Zhang Xing looked back at the White Wolf Fort, which was still within sight. Over there, the flag of the Wei Dynasty was still ringing loudly in the winter wind. Then he looked at these armored bandits who suddenly appeared in the middle of the road and blocked the road behind them.
The trees, and the clearly visible steel crossbows behind the trees, made me let out a breath of white air.
His Royal Highness, Prince Qi, seemed a little confused. Besides, his self-righteous display of sharpness that day was only directed at Zhang Xing. He might have to pretend to be at a loss on weekdays.
Qin Bao, on the other hand, looked at Zhang Xing with some embarrassment.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Xing just looked at him in turn: "Didn't you have it when you came?"
"No." Qin Bao said something, but looked embarrassed. "When I came, although I had an explanation, the Holy Master had not left Taiyuan, and everyone thought there would be more words..."
Zhang Xing nodded, Qin Bao had already said this when they met.
The holy driver left Yunnei almost as if he was running away. Not to mention that the Guanfeng Hall had been burned down a long time ago, and he didn't even have a car. He just left early and stayed overnight, and hurriedly arrived in Taiyuan.
Then upon arriving at the place, they announced a new reward method, the so-called 1,500 honors plus 200 special honors. As a result, the five sergeants accompanying him were dissatisfied, and some officers even used Wei Chi's death as a reason.
, saying that there was a treacherous minister in the imperial court and wanted to kill Prime Minister Su Wei.
Although the matter was suppressed immediately, the court also immediately changed its statement, and the three thousand honors plus two hundred special honors were immediately transferred back to the Eastern Capital to let everyone go home to celebrate the New Year...
So far, the Forbidden Army has stopped the turmoil on the surface, but it is still causing trouble in private.
According to what they just learned from Bailangsai, Shengjia has left Taiyuan and returned south. Zhang Xing and others thought that the matter was at least under control on the surface, but now it seems that once something cracks,
The development of the matter may be far beyond everyone's imagination.
"Which army and branch do you belong to?"
Qin Bao waited for a while, and when he saw that King Qi and Zhang Xing were silent, he immediately rode forward and scolded severely. "Why are you wandering around here?"
A group of armored bandits looked at each other, and then a leader stepped forward proudly, showing a messy beard: "Which army and which unit do you belong to? If we are partners in the army, we can discuss it easily...but why?"
Not wearing armor?”
The accent is very strong, and he seems to be a local rather than a Kansai or Central Plains person.
"We are Fulongwei." Qin Bao responded seriously.
"What is Fulongwei, the Forbidden Army?" The bearded leader frowned on the spot.
"almost."
"Then I'm sorry." The leader sneered completely and said with relief. "The imperial army came over and ruined our place. They also attracted the Wu tribe and robbed everything in the north. As a result, I
We rescued you, we went to Taiyuan, received rewards, and happily returned to Dongdu to enjoy your blessings, but we were left here without even giving us a penny...one tael of silver each.
, I don’t want your horses, otherwise our twenty steel crossbows will not recognize you.”
"Is it the Fenyang Palace garrison, the Taiyuan garrison, or the rebel army that followed King Qi in Taiyuan?" Zhang Xing suddenly reined in his horse and came forward to ask.
The man was startled for a moment, but he still responded: "We are the Taiyuan Rebels."
"Why didn't the Taiyuan rebels follow the Holy Master back to Taiyuan?" Qin Bao interrupted in surprise.
"We stayed after passing Bailangsai. There must be someone guarding the road, right?" The man sneered, but still added a little bit. "Actually, we should go back to Taiyuan, but we just don't want to go back and want to do business without capital.
…”
Qin Bao wanted to speak again, but Zhang Xing nodded directly and continued to ask: "So, in fact, the Holy Master left directly without any reward for the reinforcements from Jin?"
"What else can we do?" The man seemed to realize something. After answering, he immediately turned around and asked behind him. "What exactly is Fulongwei?"
