At the beginning of July of the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, the inspection department of Huguangpingli City, which had been baptized by wind and rain, was like a blue sky. Countless flags swayed in the wind, cascading like churning waves. Rows of armored and armed warriors parted along the road, staring solemnly at the two knights who were riding their horses. A white horse, a brown horse, one Zhao Dangshi, one Zuo Mengeng.

Zuo Menggeng, who has bright armor, swept away the long-term depression, and today his face is radiant and his eyes are bright. In front of the horse to the pavilion, he took the lead in jumping to the ground, walked to Zhao Dangshi's horse in three or two steps, and said earnestly: "The child asks his father-in-law to dismount!" ”

Zhao Dangshi nodded slightly, and helped him shoulder neatly down. At this time, the generals of the Zuo family who were waiting outside the pavilion came up to salute. The three people on the left, Jin Shenghuan, Gao Jinku, and Zhang Yingyuan; The three on the right, Wang Yuncheng, Lu Guangzu, and Xu Yong.

"The banquet is shabby, the father-in-law is willing to appreciate the light, and the child is grateful to Dade!" Zuo Mengeng respectfully led Zhao Dangshi to the pavilion, the two sat down opposite each other, and the rest of the people stood and waited.

Zhao Dangshi smiled and said, "It's okay, Xi Xiao's affection is heavy." You're about to go, and everything is simple. Northern Chu is entangled in military affairs, so I can't accompany you to Wuchang Mansion, I can only come here to practice, don't blame my father-in-law. ”

Zuo Mengeng took the wine jug himself, filled the wine glasses for the two, and said: "Where does the child dare to blame the father-in-law, it's too late for the child to be the father-in-law!" As he spoke, he sighed, "Without the help of his father-in-law, it is difficult for the child to imagine what the next situation would be." ”

Zhao Dangshi clinked glasses with him, took a sip, and said abruptly: "Zuo Shuai and I have a friendship with robes, and we have more brotherly feelings." Although my ambition has passed away before I am paid, it is my duty to take care of you and Zuo Jiajun. ”

Zuo Menggeng's eyes were hot, he bit his lip and nodded, and the two drank a few glasses. Zhao Dangshi asked, "Has the court angel arrived?" ”

"Back to the father-in-law, the angel went directly to Wuchang Mansion, and when the child led the army there, he immediately placed the incense case to receive the order."

Zhao Dangshi said: "That's fine, worry-free." He added, "At the Song Junmen of Wuchang Mansion, I helped you say hello." Song Junmen arranged that your army would go to Hanyang Mansion to camp first, and the angel expected that he would also come from Wuchang Mansion at that time. When he adjusts the military and political affairs in Wuchang Mansion, he can be transferred to the palace. "Hanyang Mansion and Wuchang Mansion are across the river, close at hand.

A month ago, Wang Zhixin, the eunuch who came to Huguang for an unannounced visit, passed on the intentions of Zuo Mengeng to the imperial court through a conversation with Zhao Dangshi, an intermediary. Zhou Yanru, the first assistant to the cabinet, Chen Yan, Wu Fu, Zhang Sizhi, Huang Jingfang, Wei Zhaocheng, Xie Cheng, and Jiang Dejing immediately discussed whether Zuo Menggeng should continue to be appointed.

Among the cabinet members, Zhou Yanru was trusted by Emperor Chongzhen and arbitrarily acted arbitrarily. Since Yang Sichang, Zhao Dangshi has been paying attention to the changes in the officialdom in the capital, and has gained some contacts through Fan Juan, so he sent someone to his home to give him a heavy gift, opened up his joints, and prompted him to take the lead in supporting the appointment of Zuo Mengeng.

Chen Yan, Zhang Sizhi, and Wei Zhaocheng are all mediocre people, and they can only say what they say to Zhou Yanru. Wu Fu is self-preservation, does not seek merit but no fault, and has a neutral attitude. Xie Chen's recent thoughts are all about cooperating with Chen Xinjia, the secretary of the Ministry of War, to negotiate peace with the Qing State, and he doesn't want to get involved in other things, so he also expresses neutrality. Although Huang Jingfang and Jiang Dejing had upright personalities and questioned Zuo Jiajun's style and combat effectiveness, they had no choice but to have few people, and the final result was four votes in favor and two votes against when two votes were invalidated. Zhou Yanru then agreed to Zuo Mengeng's request on the grounds that "the North Captives are in a hurry and cannot easily cause trouble again". That is, Zuo Mengeng was allowed to inherit his father's office, take over the position of general of the thief and move to Wuchang Mansion.

The ticket was proposed to be submitted to Emperor Chongzhen for approval of Zhu, and Zhou Yanru deliberately pulled up the household department to add a severance fee that needed to be allocated for the dismissal of 10,000 people, and Emperor Chongzhen saw that it would cost a lot of money, but he was concerned about Zuo Liangyu's arrogance in the past, and asked: "Is Zuo Mengeng credible?" ”

Zhou Yanru said that it was credible, and Wang Chengen, the eunuch who was grinding ink for Emperor Chongzhen on the side, listened to it, and also said silently: "I heard that Zuo Mengeng was picked up by Zhao Dangshi from Henan in Yunxiang Town, and Zhao Dangshi is loyal to the country, and with him watching, he will not allow Zuo Mengeng to become another Zuo Liangyu." "Wang Zhixin, who was sent to negotiate with Zhao Dangshi earlier, is his righteous son, and since he has reached a consensus with Zhao Dangshi, he also wants to give Zhao Dangshi affection.

