Delong

223 Chapter 6: The Fate ([-])

The night was dull and the spring breeze was blowing. At the foothold in the north of Zhouqiao Market, Zhang Xing pressed his mind and only chatted with Sima Zheng.

Really gossiping, the two started talking about the old things in the Eastern Capital, all the way talking about the changes in Gushui that day, and then the things after they separated.

Zhang Xing is okay here, most of them are some well-known rebellion processes, the court keeps a record of everything, and the kind that will have to draw a list sooner or later.As for Sima Zheng, he could not help clarifying the loss of people's hearts, political divisions, and personnel turmoil caused by the sudden relocation of the main body of the regime.

"When he arrived in Jiangdu, the saint was obviously more at ease. After all, it was his old place where he stayed for many years, but the palace was empty, and everything had to be prepared and enriched; the accompanying soldiers and horses could also rely on the logistics and logistics left over from the former South Route Army in Xuzhou and Jiangdu. The resident, but the consumption of accompanying civil and military personnel is also quite a lot..."

"There's a lot of competition for key errands, right?" Zhang Xing asked jokingly.

"There are many Taoist priests and few monasteries, what else can I do?"

"Jiangdong's local power has risen?"

"The big rise is inevitable, but it is still far inferior to Guan Long. Except for the descendants and old people recruited by the former saints when they were in Jiangdu, there are not many people who have entered the room..."

"Have the people in Jiangdong raised the levy?"

"Yes."

"If things go on like this, if the top does not give bones, the bottom will oppress more and more. Even if Jiangdong is right under Jiangdu's nose, it will inevitably turn against it again."

"..."

"what happened?"

"It's been reversed...but it's in Yongjia and Jian'an areas, and something went wrong in Luling, Jiangxi."

"That can't be ignored, right? So the two masters were on business trips in the east to suppress the rebellion, and when they arrived in Jiangdu, they still went to other places to suppress the rebellion? Since it was a rebellion in the south, there must be a statement from the True Fire Cult... The saint is uneasy?"

"Yes, yes..."

"Then I'll ask something superfluous." Zhang Xing suddenly became serious. "With so many masters in the court, it's impossible not to send someone to Xuzhou, right? Do you look down on our Dragon Gang?"

Sima Zheng was silent for a while, then pointed to himself.

Zhang Xing understood, and then laughed: "If that's the case, I'm really going to run away."

Sima Zheng also laughed: "A mere Cheng Dan, not to mention you have Xiong Bonan... But, you should also know that Zhang Changgong went to Qi County, right?"

"Prefect of Lu County, even if he didn't know it before, he knows it now." His mouth was still casual, but Zhang Dalong's heart sank.

To put it bluntly, it is assumed that Bai Yousi came, and together with Xiong Bonan, he was barely able to become a master of cultivation, but Sima's orthodox army came over, restrained military discipline, and crushed them majestically with an elite army. I'm afraid it's unreasonable.

Even Wang Zhen, Lu Changheng and Wang Gonggong...

Even if the other party came here to reminisce about the old days, I'm afraid it wasn't just to express their heartfelt feelings and talk about their past in Jiangdu.

Sima is just a decent person. A decent person can be bullied, but you can't expect him to be lenient and selfish. When this kind of person is suppressed with majesty and absolute strength, it will make you powerless.

The other party simply persuaded him to leave based on the past friendship, that's all.

And Zhang Xing also had to admit that if the other party led troops, he would be like a mantis arm—because this was what he was most worried about, that there really was a heroic figure in the army, the kind who was selfless, and wanted to command the troops. coming.

At that time, not to mention how to beat yourself directly, as long as you cooperate with Zhang Xuguo, and even directly join the army, sweeping the Eastern Realm will be in your hands. Isn't it a foregone conclusion to leave in a hurry?
"Zhang Sanlang hasn't congealed alchemy yet?" Sima Zheng continued to ask, as if he meant something.

