Great Zhou Empire: Kill Zhao Kuangyin at the beginning

Chapter 74 Mengzhou and Luoyang (Special thanks to book friend Lin Yuxuan for his 4 monthly passes this month!)

On September 12, the fourth year of Kaixi, Zhang Yongtong led hundreds of elite "Longxiang Guards" to enter the territory of Mengzhou in Jiedu Prefecture, Heyang.

There are only three days left to travel to Luoyang, Xijing, where the governor of Heyang is based.

On this expedition, Zhang Yong brought with him elites from more than a hundred households in the "Longxiang Guards", each armed with a "God's Arm Bow".

After entering Mengzhou City in batches in the afternoon, Zhang Yong and other hundreds of people went to two adjacent restaurants in the east market of the city and ordered dozens of bowls of pork noodles, dozens of bowls of large noodles, and hundreds of bowls of soju to cure their hunger. Bad tummy.

Mengzhou Market is not small in scale. Although it is far less grand than Bianjing Market, it still has two streets, east and west, about one mile long, with one to two hundred shops selling various businesses.

Zhang Yong took a quick look and saw that these shopkeepers were all smiling and full of energy.

A little further down the long street, there was a tax inspector from the palace, leading a team of subordinates on an inspection tour.

There was only one person dining at the same table with Zhang Yong, Wei Feng, one of the six surviving young martial arts practitioners who killed Zhao Kuangyin in the Xingwu Hall in the past.

Of the six young men that day, four eventually entered the "Longxiang Army" and two entered the "Longxiang Guards" based on their abilities and personalities. All of them have grown into senior officers in the army.

Wei Feng was one year younger than Zhang Yong. He was only thirteen years old when Zhao Kuangyin was executed.

In the past two years, he has repeatedly made contributions in executing the operations of the "Longxiang Guard" in various places. This year, he has been promoted to one of the three governors.

Wei Feng picked up the wine bowl, had a drink with Zhang Yong, drank the wine in one gulp, and said with a smile:

"Commander Zhang, although Mengzhou is only a small place, the wine is not bad. Although it is not as mellow as the wine in Bianjing, the wine is really strong!"

Zhang Yongdao:
"How could there be such wine in Mengzhou a few years ago? When I passed by here in the fifth year of Xiande, the people at that time did not have enough to eat and were not clothed. Where could anyone sell wine in the market?
Only in the homes of high-ranking officials could they brew their own wine.

The new policies on water conservancy and commerce that His Majesty has implemented in the past few years are truly benevolent policies that benefit the country and the people. "

Wei Feng nodded and said:
"Your Majesty is truly the Holy King of our Great Zhou Dynasty! In the past few years since His Majesty came to power, he has fed so many people and saved so many orphans in our Great Zhou Dynasty!"

After taking a few big bites of the rotten meat noodles in Dahai Bowl, Wei Feng asked in a low voice:

"Commander Zhang, you said that when we go to Luoyang this time, Wang Quanbin, the governor of Heyang, really has the intention to rebel against me, the Great Zhou Dynasty? Has he taken the courage of a bear and a leopard?!"

Zhang Yong pondered for a moment and said:
"According to the information sent back by the local Longxiang Guards in Heyang, the number of business travelers from the Shu Kingdom in the west and the Tang Kingdom in the south has increased significantly in recent months. I am afraid that Wang Quanbin is indeed colluding with the enemy.

His Majesty once said that Wang Quanbin, who relied on himself as a veteran general of four dynasties, had always been unruly, greedy for money and engaged in lawlessness in Heyang.

This time His Majesty has eliminated the Jiedushi system, which has made it lose the basis for domination and prosperity, and the possibility of rebellion is very high. "

Wei Feng became silent after hearing this.

After a while, everyone had finished eating the noodles. A member of the household stood up and paid the two shopkeepers. A bowl of noodles was only 5 copper coins, and wine was 2 coins. The meal for people cost less than one tael in total. silver.

Everyone got on their horses and left Mengzhou City and continued to Luoyang. Three days later, on the afternoon of September 15th, they arrived in front of the east gate of Luoyang.

After contacting Qianhu Chen Ding, the "Longxiang Guard" lurking in Luoyang, Zhang Yong and other hundreds of people entered the city in batches.

Chen Ding was sent to Luoyang at the beginning of the third year of Kaixi and has been lurking for two years. His official position on the surface is the captain guarding the north gate of Luoyang.

After settling in a large house in the city arranged by Qianhu Chen Ding, Zhang Yong asked Chen Ding, who was standing in front of him, and said:
"Chen Qianhu, are there any suspicious people in Luoyang recently?"

