Outside the east gate of Langzhou, Zhang Zizai stood on his horse and was surrounded by Qingqi, watching the densely packed Wuping army calmly and calmly. He was dressed in a striking purple official robe and looked like he was facing the collapse of Mount Tai without changing his expression. look.
Wearing a crimson robe, however, Zhang himself is now different from what he used to be.
His mentor Xu Xuan did not lie to him. After following King Zheng, he quickly got ahead. After Xu Xuan became the right minister, this bachelor with a false title who was idle all day long was quickly promoted to draft edicts for the emperor. The person in Zhongshushe was awarded the title of Tongyi doctor. Later, under the recommendation of King Zheng, he was able to show off his talents in front of the emperor Li Jing. He was very interested in military and state affairs, reciting poems and writing lyrics. When the emperor was happy, he gave him a purple robe to show his favor.
Ever since Zhang Zi put on this purple robe, which represents glory, he who used to be unruly has started to love neatness. At this time, although he was anxiously waiting outside the city gate, he still raised his hand and kept stroking and shaking his cuffs. , as if they were afraid of being contaminated by the dust kicked up by the horse's hooves. This coquettish gesture made many Wuping soldiers laugh secretly.
There was a "squeak" and the east city gate finally opened slowly. Zhang Zi immediately straightened his clothes, straightened his chest and raised his head.
I thought that I had been ordered to come here to summon him. Even Li Yuan, who was in the limelight, had to abide by the official line and lead Wuping civil and military officials to greet him. Not to mention that the scene was warm and in line with etiquette. However, I saw that there were only a few people inside the city gate. After a few fast horses came out, the people immediately looked gloomy and menacing, and they suddenly felt that something was wrong.
But the cavalry around Zhang Zi became increasingly uneasy. They did not have the confidence that Zhang Zi had now, just because the scene in front of them was indeed lively. Isn't this densely packed army of 10,000 men watching eagerly enough not enough?
"The Sword Comes"
"Zhang Sheren has been waiting for a long time!" Liu Jiangsheng and Zhu Kuangcong, the second generals, rode their horses forward to greet him with calm expressions.
Zhang Zi smiled stiffly and returned the salute, but his eyes kept exploring the deep city gate in front of him. Until the city gate closed again, no one ran out, and there were only a few horses beside the two generals. No one was seen above wearing the rumored golden armor or the same purple robe as himself.
"Where's Marshal Li? Does he have important matters in the city?" Zhang Zi held back his temper for the time being and asked with a frown.
Liu Jiang smiled indifferently and said: "Zhang Sheren, since Langzhou was pacified, my commander-in-chief has been working hard day and night to govern the country and benefit the people. In addition, with the recent wars, there are important things to do almost every day, and it is no different now! Yiyang is in danger right now. The soldiers are fighting a bloody battle, and the commander wants to lead his troops to rush to rescue...
Since His Highness King Zheng has come to work for the army, the general should have been ordered to obey the order. However, considering that the soldiers are now fighting bloody battles at the front, they need to listen to His Majesty's holy will to boost their morale. My general is a noble man and does not dare to privately shower the emperor's favor. Please ask King Zheng to announce the decree in front of the army to show the power of heaven! In this way, the morale of the army will be greatly boosted, and then victory will be sure! Your Majesty will definitely be happy then, and King Zheng will also be indispensable..."
It is true that after Liu Jiangsheng became a general, he often consulted Xu Kuangheng humbly, and it seemed to have worked. Now his speech was not only literate, but also more organized. This reasoned and well-founded speech naturally worked, and Zhang Zi's face suddenly changed. Zi became gloomy. He was about to refute but hesitated. Finally, he said coldly: "After saying so much, isn't Marshal Li just avoiding it?"
Then he rolled his eyes, shook his head and said with a smile: "I have heard about Marshal Li's reputation for a long time in the court, and now I understand that the famous general in the world really has such a big air! Marshal Li has important things to do every day, and he really has everything to do, but he doesn't want to think about Zheng Zheng. His Highness Wang also traveled thousands of miles this time, and the boat and carriage were tiring. He forced us to travel day and night. Isn't it just to reach Langzhou Labor Army as early as possible?
