Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

Li Yanxian and Yingxuan really hit it off, and the former admired the latter greatly.

They are interested in the places where each other lives and the folk ecology there.

Yingxuan said: "There are many knights on Dongting Lake because the government exploits them so much that the people cannot live and work in peace and contentment, and many people flee to the rivers and lakes. When I was young, I saw injustice on the road, so I killed the village bullies in anger and fled to the lake to avoid official duties."

Since ancient times, Jianghu has generally referred to the private sector, but also to areas outside the control of the government.

People who committed crimes or could not pay taxes hid in the rivers and lakes. The same is true for Dongting Lake, and the same is true for Liangshan Lake.

Today, there are still many fishermen near Xiangyang who would rather live on the Han River with their families than go ashore to open up wasteland for farming. Many of their ancestors were farmers, living in the middle of the Yangtze River because of difficulty paying taxes. They simply did not believe that Ju Ming would continue to provide good policies.

Li Yanxian smiled and said: "Those who commit crimes in the northwest have no place to hide, and prefer to hide in the army."

Yingxuan was quite surprised: "Don't the military investigate the details?"

Li Yanxian explained: "Of course we have to check the family background, but no one does it. In recent years, it has been difficult to recruit troops. The imperial court ordered the prefects to recruit troops, and the prefects asked the county magistrates to recruit troops, and the county magistrates asked the powerful to recruit troops. How can the powerful have so much control? As long as there are enough people, they will be sent to the government, just give them a false name. Therefore, there are many good people in the Western Army, but there are also many ruffians, criminals and thieves."

"But that's not the case in Jinghu. Even the rural soldiers have to know their origins," Yingxuan thought for a while, then changed his words, "That's not right. After the general launched his army, Jinghu Road didn't bother to check the family background of the rural soldiers in order to recruit troops. .”

Li Yanxian smiled and said, "So they're all the same. I'm used to going to the border to rob people, but which one are you plundering over there?"

Yingxuan said: "I rob passing merchant ships, and sometimes gang ships. I robbed two batches of Hunjun's Huashi Gang, and I got a lot of good things."

These two heroes, both robbers, exchanged industry experiences as soon as they met.

Gradually, the conversation got deeper and deeper, and Li Yanxian felt like he was listening to a fairy tale: "Brother, can you really hold your breath underwater for a quarter of an hour?"

Yingxuan said: "If you stay still, you can hold your breath for about a quarter of an hour, but it won't be that long if you swim underwater."

Li Yanxian clicked his tongue in surprise and said: "Anyone who knows how to swim is a hero, but I can't. I only know how to paddle, so I can't swim fast."

"It doesn't matter whether you are good at fighting in the north. A true hero is one who is good at riding and shooting," Yingxuan said. "Brother Li's stories about horse snatching at the border made me fascinated when I heard them. I wish I could go and meet the Xixia people."

Li Yanxian said: "The Xixia people are not that scary, only the Iron Kites are slightly stronger. The ordinary Xixia cavalry have very crude armor, and they are just common people grazing. I often go to rob with my brothers, and the Fan people on the border don't care. If you dare to herd horses, you can only herd cattle and sheep there."

"Brother Li is so capable!" Yingxuan praised.

The two chatted in the alley, and then they competed in martial arts.

The result is that it's a bit bullying in comparison. Li Yanxian is good at using spears, while Yingxuan is good at swords. Long weapons can be used against short weapons, and the winner can be determined in a few rounds.

Yingxuan stood there with an embarrassed expression on his face. He, the heroic hero of Dongting, had failed miserably.

Li Yanxian comforted him: "If we get to the water, I will definitely be defeated. Brother Ying, don't be discouraged."

Zhu Ming smiled and said: "Both of them are good men and should be used in important ways. Dao Zhi (Ying Xuan)'s injury has healed. Since he does not want to fight with his old master, he will stay in the Generalissimo's Mansion and obey orders. From now on, he can try the sea. Sailing. Shaoyan (Li Yanxian) and Zhengze (Yan Ping) have been incorporated into the Jingmen Cavalry. They do not have any general positions for the time being, but their military ranks are lieutenants. When I send troops to Shaanxi, you will immediately return to Longxi to start an incident."

