Zhao Zuo competed, and in just one day and night, the victory and defeat were settled.

In order to preserve his strength, the invincible Zuo Liangyu put down his shelf and face, and asked to see Zhao Dangshi alone, hoping that the two families would make peace. Considering many practical problems, Zhao Dangshi did not intend to overly suppress Zuo Liangyu, and he was still humble and easy-going when they met. In the end, Zhao Dangshi promised to let the troops of the Zuojia Army return to Henan and provide the military rations needed along the way.

In return, Zuo Liangyu had to do two things. The first was to order the two battalions entrenched in Gucheng County to withdraw from the city; The next time, he tied Gao Jinku and Zhou Fengwu and handed them over to Chen Hongfan for disposal.

The two forces of soldiers and horses inside and outside the mountain of the Zuojia army could not be combined, even if the left and right Xiao cavalry battalions held the county seat, in the face of the strategy of Zhao Ying's siege and not fighting, they could only end up with a self-defeating situation, so as soon as Zuo Liangyu came forward, Gao Jinku and Zhou Fengwu, who were self-aware, immediately opened the city gate. Zuo Liangyu knew that Chen Hongfan's family was humiliated, and only hated Gao Jinku and Zhou Fengwu for not being successful enough to be more than ruined, so he was angry and first punched and kicked Gao and Zhou Erren, and then twisted the two with blue noses and swollen faces in front of Chen Hongfan, and shouted: "The rats are bold and shameless. If you want to kill or chop, follow Chen Shuai's orders! ”

Gao Jinku and Zhou Fengwu looked at each other with big eyes, saying that they would not escape this time, and their relatives regretted it, but Chen Hong Fan Fu was unexpected when he opened his mouth: "Zuo Shuai has a warning, it is enough." Without waiting for Zuo, Gao, and Zhou to react, they immediately brushed their sleeves and left.

Walking out of the courtyard, Chen Hongfan let out a long breath, and around the corner, Zhao Dangshi, who was standing with his hands in his hands, saw him and asked, "Brother, are you angry?" If you don't understand your anger, let the little brother teach you a lesson. ”

"Don't work for my brother, this evil breath in my brother's heart has disappeared." Chen Hongfan smiled slightly. While speaking, the screams of ghosts crying wolves were heard again in the courtyard, and Zuo Liangyu, who was estimated to be angry, moved his hand again.

Zhao Dangshi said hatefully: "These two thieves dare to provoke their brothers, if they don't kill them, they are really benevolent and righteous!" ”

Chen Hongfan sighed and said, "Brother Xian, my brother is ashamed when I say it. Zuo Liangyu's people were able to enter Gucheng, but they were indeed unaware of his brother's carelessness. ”

Zhao Dangshi shook his head again and again and said: "The victory or defeat of the soldier is unexpected, and my brother does not have to blame himself." But no matter whether you win or lose, the word benevolence and righteousness are the foundation of people's affairs. Gao, Zhou's behavior is out of order, but it is also a pig and a dog. ”

Chen Hongfan didn't answer, but sighed deeply.

"What concerns does the elder brother have, the younger brother is willing to share the worries." Zhao Dangshi said earnestly.

"There is a virtuous brother, so why don't you have any worries. It's just ......" Chen Hongfan hesitated again and again, his face frowned, and the wrinkles on his forehead, corners of his eyes, and cheeks were stacked, and they were extremely deep for a while.

Zhao Dangshi didn't ask, the two walked silently side by side through several streets and alleys, until the terrible screams in their ears were completely lost, and Chen Hongfan suddenly stopped.

"If Brother Yu remembers correctly, Brother Xian is thirty-three years old this Chinese New Year's Eve?"

Zhao Dangshi wondered and replied: "Not bad......"

Chen Hongfan smiled, showing some kindness, which was very different from Zhao Dangshi's previous contact with him as if he was in the year of fighting.

"The foolish brother has eaten more rice for nineteen years, and he has lived in vain for fifty-two years."

