On a summer morning, with mist lingering on the river, here on the porch of the public house at Sikou Pass, three groups of people, plus many leaders and officials from the East, were having a routine meal on the porch before they were about to separate.
Let’s also say that dining in public halls is a system that has been inherited from the Zhou Dynasty. It is very common in the army and in all yamen in Dongdu. It is regarded as the basic welfare of serving as a soldier. The so-called eating at official’s house is also said to be from this. It is said that in Liang County,
The reason why Governor Niu was beheaded by Zhang Longtou was because he had deprived Fulongwei of a meal on the porch when he was in the Eastern Capital, and was resented by Zhang Longtou and Wang Zhen.
The joke is naturally a joke, but it also shows how much ordinary officials and officials attach great importance to dining under the porch.
As for helping here, it was probably because a large number of local officials and public facilities in the Wei Dynasty were preserved from the beginning, so this system was continued early and further deepened - because of Zhang Xing's own persistence and habits, various chief officials
, the leaders followed suit, and often participated in the meals on the porch, and developed the habit of discussing politics before and after meals.
In fact, there is a saying here, called Langxia Wuji, which means that if you say something that is difficult to say, dare not say, or have no chance to say at ordinary times, you will be forgiven by your superiors and colleagues if you say it at this time.
You can also use it to blow the wind and observe the movement.
Turning back to the present, the atmosphere at the terrace meal this morning was inexplicably tense.
Without him, Zhang Da Longtou angrily scolded Leader Xu Da last night. Although he excluded others, how big can the public housing area in the ferry be? Zhang Longtou did not deliberately hide it, and he didn't seem to have the ability to use his true energy to cover it up, so the rumors were somewhat spread.
Especially the surrounding core personnel and those with advanced cultivation know it very well.
"Let me tell you the truth, there is a person here who is completely dishonorable. If we don't deal with him, it will be difficult for us to achieve great things."
Just when everyone was cautious, fearing that something might happen, Zhang Xing, the leader of the left wing who was sitting in the middle, suddenly put down the half-eaten pancake in his hand and opened his mouth. What he said made everyone stop in the corridor in shock.
meal.
Sitting under the corridor of the main hall on both sides of Zhang Xing are Wei Xuanding, Xiong Bonan, Chai Xiaohe, Bing Yuanzheng, Zheng Detao, Chen Bin, Cui Suchen, Xie Minghe, Yan Qing, Zhang Jinshu, Dou Lide, Xu Shiying, Lu Dayue.
The thirteen leaders had different reactions and expressions. They all turned to look at Zhang Xing who was speaking, and their faces became tense.
Opposite and on both sides of them, many officials from the north and south, clerks, accompanying guards, local rudders, and deputy rudders all looked up in surprise. However, after saying this, Chief Zhang didn't say anything more and just continued to lower his head.
During the meal, he ate his own fried cakes and drank his own millet porridge openly, as if he had no idea what earth-shattering words he had just said.
When this happened, the big leaders beside Zhang Xing almost instinctively looked at Xu Shiying. At this moment, the rest of the middle and lower levels of the gang present also looked at Xu Shiying as if they were suddenly aware of it.
Xu Shiying's face didn't look good either, and she even looked obviously stunned and panicked.
The atmosphere was tense to the extreme.
After a long while, Xiong Bonan came to ask seriously: "Longtou, who are you talking about?"
"There are too many things to say in the corridor." Zhang Xing laughed while holding only two mouthfuls of millet porridge. "If you really want to deal with someone, you must find out with your own eyes, prove the crime, and then deal with it..."
Xiong Bonan frowned slightly, instinctively wanting to argue, but he didn't know where to start, especially since Xu Shiying was his brother-in-law. However, the other leaders around him also reacted at this time, quite a bit.
People are ready to ask questions or have discussions.
At this moment, Zhang Xing finished the millet porridge in one gulp and gave serious instructions: "From today on, the big leader Xu Shiying will accompany me. You are not allowed to leave without my words."
This is almost a roll call plus semi-house arrest.
After saying this, Zhang Dalongtou simply stood up and said, "We are busy with official duties, so everyone set off quickly and don't delay the business."
He left without giving the others a chance to "talk in the hallway".
Looking at the back of the leader, there were countless people from Lu Dayue to Zheng Detao who turned pale with fear.
A small incident in the corridor has a huge impact.
It should be noted that the summer is hot, Hebei is slightly peaceful, Zhang Xing, Wei Xuan
The three men, Xiong Bonan and Xiong Bonan led the Hebei permanent team south. Of course, they were not to engage in any series of connections or political preparatory activities, but as leaders, chiefs, and big leaders in charge of military discipline and rules, they came out to inspect the local area on a routine basis.
, inspection work, nothing more.
