On the road from Tan County to Kaiyang, four horses were galloping.
There are four people on horseback. The leader has a handsome appearance and a lean body, neither strong nor thin. He wears silk clothes and has a wine gourd hanging around his waist.
The three people behind him are one holding a halberd, one holding a sword, and one carrying a bow and arrows.
Except for Zhang Wu who is slightly shorter, Xu Chu and Chen Dao are both very tall.
After running for more than thirty miles, Zhou Ping reined in his horse and walked slowly, then stopped.
Xu Chu and others also quickly reined in their horses and stopped.
"Let's take a break."
Zhou Ping turned over and dismounted. Zhang Wu had already dismounted and came over to lead the horse.
"Zhongkang, how do you feel in the camp now?" Zhou Ping asked Xu Chu, who had also dismounted.
"I'm too busy. I go to bed after eating every day. Brothers all want to go into battle and kill the enemy so that they can get rewards for their meritorious service!" Xu Chu spoke a little loudly.
Xu Chu is now under the direct command of Liu Bei, and these knight-errant swordsmen do not need to train like other soldiers.
Chen Dao also jumped off his horse, and Zhang Wulai led the horse for them to feed.
Zhou Ping straightened his back and said with a smile: "Don't worry, in a few months, it will be time for you to make meritorious deeds."
"Wen An, what are we doing in Langya?"
Xu Chu didn't know why Zhou Ping took him to Langya, but Liu Bei asked him to go and followed Zhou Wen'an, so he didn't ask any more questions at that time.
Chen Dao didn't know either, and was staring at Zhou Ping at this moment, wanting to know the answer.
Zhang Wu doesn't care about these things. No matter what he does, he will go wherever Zhou Ping goes without any reason.
"Do you know Zang Ba?"
Zhou Ping sat down against a tree and asked them.
"I've heard of it, but I don't understand it, hehe."
Xu Chu touched his head as he spoke and found a tree to sit down and lean against.
It had not been long since he came to Tan County. Although he had heard others talk about Zang Ba, he only knew that this Taishan man led many more brothers in Langya than he did. He was a real boss.
Chen Dao said: "I know. I heard that when he was eighteen years old, he dared to rob the road to save his father. He was a loyal and brave man. Later, he followed Tao Qian to destroy the Yellow Turbans, achieved military merit and was worshiped as the Cavalry Captain."
Perhaps because Xu Chu was in the camp, but Chen Dao was always by Liu Bei's side, the information he learned was different.
Zhou Ping held the wine gourd in his hand and extended it to Chen Dao, but Chen Dao shook his head. Zhou Ping took a sip himself and then said: "That's right, but do you know why he saved his father?"
"Why?"
Chen Dao shook his head again, but Xu Chu asked urgently.
"Zang Ba is from Hua County, Taishan. His father was originally a prison guard in the county. The eunuch wanted to kill the people privately, but his father refused to obey the law. The eunuch was so angry that he had his father arrested and taken to the county government.
At that time, there were more than a hundred soldiers under escort. Zang Ba was only 18 years old at the time. He led dozens of people to rob in the mountain road. No one dared to touch the soldiers under his escort. After Zang Ba rescued his father, he led everyone to escape to the East China Sea.
Later, many Taishan people gathered to follow Tao Shijun to destroy the Yellow Turbans, and now he has gathered nearly ten thousand people in Langya."
"My lord wants to keep Xuzhou, and the soldiers like Zang Ba must obey my lord's orders. I am taking you there to let the people of Taishan see your bravery and let them know the power of my lord, so that they will not dare to have any thoughts against my lord."
Two minds."
Zhou Ping explained to them.
"Haha, I see. Wen An can just tell you what to do when the time comes." Xu Chu chuckled.
"This time I brought 30,000 yuan. When I arrive in Kaiyang, I will let them challenge you. If they win, the money will belong to them. If none of them can beat you, these 30,000 yuan will be rewarded to you.
Yes, whether you can get the reward depends on your ability." Zhou Ping said again.
Xu Chu said happily: "Hey, they can't even take the money."
