Delong

Chapter 175 The Knight's Walk (5)

Zhang Xing and Xiao Zhou took more than ten cavalry guards and guides provided by the Lu brothers and Guo Jingke, and traveled all the way along the river. The further downstream and farther away from the eastern capital, the more they could perceive the chaos of the situation.

In the Puyang area, the defeated soldiers and the fleeing civilian husbands were just reduced to bandits who robbed their houses. They formed a group, but they had no stronghold at all. Although the local tycoons hated Wei to the bone, none of them dared to really do anything.Even after Xu Dalang joined the secret society that was absolutely anti-Wei, such as the Dragon Gang, he still hoped to clean up the place under the banner of cooperating with the imperial court. The mentality behind it is really worth pondering.

After passing the big river, the painting style here in Hebei is obviously different.

Just separated by a river, the scale of the bandits is obviously different. Among the mountains and wild grass, there are countless people who occupy the mountains, forests, lakes, and flags, so that in broad daylight, the road is completely a paradise for bandits. Almost all towns, The villages and villages have chosen to keep their doors behind closed doors. Only a few surrounding cities with garrison troops are still somewhat orderly and vigorous... Obviously, these bandits have not changed their mentality. After they became bandits because of the imperial court's persecution, He also regarded himself as a bandit and began to enter the role of unscrupulous destroyer, and those villages and villages also automatically began to be armed because of the need for defense.

In other words, it is no longer the Wei court that controls the order outside the city.

Then continue to go downstream, and it will be even more exciting when you reach the Qinghe, Pingyuan, and Bohai areas, which are typical downstream areas of large rivers... At least four to five large-scale bandits and rebels have appeared here, ranging from tens of thousands to as many as It is known as more than [-], and has already begun to attack cities and plunder villages, and even proclaimed itself a general and a king.

Only Zhang Xing and others traveled all the way, and found that the saboteur mentality of these people is still very obvious. The so-called generals and kings are more about the expansion of selfish desires than for any career.

It's absurd to say, or at least on the surface... It's been the third year since Zhang Xing came to this world, he was defeated and merged as soon as he appeared on the stage, and then he became a civil servant and he was basically a criminal investigator. Don't kill people and set fires, and this time, I have experienced the collapse of the Sanzheng Dongyi on its own, so I have been able to be firm in some things, but this way... still feels absurd.

Because, now that things have come to an end, some things have become very clear, that is, the Great Wei is bound to collapse, and it is the collapse and disintegration of the ruling class of the Great Wei.Under such circumstances, Zhang Sanlang, who has double historical experience, knows that only rebellion is the real way out... But the thugs he, a well-known rebel, solved along the way were all rebels, that is, in theory Comrade.

It can be seen that Xiao Zhou, who was always curious, has become more and more confused, but his family grudge is here, coupled with his obedience to Zhang Xing's routine, so he didn't say much for the time being.

"Call..."

On the north side of the Dahe River, Putai County, Bohai County, there are still more than [-] miles away from the destination of this trip, Putai. When we reached a crossroad, we encountered a checkpoint. The location of this checkpoint is really tricky, but we turned at the intersection. After dozens of steps, it was covered by a hillock-like earth platform at the intersection, so people were caught off guard. When they reined in, they had already thrown into the intersection and fell into a semi-encirclement.

"Come and report your name, place of origin, and the purpose of your trip. If you want to go to Potai, you must hand over your sword!"

Behind the checkpoint, it seemed that this scene had been expected a long time ago, and someone shouted directly.

Zhang Xing stayed on his horse for a while, his eyes swept across the group of people.

I saw that the chief caller turned out to be a clerk wearing a small crown, sitting imposingly on a chair behind the antlers and the fence, with a short case in front of him, and a few paperwork forms in his hands. thing.

At the same time, dozens of young men dressed in leather armor and held swords and shields, majestic and majestic, with their own formation.