Chen Ding saluted and said:
"Commander Zhang, in recent months I have discovered that the number of merchants from Shu and Tang Jiangnan has increased significantly.

Among them, the most suspicious one was a salt merchant from Shu. The customs declaration showed that he was an old business that trafficked salt from Dazhou to Shu for sale. He entered Luoyang City ten days ago;

The other is a geisha troupe from the Tang Dynasty, which came to Fuzhong to perform at the invitation of Wang Jiedushi. "Zhang Yong's heart moved and he said:
"This is a geisha troupe from the Tang Dynasty. Have you ever seen what some of them look like?"

Zhang Yong described Li Fangyi's appearance to Chen Ding.

Chen Ding said with an embarrassed face:

"Commander Zhang, after hearing that the Tang Dynasty geisha had entered the city that day, I immediately rushed to investigate, but I only saw a few servants and maids in the carriage team entering the city. I never saw the woman as the commander said."

Zhang Yong nodded and asked where the geisha troupe from Tang Dynasty was staying. He thought that he would have to wait for someone else and spend the next few days in Luoyang to investigate carefully.

Zhang Yong ordered:
"After a long journey, we are tired and need to rest for a few hours. After dark, brothers go to Luoyang City to inquire about news. We must be careful and remember not to let Wang Quanbin know that we are coming."

Hundreds of Long Xiangwei's subordinates agreed in unison.

Zhang Yong walked into the side room and took a nap for more than two hours. Seeing that the night was getting dark, Zhang Yong immediately changed into night clothes, sneaked out of the house, and walked through the Luoyang night.

The name Luoyang began during the Warring States Period. It was named because it is located in the north of Luoshui River, and the north of the water is called "Yang".

During the reign of Emperor Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty, in order to get rid of and suppress the influence of the Guanlong clan, the capital was moved to Luoyang, which was named the "Sacred Capital".

Zhang Yong walked quickly through the night in Luoyang City for about half an hour, climbed over many houses, and arrived at a house on the west side of the large Jiedushi Mansion in the center of the city, where the Tang Geisha Troupe stayed.

Zhang Yong looked like a ghost. After evading several night guards in the mansion, he sneaked to the main hall in the backyard, which was illuminated by lights, and jumped up along the beams and pillars.

After walking for a while under the eaves, Zhang Yong peeked through the crack in the wooden window and thought to himself:

"It really is her!"

I saw Li Fangyi, Princess Yongning of the Tang Dynasty, wearing gorgeous clothes and sitting on a wooden chair in the palace, with several maids standing beside her.

Li Fangyi sat in silence for a long time and then said:

"Go and boil some hot water. This princess wants to take a bath."

After several maids agreed to the promise, they withdrew from the palace. In a short while, a large oval wooden barrel placed in the southwest corner of the hall was cleaned, and white hot water was gradually poured into it, and many freshly picked flower petals from the courtyard were sprinkled on it.

Li Fangyi got off the chair, came to the wooden barrel, and began to undress and take off her belt.

Zhang Yong, who was peeping under the eaves outside the hall, quickly turned his head away and left immediately. However, he also hoped to overhear some secret information from Li Fangyi's mouth, so he immediately lurked and listened.

After a rustling sound of undressing, there was a slight sound of water. Li Fangyi had stepped naked into the wooden barrel and started taking a bath.

Just when Zhang Yong waited for more than two quarters of an hour and was disappointed that he would get nothing this time, he heard Li Fangyi slapping the water with her hands and saying angrily:
"If it weren't for the imperial brother's important national affairs, this princess would really want to kill Wang Quanbin, the traitor, with one blow!

I, the Tang Dynasty, am not satisfied with supporting him with money, but I actually have evil thoughts about this princess! He must be scolded by this princess before he restrains himself. What an idiot! "

None of the maids in the palace dared to answer.

Li Fangyi cursed for a while, stopped splashing water with her jade hands, and said sadly:
"Why should I be born in the Tang Dynasty, an imperial family? I have been in the cold palace since I was a child. As I grow older, I have to work hard on these military affairs! Why bother!
I would rather be born in a civilian family, take care of my husband and raise my children, and live an ordinary life! "

Zhang Yong eavesdropped for a long time and found out that there was no important information. He only knew that Wang Quanbin had secretly colluded with the Tang State and had obtained the financial support of the Tang State. He should be preparing to rebel.

Just as he was about to leave from the eaves, he suddenly heard Li Fangyi in the hall say:

"Zhang Yong, I hate you!"

(End of this chapter)