Since you are working in the army, what is wrong with His Highness telling the commander-in-chief of the army to listen to your orders? As you said, if the commander-in-chief is really upright and upright, and wants to make all his soldiers appreciate the emperor's favor, why do he instead order the soldiers to form a formation in front of the gate to refuse His Majesty's carriage? The appearance is different, and there may be suspicion of harboring evil intentions! "
Xu Shi was impatient, Zhang Zi's words obviously went beyond the scope of innuendo, and were actually excessive.
When Liu Jiangsheng heard this, his eyes suddenly sharpened, but how could Zhu Kuangcong, who had always been reckless, endure it? With a sound of "Winter", he slammed the long knife in his hand straight to the ground, and scolded fiercely: "Nonsense, how can you hide evil intentions? I don't know how many merits the commander-in-chief has made for our dynasty! His loyalty and bravery are unparalleled, and the whole country knows it! How can I allow you to wait? Slander? You are as thin as a chicken, you little white lady, get out of here!..."
Seeing that Zhu Kuangcong was grinning and scolding the general, the two sides suddenly fell into an extremely embarrassing situation. Liu Jiangsheng took a deep breath, his eyes urgently signaled Zhu Kuangcong to stop speaking, and then he tried his best to squeeze out a smile: "Zhang Sheren, don't be offended. ! This Zhu Dushi has always been like this. He is a good fighter. Unfortunately, he speaks too directly and cannot grasp the sense of proportion. My commander-in-chief often reprimands him...
But in the final analysis, it’s not rough! What Zhang Sheren said just now was really too much! The commander-in-chief's loyalty and bravery are often praised by His Majesty. He has made great military achievements in the past, and now he is shouldering the important task of pacifying the Chu region for the imperial court. He had just pacified Dongxi, but he did not stop, and he had to deal with the Han army who came with the threat of victory, even at the risk of his own life. If you say that you have worked hard for the country and harbor evil intentions, I am afraid it will chill the hearts of the soldiers and civilians in Wuping, and your majesty will definitely not be happy after hearing this! "
Although he tried his best to suppress his emotions, Zhu Kuangcong still couldn't help it and continued to shout solemnly: "That Sheren, if your words affect the morale of the army and delay the war, tell yourself, can you afford it? ? You are dressed like a human being, but it’s a pity that you have an extra mouth. Your mouth is too stinky, so don’t injure His Highness Prince Zheng!
Let me tell you, go back quickly and ask Your Highness to prepare quickly and lead the army to follow us to the front line of Yiyang! Isn't it just to comfort the soldiers who fought bloody battles for the country? If you don't even dare to go to the front line, it's a waste of time, why not go back to Jinling to comfort this woman! "
Liu Jiangsheng suppressed his laughter and said seriously: "Zhu Du, Zhang Sheren has worked hard all the way, so don't be rude!"
As the two of them sang in harmony in front of him, Zhang Zi was so angry and anxious that he almost spit out a mouthful of blood. He, who had always been clear-minded, seemed to be getting involved at this time, or maybe because Zhu Kuangcong's fierce look was so heart-wrenching, he didn't dare to refute. In shame and anger, he could only grit his teeth and said: "Since the commander-in-chief insists on having his own way, I have no choice but to report back to His Highness the truth! But it is up to Your Highness to decide how to recruit troops, and I cannot make the decision!"
Zhu Kuang smiled slyly and said: "Oh, please do it then! We are busy with military affairs, so I won't send you far away!"
Just as he was about to turn his horse around and leave angrily, a Forbidden Army guard mustered up the courage to whisper to Zhang Zi: "Zhang Sheren, if we really go back like this, His Highness will be furious..."
Having said that, with just a few dozen riders beside him, what could happen if Zhang Zizong was so angry that his lungs exploded? With the dense Wu Ping army in front of him, he had no choice but to lower his voice and give instructions to the bodyguards beside him, while holding on to the reins and galloping back without looking back.
During the short five-mile journey, Zhang Zi suffered endlessly. In addition to trying to calm down the anger gushing in his chest, he also had to think about how to explain to King Zheng. The scene of King Zheng's thunderous rage seemed to appear in his mind, and he couldn't help but tremble.
The horse's hooves flew by, kicking up a trail of dust. The purple robe, which had been cared for all the time, was finally in a mess...