Chen Dao didn't seem to care about the reward, and said: "My lord wants to show kindness and power at the same time. With my lord's benevolence and righteousness, Xuzhou will be able to protect it. If Yuan Shu comes to fight, Chen Dao is willing to be the first to attack and kill the enemy."
From Chen Dao's tone, Zhou Ping could hear his resentment towards Yuan Shu.
"Uncle Zhi, I heard that you voluntarily came to surrender to the lord." Zhou Ping looked at him and asked.
"Yes, my lord's reputation for benevolence and righteousness spread far and wide. We had already heard about it when he was the Prime Minister of Pingyuan. Later, when we heard that my lord was appointed as the governor of Yuzhou, we made an appointment to vote for him. Later, my lord distributed food to save the people, and we knew that we had not voted for the wrong person!"
"Most of the people in Runan seem to have defected to Yuan Shu, but it is really rare for you to come to join the lord."
Zhou Ping said tentatively, wanting Chen Dao to talk about Yuan Shu.
Sure enough, just as Zhou Ping wished, Chen Dao's face showed a hint of anger: "The Yuan clan and their in-laws are running rampant in Runan, dominating the fields and seizing their daughters. They also seized twenty acres of my family's land. Yuan Shu only said:
For selfish desires regardless of the hardships of the people, and exploiting people at all levels, the people of Runan are miserable, and many people join the Yellow Turbans. But I know that the Yellow Turbans cannot solve the problem. Only people who are benevolent, righteous, and brave can do it, and the Lord is such a person.
!”
Zhou Ping sighed after hearing this: "Yes, now apart from Qingzhou, only Runan and Yingchuan have yellow turbans. Yuan Shu is unpopular and his general will be defeated."
Chen Dao suddenly stood up, cupped his hands to Zhou Ping and said, "Sir, if you want to fight Yuan Shu, please tell your lord to let me go into battle to kill the enemy!"
"good."
Zhou Ping also got up and called Xu Chu, Chen Dao and Zhang Wu, and everyone continued on their way to Kaiyang.
It is more than a hundred miles from Tan County in the East China Sea to Kaiyang in Langya. Two days later, Zhou Ping and others arrived in Kaiyang.
Kaiyang was originally the county seat of Langya. After Xiao Jian took office as the Prime Minister of Langya, because Zang Ba gathered a large number of troops and settled in Kaiyang, he moved the county seat to Ju County in order to guard against Zang Ba.
Zang Ba therefore moved into the Prime Minister's Mansion (Prefect's Mansion), and all his troops were stationed in the city.
He had the title of Captain of Cavalry, but to support so many soldiers, the provisions provided by Langya Prime Minister's Office and Kaiyang County Government were too small and not enough at all. As a last resort, he could only allow his soldiers to attack the local people.
Loot, but don't kill indiscriminately.
Langya Prime Minister Xiao Jian didn't dare to take care of it, and he didn't have the ability to take care of it. With the few county soldiers he had, it was simply not enough for Zang Ba's soldiers to charge forward.
When Tao Qian was here before, he also left Zang Ba alone, so he raised Zang Ba to be the overlord of the land.
Zang Ba seemed a little surprised by Zhou Ping's visit.
He didn't expect that Liu Bei would send him here, and he didn't expect that the guards Zhou Ping brought would be so powerful.
Not to mention the tall and strong one, the one with the halberd has a tigerish look about him. Even the childish look on his face is very sharp, and he only carries a bow and arrow.
It seems that he must be a divine archer.
But it was just a surprise. These were not important. Zang Ba did not regard Liu Bei and Zhou Ping as enemies.
He welcomed Zhou Ping into his mansion and held a banquet for him, accompanied by Sun Guan, Wu Dun, Yin Li, Sun Kang and others.
Chen Dao and Zhang Wu were guarding the door, but Xu Chu was standing behind Zhou Ping, looking at Zang Ba and others with majestic eyes.
Zang Ba, Sun Guan and Sun Kang didn't care about this, but Wu Dun and Yin Li looked at Xu Chu from time to time, feeling uncomfortable and glaring at Xu Chu, but stopped talking several times.
