth and focusing on military forces..."
"This one is better than the first one." Zhang Xingyi said. "I consider myself to be a people-oriented person, which is actually somewhat similar to the respect for the family."
"What a people-oriented person... People are the capital! No wealth or treasure can compare with people!" Chen Ling was obviously feeling a little emotional. "I actually heard such words from a white-haired man... You can see how many wine bags and rice bags there are! Let's have another drink!"
Zhang Xing raised his hand to drink with him.
"Three principles of peace in the world are not to seek merit, but to seek no faults..." Chen Ling drank another drink and continued, but couldn't help but laugh to himself. "What do you think about the third one?"
"It makes some sense." Zhang Xing thought about it for a while and responded sincerely... because it does make sense. "But it only makes sense, it's not something I can take."
"I understand, I understand!" Chen Ling replied. "I understand people like you! I have to admit that people like you are the kind who can achieve great things and enter the history books... But to achieve great things, ninety-nine people will die on the way. And even for the one who succeeded, in his biography, people like our Chen family are indispensable to come forward to maintain the place and bring peace to the world. So Zhang Baishou, I will tell you clearly tonight, no matter how you decide , I won’t even go... My family motto is like this, I will never speculate and take risks easily. No matter how great the opportunity is, no matter how small the risk, I will not move! We are two kinds of people! That’s it! That’s it!”
At this point, before Zhang Xing could say anything, Chen Lingfu chuckled again:
"Don't say these big words or drunken talk, just discuss the matter. Your biggest reliance this time is actually just the Bai family and your official connections in Jing'antai. This just increases my worries, because I am following the transfer of subordinates in Jing'antai by Uncle Cao. Army, follow the request of the noble daughter of the Bai family to mobilize the army. I don’t want to join anyone... Even if the Bai family is powerful, even if Uncle Cao of Jing’antai is the golden pillar of the court, aren’t there still saints? Saints are heaven and talent. It can truly determine the success or failure of my family!"
Zhang Xing thought for a moment, lowered his head again and drank a glass of wine, then handed the cup to the maid beside him, and asked seriously: "So, has the imperial messenger arrived?"
"Here we are, just when you were making a big fuss in the Metasequoia Forest, otherwise how could we have had this feast?"
Chen Ling lowered his head and fiddled with the chopsticks on the table, and his words returned to calmness. "It is probably difficult for the imperial court to understand your difficulties... In fact, this is the daily attitude of the imperial court... In short, without Nan Yajun's edict, Jing'antai would never directly give me a Ying Yang Lang general." Issuing an order is a big taboo. At the moment, there is only a rough statement from the Ministry of War. Even you know the kind. Let me carefully maintain the security of the surrounding area and be a help... With this official document, two teams of three hundred elite armor, you can lead Walk."
Zhang Xing's heart sank completely.
Before coming, he and Bai Yousi could think of the best way to deal with this situation, which was to persuade Chen Ling to destroy Jishan before the bandits sent troops, and then cross the Huan River, and take advantage of the absence of bandits in Yongcheng. Before dispersing, invite an attack head-on and defeat them in one fell swoop to avoid the most troublesome and worst situation - bandits swarming up and plundering from all sides.
After all, if it really ends up like that, the bandits can neither avoid casualties nor steal enough food, and the food transportation work and the planned tasks will all collapse.
It is impossible to say that the seven counties in Jiangdong will come to replenish food, which will inevitably lead to the clearing of Dangshan by the army afterwards.
So having said that,
Three hundred fine armors, enough for what? Do you think you are Su Dingfang? Or should we say that all three hundred people have attained the Dzogchen cultivation level of Tongmai?
The so-called three hundred fine armors have only one function, and that is to protect the personal belongings brought back by the Jinyi patrolmen in possible turmoil...that's all, that's all.
After thinking about this, Zhang Xingfu held his wine glass and said in a deep voice: "Actually, there is another way."
"I appreciate Zhang Baishou even more." Chen Ling sighed with his palms clasped, then raised his head seriously, revealing his red face. "But it's useless... Although I am not as good as General Zhao Lang of Moyun Golden Wings, as a general of Ying Yang Lang who has entered the palace, I am a little stronger than the Zuo You you have seen today. Otherwise, why would I be able to command three thousand fine armors? Are you on one side of the formation? Zhang Baishou, even though you have some unusual skills, if you want to threaten me with a golden cone...hehe...wouldn't you be asking for your own death?"
As he spoke, Chen Ling sat cross-legged in his seat, calmly watching the other party's reaction.
Zhang Xing, who was sitting opposite, just remained silent.
