On the last day of September, Cheng Zhili ended his marriage leave and came to Jiangling. However, he did not come directly to Cangcheng to visit Chief Zhang. Instead, he entered the camp outside the city and sent documents to Xingtai through here... Of course this was Process-compliant. So Yan Qing, the person in charge of personnel, also responded in accordance with the procedures, and asked him for an informal letter signed with the names of Chief Zhang Xing, the new deputy commander Chen Bin, and the military law chief Xiong Bonan. The clerk asked him if he would be willing to transfer to the post of county governor.
Maybe it was a little late, but Cheng Zhili didn't reply that day.
However, what Chief Zhang didn't know, or what he wouldn't care about if he knew it, was that Chief Cheng visited Xu Shiying that night.
Xu Shiying was rich. His family had a shop outside Jiangling City and a house in Jiangling City. They bought a serious house with three entrances to the courtyard. They did not ask for a simple front and back courtyard in Cangcheng.
In fact, Cheng Dalang is also rich. Although he was forced to move from Henan to Hebei and then back again in his early years, he now also has a shop and a large house in Jiangling City. This time he married the daughter of Cui, the legendary top family in Hebei, in Qinghe County. Wucheng where the Cui family was concentrated also had large mansions.
Of course, Cheng Dalang came here not to discuss with Xu Shiying how to "get rich again from scratch", but to sincerely ask some questions.
"Since you have hated Chief Zhang, are you going to sit on the bench?" Cheng Dalang asked sincerely.
"What do Cheng Dalang want?" Xu Shiying looked wandering and seemed a little careless. "Do you think that at this point, who in the gang can still defy this chief authority?"
"I didn't say disobedience, but in troubled times, if there are no soldiers and horses by my side, I feel really uneasy." Cheng Zhili spoke sincerely. "If I can stay in the army, even if I can be demoted to the rank of leader, I am willing."
"For no reason, why should you let go of your big boss...Is the big boss so worthless?" Xu Shiying sneered, becoming more and more disapproving. "Aren't you giving Chief Zhang the reputation of deposing a big boss without any reason? People have to follow the rules and establish prestige."
Cheng Zhili took a few deep breaths and continued to ask: "Can you transfer me to another station so that Chief Zhang can be out of sight and out of mind? I promise not to cause trouble after I go there and will never provoke Chief Zhang again. .”
"Is General Cheng crazy?" Xu Shiying finally became serious. "Do you want to go to Jiyinxingtai or Huaixi? Do you want to go with your battalion armor?"
Cheng Zhili hesitated to speak. He really wanted to bring this battalion. In other words, he thought of this level just for the sake of this battalion... First of all, this is the rare main armored cavalry of the battalion, with strong combat effectiveness. ; Secondly, he himself experienced a total army annihilation, worked as a short-term leader for a while, and was very sensitive to military power; finally, a very important point is that despite many military reforms, the military configuration of the Deposed Dragon Gang is still basically the same. Try to respect the influence of relevant leaders.
For example, before the establishment of the general class in the entire army, the allocation of core officers was generally decided by the leaders of each battalion. The reserved positions at the head of each battalion of 200 people were enough to cover most of the troops in a battalion of no more than 2,000 people. The officers and core guards were there; and the last time, during the process of building the camp after crossing the river, it was mostly focused on the sergeant level to emphasize the balance of soldiers from Hebei and Henan.
To put it bluntly, warm water boils frogs, but this gradual and gentle behavior of "separating the hills" does allow each camp to maintain a certain continuity of the hills. The most direct indication is that in the battalion led by Cheng Zhili, there are still 30 to 40% of the sergeants with backgrounds in the Pu Tai Army or around his hometown, and up to half of the middle and high-level officers have been with him for two years or more. Relationship.
As for other battalion heads, the situation is different. An infantry battalion with a full strength of 2,000 people may have a higher continuity ratio of officers and soldiers, but it varies from person to person. The troops of the leader with junior qualifications will obviously be scattered.
In short, under this situation, Cheng Zhili seemed to have sufficient reasons not to give up the armored cavalry.
However, he also knew in his heart that once he did this, he would almost look like a "traitor".
Needless to say, Du Pozhen is still considered an outsider. Even though Li Shu has never openly quarreled with Zhang Xing, in fact, the history of the two leaders' confrontation is there. Li Shu's side The leaders were either related to each other or were divided due to geographical reasons, which was considered to be a dignified one. As for him, a big leader who was recruited into the gang by Zhang Xing and had openly pledged his allegiance to Zhang Xing many times, he was persuaded at this time. If Li Shu took the initiative to call him over, he would be looked down upon.
It's okay to be looked down upon. The key is that it is likely to cause the chief's wrath.
"I really just don't understand. I'm old and there's no war in the gang now. What's the point of taking advantage of the opportunity to marry a high-ranking lady? Is this a taboo?" After thinking about it, Cheng Zhili could only sigh. .
