The mountains end with the plains, and the river flows into the wilderness. ——Li Bai's "Farewell at Jingmen"
It is said that Chen Long received a letter from the saint and learned that Zhang Ning had arrived in Luoyang, the capital. He was restless and didn't want to eat or drink. Returning to the mansion in the dusk, Taohua greeted him with a smile. Seeing Chen Long's brows furrowed, he slowly asked why. Chen Long hugged the peach blossoms and sat beside the peony bushes. It was the setting sun, and the flowers were dyed golden by the sunlight, like sparkling trees and silver flowers. The flowering period of the peony is coming to an end and is about to wither. Thinking of Zhang Ning's smile like a blooming flower when the peony blooms, now that the peony is about to wither, Zhang Ning's life may also be about to wither. Chen Long couldn't help feeling sad, his tiger eyes filled with tears, and he said to Peach Blossom: "Peach Blossom, look at the time when the peony flowers were blooming, Mei Niang cured your poisonous wound. Now that the peony flowers are about to wither, Mei Niang's life , is also in danger."
Taohua was shocked when she heard this. Mei Niang had not repaid her kindness in detoxifying, so why was her life suddenly in danger? Chen Long was surprised when he saw Tao Hua and said: "Tao Hua, you are pure in mind. The secret I told you today will be kept for the rest of my life." Seeing Tao Hua nod, Chen Long continued: "Mei Niang is a yellow turban, and she belongs to the yellow turban." Leader. Her men captured Liu Du's Lingling, but she gave Lingling to me. Now she was betrayed by a traitor in Luoyang and her life is in danger. Do you think I should save her?" Chen Long still didn't. He said that Mei Niang was a saint, and did not reveal her real name. She only said that she was the leader of the Yellow Turbans. Even if Tao Hua accidentally leaked the news, no one would be able to guess Zhang Ning's true identity.
Taohua was stunned for a moment when she heard this shocking news. The Yellow Turban has always been a thief in her mind, but Mei Niang is her savior and has a very good relationship. How can these two things be equated? For a moment, my mind was like a lunatic, and I was stunned. After a long while, he slowly said: "Husband, do you want to save Mei Niang?"
Chen Long knew her conflicting mood. He was reluctant to let him go, but he was also reluctant to let Mei Niang die. He stroked her back and said: "Mei Niang is a good yellow scarf. She promised me to treat the people well. The reason why I tell you this secret is because I want to reconcile with you." Please discuss and don’t stop me from saving Mei Niang. People say that a drop of kindness should be repaid by a spring. How much more should Mei Niang save your life and give me a city?" When Taohua heard this, she tightly wrapped around Chen Longkuan like an octopus. Waist, her cherry lips whispered softly: "Husband, do you like Mei Niang?"
Chen Long was speechless, but he didn't want to deceive Taohua, so he was too embarrassed to speak. Taohua buried her face in Chen Long's arms and said affectionately: "Husband, Mei Niang is a good girl. I knew you liked her, and she also likes you. I sincerely hope you can save her and serve you with me until you grow old." "Chen Long was moved in his heart, but speechless. He could only hold Taohua tightly in his arms.
With these love talks with Taohua, Chen Long felt relieved. When Huang An and Huang Gai came back during dinner, Chen Long said that he would go out to Luoyang, Kyoto, for a few days, ostensibly to establish relationships with senior officials of the imperial court and to find desirable generals. Of course Chen Long had absolute trust in Huang Gai, but he didn't want them to worry, so he simply kept it a secret. Huang Gai repeatedly stated that he would follow Chen Long to Kyoto to protect Chen Long's safety. Chen Long said: "The cavalry division in Lingling has just taken shape. It needs public coverage here. I am still waiting for you to train me an invincible army. My Don't worry about safety. I will take Yuan Zhi and the four special forces captains with me to give them more experience. Taohua will also have to take care of her adoptive father and stepmother." Huang An and Huang Gai had no choice but to agree. On this night, a pair of mandarin ducks who were about to separate, had a heart to heart, comforted each other, and fell in love with each other, not to mention the spring breeze.
