On February 13, the cavalry department of the Chinese Army of the Jianfu Battalion escorted the second wife Yang Liying, and the concubines Liu sisters, Tang Chunru and their entourage also came to the town.
The female relatives of the family gathered in the town, and Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng naturally wanted to go to the General's Mansion to meet them. He even took this opportunity to implore the two old ladies and Yang He to move to the General Military Administration Office for convenience. He and his female relatives would say hello morning and evening, and they could enjoy the blessing of having grandchildren nearby.
It can be clearly seen that several old ladies are a little moved, but they still insist on staying here verbally. What they want is peace and quiet. Moreover, it is not very far from the General Military Headquarters, and there is not much inconvenience in coming and going.
Zhang Cheng was helpless for a while, so he had to leave his second wife Yang Liying and his concubine Liu Yan in the general's house temporarily, thinking that they were expecting to give birth. After all, there were many female relatives here and they were all experienced people.
Mrs. Yong Ningbo Ji Xuan Zhuyuan also wanted to stay in the General's Mansion and accompany her two mothers-in-law. However, Zhang Cheng's mother insisted that there were two expectant pregnant women here and there was no room for children to play around, not to mention that the General Military Department was also indispensable. The mistress, just gave up.
Finally, it was agreed that Yang Liying and the Liu sisters would stay at the General Military Administration to wait for their childbirth, while his wife Ji Xuanzhu and his concubine Tang Chunru would return to the General Military Administration to take care of Zhang Cheng's daily life.
Zhang Cheng also arranged for someone to replace the plaque in front of the General's Mansion with "Yongning Bo Mansion", giving this old house that carries the inheritance of his family a new glory.
…………
On the 14th, on the Qingyuan Tower on the right side of the center of Xuanfu Town, Yongning Bo, Zhenshuo General Zhang Cheng and the eunuch Bian Yongqing climbed to the top. They first took a look at the nearly ten thousand kilograms. Big clock, then looked around.
For Zhang Cheng, the town of Xuanfu was both familiar and unfamiliar. Looking at the familiar mountains and rivers in front of him, he sighed: "Although the town is strong, the walls of Xuanfu are nearly 2,000 miles long, and there are dangerous passes that need to be protected. There are many, but it’s not easy.”
But Bian Yongqing said from the side: "If all the border generals are on guard and can do their best, depending on the security of the wall, how can the bandits break through our border wall and enter the interior?"
Hearing this, Zhang Cheng shook his head and smiled bitterly: "The border supervisors don't know something. The border troops have been in arrears of pay for years, and the soldiers are already naked and hungry, let alone whether their weapons and armor are sufficient.
Even if money and food are occasionally allocated, how much money will be lost in the hands of the officers and soldiers if they are lost layer by layer?
If you want the horses to run fast but don't let them eat grass, how can you and I expect them to guard the gates of Xuanfu and protect the safety of our hometown? "
In the past two days, Zhang Cheng was also busy with his own affairs. He had first arrived in the town to take up his post as chief military officer, and his subordinates He Biao, Wang Yuanjing, Liu Minshen and others were responsible for the handover of various military affairs.
As for sorting out all the defense matters in the town, it was completely left to Guo Yingxian, Wu Zhizhong, Wei Zhice, Chen Zheng and other generals. Now that Zhang Cheng's family is in the town, there must be no negligence in this defense matter.
The three hundred female cavalrymen of the Jianfu Battalion were divided into three places. Among them, in a renovated old village in the west of the city, there were one hundred Jianfu Battalion soldiers, 260 war horses and nearly a hundred soldiers. Mules and pack horses.
In the "Yongning Bo Mansion" and Zhenshuo Mansion in the city, one hundred female knights were placed in each of the mansions, and there were also twenty war horses each kept in the stables of the mansion in case of emergencies.
Although the town is large, it only has seven city gates and a few key street intersections, such as Zhenshuo Tower, Qingyuan Tower and other important places. As long as these places are controlled by your own people, you are not afraid of them causing trouble.
At this time, Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng and Supervisor Bian Yongqing were standing on the Qingyuan Tower. The houses in the city were clearly visible. Not far to the south was the Drum Tower, also known as the Zhenshuo Tower.
There is a big drum hanging in that building, which is used to protect the soldiers and civilians in the city every day. The sound of the drum is loud and honest, and can be heard for more than 20 miles.
Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng pointed to the relatively tidy Shiban Street of Changping and said to Bian Yongqing beside him: "Please see, supervisor, there is not a single alley that can be called tidy and clean in the town. How unbecoming is this? The imperial court's Where is the decency and the dignity of an official?"
After his reminder, the eunuch Bian Yongqing frowned deeply. In fact, if he came directly to the town after leaving Beijing, he might not think so.
But the mistake was that he went to the North Road first and saw the neat and clean washed stone pavement in the Red Castle. Then he looked at the Zhencheng Street that was now full of mud and dirt. A feeling of nausea immediately came over him. heart.
