end song

Chapter 1229 Face
The setting sun stretches the shadow of Baozhou City Tower to the east for a long time.

Standing on the city tower, Zhang Hongqing kept his eyes on the place where heaven and earth communicated.

Until night fell, he did not see any soldiers and horses returning.

He couldn't tell what kind of mood he was in, disappointed or unexpected.

He actually felt that he should look forward to the return of Zhang Rou and his family, but it was really difficult to do so.

He didn't know Zhang Rou well. When he was born, Zhang Rou was over fifty and had ten sons.And he is a concubine, because the Khan court needed a hostage, so Zhang Rou called his mother Lin's wife's family.

To be honest, the only memories of the Zhang family are the heart-piercing cries of the biological mother before leaving when they were young, and Zhang Rou's scolding with a straight face, and then the extremely long journey to Hala and Lin.

Back this time, apart from Zhang Jiulang, who treats people warmly and talks happily, Zhang Hongying feels that there are only two words for Zhang Hongying, who are unfamiliar.

However, Zhang Jiulang greeted people with a smile in the past, and could mercilessly abolish one of his hands at a critical moment.

The future is boundless, which makes people feel confused.

When night fell, Zhang Wenjing and Zhang Wenwan came down from the attic.

Zhang Wenjing kept a calm face, maintained a dignified posture, and looked like an imperial concubine. She said to the few guests of the Zhang family who were still in the tower: "It's getting late, and Fifth Brother hasn't come back yet, so it can be seen that Yuan Ting is not willing to let people go easily. , then follow the backup plan."

"Don't worry, noble concubine, I'll arrange it later."

Zhang Wenjing looked at Jingjie again, and asked, "Did the water bandit from Baiyangdian answer?"

"Looks like you don't cry when you don't see the coffin." Jing Jie said, "If you don't eat the toast, just give them a glass of fine wine."

"..."

Zhang Hongqing hadn't participated in these matters before, and it was difficult for him to listen to Chinese, so he turned his head after listening to a few sentences, and saw Zhang Wenwan walking to the table, leaning over to eat the pastries on the table.

He thought for a while, went over, and said softly to Zhang Wenwan, "Am I right?"

Zhang Wenwan was stuffing a piece of jujube cake into her mouth, her cheeks were bulging, she squinted at Zhang Hongqing, and with a "woo", several pieces of cake splashed out.

Seeing this younger sister's pampered and carefree appearance, Zhang Hongqing felt more and more self-pitying her life experience.

He turned sideways, lowered his voice and continued speaking.

"My Chinese is not good, so I was in a hurry this afternoon. What I want to say is that there are only the three of us here who really want to save our family. His Majesty didn't come today, so I left the matter to Fifth Brother, but Fifth Brother's wife and children have already left After leaving Chuanshu, will he be afraid that the sixth brother will snatch his power when he comes back? If the elder sister wants the Zhang family to be good, she has to trust me. Help me..."

Zhang Wenwan opened her eyes wide and looked towards the stairs.

When Zhang Hongqing turned his head, he saw Li Xia calmly pacing up the tower.

"His Majesty."

The crowd saluted.

Zhang Wenjing had already walked to Li Xia's side, and naturally took his hand.

"Presumably you are all worried." Li Xia said: "But according to my opinion, if you haven't come back at this time, you probably won't be back tonight. It's better to rest early and wait for the fourth watch. I will take you to Laohetou to meet him welcome……"

Zhang Hongqing bowed his head and stood behind the crowd, not daring to speak.

He wanted to be reused by Li Xia, but he was afraid that Li Xia would become jealous if he noticed that he was a proton who grew up in Mongolia.

Seeing Li Xia's flat tone at this time, he couldn't help thinking that Li Xia really didn't value the Zhang family, so what if Zhang Wenjing didn't support her natal family's power?

~~
That night, the people who were waiting to greet Zhang Rou dispersed in disappointment.

Li Xia and Zhang Wenjing went to the residence holding hands, and asked, "Are you disappointed?"

"No, it was expected. Father and the others could come back today only if Yuan Ting doesn't make trouble, but Yuan Ting will definitely make trouble. Just cut off the water bandits in Baiyangdian."

"It is said that your family still has some friendship with those water bandits?"

"The leader of the water bandits has known my father for a long time, and even saved my father once. Because of this friendship, my father never cared about their robbery."

"The chaos in Heshuo, after all, it hasn't been properly managed in a hundred years, and it can't be like this in the future under my rule..."

Li Xia was talking, when a head poked out from the other side of Zhang Wenjing, and called out.

"Brother-in-law."

In the past few days, Zhang Wenwan only saw Li Xia a few times, but she was very kind to him.It is not only because she has a good relationship with Zhang Wenjing, but also because she is straightforward.

Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that Li Xia's appearance is already attractive to girls.

"Swallow it down and talk."

"Okay." Zhang Wenwan swallowed what was in her mouth, and said, "Brother Eleven said that brother-in-law, you don't value the Zhang family, and that Brother Fifth doesn't want to save Father and Brother Six."

Li Xia stopped and glanced at Zhang Wenwan.

"Is that what you said so bluntly?"

"Yes, you are brother-in-law."

"Then your eleventh brother didn't tell you not to speak out?"

"No, Brother Eleven didn't ask me to keep it a secret." Zhang Wenwan shook her head, and then analyzed: "In my opinion, he wants my sister to worry about falling out of favor, and then trust him and support him, right?"

Li Xia smiled and said to Zhang Wenjing, "I don't know if your sister is smart or stupid."

"Of course I'm smart, I'm not smart according to your rules..."

~~
In the same night, deep in Baiyang Lake.

In a rather large water village, torches and bonfires illuminated like daylight.

