The new era of chaos begins in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 277 Chen Xunjian’s appointment

Just when Ergou was making some secrets in Xiangzhou, the wheels of the Song Dynasty were rolling towards the fork in the road.

In the late spring of the founding of the Jingguo Dynasty, Zhang Dun, the former Prime Minister of the Song Dynasty, was demoted to Leizhou Sihu to join the army.

At the beginning of summer, admonishment officer Ren Boqing admonished: "The Holy Emperor has been on the throne for more than a year, and the people of the world are grateful for him, but he has little kindness. We should open up the talent department and select talents to win the hearts of the world's heroes."

Huizong Xu Zhi

In autumn, nearly a thousand Juzi who arrived in Bianliang in time took part in the scientific examination, and more than a hundred people were specially recruited. Huizong issued an edict to change the Yuan Dynasty to Chongning next year.

In the spring of the first year of Chongning, more candidates from other places rushed to Bianliang after receiving the news. Because they missed the imperial examination, they made noises everywhere, claiming that the imperial examination was unfair.

Ren Boqing admonished him and said that this was Zhang Dun's remnant party's excuse and it was appropriate to punish him.

Zhang Shangying, a Hanlin scholar, proposed to reopen the martial arts examination to calm the resentment of the scholars.

So Zhang Dun was demoted again and was demoted to deputy envoy of regiment training in Shuzhou.

Bianliang Juzi fell into carnival again.

But he said that there was a book in Hu Yiying to support Chen Congshan, who was newly married.

One day, he said to his wife Zhang Ruchun: "Madam, today the Holy Spirit is recruiting talents on the yellow list, selecting loyal and brave men from all over the world, and guarding them in all directions. I want to go to the martial arts test and win the gold medal, but if I get an official position, I can revitalize the family. Lu, and you can also enjoy some wealth and honor, isn't it much better than having a small book office!"

Ru Chunyou said: "I'm afraid that my husband is too weak to fight against those rough guys, and I won't be able to win the test!"

Chen Congshan laughed and said: "Madam, you are looking down on me! I have also learned good martial arts, with spears, sticks, bows and horses. And the martial arts exams are not only a test of martial arts, but also a test of literary and military tactics. Some crude skills If a Han is illiterate, he may not even be able to enter the final school martial arts field!"

When Ruchun heard this, he showed some joy.

A few days later, Chen Congshan signed up to be a candidate and was the first to choose military strategies. Although he did not have many real strategies, he also read a lot of military books, tactics, and chapters of the Spring and Autumn Period. Therefore, he could talk about military affairs on paper, write a thousand words in a single move, and implement various actions. It is also outstanding among them.

When he got to the final martial arts competition, Chen Congshan first lifted hundreds of kilograms of stone locks, then lunged and hit the target, and finally galloped on horseback and shot seven shots out of ten. Finally, he won the second place and was awarded the top three.

After the banquet in Qionglin, Chen Congshan was appointed an inspector by the Inspection Department of Nanxiong County, Guangdong Province after knocking on the altar to express his gratitude.

Chen Congshan got a job, and when he returned home, he said to his wife Ruchun:

"Now that I have been blessed by the Holy Spirit, in addition to my duties as Nanxiong's patrol inspector, I will take up my post.

I have heard that the road to Guangdong is full of steep ridges and high mountains. The road is difficult to travel. There are many thieves and smog, and tigers, leopards and wolves are rampant. If you want to take your wife with you, I am afraid that you will not be able to endure hardships. If he had left his wife in the capital, he would have to pack up and leave now, and there would be no time to place her there.

What can I do? "

Ruchun said: "When a slave married an official, he had to share the joys and sorrows; now to become an official, the journey is dangerous and difficult, so he has to go, so why worry!"

When Chen Congshan saw his wife saying this, he felt a little relieved.

Ru Chun added: "My husband is far away from his appointment, and I am afraid that he will be alone. Why not find a few confidants to help him, so as not to have no one to help him in his appointment."

Chen Congshan was a little confused: "What the lady said is true. My family has few relatives in the capital. I wonder if there are capable people in my father-in-law's family?"