Early the next morning, Huang Gai accompanied him to the prefect's mansion. Chen Long asked his soldiers to summon all senior officials for a meeting. Huang Gai took the soldiers to inspect the security around the county mansion. Zhou Buji arrived first, and when he heard that Chen Long was going to take him to Kyoto with him, he was a child at heart and was so happy that he jumped to his heart. Chen Long said: "Yuan Zhi, what I said today must not be announced to the ears of a third person." Zhou Buji quickly put away his smile, solemnly knelt down and said: "The prefect has placed so much trust in me, how dare I, Zhou Buji, disappoint me? All my life, I will only be loyal to the prefect." Chen Long nodded slightly and said: "This mission is not easy. We are going to save someone who I must save. This person is in Kyoto now. She is an undercover agent of the Yellow Turban. If exposed, the situation will be It will be very dangerous. You must be prepared for everything. It is your wisdom that I want to rely on. Please tell me first, should we go openly or secretly?" Zhou Buye asked hesitantly: "It's the Yellow Turban Are you an undercover agent? Dare I ask if he is a boy or a girl? Why did the prefect want to save her?" Chen Long thought for a moment and said, "It's a girl. She saved my wife's life and is my benefactor. I don't want her to die in Kyoto. "
Zhou Buyi relieved some of his doubts and nodded: "Prefect, since your purpose is to save people, I suggest you go there secretly without anyone noticing. Even if others know that someone wants to save the Yellow Turban, no one will know who it is afterward." Rescued, so that others won’t be suspicious. If we go there in the open, I’m worried that if the time when we go to Kyoto intersects with the time when the Yellow Turban people were rescued, it will arouse other people’s associations." Chen Long nodded and said: "Okay, there are six of us, you, me and the four special operations captains. You can think about the disguised identity and the details of the operation. After a while, the six of us will discuss it alone." Zhou Buwei nodded and said, "My father is in Kyoto There is a childhood friend named Cao Cao and Meng De who is now serving as a councilor in the imperial court. We may be able to take advantage of this relationship."
When Chen Long suddenly heard Cao Cao's name, it was like thunder, and he suddenly became nervous. He pretended to be nonchalant and said: "In this case, Yuan Zhi can consider a more detailed plan. For other matters, we will see how things go after we arrive in Luoyang." Remember, we only tell the outside world that we are out looking for generals and talents." Zhou Buji nodded in agreement.
Division commanders and officials followed the soldiers and hurried over, saluting and sitting down. When Chen Long saw everyone gathered, he announced: "We, Lingling, are in ruins, but we are in dire need of generals and talents. I heard Yuan Zhi say that the Central Plains is a place where heroes gather. This afternoon, Yuan Zhi and I are going out. Go to the Central Plains to find suitable talents." Everyone felt surprised when they heard it, and asked for details one after another. Chen Long waved his hand and said: "The details of the operation will be arranged by Yuan Zhi. I will also send letters to Gong Yan at any time to inform us of our action plan, so that you can understand my movements and make favorable decisions. In terms of security, I have With the protection of four special forces captains, you can rest assured. Your most important task is to build up the army according to the established policy. During my absence, Huang Gai will act as the county governor. Everything will be reported to him. He commanded. "Huang Gai repeatedly refused after hearing this. Brother Dao could act as the county guard, but Chen Long waved his hand and refused. Listening to Chen Long's refusal to disclose details, the generals all had no choice but to express that they would definitely follow Huang Gai's instructions and strengthen the training of the troops.
Chen Long turned to Liu Xian and said: "Second brother, you can leave the training of your troops to Liu Min first. I won't let you act as the county guard, because I still have an important task for you." Liu Xian is open-minded by nature and knows Chen Long did not rely on himself. He nodded and said: "As long as it is the arrangement of the eldest brother, I will comply with it. Moreover, the third brother is more versatile than me in both civil and military skills. I am willing to assist the third brother in governing Lingling." Chen Long said happily: " All the generals have heard that Liu Xian is a righteous man and is indeed a model general." Everyone nodded in praise.