"It's all the fault of His Highness." Zhang Xing turned around and spoke to the King of Qi, his words were sincere and his voice was loud. "If Taiyuan is still here, at least it can be separated from the number of honorary titles... As a result, because
Your Highness cannot win the trust of your father, and he has actually implicated so many people... In the dead of winter, Your Highness cannot abandon them like this, otherwise not only will they be destined to become thieves, but the surrounding area will also be harmed by them."
Cao Ming hesitated to speak, but under the gaze of other Fulong Guards, he could only remain silent.
But Zhang Xing didn't care at all, and directly rode his horse forward a few steps, then turned his horse slightly to get out of the way, and then pointed his riding whip at the King of Qi in front of the obviously panicked soldiers:
"Brothers from Taiyuan, the one behind you is His Highness King Qi who led you before... You all ended up today just because His Highness was supervising the army in the north and no one made the decision for you... But now that His Highness is back, the brothers from Taiyuan will
There is a way to survive. Your Highness is back, and the land of Jin will be at peace! Come here together and pay homage to King Qi. Not only can you be exempted from guilt, but you can also let King Qi take you to collect rewards! Isn't it wonderful?"
Cao Ming was stunned and choked on the spot and coughed twice.
But the armored highwaymen started to stir up excitement, and then there were chaotic inquiries and noisy discussions. In the process, the crossbow machine that had been placed behind the big tree blocking the road was obviously put away.
After a while, the leader actually believed it, threw down his weapon, and said he would come forward to see and verify.
Zhang Xing also quickly turned around and led them to see King Qi at the back of the team.
"Don't harm me!" Cao Ming was furious as he looked at Zhang Xing coming towards him.
"It was His Highness who harmed them first." Zhang Xingyi spoke righteously. "Your Highness, how come you are so irresponsible?"
The Fulong Guards all immediately came to look. The bearded leader glanced at Cao Ming, then at Zhang Xing, and even flinched for a moment.
Cao Ming still wants to talk.
Zhang Xing got even more serious: "The saint has given up on them, will King Qi abandon them again? Besides, what else does your highness have to lose? Even if you have no responsibility, don't you even have a conscience?"
Cao Ming was even more stunned, but when the bearded leader heard this, he couldn't bear it anymore, but he immediately stepped forward, pretended to look at it for a few times, and then knelt down in front of the horse and cried, telling all about what happened to King Qin this time.
unfair.
According to this person, they were fine when they went north with King Qi at first, but after they came back, they were thrown here and immediately encountered complete disregard - in the mess, the white wolf stuffed them all to the north.
The governor of the state was under unified command and didn't care about them at all, and Taiyuan never gave orders behind him.
I stayed here for two days, originally expecting a reward, but suddenly I heard from people coming and going that the Holy Master had left, and then I learned that the rewards handed down from the previous siege of the city were invalid, and only the Forbidden Army had those honorary positions.
, they have no share in the Taiyuan garrison at all.
Not to mention that, they were preparing to return to Taiyuan, but only three to five days after leaving, they met other soldiers of King Qin who had scattered on the way. They all said that the imperial army had emptied Taiyuan's treasury before leaving, and they lost all their gold and silver.
Not a trace of silk was left.
Moreover, the county magistrate got into a quarrel with the other leaders of the Taiyuan garrison and locked up the city to prevent the garrison from entering.
When they arrived at Loufan Pass, it was indeed said that they were allowed out but not allowed in... So they were completely panicked and didn't know where they were going. So they turned back, but it was freezing cold and there was no one to supplement the logistics, so they simply looted.
"Taiyuan is the capital of Tangtang. A county magistrate can't handle the military affairs well, especially when many sergeants are outside the county. It is even more incompetent, which is normal." Zhang Xing sighed. "But there is a problem...why didn't he set up the military when the emperor left?
A temporary Taiyuan stay-at-home?"
"What do you think?" King Qi asked bravely.
"It was not necessary at the beginning... After the incident between the Ma family and his son and the eldest princess, the saint was a little shy... But more importantly, the saint was in Jin at that time, and the saint could decide everything in Taiyuan.
Unfortunately, there are also my husband-in-law and you, His Highness, and the other two husband-in-law who have come to accompany us after handling the funeral."
