The world of film and television begins from childhood

"kill!"

In an instant, dozens of cavalrymen rushed out at the same time, and the dozen or so cavalrymen under Mo Zang Yerong were quickly strangled to death.

"grown ups."

A cavalryman handed over a piece of cloth, and Zhou Chen wiped the blood off the Fang Tian Huaji.

At first he used a spear, but later he felt that killing was not enough, so he specially asked someone to make this Fang Tian Hua Ji.

This Fang Tian Hua Ji weighs eighty-eight kilograms, and it is difficult for ordinary people to wield it, but in his hands, it is the most terrifying killing weapon.

If there was any problem, it was that his horses were too useless. Once he charged, even if the horses could withstand the impact, they would sometimes be killed and injured by the enemy. So he had changed eight horses in the past two years.

"The Mei Zang clan has become more and more arrogant in the past two years. That's right, the Xixia emperor hasn't even grown all his hair yet, but he still lets him do whatever he wants."

Having been on the border for so long, Zhou Chen naturally understood the situation in Western Xia very well. The young emperor of Western Xia, Li Liangzuo, was only seven or eight years old now, and Mo Zang Epang was the actual ruler of Western Xia.

And this Mo Zang Epang was a greedy guy who was blinded by greed. All the conflicts on the border in recent years were instigated by Mo Zang Epang. Not only did he want to control the territory of Western Xia, he also wanted to bite off a piece of meat from the Song Dynasty.

A horse came quickly to Zhou Chen.

"Sir, the enemy had a total of 272 cavalrymen. Our army killed all 272 of them, leaving not a single one alive."

"Very good, clean up the battlefield and prepare to go back."

"Yes."

It has been three years since Zhou Chen came to the border. He was promoted from the commander of a battalion to the commander-in-chief of an army. He has five battalions of soldiers under his command, with a total establishment of 2,500 soldiers, but in reality there are only 2,000 soldiers.

This situation was very common in the Song Dynasty. It was almost impossible for the army to be fully staffed. For a battalion like Zhou Chen with five battalions and two thousand five hundred, it was already considered good to have two thousand. Some even had only sixteen or seventeen hundred.

So the Song Dynasty claimed to have an army of several hundred thousand, but it is hard to say whether there were actually more than a million, not to mention the old, weak, sick and disabled.

It was very difficult for military generals in the Song Dynasty to climb the career ladder. Zhou Chen had been here for three years, and it was only by annihilating thousands of Western Xia troops that he was promoted to the rank of army commander. This was considered a fast promotion, and the opportunities for promotion through meritorious service were far less than during wartime.

Being promoted from the seventh rank to the fifth rank is already very fast, but this is for a military officer in the barracks. If it were a civil servant, it would be a very fast promotion.

However, this position is the top he has reached temporarily. The next position up is the commander-in-chief of the garrison. But he knows that unless a war breaks out, he will not be able to reach this position.

Leading a wing of the army and leading an army are two completely different concepts. After all, the tenth army is only a wing.

The 2,000 troops under his command included two battalions of more than 500 cavalrymen. The consumption of cavalrymen was far greater than that of infantry. In addition, the Song Dynasty was short of war horses, so the number of cavalrymen was extremely small. Zhou Chen also relied on his own efforts, robbing those from Western Xia, and using favors to gather more than 500 cavalrymen.

As soon as Zhou Chen returned to the camp, his personal soldiers reported and handed him two letters, saying that one was sent from Tokyo and the other was sent from Jiangling.

After returning to his tent, Zhou Chen first opened the letter from Tokyo. It was sent by his mother, saying that she had not been home for several years and she missed him very much. She asked him to eat well, drink well, keep warm, etc.

At the same time, she told him that Hualan from the Sheng family had just reached the age of marriage and asked him if he wanted to come back and get married first.

Zhou Chen calculated with his fingers and found that he had been at the border for three years. Hualan was indeed fifteen years old. In the Song Dynasty, people could get married at the age of fifteen.

But for Zhou Chen, fifteen is still a little girl. Although it is legal, as a doctor, he still feels that it is too early to get married at this age.

But when in Rome, do as the Romans do. He couldn't keep delaying just because of his own preferences. Fortunately, he was at the frontier at the time and had an excuse not to return.

So he thought about it and felt that he could let the Marquis's Mansion pay the betrothal gift first, and the specific date of the wedding could be discussed later, so that others would not gossip.

