"After you leave Waihuang, do not go to Jiyang or Taoqiu. I heard reports from my followers that those two places are being besieged by Qin's Hanoi and Dongjun armies and are not safe." One day in late February, Outside the north gate of Waihuang City, Zhang Er was bidding farewell to his father-in-law, his wife, and his eight-year-old son Zhang Ao.
Zhang Er was in his prime, thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old, with a black face and long beard, wearing a light gauze dress, a small leather crown with a bun on his head, and a long sword hanging at his waist.
He was a native of Daliang in the Wei State. He had a humble fortune and a poor family. When he was young, he worked as a knight-errant in Liang City and spent all his time on the streets. Because he liked to do chivalry and justice, he also gained a reputation as a "good righteousness".
Zhang Er's fate was changed in the 30th year of King Anli of Wei (247 BC). At that time, the Wei State was fiercely attacked by the Qin army and was in danger. At the repeated request of the King of Wei, he left Xinling in Handan for stealing amulets to save Zhao. Jun finally ended his ten-year exile in Zhao State.
With the expectation of the army and people of the Wei State, the young master returned to Daliang and took up the important task of joining forces to resist the Qin Dynasty!
Those are the years that Zhang Er still remembers with fascination today, twenty years later. Lord Xinling accepted the appointment of the King of Wei as a general. He contacted all the countries in Shandong and formed a five-nation coalition of Wei, Chu, Zhao, Han, and Yan. They jointly attacked Qin and defeated the Qin army east of Hedong, forcing Qin general Meng Ao to retreat to Hangu Pass. The Qin people did not dare to go eastwards for several years.
The success of this joint attack on Qin made Lord Xinling famous all over the world again, and he was flooded with guests!
At that time, Zhang Er, a hot-blooded knight, relied on his reputation as a "righteous man" to defeat many competitors, join Xinling Lord's sect, and become his disciple!
Although, he was just a guest, among the thousands of diners of Lord Xinling. Not only could he not be compared with Hou Ying and Zhu Hai, the two great heroes of Daliang City in the past, but even Lord Xinling's appearance was not comparable to that of the past. I've only seen it from a distance a few times.
In Zhang Er's eyes, the sect leader Xinling Lord, who could only look up from a distance, was getting thinner and thinner.
Young Master Xinling had high aspirations, but the fact that he was jealous of the King of Wei forced him to indulge in sensuality, became increasingly weak, and finally gave up and went west...
After Lord Xinling's death, except for some guests who insisted on staying in front of his tomb, the remaining thousands of guests almost all dispersed in one day.
Zhang Er, who lost his master, also lost his job, scattered among the people, and became a ranger again. But at this moment, the Wei State was declining under the pressure of the Qin State, and the livelihood of the rangers who were not engaged in production became increasingly difficult. Different The conflicts among the rangers in the gang have become more and more acute. In order to compete for territory, bloodshed is often seen.
Ten years ago, Zhang Er accidentally killed someone while serving as a knight in Daliang, so he had no choice but to quit his country and flee. He left Daliang and lived in hiding in Waihuang County, two hundred miles east.
This is where his fate changed for the second time.
Waihuang is two hundred miles east of Daliang. The most famous rich man in the city is the Huang family. Huang Weng has a daughter. She is a beauty known far and wide in Waihuang. It is a pity that she was entrusted to someone else. Huang Weng married Huang's old friend. Although he was a noble man, he was a mediocre scholar.
Lady Huang was not only beautiful, but also arrogant. She couldn't bear her husband's mediocrity and stupidity, so she did something big that shocked Waihuang County: she ran away!
She ran to one of Huang Weng's guests. It happened that Zhang Er was also hiding from the Wei officials at that guest's house. This guest had a good relationship with Zhang Er and wanted to be a matchmaker, so he said to the Huang woman: "I must want something." A virtuous man, no one but Zhang Er is worthy of a lady!"
So under the introduction of the guests, the Huang woman met Zhang Er. Although Zhang Er was born in poverty and was a fugitive, he had a handsome appearance and a burly figure. He was well-informed because he had been under Lord Xinling's family.
, his conversation was very good, and he immediately captured the heart of the Huang family...
During the Warring States Period, the folk customs were open, men and women interacted relatively freely, and there was no constant emphasis on women's ethics in marriage. It was common for husbands to take the initiative to abandon their wives, or for wives to take the initiative to abandon their husbands. It was a good time for everyone to get together and relax.
, and will not be condemned by public opinion.
So Lady Huang ended her marriage with her mediocre ex-husband and remarried Zhang Er.
Zhang Er was on the run and was poor and helpless. Now a rich and beautiful woman was willing to marry him. It was a piece of cake that fell from the sky. He immediately agreed to the marriage.
The Wei State cannot compare with the Qin State. Although there are written laws, human relationships are everywhere. As long as the money is enough and the joints in the Liang Dynasty are opened, even the crime of murder can be exempted.
So under Huang's internal and external management, Zhang Er was actually freed!
