Early on the morning of February 6th, the sky became gloomy, and there was a faint hint of spring rain.
This is Guixiang, the county seat of Wuyang County. On the official road three miles outside the city, a group of dozens of cavalrymen are standing idle on the road, and their escorts are young people who came from the Taiyuan-Wu'an coalition camp by the Qingzhang River. Scholar Fang Xuanqiao was standing in front of the bulletin board at the intersection, looking at the notice on it in a daze.
That's not all. After staring at the notice in a daze, he climbed up a hill beside the mountain road that had completely turned green, and stared at the endless green fields around him like a chessboard.
Just like this, I watched for a long time, and saw that the drizzle had already fallen. Although it was not a problem at all, it meant that I knew that this young Mr. Fang had a real backer, and his background, knowledge, and ability were not low. , but due to a certain professional ethics and strong sense of ownership, Dou Li, the soldier who led this team of knights, still took the initiative to come forward and ask:
"What are Mr. Fang looking at? Why don't we go to the city? Will it delay things?"
Fang Xuanqiao looked back at the other party, as if he was suddenly enlightened, and then put his hands in his hands and smiled: "If you don't hide it from Dou, you are just looking blindly. As for why you are blindly looking, it is to delay time for testing... We went to the north of the city last night The other party should have known about the place ten miles away, and Wuyang County, under the leadership of Lord Yuanfu, has always been cunning. Not only did it act on its own, but when the Dragon Army was deposed and marched westward last year, they just surrendered the entire county. This It’s time to make some adjustments and watch his attitude.”
Then Dou Li understood immediately... It's very reasonable to show off and establish authority.
Fang Xuanqiao also smiled when he saw this.
Sure enough, after waiting for more than an hour, as the drizzle fell across the fields outside Guixiang City, a large group of people, hundreds of people, came out of Guixiang City, including both infantry, cavalry, and civil and military personnel. , even playing and playing, coming to the north of the city.
When he arrived, it was the county magistrate himself who brought someone out to greet him. His words were humble and careful, and his intention to please was obvious. At this time, Dou Li even admired Fang Xuanqiao.
In this way, the two sides met. Wuyang County heard that the British envoys had arrived, and they did not dare to neglect. They directly led the group into Guixiang City, and then came to the government office, where Fang and Dou saw these people. The governor of Wuyang, the warlord of Hebei, and Yuan Baocun, a clan member of the former dynasty, have always stood firm in the tide of Hebei.
The gap in status, birth and qualifications between the two parties was so big that even Dou Li started to be cautious when he came in front of this person. On the other hand, Fang Xuanqiao still talked and laughed freely, and greeted each other with courtesy. He was neither humble nor overbearing, which made Dou Li even more convinced.
When both parties came to sit down in the hall, Fang Xuanqiao presented Bai Hengqiu's autographed letters and Duan Wei's orders from the Ministry of War.
Yuan Baocun read it carefully and sighed slightly in his heart, but his face did not change at all. He also asked some gossip: "Are you a descendant of Duke Huaitong, your ancestral home is Qinghe? Qinghe Fang family?"
"Exactly." Fang Xuanqiao quickly stood up and answered seriously. "Now a native of Qi County, he traveled to Guanxi with his father's official position, and traveled to Jin Dynasty with his mentor."
"This is all alive." Yuan Baocun also smiled. "Sit down, where is Duke Huaitong now?"
"At the place of Duke Xue and General Xue." Fang Xuanqiao sat down and replied.
"Where is General Xue?" Yuan Baocun continued to ask.
"I don't know." Fang Xuanqiao looked back at Dou Li, who was sitting next to him, nodded, and then came back to continue talking to Yuan Baocun. "However, according to time, General Xue and my mentor were on the north bank of the Qingzhang River on the fourth day of the lunar month, about a hundred miles away. If we hurry, they should arrive tomorrow or the day after."
Yuan Baocun nodded, thoughtfully: "So who is the messenger sent to General Xue? Someone from Li Ding or someone from Dongdu?"
"He is Li Fujun's student..."
"Oh, I have the impression that he is a very smart and capable young man..." At this point, the person suddenly came to ask. "How is the battle ahead? Is Zhang Xingke captured?"
This is very offensive. Wuyang County is right behind the battlefield. Otherwise, Wuyang County would not be responsible for the logistics transfer. And it has been a whole day. It is impossible for Yuan Baocun not to know the situation of the battle. Even if it is I don’t know, what does it matter if I just read the letter?
