Four or five days have passed since the last "envoy" of King Zheng visited. During these days, Zuo Wen sent his grandson Zuo Biao to the old headquarters in central Beijing to inquire about the whereabouts of "Gu Wen", but all came to nothing.
"Grandfather..." Zuo Biao asked cautiously: "Why do you care so much about this messenger?"
"Are you still talking too much?" Zuo Wen glanced sideways: "This envoy is a man. He knelt down until he was on the verge of death for someone like Zhang Qingmeng. It is extremely admirable. You should work harder to find this person. Where you live, I should go to express my condolences in person."
Zuo Biao smiled: "Is your grandfather going to leave the mountain?"
"What do you mean?"
"Isn't it true that you personally visited King Zheng's envoy to promise to come out?"
"Ha! What I admire is his perseverance, but it's a pity that this person is Zhang Qingmeng's subordinate..."
"Are you really not planning to go out?"
After hearing this, Zuo Wen pursed his lips and frowned: "Coming out of the mountain... It's not that I haven't thought about it, but I don't want to be controlled by Zhang Qingmeng and be ridiculed by the world."
"Prince Zheng is sincere, how can he say he is controlling?"
Zuo Wen chuckled: "If the person who knelt down here that day was Zhang Qingmeng, I would really admire him, but it's a pity that he doesn't have the courage."
"It is indeed impossible for the majestic King Zheng to kneel down..." Zuo Biao couldn't help but sigh, looking at the constant wind and snow outside the window, looking into the distance, and saw a dark shadow in a trance.
As the black shadow grew larger and larger, the appearance of the two people gradually became clearer. Zuo Biao's eyes widened and he shouted excitedly: "Grandpa, the messenger from that day is here again!"
Zuo Wen stood up quickly: "Bring me my cotton-padded clothes so that I can entertain you."
This time, Zhang Qingmeng and his grandson received great courtesy. Zuo Wen and he knelt down on both sides of the table, while Zhao Hongyan and Zuo Biao stood aside. There was slightly steaming hot tea on the table.
"Are you feeling better?" Zuo Wen asked.
Zhang Qingmeng straightened up respectfully: "Thank you, Mr. Zuo, for your concern. I'm fine..." Having said that, a large chilblain on his right cheek was particularly conspicuous.
Zuo Wen said slowly: "I invited you to drink tea today because I admire your courage that day. Being able to kneel in the ice and snow for several hours is enough to prove that you are a hero."
"The old gentleman is overly praised, but for the sake of the imperial court, he is not afraid even of mountains of swords and seas of fire."
"Okay!" Zuo Wen smiled slightly: "If I met you when I was young, I would have a drink with you!"
The cold wind outside the house whistled, and the straw mats were pushed aside, and the cold wind burst into the house, causing several people to shiver. After Zhang Qingmeng drank the hot tea, he confessed: "To be honest, Mr. Zuo, today I come here because I am still entrusted by the imperial court to beg Mr. Zuo to come out."
Zuo Wen also lost the toughness of the day before: "I am already over the age of the imperial court. Although it is requested by the imperial court, I am afraid that I will not be able to do what I want and will be embarrassed to use it. I hope the imperial court will choose another good general to attack him."
"What the old man said is wrong." Zhang Qingmeng cupped his hands and said with a smile: "Although Mr. Zuo is over eighty years old, according to my opinion, his body is strong and strong, and he is not inferior to the young people. Don't you hear: 'Old man, he is brave and ambitious. Thousands of miles; a martyr's old age is full of ambition? ' Mr. Zuo, who has great aspirations to bring peace to the world, how can he be willing to grow old in a thatched hut?"
Zhang Qingmeng had already put in enough effort before visiting Zuo Wen. The wish to "pacify the world" was Zuo Wen's grand ambition when he was young. At the same time, Zhang Qingmeng reiterated Zuo Wen's great achievements in regaining Bingzhou, raiding Mobei, and killing more than 20 bandit chiefs during the reign of Emperor Tai Lei, and spoke highly of it.
"It's a pity that I'm no longer young. Even if I follow the army to conquer Bingzhou again, what's the use?" Zuo Wen asked.
Zhang Qingmeng said: "I have heard that when Mr. Zuo regained Bingzhou, he visited various places personally, became familiar with the geography of mountains and rivers, and the dangers of towns, and wrote a book..."
"What a pity!" Zuo Wen sighed: "That single book was stolen by Wei Hua's thieves and is no longer with me... Wei Hua was just a young general under my account back then. Who could have imagined that today..."
Zhang Qingmeng took advantage of the situation and said: "Because of this, if the court wants to defeat Wei Hua, General Zuo must come out."
"The soldiers in the imperial court now all belong to your king... Will he feel at ease if a 'rebel' like me works under him?" Zuo Wen asked tentatively.
Zhang Qingmeng replied: "Don't worry, General Zuo. King Zheng is thirsty for talents in order to restore the foundation of the Taiwei Empire. If the old general comes out of the army, King Zheng will treat him with courtesy and will never dare to neglect him."