Chen Long continued: "Second brother, you have been in Jingzhou for a long time, and you have a clear understanding of the situation in Xiangyang, and you also have familiar officials. I need you to go to Xiangyang to plan things in Jingzhou for me. To put it simply, to build momentum. First, my The appointment of the prefect has not been approved for a long time, and we don’t know the reason. I don’t care what means you use, you must get this appointment back. Second, we implement benevolent government in Lingling that is beneficial to the people, although we have done many practical things , but others will think that I am just fishing for fame. I want you to go to Xiangyang to promote our benevolent government to the greatest extent and see how many hearts you can win. Third, there has been speculation that I am of low origin and low reputation, and that I am not suitable to be the governor of Lingling. I want you to publicize my origins as much as possible, and only say that my ancestors were Hu people. They were resurrected with Emperor Guangwu. The late emperor gave him the surname Chen. Network, monitor every move in Xiangyang, especially the movements of Cai Mao's house, but never alert any of the monitored objects. Fifth, I have always been thinking about the talents of the Pang family, Kuai family and Ma family in Xiangyang, and want to let you Visit them one by one on my behalf, especially Pang Degong. You have to tell me my admiration in detail and see if you can invite the Pang family to serve as officials in my place. In addition, I have a private matter;" said, calling The soldier took the silk cloth and began to draw it carefully.
Liu Xian lowered his head and was writing down the tasks assigned by Chen Long one by one, only to realize that he indeed had a heavy responsibility on his shoulders. After finishing the note, he was about to speak. When he looked up, he saw a beautiful Chinese beauty with delicate features and beautiful features in Chen Long's painting. He couldn't help but forget what he wanted to say, and asked first: "This is it?"
Chen Longhu's eyes showed deep emotion and said: "Her name is Liu Qian, she is my lost first wife. I hope you can help me search for her in Xiangyang area, including Lingling area. It would be better if you can post some missing persons notices." Well, if she is lucky enough to see her, she will definitely try her best to meet me. I went to the Central Plains this time to find news about her." Only then did the generals realize that this beauty was actually the wife of the prefect, and Liu Xian quickly He patted his chest and agreed, and then said: "Brother, I understand all the tasks you gave me, but my talents are limited. Can you let Gong Yan work with me? Only with his help can I have the confidence to complete everything." Chen Long thought for a while and said: "Lingling's internal affairs cannot be separated from Gong Yan, so let Deputy Chief Shi Li Zhuan assist you." Liu Xian and Li Zhuan both nodded in agreement.
Chen Long called Huang Gai again and said: "For the training of the special forces, since the four squad leaders and I are going to the Central Plains, we need the help of my third brother to take care of it. Don't let these guys herd the sheep. This is our sharp knife and our heart. When necessary, you can use it appropriately according to the situation." Huang Gai nodded.
Chen Long also asked Yin Mo, who is responsible for encouraging students to study, and said: "Si Qian, you can't relax in your preparations for the scientific examination. When I come back, the examination will start immediately. You must try your best to spread the news that civilian students can participate and select the best. In addition, I want to establish Lingling. University, please invite great scholars like your master Song Zhong to come and give lectures and train talents. You can first make a plan to establish a university for everyone to discuss." After hearing this, Yin Mo felt very fresh and nodded quickly and agreed to prepare immediately.
Seeing that everything had been ordered, Chen Long said to Jiang Wan: "Gong Yan, I know you are still arranging the matter of asking rich households to donate money. I don't want to know the details. The principle is not to cause public backlash. The task I just assigned requires You must find a way to supply the silver taels needed by Liu Xian and Yin Mo especially. As for me, you first deliver three thousand taels to Yuan Zhi, and if there are treasures, ask him to take one or two with him." Jiang Wan nodded and was about to agree, when Liu Xian said: "Brother, three thousand taels are too heavy to carry, and you can't do anything if you bring too little. Brother, you don't know. We Lingling have always had spies in the capital, and my father personally arranged it." Last year, I gave one hundred thousand taels of silver and put it there to facilitate dealing with the people in the palace. As long as the eldest brother brings my letter, I can take it from his place." Chen Long thought to himself that this bribe was really a generous sum, and stood up and said happily "That's very good. After Yuan Zhi and I leave today, I will ask everyone here to perform their duties." After saying a deep bow, the generals stood up suddenly and shouted in unison: "I am willing to serve the prefect! "
After the meeting, Lu Chang and other four captains rushed to Quanling County. Zhou Buyi planned a route combining water and land, and explained it to everyone on the map. Zhou Buyi gestured on the map and said: "I plan to borrow a merchant ship from Gang Leader Yang. The governor will disguise himself as a herbal medicine merchant, and I will be his entourage. The ship will load some herbs. Going north along the Xiang River, you can reach Jiangxia directly. It will take about Six days. I plan to land in Jiangxia, hire a few carriages, and arrive at Luoyang along the land route via Yiyang and Xuchang. It will take about ten days." Chen Long looked at the map. This should be the most convenient way to reach Luoyang and nodded. : "Then prepare your bags separately. The four of you will make a hard trip, find someone to prepare the herbal medicine, and inform Yang Huai to prepare a suitable merchant ship for us to load the herbal medicine. Yuan Zhi, please go to Jiang Wan and receive five hundred taels of silver for the journey. . Meet at the Xiangshui Ferry in the afternoon." Everyone left one after another.