A small boat sailed from the water to the shore.

Zhang Honglue helped Zhang Rou get off the boat.

In the water village, a robust sixty-year-old man saw Zhang Rou, and Dang even rushed forward, calling out, "The old marshal is here? It scared me, I thought the old marshal was here to suppress me."

Zhang Rou's old eyes couldn't see clearly at night, she squinted her eyes for a while as she walked, and then stepped forward to pat the other person on the shoulder, and said with a big smile, "Brother Meng, haven't seen you for many years?"

"Look at what the old marshal said, it's been many years, we haven't seen each other for 20 years."

This [-]-year-old man is the leader of this water village, his name is Meng Tong, and he is a water bandit who has been in Baiyangdian for decades.

Meng Tong could be regarded as a ruthless character in the Lower Jiuliu, but in the past he could only be respectful in front of local princes like Zhang Rou.

"Yeah, I haven't seen you in 20 years." Zhang Rou turned her eyes and glanced at the people around Meng Tong, "I don't know any of the bosses around you now."

As soon as the words fell, a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed as a literati with three long beards, stepped forward and said: "Under Shi Hui, the nickname Iron Abacus is..."

"You are not worthy of my father's acquaintance." Zhang Honglue immediately interrupted the young leader of the water bandits.

Meng Tong was slightly taken aback, and quickly smiled to invite Zhang Rou to sit inside, and said to these subordinates: "Go aside! Don't hinder me from talking with the old marshal."

When they arrived at the lobby of the water village, the original scene of all the water bandits surrounding Zhang's father and son changed to three people sitting and talking.

On the surface, Zhang Honglue still put on the arrogant posture of a prince, but he knew very well in his heart that in the waters of Baiyangdian, without Meng Tong's help, it would be difficult for them to escape the encirclement and suppression of the Yuan army.

As Zhang Rou, she was too lazy to go around with Meng Tong anymore, after sitting down, she patted her knee and said, "I won't hide it from you, now I have led the Zhang family to surrender to the Tang Dynasty."

"Great Tang?" Meng Tong asked in surprise, "The old marshal is bluffing me. Great Tang has been dead for hundreds of years."

"Don't play dumb with me."

"It's not that I'm pretending to be stupid. We water bandits are nesting here, so we don't know the situation outside. Why don't the old marshal just say it, what do you want me to do? You can make excuses, but it's not good to bring your 2000 people to me Come to the small temple."

"If it's just an excuse, let my son come over and talk to you." Zhang Rou leaned back on the chair, looking a little tired, and said, "Say it straight, okay, my fifth son said that he had surrendered before." You, if you don't agree, he intends to kill you."

Meng Tong smiled and said, "Old Marshal, have we been friends for almost 50 years?"

"Almost." Zhang Rou murmured, "I'm almost 80 years old."

"I remember that when you descended to Mongolia, I was still young, and my father was in charge of the village. You didn't force us to descend together."

"At that time, you were just a group of petty thieves. Who can control you? Things will be different in the future."

Meng Tongdao: "The words are not pleasant, but...Old Marshal, I saved your life."

"Did I forget?" Zhang Rou glared at Meng Tong, and said, "It's for this matter that I stop Lao Wu from suppressing you. I will personally tell you that the world will be dominated by Han people from now on." It's time for peace and prosperity, and the time to recruit security has arrived."

"Refer to safety? Living in troubled times all my life, how to say Zhao'an?"

"So, are you unwilling?"

"Brothers are used to living a happy life, how can they stand being controlled? Whoever kills a person or defiles a woman in a family will be beheaded and scold me. I am also a person who is about to go to the ground, why bother Get into this trouble before you leave, and if you say anything else, the brothers won't listen."

"Then what does your son think?"

"Children and grandchildren have their own blessings, and they have their own ideas."

Meng Tong was still very polite, but his eyes were different from before.

Zhang Rou shook her head and sighed: "I thought I would be able to convince you by coming here in person... also, I haven't seen you for 20 years, people will change, and ideas will also change."

After all, he stood up on his knees and planned to leave.

Meng Tong thought for a while, then said: "To tell you the truth, the old marshal, I am old, and it is not easy to suppress these brothers. Not only your people came here tonight, anyway, the old marshal, don't scare me, since I am being chased Those who have come here, just go away. I can only help you here."

After hearing this sentence, Zhang Rou sat down again instead.

"Since you have told the truth, I will not hide it from you. My fifth son really intends to kill you."

Meng Tong said helplessly, "Are you still scaring me?"

Zhang Rou waved her hand and said, "Young people nowadays don't talk about affection like we do. My fifth son chose Baiyangdian to exchange prisoners, because he took a fancy to your water village."

Meng Tong shook his head, in disbelief.

"I'm ashamed to say it." Zhang Rou said again: "The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty who is fighting for the world today is my son-in-law. This time when he comes here, I, the father-in-law, wanted to give him a big gift, as if it were marrying his daughter It’s a pity that my sons didn’t live up to it and disturbed it. Fortunately, I still have some thin noodles in this Hebei border, whether it’s Baiyangdian or Taihang Mountain, I should gather some rebels for him to go back, tens of hundreds Not too few, not too many tens of thousands, it's a matter of face. Alas, we can only compete a little bit."

"What the old marshal said..."

"That's why." Zhang Rou finally finished the last words slowly, and said: "If those people don't give me this face, then my son will kill them all, as it should be."

Only then did Zhang Honglue, who was sitting by the side, realize that all the people around today were thinking about saving the Zhang family, while Zhang Rou was thinking about the dowry.

Otherwise, it would really be embarrassing for one of the princes to flee back to Baozhou in such a disgraceful manner...

(End of this chapter)