"A person must be content." Xu Shiying just frowned. "Cheng Dalang, it's not just the fact that you married Cui's daughter that you violated the taboo. You did such a big business on the river before, and you even dragged the leaders downstream to do it together. You violated the taboo even more. You were so 'cautious' in several battles, or... Violating a taboo..." Halfway through his words, Xu Dalang became impatient. "Forget it, just think about it. As far as Chief Zhang is concerned, it's all about using big leaders like us."
"What are you planning?"
"Of course it's for big things." Xu Shiying said quietly. "I came here with the intention of changing the world from the beginning. I have been in business for more than three years. The territory is so huge. I don't have a king or an organization. I don't live in a big house. I don't even have a servant. I eat on the porch and in front of the camp. When eating, you spend the whole day either following the laws or worrying about the gains and losses of the previous dynasties. Of course, you have to do big things... So, you don't care about what is reasonable or not, what is reasonable or not, you just think in this direction, and what you do What you do is just to delay others from doing big things."
Cheng Dalang was silent for a long time, and his face became increasingly ugly under the light. After a while, he finally spoke: "I still understand the truth. Lao Zhai also sent me a letter... I am the first to do this. It's just a matter of fact." I'm not that over the top, and people are worried that I'm leading a bad example. They've led others before. Who doesn't know the principle of killing a chicken to scare the monkeys? First it was you, and now it's me... To be honest, I don't complain."
"Then why does General Cheng care?" Xu Shiying finally said impatiently. "It can't be that I didn't hide my anger after I crossed the river. You didn't complain, but you thought I was very resentful and wanted to encourage me to do something for you in front of you, right?"
"Xu Dalang is joking." Cheng Zhili quickly waved his hand.
Xu Shiying took a deep breath and suddenly asked again: "So, is my resentment so obvious?"
Cheng Zhili remained silent this time.
Xu Shiying thought for a moment and then said sternly: "Cheng Dalang, I am different from you... It is true that I have grievances, but I have never delayed my work after crossing the river. Chief Zhang has always entrusted me with important tasks. Chief Zhang and I There are some minor inconsistencies, but on the whole there is no discord. Therefore, he has always felt free to use me, and I have always been open-minded and not afraid of him dealing with it again. On the contrary, as you said, I am magnanimous. It's obvious that I have knots in my heart and resentment in my heart. As for you asking me how to deal with this matter, I have only one sentence, the county governor is good, just admit your mistake honestly and take up the post. Don't waste your efforts anymore. .”
Cheng Zhili sighed and said again: "If this is the case, I have nothing to say, but can you ask Xu Dalang to do a favor and ask a favor for me first? If it doesn't happen, it won't happen, and I will take office honestly. , but you must say a few nice words for me and do me a favor. If it is useful, I will be grateful in the future."
Xu Shiying just nodded casually.
When Cheng Zhili saw this, he didn't want to sit still for long, so he stood up and bowed seriously... Because Cheng Dalang was much older, Xu Shiying was a little embarrassed, so she quickly got up to stop him, and then sent him out all the way before returning.
However, back in the hall, Xu Dalang, who seemed to be just impatient at first, obviously felt a little uneasy.
Of course, his uneasiness is not the same as Cheng Zhili's. Cheng Zhili's problem is that losing military power triggered a strong personal insecurity, which then led to obvious dissatisfaction with Zhang Xing. Xu Shiying's problem is still the same old problem. His growth experience and way of thinking made it difficult for him to understand, or unwilling to believe that Zhang Xing's behavior could lead the Deposed Dragon Gang to the final victory.
Xu Shiying longed to see Zhang Xing become more "pragmatic" and more in line with his image of a "successful person".
In other words, Xu Shiying also wants to do big things, but he is more worried about the success rate of big things.
In fact, the information learned in the past two days has made Xu Shiying's worries more serious... Two days ago, Zhang Xing, Xiong Bonan, and Chen Bin came to him, Xu Shiying, Dou Lide, and Ma Wei to discuss a matter. That is, the military plan to attack Liyangcang in case of possible famine.
The risk of this matter is self-evident - if there is no great master in the world, or there is no such thing as true energy cultivation, then this is the best plan. Xu Shiying will take the initiative or even secretly propose it in advance without these people telling him. The layout plan, but isn’t there such a thing as a great master and the vitality of heaven and earth?
It is often discussed everywhere that without the suppression of the Grand Master, the saint in Jiangdu would have been dead for half a year and would have stunk. But in fact, a few Grand Masters were able to suppress half of Jiangnan and a hundred thousand imperial troops. Large-scale turmoil began in the year, not to mention that there were at least two great masters (Uncle Cao Huangshu and Zhang Fuzi) around Jijun where Li Yangcang was located, plus a British Duke who did not know whether he was a great master or a great master.
