On December 17, the 13th year of Chongzhen reign in the Ming Dynasty, the sun was shining brightly. It was a rare sunny day. The warm sunshine shone on the earth, making people feel warm.
Zhang Cheng was dragged out of the gentle village by Yang Liying early on. Although she was usually carefree and did not pay attention to the red tape, she was a woman after all, and she was still a pure and kind little girl.
What's more, she has to make her own decision on matters of marriage, but she also attaches great importance to these rules and traditions. Even Zhang Cheng's attempt to be gentle with her in the morning was rejected, and she almost jumped him from the bed. Turn down.
Zhang Cheng accompanied Yang Liying to visit the ancestral hall, and then met with the elders of the Yang family. Then there was another morning of banquets, and it was not until the afternoon that the guests gradually dispersed and it became quiet.
Outside the south gate of Yangjialou, Zhang Cheng was seeing Wei Zhice, Zhang Guangda, Zhang Guodong and others off. They led the left side of the carriage to continue crossing the Yellow River north, but they were no longer going to Meng County.
This morning, Zhang Cheng has made new adjustments to the army's next action direction.
Zhang Guangda and Zhang Guodong will lead the army to cross the river to the north bank today, but not to Meng County, but all the way east through Wen County, Wuzhen, and Yuanwu counties, and then cross the river again at Yujiadian in Fengqiu County and return to the south bank.
However, it was not easy for Wei Zhice's chariot camp to cross the river, so he marched covertly along the south bank of the Yellow River back to Kaifeng, accompanied by two Mongolian cavalry generals, Su Laohu and Mo Rigen, to escort him.
Only Chen Zhong's cavalry unit was left by him in Yangjialou. Also staying with him were Cui Shijie's infantry battalion left officers and soldiers, and the army counselor Wang Yuanjing also stayed in Yangjialou.
They will temporarily hide here to spy on the situation in Luoyang City and look for opportunities to regain Luoyang City in one fell swoop. Chen Zhong will be responsible for commanding the war in Luoyang, and Wang Yuanjing will assist him in all matters after taking Luoyang.
Looking at the retreating figures of Wei Zhice, Zhang Guangda, and Zhang Guodong, Zhang Cheng didn't know whether his arrangement was correct, but he vaguely remembered that shortly after the king of the invaders, Li Zicheng, broke through Luoyang, he personally led the main force to open the seal.
Now he just hopes that his memory is not wrong. In this way, if he regains Luoyang City, joins in the bloody battle with the main force of thieves in Kaifeng City, and bravely saves Kaifeng City and the King of Zhou in the city, then the aid and suppression of Henan will be considered complete!
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In fact, on the day after Zhang Cheng married Yang Liying, a wedding was also taking place in Luoyang City. That was the treasonous traitor Li Yan marrying the female thief Hong Niangzi.
After Li Zicheng, the king of Chuang, conquered Luoyang, he collected a large amount of grain, gold and silver hidden in the palaces of King Fu, officials, wealthy merchants, and gentry in the city. While packing these important supplies, he took some of them out for relief to win people's hearts.
The city of Luoyang is really full of joy now. The poor people have received the grains and grains released for relief, and everyone is happy. The streets, alleys, teahouses and restaurants are everywhere promoting the good news of King Chuang.
The poor people who had benefited from it were sincerely celebrating the intruders who conquered Luoyang and killed King Fu and Lu Weiqi, while those who were dissatisfied with the intruders, at least on the surface, enthusiastically supported them, so the entire city of Luoyang They were all very lively.
There are three operas performing all night in the city, one is the Bangzi Opera from Western Henan, one is the Yue Diao from Nanyang, and the other is the Shaanxi Bangzi Opera, which is also known as Qin Opera.
In addition, there are many acrobatics, such as lion playing, land boat playing, donkey riding, and stilt walking. All the folk entertainments that are performed every year during the Lantern Festival and have been passed down from generation to generation are on the streets today.
In previous years, the donkey rider would play the role of a magistrate and the official wife riding a donkey through the streets. The magistrate, with white eye sockets and a black gauze hat upside down, rode the donkey upside down. A follower carried a chamber pot on a long bamboo pole and would bring the chamber pot to him from time to time. In front of the audience, he invited the "master" to drink, which made the audience laugh.
This year, he was bold enough to replace the magistrate riding a donkey with a fat man, wearing a crown upside down, drunkenly calling himself the King of Fortune.