"No." Zhang Xing said one thing. "I have access to all eight meridians, and the adjustment of true energy has also reached a higher level. I can even link up with others to form an formation with my abundant true energy, but it has never been as those people said. The so-called dantian produces a pill, which can form itself Breathing is like the ebb and flow of true energy in the formation."

"Congealing pills also requires a chance." Sima Erlong pointed out earnestly. "Looking back now, the so-called road of practice is basically a process of self-cultivation and harmony. It is an obvious threshold to reach the alchemy... Ningdan and alchemy are divided into two paths because of the difference in strength, but in fact, it is just a matter of feeling the outside world. The difference between things and self-imagining is all about polishing the condensed dantian, which belongs to one's own share of heaven and earth vitality."

Zhang Xing suddenly realized.

The so-called congealing stage is passive visualization, while the becoming alchemy stage is active visualization. It is just because of the gap in strength and the fact that visualization is too limited for people, so they are divided into layers.

"Then..." As soon as he thought this, Zhang Xing wanted to ask.

"That's right, when it comes to your position, you can condense your core at any time. As long as you make some progress in your mood, or even calm down, you may be able to pass." At this point, Sima Zheng slowed down a little. "And to tell you the truth, once you condense the alchemy, you will have your own capital in this world. At that time, you will form an formation to offset the benefits of the alchemy. In fact, you will not be afraid of the alchemy masters gone."

"In principle." Zhang Xing lowered his head and laughed again.

"Yes... After all, there is always someone who is caught off guard by a sudden cold arrow and has no choice but to be helpless when his true energy is insufficient." Sima Zhengming knew that the other party's intelligence had already understood what he meant, but he still took the initiative to remind him. "But on the other hand, if you don't have Congealing Pill, even if you enter the formation in vain, you won't be an opponent of a master of alchemy, and you can't stop the target of alchemy."

Under the light, Zhang Xing raised his head, revealing a pair of black eyes, stared at the other party seriously for a while, and then smiled again and again:

"Sima Erlang, you really are a hero!"

"Where are you qualified to be called a hero?" Sima Zheng avoided the other party's gaze in embarrassment. "As a minister, you can't prevent the emperor from destroying the world; as a grandson, you can't save your grandfather from ruin; as a nephew, you can't persuade your father and uncle to go astray; as a general, you can't make your subordinates feel at ease... 26 Seven, nothing can be achieved."

"Don't bully the weak, stay high and never be arrogant, never give up righteousness when you are rebellious... Even a rebellious thief like me can be treated with kindness and justice." Zhang Xing put away his smile, stared at the other party and spoke seriously. "To be honest, there are not many people I admire. Many people are stronger than me in some areas, but they are just a little more afraid, more vigilant, and more evasive. You, Sima Erlang, are a rare person I really admire."

Sima Zheng was silent for a moment, and finally smiled wryly: "Let's stop flattering each other, that's all, I'd better go back overnight... I hope you can take care of yourself."

Zhang Xing nodded, stood up and made a gesture of invitation: "I understand what Sima Erlang means, and I will definitely consider it sincerely. Erlang can do it himself."

Sima Zheng was not pretentious, he stood up and cupped his hands, then opened the door and left. After a while, the surrounding spring breeze swayed slightly, and the night was peaceful, as if no one had ever come.

There was no words that night, the next day, Wang Gonggong took his leave first, Zhang Xing waited for the other party to leave, and then left the Beiqiao City, which would continue to be marketed, and invited Du Pozhen and his party to continue northward to Jiyin.

Besides, not long after leaving Zhouqiao, Du Pozhen, who had lost half a stone in his heart, became a little emotional.But in the evening of this day, the crowd hurriedly crossed Zhouqiao County and came to the outside of Jiyin City. Under the setting sun, they stood on a small slope and saw the long acres in front of them, like a chessboard. The green color stretches as far as the eye can see. The water is like a jade belt running across it, but it also brings out a city, standing between the sky and the earth.

Looking at the past, it is refreshing.

"The meeting could be said to be a coincidence before, but now I have to be convinced...Brother Zhang San is very capable." Du Pozhen said sincerely.