Dou Li looked at Fang Xuanqiao worriedly.
But the latter just smiled slightly: "To be honest with you, Duke Yuan, the British Duke, Duan Shangshu, and Li Fujun have combined 80,000 troops to surround 10,000 deposed dragon thieves. The cities around the battlefield have also been wiped out, making it difficult for the thieves to spread their wings. Escape, next, they are about to sweep away the enemy-occupied city in Qinghe. By then, it will not be an escape with wings, but a ten-sided siege composed of ten times the army and dozens of cities. Zhang Thief can only lead the deposed dragon. The elite members of the gang are waiting for death in fear by the Qingzhang River... And the separated parts of the Deposed Dragon Gang are like decapitated corpses, I am afraid they will be slaughtered by others... It may even be worse."
"Eighty thousand...surrounded from ten sides...the severed body...there is some truth to it." Yuan Baocun twisted his beard to answer, calm and composed. "But is Fulong Seal so powerful?"
"It's really awesome." Dou Li interjected.
"Actually, I still know a little bit about what happened in the Deposed Dragon Gang." Yuan Baoshan couldn't help but sigh. "Zhang Xing is a man with rare sagacity. He is rare in the world, but he has no great talent... It's not that he has no talent. He has talent. He is a wizard and all-rounder, but he has no great talent... He also knows it, so On the one hand, he is always working with his Deposed Dragon Gang, using the system to tie people up, but on the other hand, he is always eager to recruit talents, regardless of whether he is born high or low, whether he is rich or talented, he can accept them all."
"As expected." Dou Li immediately greeted him happily. "Does Duke Yuan want to say that he is too eager for talent and neglects virtue, so that the members of the Deposed Dragon Gang are mixed and may break up? My British father-in-law said the same thing."
"It's not the same thing." Yuan Baocun waved his hand in reply. "I mean, his behavior will constrain those who are truly ambitious. Today's siege depends on whether the structure of his Deposed Dragon Gang can trap these people. If not, they will stand on their own. Self-righteousness, defection, and rebellion are what you are talking about... There are quite a few such characters in the Deposed Dragon Gang."
"Yes..." Dou Li hesitated for a moment.
When Fang Xuanqiao saw this, he quickly smiled and said: "This is a new statement. Most people think that it will be the traffickers and lackeys below who will cause trouble."
"You are just looking down on Zhang Xing. He is still very personable towards those below." Yuan Baocun also smiled and became solemn again. "And to be honest, this kind of person with a certain skill but a humble background can live comfortably under his command... Even if he is the lowest-ranking warrior, at least he doesn't need to be graded based on his merit, right?"
At this point, Yuan Baocun suddenly looked over Fang Xuanqiao to see Dou Li: "Young man from the Dou family, what's your rank in the military?"
"Naturally first class." Dou Li immediately stood up, answered proudly, and then started to speak.
"What about him?" Yuan Baocun didn't wait for the other party to speak, and gestured with his mouth again. "Where's this from the Fang family?"
Dou Li thought about it seriously and answered seriously: "Brother Fang is the best in talent and virtue, and he is a disciple of Duke Huai Tong. But it is a pity that the ranking in the army only looks at father and son, clan, and not the inheritance of teachers. Brother Fang's family He is not a noble person, and he himself has not served as an official, so he can only be second-class."
"Look." Yuanbao Cunfu looked at Fang Xuanqiao with a smile. "People like you are only second-class. When it comes to fighting, no one can rise quickly."
Fang Xuanqiao couldn't help laughing.
By the way, what is the classification of merit in the military?
That is to say, the world has been in chaos for hundreds of years, and military merit is the most important, so the means of calculating military merit have been very developed and fair. However, the military merit system is developed and it is difficult to cheat. Once the distinguished disciples are formed, they always want to make an advantage, and this is the way of the world. In this way, even if the emperor has to recognize his origin, what should he do?
It's very simple. Based on family background, a coefficient is set in addition to the summary of military achievements. Those with noble titles and titles are the first class, and then they are arranged gradually. Basically, killing one person in the first class is equivalent to killing ten in the lowest class.
If it is a collective skill such as Tiaodang Gong, basically the descendants of the nobles can join the Chinese army as a soldier.
In fact, there are many similar things in the Wei Dynasty, including the classification of crimes for crimes. From top to bottom, class is called a clear moral code. I am afraid that your class will jump or slip... But how to say it? In fact, it is still better than what it was during the Emperor Ancestor's Eastern Expedition. At that time, it was still a typical aristocratic politics. Now, although the imperial examination can only be a minor official, you can finally become an official. Although crimes and promotions are divided, But after all, it was possible to punish nobles and promote ordinary people.
