On a summer morning, mist lingered on the river. Here, under the corridor of the public house at Sikou Pass, the three groups of people, plus many leaders and officials from the East Territory, were having a routine meal on the corridor before they were about to separate.
In addition, dining in the corridor of public houses is a system that has been inherited from the Zhou Dynasty. It is very common in the army and in all yamen in the Eastern Capital. It is regarded as the basic welfare of serving as a soldier. The so-called eating at the official's house is also said to be from this. It is said that in Liang County, The reason why Governor Niu was beheaded by Zhang Longtou was because he had deprived Fulongwei of a meal on the porch when he was in the Eastern Capital, and was resented by Zhang Longtou and Wang Zhen.
The joke is naturally a joke, but it also shows that ordinary officials and public servants attach great importance to dining under the porch.
As for the Deposed Dragon Gang, probably because a large number of local officials and public facilities in the Wei Dynasty were preserved from the beginning, this system was continued early and further deepened - because of Zhang Xing's own persistence and habits, various types of The chief officials and chieftains followed suit and often participated in the banquet meals, and developed the habit of discussing politics before and after meals.
In fact, there is a saying here in the Deposed Dragon Gang, which is called Langxia Wuji, which means that if you say things that are difficult to say, dare not say, or have no chance to say at ordinary times, you will be forgiven by your superiors and colleagues if you say it at this time. Those who are tall can also use this to blow the wind and observe the trends.
Turning back to the present, the atmosphere at the meal on the porch this morning was inexplicably tense.
Without him, Zhang Dalongtou angrily denounced Leader Xu Da last night. Although he excluded others, how big can the public housing area in Fukou be? Zhang Longtou didn't cover it up deliberately, and he didn't seem to have the ability to cover it up with his true energy, so the news spread to some extent, especially the surrounding core personnel and those with advanced cultivations were well aware of it.
"Let me tell you the truth, there is a person here who is completely dishonorable. If we don't deal with him, it will be difficult to depose the Dragon Gang."
Just when everyone was cautious, fearing that something might happen, Zhang Xing, the leader of the left wing sitting in the middle, suddenly put down the half-eaten pancake in his hand and opened his mouth. What he said shocked everyone to stop in the corridor. meal.
Sitting under the corridor of the main hall on both sides of Zhang Xing are Wei Xuanding, Xiong Bonan, Chai Xiaohe, Bing Yuanzheng, Zheng Detao, Chen Bin, Cui Suchen, Xie Minghe, Yan Qing, Zhang Jinshu, Dou Lide, Xu Shiying, Lu Dayue. The thirteen leaders had different reactions and expressions. They all turned to look at Zhang Xing, who was speaking, and couldn't help but look tense.
Opposite and on both sides of them, many officials and clerks from the north and south, as well as the accompanying guardians, local helmsmen, and deputy helmsmen all looked up in surprise. However, after saying this, Leader Zhang Da didn't say anything more. He just continued to eat with his head down, eating his own fried cakes and drinking his own millet porridge, as if he had no idea what earth-shattering words he had just said.
When this happened, the big leaders and leaders beside Zhang Xing almost instinctively looked at Xu Shiying. At this time, the rest of the middle and lower levels of the Deposed Dragon Gang who were present also looked at the leader Xu in a sudden way.
Xu Shiying's face didn't look good either, and she even looked obviously stunned and panicked.
The atmosphere was tense to the extreme.
After a while, Xiong Bonan came to ask seriously: "Longtou, who are you talking about?"
"You can't count the number of things you can do in the hallway." Zhang Xing smiled while holding only two mouthfuls of millet porridge. "If we really want to deal with someone, we must investigate it with our own eyes, prove the crime, and then deal with it..."
Xiong Bonan frowned slightly, instinctively wanting to argue, but he didn't know where to start, especially since Xu Shiying was his brother-in-law. However, the other leaders around him also reacted at this time, quite a few People are ready to ask questions or have discussions.
At this moment, Zhang Xing finished the millet porridge in one gulp and gave serious instructions: "From today on, the leader Xu Shiying will accompany me. You are not allowed to leave without my words."
This is almost a roll call plus semi-house arrest.
After saying this, Zhang Dalongtou simply stood up and said, "We are busy with official duties. Everyone, please leave quickly and don't delay the business."
Instead, he left without giving the others a chance to "talk in the hallway."
Looking at the back of the leader, there were countless people below Lu Dayue and Zheng Detao who turned pale with fear.
A small episode on the porch has a huge impact.
You must know that the summer is hot, Hebei is a little peaceful, Zhang Xing, Wei Xuan
Ding and Xiong Bonan led the permanent team from Hebei to go south. Of course, they were not trying to establish connections or do political preparatory activities. Instead, as leaders, chiefs, and leaders in charge of military discipline and rules, they came out to inspect local areas on a routine basis. , check the work, that’s it.