Zhang Xing looked at the scenery and was also a little touched, but he asked curiously, "Is there any in the Jianghuai area? There are Huai Youmeng guarding them, and there are no rebels, so the fields won't go wrong, right?"

"Of course there is, but not as much as before..." Du Pozhen answered seriously. "There is too much plowing. How can the land that is served by someone be the same as the land that is not served by anyone? At a glance, it is mottled and mottled, as if rusted."

Zhang Xing thought about it for a while, but still didn't understand: "The government doesn't care about throwing away the plowing? This is to grant the land..."

"The government is thinking of how to curry favor with the emperor of Jiangdu!" It was Wang Xiongdan who couldn't help but interjected. "Who cares about the rest?"

"That's right!" Ma Ping'er seemed to be freed from yesterday's dull atmosphere, and became a little more active. "Zhang Longtou doesn't know. When the emperor arrived in Jiangdu, some people said that there was insufficient inventory and taxation was difficult, so he promised to be more diligent and thrifty. As a result, the people in the counties and counties below gave tribute, and whoever gave more would be promoted... There is a Qiao The county magistrate below the county was directly promoted to the county magistrate in the south because of the good cooks and the variety of ingredients he sent. "

"Dogs can't change eating shit." Zhang Xing commented earnestly.

The people around looked at each other, and immediately, the members of the Dethrone Dragon Gang nodded first, and then the members of the Huaiyou League couldn't help themselves, and nodded their heads in agreement.

They also realized that once they got here, they would not have to worry about the superficial things.

"But why don't the people nearby plant it?" Xiao Zhou raised another doubt at the right time.

"Leader Zhou, don't forget, why do some people abandon their farms and wasteland... Isn't it because they are worried that they will not be able to survive farming?" The atmosphere eased, and people like Kan Leng also joined the conversation at the right time. "Actually, other ordinary people, even if they have not abandoned their farms, will have various concerns, and even worry that the government will apportion the taxes of their escaped neighbors to their own heads."

"I actually asked the gang to plant some wasteland, but I found out too late and didn't plant much... Huaiyou League is also troublesome now." Du Pozhen's tone seemed to contain a bit of complaint.

But Zhang Xing seemed to turn a deaf ear to it, just standing still, staring at the scenery ahead in a daze.

"Brother Du, do you know what I'm thinking?" After a while, Zhang Xing finally came to his senses when he saw several riders approaching him, as if they were coming from the city, and turned to look at Du Pozhen.

"What?" Du Pozhen was inexplicably nervous.

"I was thinking, if the rebellion in Jiangdong is true, and the strike in Guanzhong is also true, could it be that the land of the West Three Counties, which dethroned the Dragon Gang, has really created the most peaceful place in the world today? Zhang Xing asked with a sneer. "At least for farmers."

"I don't know where else, but there is a saying in Jianghuai about the virtues of the Dragon Gang." Du Pozhen was silent for a moment, but still told the truth. "People in Huaibei and Huaixi all want to rebel, and they are getting more and more irritable. Brother Zhang, you have contributed a lot... If I said that I was just mocking you before, but now I have a bit of prestige, don't tell me you didn't I have seen heroes come to join you."

Zhang Xing replied slowly: "The Great Wei will perish, but I may not be the one who secures the world."

"This is an honest statement." Du Pozhen's heart moved slightly. "But now, you and the Dulong Gang are the ones who have come to the forefront after all. It's like cutting off Baowei, and it's like how to secure the world... This is a sincere statement from me."

By this time, the surrounding leaders and subordinates, as well as those who had mixed feelings about Zhang Xing, had already realized that the topic was beyond their control, and all just looked at the two with complicated thoughts.

Because these two people don't know when to start, they are really pointing the country.

And no one doubted that what these two people said was pertinent and honest.

Thinking about two years ago, Du Pozhen was still a sheep thief in the east, and Zhang Xing was just a mere white ribbon, it really seemed like a lifetime away.