"After all, he is someone who has been reckless for three years and is regarded as the enemy of the world by Duke Bai." Fang Xuanqiao sighed after laughing. "You are still so young, you must have your own means, how can you underestimate him? Just Yuan Gong, let me ask one more question, if you say it like this, what about him who has no ambition but has genius?"
Yuan Baocun paused, thought carefully, and then answered seriously: "If that's the case, I'm afraid he will be like a fish in water... This is the kind of person he wants, and this kind of person can display their talents under him, otherwise you think Why does he work tirelessly for Lord Li Ding, admire Bai Sanniang and Sima Erlang so much, and why are people like Wei Xuanding, Xiong Bonan, Cui Suchen, Chen Bin, and Shan Tonghai also so loyal to him?"
Fang Xuanqiao was stunned for a moment and said nothing.
"Is Wei Xuanding also loyal to Thief Zhang?" Dou Li, who had obviously done some homework, took the initiative to speak up.
"At least that's what he told me." Yuanbaocun didn't hide it, but he also didn't continue on this issue. "You just said that Duke Bai, Duan Gong, and Li Silang have a total of more than 80,000 people? And just using soldiers and horses is not enough. They are also planning to sweep the entire Qinghe County, so that together with Wuyang, Wu'an, and Xindu, the essence of the Deposed Dragon Gang can be given to them. Are you going to die here?"
"Yes." Fang Xuanqiao seemed to have come back to his senses. "More than 80,000 people swept through the entire Qinghe County."
"Then you said that General Xue Changxiong will arrive in the next two days?"
"right!"
"How many soldiers does General Xue have?"
"Thirty thousand." Fang Xuanqiao blurted out. "I can guarantee this."
"Yes." Yuan Baocun bowed his head in response. "General Xue should have this strength. It's hard for you to persuade him."
Fang Xuanqiao did not speak, but looked back at Dou Li again.
Dou Li seemed to understand and immediately added: "To be fair to Duke Yuan, Feng Wuyi and Duke Feng, as well as a leader of the rebel army named Wang Chenkuo who defected to our British Duke before, will also join forces and go there. It is estimated that there are 20,000 people... In addition, I heard that our Duke Bai came out of Hongshan and Hebei was shocked. Luo Shu, the general manager in Youzhou, sent an envoy, saying that he would personally lead Youzhou's sudden cavalry to join them... All the heroes from Hebei came. The thief must die without a burial place."
"Youzhou Tuqi?! Luo Shu?!" Yuan Baocun finally smiled, but the officials standing in front of the door were already a little pale. "Does this seem like I don't know how to show appreciation? People from so far away are eager to approach me, but I don't move at the door of my house. Will I be captured and punished?"
"That's not the case." Dou Li quickly comforted. "There is another reason behind Duke Yuan's case, but as long as Duke Yuan's transfer is done properly, no one will regard him as an outsider."
"Oh." Yuanbao looked as if he was stunned. "Is it okay if the transfer is done properly?"
"yes."
"Then do you know how much effort it takes to transport the grain of an army of 140,000 to 150,000 people across a distance of 150 miles?" Yuan Baocun sneered. "There is enough food left in Liyangcang, but I'm afraid there won't be enough for the people of Wuyang County!"
"Wuyang County has more than one million people and 300,000 strong men?!" Dou Li defended seriously. "It's only a dozen days of service."
"No need for spring plowing?" Yuan Baocun finally said sternly.
Dou Li was stunned for a moment. He really hadn't thought about this problem. In other words, he thought from the bottom of his heart that there was no comparison between spring plowing and the current war... This was a war that would play a key role in the direction of the world.
"Mr. Yuan, some things have to be chosen." After thinking this, the noble son of the Dou family came to persuade him sincerely. "Both Duke Ying and Duke Duan said that the only one in the world who can shake Guanlong is Hebei, and the rest in Hebei are insignificant, or they are their own people, and only one deposed dragon thief is the most important, so this battle is of great importance. , how can we delay important events just because of spring plowing?"
"The reason why the Wei Dynasty is what it is today is because of recruiting civilians, and it is because of major events that delayed spring plowing..." Yuan Baocun responded quietly. "In the five or six years I have been in Hebei, this incident is what impressed me the most."