Chen Long returned to Huang Mansion. Huang An and Huang Gai knew that he was leaving in the afternoon, so they came back to see him off. Everyone had a happy lunch. Taohua had already packed her bags for Chen Long, who dressed up as a big businessman and picked out some more gorgeous clothes. When the time came, Chen Long inserted the serrated dagger he carried with him, went to the horse pen to comfort Fei Long, and then said goodbye to everyone. Everyone wanted to see Chen Long off, but Chen Long only asked Taohua and Huang Gai to see him off. The three of them took a carriage to the ferry. I saw a moderately sized sailboat docked at the berth beside the ferry. Yang Huai and Zhou Buyi had been waiting on the boat. When they saw Chen Long arriving, they jumped off the boat to greet him. Chen Long saw that Zhou Buyi and the four captains were all dressed in green clothes and dressed like servants. He couldn't help but smile and said: "On the way, just call me master." Yang Huaidao: "The guys on the ship have made arrangements. When we arrive in Jiangxia , they will return on their own." Chen Long nodded and said: "Gang Leader Yang, after I leave, you must do your best to help me arrange things on the water and stimulate waterway trade and transportation." Yang Huai bowed and agreed.
Seeing that everything was ready, Chen Long turned around and said goodbye to Huang Gai and Taohua. Taohua's eyes were full of tears and she hugged Chen Long tightly. She only said: "Husband, you must never forget the feelings of missing me. Don't take risks alone." , don’t let your emotions get the better of you, come back to see me safely.” After saying that, tears welled up in his eyes, and all the generals turned their heads away and couldn’t bear to look at him. Chen Long comforted him softly and promised that Taohua would ensure his safety, so Taohua let him go.
The white sails slowly rose, the ship's hull swayed slightly, and it was time to set sail. Chen Long stood on the side of the ship and waved frequently to the people on the shore. Taohua hid her face and cried from time to time. The small boat went further and further away, and gradually no one could be seen at the pier. Chen Long looked at the rushing river, his heart was surging. He came to the Three Kingdoms and was destined not to be an ordinary person in his life. The separation from Peach Blossom this time may happen again in the future. , I still need to be determined, otherwise I will inevitably be defeated when facing those insidious civil servants, military generals, and unparalleled strategists. The imperial court will never be soft on the Yellow Turbans. Rescue Zhang Ning may be a life-and-death war. You must muster the greatest courage to face it in order to have a chance of winning.
The boat was moving slowly and the sky was getting dark. Chen Long entered the cabin, Zhou Buyi held the light in his hand, and Lu Chang and the other four took turns guarding the cabin door. Chen Long asked Zhou Busuo: "Yuanzhi, among the counties we passed along the way, which are the larger cities? Whose territory is it now?" Zhou Busuo said: "Sail along the Xiang River, first The station is Changsha County where Han Sheng is located, the prefect Han Xuan. The second station enters Dongting Lake, passes through Baling and enters Jiangxia County, where the prefect Liu Xiang, the father of Liu Ba, is. The intersection of the Xiangshui River and the Yangtze River is where Jiangxia is governed Xiling County is a battleground for military strategists. The overland route passes through Yiyang County and enters Yingchuan County in Yuzhou. Yangzhai is the governor of the county, and Cao Chi is the governor. When passing through Xuchang, we change to the northwest and can reach Luoyang in ten days."
The quiet and dark cabin shook slightly. Chen Long leaned on the bedside, listening to Zhou Buyi's introduction. The light brain in his mind had already carefully screened the route map provided by Zhou Buyi. Along the way, there are several suspected Yellow Turban activity areas, so you need to be careful in choosing the route. Suddenly, when he found Yangzhai, the seat of Yingchuan County, a famous name came into his sight. Chen Long stood up and shouted: "Guo Jia!"
