Half a year ago, there was a merchant in Xiangyang who was not good-looking, but could not but attract the attention of some people.

This man is tall and unkempt, often dressed in disheveled clothes and haphazard, taciturn but kind to others. Every day, he carries a pair of burdens, which are filled with some children's favorite candy snacks or linen needles and threads, and shuttles between the urban and rural areas of Xiangyang, rain or shine.

There are many such merchants everywhere. What brought him to people's attention was an inadvertent incident. On that day, he was still carrying his burden to sell goods in the port market in the north of the city, when suddenly a frightened crazy horse rushed into the port market, knocking over many stalls and injuring some people. Seeing that it was about to crash into a shop specializing in the manufacture and sale of candy, there were many children, women and children, and it was in danger. At this moment, the merchant's oblique stab came out, and he hit the horse's head like an illusion, and with only one punch, he knocked the crazy horse to the ground!

A catastrophe was averted, and for the first time, people seemed to notice that this hidden and outrageous merchant had only one arm.

"General, I respect you!"

In a private house, the merchant raised the bowl with one hand and smiled at Qin Mubai, doing it first as a respect.

Qin Mubai held the bowl, but he was not in a hurry to drink it, but looked at the familiar and unfamiliar man opposite and smiled.

"Zhang Tong, have you always stayed in Xiangyang?"

"No, I only came back a year ago." Zhang Tong wiped his mouth, grinned, and smiled a little ashamedly, but he had no reservations and no scheming.

Just a year or two ago, the Zhang Tong in front of him was still a member of the glorious hundred horsemen. Together with Pang Fei and 30 other hundred horsemen, he accompanied Qin Mubai to Xiangzhou, but secretly helped his biological father Wei Huanchen betray Qin Mubai, and finally cut off his arm to atone for his sins. Since then, Qin Mubai has never heard from him again, but he didn't expect to meet him here again today.

Seeing each other, all the grievances of the past are about to disappear, and what exists here is more emotion and embarrassment.

Qin Mubai drank a bowl of wine, and glanced around at the shabby and dilapidated house, there was still a knife hanging on the wall, which was the special saber for the hundred horsemen he used to cut off his arm that day. Other than that, everything is ordinary and basic.

Qin Mubai said: "Zhang Tong, why didn't you go back to Chang'an? ”

"Returned." Zhang Tong nodded and replied briefly, "Back in my hometown, I will recuperate from my injuries and accompany my mother." Soon after, my mother passed away, and I couldn't be at peace every day in Chang'an, so I came to Xiangyang again. ”

"No peace?" Qin Mubai frowned suspiciously.

"King Wei." Zhang Tong furrowed his brows and said, "I don't know where he heard about me, so he wants to woo me into his camp." ”

"Wooing you?" Qin Mubai was even more confused, "Why? ”

Zhang Tong smiled slightly and said, "Has the general forgotten the Xiangyang Water Ghost Case back then?" Not too many people really knew all the truth at the time. The villain is one of them. In fact, the villain is already a wasted person, and he has no power, no power, no name and no hope, what does King Wei want me to do? ”

Qin Mubai's heart couldn't help but light up, and said, "He wants to target King Wu and me?" ”

Zhang Tong glanced at Qin Mubai, nodded solemnly, and said: "The Xiangyang Water Ghost case involves a lot, including the two families of Chang'an Weidu, and many officials and squires in the Jingxiang area. The villain didn't promise King Wei anything, but he vaguely felt from his words that in addition to wanting to know all the details of the water ghost case, he also expected the villain to make perjury, slandering the general and King Wu for how they were corrupt and indiscriminately killed and slaughtered in Xiangzhou, as well as secretly colluding with their own factions to target the East Palace. ”

Qin Mubai nodded slowly and said, "When you return to Chang'an to recuperate from the injured King Wei and know the news, it will be almost around the time when Emperor Yang's Mausoleum was discovered." At that time, it happened that the King of Qi conspired to assassinate the East Palace and blamed me and the King of Wu, and rebelled. King Wei found you at that time and asked you to testify, which was indeed a ruthless move. First, you are the person around me who knows the facts of the case, and secondly, your identity as a hundred horsemen is also a powerful explanation. If you had agreed to take refuge in King Wei at that time, King Wu and I would definitely be quite passive. ”