Dou Li didn't know what to say. He didn't dare to show off to someone with Yuan Baocun's status, so he could only go to see Fang Xuanqiao.
Fang Xuanqiao smiled when he heard this: "Mr. Yuan, have you been bewitched by the Dragon Thief, or have you simply fallen into someone else's scheme? I saw the notice on the road, and there was an announcement about spring plowing issued by the Dragon Thief a few days ago... We informed you of the possible war, and if you don’t hurry up with spring plowing, you won’t be able to survive next year just by relying on the grain you put out at the end of the year...is this what it is?”
"That's the notice that Zhang Xing issued on the Lingxing Platform before you guys surrounded him. The patrol came to post it." Yuan Baocun narrowed his eyes. "And you just came today. Did you ask me to tear it off for no reason before? What's more important is that now is the beginning of February, which is the time for spring plowing. They put up notices for spring plowing to comply with the weather, but you asked me Go against heaven!"
Fang Xuanqiao was silent for a while, and then he slowly asked, "What does Mr. Yuan mean?"
This time it was Yuan Baocun's turn to be silent.
"Then I'll take the liberty to say a few words." Fang Xuanqiao sighed. "Principles are principles, swords and guns are swords and guns... The current situation is that, Duke Yuan, as a messenger, I have to say something no matter what. Today's matter is not something you and I can decide. Please don't get angry, Duke Yuan. Just do what you need to do." Do it, because swords and guns are nearby; secondly, it is about reasoning. In this world, individuals have their own principles. As a county guard, Yuan Gong stayed in Wuyang for five or six years during troubled times. Now this matter, It's just digging your roots. Of course you have grievances, but not to mention Mr. Yingying and Mr. Duan, even Dou Canjun next to you. His principles are diametrically opposed to yours. You can't fundamentally convince anyone with your principles; in the end , I just ask you to write down all your principles and principles, and we will forward them to Duke Bai."
Yuan Baocun sighed quietly: "I will do the things and write the reasons, but I still want to say something that I dare not say in the letter... Bai Gong is really too much like Cao Che! If this continues, Zhang will be defeated for a moment. Okay, as long as people are alive, they can come back in a moment, and Hebei will never be stable."
"Why do you want him to settle down?" Seeing the other party's submission, Dou Li felt comfortable all over and stood up. After skipping a certain sentence, he spoke boldly. "It is best to prevent peace in Hebei forever. Otherwise, how can peace be achieved in Guanxi? With the identity of Duke Yuan, why should he care about Hebei?"
Yuan Baocun was startled for a moment, and became a little confused.
Fang Xuanqiao, who was sitting there and returned to his normal state, couldn't help but smile.
Spring rain is as precious as oil, Fang Xuanqiao "successfully" completed the task, and left Guixiang, which had become a little chaotic and uneasy, with Yuan Baocun's letters. However, when he went out and passed the bulletin board, he was... Suddenly, he stopped, then went to check the notice board, only to find that the notice was still there.
After just two glances, he saw a hand reaching out and tearing off the notice in front of Fang Xuanqiao.
"You should tear it up when you leave." Dou Li sneered. "It's even more inappropriate to keep it at this time."
Fang Xuanqiao glanced at the other party, his expression did not change, he just turned around, got on his horse, looked at the farmers working in the fields along the way, and walked slowly.
This spring rain not only fell in Wuyang County, but also in the surrounding areas. In fact, there were many spring rains falling up and down the river for a while. Even in Dongdu City, which is hundreds of miles away, it is rare for a spring rain to fall.
However, just as people in other places were instinctively rejoicing at the spring rain, a huge shadow shrouded the Eastern Capital, with both undercurrents and fierce conflicts... It was still the same reason, the lag in the news among different classes. Caused everything.
After the expedition, the Eastern Capital was empty, causing some kind of panic, which was the first level;
The situation in Hebei has changed drastically, and the black tower collapsed, which is another level;
It is conceivable that in two days' time, the situation of the fighting in Hebei will be reported, and a new level of fluctuation will arise;
However, right now, a newer incident has stirred up the storm in Dongdu earlier... because this incident happened in Dongdu.
"Zhongcheng is back!" At noon on the sixth day of the lunar month, Li Qingchen sat on the manger in the backyard of a small house in Chengfufang, looked at the rain outside the shed, and said something earth-shattering. "But dying."
Qin Bao, who was shirtless and mixing horse ingredients, finally stopped.
ps: Thank you Mr. Zhang Daling for joining the alliance!