According to the plot of the TV series, it seems that not long after Hualan comes of age, Sheng Hong will be transferred to Tokyo and become a Beijing official. At that time, it will definitely be more convenient to welcome the bride in Tokyo than in Yangzhou.

The letter sent from Jiangling was from Zhou Tong, who is now an official in Jiangling. There was nothing important in the letter, but he was still feeling sorry that Zhou Chen did not participate in the last spring examination.

When Zhou Chen saw this, he let out a long sigh. For the scholars of this era, the imperial examination was more important than anything else, so Zhou Tong would always think about it and feel sorry for Zhou Chen. Before Zhou Chen left, he even advised Zhou Chen to pass the imperial examination and then come to the frontier.

But Zhou Chen knew clearly that if he really took part in the Spring Examination, it would be fine if he failed. But once he passed, he would not have the final say on where he would be appointed.

There has never been a Jinshi who was assigned to join the army at the border after passing the imperial examination. Even if he wanted to come, the government and the civil servants would not let him do so.

Zhou Yexiong saw this point, so he urged Zhou Chen to leave immediately after the Lantern Festival and not let him take part in the Spring Examination.

Zhou Yexiong is such a person. For the sake of the Marquis's Mansion and his eldest son Zhou Tong, he would rather Zhou Chen lose his career as a civil servant.

In his words, someone in a family must sacrifice, but it cannot be the heir to the Marquisate.

Zhou Chen was too lazy to argue with him, so he agreed to set off with the army after the Lantern Festival.

So he wrote back, telling Zhou Tong in a teasing tone that his current rank was higher than his, and asked him to work harder, otherwise he would really have to be conferred a title first.

After writing the two replies, he had them sent out.

Zhou Tong received Zhou Chen's reply, smiled freely, then looked towards the north with a pale face. His younger brother was there, and he had to work harder, he couldn't really be outdone by his younger brother.

Zhou Xu also received a reply from Zhou Chen. She was relieved to learn that Zhou Chen was safe and sound and had been promoted.

Then she did as Zhou Chen said and paid the betrothal gift to the Sheng family first, and she took care of everything.

However, before going to Yangzhou, she still found Zhou Yexiong.

Zhou Yexiong's health has not been as good as before in recent years. In addition, the court is now in a state of turmoil over the issue of succession, so he did not hold any more office. He just held a nominal position and mainly stayed at home to train his own illegitimate sons.

This made Zhou Yexiong, who had been strong all his life, very angry, and also led to the miserable lives of his three illegitimate sons.

Zhou Xu found Zhou Yexiong in the study.

"The girl from the Sheng family has reached the age of marriage. I have communicated with Sanlang through letters. He is not available to come back for the wedding yet, so I am going to propose first. Do you want to come with me?"

"Don't go."

Zhou Yexiong directly refused in a cold voice. He had always been dissatisfied with Zhou Chen and his mother's choice of the girl from the Sheng family. He did not go when they talked about the marriage last time, so he certainly would not go this time.

"I have said it before, that Yue family can't help Sanlang at all, but you insist on following his wishes to promote this marriage. Now Sanlang is only 20 years old, but he is already a commander-in-chief. He is destined to have a bright future. Sheng family will drag him down. In my opinion, this marriage should be cancelled."

Mrs. Zhou Xu was not polite either: "Then why did you agree to it in the first place? It's impossible to back out now. I was the one who arranged this marriage. Even if you are not satisfied, you have to endure it."

Zhou Yexiong had nothing to say. Now, he could no longer be tough in front of Zhou Xushi. He also knew that he owed too much to his wife. He was not at home in the past few years, and it was thanks to Zhou Xushi who took care of the rear that he was able to stay at the front line without distraction.

What's more, marrying into the Sheng family was Zhou Chen's own idea. He was coerced by Zhou Chen and had to agree. Now he doesn't have the energy to fight with his son anymore, so even if he is dissatisfied, he can only talk about it and will never really cancel the engagement.

Yangzhou!

Today, Yangzhou Sheng Mansion is the most lively place in the entire Yangzhou city, and it is also the most glorious time for Sheng Mansion.

Everyone knows now that the Marquis Zhongjing's Mansion in Tokyo came to the Sheng family specially to propose marriage, and the lady of the Marquis' Mansion came in person, giving the Sheng family enough face.