Ruchun thought for a while and said: "Aunt Nu's family has a cousin named Luo Tong. He is good at using slingshots, bows, medicine and arrows. He has good skills. He once did some things in Kaifu Temple. If you can invite him, I should be able to Give me a helping hand."

Chen Congshan nodded and said: "Great kindness! It would be great if I could get help from my cousin from the Luo family. I will go to my father-in-law's place later. But he has some shortcomings. I want to find him again." There are some reliable helpers, but I don’t know where to find them!”

Ruchun said: "Don't my husband have an elder in the capital? If Mo Ruo goes to ask him, there may be some ways!"

Chen Congshan shook his head and said: "That guy is a distant uncle of mine, but he himself is unmotivated. He only works as a servant in other families. If I seek help from him, I'm afraid I will be laughed at!"

However, Chen Congshan remembered some instructions given to him by his grandfather, Taiwei Chen, the night before his death a few years ago.

At that time, his grandfather told him that if he encounters a life-or-death problem in the future, he can seek help from his great-uncle, and said that his great-uncle was a strange man with great abilities.

At that time, Chen Congshan was also a little surprised. Later, he made a special effort to inquire about the great-uncle, and even deliberately happened to "encounter" him several times. However, he never saw anything magical about that person. No matter how he looked at it, he was just a human being. A wretched old man with a slightly stronger body, and he was extremely flattering to the hostess of the house, without any self-respect or self-love.

At that time, Chen Congshan went to his father-in-law Zhang Daizhao's house under the Jinliang Bridge. He met with his father-in-law and told him that he was about to go on a long trip and wanted to invite his aunt and cousin Luo Tong to accompany him.

Zhang Daizhao was overjoyed when he heard this, and immediately said that there would be nothing wrong with inviting Luo Tong, and then held a banquet in honor of Chen Congshan.

Chen Congshan had eaten and drank enough and returned home feeling drunk. On the way, he met a small army from the Huyi camp, named Wang Ji, who was quite familiar with Chen Congshan on weekdays.

When Wang Ji saw Chen Congshan coming on horseback, he pretended to be surprised and said: "I haven't seen Mr. Chen go to the camp for many days to do his hair. I only thought that something happened to you, but I don't know what kind of hair growth activities you did?"

Chen Congshan clasped his fists in confusion and said: "It turns out to be the Wang family brother! Haha, you don't know, a few days ago, the Holy Emperor set up a yellow list to recruit talents. I am not talented, but I was lucky enough to get the second place in the martial arts list. I will be the Nanxiong because of the Holy Grace." Inspection, go there early to stop the tigers from leaving the camp!"

Wang Ji pretended to be amazed and said: "It turns out that my husband has grown up to this point and become a high official! It is really a sin for a villain to not know about it. I hope that the official and the villain will have a chance, and the villain can do something better." Apologize to the high officials over wine and meat!"

Chen Congshan was not enthusiastic about Wang Ji, so he had another drink. During the dinner, Wang Ji said that he would be his companion, and Chen Congshan, who was full of wine and wine, agreed without hesitation.

After just waiting for the banquet, Chen Congshan returned home, seven points drunk.

On the second day, after Chen Congshan got up and washed up, he saw Wang Ji and another strong young man waiting outside the door. Chen Congshan invited the two men in, but found that the other man was his wife's cousin Luo Tong.

Chen Congshan introduced the two of them to visit his wife, and discussed some matters (errands, work) with her equally, and then went to the Ministry of War to get the seal and text. Then he packed his luggage, said goodbye to his neighbors and relatives, locked the door, and left Bianliang, Tokyo. City, winding all the way south.

Along the way, Chen Congshan rode a horse, which Ruchun called a sedan chair, and Wang Jiluotong carried the burden. It was not bad in the Gyeonggi area, with one post every ten miles and one pavilion every five miles. It always felt like an outing.

But since we got out of Gyeonggi Road, the traffic environment on the road has started to get worse. Although there are some inns and villages, there are still some people who are hungry, thirsty for food, and suffer from the pain of staying in Xiaoxing at night.

Of course, this was mainly because Chen Congshan and his party were not familiar with the road and had little experience in traveling far away. In addition, they were eager to get on the road, so they often missed Sutou.