The first time the two met was four years ago, at that time, Zhao Dangshi and him only felt that he was energetic and talked freely, as if there was no barrier between peers, but only at this moment when he looked up, Chen Hongfan was really a little old when he spoke. Years are fleeting, and they are all unconscious.

Zhao Dangshi was secretly melancholy, only to hear Chen Hongfan whisper slowly: "Fifty is a hurdle!" Since two years ago, Brother Yu has often felt unable to deal with official duties...... But after all, with the help of a virtuous brother, you can get through it by gritting your teeth. However, it is not good for people to refuse to accept old age, and now they have a more heartless feeling of powerlessness for military affairs. Thinking about it, I am afraid that I will drag the virtuous brother back. ”

"My brother is in the prime of life, why do you say this?" Zhao Dangshi chuckled in his heart, and had a bad premonition.

Chen Hongfan's words were soft, but very firm and powerful: "Brother Fool thinks it's time to withdraw." ”

Zhao Dangshi was shocked: "Brother, don't think so, although Huang Zhong is old and capable of killing Xiahou, compared to him, my brother is still a young man!" As the representative of Changhong Sanying in the imperial court, Chen Hongfan's importance to Zhao Ying is self-evident, and once he returns to his hometown, it will definitely bring heavy losses to Zhao Ying.

Chen Hongfan smiled: "Brother Xian misunderstood. The foolish brother has promised to be in the same boat with the virtuous brother, how can he be so unrighteous and give up halfway. Further, "The front of the stage should be a place for young and handsome people such as virtuous brothers, and the foolish brother Tian is shameless, and his face has been grinded to this age, and he has experienced a lot of ups and downs, and he is content." While the residual heat is not exhausted, it is better to go behind the scenes to last. ”

"This ......" Zhao Dangshi understood what he meant, and hesitated, "Kechanghong Sanying ......"

"The left battalion has Tingshi, and the right battalion has Qizuo, both of which are reliable." Chen Hongfan was full of confidence in the first half of the sentence, but the second half of the sentence was about to come out, his face was suddenly worried, and he said with a twist, "There is only the front camp, and the virtuous brother needs to worry more." "Fu'er is young, has little experience, and is so frizzy." ”

The Changhong Left Battalion and the Changhong Right Battalion had earlier sent Li Yanlang and Qin Jinxiao respectively as lieutenant officers to grasp the actual military power, and out of respect for Chen Hongfan, Zhao Dangshi did not move the Changhong Front Battalion, and the chief officer in Chen Hongfan's battalion was his own eldest son Chen Weifu. Chen Weifu is not very old and in his early twenties, and Zhao Dangshi has seen him many times.

Zhao Dangshi could not find out how Chen Hongfan's state of mind had changed in the past few days, but the other party's meaning had been clearly expressed, that is, nominally he still maintained the position of the chief soldier of Changping on the imperial court, and privately withdrew from the military and political system of Zhao Ying. The commander of the former camp of Changhong was succeeded by his son Chen Weifu, but in the end, he licked the calf deeply and did not forget to euphemistically ask for his son's assistance. In turn, this move also handed over the power of Changhong's former camp to Zhao Ying in disguise. One yard for another, which shows Chen Hongfan's consistent shrewdness. From Zhao Ying's point of view, with such an arrangement, the three camps of Changhong can be called completely naturalized.

Zhao Dangshi was silent for a long time, and said in a deep voice: "Brother, have you thought clearly?" ”

Chen Hongfan replied: "After eating most of my life, I finally slacked off, and I no longer have such ambition as a virtuous brother." I just want to go back to Xiangyang and fiddle with flowers and plants. ”

Zhao Dangshi nodded slightly: "With a virtuous brother, it will open up a bright future for Weifu, and my brother only needs to rest assured to enjoy the joy of family." ”

Chen Hongfan smiled faintly, and his smile revealed a bit of bitterness that was easy to find.