Not only that, he also began to take advantage of his previous experience as a disciple of Xinling. With the financial support of his wife's family, he spread his wealth and made friends with heroes, so that young knights from far and near came to seek refuge with him. So.
Zhang Er has gone from being a guest at Xinling in the past to becoming the master of the sect today, known as the best knight in the outside world.
At this time, Zhang Er's ambitions became more and more inflated. He was not satisfied with just being a gangster boss. With the support of his wife's family and guests, he entered politics. With bribes and lobbying, he was appointed as the Waihuang Ling by the Wei government.
.
The former fugitive suddenly transformed into the father-in-law of Waihuang. This was something that would never happen in the Qin State, but it was not surprising in the Six Kingdoms.
Because the Six Kingdoms were different from the Qin Dynasty, the vast number of people under the aristocratic government had a relaxed society, and the custom of knights was very strong. The knights traveled among the countries and entrusted themselves to the nobles one after another, which promoted the culture of raising scholars in various countries.
In addition to the four great princes who have passed away, Prince Dan and others of the Yan Kingdom are either royal princes or high-ranking officials and wealthy families. They live in the capital, have their own territories, fiefdoms, knights and knights, and their guests come from all over the country and even foreign countries.
, numbering in the thousands, they are the knight-errant masters who are powerful enough to fight against the country, and can be called national knights.
The next-level rangers are those like Zhang Er. They are either rich people born and raised in China, or they are travelers who are closely related to rich people. They live in counties and have rich assets. Rangers within a county are attracted by their fame and influence.
There can be dozens of people under his sect, and they can be called county knights.
In the Six Kingdoms, the distance from the county knight to the county magistrate is not that far. The county knight Zhang Er, who was destined to be wanted and captured in the Qin State, was able to get along like a fish in water, whether he was a knight in the underworld or an official in the white realm! His
His reputation not only transcended Waihuang County and reached Liang, the capital of Wei, but also transcended national boundaries and became a well-known celebrity in Liang, Chu, and Zhao.
It's a pity that Zhang Er's good days did not last for a few years. Now, the third turning point in his fate seems to be coming.
In January, Qin general Wang Ben attacked Wei and Daliang was besieged.
In February, the commander of the Qin State Geng Qiang Yu marched eastward, occupied Chenliu in mid-February, and divided his troops to attack neighboring counties.
Waihuang County, which is only fifty or sixty miles away from Chenliu, is not immune.
Zhang Er also heard that the Qin State hated knights the most, especially county knights who had great influence like him. He was directly regarded as the "five beetles" (du) who harmed the country, and was denounced as "Confucianism and literature disrupt the law, and knights"
"Using force to break the ban". After all, the chivalrous ethos is laissez-faire rooted in human nature. The natural unwillingness to be restrained by social groups is simply the natural enemy of Qin's rule by law!
Once the Qin army occupied Waihuang, Zhang Er would definitely be arrested and even lose his head.
Therefore, before the Qin army arrived, Zhang Er hesitated between leaving and staying.
But in the end, he chose to stay. "Since I was appointed as the Waihuang Order by the King of Wei, eat Wei Lumi, and wear Wei Yin's official uniform, I cannot abandon the city and leave."
Zhang Er said this to his wife, children, and guests: "I have faith as if I were still alive. I would rather die hugging a pillar in the stormy waves than abandon myself and live!"
But behind this awe-inspiring righteousness, there is actually Zhang Er's own selfishness.
He learned one thing from Lord Xinling: if you take anything, you must give it back, and if you give a favor, you must repay it. It is about righteousness. You must do what you promise. When it is difficult to save others, you will not avoid life or death. It is about trustworthiness. Faithfulness
, this is the basis for Renxia people to survive in the world. Without these two things, they would be nothing.
For Zhang Er, what is more terrifying than death is the ruin of his reputation after years of hard work.
Therefore, he must stay, at least resist for a while, and let the world know that the famous hero Zhang Er has not let down the Wei State!
But my wife and children have to be sent away first.
After finishing the long memory, Zhang Er patted his married wife's hand and continued to instruct: "You go to Yangwu County first. It is safe there. You can hide in the county. If the Qin army takes over that place, don't do it."
If the Qin people suddenly come here, it will be difficult to find out where the people are from. Just pretend to be locals. After the war subsides, Chen Yu will send someone to pick you up and go to Zhao..."
Chen Yu was also from Daliang. He liked Confucianism and was a close friend of Zhang Er. Because he was more than ten years younger than Zhang Er, he regarded him as his father.
Now Chen Yu is in Zhaodi. He is well-known in the area and owns land and a house. He is the person Zhang Er trusts most in his life and can be entrusted with his wife.
After sending his wife away, Zhang Er did not stay outside Waihuang City for a long time. Instead, he asked his confidants to guard the secret tunnel for escape while he walked to the mansion himself.
Since he decided to stay and resist, he would at least repel the first round of Qin's attack, but Zhang Er knew that the military force of Huang County itself might not be able to resist those Qin troops.