Fortunately, people can learn. After more than a month of hard work, everyone gradually got used to traveling early and staying early. They even took a boat across the Yangtze River, went south along Poyang Lake, and landed in Hongzhou.

The group rested in Nanchang City for a few days and replenished some supplies before setting off again. The group of people traveled south for forty miles. When they arrived at Meiling, heavy rain made the journey difficult, but they found a Buddhist temple in front of the mountain to stay overnight.

The name of this temple is Panlong Temple, which is the study hall of Qi Ji, a famous poet monk in the former Tang Dynasty. Among them are Cui Si, Lu Ke, Pei Zhuo (these three are all famous figures in the former Tang Dynasty), and Wang Pu (a historian of the Five Dynasties). Authentic calligraphy and paintings by others.

Chen Congshan was good at writing, so he arranged for his wife to accompany him, so he took advantage of the pleasure to admire the relics of his predecessors, and discussed Zen with Zen Master Dahui, the host of the temple, and talked about other things.

Zen Master Dahui said: "High officials must be careful when passing through Meiling. In recent years, a fierce creature has appeared in Meiling. It is very powerful. If there are passers-by with women on the Meiling Road, it will definitely harass them. He often robs women and goes away.”

Chen Congshan laughed and said, "Don't worry, Zen Master. Although Chen is not talented, he can still ride a horse, shoot tigers, and kill wolves and leopards with his sword. The two companions accompanying him are also very brave. No one knows how ferocious the opponent is, and we are not afraid of it." It also!"

After hearing this, Zen Master Dahui smiled and said, "Since the high official has such courage and means, then I can rest assured."

When the rain stopped and the sky cleared on the second day, Chen Congshan and others came out of Panlong Temple, but they trudged slowly on the muddy Meiling Road, which was very difficult to walk.

When they arrived at a grass pavilion, they couldn't bear the heat and fatigue, but they all went into the pavilion to rest.

In fact, there was a person standing in the thatched pavilion already. He was nine feet long, wearing white clothes, and he was a handsome man with a beautiful beard.

This man was holding an iron staff. When he saw Chen Congshan and others entering the pavilion, he frowned a little. Then when he saw Zhang Ruchun, his eyes lit up and he stared at her with a chirping voice. Ruchun's cheeks turned red. , covering the face with sleeves.

Chen Congshan was angry when he saw that this man was so frivolous. Without waiting for him to say anything, Luo Tong had already shouted: "How come you can be so rude! Could it be that you want to die!"

But the man with the beautiful beard in white withdrew his gaze and said with a smile: "People in the mountains rarely see beauty, but they are fascinated by the women of your family! I make you laugh!"

I'm afraid you don't know who I am, but I am Duke Shen Yang from the outer world. I have been cultivating my mind and nature in this world recently, and I want to find some beautiful women to be my servants. Now I see that your daughter is of extraordinary beauty, and I would like to offer her a thousand taels of gold. I hope you can part with me. "

Chen Congshan said angrily: "You are so rude! Ruchun is my child, An Neng can exchange it with something that smells like copper! Get back quickly! Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless under the arrow!"

As he spoke, he drew the bow and arrow he had prepared and raised his hand to shoot Duke Shen Yang.

Duke Shen Yang paused his iron staff, then laughed and said, "You can't kill me with a bow and arrow like this!"

Chen Congshan shot at him in anger, and three arrows in succession were easily dodged by the opponent. At this moment, Luo Tong fired a sudden shot from his slingshot, hitting the man's left eye.

Duke Shen Yang let out an "ouch" in pain, immediately threw away his iron staff, covered his left eye, turned around and ran away, shouting as he ran back: "If you hit me with a pill, I will pay for it with my life one day." also!"

Chen Congshan shot several arrows at Shen Yanggong's back. Unexpectedly, the arrows only broke his clothes, and then fell to the ground like gold and iron.

After Shen Yanggong ran away, Chen Congshan bowed his head and said angrily: "That guy escaped quickly, otherwise I will definitely shoot him!"

Wang Ji went to pick up the iron staff lost by Duke Shen Yang, but his expression changed as soon as he touched it.