The Zuo family army is out of Chu, and there are also rules. The heart of defense is indispensable, and Zhao Dangshi paid attention to Zuo Liangyu's character. In order to prevent Zuo Liangyu from going back on his word, he first allowed the two battalions of Gao Jinku and Zhou Fengwu, who had withdrawn from Gucheng, to go north, until his people completely entered the territory of Xinye County through Beitaishan Temple Town, and then ordered Qin Jinxiao and Li Yanlang, who were strictly guarding the Jiulian Dengshan Pass, to release follow-up troops. Zuo Liangyu himself was the last to return to the army, and the whole process lasted for three days. Although Zhao Ying spent some money and food to send the Zuo army, it was naturally worth it to avoid a potential large-scale fierce battle.

Subsequently, Zhao Dangshi personally led the troops and deployed defenses at the junction of Chu and Henan, even if Zuo Liangyu suffered a dumb loss, but seeing the posture of Zhao Ying's soldiers and horses, he said that the opportunity had been lost, so he could only temporarily hold his grievances into his stomach and go back to Xuzhou first.

The turmoil subsided, Chen Hongfan did what he said, and immediately said goodbye to Zhao Dangshi. Zhao Dangshi sent him back to the manor on the outskirts of Xiangyang Mansion, returned to the army, and immediately arranged for Pu Guoyi, the counselor of the Hun camp, to be transferred to the middle officer of the Changhong front battalion, as the deputy of Chen Weifu, the son of Chen Hongfan.

After the establishment of the Unified Inspection Institute and the Unified Envoy Division, the focus of the work of the counselors and superintendents in each battalion was largely inclined to the direction of government affairs. Born in Wuju, he is very stable in military affairs, and he is a rare "professional talent" in Zhao's camp, and Zhao Dangshi believes that only by letting him continue to lead troops can he "make the best use of his talents".

As for the position of counselor and overseer of the Qihun camp, it was appointed to Gu Junen's younger brother Gu Junming, because the original counselor and overseer of the camp was established and turned into a commander, so the vacancy was filled by Liu Jingxia, a scholar who joined the Zhao camp with Gu Junen. As Confucian scholars specializing in grammar, Gu Junming and Liu Jingxia are more suitable for the position of counselor and overseer.

In order to further win over Chen Hongfan's father and son, Zhao Dangshi also deliberately chose an auspicious day for the zodiac, set up an altar to burn incense, and recognized Chen Weifu as a righteous son to show his determination to carry him. Chen Hongfan's sudden departure surprised Chen Weifu very much, but fortunately, Zhao Dangshi took care of him, and the righteous people of Pu Guo were also gentle and kind, so he was able to slowly let go of his hanging heart.

It was the middle of the month when Zhao Dangshi, who confirmed that the Zuo family army was far away, led his troops back to Xiangyang Fucheng. The saddle horse did not stop, and the prefect Fan Juan soon came to the door.

Fan Ju'an and Zhao Ying have always had a very good relationship, since Suizhou was transferred to Xiangyang Mansion nearby, the cooperation between the two sides has become more and more tacit, Fan Ju'an ranks sixth in the family, and Zhao Dangshi has a good relationship with him so much that he directly calls him "sixth brother". Vote for me with a peach and repay it with Li, and Fan Juan replied that Zhao Dangshi was "Zhao Shuai", which was also very face-saving.

"Recently, Xiangyang Mansion is still in peace?" The two sat opposite each other, and Zhao Dangshi asked first, "The sixth brother doesn't even give him a moment to breathe, is there a big deal?" ”

Fan Juan stroked his long hair and said: "It is fortunate that Zhao Shuai drove away the locusts, and there is nothing else in the mansion." ”

Zhao Dangshi smiled and said, "Then I don't know if the sixth brother is looking for it urgently, what advice do you have?" ”

Fan Ju'an's right hand slipped out of his beard in an instant, and he pointed to the table and knocked it twice, saying, "Elder Yang Ge has died in his duties." ”

Yang Sichang died.

Zhao Dangshi was surprised: "When did it happen?" ”

"The news came from Jingmen Prefecture, and I think it will happen a few days before and after the beginning of the month." Fan Juan condensed his face and said, "Yang Ge Lao was already sick in Kuizhou, and I heard that Zuo Liangyu had deliberately written a letter to send it before, and the letter was extremely sarcastic and sarcastic to Ge Lao. Under the grief and indignation, the elder couldn't stand up in one breath, so he ......"

