The night was dull and the spring breeze was blowing. Standing at the north side of Zhouqiao Market, Zhang Xing settled down and just chatted with Sima Zheng.
It was really just gossip. The two started talking about old things in Dongdu, all the way to the incident in Gushui that day, and then what happened after they separated.
Fortunately, Zhang Xing's place is mostly about some well-known rebellion processes. The court keeps track of every account, and sooner or later it will have to draw up a list. But with Sima Zheng, it is inevitable that a political subject will actually be
The loss of people's hearts, political divisions, and personnel conflicts caused by the sudden capital move became clear one by one.
"When he arrived in Jiangdu, the saint was obviously much more at ease. After all, it was his hometown where he had stayed for many years. However, the palace was empty and everything needed to be purchased and enriched. The accompanying soldiers and horses could also rely on the logistics and logistics left by the previous South Route Army in Xuzhou and Jiangdu.
Station, but the cost of accompanying civil and military personnel is quite a lot..."
"There's a lot of competition for important jobs, right?" Zhang Xing asked jokingly.
"Taoist priests have many temples and few temples to visit, what else can they do?"
"The local power in Jiangdong has surged?"
"A big rise is inevitable, but it is still far inferior to Guanlong. Except for a few descendants and old people recruited by the former saints when they were in Jiangdu, there are not many people who have entered the palace..."
"Have the people of Jiangdong increased the levy?"
"yes."
"If things go on like this, no bones will be given to you from above, and the oppression from below will become increasingly severe. Even if Jiangdong is right under Jiangdu's nose, he will definitely rebel again."
"..."
"What's wrong?"
"It's already been reversed... But there were some problems in Yongjia, Jian'an and Luling, Jiangxi."
"Then we can't just ignore it, right? So when the two masters were in the east, they were on a business trip to quell the rebellion, but when they arrived in Jiangdu, they still went to other places to quell the rebellion? Since it was a rebellion in the south, there must be some talk of the True Fire Sect... Is the saint feeling uneasy?"
"Yes, right..."
"Then let me ask an unnecessary question." Zhang Xing suddenly became serious. "With so many masters in the court, it's impossible not to send someone to Xuzhou, right? Do you look down on us, the Deposed Dragon Gang, so much?"
Sima Zheng was silent for a while and pointed at himself.
Zhang Xing understood, and then laughed: "If this is the case, I will really be ready to run away."
Sima Zheng also laughed: "It's just a Cheng Dan, not to mention you also have Xiong Bonan... But you should also know that Zhang Changgong went to Qi County, right?"
"Prefect of Lu County, even if I didn't know it before, I know it now." He still said casually, but his heart was already sinking with his head wide open.
To put it bluntly, it is assumed that Bai Yousi came, together with Xiong Bonan, and barely managed to beat the master level of cultivation. However, Sima Zhengtong Army came over, restrained military discipline, and majestically crushed him and the deposed dragon with the elite army.
I'm afraid it's unreasonable to help.
Even Wang Zhen, Lu Changheng and Wang Gonggong...
Even if the other party came here to reminisce about old times, I'm afraid he didn't just come to express his feelings and talk about his old stories in Jiangdu.
Sima is a decent man. A decent man can be bullied, but you cannot expect him to be lenient to others. When such a man is suppressed by his majestic formation and absolute strength, it will make you powerless.
The other party was simply trying to persuade me to leave because of their past friendship, nothing more.
And Zhang Xing had to admit that if the other party brought troops, he would be a mantis, because this was what he was most worried about. There was actually a heroic figure in the army, a selfless kind, who wanted to lead the troops.
.
At that time, let alone attacking him directly, as long as he cooperates with Zhang Xuguo and even directly joins the army to sweep across the eastern border, the so-called five and six counties of the Deposed Dragon Gang will be wiped out immediately, and he will
Isn't it a foregone conclusion to leave in a hurry?
"Zhang Sanlang hasn't condensed the elixir yet, has he?" Sima Zheng continued to ask, as if he had something to say.