Not to mention that, Zhang Xing raised his head to look, the one that he thought was a natural platform, but now it seems to be a man-made fortification, there are still seven or eight steel crossbows lying in ambush.

It was at this moment of stupefaction that the back of the checkpoint became tense, and seven or eight strong men armed with spears, fences, and steel forks got up from behind and joined them.

If he was just amazed before, but seeing this scene, Zhang Xing's eyelids twitched. He didn't know that even if he was a master of strange scriptures with both governors and governors, he might not be able to break through the barriers by force. And retreat, as for my subordinates, including Xiao Zhou, I'm afraid they will have to pay the price.

"Is Li Ding's boss in charge of Putai now?" Thinking of this, Zhang Xing quickly became arrogant as if nothing had happened. "I am from Jing'antai, and also his old friend. I was ordered to look for him from the Eastern Capital."

The clerk behind was stunned for a moment, raised his hand slightly to stop the strong man behind him, then looked at Zhang Xing and his party before seriously asking: "Is there any official document?"

"No." Zhang Xing replied without shame. "I ordered it privately. His wife, Zhang Shiniang, is the adopted sister of my family's Bai Changjian. After the defeat of the Sanzheng, his family in Dongdu was very worried. I was afraid that he would have nothing to say here. Let me first explore the way. It was only when we came to Qinghe that we found out about him..."

Unexpectedly, the clerk was silent for a while, and then he put on a straight face: "If this is the case, how many of you have no documents? Forgive me for not letting me go!"

This is to admit that Li Ding is here, but has to deal with business.

But this is absurd, okay? In this kind of world, in this kind of environment, what a ghost are you doing with business?And this kind of military configuration, it seems that Li Ding is not doing well?In other words, this person is obviously taking orders from Li Ding.

In fact, several low-level bosses in Ding Zhuangli were also obviously surprised.

But Zhang Xing only thought about it immediately, hesitated for a while, but moved slightly in his heart, and took the initiative to ask: "If we hand in the sword, report our name and hometown, and just walk in like this, Your Excellency allows us to go to Putai to meet Li Silang." ?"

Sure enough, the clerk became inexplicably flustered, he just grabbed the pen and hesitated, and Ding Zhuang around him was also inexplicably surprised.

Zhang Xing came to his senses completely, sighed, and took the initiative to tell: "Your Excellency, I am a master who has both Ren and Du, otherwise I wouldn't be ordered by my family Bai Changjian and Mrs. Li to do this kind of work...you just Don't get entangled anymore, and don't do stupid things... Li Silang is just the envoy of Dushui, and he is destined not to stay forever."

"It's not that I have bad intentions." Hearing this, the official finally sighed helplessly. "It's just that there is such a mess outside, and there is no city in Putai on the Hebei side. It depends on Li Shuijun's proper division, and the stability can be maintained in a radius of tens of miles. If he leaves now, I am afraid that the situation will be ruined immediately."

"Why don't you understand your difficulties?" Zhang Xing nodded immediately. "But the twisted melon is not sweet. Whether Li Ding stays or not, we can only see your sincerity and his heart. If you think that stopping us will keep him from leaving, it's a bit taken for granted..."

The civil official simply got up to avoid his seat and handed over his hands.

Zhang Xing immediately returned the gift: "Don't worry, I will definitely not mention this matter when we meet, just talk to him about the family's explanation."

The clerk nodded in relief.

It was only then that everyone realized that the clerk was actually worried that Li Ding would leave Putai after someone came from his family, and then the place would not be safe. Thanks to this Jingantai who came to find someone with a clear mind, he immediately pointed it out.

However, the clerk was relieved for a while, but the other young bosses became uneasy, as if they were worried that Li Shuijun would leave.

Leaving aside the restlessness at the checkpoint, Zhang Xing passed the intersection and continued on his way, passing through several clear and dark checkpoints, fortifications and villages, and even patrol teams, which is amazing.