So, in this case, when one's own side should continue to strike as planned, taking the risk of interference by multiple grand masters to seize food is to relieve the people who are mostly outside the jurisdiction. A pattern of behavior that is extremely difficult for Xu Shiying to accept.
That's right, the representative of the smart people Zhang Xing mentioned is Xu Shiying.
However, what was even more difficult for Xu Shiying, a smart man, to accept was that Dou Lide actually expressed his approval of this proposal, and Ma Wei did not object.
Moreover, the reason why Dou Lide agreed was obviously because of his insufficient cultivation, and his whole life was to try to trick people's hearts. This naturally conforms to his understanding - although Mr. Zhang said that he was Xiao Du's broken formation, in fact Everyone privately calls this person Xiao Zhang San, because this person is very much like Zhang San in everything, he is single-minded in planning great things, and because of his insufficient cultivation and lack of talent in leading troops, his priority in everything he does is to win people's hearts.
As for Ma Wei, he is a bereaved drunken man who has no worries and is obviously a bit arrogant. Now that he has been put to good use and has a lot of kindness, even if Chief Zhang wants to attack Dongdu, he will directly help with the plan. .
Since the people around him were like this, in order to no longer have fundamental antagonism and conflict with Zhang Xing, Xu Dalang could only choose to accept it.
But that doesn't mean he agrees with it in his heart.
This time Cheng Dalang came again, which made him even more worried.
These people of the Deposed Dragon Gang are too high, unrealistically high, and too low. In this situation, only personal agendas are left... As for other people, it may not be appropriate. For example, Niu Da has fought many times. They were defeated and routed in the war, so that Xuzhou became fearful of war; another example is the Wu brothers, who are inseparable; the Fang brothers, who are confrontational and wholeheartedly regard Zhang Xing as an enemy; Bai Yousi, Dengzhou's military and political affairs are not perfect. , the government returned to Fang Jingbo, the army returned to Wang Zhen, and he was the general manager with only a sword. In the end, it was due to Zhang Xing's selfishness; there were also Bing Yuanzheng who was greedy for money in private without being known, Du Caiqian who was weak in politics, and Liu Heifu Rogue habits... there are so many of them, so is the future of the Deposed Dragon Gang really smooth?
But if the Deposed Dragon Gang can’t do it, which one can? My foundation, background, and experience are all here, so what qualifications do I have to be picky here?
But to be honest, when he thought of this, Xu Dalang began to admire Zhang Xing again. It was already remarkable that he could lead this group of people to the current situation despite these selfish thoughts.
On the other hand, I think I can transcend others, but after being "wronged", I still care about it until now. It is vulgar and does not look like someone who can really achieve great things.
Early the next morning, although it was theoretically winter, it was still autumn weather, and it was rare to be clear and the wind was light. Xu Dalang came to Cangcheng early to participate in the planning of the matter. After all, he remembered Cheng Dalang's request last night. After eating on the porch in the morning, I went to Chief Zhang Xing and spoke to him.
"Open the net?" Zhang Xing was slightly surprised.
"yes."
"Who will show mercy to me?" Zhang Sanlang seemed to be smiling but not smiling. "The overall situation is like this, how can he, Cheng Dalang, have so many grievances? Even if he is aggrieved, he should tell me in person."
Xu Shiying was just perfunctory at first, but because he had been thinking too much last night, he now had some thoughts and continued to persuade: "Chief, the people in the gang still need to be reassured, especially now that the situation is tense and no one knows where to go. What happened next..."
Zhang Xing was startled, and after realizing what the other party meant, he still laughed: "Are you trying to say that I am too harsh on these big bosses, and when the situation changes, they will not react? That it will lead to a catastrophe?"
Xu Shiying wanted to explain.
"I've thought about it." Zhang Xing suddenly became serious. "First of all, it is precisely because of this possibility that Cheng Dalang should be transferred out of the army to avoid causing a catastrophe; secondly, the difficulties I told you two days ago include this level...Xu Dalang , you who have a foundation will inevitably have to ride on a wave to see if you can stand."
Xu Shiying fell silent and stopped talking.
On this day, Chief Zhang received four requests - Cheng Zhili traveled all over the place yesterday night, and Xu Shiying, Zhai Qian, Niu Da, and Dou Lide all came to ask for help.
But instead he strengthened his determination and simply issued a formal document that day, formally dividing and establishing Wudi County according to the original strategy, and then appointed Qian Tang as the prefect of Wudi County and Cheng Zhili as the prefect of Pingyuan.
That's not all. Immediately afterwards, Chief Zhang directly appointed Zhou Xingfan as the chief leader, taking over Cheng Zhili's Jiaqi battalion. He also replaced the leader Hao Yide as the Qingqi battalion general, and then promoted Cao Chen, a well-known member of the Hebei rebel army. He was the former Hao Yide camp general.
