Ping An Biography

After a long absence, Zhang Ning and Bai Fengjiao just met, and after a few words, they couldn't help sighing secretly. Many things have to be done while the iron is hot.Seeing each other this time, I always feel that there is a big gap. Bai Fengjiao no longer feels the same way as before. I don't know if she still remembers the past three years, or maybe she has changed in the past few years.

At this moment, Xu Wenjun found the yard, and came into the house after reporting.After she came in, she looked at Bai Fengjiao quietly, and when Bai Fengjiao's gaze caught her, she slightly bowed her knees to meet him and saluted.Then Xu Wenjun was stunned for a while, then walked to Zhang Ning's side, and said softly: "The cabinet office has something important to do, Zhu Butang is inquiring about the prince, and asked me to come to the palace to find you."

Zhang Ning didn't show up all day today, and he was worried when he heard this.And after seeing Bai Fengjiao, he talked nonsense, feeling like he was looking for something to say...but he always felt that he still had a lot to say to her, but he didn't know where to start.Xu Wenjun happened to come again, so he cupped his fists and said, "I'll take my leave for a while, and go to the yamen to have a look before I come to visit Miss Bai."

Bai Fengjiao said: "My lord, if you have something to do, get busy first. I just arrived in your place and I want to rest for a while."

Zhang Ning then left and went straight to the cabinet next to the Wangjing Gate.It was already afternoon at this time, and all the cabinet ministers should be in the sixth department, but today Yang Shiqi, Zhu Heng and others are all inside the palace gate.

It turned out that the Ministry of Internal Affairs sent an urgent report.According to the intelligence of Nanzhili, Ningguo Mansion, Chizhou Mansion, and Huizhou Mansion received an edict from Nanjing, and local officials were ordered to prepare a large amount of grain and grass materials.

As long as you turn over the rough drawings, you can see at a glance that these three places are all places in Nanzhili near Jiangxi.The information couldn't be clearer. Only when the imperial court wants to move westward in large quantities, it is necessary to prepare a lot of food and grass.

Several ministers sat together and had another small discussion. It was nothing more than repeating the same old tune, thinking that the soldiers and horses going south from Xuanfu Datong would attack Jiangxi from Nanzhili with the cooperation of the Beijing camp.

After listening to their respective remarks, Zhang Ning could only make two reactions at the moment. First, he forwarded the information to Jiangxi to Yu Qian and urged him to prepare for defense; Chang Shi, ask the Ministry of Internal Affairs to send someone to Jiangxi to directly take over the intelligence of Nan Zhili, and cooperate with Yu Qian to grasp the movements of the officers and troops nearby.

He also feels more and more that there will be a new duel, but there are no more ways to do it now.Most of the elite Yongding camp of the Zhuque army is in Jiangxi, and there are tens of thousands of Hanwang troops under the control of Yuqian. The new army has successively exceeded 3000 people, but this large number of personnel is still completely incapable of combat; in the west, there are two battalions of the navy and army of Yao Fang and his son in Yuezhou, and there is a battalion of Zhou Mengxiong's cavalry in Lizhou.However, now that Zhang Ning is based in Huguang, it is very different from the situation in the past when he did not need to defend. He can't transfer all the troops from the west to concentrate on the battle, otherwise the Sichuan army and Xiangyang and other places near Jingzhou in the north of the Yangtze River will be transferred to the south. The army will cross the south of the Yangtze River and enter Huguang, and let him suffer from the enemy.

Earlier, Zhang Ning and other ministers had anticipated the threat they encountered today, and then carried out a series of long-term plans such as reorganizing the government agencies, wooing the gentry to promulgate decrees, recruiting strong men to expand the army and prepare for war.So far, it is useless to be anxious, I can only hold on to the original plan.

In the evening, the cabinet officials stepped down one after another, and Zhang Ning left on horseback.After walking along the north-south road on the central axis of Chu Palace, he thought about the situation when he saw Bai Fengjiao in the afternoon, and he was still worried, so he decided to see her again.Unexpectedly, Bai Fengjiao was not there. After asking the maid, she found out that Concubine Yao had invited her over.Zhang Ning simply waited for her to come back in the living room in the yard.

Bai Fengjiao's servant, Baiju, is still here, and she will soon come to the living room to serve Zhang Ning with tea and water.

I saw that this woman was also wearing their strange clothes, and the accessories on her body were obviously more complicated, and she looked a little dark. In fact, all the Miao envoys Zhang Ning saw were relatively black, and the only white one seemed to be Bai Fengjiao. It is caused by the sun, or due to their living conditions and habits.Zhang Ning talked to her and asked, "What's your name?" Unexpectedly, the girl's innocent eyes widened, and she couldn't understand what she said out of her mouth.Zhang Ning immediately understood, she can't speak Chinese?Immediately, she pointed at her, and said slowly: "What's your name?" She then said two Chinese characters with difficulty: "Baiju."

"You... Baiju." Zhang Ning smiled, and felt a little joy in his heart, and his previous heavy heart seemed to relax a lot.Even if there is a language barrier, people can easily communicate with each other.