Then, before the evening of that day, Zhang Xing finally met Li Shuijun, who seemed to be very popular among the locals, on the bare platform of the Putai... I didn't even report the name of the third master, so I was led to this place that is most suitable for avoiding people's conversation... This is a man-made rammed earth platform with bare surroundings. It is said that it is a miracle of the black emperor. The ones that don't grow grass are really interesting.

And frankly speaking, this Shui Jun is also in good spirits, his complexion is ruddy and shiny, and he doesn't look like he is downright unlucky.

"I'm not really unlucky." Li Shuijun smiled wryly when he saw the person coming. "But you should know it when you see it, it seems to be unlucky again."

Zhang Xing didn't care about it at all, but bowed earnestly: "Li Shuijun has done a great job... Gathering the young and strong, good at distributing armaments, controlling the vital points in the north and south of the river, and gathering people's hearts. Is this a rebellion?"

Li Ding was silent for a while, he was too lazy to refute, but asked seriously: "Why are you looking for me?"

"When I followed Shengjia on the Eastern Expedition, I heard that Li Shuijun was here. When the Eastern Expedition was defeated and returned, Shengjia went to Jiangdu, but unexpectedly Li Shuijun was still here. After walking around, I arrived at the upper reaches of Jishui River. By the way, I heard people say that Li Shuijun is still here... I was curious, so I came to see." Zhang Xingyi said.

"And then?" Li Ding continued to ask.

"I formed a gang of dethroning dragons, which specialize in hunting real dragons and returning the vitality of heaven and earth to the people. I have always known that Li Shuijun is a talented person who has the power of heaven and earth, and has a personal relationship with Huyun Jun, so I want to invite Li Shuijun to join the group and invite him to be shortlisted. , made him stand up." Zhang Xingzhen said. "Don't worry, Li Shuijun, I'm one of the two big leaders in the gang. As long as you nod your head, I will try my best to find a big leader for you, Li Shuijun."

Li Ding was silent for a while again, then he just put his hands together under the setting sun, and shook his head firmly: "I won't do it, and I won't join any Dragon Elimination Gang, and I can't find Mr. Huyun either."

"Then ask Li Silang to help with another small matter." Zhang Xing continued to bow his hands sincerely.

"What?" Li Ding became a little serious.

"Help me kill Zhang Jincheng of Qinghe, annex his soldiers and horses." Zhang Xing said seriously. "He has already started slaughtering the city... It's not good, I also need a rebel army to do things, and by the way, earn some prestige in the Dragon Gang... Are you a serious court official on the stage, with manpower and Material resources, killing him is justifiable."

Li Ding hesitated for a moment, beside the two of them, Xiao Zhou, who was more than ten steps away and was responsible for guarding against eavesdropping, also turned around in surprise, as if he wanted to say something.

"After the merger, it will be good for you." Zhang Xing seemed to have a plan in mind, so he said it seriously. "Firstly, if you do something, Emperor Cao at Dongdu will see it, so you can make arrangements with you. This is your future; secondly, although you have established yourself here at Putai, your name is not justified. Sooner or later you have to leave, and once you leave, in the current situation in Hebei, they will either disperse and become thieves, or wait to be defeated and merged by Zhishilang on the other side of the river or Gao Shitong and Sun Xuanzhi from Bohai... Instead, Whether it is to be a thief or to continue to protect the family, you have to punch it with one punch, establish a prestige, and save a hundred punches... Don't you think so?"

Li Ding took a deep breath, sat on the podium under the setting sun, and then shook his head vigorously facing the eastern horizon: "You man, if you talk about skill, even Mr. Huyun will back away when he sees you. .”

"Do you just say it makes sense?" Zhang Xing didn't panic at all.

"I want to ask you something first." Li Ding shook his head again and again. "You, Zhang Sanlang, are determined to bring peace to the world in a fit of anger...Why are you slaying and eliminating dragons? Why don't you go to protect the environment and the people? If you want to eliminate dragons, you want to rebel, so why do you want to join me as an official and army?" To destroy the rebels?"

