When Ji Han and his men traveled to the Three Kingdoms crew

Chapter 403: The Trip to Black Mountain, But Zhang Yan is No Longer Zhang Yan (Four Thousand)

"Finally. It's finally here."

Zhang Baique was leaning on a crutch, breathing heavily. Even though his legs were sore and numb and kept protesting, even though sweat was oozing from his forehead like a waterfall, even though fatigue was about to collapse his eyelids, he still forced a smile.

Looking up, I saw two towering mountains thousands of feet high, separated by a bottomless ravine, just like in the stories passed down from generation to generation, where the immortals picked up an axe blade bigger than the mountain and chopped it down with one blow.

Looking into the distance, white clouds are floating, and there are green forests on the mountain peaks. When the cold mountain breeze blows, it is like waves in the green sea of ​​trees.

Seeing this, Zhang Baique took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and felt boundless pride in his chest. Even the cold wind could not affect him in the slightest. He said, "King Zhang Feiyan, I have lived up to your trust and finally passed through many obstacles and came to the top of Taihang Mountain and Black Mountain."

However, at this moment, a loud shout sounded behind Zhang Baique.

"Hey! Stop! Who are you to dare to trespass into our territory?"

Zhang Baique's heart trembled, but he was not panicked, but happy. He said to himself: It's finally here!

He quickly raised his hands to show the person behind him that he had no hostility.

"My dear friends, I have no ill intentions. I just want to discuss a business with you!"

The person behind him seemed to be more than one person. Someone muttered: "This accent sounds so familiar, it sounds like Changshan's language." However, his partner was unmoved and said sternly: "Turn around slowly, Naigong!"

"promise!"

Zhang Baique turned around hurriedly, and the first thing he saw were two spears reflecting cold light. The two spears were pointing at his chest. As long as he made the slightest movement, the spears would pierce out and take his life.

The two men holding the spears had dark complexions and were dressed in tattered short brown clothes. They could barely be considered strong men.
"Excuse me, are you two the heroes of Black Mountain?" Zhang Baique asked.

The two looked at each other. The one with a friendly face nodded, while the one with a serious face and frowned asked in a stern voice: "Yes, we are the vanguard of Heishan Commander Zhang Niujiao! Who are you?"

Zhang Baique took a deep breath and a smile appeared on his face. He looked so happy, like a wanderer who had returned home!

"My two heroes, I am from Changshan. My surname was Chu before, but I changed it to Zhang. Because the officials in the county were levying heavy taxes, I couldn't stand them, so I killed them. That's why I had to flee far away. My uncle's son is..."

As he spoke, Zhang Baique actually burst into tears.

The two were silent. The man with a thick Changshan accent and a friendly face was the first to break the silence. He sighed and said, "Alas."

"What's the matter?" The other man still frowned, but his voice became softer.

Talking about this, Zhang Baique actually straightened his chest and said in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "I am here for my Lord!"

"Your master? Who is your master?"

"Xuzhou, Zhang Feiyan!"

"what?"

Both of them showed astonishment, even the calm and easy-going man was speechless, looking at Zhang Baique in disbelief. The name of Zhang Feiyan was well-known, and they who were hanging around in the Taihang Mountains had also heard of it. It seemed that Zhang Feiyan had inherited the legacy of the Great Sage Teacher?

The serious-looking man snorted coldly, "How dare you, a thief, pretend to be Zhang Feiyan's envoy!"

Just as he was about to stab out, a man with a friendly face grabbed his arm.

"?" He was puzzled. "Why are you stopping me?"

The man with a friendly face lowered his voice and said, "What if this man is really Zhang Feiyan's envoy? What he said just now is at least a little true! I think it would be better to blindfold him and bring him back to the mountain stronghold, and let Commander Qu and the others make the final decision!"

".Good." The man with a serious face nodded and agreed.

Zhang Baique said calmly: "Come on!"

So the man with an easy-going look took out a piece of rag, covered Zhang Baique's eyes with it, then tied his hands with a rope, and pulled Zhang Baique deeper into the mountains with the rope.

Zhang Baique's face was calm, as if nothing had happened. Apart from the place names and surnames, not a single word he said was true.

The things about looking down on officials and killing officials for the sake of justice were all made up by him.

But even if you haven't eaten pork, you have seen pigs run.

This kind of thing is common and not surprising, but he did not speak up for justice, nor did he kill officials to vent his anger. Compared to these, he just wanted to make money.

It was because he was short of money at the beginning, and he was attracted by the children of rich families who were involved in cockfighting, running errands, and living a life of debauchery.

However, the world was not peaceful, and even the emperor was selling official positions and titles. People like him who had only strength but no family background had no way to make money.

So he pondered over it day after day, and fortunately, God helped him and he finally thought of a good business that was sure to make money - robbery!
He acted without delay. He gathered a group of young men, mingled between the White Mountains and Black Waters, and prepared to rob passing merchants and officials to enrich his own pockets.

However, before he had the chance to turn his idea into reality, he learned that there was a person named Zhang Feiyan in the mountains of Xuzhou.