The selection of candidates was quite similar, which was to be expected, but the direct appointment of a complete replacement so quickly left Cheng Zhili completely without a clue, and he could only take over the position in a hurry.
There was a lot of discussion going up and down the general's mausoleum, including Wei Xuanding's platform in Liaocheng.
However, there was no shortage of news at this time, and the autumn wind soon brought news... After hearing that the Wu tribe was attacking Guanzhong, Li Cheng, the general manager of Youzhou, was worried about his hometown and publicly wrote to Dongdu, asking Dongdu to allow him to resign and return home. .
Obviously, as Luo Shu said, the Youzhou manager's body really couldn't hold on anymore, so he might be really worried about his elders in his hometown and worried that he wouldn't be able to bury him in his ancestral grave, but he might also be worried that his son wouldn't be able to control the situation if he died. At that time, he lost his life in vain. Anyway, while he still had breath, he simply gave in.
Along with this news came a secret message from Luo Shu conveyed by Zhang Gongshen. The other party asked Zhang Xing to send troops to the Qingzhang River to intimidate Xue Changxiong, so as to prevent Xue Changxiong, who has the title of General Manager of Hebei, from taking the opportunity to seize control of Youzhou. .
This was the core subtext of the alliance between the two parties at the beginning. Of course, the Deposed Dragon Gang had nothing to say. Xue Changxiong's acquisition of Youzhou was also the most unacceptable result for the Deposed Dragon Gang.
So soon, probably in mid-October, as Li Chengwu left Youzhou and headed for Jin via Hengshan, no less than 20 battalions of the Qie Long Gang marched north together and were deployed along the Zhang River, including Xiong Bonan and Wang Shuyong. , Xu Shiren, Zhai Qian, Jia Yue, and Li Zida were all among them, and they actually put on a posture of entering Xindu and Hejian at any time.
In response to this, Xue Changxiong was shocked and angry, and immediately sent a letter asking the direction of the general's mausoleum. What did he want?
Of course it is for the prosperity and stability of Hebei!
Zhang Xing had written the reply document a long time ago and sent it back immediately. He also asked Wang Xiongdan to lead the first battalion directly under him with sufficient prepared generals to go north to Changhe, and even brought the word "deposed" on it. Big flag.
However, just as the front letter was sent, two other urgent documents were delivered to Jiang Ling:
A letter came from Wuyang. It was from several powerful men from the former Langya County who had been stationed in the Qinghe area. They suddenly took advantage of the main force of the Deposed Dragon Gang to flee north and west, and entered Wuyang County. They had no intention of staying in Wuyang. It actually went straight to the direction of Ji County and Wei County. Yuan Baocun, the governor of Wuyang County, was stunned and at a loss, so he could only send a message asking for countermeasures.
The other letter came from Zhao County. According to Feng Wuyi's words, the Pishan Sword King Chenkuo, who had already settled down, suddenly sent troops under the banner of the Deposed Dragon Gang to try to kidnap Li Cheng who was passing by. They fought with the escorting Youzhou Army. The outcome of the battle is not yet known. .
"This is how the situation has deteriorated." Zhang Xing looked around and spread his hands, as if he had expected it. "It can't be stopped by human power at all... Who cares about Guanzhong and the Wu clan? Hebei is just taking advantage of the autumn rain to take a breather, and now it is about to cause chaos again."
Immediately, without waiting for anyone to say anything, Zhang Xing formally gave the order directly in the Grand Public House:
"Two generals Zhou Xingfan and Fan Wang led the cavalry eastward to Wuyang to capture the fleeing Langya heroes. They followed the law and killed when they should, imprisoned when they should, and sent to the fields when they should be demoted. If they encountered Jijun or Yecheng soldiers and horses, let them see the strength of both sides, decide on their own before the battle, and allow the war to begin; then immediately send people to check the original story of Wang Chenkuo Hengshan. If it is true, an announcement will be made immediately... Prepare now... to expel this person as the leader of the Dragon Gang, and then Inform the whole territory and surrounding areas that this person was... bought by Xue Changxiong and is a traitor within the gang."
"Wang Chenkuo is not the leader of our gang. We did not have a good deal with this person before King Xiongtian came." Someone reminded seriously.
"I know." Zhang Xing replied seriously. "But he claims to be one of ours, so of course we have to recognize him before expelling him... I also know that this person is actually Bai Hengqiu's, not Xue Changxiong's."
"What if... what if a document comes from Dongdu and Xue Changxiong is temporarily stationed in Youzhou, or in any case, Xue Changxiong insists on going north to Youzhou?" At this moment, Chen Bin suddenly came to ask.
"Then we'll really call everyone." Zhang Xing's tone was still calm. "What else can be done?"