Before the betrothal party disembarked, the Sheng Mansion was already bustling with activity and joy.

Even for Mrs. Sheng, who always likes quietness, her Shou'an Hall is very lively and full of joy today, and everyone has a smile on their face.

Sheng Hualan, who has already reached the age of 15, is different today than usual. She is a little anxious, but more of it is joy.

Most of the other ladies from wealthy families had never met the man before getting married, let alone gotten along with him and got to know his character.

She was different. Not only had she met her fiancé, but they had also been together for quite some time, and she had fallen in love with him at that time. Although they had not met again over the years, the joy in her heart had not diminished in the slightest. Instead, she became more and more eager to see him again as she grew older.

The betrothal gift will be given today. As long as her parents agree and accept the betrothal gift, she will be half a member of the Marquis Zhongjing's Mansion tomorrow, and no one can change that.

So how could she not be nervous and anxious?

The old lady was a woman, so she naturally understood her granddaughter's feelings, and she comforted her softly.

"Hua'er, sit down and talk."

"grandmother."

"Hua'er, Hui Niang, your future mother-in-law, has written to me. Because Sanlang is still in the frontier, you can't get married in the short term after the engagement today. It is estimated that you will have to wait until we go to Tokyo and Sanlang returns to Beijing before you can get married. This time may be one year or two years, so don't blame him, and don't worry, you are not leaving your grandmother and the Sheng family so soon."

Sheng Hualan said, "I understand, Grandmother, I don't care. Third brother has a sense of justice in his heart and guards the border for the country. I am proud of him, so how can I blame him?"

As long as the betrothal gifts were paid, she and Zhou Chen would be legitimate, so even if it was delayed for a year or two, it would not matter. She could still use that time to be filial to her grandmother and her parents.

Old Madam Sheng was relieved: "It's good that you think so. You don't have to worry about Sanlang. The boy is very smart. Even in the frontier, he can protect himself. He can make achievements and build a career outside. Only then can you live a better life in the future. A man like Sanlang is much better than those pampered, greasy-haired and powdered young men."

"Well, it's the honor of my life to marry my third brother. No matter what he does, I will support him." Sheng Hualan said firmly.

"Good boy, you and Sanlang are both good boys."

The betrothal team soon arrived at the gate of Sheng Mansion. This time it was the eldest lady of the Marquis Mansion who came in person, accompanied by several of Zhou Chen's half brothers. Except for the Marquis Zhongjing himself who did not come, it was already considered a great respect, so Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu were very satisfied.

The betrothal procession was already very long, and with the people following behind to watch the fun, the entire procession stretched for miles. This scene caused a sensation in the entire Yangzhou city. Fortunately, the Yangzhou government had been prepared and thus no chaos occurred.

In front of Sheng Mansion!

"The Zhou family of the Marquis of Zhongjing in Tokyo has come to present a betrothal gift!"

"The Zhou family of the Marquis of Zhongjing in Tokyo has come to present a betrothal gift!"

"Master of Ceremonies, a pair of live wild geese from the Great Wall, and Secondary Gift..."

With Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu saying "yes" with a smile, the marriage was finally settled.

"The Story of Minglan" is a fictional world with a chaotic system, even those from the Ming and Qing dynasties. So I chose the Song Dynasty's system for the military imperial guards. If there is anything wrong, please forgive me. The author doesn't know much about these.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 1113: Seizing Two States in a Row, Madam Wang Goes Wild

The Baode Army is located in Baode County. In fact, they don’t have to live in the barracks all the time. Many military officers have their own houses in Baode County. When there is no war, they live in the county town. After all, there is nothing in the barracks, and it is not as lively and comfortable as in the city.

However, Zhou Chen was used to the military camp and lived there most of the time, only going to the county town occasionally.

He was training his troops that day when he suddenly received an order from the commander of the garrison to go to the camp for a meeting.

More than an hour later, everyone gathered together, and then they learned the news from the commander of Xiangdu.

Western Xia raided Linzhou and occupied a large area of ​​land west of Quye River in the northwest of Linzhou. A war might break out between Song and Xia, so everyone should be prepared, because their Baode Army is the closest garrison to Linzhou, and if a war breaks out, they will definitely have to go to the battlefield.

Upon hearing that a war might break out, the commanders of the various military camps in the tent had different expressions. Some were excited, some frowned, and some even looked nervous and fearful.