Seeing this situation, Chen Ling came to comfort him: "Why should Zhang Sanlang do anything? Not to mention that my family has been standing in Jianghuai for two hundred years. I am higher than you, older than you, and more powerful than you... Just one thing. , that is, as long as I sit still in this matter, I can win. Although you have all kinds of ideas, you can't poke me, so isn't it natural for you to suffer today's setback in front of me? In short, it’s okay if you are used to being a hero and doing extraordinary things, but don’t underestimate others.”
Zhang Xing, who was sitting opposite, was silent for a moment, then nodded: "I am self-righteous."
"Is there anything else you want to say?" Chen Lingfu asked with a smile.
"Yes." Zhang Xing answered seriously. "General Chen, please don't embarrass the woman in the Metasequoia Forest, because I will come back sooner or later."
Chen Ling was stunned for a moment, nodded, and raised his hand slightly.
Upon seeing this, Zhang Xing stood up, took the golden awl, bowed his hands, and walked out without saying a word.
The next morning, Zhang Baishou, who had come here in a confident manner, did not struggle anymore, but chose to leave in despair with two teams of three hundred fine armors and a few bags of belongings...
It was a complete defeat, a defeat that left no room for defence.
Although there was a good reason, a failure was a failure - Zhang Xing was ordered to come here to persuade Ying Yanglang General Chen Ling to send troops to resolve the matter first, but he could not do so.
As for the accompanying people, Qin Bao and Zhou Xingfan were also frustrated. On the contrary, the other accompanying patrols did not care. For them, they were just on a mission. Although Zhang Baishou had a dark face, it was good that he did not anger them. .
Obviously, not everyone is willing to take on responsibilities beyond their own responsibilities.
The journey back was much shorter, because the fleet did not dare to stop at all. It has been moving forward on time these days. Now it has already passed Guyang and arrived in Qixian County. But even so, because of the presence of three hundred fine armor, when When Zhang Xing returned to the fleet, it was already halfway through the twelfth lunar month.
In other words, the Chinese New Year is getting closer.
Returning to the fleet, I met Bai Yousi and the others. It was not unexpected. There was no ridicule, but more comfort and encouragement. But for some reason, there seemed to be a trace of relief in these comforts and encouragements. meaning.
"If Chen Ling said this, even the Great Luo Immortal wouldn't be able to do anything about it."
Looking at the golden awl in front of him, Qian Tang simply shook his head in response. "I don't want the gold and silver, I don't recognize the Bai family's reputation, and I can't be intimidated by the officialdom of Jing'antai. What else can I do? I am a general who has entered the palace, a serious general!"
"The problem is not the official position, but the host and guest... Nowadays, people are sitting on the ground, and although we are dragons crossing the river, we are dragons crossing the river who can't get away or stop." Li Qingchen did not mock, but just shook his head in arms. . "Now that they are hiding far away, what can we do if we can't reach them with our paws? The only trouble is that if the planners know about it, they might risk their lives to cause trouble."
"I only sweep the snow in front of my door. I don't care about the frost on other people's tiles." Hu Yan glanced at the trackers outside the window and shook his head in reply. "Who is not like this in this world? It is his blessing that Chen Ling can put forward the family motto. As for other people, they often find out when they are involved in the bad things above, and then they narrowly escape death... This matter is just Thank you Zhang Sanlang for your hard work."
Obviously, Hu Yan recalled the incident where Chen Wenda, the Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, investigated Li Shu thoroughly, which almost cost him his life. Then he realized that it was embarrassing to say this again at this time, so he turned around abruptly. But once these words were spoken, people couldn't help but think too much. For a moment, even Bai Yousi couldn't say anything because she was solely responsible for that matter.
After being silent for a while, Zhang Xing continued to ask: "There is only a reply from the Ministry of War over there. What about our side? Does Taichung have an answer?"
"Yes." Li Qingchen rushed to greet him with his arms in his arms. "About the same day, Taichung Kuai Ma gave me an explanation, telling me not to worry too much and to protect myself as much as possible, and then said that reinforcements would be sent over. However, I'm afraid I didn't even think of who was going to kill Zhang Sanlang..."
"who?"
"Sima Erlong and Fulongwei!" Li Qingchen sneered. "According to Sima Erlong's speed, I'm afraid they will fly in tonight or tomorrow night... If they come, at least they can stop Jishan from building a dam."
"Why Sima Zheng and Fulongwei?" Zhang Xing was really surprised. "What does he have to do with us? He is not from the Zhenfu Department."
"It's hard to say..." Qian Tang sighed softly, with a strange expression. "We all guessed that Sima Zheng was about to transfer to the army as a general, and that he was going to Fusi, Xizhen on inspection to become the leader of the Fulong Guard... But it was just a guess."
Zhang Xing didn't say anything, and Bai Yousi didn't say anything either. It was obvious that this kind of speculation was very marketable and indeed reasonable.