Yingxuan had been living in Xiangyang for a while and quickly explained to Li Yanxian and Yan Ping what a lieutenant was.

When they jointly raise troops in Longxi, if they occupy a few more cities, they will definitely be promoted to the rank of colonel. If they have made great achievements, they may be given the rank of major general, and they will become one of the giants in the rebel army.

Li Yanxian said: "When the time comes, I will raise troops in Longxi and capture Gongzhou (the state governs Longxi) and Qinzhou (the state governs Tianshui) as soon as possible. As long as the general marshal sends troops to capture Baoji, they will be able to be connected together, and many states and counties can be sent to them. .”

"Leave the border matters to Shao Yan." Ju Ming said with a smile.

Whether it is Zhang Guangdao, Li Bao or the Li Yanxian in front of him, all capable people have strong subjective initiative and know what they should do.

Han Shizhong also knows what he should do, but at this stage he is somewhat obsessed with officialdom, and he is too impatient and likes to take risks when fighting. Once his military rank is promoted and his talent is fully demonstrated, he should be able to return to normal.

After Zhu Ming made arrangements for Li Yanxian and Yan Ping, he rode back to the mansion.

Zhang Jinping said: "The two new arrivals have already settled in, and the family members waiting to see you are waiting to see you."

"Thank you for your hard work, ma'am, I'll be there right away." Zhu Ming said with a smile.

Zhong Yancen and Zhe Zhichang were drinking tea in the guest house. When they heard that Ju Ming was coming, they quickly got up to greet him.

Zhong Yancen bowed and said, "Zhong Yancen has met Mr. Zhu."

But Zhe Zhichang said: "Zhichang pays homage to the Generalissimo!"

Zhong Yancen looked at him sideways when he heard this and actually called him Generalissimo. Do the members of this family want to stay in Sichuan and serve as officials?

"No need to be polite, please sit down quickly," Zhu Ming greeted him warmly and said to Zhong Yancen, "Zhonggu (Zhe Yanzhi) is currently stationed in Dangyang. He has made meritorious service when fighting Zhong Xiang and followed Han Shizhong to capture Zhijiang. Qin Brothers, you can catch up on old times in Dangyang."

But Zhong Yancen said: "After seeing off the bride, I am going back to Luoyang. There is no need to meet my brother."

Being so disrespectful, Ju Ming smiled and said, "It's up to you."

Zhe Zhichang said quickly: "I am not very talented and knowledgeable. I just want to stay with my brother-in-law and ask for advice."

Good guy, even my brother-in-law called me.

Since he is his brother-in-law, Ju Ming will certainly not refuse: "Please stay under my account and do paperwork."

"Thank you, brother-in-law, for taking me in." Zhe Zhi said happily.

Next, Zhe Zhichang took the initiative to talk about Taoism and demonstrated his knowledge in the name of asking for advice. He also showed that he had seriously studied Ju Ming's knowledge.

Zhong Yancen tried his best to keep smiling, but in his heart he was filled with contempt. He was so shameless. The Song Dynasty court was still there, and the emperor didn't grant a marriage, so the Zhe family quietly sent their daughter over, and even brought a son with them.

There is no need for a grand ceremony to take in a concubine. The concubine has already entered the house in a sedan chair, and then she can have a meal with the two senders separately.

Since Zhong Yancen doesn't give face, no matter how good-tempered Ju Ming is, he still has to express his dissatisfaction.

It was clear that Zhong Miaoyun was the one officially granted marriage by the emperor, so Zhu Ming deliberately left the Zhong family daughter to dry first, and gave the Zhe family daughter the first wine that night.

"Alas," Zhong Yancen felt a little regretful and sighed, "I shouldn't have refused to see my brother. Zhu has lost face and will definitely make Seventh Sister angry in the future."

Zhong Miaoyun comforted him: "Brother, don't worry about it. Things are already like this. I just hope that he is a broad-minded person and doesn't care about a woman like me."

Zhong Yancen said: "My grandfather promoted Taoist temples in Tokyo. Although he was assigned the task of researching gunpowder, he no longer liked the officials. The Song Dynasty court has entered a stormy autumn, and I don't know how long it can last. My opinion Sichuan is governed extremely well, with well-organized government and good weather conditions, and seems to be on the verge of great prosperity. Given time, it will probably replace the Great Song Dynasty."