"Is the news conclusive? Where did the sixth brother get it? ”

Fan Ju'an replied: "The Ten Thousand Prison Army under the Governor and the Meng President are now stationed around the Xian Mausoleum of Chengtian Mansion, and I have an old relationship with the Ten Thousand Prison Army, and what comes out of his mouth should be true." ”

Zhao Dangshi sighed a few times, not knowing whether he was happy or worried.

Fan Juan said: "But some time ago, the old lady in the Wan Jian Jun family was also mourned, and the old man was not, he made up his mind to return to his hometown to worry about it, and all the affairs in the supervision door were handed over to the president. "Another way," Yang Zhuoran, the staff of Langzhong who came to Huguang to coordinate the military suppression and killing of the Hui and leather thieves, also had an accident. ”

"What's the matter?"

"There is no money in the army, and he is good at advocating secretly trading with thieves, although it is an expedient measure, but he was also poked out two days ago, and it is estimated that he will not be able to escape from his post and investigate."

"The position is low and powerful, and it will not be stable in the end, and without the elder, he will not be able to stand." Zhao Dangshi said thoughtfully. Yang Zhuoran was promoted from Yang Sichang's staff and came to Huguang to temporarily organize officers and soldiers from all walks of life to crusade against the Hui and revolutionary thieves in place of Yang Sichang. Although he does have some ability, he once forced Ma Shouying and other giants to beg for mercy, but in the end, his own position is low, and with Yang Sichang's support, now that there is no backstage, which of those local snakes under his hands is willing to obey him again? It is also a matter of time before they are trampled on the horse's feet and squeezed out.

"That's exactly what happened."

"What about Wang Yongzuo?" Zhao Dangshi continued to ask. Yang Sichang was alone, set up a superintendent out of thin air, and promoted four people from the line of fire at the end of the micro to help protect the cornerstone, Wan Yuanji, fierce as a tiger, Yang Zhuoran have all said, and Wang Yongzuo, who replaced Tao Chongdao's new Jingnan Bingbeidao, did not say.

Fan Juan said: "I was just about to mention him." This Wang Yongzuo was lucky, the court took materials nearby, and wanted Wan Jian Jun to be the governor of Yunyang, but Wan Jian Jun couldn't come, so he recommended Wang Yongzuo, and the court documents had come down. ”

Zhao Dangshi raised his mouth and said: "Yunyang is a place of right and wrong, and all officials look at it as fearful, and it is difficult to say whether Wang Yongzuo is lucky or not." "Turn around," Yuan Junmen wants to step down, which is a pity. "Zhao Dangshi has made friends with Yuan Jixian in private, and the Yunyang Mansion under his jurisdiction is a neighbor, so he wants to develop further.

Fan Juan said disapprerovitically: "It's no pity, the Holy Lord hasn't tried Yang Ge Lao's case for a long time, and the court has accumulated public resentment." The death of the cabinet elder will not be able to hold it back. Lord Yuan and Lord Song were both brought up by Yang Gelao, and they couldn't escape from being harmed and guilty. Besides, Yuan Junmen couldn't stop the thieves who came and went freely in Yunyang, and Song Junmen repeatedly suppressed the thieves in southeast Chu to no avail. In addition, with Wang Yongzuo's resume being able to be used as a local magistrate, I am afraid that he will also find some face for himself in all kinds of embarrassment, so I say that he is lucky. "He has a lot of political opinions, and he has a straight talk, and he never hides it.

"Lord Song has also been dismissed?" Song Yihe, the governor of Huguang, also had a little friendship with Zhao Dangshi, and if he followed Yuan Jixian and was deposed, Zhao Dangshi was really a little stunned.

Fan Juan nodded and said: "The dismissal is the dismissal, but it matters, how can the governor of Huguang and the governor of Yunyang talk on the same day, and they can't find another Wang Yongzuo to replace them, so the will of the court and the central government will let Lord Song make meritorious contributions." ”

"I see." Zhao Dangshi smiled bitterly.