"So the villain didn't say yes." Zhang Tong's expression was very calm, but there were two scorching lights flashing in his eyes, and he said sonorously, "Zhang has already betrayed the general once, and it is better to die if your conscience is responsible!" To put it mildly, the death of my mother is not as painful as the condemnation of my conscience! Although Zhang has a broken arm, he can't forgive his previous sins! How could it be possible to betray the general again? ”

Qin Mubai breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, "Come, drink this bowl!" ”

After drinking a bowl of wine, Zhang Tong said: "At that time, Zhang was still guarding filial piety, but he couldn't care so much about it, so he escaped overnight. Originally, I wanted to go to you and explain this layer to you, but at the time, I ...... Zhang really has no face to go to see the general again. Moreover, at that time, the general was also in trouble because of the rebellion of King Qi, and if Zhang appeared again, it would arouse more suspicion. So Zhang returned to Xiangyang incognito and became an inconspicuous little merchant - however, General Pang Fei knew the villain! It is precisely because of General Pang Fei that the villain dares to live in seclusion in Xiangyang with confidence. ”

Qin Mubai couldn't help but smile: "Pang Fei, this stinky boy, has a firm mouth. I didn't tell me anything about you when we met. ”

"Maybe it's too late to talk when we first met!" Zhang Tong smiled and said, "Today, the villain ran into General Pang Fei and several former colleagues on the street, and hurriedly left. Seeing those former colleagues, the villain also knew that the general had come to Xiangyang. So the villain waited for the rabbit after hearing the news, and in the middle of the night, he finally waited for the general. I finally recognized the general! ”

Qin Mubai nodded with deep feelings, and said with a smile: "Zhang Tong, I said that day, you are guilty, but you are not wrong. I've never really blamed you. Now, no matter what kind of life you choose, I can live a peaceful and peaceful life, and I am relieved. I think your life is a bit miserable now, but it's also a peaceful life. That way, you don't have to live an unsightly life incognito. It's all over, I don't blame you, and King Wei won't hit you anymore. You will go to the Qin Xian business to find an errand to do, put a decent set of Zhuangzi, and ask for a wife who can see people. I'll arrange these for you. ”

"No, no, no!" Zhang Tong hurriedly stood up, waved a hand and said in a panic, "In this life, Zhang Tong can see the general again and talk with the general like this, and he has no regrets in this life!" Zhang Tong is a sinner, he has no face to return to the general, and he has no face to see his former colleagues! Checkmate...... Please forgive the villain for not being able to accept it! ”

Qin Mubai looked at Zhang Tong with a smile and nodded: "Everyone has their own ambitions, I don't force you." However, the door of my Qin family is always open to you. When you have any difficulties, just come to me, you don't have to be polite. ”

Zhang Tong's face was covered with vicissitudes of wind and rain and messy beard, tensed tightly, his eyebrows were sunken, his eyes were hot, he looked at Qin Mubai, raised a fist and put it on his chest, and said: "General, although the villain is no longer worthy of being a soldier, in the villain's mind, the villain will always be the general's soldier!" Please accept the villain's single fist! ”

With his fists clenched, he fell to his knees on one knee. With his head down, although he endured it with death, tears flowed down his eyes very uncontrollably.

Qin Mubai stepped forward and slapped his palm on the surface of his fist, just enough to make up a military salute with a fist.

"I have accepted this worship."

"General Xie!"

Zhang Tong's tears rushed out like a torrent, and he couldn't hold it anymore, so he kowtowed on the ground.

Qin Mubai didn't pull him up or stop. Perhaps, this can make his heart happier and untie the knot that has been suppressed in his heart for a long time.

