From Tanzhou to Youzhou, it was neither too close nor too far. It took about half a day to travel at full speed. Zhao Ying and his party did not need to be in such a hurry. They hurried on in a leisurely manner. The surrounding fields were open and unobstructed, but they did not expect anything to change midway. .
After noon, they found a place to rest under the shade of a tree. It was inconvenient to walk outside. Zhao Ying's diet was very simple. He only drank water, chewed two steamed buns slowly, ate a few slices of beef, then leaned against a tree trunk and closed his eyes to rest, feeling quite preoccupied. Kang Dingbian and others were all men in their prime, with huge appetites. They spread out the prepared oil paper bags, took out fried chicken, cooked goose, beef, etc., and wolfed down the cooking cakes and steamed buns. Staff Yang saw that Xia Yun and others only brought some. Dry food, invite them to build a gang together, don't be polite.
The afternoon sun was a bit lazy, shining through the branches and leaves on everyone. Kang Ding burped, smacked his lips and muttered: "If you drink a jar of wine and sleep well, even gods will not change it!" "
Staff Yang was thoughtful and said, "When we enter Youzhou City and settle down, I'll treat you all to a drink."
Kang Ding squinted his eyes and said, "I'm going to a big restaurant. Call a few more fans. If Lao Yang gets some blood, my brothers will be happy!"
Staff Yang smiled and said: "Commander Kang, don't worry, I will let you drink to your heart's content. I am afraid that if you drink too much, you will get stuck under the table and there will be no place to rest your face!"
"Scared, I will never get drunk on the table in eight lifetimes. Come on, come on, let's make a bet..." Kang Ding was chatting and laughing with Staff Yang in a low voice. They had a close friendship. Several guards with swords gathered around. On the side, his face became a little more lively, and the iron-blooded aura that killed people without blinking an eye was also a little lighter.
Xia Qian summoned a young and strong helper and ordered him to unload the tea box on his back, take out various utensils, light charcoal, put it on the small red clay stove, pour mountain spring water from the water bag, pour it into the Chozo, It was time to boil water and make tea without any delay. Zhao Ying couldn't help but laugh and said: "It's a busy schedule and everything should be kept simple. If we take a break, do we have to spend time and effort making tea?"
Xia Qian blinked and said: "Everything is practice, take a break from the busy work, keep everything out of your mind, and it will last forever. This is the spirit of tea. Before this, how could Mr. Zhao have the leisure to sit down and drink tea? It was just for socializing and quenching his thirst. That’s it!”
Zhao Ying thought for a while, nodded and said: "What you said makes sense, but not many people understand it. Okay, make a bowl of tea and give me a taste!"
Xia Qian ordered the gangsters who were doing rough work to retreat, concentrate their attention, and brew the tea with their own hands. The first bowl was given to Zhao Ying, the second bowl was given to his second brother Xia Yun, and the third bowl was taken from his usual tea cup to drink by himself. The powder was given to Yi Lian and others to quench their thirst.
The tea soup was green and fragrant. Zhao Ying blew it briefly and drank it in three sips. After all, he couldn't "not keep everything in his mind". He remembered that Staff Officer Yang once said that Xia Qian was the "mastermind" behind the Tianlong Gang. Your Excellency has appointed me the governor of Youzhou. Next, I will raise troops to respond to Weibo Town. Food, grass, soldiers, taxes and people's livelihood are all complicated. Weibo, Chengde, and Fanyang Towns have always advanced and retreated together. Qian Zhiwei has already When he gathered a large number of troops in Weizhou and Chanzhou, he would never let others slaughter him. Chengde Jiedushi Bi Zhigan also responded to him and marched towards Zhaozhou and Jizhou. Fanyang Town was in the north, separated by Chengde. The second town of Deweibo is still unable to fight for a while, but the emperor finally got the right to do it, and the border towns are not justified in resisting the imperial court. What do you think?"
Xia Qian was slightly startled, pointed at herself, and said cautiously: "Master Zhao, are you asking me?"