Whenever he heard the three words "Zhang Feiyan", his heart beat faster for unknown reasons, as if it was some kind of palpitation.

The brothers on both sides spoke frankly about their guesses: "Could it be that the immortal god is reminding big brother that this person is particularly important to big brother?"

Zhang Baique thought about it again and again and felt that it was very likely, so he asked around and finally found out Zhang Feiyan's information.

After reading about Zhang Feiyan's past experiences, he was filled with surprise, his Adam's apple rolled involuntarily, and he swallowed mouthful of saliva again and again.

Zhang Feiyan actually defeated the county soldiers?!

Even the local big families can't do anything to him? !

Even if you get robbed on the road, you can only swallow your anger? !

Besides, everyone who contributes will be rewarded, and everyone who has been there will say good things?!
The more Zhang Baique looked at him, the more frightened he became. Since Zhang Feiyan was so powerful, he thought that following Zhang Feiyan he would surely have no worries about food and drink and become rich and powerful!

Therefore, Zhang Baique led his brothers over mountains and across rivers, and traveled to many places before joining Zhang Feiyan's army.

During the time working for Zhang Feiyan, Zhang Baique seemed to understand why Zhang Feiyan was able to accomplish things. This man always led by example, distributed money and property according to the amount of effort he put in, and never kept anything for himself. He even had a way of training his companions in the mountains.

It is normal to fight with each other when there is a disagreement, but it is almost extinct with Zhang Feiyan. She always wins when dealing with the big families living down the mountain, which is really admirable.

Therefore, when it came to contacting the Montenegrin Army, he patted his chest and volunteered.

It’s a pity that Xuzhou is not close to Heishan, and there are many checkpoints along the way. In the end, he was the only one left after making it all the way.

"arrive."

As the easy-going man spoke, the rag covering Zhang Baique's eyes was removed and the hemp rope tied around his wrists was untied.

Zhang Baique was able to see the light of day again. He flexed his wrists and looked around, taking in the surrounding environment.

Obviously this is a hall used for meetings.

The hall was large, able to accommodate hundreds of people at a time. As for the furnishings, there was really nothing worthy of praise. However, a corner of the tiger skin exposed under the buttocks of the person sitting in the main seat was a bright spot.

That person is Zhang Niujiao?
Zhang Baique glanced at the person sitting in the main seat. The man was eight feet tall, strong and burly, with a face full of flesh and wide-open eyes, just like the angry Vajra in the temple.

The next moment, this 'angry Vajra' spoke, "My name is Zhang Niujiao, I am the commander of Fangqu, and you are the envoy of Zhang Feiyan?" "That's right." Zhang Baique clasped his fists towards Zhang Niujiao and spoke respectfully.

"Oh? What's your name?"

"My surname used to be Chu, but I later changed it to Zhang. Now I'm called Zhang Baique."

"Zhang Baique is a good name. But I don't believe you are the messenger of Zhang Feiyan!" Zhang Niujiao sneered. His eyes seemed to contain thousands of knives, so sharp that they could pierce people right here.

Zhang Baique was not afraid at all, "I have a token."

However, before he could finish his words, Zhang Niujiao interrupted him, "The token can be forged, do you agree or not?"

The generals and bandit leaders gathered together and laughed loudly, "Yes, yes, that's right!"

"May I ask how Marshal Zhang Qu wants to confirm this?" Zhang Baique's face was calm, as if he had treated everyone's ridicule as a gust of wind and did not care at all.

"Good!" Zhang Niujiao's eyes darkened and he said sternly, "I heard that Zhang Feiyan's envoys are not cowards. Since you said you are Zhang Feiyan's envoy, I want to see if you are afraid of death!"

"Someone, bring the knife!"

With a loud shout, two or three men with knives walked up to Zhang Baique. Facing the gleaming ring-handled sword, Zhang Baique's eyes twitched uncontrollably, but when the men drew their swords and the ring-handled sword was about to attack him, he still did not take a single step back.

"Good!" Zhang Niujiao waved at the men and laughed, "Hahaha, the rumors are true. I'm afraid that you are disguised as an official or soldier, so I resorted to this desperate measure. I hope you will forgive me!"

"General Zhang Qu is very meticulous, so why should I be surprised?" Zhang Baique bowed towards Zhang Niujiao with a smile on his face, as if the person who was about to suffer the sword was not him.

Zhang Niujiao's smile became brighter and brighter. He even jumped up and walked to Zhang Baique's side. "Hahaha, well said. Come on, brother, why don't you tell me about your king?"

"promise!"

So, in the strange and surprised gazes of everyone, Zhang Niujiao grabbed Zhang Baique and began to ask about Zhang Feiyan's deeds. When he heard that this person attacked a large family, he slapped his thigh and sighed "Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful" several times. When he learned that Zhang Feiyan always led by example and was able to rally people's hearts, he applauded even more.

It's just that Zhang Niujiao and everyone else had the same question in their minds.