Fan Juan said: "Zhao Shuai is in charge of the army, and there may be no time to take care of things in the officialdom, Fan thinks that these trivial clues have more or less something to do with Zhao Shuai, and he is really sorry to disturb Zhao Shuai's rest." ”

"Sixth brother is humble. Zhao is stupid, and the officialdom news is not as well-informed as the sixth brother, and the sixth brother will need to dial it from time to time in the future. Zhao Dangshi thanked him slightly, paused and said, "Hearing what the sixth brother said, Yang Ge Lao is there, I will arrange someone to mourn in the near future...... The four people under the Governor's Sect, Wan, Meng, Yang, and Wang, Meng and Wang seem to have to pay attention. ”

Fan Juan thought deeply and said: "This is very true. When the elder pavilion was there, the 'general's battalion' originally had 3,000 horse troops allocated by Ningxia, so that he was as fierce as a tiger. Later, he set up a 'big suppression battalion' to lead the 2,000 rake head soldiers recruited by Hunan to fight guerrillas, and Liu Guangzuo, a veteran general in Shaanxi, was also quite combat-effective. These 5,000 people are the core of the Governor's mark and can be called powerful. "Speaking of dry and dumb in one breath, he drank tea and moistened his throat, "The Wanjian Army also gathered three armies in central Sichuan and Chudi, a staff general Wang Xijia with 1,000 Sichuan soldiers, a guerrilla Min Yiqi and Lang Qigui with 500 Sichuan soldiers and 1,000 Sichuan soldiers, a 1,500 Zhou Jinchen soldiers and 500 Zhenxiao soldiers with a total of 2,000 people. The three armies together are 4,000 people, and they are also not to be underestimated......"

Zhao Dangshi interjected and asked, "Zhou Jin...... This name is somewhat familiar...... "Wang Xijia and other Zhao Dangshi are no strangers, when Zhao Ying first entered Sichuan, he was among the Sichuan troops who surrounded and suppressed Zhao Ying, but Zhou Jin didn't think of the name very much."

"Zhou Jin is the son of Zhou Yuanru, the former secretary of the town, Zhou Yuanru is old and has already ceded military power."

"Understood." Zhao Dangshi smiled. Zhenxiao Dusi came from the Miao Barbarian land in the southwest of Chu, where it was so reckless and unusually unusually that even those Tusi of Shizhouwei near the left regarded them as savages, and the son succeeded his father and the army was private, and the imperial court did not care about it.

Fan Ju'an's face sank when he said this, and said: "Zhao Shuai, I don't mean anything else by saying so much, I just want to remind you a little." In the past, there were Wan Jian Jun and others who were as fierce as a tiger to divide the military power, and the civil and military checked and balanced each other, and they were generally safe. But now Wan Jian Jun and Wang Yongzuo are going their separate ways, and these soldiers and horses are afraid that they will be controlled by fierce tigers. Fierce as a tiger once cut his post for crimes, only because Yang Ge Lao was eclectic to be used, he is also a stuffed coat Yi background, even if I have been civilized for decades, after all, he is a suspicious barbarian alien, I am afraid that his nature is difficult to change. The soldiers of each battalion of the Dumen counted nearly 10,000 people, and he took them and stationed them in Chengtianfu next door, saying that they were protecting the tomb, but it was really difficult to predict what would happen next...... As the saying goes, if you are prepared, Zhao Shuai has to make plans early. ”

Zhao Dangshi said solemnly: "It makes sense. "He has never dealt with the fierce tiger at all, and the other party is wandering on the border of Xiangyang Mansion with a huge army, and he must not be ignored. It's just that when Fan Ju'an's words were repeated in his heart, he suddenly had a flash of inspiration, couldn't help clapping his hands, and said happily: "Yes, with Fierce Tiger and Wang Yongzuo, I can do it!" ”

Fan Ju'an's teacup was halfway raised, frozen there, and he looked at Zhao Dangshi, who was not worried but happy, with a blank expression.