All I can say is, no wonder everyone is worried.
After all, if Bai Yousi goes to Fulongwei, how will the twenty or thirty members of the patrol team fare? Even if you can bring a few people there, who can they be?
After a night of silence, the fleet continued its journey the next day. Although several officials from Shangji County noticed Zhang Xing's return and knew something was wrong, they were put off by the news that the world-famous Sima Erlong was about to come to rescue.
Another night passed, and on the morning of the seventeenth day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhang Xing saw a stream of light coming from a distance. He knew that this must be Sima Zheng abandoning his headquarters and flying over to communicate in advance, so he directly abandoned the three hundred soldiers and boarded the ship. .
Sure enough, the person who came was none other than Sima Zheng.
When the two sides met in the cabin, Sima Zheng actually remembered Zhang Xing, whom they met that day, and returned the favor alone, which was really hard to find annoying.
Next, the two groups of people sat down in the cabin and took a breather. Sima Zheng immediately frowned, obviously hesitating a little.
"Dare I ask Sima Zhu Shou, are there any difficulties?" Zhang Xing asked in confusion. "It should be very simple in Jishan."
"It's not Jishan." Sima Zheng explained sincerely. "Of course there is no problem in organizing dam construction in Jishan... But I didn't expect that the overall situation here is so bad. If it is as you said, tens of thousands of hungry bandits will swarm up at night, it will be a real dragon I'm afraid even if I go down to earth, I won't be able to prevent a disaster... The officials in charge will be in bad luck, and the hungry people will not be able to survive if they rob the food, but they will only add merit to the army."
From Bai Yousi down, everyone was silent. No one added fuel to the fire and mentioned the matter of food replenishment in the southeast.
"Besides, something doesn't seem right." Sima Zheng continued. "Not to mention that the messengers from Jing'antai are very fast, are the documents from the Ministry of War actually transmitted as fast as ours? With the Ministry of War's procrastination, how could such a 'little matter' get a reply to Longgang so quickly?"
Everyone almost sighed in unison.
Zhang Xing also sighed on the spot, and then wanted to explain... But the next moment, several messages gathered in his mind, but almost instantly the hair on his back exploded, and he stood up suddenly.
Everyone looked at him in surprise, but Zhang Xing stared straight at Bai Yousi and spoke with difficulty: "Inspection inspection, please stay with Sima Changjian for a moment. When I come back, I will go see Zhou Xingfan."
Bai Yousi didn't know why, but he nodded directly.
Everything was mixed in Zhang Xing's mind. When he came out of the hatch, the third-rate master who had access to the nine main meridians staggered and almost fell down. However, when he jumped off the boat and called Zhou Xingfan who was next to him, he calmed down:
"Xing Fan, Chen family started from Jianghuai Wubao?"
"Not bad." Zhou Xingfan was confused, but he still answered appropriately. "Everyone knows that Chen is the leader of Jianghuaiwu Fort."
"Then let me ask you again, isn't the foundation of his family the local power of Jianghuai? Is it the powerful Jianghuai and the heroes around him?"
"Of course that's the case. Many times Jianghuai locals have rebelled and acted, always with his family as the leader."
"And his three thousand soldiers are imperial soldiers? They have nothing to do with his family's power, right or wrong?"
"Of course it is." Zhou Xingfan became more and more strange. "What's wrong with Brother Zhang?"
"It's okay." Zhang Xing suppressed his discomfort and ordered with all his strength. "You get on the boat now, call Inspector Bai out, and ask her to come see me alone, and tell her that I have something important to discuss."
Zhou Xingfan did not dare to be negligent and hurriedly obeyed the order. After a moment, Bai Yousi easily flew out by grabbing Mr. Zhou's collar.
"What's wrong?" Bai Yousi asked hurriedly as soon as he landed on the bank of Huanshui River. "I've never seen you so out of sorts!"
Zhang Xing hesitated to speak, but led the other party to the side for dozens of steps before he stopped: "I was tricked by that guy Chen Ling! And I have some ideas, and I want to confront the patrol inspector."
"How did you do it?" Bai Yousi asked in surprise, holding the sword.
"Let's do it little by little...I'm also confused now." Zhang Xing said seriously. "First of all, Chen Ling prides himself on not wanting to cause trouble, so he obeys the orders and doesn't move at all... But Sima Changjian came over and said something right. Chen Ling was really so quick and clever. He just happened to get it when I started to pinch him. Have you received documents from the Ministry of War?”
"Why would he fake it?" Bai Yousi asked in surprise. "If he is pretending to coax you, isn't he afraid that he will write a document later to explicitly ask him to help us?"
"This can only mean one thing. He does not want to send troops to fight against the Dangshan bandits at this time, even if the imperial court gives a formal order."