"What you asked is actually one thing...but you have to answer it in detail, but you divide it into three pieces and say it slowly." Zhang Xing walked over, still standing upright with his hands behind his back, but he just looked at the other party's back on the stage. sunset.

"It doesn't matter if you divide it into eight parts." Li Ding sat there and sneered.

"The first question is too simple." Zhang Xing answered with a straight face. "If I had your family background and your ability to lead the army, and I happened to guard a pile of military supplies and civilians at the place farthest from Dongdu and Jiangdu after the chaos like you... I would protect the situation immediately. Peace to the people! Thieves come and beat me up, maybe I can be promoted to an official. If the court summons me, I will not leave. When officers and soldiers come to beat me, I will take advantage of the situation... But unfortunately, I don’t have your family background, nor you This kind of luck, let alone your military skills...Of course, the main thing is the last one."

Li Ding held his breath in his heart, but in the end he just shook his head.

"The second question is self-explanatory. Since you don't have the ability to face all kinds of waves alone, you have to go with the tide." Zhang Xing asked seriously. "Fourth Master Li, tell me based on your talent and vision that Dongdu is relatively empty now, and there will be no troops to be lined up for a while. Let's just say that this wave of bandit troops will be able to support Hejian when they get into trouble after a while- Is it the counterattack of the four camps of Youzhou-Xuzhou-Jiangdu?"

"That's what I want to ask you." Li Ding finally gritted his teeth. "You know that this wave is bound to be swept away by the imperial army, why are you so anxious to 'safe the world'... why can't you go to Wu'an with your documents?!"

Xiao Zhou looked back again, but still didn't say anything.

"No." Zhang Xing answered boldly. "If you go to Wu'an with the documents, you will be destined to fix the world in this life. How can you keep the world safe?"

Li Ding wanted to speak for a moment, but unexpectedly, Zhang Xingfu continued to sneer and mock: "You still have the face to ask me? I just ask you, the North Route Army will go back to Ansheng, and before they can figure it out at Hejian camp in Youzhou, Do you think that your broken platform without even a city wall can stop the Gao and Sun families with more than [-] troops? Those people have armaments donated by our sage. And these local people have no hope in the first place, you are better off, You gave them hope first, and then asked them to be swallowed up by bandits... What are you doing?"

As the sun was setting, Li Ding was sitting on the podium, looking at the east horizon, shivering on the ground, and then said awkwardly: "According to my original shape, I should have just abandoned this place like Yang Shen did, and escaped with makeup. , I really thought so at the beginning... But for some reason, I knew it so well, but I still couldn't bear it, and I was a little unwilling, which made such an embarrassing situation... It can be seen that you have taught me to some extent. "

Zhang Xing turned his back to the other party, looked at the setting sun in the west and sighed Youyou: "If you have been friends with me for so long, you still just put on makeup and run away, not only you are not reconciled, but I will also be reconciled."

Xiao Zhou turned his head to look at it twice, but just shut up.

The three of them were silent for a while, seeing the setting sun gradually disappearing into the waves of the great river, the horizon was no longer visible from the east, countless bonfires were lit in the camps around Putai, and just now they spoke again, but they stopped talking. half words.

"This Putai was originally the first time that the Hei Emperor went out of the north to march south. From here, he set up a platform to look at the East China Sea and observe the dragon spirit of the Qing Emperor. Unexpectedly, after only a few thousand years, he could no longer see the sea. It's..."

"Thousands of years, even if there are no gods to move mountains and seas, it is enough to change the seas into mulberry fields. Speaking of which, I was on the sea of ​​bitterness, and I once watched the sea of ​​bitterness with King Qi, and then I copied a few sentences. At that time, I thought it was very interesting, but now It seems more appropriate to use it here..."

"I won't ask you what it is."

"I don't see the ancients in the past, and I don't see the newcomers in the future. I think about the world and the earth, and I feel sad... It's a rare good sentence to copy. It's a pity not to let outsiders know..."