The man who served wine in a chamber pot was replaced by two eunuchs, one old and one young, who kept making jokes and making the audience on the street laugh.
Especially when people heard that Mr. Li, who was delivering relief supplies, was getting married, they stood guard on both sides of the road early. When they saw the wedding sedan approaching, they knelt down and worshiped from a distance.
"Thank you Mr. Li for surviving..."
"...Master Li is really a great Bodhisattva..."
"...May Mr. Li live a long life...and the couple be harmonious..."
"...May Mr. Li live a long life...may he live a long life..."
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Here, in the main hall of the Yang Family Courtyard in Yangjia Louzhai, Zhang Cheng and Yang Shibin sit together at the top. On the left are Wang Yuanjing, Chen Zhong, Lin Fangping, and Cui Shijie, and on the right are the two brothers Yang Shili and Yang Shijie.
Zhang Cheng's new wife, Yang Liying, was also present. She was still wearing a red military uniform and sitting below her brother Yang Shijie, making the hall no longer full of majestic colors.
Zhang Cheng held the tea cup and said slowly: "Brother Wenquan, Henan is now in ruins, many officials are dead, and most of the remaining people have abandoned the city and fled. It is the time when the country is looking for talents. I don't know if my uncle has any intention of becoming an official. ?”
Yang Shibin was not in a hurry to answer. He hesitated for a moment and then said: "Nowadays, famines are happening one after another, and hungry people are everywhere. Many places have reached the point where they have to exchange their children for food. Even the name of 'vegetarian' has become a thing of trade." ,
Moreover, there are bandits raging, every state and county is in danger, and all the officials in the government are frightened. In such a world, being an official is like overcoming a disaster, and the slightest difference will be irreversible! "
Zhang Cheng also sighed and said: "The world is like this, and we have to do our best. Just know and do good things, and don't ask about the future!"
He turned to Chen Zhong, who was standing next to him, and asked, "How are you doing with what I arranged for you to do over there in western Henan?"
Chen Zhong said with a smile: "The commander-in-chief is relieved and has already given the order. Now the news has spread all over the west of Henan. Many people are spreading the good news of Mr. Li. They are all saying, "Young Master Li should be the one who reigns supreme in the world." Mr. Li is good.
There are even new rumors saying that Mr. Li is King Li Chuang, and the "eighteen sons are the masters of the artifact" refers to Mr. Li. "
He hesitated for a moment and then said: "It's just that there are so many bandits around Luoyang now. We haven't had contact with our brothers in the city for many days, but we are a little worried."
Zhang Cheng also had a worried look on his face, but he said: "I don't think anything will happen. Tong Shoushan and Wan Guangjin are both old men in the army, and they are both from Ye Bushuai. There are hundreds of thousands of people in Luoyang City." Common people, it is not difficult to hide hundreds of them.
Furthermore, if they had been discovered, how could they be willing to just surrender and be captured? They would definitely have to go through a lot of trouble. How could the brothers who were guarding outside not hear anything. "
His face darkened, and he said: "Chen Zhong, according to my estimation, the intruders may not be able to stay in Luoyang for a long time. There is a high possibility that they will raid Kaifeng. If they can capture the important territory of the vassal, they will definitely be able to spread their weapons. Stand out among thieves.
From my perspective, the Chuang thieves seem to have a plan to seize the world, so we must not treat them according to common sense. The Chuang, Xian, and Cao thieves have been evenly matched for many years. They gather sometimes and disperse. It is beneficial to gather and to disperse.
Today, the bandits are so powerful that they will definitely do earth-shattering things to frighten the thieves, so as to help them conquer the world. At this time, the Yangge Department is supervising the suppression of the bandits in Sichuan, and the war in Liaodong has started again. Looking at Henan, who is more powerful? Can a person cure an intruder?
He has just gone to Luoyang now, and the death of Fu Fan is enough to shock the capital. If he can take advantage of the victory and go to Kaifeng, not only will he have plenty of money and food, but also the people of Henan Province will not become thieves.
At that time, the herdsmen who occupied the cities between Zonghengwan and Luo were conquering everywhere. Shaanxi, Shanxi, Huguang, Nanzhi, and even the capital were in danger! "
Yang Liying interjected at this time: "However, the intruders have not yet cultivated a foundation. If they can defeat their main force and make them flee back, it will be impossible!"
Zhang Cheng couldn't help but be deeply surprised when he heard this, and he couldn't help but think highly of Yang Liying.