"No, it doesn't make sense. Sooner or later, you will be ordered to send troops. Don't forget... We just said that if these Dang mountain bandits are allowed to get their hands on food this time, the imperial court decrees that he will have to send troops to quell the Dang mountain bandits."
"It's different." Zhang Xing stared at Bai Yousi seriously. "That time, he acted on his own initiative. This time, he sent troops in front of experts like us... He wanted to hide, not the troops themselves, but to ensure that we monitored his troops."
Bai Yousi became more and more confused: "I have been confused by you."
"It's very simple." By the river, Zhou Xingfan and others were watching from a distance, while Zhang Xing couldn't help lowering his voice in response. "Young Master Zhou just told me that the Chen family originated from Jianghuai Wubao. His fundamental power has never been the government soldiers or recruits assigned to him by the imperial court, but the powerful Jianghuai and local forces who have been inseparable from his family for several lifetimes. Hero."
"You mean... the reason why Chen Ling did not send troops is because the leaders of the Dangshan bandits, as well as the rangers, heroes, and criminals who have gathered recently, are his foundation. He wants to ensure that these people can escape intact during the imperial court's annihilation. ?" Bai Yousi followed Zhang Xing's train of thought, but instinctively shook his head. "It's still not right...there's something completely wrong."
"Of course it's not right." Zhang Xing looked up to the sky and sighed. "We thought Chen Ling was following the third family motto, but in fact he was following the second family motto!"
Bai Yousi opened his mouth to speak, but then he was stunned on the spot.
"That night, the inspector asked me whether this Wei was bound to be hopeless... In fact, the problem has been explained." Zhang Xing looked into the other person's eyes and spoke carefully. "Even people like you, the inspector, started to discuss this issue after learning about Jiangdong's taxes. Then why do you think that local forces that have fought hard in such troubled times will not do analysis? And why do you think that, People must regard this time as a time of peace? Everyone witnessed Yang Shen's Rebellion with their own eyes; the Second Conquest of Dongyi failed. Xuzhou, as the southern camp, is just over Dangshan Mountain. It is impossible to say that there are many heroes hiding in Dangshan Mountain who escaped from the Second Conquest of Dongyi. ; And I don’t believe it. The taxes in Jiangdong and Jianghuai are much better. Inspection, you think according to the second family motto, assuming that Chen Ling has felt that the world is going to be chaotic, and feels that it is more important to build up courage, right? All it takes is one shot?!”
Bai Yousi thought for a long time and suddenly asked: "Then what should we do?"
"It depends on what the inspection wants to do?" Zhang Xingping answered. "We agreed in advance that I will go on this trip without a compass, so we have to work hard on our own."
"Same as before, I want to save the innocent and the weak... Even if we really want to fight, the strong should come first and win." Bai Yousi's eyes were clear, and he didn't think twice.
"Can Sima Changjian be trusted?" Zhang Xing continued to ask.
"Sima Zheng is often constrained by his family and behaves stingily, but now that he is away from home, he is still willing to be open and honest... Our thoughts are clear and there is nothing to say, and there is no reason for him not to help."
"So, I have a plan that might work." Zhang Xing replied with a sigh. "It is impossible to force Chen Ling to send troops now, but we can ask Sima Changjian to suppress him, and then force him to send troops openly after creating a situation where he has to send troops... And if the inspector can trust my ability, he can Please give me that golden cone and let Qin Er and I go to Dangshan Mountain."
Bai Yousi held the sword and said nothing.
"I should have thought of it earlier." Zhang Xing quickly explained. "It is too difficult to deal with someone like Chen Ling who is cunning and knows what he wants. So instead of forcing him to send troops, it is better to do the opposite and go to Dangshan, who is in chaos, to make countermeasures and promote Dangshan to send troops. ! Once Dangshan gathers their best thieves and arrives at Jishan on the west side of Huanshui River, Chen Ling will have to send troops to attack under the watchful eye of Sima Changjian... By then, if they defeat them in one battle, they can do so at the least cost and in the most appropriate manner. The inspection and my thoughts have solved the problem."
"It's not that I don't understand your strategy." Bai Yousi hesitated for a moment and responded in a deep voice. "But I am worried about your safety... Although Chen Ling from Longgang is a cunning and powerful person, he will not easily threaten you personally. The opposite is true in Dangshan."
Zhang Xing immediately laughed: "So you have to be alone and stop going?"
Bai Yousi also laughed.
"Inspector, please trust me again and give me the golden cone." Zhang Xing handed over his hand sternly. "There's still plenty of time, I'll be back as soon as I go."
ps: It’s a holiday. Happy New Year everyone. Good night. I’m sorry. See you tomorrow.
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