At this time, Bai Fengjiao finally came back. As soon as she entered the yard, she heard that King Xiang was coming, so she rushed to the living room.When she walked to the eaves, she heard discussions inside, and she was suddenly curious: her valet Baiju is the most trustworthy person who can be brought out, but Baiju has never been out of Miaojiang and has no relationship with Han people. Come and go, I can't read and speak Chinese, Zhang Ning probably can't speak Hmong, what can the two of them talk about?

Out of curiosity, she stood under the window for a while, listening carefully to what was being said inside.

Zhang Ning's voice said: "Speak slowly and use gestures, otherwise I will have no idea what you are talking about, or wait for your lady to come back and ask her to translate."

I also heard Baiju say in Miao language: "People in Miaojiang say that Han officials are not trustworthy, and there are often things that turn their faces and deny them. You can't lie to us. If you trick the lady into chaos and abandonment, we will not let you go. your!"

When Bai Fengjiao heard this, Xin Dao was someone who was with her since she was a child, and she was always thinking of herself.

Zhang Ning's voice said again: "Your lady looks quite white, and your surname is Bai, why are you so dark? Do you take a bath once a year?"

Bai Fengjiao immediately rolled her eyes.Then I heard Baiju say: "The Stone Man Cult wants the lady to serve the wizard of the gods. The lady is unwilling to ask you to help her. If the lady is not perfect and you can't help her, the Stone Man Cult will ruin her reputation." of."

Bai Fengjiao couldn't take it anymore, she walked to the door quickly, and the two people inside turned their heads.She forced a smile and said: "The prince and Baiju couldn't understand each other, how did they manage to talk?"

Zhang Ning said with a little embarrassment: "I'll wait here, and I'll talk to her if there's nothing else to do... She said a lot just now, what did she want to say to me?"

Bai Fengjiao's eyes gradually darkened: "Baiju said that the Stone Man Sect will not let me go. The prince already knows about the Miao Jiang Stone Man Sect? Although this is a matter in Miao Jiang, there are several big clan leaders colluding to use it. The power is very strong, and the father is unable to deal with it. The Stone Man religion stipulates that the girls of each family must go to the stone cave to serve the gods before they can talk about marriage. Otherwise, they will be severely punished in the name of the gods. There is no exception. If the prince does not send troops to help, or if he cannot deal with the Stone Man Sect, I can only serve. If I don’t go or my body is not clean, I will give them an excuse to make trouble, which will bring disaster to King Miao and the Bai family."

Zhang Ning was silent for a while. If he heard such things in later generations, he would definitely think that he was ignorant and superstitious, but he couldn't laugh at this time.If there is no external interference in the deep mountains and old forests, no matter how unreasonable things can exist, because no one can resist the most powerful ruler; even in the Ming Dynasty, if a similar tyranny appeared here, who would come to "hold justice" "?In the Yuan Dynasty, the Yellow River was allowed to flood, and farmland was used as pastures, etc., which could exist for 80 years; the later Manchu Qing Dynasty even lasted for 300 years.

He recovered from his contemplation, and saw Bai Fengjiao was looking at him. His silence made her look disappointed, and there was a glimmer of hope hidden in the disappointment.

"Zhou Mengxiong's Wuchang Battalion is stationed in Lizhou in the west. The camp has been trained for nearly two years. It has more than 2 troops and well-trained ordnance." Zhang Ning said seriously, "I will immediately order Zhou Mengxiong to do this matter. .”

On Bai Fengjiao's oval and fair face, a pair of bright eyes seemed to be able to speak, and at this moment she flashed a gratified expression.Zhang Ning also felt relieved for a while. Was he doing this for the sake of the overall situation and justice, or just because of his personal affair with the beautiful woman?Even he can't tell the difference.

He added: "Emperor Jianwen hasn't issued an imperial edict to make Miss Bai the second concubine of the King of Hunan, so this matter can be discussed after the Miao Jiang incident subsides. If Miss Bai doesn't want to stay here, she can go back to her hometown and It will not affect side affairs, everything depends on your wishes, and I have no intention of forcing it."

Zhang Ning's understated yet serious tone was restrained, Bai Fengjiao faintly felt a kind of dark power, she couldn't help but look at Zhang Ning with admiration.But the woman is so contradictory. When she breathed a sigh of relief, she said with some resentment: "I know that the prince has me as much as he doesn't, but it's according to my wish."

Zhang Ning hurriedly said: "It's definitely not the intention. If I only follow my own thinking, of course I want to keep Miss Bai. Do you remember what happened three years ago? Since then, I have been deeply attracted by Bai." The girl was moved by her affection, but at that time she was unable to force her to do so, so she had to give up."

"Yes." Bai Feng responded softly.

Zhang Ningdao: "But now our Huguang regime is also worried about its collapse. After the imperial court pacified Nanjing Hanwang, it will naturally not allow Huguang to separatist. The number of the Great Nine Frontier Army and the local army has reached hundreds of thousands. It is difficult to reverse the situation where the enemy is strong and we are weak. If we lose a big battle, our current prosperity and wealth will be lost. I can't even guarantee the safety of my mother and sister. , how can I make any promises to you? That’s why I can’t force you to stay, so I said that it’s up to your will, everything depends on God’s will.”

Bai Fengjiao also remained silent, but she already had some calculations in her heart.If Zhang Ning didn't talk about this, she would still be a little hesitant, after all, she wasn't very used to unfamiliar environments; but at this moment, she had the urge to share his troubles with him.