"No." Zhang Xingyi said. "I have access to all eight meridians, and my Qi control has reached a higher level. I can even use my abundant Qi to connect others to form formations, but it has never been as good as those people said.
, the so-called Dantian generates a pill, which can form its own breath, just like the ebb and flow of the true energy in the formation when forming a formation."
"It also takes an opportunity to condense the elixir." Sima Erlong gave serious instructions. "Looking back now, the so-called path of cultivation is basically a process of cultivating one's body and integrating the Tao. Reaching the elixir condensation is an obvious threshold... Condensing elixir and becoming elixir,
Because of the difference in strength, it is divided into two paths, but in fact, the difference between feeling external objects and visualizing on your own is all about polishing the energy of heaven and earth condensed by oneself in the Dantian. "
Zhang Xing suddenly realized.
The so-called Dan Condensation stage is about passive visualization, while the Formation stage is about active visualization. It is just because of the difference in strength and the fact that visualization is too limiting for people, so they are divided into layers.
"Then..." As soon as he thought of this, Zhang Xing wanted to ask.
"That's right, when I'm in your position, I can condense the elixir at any time. As long as there is a slight progress in my mood, or even if I calm down, I can't help but move forward." At this point, Sima Zheng slowed down a little. "And I won't hide it.
Once you condense the elixir, you will have your own capital in this world. When the time comes, you can form a formation to offset the benefits of the elixir. In fact, from a theoretical point of view, you are not afraid of the elixir master."
"Logically speaking." Zhang Xing lowered his head and smiled again.
"Yes... after all, there is always someone who is caught off guard by a sudden attack and is helpless when the energy is insufficient." Sima Zhengming knew that the other party had already understood what he meant due to his intelligence, but he still took the initiative to remind him. "But on the other hand,
Without Condensation Pill, even if you enter the formation empty-handedly, you will not be an opponent of a master of the Chengdan realm, let alone one who is in the realm of the Chengdan realm."
Under the light, Zhang Xing raised his head, revealing a pair of black eyes, stared at the other person seriously for a while, and then smiled again:
"Sima Erlang, you are really a hero!"
"How can you be called a hero?" Sima Zheng awkwardly avoided the other party's gaze. "As a minister, you cannot prevent the emperor from destroying the world; as a grandson, you cannot save your grandfather from his evil ways; as a nephew, you cannot persuade your father and uncle to go astray; and as a general, you cannot
Let your subordinates feel at ease...Twenty-six or seven will accomplish nothing."
"Rely on the strong but not bully the weak, hold yourself high but never be arrogant, never abandon the right in every situation... Even a treacherous thief like me can be completely benevolent." Zhang Xing put away his smile, stared at the other party and spoke seriously. "
To be honest, I don’t admire many people. Many people are better than me in certain aspects, but they are just more fearful, more vigilant, and more shy. You, Sima Erlang, is someone I rarely admire from the bottom of my heart."
Sima Zheng was silent for a moment, and finally smiled bitterly: "Let's not flatter each other. That's it. I'd better go back overnight... I hope you can take care of yourself."
Zhang Xing nodded, stood up and made a gesture of invitation: "I understand what Sima Erlang means, and I will consider it sincerely. Erlang can do whatever he wants."
Sima Zheng didn't show any pretense, he stood up and handed over his hands, then opened the door and left. After a moment, the spring breeze moved slightly around him, and the night was peaceful, as if no one had ever been here.
There was no words spoken that night, and the next day, the prince and his father-in-law took their leave first. After Zhang Xing waited for him to leave, he also left Beiqiao City, where the market was still going, and invited Du Pozhen and his party to continue north to Jiyin.
Let's say that not long after leaving Zhouqiao, Du Pozhen, who felt half a stone in his heart, became slightly more excited. And that evening, everyone hurriedly crossed Zhouqiao County and arrived outside Jiyin City. Under the setting sun, in a small
Standing on the slope for a while, you can see the long acres in front of you, like a chessboard, with endless green colors, and the Jishui River is like a jade belt running across it, but it also leads to a city, towering between heaven and earth.
Looking over it, it is really refreshing.
