With the governor's personal soldiers leading the way, Lin Fan, who came to the official army camp, was not embarrassed and was soon invited in.

Under the leadership of the team, he passed through many outposts before finally coming to Zhou Chang's tent in front of the commander's tent.

After the team went in to report, he didn't let Lin Fan wait for a long time, but after a while, someone informed him that he could enter.

When Lin Fan stepped into the tent, Zhou Chang, the governor of Central Plains Province, was already waiting inside.

Zhou Chang was working on some official documents at this time, and there was no one else in the tent, which gave Lin Fan the opportunity to look secretly.

This governor looks a little younger than his father Lin Ruxian from the outside, but his every move reveals an indescribable majesty and calmness.

As far as Lin Fan knows, although Zhou Chang is a member of the imperial examination, his father and ancestors are all from the military, so he is a disciple of a general.

Due to his family history, Zhou Chang has been no stranger to marching and fighting since he was a child, and he grew up with a group of seed brothers, and he is clear about all kinds of ways in the army.

Originally, with his family background, it was not difficult to find a future in the army. As long as you are honest and don't cause trouble, you can follow the elders in your family to mix some military exploits with peace of mind, and you will be able to get the title of a general in a few years.

It's just that his father and ancestor felt the culture of the dynasty's noble and military and their own suffering, so they didn't want to let him directly join the army, follow his own old path, and be looked down upon.

saw that he was talented and intelligent, and he was a good material for reading, which made him take the path of the imperial examination.

And he did not live up to the expectations of his father, he was awarded the second-class jinshi at a young age and was able to enter the officialdom.

Because of his background, Zhou Chang is both civil and military, and he is extremely familiar with military affairs.

Compared with those civilian officials who dared to come out to lead troops to fight without reading a few military books, he can be said to be a rare capable person in the court.

Therefore, after becoming a celebrity, Zhou Chang quickly emerged in the officialdom and joined the army as a civilian official.

In recent years, he has appeared on almost all battlefields in the imperial court.

After a period of experience, he has repeatedly made meritorious contributions; With the help and support of his family, his official position is getting bigger and bigger.

It is true that this dynasty is heavy on literature and light on military force, but for military civil officials who were born on the battlefield and can lead troops to fight, there is generally no one who is willing to provoke.

Those ways in the officialdom are clear!

For this kind of person, you may not have scolded it, let alone beaten it, those pampered civil officials and old men can only be beaten.

Therefore, people like Zhou Chang, who can eat both civil and military, everyone can only envy them.

For a long time, Zhou Chang's career can be said to be smooth, and it is not an exaggeration to describe it as a smooth step, and he is already an important minister of the court at a young age.

More than a year ago, after Ye Shiwen, the former governor of Zhongyuan Province, was imprisoned for being unfavorable for suppressing bandits, the imperial court sent Zhou Chang, who was just in his early forties, out of Beijing to replace Ye Shiwen.

So Zhou Chang hung the false title of the secretary of the military department, sat on the position of the governor of the Central Plains Province, and became a real feudal official.

In the three hundred years since the founding of this dynasty, such examples are rare, and they can be described as truly young and promising.

Due to his perennial martial arts training, Zhou Chang's body looks much stronger than that of ordinary civil officials.

Although he is now middle-aged, the power contained in this body hidden under the official robe is definitely not to be underestimated.

When Zhou Chang approached when Lin Fan came, he finally dealt with the official document in his hand.

Zhou Chang wrote the last word, put down the pen in his hand, raised his head, and just met Lin Fan's eyes.

Lin Fan hurriedly stepped forward and saluted: "Xiaguan Shenzhou sentenced Lin Fan, I have seen the lord of the department!" ”

Zhou Chang looked even more excited than Lin Fan, he got up from his seat, took a few steps forward, grabbed Lin Fan's wrist, and picked him up.

At the same time, he smiled heartily: "Lord Lin is here, don't be so polite, please take a seat!" ”

His enthusiasm made Lin Fan a little unbearable, the identities and status of the two were very different, it stands to reason that Zhou Chang didn't need to be like this to Lin Fan!

So Lin Fancheng said in fear: "Don't bother the lower officials, the lower officials can't afford such courtesy!" ”

Zhou Chang smiled and said, "Lord Lin is too modest!" Although you and I didn't have anything to do with each other before, I have been paying attention to you since the Battle of Yongyang! ”

"With a mere few hundred old and weak soldiers, we can withstand the attack of tens of thousands of thieves for more than ten days, and strive to protect the city. Such a hero is too courteous! ”

"If it weren't for Lord Lin dragging Zhang Feng'er's thief army to the death, so that the imperial court could annihilate it in one fell swoop, Huainan Province and Jiangnan Province would probably be as stable as they are now."

At that time, Chen Xinglong and Zhang Feng'er echoed each other from afar, and the war in Chenzhou could not end so quickly, and there would even be greater variables. Then Lord Lin blocked the southward movement of the Duzi Mountains in Gwangju, completely cutting off Chen Xinglong's retreat, which forced Chen Xinglong into a dead end. ”

"Speaking of which, the official still wants to say thank you to Lord Lin, you have done the official a great favor!"