"How did the factory know?" Emperor Chongzhen frowned and looked at Wang Chengen.

Wang Chengen hurriedly said: "Oh, the minister is talking nonsense. ”

"Say." Emperor Chongzhen's face darkened, and he put his pen aside.

Wang Chengen said carefully: "It's not that Zhao Dangshi's name was too famous some time ago, the minister has served by his grandfather's side for a long time, and he has also paid attention to it. ”

"Can the factory minister trust Zhao Dangshi?" Emperor Chongzhen didn't know why, and asked again, "Could he be Zuo Liangyu and He Renlong?" ”

Wang Chengen's eyes glanced at Zhou Yanru as if he wanted to ask for help, and Zhou Yanru replied for him: "The factory is in the deep palace, and he doesn't know enough about Zhao Dangshi, but the old minister is quite concerned. When Emperor Chongzhen turned his head around, he said, "Although Zhao Dangshi was born in a rogue, he is loyal. Since his inauguration, he has been loyal and obedient, not only successively exterminating Ma Shouying, Luo Rucai and other giants who have been in turmoil for many years, but also rescued the Xiang clan from the hands of the thieves. It can be seen that if you talk about the heart of the thief, Zhao Dangshi is far above Zuo Liangyu, He Renlong and others. In addition, his people are martial arts, with the heart of benevolence and virtue, and the wind and rain are smooth under the guard of Chubei, and the people of Fufu are safe. With him, he has gone against the trend, but he has not dared to step into Huguang yet. In fact, it can be described as a talent who has both military and political skills. ”

When Emperor Chongzhen heard this, his gloomy face suddenly turned cloudy, and he said with a smile: "I know that Zhao Dangshi, he previously married the lord of Huaqing County of Rui Domain, and he can be regarded as a national relative. ”

Zhou Yanru breathed a sigh of relief, accompanying the king like a tiger, and it was not the first time he had learned the moody character of Emperor Chongzhen.

"Now Zuo Liangyu is also dead, fortunately, there is still Zhao Dangshi on the side of the rebellion. If he can restrain Zuo Mengeng and other arrogant soldiers, the death of Zuo Liangyu and He Renlong will not be a loss but a great thing for the dynasty. Emperor Chongzhen groaned and said coldly.

Zhou Yanru and Wang Chengen were very shrewd, and they heard that there were words in Emperor Chongzhen's words, and it didn't seem like a temporary idea, it was very like the result of careful consideration, so Zhou Yanru asked: "What does the saint mean to reuse Zhao Dangshi?" ”

"There are many talented people and many loyal people in the civil and military affairs of the country, but there are only a handful of people who are loyal and loyal." Emperor Chongzhen sighed leisurely, "There are only a handful......"

Wang Chengen said deliberately: "Listening to Zhou Ge Lao's narration, Zhao Dangshi seems to be a talented and loyal figure. As he spoke, he raised his eyes and glanced at Zhou Yanru.

Zhou Yanru secretly scolded Wang Chengen for being cunning in his heart and pulled himself into the water, but he came for Zuo Mengeng's matter, and denying Zhao Dangshi was equivalent to denying Zuo Mengeng, so he could only cough twice, and said meaningfully: "His person may be allowed to be in the water." ”

Emperor Chongzhen thought for a long time, and said: "Now that the northern captives are gaining momentum, it is difficult for the Liaodong troops to return to the Central Plains, and the two fronts are suffering. To curb the growing rampant rebellion, I don't think it is enough to rely on Hou Sui, Sun Chuanting and others. ”

When Zhou Yanru heard this, he subconsciously went to look for the figure of Chen Xinjia, the secretary of the Ministry of War, but of course he didn't find it. When he came back to his senses, he only felt that Emperor Chongzhen suddenly mentioned Zhao Dangshi on such an occasion, and he should have ulterior motives.

"Sun Chuanting supervises the Shaanxi soldiers, and Hou Xun supervises the Henan soldiers, only the power of these two governors cannot be extinguished." Now, Zhou Yanru has made up his mind, and he has the right to follow Emperor Chongzhen's words and take one step at a time.

"Sun Chuanting is in charge of Shaanxi, Hou Xun is in charge of Henan, Fan Zhiwan is in Shanxi, and there are people in the west, east and north of the rebellion, but it is obvious that there is still a gap in the south."

"Song Yihe?" Zhou Yanru strategically played hand tai chi.

"It's been almost two years since I gave him, and I can't even settle on Chu Dongnan, and I don't have talent." Emperor Chongzhen shook his head, in fact, he knew the situation between Chu and Yu very well, and he was far more thorough than Zhou Yanru and Wang Chengen.