Zhong Miaoyun said: "Luoyang scholars have many criticisms of his father and son. I don't understand the general principle. I just looked around and found that neither Luoyang nor Guanzhong seems to be governed as well as Hanzhong. He said that there are also beggars everywhere in Luoyang City. , but there were no beggars in Hanzhong City. I inquired in Hanzhong, and beggars were placed in different categories. Those who were disabled or elderly and had difficulty making a living were sent to almshouses to do whatever work they could. Beggars who were able-bodied were They were sent to open up wasteland, and the government also encouraged them to start families.”

"Compared with Luoyang, where there are many beggars, and Hanzhong, where the people are happy, I prefer Hanzhong."

"When I came to Xiangyang Prefecture and stayed in the prefectures and counties along the way, I also asked the Pu Bing of the delivery shop. Although they all said good things about their respective governments, the words of the Pu Bing in the Song Dynasty were not entirely true. It can be seen that in the Lie. However, the Pu Bings under the rule of the Zhu family and his son can feel that their lives are good. You can also identify them just by their complexion. The Pu Bings in Shaanxi are all good-looking. The Pu Bings here have healthier faces. "

"Brother, tell me, where does this person's heart stand?"

Zhong Yancen said: "How can I not know this? There are cowardly kings and treacherous ministers at the top, and corrupt officials at the bottom. How can the country of the Song Dynasty be better? But the father and son of the Zhu family are rebellious and rebellious after all. Whether they are pedantic or foolish and loyal, the Zhong family background With the emperor's favor, there are some things you can't help yourself with."

Zhong Miaoyun didn't answer any more, but what he really thought in his heart was that the sons of the Zhong family had killed dozens of people on the battlefield for the Song Dynasty. This was not the emperor's grace at all, but the wealth that the sons of the Zhong family had exchanged for their lives.

The brother and sister sat in silence for a moment, then Zhong Yancen stood up and said, "It's getting late, I should go."

Zhong Miaoyun sent his brother to the door and suddenly asked: "If one day, the Zhao family is destroyed and the Zhu family takes the throne, how should the Zhong family deal with themselves?"

"I don't know." Zhong Yancen shook his head and said.

Zhu Ming and Zhe Zhichang drank some wine and went to Zhe Yanxiu's place slightly drunk.

As soon as I entered the courtyard, I saw a girl wearing a green wedding dress standing on the porch with a spear in her hand.

"Do you have to pass the test before you can get married?" Zhu Ming was happy when he saw it.

Zhe Yanxiu said in a sweet voice: "I, the daughter of the Zhe family, have always married generals, and all of my husbands are heroes. If my husband wants to enter the house, he must first accept a few moves from me."

Ju Ming said with a smile: "I heard that the Zhe family has many daughters. In the past hundred years, how many heroes have come to marry? Don't taint the title of hero."

"Choose your own weapons!" Zhe Yanxiu was furious. Zhu Ming was looking down on the Zhe family.

Ju Ming shouted: "Bring me my mace!"

The guards outside the courtyard thought they had heard wrongly, and after repeated confirmations, they brought the mace. When they left, they lay down outside the courtyard gate and secretly observed the generalissimo teaching the concubine who had just passed through the door.

Zhe Yanxiu straightened the gun and stabbed him. The movement was fast and accurate, and the shot went straight to Ju Ming's face.

"Poof!"

"ah!"

Ju Ming swung his mace and knocked the spear away. Taking advantage of the drunkenness, he picked up the girl, put it on his shoulder and strode into the house.

The maids were all dumbfounded.

"Put me down, let me down!" Zhe Yanxiu struggled hard and punched Ju Ming on the back.

The maid stayed outside the room until the door was closed. Zhe Yanxiu suddenly stopped moving. She blushed and said, "Hey, you are so strong. That blow just now numbed my tiger's mouth. Fortunately, the spear was released. Otherwise, I'm afraid the tiger's mouth will burst."

"Not only am I strong, I'm also very good at shooting." Zhu Ming threw the crazy woman on the bed.

(Well, the scheduled release point has changed to immediate release...)