The main force of the Wei State was defeated by Wang Ben's army who returned from Chen Ying in January. The remaining tens of thousands of people were besieged in Daliang and could not protect themselves. Wei Jiu, Lord of Ningling, gathered thousands of
Even if people go to protect Suiyang, it will be difficult to rescue Waihuang.
Most of the thousands of men in the city have no training. Although they can make noise and build momentum, they cannot rely on them when the fight actually breaks out.
Therefore, the only ones Zhang Er can use are the two hundred county soldiers in the county. If he adds the two to three hundred retainers under his command, he might be able to fight...
Zhang Er must convince them! Convince those light knights from Liang, Chu, and Qi to die for him!
…
An hour later, in Waihuang Zhang's house, Zhang Er asked his servants to open half of the wine in the house, and killed pigs and sheep. He gathered all the guests in the courtyard, drank wine and sang, but did not talk about defending against the enemy.
He spoke affectionately about the deeds of Young Master Xinling back then. "The Young Master is a humane man and a lowly scholar. No one is virtuous or dishonest. He is treated with humility and courtesy. He does not dare to be arrogant because of his wealth. Scholars have fought for thousands of miles in this way."
Returning, there were three thousand diners..."
Zhang Er picked up the wine cup and sighed: "Under the Ermen, at its peak, there were only three hundred people, not as far away as the young master... Even though the young master has passed away, every time I think about him, I feel that I look up to him so much!"
Zhang Er heard this sentence from Chen Yu, who was good at Confucianism.
The knights and knights all beat their chests and sighed, "Young Master is really a hero! What a pity, we can't see him."
Zhang Er smiled and then talked about another thing.
"Qin defeated Zhao in Changping, and Lord Pingyuan asked for help from Wei, but the King of Wei did not want to save him. Lord Xinling tried hard to persuade him, but he could not convince the King of Wei, and he did not want to cause the death of Zhao, so he invited guests.
We have hired more than a hundred chariots and riders to go to the Qin army as guests, and we will die together with Zhao!"
"At that time, there was Hou Ying who committed suicide to send the young master away, and Zhu Hai used a golden hammer to kill Jin Bi. Only then did Lord Xinling steal the talisman to save Zhao, which shocked the world!"
The diners praised him one after another and stood up. Most of them were from humble backgrounds and their words were vulgar, but in summary, they only had two words for future generations.
Even if the hero's bones are fragrant even if he dies, he will not be ashamed to be the best in the world!
Seeing that the atmosphere was getting warmer and warmer, Zhang Er knew that the time was ripe, so he put down the wine and shouted loudly: "Second and Third Son, although the matter of Lord Xinling cannot be seen again, today, Qin is encircling Daliang and attacking various counties with partial troops. I have already
I heard the report from the post that a Qin army of more than a thousand people has approached Waihuang twenty miles away and will arrive tomorrow! "
He pulled out his sword and said in a fierce voice: "As an official of the imperial court outside Wei, I am responsible for guarding the land for the king. It is a matter of faith. I need to protect the people from being poisoned by the Qin invaders. It is a matter of righteousness. Therefore, I cannot abandon the city and leave."
I want to live my life. Now I am willing to imitate Lord Xinling and invite all the guests to stay in Waihuang to resist the Qin army and die with the city! Are the two or three sons willing to follow me? "
All the guests who were so arrogant just now were in a daze when they heard this. The local foreigners were just down and had some desire to defend their hometown. However, those guests from Chu, Qi and Zhao were a little hesitant. They were not always
Everyone is trustworthy and righteous, and most of them are here to make a living. It's okay to be a thug for Zhang Er, but if you want to risk your life for him, you still have to think carefully.
Seeing this, Zhang Er sighed softly, put down his wine glass and said: "In the past, when Zhao general Lian Po lost power, all his old guests left. When he was reinstated as a general, the guests came back again. Lian Po was not angry, and the guests said to him, husband
The world is connected by the market. If you have power, I will follow you. If you have no power, I will leave. This is a solid principle..." "I never thought that I, Zhang Er, would have such a day?"
As soon as these words came out, those guests suddenly became angry.
A tall man with a high nose and a beautiful beard stood up angrily. This man was in his early thirties and was already half drunk because he always liked wine.
The big man wiped the remaining wine from his beard and said loudly in his unique Chu Guo Peisi accent:
"I have always respected the name of Mr. Xinling. I heard that Mr. Zhang was an old guest of Xinling and inherited the ambition of the young master. Therefore, I came here from Pei and lived under Mr. Zhang's family. Although I have only been a guest for a few months, I am a true man. I must keep my promise.
Keep your word, now the sect master is in trouble, as a guest, how can you abandon him and leave?"
He cupped his hands and said loudly: "If Zhang Jun leads his troops to fight against the Qin invaders, Liu Ji of Peixian County is willing to follow him! Even if he dies, he will not regret it!"
Even so, what Liu Ji was thinking about was not revenge with death, but...
"The people of Qin are so powerful that if you kill a few Qin people, it's time for you to run away if they are worthy of Zhang Er's meat and wine!"