In the side hall of the office inside the south gate of the Red Castle, Jin Xinpeng stared at Jin Yong, his clan nephew, and said angrily: "Short-sighted. Are you satisfied with just a guerrilla general? Ah, do you really think that Marshal Zhang asked me to guard the North Road?" Do you value me?"
Jin Yong originally looked very proud, but he was scolded repeatedly by Jin Xinpeng. At this moment, he felt like a lamb to a hungry wolf. He stood up aggrievedly and listened to Jin Xinpeng's scolding without daring to refute a word.
Just listen to Jin Xinpeng continue to say: "You have to know that with the ability of the commander-in-chief, this battle to aid Liao will definitely be like the previous aid to suppress Henan Province. Even if the Tatars cannot be severely damaged, the aid to relieve the siege of Jinzhou will definitely be It’s difficult, if you return to court after victory, there will definitely be another round of rewards.”
When he said this, his tone also gradually softened, and he was heard to say again: "Now among the generals of Xuanzhen, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Lin Dengyou is also included, who else can control Commander Zhang?
Let's just say that although the separate garrison generals each have hundreds or more than a thousand servants, if you don't see the troops and horses under Marshal Zhang, they are not more than a few thousand? Not to mention the distance, the more than a thousand soldiers under your command are as good as the servants of any general, or even stronger. "
Jin Xinpeng raised his hand and knocked heavily on the table, making a rapid "thump, thump, thump, thump" sound. He then said seriously: "As you said, if Zhang Shuai left Zhenbei Road before, I would have taken this real job." As a commander, he might be able to make a difference on the North Road.
But judging from the current situation, at most I am just Zhang Cheng’s watchdog, and you are just a loyal dog that Zhang Cheng can’t get enough of. "
Jin Yong stood there blankly, and suddenly asked: "What do you mean, Uncle Clan?"
"well!"
Jin Xinpeng sighed and said first, "Sit down!"
After Jin Yong sat down, he continued: "Now on the North Road, my Jin family has been tied to Zhang Cheng for life. We are like grasshoppers on a vine. If we are prosperous, we will be prosperous, and if we are harmed, we will all be harmed!" "
Seeing that Jin Yong didn't seem to understand what he said, he sighed in his heart, and then continued: "You will understand some things in the future. Now you just need to remember that everything you have is given by Zhang Shuai, so you should It’s only right to retaliate at the risk of death.”
He paused and then continued: "You have to know that although Zhang Shuai has become the deputy commander of a town, he has not yet reached his thirtieth year. He has a bright future. If he develops like this, the future will be limitless, let alone a small town." The commander-in-chief of the town wanted to be ennobled as a prince, so it was not a bad idea.
And it is not too late for you and my uncle and nephew to follow Zhang Shuai. According to my observation, apart from the officers and soldiers who followed Zhang Shuai and King Qin, there are only a few people such as Zhang Guodong and Wei Zhice who are ahead of us. "
Jin Yong seemed to understand something. He remained silent and stood up gently to refill Jin Xinpeng's tea cup. He only heard Jin Xinpeng nod his head and said: "You must not be arrogant with your achievements now. You must guard against arrogance and impetuosity. Zhang Shuai arranged everything properly.
Judging from the people who returned to Zhang Shuai on the north road, you and I, my uncle and nephew, are the most powerful. Although Yan Qingrong is also thoughtful and talented, in the end he is still inferior when fighting alone.
However, you and I must not be arrogant. Today's status is hard to come by. If you are not careful, you will fall behind others. The only way out is to do your best to handle Zhang Shuai's affairs. Do you know? "
"Yes, Jin Yong takes note."
At this time, Jin Yong stood up and came forward again, and asked softly: "Uncle, do you think this can be regarded as 'the merit of following the dragon'?"
"Shut up!"
After Jin Xinpeng gave a soft drink, he stood up hurriedly, walked quickly to the door and listened for a while, then returned to the left. When he went up, he gave Jin Yong a big slap in the neck and said bitterly: "You miss me, Mrs. Jin?" One life is long!"
Jin Yong was beaten to the point where he was stunned, and Jin Xinpeng said harshly: "What you just said must not be mentioned again in the future. If the rumor spreads, not only will my Jin family cease to exist in the world, but even Zhang Shuai will not be able to escape death." disaster."
He finally asked bitterly: "Did you remember it?"
"Yes, Jin Yong has taken note of it!"
…………
About eight miles away from the west gate of Shanhaiguan City, there is a small village called Hongwadian, located next to the wide official road.
In the early days, there was only a large car shop here for businessmen to stay, eat and stay. The name came from the fact that all the houses were covered with red tiles.
Now it has developed into a small village. Although there are less than a hundred households, it is considered a relatively prosperous place because of the large number of merchants and travelers.
A few miles to the north from here, there are rolling mountains. The farther north you go from Erlang Mountain, the more majestic the mountains become, and there is another canyon between the two mountains. Walk along the canyon for about After twenty miles of winding and steep mountain roads, we arrived at Jiumenmen.
The Nine Gates, also known as a piece of stone, is a dangerous place to defend the flanks of Shanhaiguan. In the original history, the king of Chuang Li Zicheng fought against Wu Sangui here, but was defeated by Dorgon. This caused China to close itself off for two hundred years and become a The great powers competed to carve up the fat.
Looking south from the red tile shop, there is the seaside a few miles away. Between the mountains and the sea, there is a wide area of undulating hills, and the red tile shop is in the middle of this area.
Since ancient times, countless travelers, porters, and soldiers have walked from here to outside Shanhaiguan, to Liaodong, or to places farther away. Some people can come back again, and some people can never come back once they leave.
Regardless of whether you are coming from Beijing, Yongping or Tianjin, as long as you are leaving the customs by land, you must pass through Hongwadian, rest here, and then rush to Shanhaiguan. Once you pass the Shanhaiguan in front, you will belong to Liaodong.
In the early morning of this morning, the wooden doors of the red-tiled shops along the street had been opened one after another, and some shops were already lighting up the stoves, preparing to make breakfast for the passing travelers and merchants.
There is a two-story private house on the south side of the street, which is a resting place for officials from the capital under the Shanhaiwei Si. It is commonly known as the reception hall.
An official wearing a five-grade patchwork uniform is sitting next to the window on the second floor. His name is Li Song. His courtesy name is Zhenzhong and his ancestral home is Henan. He was originally an alternate prefect, but now he serves as an aide in the office of Governor Hong Chengchou of Jiliao. , is one of his confidants.
Now he was looking out the window here, as if he was waiting for someone. In addition to the shopkeeper downstairs, there was also a Qianhu and several sergeants who were also eating a simple breakfast.
But there was only hot tea on the table in front of Li Song. He must have been waiting for the distinguished guests to arrive before sharing breakfast together.
At this time, the Qianhu man had finished his breakfast. He walked gently up to the second floor and came to Li Song and asked: "Old sir, are you waiting for the guests to arrive before you have breakfast?"
The name of this thousand family is Zhang Zhongping. He and Hong Chengchou are from the same hometown in Fujian. He has been following him for a long time and is a highly trusted person, so he has stayed with him.
Li Song stared out the window and said calmly: "Keep it warm and have breakfast when the distinguished guests arrive."
Zhang Qianhu also came to the window and looked into the distance, asking: "Old sir, can the guest arrive this morning?"
Li Song said without looking back: "He traveled all night, and based on the distance, he should arrive this morning."