However, everyone else, from the direct subordinates who accompanied Zhang Xing to the people who greeted him, including the leader of the ferry in the middle, seemed to have some misunderstandings, as if they believed that Zhang Dalongtou was crossing the river to eliminate dissidents. Now in charge of a county, Xu Shiying, whose actual status in the East is only equal to that of Li Shu and Bai Yousi, was placed under house arrest, which seems to be more solid.
However, many people felt that Xu Dalang had always been powerful and capable, and he followed Zhang Longtou's lead, but he still suffered such a bad fate, which inevitably made many people frightened and even couldn't believe it.
Therefore, for a time, the entire Eastern Seven Western Counties were in turmoil, and many leaders were communicating in series. Naturally, testing and observation were inevitable. And soon, the relevant information was further confirmed - not only did many people who participated in the food on the porch that day confirm the authenticity of the matter, but more importantly, Zhang Dalongtou set out westward, entered Dongjun and headed straight to Puyang. I started checking the accounts in detail to examine this year’s spring taxes.
In Zhang Longtou's words, he wanted to investigate county by county, from spring taxes to household registration to land granting to personnel to criminal cases to commercial affairs, to see whose Dongjun belonged to Dongjun?
The words became more and more serious, and the direction became more and more obvious.
At the same time, Xu Shiying also accompanied the whole trip, unable to return to his hometown Baima and Weinan, which were close at hand. He was as honest and quiet as a quail.
However, after checking the accounts for two or three days, not much trouble was found here in Puyang. The reason couldn't be simpler. Puyang is Niuda's territory. In the defeat of Chanyuan, more than half of his troops and military resources were lost. These people He Wuduo is from Puyang, including Guan Xu, the leader who is directly in charge of this place. He has just been released. Things are a mess to begin with. Everything you find out is normal, and you can't find the person responsible.
So three days later, Zhang Dalongtou and his party declined Niu Da's request to be escorted. Only a few dozen people left Puyang and continued westward, entering Weinan City. At this time, the atmosphere became more subtle and tense, because Weinan County was the home of Xu This is where Shiying's portal was before the rebellion, and the county magistrate here is still his biological father Xu Wei.
In other words, Zhang San sneaked into Xu Da's lair, and then began to investigate various affairs and prepare to deal with Xu Da.
By this time, someone finally couldn't sit still.
"Why can't you keep calm?"
In the side courtyard of Jiyin Cangcheng, Zhang Daxuan and Zhang Shizhao, senior guardians of the Deposed Dragon Gang, were obviously impatient. "You want to jump into such an obvious trap? I have to go to Cangcheng to count the spring taxes! Get out of the way!" Li Shu smiled bitterly for a moment, but in the end he stood at the courtyard gate and said: "Of course I know a lot It’s a trap, but Mr. Zhang, this trap is more or less a flaw. If I move now, there’s still a chance, but if I don’t move, wouldn’t it be the result of bleeding with a dull knife?”
"Do you really think you have any chance this time?" Zhang Shizhao became increasingly speechless. "What's the use of a flaw in the moves? The body-protecting energy is hanging! And I've said it before, your real chance is later. His temperament will definitely hit the wall, and he will hit it soon. At that time, you must have a The opportunities he had in Lishan before depended on whether you could seize them. Why do you have to worry about what you are doing here?"
Li Shu responded seriously: "There is really no chance this time? Xu Shiying and I..."
"Who are you with?" Zhang Shizhao was stunned. "Do you think Xu Shiying is on your side? Or maybe you think he was humiliated this time and got angry, so there is a chance that he will get angry and follow you?"
Li Shu was startled, obviously a little flustered: "Isn't it?"
"Who do you think Xu Dalang is?" Zhang Shizhao was completely helpless. "What do you think Xu Shiying is?!"
Li Shu was confused for a moment.
"He is the son of a lawless and powerful man, a small leader in the underworld. He is smooth, cruel, realistic, and utilitarian, but he is also naturally talented, and he has a lot of luck!" Zhang Shizhao seemed to be so angry that he had a headache. "To put it bluntly, he is a thief! A cunning thief! A murderous thief! A scoundrel thief! Although it is due to the way of the world, it must have developed some of his problems and temper. His reputation and morality are nothing in his eyes! You want to understand this It should
You know, Zhang San used him as a trap this time, and he himself was most likely involved in it. "
"If that's the case..." Li Shu's face turned pale. "If that's the case, Xu Shiying came up and defeated Zhang Xing?"