Zhang Xing was silent for a long time, then slowly opened his mouth again: "But, didn't Brother Du also say that? By this time next year, who knows what else will be there?"

"One yard is one yard, and a year counts as a year." Du Pozhen didn't take it seriously at this time. "Even if there are no land-occupiers and city-occupiers next year, they will all be smeared by soldiers, and it will be the first time for you to dethrone the Dragon Gang's territory."

Zhang Xing smiled, and then suddenly became serious: "Boss Du is right!"

Du Pozhen wanted to laugh with him.

"Do you know why I asked them all to grow millet?" Zhang Xing suddenly asked again, and then answered without waiting for the other party to speak. "Because millet lasts for a long time, it is inevitable that the world will become more and more chaotic. In this case, a catty of rice is a catty, but if a catty of millet is stored for an extra year, one more person can live."

Du Pozhen scanned the green field in front of him again, but just by sweeping, he, who had maintained the posture of the leader of the Huaiyou League, suddenly changed his color and lost his composure on the spot.

Another person who was visibly moved was Ma Sheng, who had been taciturn since arriving yesterday, but even he didn't have the same reaction as Du Pozhen.

The reason couldn't be simpler, because both of them were keenly aware that what Zhang Xing said was true, and realized that the leader had really thought of this level, but Du Pozhen had really been hungry for many days.

"Ask Boss Du again." Zhang Xing waited for a while, then asked with a smile. "Believe it or not, in the current situation, it's just that I just made a living and rebelled. Although I was serious, it was also the result of doing something perfunctory... I didn't really rebel with [-]% of my heart, [-]% Serve the world with your heart... In other words, believe it or not, I can't say it can be better?"

As soon as this remark was made, the silence behind him became more apparent, and the hooves and whistles of more than a dozen horsemen who were about to arrive in front became more and more obvious.

Du Pozhen looked at Zhang Xing, and slowly shook his head: "I don't believe it."

Zhang Xing nodded: "If this is the case, even if Brother Du believes in this, I can't give up easily... If I can last a day, I can do a little."

"It should be like this." Du Pozhen was puzzled. "If you can't resist such a big foundation, you should hold on until the end, and you should always do your best. If you can save one more brother, you will be a brother."

Zhang Xing nodded again and again, ignoring Yan Qing and the others who had come to the front, panting but realized something, and then waited in front of the small slope, turned their horses and walked out on one side of the field ridge.

After walking more than a dozen steps, just when the people behind him were hesitant to get on their horses and follow, this Zhang Dalong suddenly turned his head and said, "Xiao Zhou and Brother Du are coming together, other people are not allowed to come over, and they are not allowed to eavesdrop."

Yan Qing and Zhang Jinshu came to their senses and ordered their subordinates to line up in two rows to block and isolate them. The Taibao members of the Huaiyou League were very nervous, and Kan Leng followed without hesitation.On the contrary, Du Pozhen didn't take it seriously, and waved his hand, telling the adopted sons to be calm, and directly went forward with Zhou Xingfan on horseback.

After another hundred steps, the three of them stopped on a path where the ridges of the fields meet, and then spoke in Malay.

"The general sent by Xuzhou Daying has been confirmed, and it is Sima Zheng." Zhang Xing said lightly, telling a story that was actually extremely terrifying. "That's why I've been a little depressed today."

Of course, Du Pozhen and Zhou Xingfan came to their senses almost instantly, and each raised their heads. Xiao Zhou's mount was even startled and neighed on the spot.

"If he is allowed to lead the army, whether it is to go directly to the north to join forces with Zhang Xuguo of Qi County, or to fight step by step, going to Qiao County, entering Liang County, and coming to Jiyin, we will definitely lose." Zhang Xing said decisively. . "So, I thought about it for a while, and I have to do it now, so that Jiangdu can change course before the battle begins... Change the generals! At the very least, Sima Zheng can't leave Xuzhou!"

"What does third brother mean?" Zhou Xingfan turned pale. "Do you want to use countermeasures?"