"In the past, it could be said that the timing of the market was coincidental, but now I have to be convinced...Brother Zhang San is very capable." Du Pozhen said sincerely.
Zhang Xing looked at the scenery and was a little touched, but he asked out of curiosity: "Is there any on the Jianghuai side? The Huaiyou League is watching over it, and there are no rebels, so there won't be any trouble in the fields, right?"
"Of course there is, but it's not as good as before..." Du Pozhen responded seriously. "There are too many plows. How can the land that is taken care of be the same as the land that is not taken care of? At a glance, it is mottled.
It’s like it’s rusty.”
Zhang Xing thought about it for a while, but was still puzzled: "If we abandon the plowing, will the government not care about it? This is just to grant land..."
"The officials are all thinking about how to curry favor with the emperor of Jiangdu!" Wang Xiongdan couldn't help but interjected. "How can you care about the following?"
"That's right!" Ma Ping'er seemed to be freed from yesterday's dull atmosphere and became a little more lively. "Zhang Longtou didn't know that when the emperor arrived in Jiangdu, some people said that the inventory was insufficient and taxation was difficult, so he promised to be more diligent and frugal.
As a result, when people from the lower counties sent tributes, whoever sent more gifts would be promoted... There was a county magistrate under Qiao County who was directly promoted to the county magistrate in the south because he sent a good cook and a wide variety of ingredients."
"A dog can't change its habit of eating shit." Zhang Xing commented sincerely.
The people around looked at each other, and then the people from the Deposed Dragon Gang nodded first, and then the people from the Huaiyou League couldn't hold it back and nodded in agreement.
They also realized that once they got here, they no longer had to worry about the superficial things.
"But why don't the people nearby plant it?" Xiao Zhou raised another question at the right time.
"Leader Zhou, please don't forget why some people abandon their farming and wasteland...Aren't they worried that they won't be able to survive even if they farm?" The atmosphere relaxed, and people like Kan Leng also joined the conversation at the right time. "Actually, other things
Ordinary people, even if they have not abandoned their farming, will still have various concerns, and may even worry that the government will assign the taxes of their escaped neighbors to their own families."
"I actually asked the gang to plant some wasteland, but I found out too late and didn't plant much... Huaiyou League is also in troubled times now." Du Pozhen seemed to be complaining in his tone.
But Zhang Xing seemed to turn a deaf ear and just stood there, staring at the scenery in front of him in a daze.
"Brother Du, do you know what I'm thinking?" After a while, Zhang Xing finally came back to his senses and saw several riders approaching, as if they were coming from the city to greet him, and turned to look at Du Po Formation.
"What?" Du Pozhen was inexplicably nervous.
"I just thought, if the rebellion in Jiangdong is true, and the strike in Guanzhong is also true, could it be that the land of Xisan County, where the Dragon Gang was deposed, really created the best place of peace and tranquility in the world today?
Zhang Xing asked with a sneer. "At least for farmers."
"I don't know where it is, but the virtues of the Deposed Dragon Gang are well-known in Jianghuai." Du Pozhen was silent for a moment, and then told the truth. "People in Huaibei and Huaixi want to rebel, and they are getting more and more impatient.
, Brother Zhang San, you are indispensable... If I say that what I said to you An Tianxia before was just a mockery, now you have gained some prestige, don't say you have never seen heroes coming to join you."
Zhang Xing responded slowly: "The Wei Dynasty will surely perish, but I may not be the one who brings peace to the world."
"This is an honest statement." Du Pozhen's heart moved slightly. "But now, you and the Deposed Dragon Gang are the ones who are at the forefront after all. To eradicate the violent Wei and stabilize the world... this is mine.
An honest word."
By this time, the surrounding leaders and subordinates, as well as those who had different views on Zhang Xing, had already realized that the topic was not something they could get involved in, and they all just looked at these two people with complicated thoughts.
Because I don’t know when these two people started, they were really giving advice.
And no one doubts that the words spoken by these two people are pertinent and honest.
Thinking about it, two years ago, Du Pozhen was still a sheep thief in the Eastern Territory, and Zhang Xing was just a white-sanded person. It really seems like a world away.