However, everyone else, from the direct subordinates who accompanied Zhang Xing to the people who greeted him, including the leader who was ferrying him around, seemed to have some misunderstandings, as if they believed that Zhang Dalongtou crossed the river to eliminate dissidents. Now in charge of a county,
Xu Shiying, whose actual status in the East is only equal to that of Li Shu and Bai Yousi, was put under house arrest when he came up. This seems to be more solid.
However, many people felt that Xu Dalang had always been powerful and capable, and he followed Zhang Longtou's footsteps, but he still suffered such a bad fate, which inevitably made many people feel scared and even couldn't believe it.
Therefore, for a while, the entire Eastern Seven Western Counties were in turmoil, and many leaders were communicating in series. Naturally, testing and observation were inevitable. And soon, the relevant information was further confirmed - not only those who participated in the meal on the porch that day
Many people confirmed the authenticity of the matter. More importantly, Zhang Dalong set out westward, entered Dongjun and headed straight to Puyang, where he began to check the accounts in detail to examine this year's spring tax in detail.
In Zhang Longtou's words, he wanted to investigate county by county, from spring taxes to household registration to land granting to personnel affairs to criminal cases to commercial affairs, to see whose Dongjun belonged to Dongjun?
The words became more and more serious, and the direction became more and more obvious.
At the same time, Xu Shiying also accompanied the whole trip and failed to return to his hometown of Baima and Weinan, which was just around the corner. He was as honest and quiet as a quail.
However, after checking the accounts for two or three days, there was not much trouble in Puyang. The reason couldn't be simpler. Puyang is Niuda's territory. In the defeat of Chanyuan, more than half of his troops and military resources were lost. These people
He Wuduo is from Puyang, including Guan Xu, the leader who was directly in charge of this place. He has just been released. Things are a mess to begin with. Everything you find out is normal, and you can't find the person responsible.
So three days later, Zhang Dalongtou and his party declined Niu Da's request to be escorted. Only a few dozen people left Puyang and continued westward, entering Weinan City. At this time, the atmosphere became more subtle and tense, because Weinan County is the home of Xu
This is where Shiying's portal was before the rebellion, and the county magistrate here is still his biological father Xu Wei.
In other words, Zhang San sneaked into Xu Da's lair, and then began to investigate various affairs and prepare to deal with Xu Da.
By this time, someone finally couldn't sit still.
"Why can't you keep calm?"
In the side courtyard of Jiyin Cangcheng, Zhang Daxuan and Zhang Shizhao, the senior protector of the law, were obviously impatient. "You want to jump into such an obvious trap? I have to go to Cangcheng to count the spring taxes! Get out of the way quickly!" Li Shu smiled bitterly.
For a moment, he finally stood at the courtyard gate and spoke: "Of course I know it's probably a trap, but Mr. Zhang, this trap is more or less a flaw. If I move now, there is still a possibility, but if
If it doesn't move, isn't it just the result of bleeding with a dull knife?"
"Do you really think you have any chance this time?" Zhang Shizhao became more and more speechless. "What's the use of flaws in the moves? The body protection energy is hanging! And I've said it before, your real chance is later. His temperament,
You will definitely hit a wall, and you will hit it soon. At that time, you must have an opportunity similar to what he had in Lishan. It depends on whether you can seize it. Why do you have to worry about what you are doing here? "
Li Shu responded seriously: "There is really no chance this time? Xu Shiying and I..."
"Who are you with?" Zhang Shizhao was stunned. "Do you think Xu Shiying is on your side? Or maybe you think he was humiliated this time and got angry, so there is a chance that he will get angry and follow you?"
Li Shu was startled, obviously a little flustered: "Isn't it?"
"Who do you think Xu Dalang is?" Zhang Shizhao was completely helpless. "Who do you think Xu Shiying is?!"
Li Shu was confused for a moment.
"He is the son of a lawless and powerful man, a leading figure in the underworld. He is smooth, cruel, realistic, utilitarian, but also naturally talented, and he has a lot of luck!" Zhang Shizhao seemed to be so angry that he had a headache. "To put it bluntly, he is
Thief! Cunning thief! Murderous thief! Scoundrel thief! Although it is caused by the way of the world, it must have developed some of his problems and temper. His reputation and morality are nothing in his eyes! You should understand this.
You know, Zhang San used him as a trap this time, and he himself was most likely involved in it."
"If that's the case..." Li Shu's face turned pale. "If that's the case, Xu Shiying came up and knocked Zhang Xing down?"
"What reason does he have not to fall?" Zhang Shizhao lost his temper and turned directly back to the courtyard. He sat under the shade of a tree in the courtyard and asked. "Zhang Xing won the battle in Hebei. He has strong soldiers and strong horses and people's hearts depend on him. He is such a person
Utilitarian thief, why should I bet with you? After the strong and weak are clearly distinguished, as long as Zhang Xing does not show his cowardice, these powerful people will not be able to really follow you. Even if Zhang Xing really beats them, they will not dare to really resist. They are used to it in their bones.