"What reason does he have for not falling?" Zhang Shizhao lost his temper and turned directly back to the courtyard, where he sat under the shade of a tree and asked. "Zhang Xing won the battle in Hebei. He has a strong army and strong horses, and people's hearts are attached to him. He is such a utilitarian thief, why should he bet with you? After the strong and weak are clearly distinguished, as long as Zhang Xing does not show his cowardice, it is impossible for these powerful men to really follow you. , even if Zhang Xingzhen beat them, they would not dare to really rebel, they are used to this in their bones. If you have this idle intention, you should not win over the people and the army in Jiyin, nor unite those scholars who are naturally close to you, but also talk more about their background and morals. With the local officials, what are you thinking about people like Xu Dalang?"
Li Shu was silent for a long time before sighing: "This is a conspiracy. I participated in it, so they took advantage of me and publicly punished me. If I didn't go, Xu Shiying would be alone, and Zhang Xing would really kill me." Establish prestige, and after finishing dealing with Xu Dalang, the local tycoons in the Eastern Territory must behave honestly. What they do in the future will be difficult for me to do alone. The key to success or failure here is what you said, Mr. Zhang. These tyrants and cunning thieves are like this. ! Mud can't hold up the wall, seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, fear the strong and bully the weak!"
Zhang Shizhao shook his head and spoke sincerely: "They can fight, defend territory, have money, food, and population! A good leader should tolerate them when fighting, suppress and divide them when not fighting! Don't forget, you deposed them How did the Dragon Gang stand up? Moreover, we can only talk about powerful scholars in general terms. After all, it depends on the specific person's method of Zhang Xing. The wonderful thing is that Xu Dalang himself has always been shameless and does not care about face. If he were replaced by Shan Tonghai, it would be There is another way. What does it mean that Wang Shuyong doesn't use this method at all? It means that Zhang San always treats these people with care, but you can't."
Li Shu thought for a moment and was inexplicably surprised: "Did Mr. Zhang mean that there seems to be someone in charge of Zhang Xing?"
"Yes." Zhang Shizhao glanced at the other person, as if he had already seen through this person's mind. "Do you think that you have a higher background and naturally have a higher vision, and you know better what a master is and what a minister is? But this thing comes from experience. A person, especially a smart person, just doesn't know how to let him go. In the corresponding position, you will gradually have some thoughts and ideas, and there will be wings to attach to you. The biggest problem is that you always think about taking shortcuts, and you don’t know where the problem of being high-minded and low-handed comes from? Jiyin is in you I have been in charge for two years, but I have never seen you run this place like an iron barrel."
Li Shu was anxious and asked again: "In this case, Duke Zhang just said what can Ru do at this time?"
"I said, you are afraid that you will doubt me again and think that I am helping Zhang Xing to stabilize you." Zhang Shizhao was obviously impatient again. "If I were you, I would just go to Dongjun and help Zhang Xing suppress Xu Shiying. On the one hand, you put on a selfless appearance and let everyone know that you behave clearly; on the other hand, you teach Xu Dalang a lesson, so that He cares about food and not about beating; the third thing is to make Zhang Xing neglect you."
Li Shu thought for a while but didn't answer.
Zhang Shizhao was completely helpless: "Believe it or not, at this time, countless powerful men from the East have already come to express their loyalty and want to deal with Xu Dalang on Zhang Xing's behalf... Please, don't delay me from settling the accounts."
After saying that, he walked directly past the other party.
Almost at the same time on the same day, in Weinan City of Dongjun County, Wang Shuyong, who had just arrived home to rest after crossing the river together for a few days, arrived early, but was also pulling Zhang Xing to talk under the shade of a tree in a courtyard somewhere in the city. .
"Brother Zhang, as the saying goes, a son of a rich man cannot easily reach Weinan without building a dangerous wall. What if someone jumps over the wall in a hurry? What will you do here?"
Zhang Xing immediately laughed: "Who jumps over the wall in a hurry? Xu Shiying? So what if a dog jumps over the wall in a hurry?"
"I have always known that Third Brother is a decent man who respects the rules." Wang Wulang spoke sincerely, but did not accept the words directly. "But some people have never been decent. I have been a neighbor with him for many years. Don't I know his methods?
Of course, I also know what Third Brother is capable of, and I’m not afraid of anyone. But if something happens, there will always be dirt. I’m in the south, so I’ll naturally come over to prevent Third Brother from getting his hands dirty. Could it be said that at this moment, there are so many rumors? God, do you want me to pretend to be deaf and dumb? If it weren’t for Third Brother, I would be just a foreigner
Just a local tycoon. "
There were cicadas chirping all around, Zhang Xing was silent for a while, and finally nodded: "Wu Lang is interested."
After saying that, he turned to look at a person sitting cross-legged in the corridor, meditating. It was Xu Dalang who was carefully cultivating the Qi of immortality. When the latter heard this, the green python in the Qi on his body was motionless, as if he was asleep.
"Third brother, look, this person is really dishonest." Wang Wulang went to see Xu Dalang together. After watching it, he seemed to have witnessed something and became more sincere.
PS: I’m really a little stuck... I’m so sleepy... Good night everyone