He covered his nose with his hand and sighed: "Not to mention that Yang Guozhu is a vulgar warrior, Jiang Yuxu was always a Jinshi. How could he manage a good town into what it is now?"
Seeing this, Zhang Cheng hurriedly hit the railway line while it was hot: "Supervisor, the first major task for me when I take office is to thoroughly clean the streets and alleys of the town. Except for the main streets and alleys, which are paved with bluestone or green bricks, the rest must also be paved with bluestone or blue bricks." Pave the streets with gravel, supplemented by fine sand. After it solidifies, it will not easily become dusty."
"So good, so good."
Bian Yongqing didn't ask where the money and food came from. Anyway, the main task of supervising the army this time was not to balance the income and expenditure of the Xuanfu's money and food. He only needed to see whether Zhang Cheng had any evil intentions. As for the money and food of the Xuanfu, he would Don't worry too much.
But if he can have a good environment during his time in the town, then why wouldn't he?
Seeing that he had no objection to this, Zhang Cheng further said: "As a result, the cost of money and food will inevitably be huge. Although the Du Si and the Wei Si can still share some of the burden, the bulk of it still has to come from the merchants in the city."
Bian Yongqing was stunned at first, and then said: "Uncle Yongning also knows that this is a town, not like a remote place like Beilu. If there are some lawsuits because of this, it would be better if our family is not involved."
"Hey hey hey..."
Zhang Cheng said with a sneer on his face: "This is natural. Uncle Ben will naturally use some tricks when doing things, and he must always be taught to obey.
How could Uncle Ben be so reckless as to involve the supervisory army in this muddy water? "
He then continued with a charming smile on his face: "However, if this thing is done beautifully, with great success, or if it generates some surplus of money and food, then the supervision army will naturally be involved. Plan.”
"Ha ha!"
"Hahaha……"
The two laughed in unison, as if there was no one else around, which shocked the soldiers guarding the lower level. They didn't know what they were talking about and why they were so happy.
…………
Here Zhang Chengcai bid farewell to the eunuch Bian Yongqing and returned to Zhenshuo Mansion. Before he could rest, he was informed that Zhang Dou, the commander of the Liao Zhenning front army, Cao Bianjiao, the chief military officer of Shanhai Town, Zu Dabi, the chief military officer of Jinzhou Town, and Liu Zhaoji, the chief military officer of Jizhen, and Xie Sixin, a close aide to Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao, and other people came to visit and have now arrived.
"Who sent this news?"
Zhang Chengfang immediately reported back: "Coming back to Commander-in-Chief, it was General Liu Shizun, the deputy general of the Xuanwu Battalion, who sent us. There was also a report from the flying cavalry of the security guard commander Li Yiming, which also confirmed the matter."
"Are they so eager to come?"
Zhang Cheng muttered to himself first, and then asked: "When did they arrive in the town, and who accompanied them?"
"Returning to my father, General Liu said in the letter that Camp Leader Li wanted to check the fields and was afraid that things would go wrong, so he did not dare to leave without permission. This was because Zhou Ruli, an officer in the Xuanwu Camp, was slightly acquainted with Zhang Bingbei and other generals during the Liao War. , so he sent him to accompany him to the town to meet his father."
"Oh. It's that Monk Haiyong!"
After Zhang Cheng pondered for a moment, he said again: "Where is Zhang Mingyuan?"
"Ming Yuan is here, what do you want me to do?"
"Mingyuan, you go to look for Wei Zhice outside the city, and go with him to greet the generals of Ji Liao on behalf of my uncle."
"Here!"
Zhang Mingyuan did not dare to delay after receiving the order. He turned around and left the side hall and ran to the door.
Here, Zhang Chengfang then reported the news about the rebels who broke into Cao Cao's siege and opened the Feng Mansion. It took two months for the thief Li Zicheng to siege and open the Feng Mansion. Due to the lack of food and grass, the walls of Kaifeng Mansion were high and thick. The governor Gao Mingheng and the commander-in-chief Chen Yongfu tried their best. The resistance was indeed difficult to attack, so he withdrew his troops in early February.
However, at this time, more than ten cities around Kaifeng, including Xuzhou, Yuzhou, Chenliu, Tongxu, Weishi, Weichuan, Yanling, Linying, Changge, Xinzheng, and Sishui, were all occupied by Cao rebels. Pulled out.
Although Kaifeng Prefecture is once again as strong as before this time and has not been broken by the invading bandit army, it is already in danger. The Kaifeng Prefecture where it is located is almost completely filled with bandits.
Kaifeng is like a lone boat in the rapid waters of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers. Its capsizing is inevitable and it can only linger between morning and evening!
But this news is also a good thing for Zhang Cheng. At least the siege of Kaifeng has been lifted now. Depending on the situation, Cao's rebel army will not immediately surround Kaifeng, so he does not have to rush to send troops to Henan Province.
In this way, I will have a lot of time to deal with the affairs of the Xuanfu. In the future, even if I send troops to Henan Province to suppress the bandits for the second time, I can be more relaxed.