"..."

"..."

"Third brother." A moment later, under the twilight, Xiao Zhou finally couldn't bear it anymore.

"What?" Zhang Xing looked back.

"Brother Li has another question. You haven't said it yet... I'm actually very curious." Xiao Zhou asked seriously. "Since we are going to rebel against the Great Wei, we should contact the rebel army to strengthen our strength...Why do you want to destroy them in the name of officers and soldiers?"

"Because they have poor discipline and killed excessively." Zhang Xing said flatly.

"But since you're a thief, who isn't killing too much?" Xiao Zhou couldn't ask.

"This is a bit like Qin Er." Zhang Xing said with a condescension, standing behind Li Ding with his hands behind his back and smiling. "The reason why a thief is a thief is why?"

"It's because...it's because Bao Wei didn't let them live!" Xiao Zhou gritted his teeth and replied. "Xiu Mingtang and Dajinzhu collected the wealth of the middle class; conquered Dongyi three times, and the troops of the garrison died four or five out of ten, and the people in the Central Plains and Hebei lost two or three out of ten. Everyone is afraid, so why not be a thief?"

"That's right, there's nothing wrong with it." Zhang Xing blurted out, as if he was used to the theory of rebellion. "It's just that after becoming thieves, why don't they stop killing and looting? It's because there is no control, reason, and restriction... and the control, reason, and restriction, were they left behind by themselves? Nope. They also listened to the control, reason, and restriction. Listening to reason, law, and restrictions... It's just that they listened honestly, but they ended up losing two or three times, and they will lose four or five times in the future. This shows that the principles, laws, restrictions, and rules of Wei Dynasty are all it is bad."

"I understand." Hearing this, Xiao Zhou suddenly came to his senses. "So they need a new principle, new control, and new rules? This is the real rebellion to secure the world. And when we take over them now, we want to give them a new principle, new rules... and then use our rules to replace the rioters." Wei's, this is the real way to cut off Wei Wei and make the world safe! Those ordinary thieves have no rules of their own, although there is nothing wrong with being a thief, but after becoming a thief, they deserve to be wiped out!"

"Almost." Zhang Xing nodded. "Xiao Zhou can teach you."

In the twilight, Li Ding remained silent.

"But..." Xiao Zhou hesitated. "One more thing, it's the one that Brother Li asked just now...Since the third brother is so clear about the situation, why can't he be opportunistic...I mean, it's so troublesome now, but the rebels have to kill the over-the-top rebels first... Why can't you be more presumptuous, throw away a little bit of things, let go and do it, anyway, it doesn't seem to make a big difference to pick up the principles and rules on the next journey, right?"

"Maybe, but I dare not." Zhang Xing sighed with his hands behind his back. "Because the road of troubled times has reached its feet, and everyone is in front of the thoroughfare, ready to start, if there is a slight deviation at this time, it will be a thousand miles away in the future, and go astray... Everyone must be responsible for the road he walks Of... I dare not."

"I'll drop Zhang Jincheng for you." In the dark night, Li Ding, who was sitting at Zhang Xing's feet, finally spoke. "But we have to take a long-term plan... You have to give me a comprehensive plan, so that I can go back to Dongdu with peace of mind... If you want to make peace in the world, let me be in peace first!"

"Contact Cheng Dalang on the other side of the river first." Zhang Xing seemed to have expected that the other party would agree. "Look at how he is. If he is smart and clever, use his shell to do this business."

PS:

Thank you for the double alliance of Master A, the master of the late stage of lazy fat cancer, the master who has no money to see the mountain, the master of the son, the master of the green shirt, the master of resurrection, the master of Yanyuan, the leader of the five masters... thank you for your love... woo woo Huh... Especially if you don't have the money to see Master Shan, you are sealed in Shanghai alone, and it is said that you are hungry to eat grass, but you still think of inviting me to barbecue for me... Wuwuwu.

(End of this chapter)