"Zhao Dangshi?"

Emperor Chongzhen was noncommittal, but said: "I admire him very much." And said, "In the past two months, I have carefully checked every piece of tribute in Huguang, Nanzhili and other places, and the situation of the officers and troops of these two departments is basically the same as that of Shaanxi before Sun Chuanting went. A plate of scattered sand, how can it be insulted to the country? Similar to the ancestors and ancestors, when Emperor Chongzhen summoned his close ministers, he often referred to himself as "I", and "I" was basically used in writing.

"But ......" Zhou Yanru was a little nervous, and roughly guessed Emperor Chongzhen's intentions. Needless to say, Zhao Dangshi, who has more strength than Zuo Liangyu and has always been respectful to the imperial court, has been treated differently by Emperor Chongzhen. However, he had scruples, because in the final analysis, he didn't know much about Zhao Dangshi, if he really did it according to Emperor Chongzhen's ideas, Zhao Dangshi would definitely become one of the top feudal officials of the Ming Dynasty.

However, he couldn't say anything against it, because he didn't wake up until this time, and Emperor Chongzhen had actually set a trap when he suddenly calmed down at the beginning. If he spoke up against it at the moment, he would inevitably have the guilt of "clever words and capriciousness", thinking that Fu Zonglong was deprived of his official position and thrown into prison because of this.

Wang Chengen was silent, but he actually had a trace of sympathy for Zhou Yanru in his heart. Emperor Chongzhen is decisive in his work, especially advocative, and once he thinks about it, he will not waver. In order to prevent opposition from the cabinet and other ministers, one of his usual tactics is to dig a pit first and wait for the ministers to jump in, and then say what he actually thinks. Although Zhou Yanru is sophisticated, there are always times when the horse stumbles, and he has not escaped the small situation set by himself with Emperor Chongzhen this time.

Zhou Yanru didn't squeak, Emperor Chongzhen's goal was achieved, he smiled, and said slowly: "I think that Huguang, Anlu and other places also need to select people to coordinate the situation, so that they can achieve the effect of besieging them on all sides and being impermeable." ”

Wang Chengen hurriedly flattered: "Grandpa is wise. ”

Emperor Chongzhen continued: "The situation in Huguang, Anlu and other places is different from that in Shaanxi, Henan and other places...... This is probably the best choice. ”

"Admiral?" Zhou Yanru showed a few traces of gray eyebrows and twitched. The governor is the text, the admiral is the military, Emperor Chongzhen did not say who the "special person" is, but when it comes to this, even a fool can guess what he wants.

"Let me think about it again, and then convene all the elders of the cabinet to take the test and participate in the competition together." Emperor Chongzhen nodded, and barely squeezed out some smiles between his solemn faces, "An Lushan and Shi Siming both died in their original forms. Clean up the world, it's time for my Ming Guo Ziyi to come out. ”

The gazebo was breezy, and Zuo Mengeng ate a few glasses of wine in a row, looking happy.

"Eat slowly, don't delay the military." Zhao Dangshi said with a smile.

Qian Zhongxuan is still stranded in Hanyang Province and has not yet crossed the river. Song Yihe was pressured by the imperial court, so he could only pinch his nose and let Zuo Mengeng enter Wuchang Mansion, but between Zuo Mengeng and him, a series of open and secret battles were indispensable. Zuo Mengeng has a lot of variables to deal with, and it is far from the moment of relaxation.

"Hehe, there is a father-in-law, and the child is still afraid of delaying something!" Zuo Menggeng was a little excited when he got to Xing. Recalling that half a month ago, his father was tired and mourned, miserable and miserable, like a tree without roots, helpless, it was Zhao Dangshi who took the initiative to help him open up the contacts in the capital, won the official position, and found a place to live by the way.

Jin Shenghuan, Gao Jinku and other officers of the Zuo Family Army, who were originally very hostile to Zhao Dangshi, saw this, and they also lost their voices. Once a son of heaven and a courtier, Zuo Liangyu is dead, Zuo Mengeng has become the new leader of the Zuo family's army, and their point of view has to be transferred from Zuo Liangyu's perspective to Zuo Mengeng. Zuo Mengeng trusted Zhao Dangshi, and Zhao Dangshi really provided Zuo Jiajun with many benefits and pulled Zuo Jiajun out of the quagmire. Therefore, they are now more willing to believe that the friction between Zhao Ying and Zuo Jiajun was purely caused by the personal grudge between Zhao Dangshi and Zuo Liangyu. Zuo Mengeng is Zhao Dangshi's righteous son, and the two get along very well, which is a new atmosphere. What's more, the Zuo Jiajun currently urgently needs the support of a strong ally like Zhao Ying to tide over the difficult times. No one understands the truth that those who follow the trend prosper and those who go against the trend die.

"From now on, the two armies of Zhao Zuo will be one family, if there is any difficulty, just mention it!" Zhao Dangshi said briskly, "The two armies work together to help the Ming Dynasty!" ”

"Good! Follow your father-in-law and help the Ming Dynasty together! Zuo Mengeng was in a stirring mood and nodded his head.