At this time, Zhang Cheng saw that it was still early, so he ordered Zhang Chengfang to send someone to summon He Biao, Wang Yuanjing, Liu Minshen, Guo Yingxian, Wu Zhizhong, Chen Zheng and others to discuss matters.
…………
In the small meeting hall in the middle hall of Zhenshuo Mansion, the carbon stove shone with red light, bringing bursts of warmth to the hall, as if it were separated from the spring cold outside by heaven and earth.
Zhang Guang and Zhang Jin, the adopted sons of Uncle Yongning, filled the desks in front of all the officers and generals present with steaming tea, and a burst of tea fragrance instantly filled the entire meeting hall.
Everyone passed around the several pieces of intelligence and news they had just received. They were not surprised by the arrival of Zhang Dou, Cao Bianjiao, Zu Dabi, Liu Zhaoji and others. However, they were a little puzzled because they did not see Wu Sangui on the list of personnel. .
However, none of the people present here had imagined that the city of Kaifeng could be so strong. After two sieges by the bandit army, it was able to repel the bandits without any damage and successfully defended the city.
Therefore, among the people present, only the general governor He Biao and the staff officer Wang Yuanjing had participated in the first battle to aid the Henan Province. As always, He Biao was a talkative man and did not speak out easily.
However, after years of military experience, the scholar Wang Yuanjing's original weak and rotten scholar character has disappeared. Instead, he has become somewhat heroic, calm and capable.
"The king of Zhou is not comparable to Luoyang Fu Fan, and the current governor Gao Mingheng is a dedicated official. In addition, Chen Yongfu has also taken over as the commander-in-chief of Henan Province. With their full cooperation, the wall is high and thick, and Kaifeng is really difficult to break." Wang Yuanjing Said.
Liu Minshen also continued: "Chuangni is no longer what it used to be, especially since he went dormant in Luoshan for business, harassed Henan Province, and attacked Luoyang, his military strength has actually become stronger than in the past.
It is said that he "pretends to be benevolent and righteous in order to win people's hearts". There is a rumor spread everywhere in southwestern Henan that "when King Chuang comes, he will not pay for food, and every house will open the door to welcome King Chuang". Watching his actions, you can know his heart. It seems that he has "according to Heluo" , the ambition to take over the world.
Nowadays, Henan Province seems to have fallen into a situation where "hungry people from far and near are rushing to pick up the hoe, and those who respond are like running water, day and night, and millions of people are called out, but their momentum is like a prairie fire and cannot be stopped."
I think there are all kinds of thieves out there, but I am afraid that the most difficult to control is those who are rebellious! "
Veteran Guo Yingxian was full of doubts: "In the early years, we followed Yang Shuai and fought against these rebels. Although there were many people and strength, they were no different from a mob. Only a core of more than a thousand people can be called brave warriors. That’s all.
How come today it has become uncontrollable?
In today's world, we really don't understand. Is it because Ding Qirui, Wang Qiaonian, Yang Wenyue and other governors and ministers are incompetent, or is it that Zuo Liangyu, Yang Dezheng, Fang Guoan and other generals are afraid of death and dare not fight? "
He still had the same violent temper and scolded a group of supervisors and ministers as well as many general soldiers. Among them, only the real security soldier Hu Dawei was spared. It can be seen that he still remembered the bloody battle with the Tartars with Julu. camaraderie.
Zhang Cheng listened to everyone's discussion, stood up from his seat, and walked slowly to the middle of the meeting hall. He picked up a pair of fire tongs and pulled them around on the iron cover of the charcoal stove, not knowing what it meant.
After a while, he picked up a dark and round lump with the tongs, turned around and walked a few steps, placed it on the table next to the general manager He Biao, and said to him: "Old town Fu, this 'potato' is ripe." Come and try it first. Although it is not as sweet as sweet potatoes, it is still very delicious."
Seeing this, He Zhenfu showed a rare smile. He gently stretched the back of his hand towards the "potato" in Zhang Cheng's mouth, as if to test the temperature, and said, "It's still very hot."
He immediately retracted his hand and said: "The general is really farsighted and able to find such a good thing. I didn't expect that this thing that looks like a lump of dirt would be so delicious. Not only have I never seen it before, but I have never heard of it. "
At this time, Wang Yuanjing also saw a long black object in front of him, which was also steaming. He also tested the temperature first before answering: "The general is a star in the sky and has descended to earth. Naturally, he can Knowing what the predecessors did not know, there is nothing in the world that my general does not know, and there is nothing in the world that my general does not know."
He then pointed to the baked potatoes on He Biao's desk and said: "Take this potato, for example, we have never heard of it. How did the general know about it when he was on the border of Xuanfu?
Therefore, the general is the star in the sky sent down to earth by God to save the suffering people like us. And I am waiting to meet the general, follow the general to make achievements, make the world stable, and all the people are prosperous. This is really a blessing that I have cultivated in my previous life. "
"right!"
"exactly……"
(End of chapter)