Quietly, Qin Mubai took off the money bag and put it on the table, patted Zhang Tong, who was still kowtowing, and said, "I'm leaving, you take care." ”

"Congratulations to the General!" Zhang Tong didn't hold back, but turned around on the ground and continued to kowtow to the door where Qin Mubai left.

There was a thumping sound, and a sound seemed to fall on Qin Mubai's heart.

"Thinking about me, Qin Mubai, how can I be virtuous, a layman is not even a good person, but it is worthy of Zhang Tong to treat me like this...... A Zhang Tong with a broken arm, many Zhang Tong who died in battle, and many Zhang Tong who have been with me now. ”

"Cherish! …… Their existence proves that my life is really not in vain! ”

Walking out of the half-dark alley, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded behind him, and Zhang Tong's voice: "Qin ......!" ”

Qin Mubai still had Zhang Tong running back to return the money bag, so he stood and waited for him to speak.

Zhang Tong stood still, glanced at the left and right alertly, and said in a low voice: "The villain was so excited that he forgot to tell the general about an important matter!" Please go back to the Humble House! ”

Qin Mubai frowned: "Okay!" ”

The two went back to the cold house, and Zhang Tong seemed to be back to the hundred cavalry guards of the day, and carefully checked the ears that were not stalking and the wall before returning to the house. Only then did he see the money bag on the table at a glance, and his expression couldn't help but froze. Presumably, he kowtowed his head just now and suddenly remembered this, so he pulled his legs and ran, without even looking at the table.

Qin Mubai smiled and said, you just accept it, you don't have to push, get down to business.

Zhang Tong sat next to Qin Mubai and said in a low voice: "After the villain returned to Chang'an, he closed the door. One day, suddenly a person came to me, who claimed to be from Dengzhou, a person from the king of Qi, surnamed Liang. ”

"Liang Mengbiao?" Qin Mubai said it in one bite.

"Yes, it's him! The villain once saw him in Xiangyang, and he has been following the King of Qi, but he has never interacted. Zhang Tong said, "At that time, he made almost the same request as the King of Wei, that is, that I should provide evidence of your rebellion with the King of Wu in Xiangyang, and then promise me the favor of a high-ranking official." ”

"Well, that's not strange." Qin Mubai said, "Liang Mengbiao should have listened to Yin Hongzhi's order to go to you." At that time, they were already plotting to intercept King Qi and Princess Gaoyang, who had returned to Beijing to confess, and forced me and King Wu to rebel. ”

These villains didn't know, and it was because of his appearance that the villains fled overnight. It's just that the villain heard an amazing news from his mouth! Zhang Tong said.

"What's the news?"

Zhang Tong's voice was lowered, and he said: "At that time, the king of Qi rebelled in Dengzhou, and he may have an internal response in the court!" ”

"What?!" Qin Mubai was taken aback, "Who is it?!" ”

"He didn't say it." Zhang Tong said, "He just said that as long as Dengzhou does something, the capital will also be difficult to force the palace." At the same time, they have a secret in their hands that even His Majesty the Emperor is very afraid of, so they are fully qualified to sit on the ground and negotiate with the imperial court when the time comes! That's exactly what he encouraged me at the time. said, as long as I provide evidence to sue the emperor to force the rebellion against the general and the king of Wu, it will be a great achievement! ”

Hearing this, Qin Mubai's heart was covered with a layer of haze, "Is there a secret that His Majesty the Emperor is afraid of?" ”

"Yes, that's exactly what he said." Zhang Tong said, "Specifically, the villain doesn't know." They didn't say much to me either. Hearing this, the villain was terrified, so he pretended to promise to buy two pieces of yellow goods to let them relax their vigilance, and fled overnight to avoid being killed. ”

"Well done, I didn't insult the name of the hundred horses!" Qin Mubai took a deep breath and nodded, "At that time, you were not enough to denounce anyone, after all, it was just a one-sided statement without evidence, and it was not credible." It was right to flee overnight. But haven't you heard anything about the internal response of the DPRK and China? Or is it the secret? ”

The villain also wanted to inquire at that time. But he was afraid that asking too much would arouse their suspicions, so he didn't dare to ask more. