Cao Cao helped Xia Houhu up, and felt the joy in his heart, just like the gentle breeze blowing open the lotus flowers all over the lake, and he felt indescribable satisfaction.
He took Xiahouhu's hand, laughed at Wu Song and said, "I don't know why, with the Xiahou family under my tent, I feel at peace in my heart."
Wu Song said with a smile: "My eldest brother must have thought of the past when he, Miao Cai, Yuan Rang and other generals controlled the world."
Xia Houhu felt Cao Cao's closeness from the bottom of his heart and couldn't help but be moved. He smiled and said: "Since I follow my dear brother, I have a gift to give."
Cao Cao asked curiously: "Oh? But what is it?"
Xia Houhu smiled and said: "My dear friend, we will know in a moment." After that, he called the shop assistant and took off the jade pendant from his waist: "Twenty-eight master craftsmen in Blacksmith Lane, let them come here to see me."
Seeing the waiter hurried out with the jade pendant in his hands, Cao Cao and Wu Song looked at each other and could see the surprise and expectation in each other's eyes.
Not long after, a stout man, tall or short, old or young, came in a hurry. Twenty-eight people in total gathered in the garden of Jianqi Chongxiao Hall. Looking at their expressions, they were all filled with excitement. Surprised, it was obvious that even they had never experienced such a gathering experience.
Seeing all the craftsmen coming, Xia Houhu invited Cao Cao and Wu Song to come out of the flower hall. He walked up to the men alone, looked around, and said loudly: "In the sixth year of Xianping, your ancestors could not bear the oppression of the Liao people and fled south. When we returned to the Song Dynasty, the Liao army was pursuing them urgently. In the desperate situation, it was my great ancestor who fought with a single sword and more than ten wounds on his body, and was able to defeat the Liao army and save your ancestors from danger."
The west wind blew so hard that everyone's hair and hair moved, but no one said a word.
Cao Cao was slightly surprised. In the sixth year of Xianping, that was the reign name used by Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty. It has been one hundred and fifteen years. It seems that the great ancestor Xia Houhu was also a great hero.
Xia Houhu paused and continued: "After returning to the Song Dynasty, your ancestors had no status and no property. They had no choice but to be oppressed by officials, wealthy households, and even rogue idle men. The difficulty of making a living was even worse than in the Liao Kingdom, and it was my great ancestor. I couldn't bear to see it, so I spent everything I had to buy property here and give it to your families, so that the inheritance of the twenty-eight families in Blacksmith Lane can be established!"
Cao Cao, Wu Song and others suddenly realized that this blacksmithing alley actually had such a history! These twenty-eight iron companies, fundamentally speaking, should be the property of the Xiahou family. However, according to Xiahou Hu's words, for more than a hundred years, the Xiahou family has never regarded itself as the owner.
Xiahou Hu said this, smiled faintly, looked at the crowd and said: "Your ancestors have sworn to be loyal to my Xiahou family from generation to generation. However, for more than a hundred years, the Xiahou family has never used you to wait for a single cent, let alone asked for a single piece of money." , We just get along like neighbors. Therefore, I don’t know whether you, the descendants, are still willing to abide by the promise made by our ancestors. Today, I invite you to come with the jade pendant of the head of the family. In fact, what I want to ask is only one sentence - the promise made by our ancestors is still effective. Are you there?"
Sure enough! Cao Cao roughly understood Xia Houhu's plan, and he probably wanted to donate these 28 railway companies to himself! Bianjing Iron Alley is famous in the world. Over the past hundred years, countless magical weapons have been produced since then. If these master craftsmen and even the iron companies behind them belong to me, it will be no problem that the soldiers under my command will be sharp in the future.
Thinking of this, Lao Cao couldn't help but feel slightly nervous despite his temperament: it is said that human relationships are complicated like waves. He believed that more than a hundred years ago, those craftsmen who had been favored by Emperor Xiahou Hu for his life and career wanted to repay their kindness. Sincerity, but it is a big unknown whether these descendants more than a hundred years later are willing to give up the familiar peaceful life and accept the sudden addition of a master above their heads.
Cao Cao couldn't help but look at the men who were forging iron, and saw that they all had different expressions, but they were all silent. After Xia Houhu finished asking, he stopped talking and just looked at the people expressionlessly, waiting for them to give an answer. .
After a while, in the crowd, an extremely old man took a slight step forward.
This old man was stout, with thick calluses on his hands. He only wore an apron, and his exposed flesh was covered with old marks left by flying fires.
When he stood silently in the crowd before, he was like a quiet stone. Now he suddenly moved, but he had a compelling demeanor. Cao Cao nodded secretly - this kind of demeanor was not unfamiliar to him. Several top craftsmen under his command back then , when talking about the art of forging weapons, or standing by the fire, he can't help but show such confidence and even pride.
The old man raised his head and his voice was hoarse but extremely firm: "Although I am not a scholar or a gentleman, I still know that repaying kindness is the duty of a man. Keeping promises and keeping promises are the responsibilities of a man. My father I have been taught since I was a child that every spit is like a nail, and the words that are spoken are not splashed water. I am like this, my father is like this, my grandfather is like this, and my grandson family has been like this for generations! My father also taught me that the Sun family has ancestors. Xiahou, when you see the jade pendant of the Xiahou family, you must obey all orders, even if it means the lives of the Sun family, you should do it with both hands! Mr. I obey your order from the Xiahou clan."
After he finished speaking, he retaliated with a heavy punch, and Wu Song moved his face and shouted: "What a good duty and responsibility! A man with a lot of gold and a promise, Master Sun is really a good man!"
Another big man took a step forward, clasped his fists, and shouted in a rough voice: "That's right! He is a good son taught by the old Sun family, and my old Ma family is not inferior to him. The Ma family's ancestral motto is that when you see the jade pendant of the Xiahou family, you must obey all orders. !Mr. Xiahou, Ma Tao, the fifth generation master craftsman of Ma's Iron Company, is willing to fulfill his promise and obey the orders of Xiahou.
Then several people spoke at the same time: "The ancestral teachings of the Zhang family in the east of the lane..." "The ancestral teachings of the Liu family..." "The ancestral teachings of the Zhang family in the west of the lane..." "The ancestral teachings of the Xu family..."
"Zhang Tiechui, the sixth-generation master craftsman of the Zhang family in the east of the lane..." "Liu Meng, the fourth-generation master craftsman of the Liu family..." "Zhang Gui, the seventh-generation master craftsman of the Zhang family in the west of the lane..."
"Xu Dahai, the fifth generation master craftsman of the Xu family..."
"I obey the order of Xiahou Clan." "I am willing to fulfill my ancestor's promise and obey the order of Xiahou Clan." "I obey the order of Xiahou Clan." "The order of...!"
More people took a step forward and shouted loudly: "The ancestral teachings of the You family..." "The ancestral teachings of the Zhou family..." "The ancestral teachings of the Peng family..." "The ancestral teachings of the Xia family..."
"I am willing to fulfill my ancestor's promise and obey the Xiahou clan's order."
The voice is generous, the voice is iron, the words are magnificent, and the words are steel!
Not long after, twenty-eight aristocratic families, twenty-eight iron shops, and twenty-eight master craftsmen who inherited the art of forging iron and forging soldiers, without exception, expressed their willingness to follow the instructions of their ancestors more than a hundred years ago. The promise made is to abide by the orders of the head of the Xiahou family.
Shi Qian and Wang Zuo were stunned. Wu Song's eyes widened and he burst into laughter. Cao Cao clenched his fists and said, "If you have continuous blood and vow to have no regrets, you will not lose the character of a man from the Han family."
Xiahou Hu's frail face was also full of pride at this moment, and he said three good words in a row: "Okay, okay, okay! It's rare for all of you great craftsmen to keep your promise so seriously! I, Xiahou Hu, the current head of the Xiahou family, tell you today clearly that I Now I have been entrusted to Qingzhou Jiedu envoy Wu Zhi, and I have vowed to help him restore the glory of the Han family. Since you have not forgotten the previous agreement, you may wish to accompany me to Qingzhou to help my lord succeed."
Cao Cao knew that it was time for him to come forward, so he immediately walked to Xia Houhu and said loudly: "In Wuzhi in Xiayanggu County, people in the world called him 'Wu Mengde'. Now Ping Wangqing and Tian Hu have made great contributions, and they are the governor of Qingzhou! I am here When I return home, I want to build a strong army, but I won't be defeated at home, and I will sweep away the barbarians outside. If I can get help from all the masters, I will be like a tiger with added wings!"
"You follow me to Qingzhou. There is no need to worry about your livelihood or property. You are all trustworthy people in the world. I also agree with you on four things: first, I will bear all the expenses incurred during the move and the expenses on the way; second, I will pay for all the expenses incurred during the move. After Qingzhou, all the shops and residences will be rebuilt for you without spending a penny; thirdly, all the things you produce in the future will be distributed according to the good grade, ensuring that you will have abundant profits; fourthly, If any of your children are outstanding, whether they study and become officials, or practice martial arts and join the army, I will take care of them. I will tell you about these four things, and if you listen, heaven and earth will bear witness!"
Although there were no generous words in Cao Cao's promise, every one of them was a proposal that was most concerned about livelihood. The twenty-eight craftsmen cheered in unison after hearing this.
According to their original thoughts, this time they only wanted to repay the great kindness they had received from their ancestors. Even if it cost them everything, they simply ignored it. However, after listening to Cao Cao's words, not only did they not have to pay such a tragic sacrifice, but they actually had a lot to gain. They couldn't help but smile.
With these great craftsmen’s skills at hand, who doesn’t have a few great friends in the world? Therefore, the three words "Wu Mengde" really resonated like thunder. Coupled with the blessing of Jiedushi's official title, no one doubted that Cao Cao was lying and could not do what he promised.
Three days later, more than 200 to 300 large and small vehicles left Bianjing from the Blacksmith Alley. In the past, the Blacksmith Lane, where there was no sound of gold and iron clashing and green smoke and light, was suddenly empty.
After leaving the city to join the army and looking east for several days, a speedboat chased them along the river. However, it was the four generals Yuan Lang, Liu Yuan, Shan Shiqi and Yun Zongwu who had been lent to Lao Liu before. The boat went to Shandong and happened to meet Lao Cao's brigade.
The old friends were naturally happy to see each other again, so Lao Cao ordered to camp early to entertain the four returning generals.
During the banquet, the four generals talked about cooperating with Liu Yanqing to attack Jinning Prefecture. Tian Bao escaped, but was blocked by the Western Army led by Jingzhao Hongnong Jiedushi Wang Wende and Qinghe Tianshui Jiedushi Jing Zhong. Yanqing chased them one after another, and in a great battle, more than ten rebels were killed, including famous generals. Tian Bao himself was shot off his horse by a random arrow from Liu Yanqing, but Jing Zhong took the credit and took the head first. The two armies For this reason, there was almost a conflagration. Liu Yanqing angrily took his headquarters and returned to Xijing. His four generals bid farewell to the old Liu Donggui.
Cao Cao shook his head after hearing this: "Old Liu is also a veteran of the Western Army. It is said that they are all brothers. They are so embarrassing because they are competing for credit. It shows that Jing Jiedu is not happy."
After walking for a few more days, they caught up with the army led by Du Bo and others. They arrived in Shandong territory, walking slowly and slowly, and were about to wait for Cao Cao to come to join forces.
Another day later, when I saw the territory of Liangshanbo, there was a sudden sound of gongs and drums, shouts from all directions, and the earth shook. Du Bo, Yuan Lang and other new generals were all shocked. They each took out their weapons and prepared to fight. Lu Junyi Laughing loudly, he quickly stopped everyone: "Why are you panicking? Don't you listen to what you are shouting for?"
A few people listened carefully, and found that people all over the mountains and plains were shouting: "Congratulations to Brother Wu for his triumphant return!" Because there were too many people shouting, the echoes echoed everywhere, so it was difficult to hear it clearly.
Du Chu and others were shocked and asked: "Brother Wu is so powerful in Shandong?" Turning his head to look, he saw Cao Cao's face full of ecstasy and laughed: "My brothers from Liangshan are here!"
As he was talking, the dust in front rose up, the earth shook, and thousands of horsemen rushed towards them, led by dozens of heroes, with bright clothes and armor, and different descriptions, but they were all full of joy. In the middle was an eight-foot tall man, laughing loudly: " Brother Wu, you want to kill me!"
Cao Cao laughed loudly and flew to greet him on Pegasus: "King of Heaven, how have you been after half a year of separation?"
Then I heard a general shouting: "Brother Wu, you've made it hard for me to hide this from you!"
Cao Cao laughed even more: "Han Wu, brothers on the mountain, can we all get along with each other?"
At this moment, a horse rushed out from behind and shouted: "Master, Xiao Yi has never slept well after hearing that you have returned in the past few days."
When Lu Junyi heard the voice, he couldn't help but smile: "Xiao Yi, you are also a hero, why are you acting like a child?"
When the two sides met, everyone jumped off their horses, hugged each other, called brother and brother, and laughed endlessly.
Du Bo, Yuan Lang and others also spotted an acquaintance and hurriedly stepped forward to salute: "Oh, Mr. Jin Jian, the generals have met you!"
Li Zhu was waiting with Wu Yong and Zhu Wu. He had a faint smile on his thin face and waved: "Hello, you all! You are here under Brother Wu. With your abilities, you will have a bright future. Each one of you must work hard." That’s good.”
To Wang Qing's old men, Li Zhu's prestige was probably higher than that of Wang Qing himself, and those fierce generals nodded their heads and respectfully listened to his teachings.
At this moment, several people suddenly saw a fat figure flashing past, and they hurriedly went up to say hello. The words came to their lips, but they didn't know how to match them: "Ah, King, King..."
"It's almost as if the bird's beak is clamped!" Duan Sanniang saw that everyone was about to shout out the word "Princess", she trembled and raised her eyebrows: "I have cut off with that bitch Wang Qing a long time ago. Who can use the old days?" The title made my husband jealous, hum, I recognize my old friend in my eyes, but not my mace!"
Seeing the embarrassment of Du Bo and others, Han Shizhong turned around and shouted: "You bitch, what are you talking about? I, Han Wu, am that jealous guy? They respect you and they are loyal, you If my brothers' hearts are cold, I will only sleep in the main room tonight."
When Duan Sanniang heard this, her face turned red, she jumped off the horse and stamped her feet vigorously: "Damn it, you say such things in such an occasion, don't you want to lose face?"
Looking back, with a spring breeze on his face, he made a laborious gift to Du Bo and others: "Brothers from the Du family, brothers from the Yuan family, two brothers from the Teng family, and brothers from the Liu family, from now on we are all brothers from the same mountain. You are all younger than Sanniang." When he grows up, Sanniang will call him elder brother, and everything in Huaixi should be regarded as a dream."
Du Bo, Yuan Lang, Liu Yuan, Teng Shu and Teng Kan quickly returned the greetings and stared blankly at Sanniang, remembering the way she chased Wang Qing with a mace. It was as if they were looking at Han Shizhong again a lifetime ago, even though they knew that his martial arts skills were not necessarily good. Even though he was able to defeat himself, he still had the heart to look up to him: "This fifth brother Han has a good appetite and good methods! Such a female devil can also be subdued. His abilities in matters of men and women are probably better than those on the battlefield. Brother Wu, too!"
While Cao Cao was happily gathering with everyone, he saw several surrendered generals in Jinzhong, all of whom looked envious. He laughed, waved his hand and called him to his side, hugged each one and said, "These are my brothers, Wu Zhi, too." They are all your brothers! Bian Xiang, you like to use a big axe, Suo Chao and Zhou Ang, you two come and talk with the 'Ox Demon King' about axe skills, Ma Ling's magic and extraordinary magic, Fan Rui and Dai Zong Brother, come and meet this 'Shenjuzi', Shan Shiqi, don't you want to learn how to shoot? Brother Lin Chong, come and entertain this 'Smashing Mountain' for me, and this brother Yunzongwu, Qi The Sect Weapon's ability is extraordinary, but it is somewhat similar to Huang Xin and Bao Xu's Sangmen Sword..."
He was familiar with everyone's character and martial arts, and he brought out many brothers to accompany him one by one, including Niu Wenzhong and even a group of generals. For a while, many people couldn't help but sigh: Wu Mengde is the one who is in charge, and they are all brothers in their hearts. There are countless heroes here. No one can cover up his glory!
Everyone was joyfully lively for a while, and Chao Gai said loudly: "Brothers, let's go back to the mountain together. We have slaughtered countless pigs, cattle and sheep, and piled up mountains of wine. Heroes from all over the world gathered together today, and the village has added countless brilliance. We are not drunk enough to return." also!"
When everyone heard the words, they cheered in unison, the sound shook the surrounding areas, and they rushed towards Liangshan.
There are different teachings: the heroes of Hebei are admired by the world, the Huaixi tigers are admired by all the people, the heroes of Shandong and the generals of Shanxi are all loyal and loyal.
(End of chapter)