Lin Fan smiled bitterly: "At that time, it was just luck in Yongyang, if the reinforcements were delayed for half a day, I am afraid that the city would not be able to hold it!" ”

Zhou Chang said disapprenosingly: "It's not important, in that case, it is not easy to make up your mind to stick to the city, this is already risking your life, and no one can ask Lord Lin for more." Lord Lin doesn't have to be arrogant, among the officials of the younger generation of my Dayun, I can't find a few who can do this like Lord Lin. ”

"Like Lord Lin's heroism, this official admires it tightly!"

Knowing why Zhou Chang was so polite to himself, this person Lin Fan felt a lot more relaxed.

However, he didn't dare to take Zhou Chang's kind words seriously, and hurriedly said: "The lord of the ministry has praised it falsely, and the lower officials dare not be ashamed!" ”

Zhou Chang really likes the young man in front of him, he is not arrogant or discouraged, even if he was imprisoned, he has never heard of any complaints.

When I finally saw it today, Zhou Chang was very interested: "Just now I heard that an official army blocked Chen Xinglong's way, and the first thing I guessed was you." In recent days, the officers and soldiers who have entered the Central Plains Road are also you! ”

"In order to confirm this conjecture, I sent someone to invite you, and sure enough, I really invited you, haha!"

Zhou Chang's attitude made Lin Fan a little ashamed, although he met Chen Xinglong this time, he didn't mean it, but after all, he was suspected of stealing credit.

In order to

Today, the Central Plains Daoist army has been fighting with Chen Xinglong and them for more than a year, but in the end, they were picked by Lin Fan, who was killed halfway.

Needless to say, Lin Fan also knew that in this big camp, there were many people who would be dissatisfied with him.

He said apologetically: "This time, I robbed the Ministry of Ministers and the Central Plains Dao officials and the army, and the lower officials really didn't want to go. I..."

Zhou Chang interrupted him and said, "It's not your fault, you don't have to be like this. If you want to blame, you can only blame us for not fighting well, so that Chen Xinglong ran out. ”

"We still have to thank you, if you hadn't stopped them, Chen Xinglong really let him break through and escape, with his prestige and appeal in the world's thief army, the consequences would be unimaginable. If this is the case, then the efforts of the imperial court for more than a year will be in vain! ”

"When the time comes, the court will blame you, and the first unlucky one will be me, the governor of the Central Plains Province!"

Zhou Chang's generosity made Lin Fan even more embarrassed: "Chen Xinglong is already a trapped beast in a cage, and the Central Plains Dao army is not far behind Chen Xinglong, even if there is no us, Chen Xinglong will not be able to escape." We just happened to be blocked in the way of the thief army's escape, and we really didn't dare to take credit! ”

Zhou Chang laughed: "Then why is it not other people who are blocking in front of the thief army, but you?" ”

"This is not the word luck that can be made clear, the Central Plains Road war has been going on for more than a year, and you are the only officer and army willing to take the initiative to enter the Central Plains Road to assist in the battle. Chen Xinglong finally met you, maybe this is the will of heaven! ”

"To put it mildly, if it was someone else who killed Chen Xinglong today, I wouldn't want to give this credit! But let it be to you, I willingly! ”

Lin Fan was still hesitating: "But this Central Plains Dao soldier..."

Zhou Chang saw what he was worried about: "You can rest assured, although there were some accidents at the end of this battle, Chen Xinglong died on the ground of the Central Plains Road after all, and the imperial court will not lose the rewards of those soldiers in the army." ”

"You, the Ministry?" Lin Fan asked again. Other soldiers of Zhongyuan Dao said that there will be a reward after all. However, for coach Zhou Chang, the impact is great, which is equivalent to the first work in hand!

Zhou Chang laughed and said: "You don't have to worry about me, I am now a governor, ranked in the feudal territory, and I am a member of the imperial court." ”

"This time, he exterminated Chen Xinglong's thief army again, and eliminated a big trouble for the imperial court. In terms of merit, who else in the Manchu Dynasty can be greater than mine? ”

"But for me, it's not necessarily a good thing to take too much credit. After Chen Xinglong's bandits were pacified, the imperial court would inevitably reward meritorious deeds. I am already a good product, how do you think the court should reward me to match my merits? ”

Without waiting for Lin Fan to answer, he already asked and answered himself: "It's nothing more than adding me a false title of three dukes and three orphans, plus a knighthood." ”

Lin Fan didn't attach much importance to these in Zhou Chang's tone, and he asked with some curiosity: "The Three Dukes and Three Orphans are great honors, since Your Majesty ascended the throne, there are only two or three people in the court who can or have this honor, and all of them are important ministers of the court who are old and virtuous. ”

"And those who are knighted in this dynasty can get food and fiefs, and they can also be hereditary and rest with the country. Why does the ministry seem to be a little unimpressed by this? ”

Zhou Chang said: "You are right, these two kinds of rewards can be described as extremely honorable for any courtier, and they are beyond the reach of countless people." But for me, it's not necessarily a good thing! ”