When the three words "never dare" came into Zuo Wen's ears, Zuo Wen's old forehead wrinkled. He became suspicious of this person's identity, but he just thought about it in his heart.
Seeing that Zuo Wen didn't respond, Zhang Qingmeng knelt down in front of him again, kowtowed and saluted: "I hope that General Zuo will come to help!"
"Get up quickly!" Zuo Wen quickly stopped him and slowly helped him up: "My child, you are a man, but your master is not. If it were your king who knelt here and begged me to come out that day, I would It’s absolutely hard to refuse…”
After Zhang Qingmeng heard this, he knew that the other party had the intention to come out. His eyes instantly glowed and his expression relaxed: "What does General Zuo mean, as long as King Zheng personally kneels down to ask for help?"
"What? Your king is willing to come and kneel in person for me?" Zuo Wen stared at him with round eyes.
Zhang Qingmeng straightened his back and said in a confident and firm voice: "Please rest assured, Old General Zuo, in three days, King Zheng will come to greet you on his knees in person!"
As soon as these words came out, Zuo Biao couldn't help but be surprised. What kind of power does this man have? He can actually allow the majestic King Zheng to come and kneel down? Soon they disappeared into the snow.
Zuo Wen looked at his grandson's puzzled look and said with a smile: "My grandson, do you know who the messenger is?"
"My grandson is stupid..."
"If I guess correctly, judging from this person's words, deeds, and extraordinary temperament, this person is Zhang Qingmeng."
"Zhang Qingmeng!?" Zuo Biao trembled with fright and was stunned.
Zuo Wen smiled softly: "I hope I guessed wrong..."
three days later
The snow scene on this day was beautiful. The white snowflakes were firmly pressed on the ground. The sky was clear all around. Just a simple breath could make people feel refreshed. The branches are covered with silver frost, like a jade belt, dancing with the wind. Such a white and clear world is like a dream.
Zuo Wen's grandfather and grandson were collecting snow in the courtyard together. Even though he was already over eighty years old, his strength in doing work was no less than that of his thirty-year-old grandson. Zuo Wen put the snow into two large baskets, hung it on the two ends of the strong bamboo, and carried it out of the house like flying, walking as fast as flying. After Zuo Biao tried the weight of the snow-filled pole, he could only feel ashamed.
At this moment, there was a sound of horse hooves trampling on the snow in the distance. Zuo Biao looked curiously, but the scene in front of him shocked him - countless soldiers riding horses, surrounding a gorgeous carriage, heading towards Come here.
Zuo Wen naturally noticed it. He put down the big broom in his hand and said to Zuo Biao beside him: "The person in the carriage must be Zhang Qingmeng."
"This, this, this..." Zuo Biao was very flustered. He felt it was rude not to prepare, but time did not allow him to make more preparations. Zuo Wen reminded again: "They are coming."
This team of people stopped at the door of Zuozhai. Surrounding the carriage were a group of generals under King Zheng: Ni Hao, Mu Mingrui, Guan Lang, Zhang Batian, Yuan Hang, and Lou Ning; the momentum was so great that it was shocking Gawking.
The curtain in front of the carriage slowly opened, and a tall and imposing man in prime minister's attire stepped out of the carriage. Zuo Wen saw the frostbite on his right cheek and the familiar face. This was the envoy who had been unable to kneel down to invite him to come out a few days ago! Although he had doubts, he was still shocked when he learned the truth.
Zuo Biao had never seen such a big posture before. He was so frightened that he hurriedly knelt on the ground and kowtowed to say hello. Although Zuo Wen was not wearing armor, he still just gave a military salute.
"Old General Zuo, I'd like to express my promise three days ago to come to the line." Zhang Qingmeng bowed his hands. This respectful attitude also caused the general behind him to immediately dismount his horse and perform a military salute.
Zuo Wen recalled that day again and again, and how determined his eyes were. Even if he knelt in the cold wind for a whole day, he did not flinch at all! Respect for him arose spontaneously: "Zuo Wen is rude, I hope King Zheng will forgive me."
When Zuo Wen said the words "Prince Zheng", everyone knew in their hearts that this veteran of the Zang Dynasty had been completely impressed by Zhang Qingmeng.
At this moment, Zhang Qingmeng, regardless of the knee injury he had suffered from kneeling for a long time the day before, knelt in front of Zuo Wen again, raised his hands and begged: "I hope that General Zuo will come out to help!"
The generals behind him knelt behind Zhang Qingmeng and asked in unison: "May General Zuo come out to help!!!"
The huge sound echoed around, drifting in the cold wind.
At that moment, Zuo Wen thought of the allusion of Emperor Tai Zheng's "three kneels to seek virtue", and instantly understood how sincere Zhang Qingmeng was to him! Thinking of this, Zuo Wen was so excited that he burst into tears and knelt down in front of Zhang Qingmeng: "If King Zheng doesn't give up, Zuo Wen must die in retribution!"
The cold wind froze the gurgling water, but it could not freeze the hot tears on the resolute face...