Zhang Xing analyzed carefully.
"But soon there was a surprise attack by Dulan Khan. This was something no one expected. So it was your Highness's turn to actually make the decision due to fate. After coming back, the failure to arrive as promised in advance caused instability in the Forbidden Army, which made the saint unable to
Instead of returning to the Eastern Capital immediately to appease the imperial army, it is possible that the saint himself missed something at this time... However, from above, the governors did not remind the saint, or the people below did not report the situation of the Taiyuan garrison.
It’s hard to imagine giving it to senior officials.”
"So?" King Qi was still a little confused.
"So." Zhang Xing's tone became more sincere. "This is a traitor in the imperial court! Your Highness, don't go back to the Eastern Capital. Go to Taiyuan, gather the Taiyuan troops, and take supplies from Fenyang Palace to appease them."
Rewards, and then find His Highness’s mentor Zhang Fuzi to come forward, and then write to the emperor’s uncle in Jing’antai to explain his helplessness, and ask them to seek justice for everyone from Dongdu.”
Everyone below the King of Qi, including Qin Bao and other Fulong Guards, as well as the bearded military bandit, were all stunned.
"If this is the case, we are willing to follow King Qi!" Unexpectedly, it was the bearded military bandit on the ground who was the first to respond. "People were scattered all over the ground. They said that from the White Wolf to the front of Taiyuan City, everyone
Yes, but I am familiar with the place and the people, and with just a word from His Highness, I can bring them all to His Highness the King of Qi!"
Qin Bao opened his mouth but was speechless for a moment.
"Don't harm me!" But almost the next moment, King Qi scolded him sternly. "Zhang Xing, what's your plan?! You...didn't I tell you everything? That's Junfu! I...
…you……"
"What is Your Highness thinking?" Zhang Xing's words became more sincere. "How can I harm Your Highness? Where is my idea?"
"It's useless." Cao Ming almost begged, "Zhang Xing, you don't understand, that can't be done... Youzhou Governor's Mansion has strong soldiers and horses, and behind him, the Eastern Capital Army has gathered, Guanzhong...
…”
"Guanzhong has just abolished the five general administration offices." Zhang Xing quickly added. "Wei Shangshu has just died, and there will be a turmoil in the court. Maybe Zhongcheng will be furious."
"But if I stop in Taiyuan against the imperial edict, I will be the biggest trouble. Not to mention the emperor and Master Zhang will not be swayed so easily." Cao Ming sighed. "They are great masters, and the towers of great masters are Xun.
Standing by the Tao, I dare not say that my heart is as strong as steel, but they have reached this point and will never repeat themselves and become rebellious officials and traitors... Your tricks cannot be hidden from the world."
Zhang Xing sneered and nodded again: "It's just that the lower official is naive."
Cao Ming was relieved for a moment.
Then, Zhang Xingfu came to look at the bearded military thief on the ground again: "I'm sorry, Your Excellency, but you have also seen that His Highness the King of Qi, like the imperial court, does not want to be with you anymore."
When the previously majestic thief leader heard these words, he was neither furious nor sneered. He actually fell down on the ground and wiped his tears. The tears fell and left two black lines on his gray face.
Cao Ming felt as if he was sitting on pins and needles on the horse.
The leader of the thieves cried twice, stood up, and sighed: "That's all, I also believe that he is the real King of Qi. It is quite rare for such a noble person to be willing to say a few words to me, and listen.
His Highness also wants to make things difficult for himself, how can we still force His Highness to do things? I will call for people to make way, please go away!"
Cao Ming could only cover his face.
After a while, the road opened and everyone ran past as if they were fleeing. The fastest one was King Qi.
Zhang Xing, on the other hand, rode by in a leisurely manner, carefully looking at the regular soldiers along the way. After passing this section of the road, he even stopped and turned back to ask those people:
"Why do you want to go to Bailangsai to rob? Why don't you go to the surrounding areas of Taiyuan? That's where the wealth is, right?"
