According to the official history books read by Zhang Xing, there were at least six large-scale Chengfu battles recorded in 8,000 years of written records.
For example, in "The Biography of the Heroine Li Yue", the so-called early boundary of Dongchu was near here, and as a result, an extremely tragic battle broke out in the history of the Emperor's Eastern Expedition.
For another example, Zhang Xing returned from Jiangdong this time, and the eight major families in Jiangdong formed a series of regimes from the Southern Tang Dynasty to the Southern Chen Dynasty. It seems that there were several Northern Expeditions that exhausted all their efforts at Chengfu.
As the saying goes, reading thousands of books and traveling thousands of miles, Zhang Xing came here in person, but he didn't know that there was a reason why this place became famous.
Let’s not talk about anything else, just talking about geography. Chengfu County is adjacent to the Wishui River, another major tributary of the Huaihe River. The Wishui River is almost parallel to the Huanshui River. However, the river suddenly turns westward at Chengfu and no longer goes deep into the Central Plains. The Wishui River is
It is also suddenly sandwiched by Jishan Mountain and Dangshan Mountain... So it can be said that this place is the end of the Huai River pointing to the Central Plains.
Going forward, it would be too much to rely on the Huai River's delivery and transportation capabilities to exert military and political influence.
Chengfu is an obvious dividing point between the hinterland of the Central Plains and the Huaihe River Basin, where the river must be defended.
No wonder this army chose to stop here.
Three thousand soldiers, plus military servants and logistics servants, cannot be stationed in the city. This also means that Zhang Xing and his party, who have been riding for three days, do not have to cross the Guohe River again, but are on the other side of Chengfu City.
On a high hill, I found a military stronghold that had been obviously renovated and expanded recently...
Arriving in front of the military village, everyone was shocked to see that there was a plaque hanging on the military village with the words "Longgang Village" written on it. The ink seemed to be new.
When they saw the person coming, the guards at the military stronghold were already alert and came out with weapons in hand to ask questions.
Zhang Xing, on the other hand, didn't play any tricks. He showed his white ribbon directly on the horse and clearly told the other party his identity, saying that he wanted to see the local general. The guard heard that he was an official figure in Jing'antai, and saw that the horse was quite secretive.
There was no embarrassment about the bag. After a brief inspection, he introduced it directly.
Then, a civilian clerk who was obviously the general's personal man came to greet him. The two sides talked together and went to a side room next to the main building of the main village to rest for a while. Only then did Zhang Xing know that the landowner was General Ying Yang who had already entered the house, and
Like Zhou Xingfan's family, he belongs to generations of generals in the Jianghuai area, and can be regarded as half a general.
Call me Chen Ling.
Of course, there's nothing we can do about it, it's too hasty.
After the two parties exchanged some names and official positions, Zhang Xing said that he had been ordered to come to see him, and he only wanted to talk to the general about the matter face to face. The clerk agreed, and then turned and left.
However, from this point on, things started to go wrong and the paperwork went away and was not returned for a long time.
Although Zhang Xing and others were impatient at first, they were still able to understand and accept it. After all, you were the uninvited guest. Who knows what the general is doing? You can even take a foot bath in Chengfu City on the other side of the river more than ten miles away.
possible.
However, when the group arrived in the afternoon, they went directly into the side room of the main building of the main village. No one came until dusk, which made people think that they had been forgotten.
At this time, the Jinyi patrolmen who had worked hard to arrive could not help but feel a little embarrassed, but Zhang Xing was the only one who was calm.
When the sky was completely dark, something more interesting happened. Many military servants and slaves came in outside, lit candles and braziers, served hot soup for dinner, and even good drinks, but still no one in charge came out.
This means knowing that you are here and yet ignoring you.
In response to this, Zhang Xing still did not move. He only drank soup and vegetables, and continued to sit still after eating.
Finally, when it got dark at night, the document finally appeared again, and then he handed it over again and again to apologize. Zhang Xing didn't care, he just wanted to see the general.
The clerk had no choice but to lead the group of people into the main building.
After entering the main building, under the light of the lights, Zhang Xing turned around and finally saw General Ying Yang in the private hall at the back of the building.
"I've met General Chen."
After Zhang Xing flashed in, he bowed his hands and saluted without any confusion.
As for Chen Ling, who was tall, with a face as red as a date, and was dressed in brocade casual clothes, he was drinking tea in the seat, and there were even four or five beautiful maids beside him. When he saw him coming to pay homage, he actually just raised his hand... Not to mention getting up.
He returned the favor without even opening his mouth to say a decent word, or even indicating where to sit.
Qin Er and others who were following behind were stunned, but Zhang Xing remained calm.
Next, this person spoke directly, but it left people even more speechless: "You came to me, are you going to the metasequoia forest next to you to open a store? The metasequoia forest is indeed a good place. It is the thoroughfare of the Central Plains, and merchants from the north and south are all here.
Go from there, and since I have been stationed here for a long time and have a high official position, I naturally have to take advantage of the metasequoia forest... However, my store here is divided into grades, with a three-storey two-story storefront starting at 100 taels...
…I wonder how much money you gave me?”
Qin Er and Zhou Gongzi were both numb.
Zhang Xing, however, was even more straightforward. He just handed over his hand and said, "It's a rule of the road, but you can't just say it. The money is next door. Please let our people pick it up and hand it over in person."
The other party was obviously stuck in his seat, but he moved his buttocks and pointed to a separate seat on the side: "I am a guest from afar, and I am also an official brother. This man in brocade clothes and white ribbons is sitting here."
Zhang Xing pursed his lips towards Zhou Xingfan, then walked over and sat down by himself. Zhou Xingfan went to get the money, but Qin Er and others could only stand and watch as four or five maids came around to serve Zhang Sanlang, hold up the stove, and burn incense.
and so on, and Zhang Sanlang also refuses no one who comes.
After a while, Zhou Xingfan came back with a big package. Zhang Xing didn't panic at all. He stopped drinking tea again and pointed smartly: "First take out the copybook of Wang Zuojun that my brother gave me, and then show it to Chen in person."
General, come and see!"
Zhou Xingfan immediately pulled out the copybook in public and stepped forward to hand it over calmly.
Then Chen Ling stayed still in his seat and put his head out to pick it up.
And at this moment, Zhang Xing suddenly spoke up again in the audience: "General Chen... This man is the young master of our family, his surname is Zhou!"
Chen Ling was stunned for a moment, looked up, and found that he looked familiar. Then his eyelids twitched and his hands relaxed.
"Xiao Zhou." Zhang Xingfu called Zhou Xingfan again. "It's a bit disrespectful for me to state your father's name... You can tell General Chen yourself."
Mr. Zhou was so smart that he immediately bowed down respectfully in the strange eyes of Qin Er and others, then held the copybook in both hands and said to Chen Ling:
"General Chen, my father, Zhou Xiaoming, was formerly the deputy general manager of Xuzhou and is now the deputy governor of Jiangdu... Now I present you with a copy of Wang Zuojun's calligraphy. I would like to find a three-room, two-story facade in the metasequoia forest at the thoroughfare of the city.
As a legacy for the family, please take care of me, General Chen."