Wang Ji was also a strong man. He could usually carry three to four hundred kilograms for more than ten steps. He couldn't shake the iron rod even a little. He exclaimed: "The iron rod is so heavy that it can't weigh more than a thousand kilograms! That's it!" You are so strong, you can actually lift such a heavy object!"

When Chen Congshan and others heard this, their expressions changed even more. They did not dare to rest in this grass pavilion and continued on their way in a hurry.

The group of people walked for another half an hour and only traveled less than ten miles.

A cloud was floating in the mid-air. When Chen Congshan looked up, he saw a pale figure jumping out of the cloud and falling quickly to Luo Tong's side on the ground.

Luo Tong looked up and saw a monkey-faced guy standing in front of him. Before he could make a move, the monkey-faced monster reached out and pinched his neck, and then tore him apart with just one pull. Come.

Everyone present was frightened by this tragic scene, and the two bearers carrying the sedan were so frightened that their hands and feet became weak, and they lost the sedan and collapsed on the ground.

Ruchun, who was sitting in the sedan, didn't know what was going on. She opened the curtain of the sedan to take a look, but the monkey-faced monster reached out and grabbed it. He held it under his ribs and laughed, saying: "This saves some gold, so I'm sorry." What a beauty!”

After saying that, he took off and flew into the clouds with Zhang Ruchun in his arms.

It was only then that Chen Congshan woke up as if from a dream. He shouted to the sky repeatedly, but the monster and his wife had long since disappeared.

His wife was lost and his companion died tragically. Chen Congshan couldn't help but feel sad and shed tears.

After that, Chen Congshan took his only remaining companion Wang Ji and two bearers to collect Luo Tong's remains, and then searched for the missing Zhang Ruchun in the surrounding area, but in the end he found nothing.

Seeing that Chen Congshan was heartbroken, Wang Ji, his companion, advised him: "It is not possible for the officials to search blindly like this. Now we have been delayed for some time. If the officials don't go to Nanxiong as soon as possible, I'm afraid not only will we not be able to find him, My wife, even her official duties will be delayed. It would be better if the official goes to Nanxiong to take up his post first, and then he can gather some people and find a few capable helpers, and then come back to find his wife."

Chen Congshan had no choice but to accept it.

So they and the accompanying bearers crossed Meiling Road and traveled south for more than ten days before arriving at Nanxiong Prefecture and taking office.

Chen Congshan was able to do inspections. While he was doing official business, he often sent people to the Meiling area to inquire about his wife's whereabouts. Unfortunately, there was no news.

This lasted for more than three months, and suddenly one day a small army under his command came to report: Mr. Xian! Trouble is coming!

Inspector Chen asked: "What's the trouble?"

Xiaojun said: "Now there is a military report sent by Xia Zha, the governor of Nanxiong Prefecture. There is a strong man named Yang San, nicknamed "Blocker". He has gathered four to five hundred minions, but he came to Nanxiong Prefecture and broke many villages along the way. . The governor ordered the patrol to lead a thousand soldiers and horses under his command at high speed, and Guan received the weapons and went to arrest them without delay. "

Inspector Chen heard this, but he immediately selected his troops, opened the military reserve, received bows and crossbows, and led a thousand men and horses to the place where the thief was found.

There are many mountains in the south. Inspection Chen led thousands of soldiers and horses all the way to Nanlin Village, where the thieves had just broken through. However, there was no sign of the thieves, only a few local villagers were there.

When he sent people to interrogate the villagers about the whereabouts of the thieves, a group of men and horses came out behind him, which made his soldiers panic and seemed to be in disarray.

Seeing that something was not going well, Inspector Chen sent people to prepare the army and personally led his own troops to intercept the thieves' offensive.

Inspection Chen rushed to the enemy's formation with a spear and a galloping horse. He fired his bow and arrows and killed five or six thieves, which frightened the thieves' momentum to a halt.

Unexpectedly, a general rushed towards him from the opposite side. The man looked kind-hearted and only used a black stick, but he was so skillful with the Yang family's spear that he was able to kill Inspector Chen, who could only parry.

(End of this chapter)