Zhang Xing was silent for a long time, and then slowly spoke again: "But didn't Brother Du also say that? Who knows what else will happen this time next year?"
"One code is one code, one year counts." Du Pozhen disagreed at this time. "Even if there are no more people occupying the city next year, and they have all been messed up by the soldiers, the territory of your Deposed Dragon Gang will also be destroyed."
It’s the first time.”
Zhang Xing smiled, and then suddenly said seriously: "Boss Du is right!"
Du broke the formation and wanted to laugh with him.
"Do you know why I asked them to plant millet?" Zhang Xing suddenly asked again, and then answered by himself without waiting for the other party to speak. "Because millet lasts, it is inevitable that the world will become more and more chaotic. In this case, we can harvest a
A pound is a pound, but if a pound of millet is saved for one more year, one more person can live."
Du Pozhen scanned the green field in front of him again, but it was just a sweep. He who had been maintaining the attitude of the leader of the Huaiyou Alliance suddenly changed his face and lost his composure on the spot.
Another person who was obviously moved was Ma Sheng, who had been silent since arriving yesterday, but even he didn't react as big as Du Po Zhen.
The reason couldn't be simpler, because both of them were keenly aware that what Zhang Xing said was true, and realized that the big dragon leader had really thought of this level, but Du Pozhen had really been hungry for many days.
"Ask another question to Boss Du." Zhang Xing waited for a while and then asked with a smile. "Believe it or not, in this situation, I was just doing it in a casual way. Although I was serious, I was doing it perfunctorily.
As a result of these things... I didn't really put all my efforts into rebellion, and I didn't really put in all my efforts into settling the world... In other words, do you believe it or not, I can't do any better?"
As soon as he said this, the silence behind him became even louder, and the sound of hoofbeats and whistles from the dozens of horses approaching in front became more apparent.
Du Pozhen looked at Zhang Xing and slowly shook his head: "I don't believe it."
Zhang Xing nodded: "If this is the case, even if I want Brother Du to believe this code, I can't give up easily... I can hold on for a day, and I can do a little bit."
"It should be like this." Du Pozhen was puzzled. "Even if we can't withstand such a huge inheritance, we should hold on until the end, and we should do our best. If we can save one more brother, we are a brother."
Zhang Xing nodded repeatedly, ignoring Yan Qing and others who were waiting in front of the small slope, and then turned their horses and walked out to the side of the field ridge.
After walking more than ten steps, just as the people behind him were hesitating whether to mount their horses and follow, Zhang Dalong suddenly turned back: "Xiao Zhou and Brother Du are coming together. Others are not allowed to come over and are not allowed to eavesdrop."
Yan Qing and Zhang Jinshu each reacted and ordered their subordinates to line up in two rows to block and isolate. However, the Taibao of the Huaiyou League were nervous, and Kan Leng did not hesitate and rode to follow. On the contrary, Du broke the formation and could not
Taking this into consideration, he waved his hand and asked the adopted sons to calm down for a while, then rode forward directly with Zhou Xingfan.
After walking another hundred or so steps, the three of them stopped at a path where fields intersected, and handed over to Malayan.
"The general sent from the Xuzhou camp has been decided, and he is Sima Zheng." Zhang Xing told an understatement, which was actually an extremely scary thing. "This is why I have been feeling a little depressed today."
Of course, Du Pozhen and Zhou Xingfan woke up almost instantly and raised their heads. Xiao Zhou's horse was even startled and neighed on the spot.
"If he is allowed to lead the army over, whether he goes directly north to join forces with Zhang Xuguo in Qi County, or fights step by step and goes through Qiao County, enters Liang County, and comes to Jiyin, we will definitely be defeated." Zhang Xing said firmly.
"So, after I thought about it, I must take action now and get Jiangdu to change its tune before the war begins...Change the generals on the spot! At the very least, Sima Zheng cannot leave Xuzhou!"
"What do third brothers mean?" Zhou Xingfan's face turned pale. "Are you going to use countermeasures?"