Not all soldiers are brave and fearless. There are many officers in the army who are just trying to get by. It's okay to let them do some training, but when you really ask them to fight on the battlefield, they will already feel like retreating before they even start.

Fortunately, there were relatively few such people in their Baode Army. After all, it was located on the border closest to Western Xia, and they often came into close combat with the Western Xia Army.

Soon, the tent became lively.

"Commander-in-chief, as long as you give the order, my men will go over and chop those Xixia bastards to pieces immediately."

"That's right. We are passive every day. When can we take the initiative? Now that Xixia is so provocative, we can't just sit back and watch, can we?"

"Just do as I say, and start fighting."

"Why fight? There is no order from above. We can't mobilize the army at all. I think we should wait for orders."

"yes…………"

There was a lot of noise and bustle, and everyone had their own ideas and opinions, and it was impossible to reach a consensus. The most important thing was that the court's long-term pursuit of peace made the soldiers lack courage.

Zhou Chen remained silent. He was not surprised at this situation. He had been used to it for three years since he came to the border. Even when facing a small invasion by Western Xia soldiers, no one except him showed much enthusiasm.

His positive performance actually made some people dissatisfied. If you work so hard and I don't, doesn't it seem like I am just a slacker?

Fortunately, he has a strong background and no one dares to go against him. Even his immediate superior, the commander-in-chief, is very caring towards Zhou Chen.

The commander of Xiangdu saw it very clearly. Although Zhou Chen had not made any major achievements in the past few years, he had made many small ones. As his superior, he was naturally the direct beneficiary. He did not have to fight himself and could still get credit. Of course he liked such a subordinate.

So he stopped everyone from making noise with dissatisfaction and looked at Zhou Chen.

"Shuyuan, what do you think?"

Zhou Chen replied, "Sir, the Xixia army is indeed abominable, but this time is different from the past. They have invaded our land. We can no longer decide whether to send troops privately. We must have an order from the court. So we can make preparations to send troops, but whether to send troops or not, we still have to wait for orders."

The commander of Xiangdu nodded. He wanted to make merit but didn't want to be the first to take action. If he sent troops without orders, even if he won the battle, he would not have a good ending when facing the difficulties of the civil officials. So what Zhou Chen said was what he thought.

So he asked everyone to go back and prepare, but left Zhou Chen alone.

"Shuyuan, if we really go to war with Xixia, I will help you and try my best to have you serve as a vanguard and make contributions on the battlefield. I will probably be transferred soon. If you can make enough contributions, there is a good chance that you will take over my position."

This commander has a good relationship with Zhou Chen's father Zhou Yexiong. It is precisely because of him that Zhou Chen has been able to act freely in recent years.

Zhou Chen naturally understood the other party's good intentions, and bowed his hands in gratitude: "Please rest assured, sir, I will do my best and live up to your kindness."

"Well done. I've been in the army for more than 20 years, and you're the most courageous and skilled fighter I've ever seen. Even your father, Lord Zhou, is far inferior to you. I'm very optimistic about you."

He had a deep understanding of Zhou Chen's personal combat power, because he had witnessed Zhou Chen fighting against a hundred elite soldiers alone and winning in the end. His personal combat power was truly invincible.

No wonder he was shocked. Zhou Chen only kept two of his remaining attribute points and added the others.

Now his physical fitness has exceeded fifty, and his strength is approaching fifty. Coupled with his rich combat experience and skills, as well as his strong recovery, he can hold on for a long time even when facing endless enemies.

Of course, the prerequisite is that he does not encounter elite archers and heavy armored soldiers. If he encounters such elite ranged and melee soldiers, he will definitely not be able to consume them with just a little bit of internal strength.

That’s right, after three years in this world, he had barely developed some internal strength, but the amount was pitifully small.

As Zhou Chen expected, when the imperial court learned that Western Xia had occupied Linzhou's land, its first reaction was not to go to war to take it back, but to send people to negotiate with Western Xia and ask them to return the land.

Of course the Western Xia would not agree. Although the Western Xia Kingdom had a lot of land, due to its special geographical location, fertile land suitable for planting was scarce. How could they easily return a piece of fertile land they had seized with great difficulty?

The Song side negotiated again and again, but Mo Zang Epang refused to return it, so it kept dragging its feet and pulling the strings.