So, if you have such leisurely intentions, instead of working in Jiyin to win over the hearts and minds of the people and the army, and instead of uniting those scholars and local officials who are naturally close to you and talk more about their origins and morals, what are you thinking about people like Xu Dalang?"
Li Shu was silent for a long time before sighing: "This is a conspiracy. I participated in it, so they took advantage of me and publicly punished me. If I didn't go, Xu Shiying would be helpless, and Zhang Xing would really kill me."
Establish your authority, and after finishing dealing with Xu Dalang, the local tycoons in the Eastern Territory must behave honestly. What they do in the future will be difficult for me to do alone. The key to success or failure here is what you said, Mr. Zhang. These tycoons and cunning thieves are like this.
! Mud can't hold up the wall, seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, fear the strong and bully the weak!"
Zhang Shizhao shook his head and spoke sincerely: "They can fight, defend territory, have money, food, and population! A good leader should tolerate them when fighting, suppress and divide them when not fighting! Don't forget, you help
How did it stand up? Moreover, we can only talk about powerful scholars in general terms. After all, it depends on the specific person's method of Zhang Xing. The wonderful thing is that Xu Dalang himself has always been shameless and does not care about face. If he were replaced by Dan Tonghai, he would be another
There is a way. What does it mean that Wang Shuyong doesn't use the method at all? It means that Zhang San always treats these people with care, but you can't."
Li Shu thought for a while and was inexplicably surprised: "Did Mr. Zhang mean that there seems to be someone in Zhang Xing who is angry?"
"Yes." Zhang Shizhao glanced at the other person, as if he had already seen through this person's mind. "Do you think that because you are from a higher background and have a higher natural vision, you know better what a master is and what a minister is? But this thing comes from experience.
, a person, especially a smart person, even if he doesn't know how to put him in the corresponding position, he will gradually have some thoughts and ideas, and he will have wings to attach to you. The biggest problem is that he always wants to take shortcuts.
I don't know where this problem comes from. You have been in charge of Jiyin for two years, and I have never seen you run this place like an iron barrel."
Li Shu was anxious and asked again: "In this case, Mr. Zhang just said what can you do at this time?"
"I said, you are afraid that you will doubt me again and think that I am helping Zhang Xing to stabilize you." Zhang Shizhao was obviously impatient again. "If I were you, I would just go to Dongjun and help Zhang Xing suppress Xu.
Firstly, Shiying put on a selfless look to let the superiors and subordinates know that you behave clearly; secondly, in turn, he taught Xu Dalang a lesson and asked him to forget about food and not fight; thirdly, he made Zhang Xing ignore you.
"
Li Shu thought for a while but didn't answer.
Zhang Shizhao was completely helpless: "Believe it or not, at this time, countless powerful men from the East have already come to express their loyalty and want to deal with Xu Dalang on Zhang Xing's behalf... Please, don't delay me from settling the accounts."
As he said that, he walked directly past the other party.
Almost at the same time on the same day, in Weinan City of Dongjun County, Wang Shuyong, who had just arrived home to rest after crossing the river together for a few days, arrived early, but was also pulling Zhang Xing to talk under the shade of a tree in a courtyard somewhere in the city.
.
"Brother Zhang, as the saying goes, a son of a rich man can reach Weinan easily without building a dangerous wall. What if someone jumps over the wall in a hurry? What will you do here?"
Zhang Xing immediately laughed: "Who jumps over the wall in a hurry? Xu Shiying? So what if a dog jumps over the wall in a hurry?"
"I have always known that Third Brother is a respectable man who respects the rules." Wang Wulang said sincerely, but did not accept the words directly. "But some people have never been decent. I have been his neighbor for many years, and his methods, do I think
Don’t know?
Of course, I also know what Third Brother is capable of, and I’m not afraid of anyone. But if something happens, there will always be dirt. I’m in the south, so I’ll naturally come over so that Third Brother doesn’t get his hands dirty. Could it be said that at this moment, there are so many rumors?
God, you still want me to pretend to be deaf and dumb? If it weren’t for Third Brother, I would be just a foreigner.
Just a local tycoon."
There were cicadas chirping all around, Zhang Xing was silent for a while, and finally nodded: "Wu Lang is interested."
As he said that, he turned to look at a person sitting cross-legged in the corridor, meditating. It was Xu Dalang who was carefully cultivating the Qi of immortality. When the latter heard this, the green python in the Qi on his body did not move at all, as if he was asleep.
"Third brother, look, this person is really dishonest." Wang Wulang went to see Xu Dalang together. After watching it, he seemed to have witnessed something and became more sincere.
PS: I’m really a little stuck... I’m so sleepy... Good night everyone