"That's right." Zhang Xing's expression remained unchanged. "We must take a preemptive strike, avoid the real situation, and use counterintuitive tactics to deal with him... I want you, Xiao Zhou, to return to Huaishang with Brother Du tomorrow, and take the gold, silver, and jewelry with you.
I used Xiao Zhou's familiarity with Xuzhou's high-level officials in Jiangdu, and the manpower and diffusion power of the Huaiyou League to spread rumors and bribe officials. I used the robbed Ziwei Palace treasures to drive Sima Zheng back. Specifically, who was bribed to provoke whom?
You decide for yourself. I only have one theory here about rumors. It is just a commonplace. It is that the emperor once had a dream about a three-horse trough. This is true. The death of Grandpa Sima Zheng is related to it. You can watch and deal with it.
.”
At this point, even though Zhang Xingping always boasted of his righteousness and a higher position, he couldn't help but sigh: "Sima Zheng has been extremely kind and righteous to me. Although I am not a good person, I am a little embarrassed to be able to do this..."
After Zhang Xing's words, Zhou Xingfan gasped and nodded repeatedly. In the end, he was just a little startled and immediately responded: "Third brother is doing something righteous, why do you need to act like a child? This matter is not to protect yourself.
Third brother of the common people, you are more magnanimous. Could it be that you are helping Sima Zheng, who is a pawn of the shit-eater who can't change, to occupy your rightful position? I will do this, and I will try my best to make it happen! And third brother doesn't have to worry about my safety.
, at worst, if he comes to Zhan'er's house and runs away, I'll see if he has the nerve to kill me Meishang! It's just the result of being under house arrest!"
The matter was serious, Xiao Zhou spoke fiercely, Zhang Xing just nodded, and then immediately looked at Du Po Zhen: "Brother Du, the current situation is that if you violently attack Wei, you will die. This is what people like us who know the life of the poor can tell.
The one thing we know is also something we know better than those condescending people...right?"
Du Pozhen tightened the reins with his calloused hands, and then nodded slowly.
"Based on this, I have an argument." Zhang Xing hurriedly came to speak. "Although your Huaiyou League dare not rebel due to the situation, in fact, people in the north, south, east, and west are increasingly separated, and there is a faint tendency to split... If
When the situation between the army and the army deteriorates, you can just go with the flow and support the general trend of the world. But if you let a gentleman like Sima Zheng, who leads the troops rigorously, sweep across Huaibei, I am afraid that this division will only intensify.
The alliance cannot be maintained, let alone others... In a word, if our Deposed Dragon Gang can survive this wave, it will do more good than harm to you."
"I understand." Du Pozhen thought for a long time and seemed to be struggling slightly, but he still gritted his teeth and agreed. "I will risk going back tomorrow and do my best to arrange it for you."
Zhang Xing finally nodded.
Just like that, Jiyin City was right in front of him, and the compass could be touched tonight. However, Zhang Xing only made a brief decision outside the city and determined to take action immediately and use all means to deal with the suppression of the imperial court.
After arranging this matter, Zhang Xing finally decided to enter the city.
Of course, it was inevitable that Yan Qing would come over and without any time to worry about anything else, he directly reported an urgent military situation in a low voice:
"Third brother, in Jibei County, Wang Wuye was reluctant to withdraw his troops and abandon the ground easily. His troops lingered around, but Zhang Xuguo found him. He won five battles and five victories in five days. From the first battle, he pursued but did not kill.
, punched through Jibei, and Wang Wuye was also defeated... The messengers couldn't run as fast as the defeated troops."
"I got it." Zhang Xing had no expression on his face, nodded directly, and then rode off to Jiyin City.
Yan Qing could only admire his third brother's determination.
PS: I was grateful when I saw Master Liuliqin’s reward, but at the same time I was a little frightened. After thinking about it, I decided to just say this, as a report... I spent the whole day in Chengdu, and I was constantly driving around in special cars to do all kinds of paperwork.
But in the end, I got my marriage certificate smoothly. It was just getting the certificate without any trouble. I hope to go back soon, return to a peaceful life, and write the words well.
Thank you all in advance for your blessings and your long-term support. I will do my best to code in the future.