"What is this guy thinking?" Someone immediately raised his voice to refute. "The rabbit won't eat the grass next to the nest... If he really did this on the edge of Taiyuan, would he be able to go back in the future? Haha, this place is the original military order.
Point to the place."
Zhang Xing nodded and wanted to leave, but then turned back: "Do you have all your winter clothes?"
"I brought them with me from Taiyuan before." Someone else agreed quietly. "The prince doesn't care about us, so why does this guy ask these questions?"
"Have you eaten enough?" Zhang Xing continued to ask.
"There are still a few days left." The bearded bandit leader finally caught up. "What do you want to do?"
"It's nothing." Zhang Xing sighed. "We all have knives and are all strong men. It's impossible for anyone to starve you... Don't do anything bad. After a while, there is really no answer. Take a side road to take a detour.
Just go to the building and go home to celebrate the New Year... then use these armors and steel crossbows to serve as a security team, and the folks in the countryside will only be grateful to you."
The others looked at each other in shock, but the bearded bandit leader was startled, and asked in turn: "Have you decided that the court really doesn't care about us? Just abandon the whole group like this?"
"Not necessarily... who knows?" Zhang Xing shook his head and slightly cupped his hands. "Zhang Xing, Northland, we will meet again if we are destined."
With that said, he immediately rode away to chase King Qi.
In this way, the team continued to gallop south. Within a few days, they crossed Loufan Pass and continued south. At the same time, more and more rebel soldiers and refugees appeared on the road. The cities along the way often refused to accept them, and soldiers were everywhere.
Soldiers, bandits, and chaos.
Perhaps he felt guilty that when he left the building that day, His Highness King Qi did not go to Fenyang Palace and took the Fenshui Road, which was destined to have the most rebels and refugees. Instead, he said nothing and chose to go south along the Hutuo River, turn to Xiurong, and cross the river.
From Zhoushan, I took a relatively small road heading south.
But on this day, when they saw that they had arrived in Taiyuan and turned around a mountain pass, everyone was completely shocked because they were robbed again, and behind the robbers, there was a building that had been burned down for a small part but was re-military.
ized village.
"Look, we all seem to be in military robes. For one tael of silver each, we are allowed to pass." The bandit leader was wearing a dirty Mingguang armor. Behind him were people wearing armor and holding military standard weapons, and there were also some people wrapped in armor.
Flower jacket, holding an iron fork and the like. "Otherwise, our dozen or so steel crossbows are not afraid of you."
"What if I want to join the gang?"
Qin Bao, King Qi and other Fulong Guards came to see Zhang Xing again. Zhang Xing sighed, got off the horse, left the scimitar and the sheathless sword on the horse, and walked up with empty hands. "The court threw us to the north.
No matter, we came back through a small road."
"You guys also want to join the gang?" The bandit leader frowned. "It's not impossible, but you have to hand over your name!"
"Okay." Zhang Xing nodded, walked to a position seven or eight steps away from the other party, and still faced him with his bare hands. "What should I say?"
"There is actually half a village in the col above. There is a bullshit hero nicknamed Breaking Wave Knife. He is also a rebel of this wave of King Qin and a local. But even if he is not enlightened, Taiyuan will not allow us to enter. He also brought
With seven or eight people, they refused to follow us, and insisted on protecting the village above. That man was very powerful... We pretended to be an officer and killed him, and then we gave him a second boss. If we kill him
It's not impossible to lead him under our powerful crossbow, but he can only be given to a third-in-command." The bandit leader seems to be quite particular.
"According to our rules in the north, we shake hands and make a promise." Zhang Xing stretched out his hand and responded sincerely. "It's a deal."
The man opposite was startled for a moment, nodded, and turned around to smile: "He is still a fastidious person...but I like it. Saints are not fastidious, so we must be fastidious too!"
After saying that, he directly threw down his weapon and walked forward with his head held high. When he met Zhang Xing, the two pairs of powerful hands were tightly held together in an instant.
The next moment, the surroundings of the two people were filled with cold air, and dripping water turned into ice, which seemed to indicate that the twelfth lunar month was approaching.