"Not bad." Zhang Xing's face remained unchanged. "We must pre-emptively strike, avoid the real situation, and use countermeasures to deal with him... I want Xiao Zhou to return to Huai with Brother Du tomorrow, and bring gold, silver and jewelry. Familiar, use the manpower and spread of the Huaiyou League to spread rumors and bribe officials. Use the robbed treasures of Ziwei Palace to drive Sima back. You can decide who to bribe and who to provoke. I only have rumors here. One statement is just a cliché, but the emperor once had a dream of a three-horse trough, this is true, and the death of Grandpa Sima Zheng is related to it, you can watch and deal with it."

Speaking up to this point, even though Zhang Xing usually prides himself on being righteous and taking a higher stand, he couldn't help but feel a little bit emotional: "Sima is treating me with the utmost benevolence. Although I'm not a good person, it's a bit embarrassing to do this plan..."

After Zhang Xing's words, Zhou Xingfan gasped and nodded all the time. In the end, he was just a little startled, and immediately responded: "The third brother is doing something righteous, why bother to act like a child? This matter is not to cover up The third brother of the common people, you are more magnanimous. Could it be that Sima Zheng, who is the pawn of the unchangeable shit eater, is taking up the righteousness? I will do this, and I will try my best to make it happen! And the third brother doesn't have to worry about my safety , the big deal is to go back and forth to Zhaner’s mansion, I’ll see if he has the face to kill me and fall in love with me! It’s just the result of being placed under house arrest!”

The matter is serious, Xiao Zhou's words are fierce, Zhang Xing just nodded, and then immediately looked at Du Pozhen: "Brother Du, the current situation is that violence against Wei will lead to death, this is something that people like us who know the life of the poor will not understand. One thing we know, and something we know better than those condescending people... right?"

Du Pozhen grasped the rein tightly with his callused hands, then nodded slowly.

"With this as a premise, I have a statement." Zhang Xing hastened to speak. "You Huaiyou League are afraid to rebel because of the situation, but in fact, the hearts of the people in the north, south, east, and west are becoming more and more separated, and there is a faint tendency to split... If the situation between the government and the army deteriorates, you can push the boat along with the current and fall into the general trend of the world; but If an honest gentleman like Sima Zheng, who is a rigorous leader, sweeps Huaibei, I am afraid that this split will intensify, and you will not even be able to maintain the Huaiyou League, let alone other... In a word, this wave, we If the Dragon Clan can survive, it will do more good than harm for you."

"I understand." Du Pozhen thought for a long time, seemed to be struggling a little, but still gritted his teeth and answered. "I'll venture back tomorrow and try my best to arrange it for you."

Zhang Xing finally nodded.

In this way, Jiyin City was right in front of us, and the compass could be touched tonight, but Zhang Xing only made a decision outside the city, determined to make an immediate move and use all means to deal with the imperial court's suppression.

After arranging this matter, Zhang Xing finally decided to enter the city.

Of course, it was unavoidable that Yan Qing would come over, and he had no time to care about other things, and immediately reported an urgent military situation in a low voice:
"Third Brother, in Jibei County, Wang Wuye was reluctant to withdraw his troops and abandon the land easily. The troops lingered, but they were found by Zhang Xuguo. They won five battles and five victories in five days, and from the first battle, they chased but did not kill. , forcibly pierced Jibei, and Wang Wuye was also defeated... the messengers were not as fast as the defeated soldiers."

"Understood." Zhang Xing was expressionless, nodding his head directly, and then galloped his horse towards Jiyin City.

Yan Qing can only admire the determination of the third brother.

PS: Seeing Master Liuliqin’s reward, I was grateful, but at the same time I was a little apprehensive. After thinking about it, let’s talk about it, it’s a report... I’ve been in Chengdu all day today, and I’ve been working on various documents in a special car, But in the end, I successfully got the marriage certificate.Just get the certificate, calm, hope to go back immediately, return to a peaceful life, and write well.

Thank you in advance for your blessings, and thank you for your long-term support, and I will do my best to code in the future.

Because apart from this, there is nothing else.

(End of this chapter)