Zhao Ying said calmly: "Now we are grasshoppers on the same rope, we are in the same boat, and no one can do without the other. If Miss Xia has any good ideas, you might as well speak up, and listen to the secret and listen to the light. Can you protect yourself and take advantage of the situation? Now is the best opportunity.”
Speaking of this, it can be said that he spoke sincerely. Xia Qian played with the tea cup in his hand and said sternly: "This matter is not a trivial matter. If it affects the whole body, I dare to ask Mr. Zhao, since the three towns in Hebei are retreating together, how can we use Wei Bo's Jiedushi to make money?" With Zhiwei as the leader, does Qian Zhiwei want to settle down in a corner of the world, or should he aspire to dominate the Central Plains and change the dynasty?"
Zhao Ying's eyes lit up. Xia Qian's question was heart-wrenching, but it also hit the mark. He said categorically: "Qian Zhiwei is old. He has been held down by Deng Pu for decades. His ambition has long been exhausted. He The reason for raising the army is to advance before retreating. I just want to protect Weibo Town and pass the position of Jiedushi to my son safely."
Xia Qian said again: "Then I dare to ask Mr. Zhao, do you want to settle down in a corner, or do you want to aspire to the Central Plains and change the dynasty?"
Xia Yong was startled when she heard this. She couldn't help but look at the girl. She was secretly worried. It was just a matter of saying this in private. How could Zhao Ying be beaten in person and prevented from stepping down? But the words had been spoken, and it was hard to take them back. Zhao Ying couldn't fix it, whether he laughed it off or got furious. The world is in chaos, dragons and snakes are rising, and Xia Qian has been stubbornly looking for the "real dragon". Could it be that she thinks Zhao Ying is the one to end this troubled world?
Zhao Yingcheng's palace was quite deep, so he did not feel dissatisfied and asked: "How about a small corner of peace? What about aspiration to conquer the Central Plains?"
Xia Qian said: "If it's the former, you might as well wave the flag and build momentum, slowly plan for it, and make increasing your strength the first priority. If it's the latter, you have to move dangerously, suppress Zhao Hongtu's people, and bring Fanyang Town under control as soon as possible. Fan Yangzhen Tai Small, the three towns in Hebei are still too small, and small areas involve too much time and energy, and the gains outweigh the losses, so we must cut the knot with a sharp knife."
Zhao Ying fell into deep thought and thought for a long time before he said cautiously: "If I can aspire to the Central Plains and change the dynasty, I will use all the strength of the world to worship Mr. Yang, and I hope Miss Xia will not hesitate to help."
Xia Qian smiled and said: "Master Zhao values her husband so much, I will do my best to succeed."
Xia Yun suddenly realized that the person Zhao Ying really cared about was not his brother and sister, but the sheep guard who saw the dragon but never saw the end! The heaven and earth are forged, and everything is a chess piece. Without the support of the monks, the imperial hegemony will come to nothing. Zhao Ying will put all his chips on Yang Hu to win the slim chance of victory. Thinking of this, he can't help but With respect.
Zhao Ying looked at Xia Yun, then at Xia Qian, and said: "You two are both smart people, and I don't intend to hide it from you. I have two purposes in going to Youzhou. One is to use the old Tanzhou tribe as my team; To build a strong army, the second thing is to deal with one person, the eldest son and legitimate son of Lord Jiedushi, Zhao Hongtu."
Xia Yun and Xia Qian looked at each other and were not surprised. Anyone with a discerning eye could see clearly that if Zhao Ying wanted to succeed Fan Yang as military envoy, he had to remove Zhao Hongtu as a stumbling block. Zhao Ju originally valued his nephew, but he just recovered from a serious illness. After coming back from hell, his attitude towards his eldest son has changed a lot, and his attitude is ambiguous. Zhao Hongtu also showed his fangs to Zhao Ying under the instigation of the treacherous and sycophant. This time Qiu Chuanhe assassinated him midway, which is the best proof.
Zhao Ying has been planning for many years and will not sit still and wait for death. For Zhao Ju's sake, he may not kill him, but Zhao Hongtu's fate is already in danger.