Zhang Feiyan was not born a refugee, so how come he was so good at military strategy and managed the mountain stronghold in an orderly manner? I heard that Zhang Feiyan went to Liangzhou, could he be an old soldier from Liangzhou?

Of course, this speculation was quickly rejected by them. If he was really an old soldier from Liangzhou, wouldn't it be good for him to follow Liu Xuande and enjoy a good life?

"By the way, brother, did Zhang Feiyan and General Zhang Qu ever mention anything about Liangzhou?"

Zhang Baique nodded, "The king once mentioned it."

"How do you evaluate the generals of Liangzhou?"

"They are all extraordinary people, and we are not able to defeat them."

Everyone looked at each other, as if what they said was correct. It must be that they could not stay in Liangzhou, otherwise why would Zhang Feiyan escape back in disgrace?
At the same time, they felt a sense of relief in their hearts. They heard that the Qiang and Hu people could become the kings and dominate Tianzhu, which is further west in the Western Regions. Since the Qiang and Hu people could do it, why couldn't they?

But now it seems that not acting rashly and taking advantage of the chaos was the right choice.

After all, how could they possibly take advantage of the Liangzhou Army that even Zhang Feiyan was afraid of?
"I wonder what brings you here this time, my dear brother? What important matter does Marshal Zhang want to discuss with us?" asked Zhang Niujiao.

Zhang Baique did not answer immediately. He smiled and asked, "General, who do you think has more money, the common people or the rich?"

"Hmm? Is it necessary to ask such a simple question? Of course he is a rich man!" Zhang Niujiao looked at Zhang Baique in surprise, not knowing what Zhang Baique was up to.

Zhang Baique asked again: "What about the rich and powerful families?"

"Of course it's a big clan."

"The great families and the provincial treasuries."

"Of course it's the provincial treasury."

After saying this, Zhang Niujiao was stunned. He seemed to have figured something out. He looked at Zhang Baique with eyes wide open in disbelief, "Brother, could it be that Commander Zhang Qu wants us to capture the treasury?!"

"Not bad." Zhang Baique nodded slowly.

When these words were spoken, the whole room was in an uproar. Although Jizhou is rich, one still needs to be alive to take it!
Asking them to capture the treasury is like taking prisoners to the execution ground, isn't that?
This is absolutely not possible!
Everyone was talking about it, and some even stood up to refute, "General Qu! We must not agree to this! This is courting death!"

Someone else said, "General Qu, please think twice!"

Someone actually said to Zhang Baique: "Did you remember it wrongly?"

Countless voices came from all directions, which made Zhang Niujiao very annoyed. He frowned and shouted, "Silence!"

The invisible aura spread out and everyone shut their mouths.

For some reason, looking at Zhang Baique, Zhang Niujiao believed that Zhang Baique, who had traveled a long distance and taken the trouble to come here, did not want them to die simply, and he must not have finished his words.

He pulled Zhang Baique aside and asked in a low voice, "Brother, are you still talking? Don't worry about them, just talk to me."

As expected, Zhang Baique said, "Commander Qu, someone once said that with the increasing taxation, the land was quietly taken away by the big families. How many people were forced to rebel, and how many people hid in the mountains to make a living?"

Zhang Niujiao nodded secretly, indicating his agreement. He knew it very well. Otherwise, how did all those people under his command come from? Jizhou was rich, but the number of people who could not survive was not small.

"These people can barely survive. What can we get by taking food from them?"

"You are right, my dear brother, but it is not easy to capture the treasury, right?"

Zhang Baique seemed to be waiting for this sentence, "General Qu, my lord has received a secret guarantee. Liu Biao and Gongsun Zan will send troops to attack Jizhou soon. At that time, my lord will also raise his arms and send troops from Xuzhou!"

"That's Yan Liang from Bingzhou."

"You don't need to worry about Yan Liang, General. Yan Liang is probably in a state of panic right now. As long as you cut off Yan Liang's way back, there is nothing to fear about Yan Liang!"

The more Zhang Niujiao listened, the more frightened he became. How could this be considered cooperation? It was simply like sending someone a pillow when they were sleepy! Zhang Feiyan was a good person!
But he did not agree immediately. He asked, "What if it is not as you said?"

"I would like to cut off my own head!" Zhang Baique's tone was as resolute as if he were chopping off a bolt of iron.

The more Zhang Niujiao looked at him, the happier he became. He thought how nice it would be if such a wise man was by his side!

He seemed to have remembered something, and asked, "My dear brother, has Marshal Zhang never robbed the people?"

"good."

"That's strange. What you just said came from Zhang Qushuai, right? How did Zhang Qushuai come up with that?"

"My Lord once said that someone told him that no matter where he is or what his identity is, he must never give up his bottom line."

"The one who can say this is a wise man." Zhang Niujiao said with emotion: "It is not an exaggeration to call him a righteous man if he can do this."

He patted Zhang Baique on the shoulder and said, "Brother, I agree to this!"

He sighed in his heart: "No wonder Zhang Feiyan became famous in Xuzhou, this is where I came from!"

(End of this chapter)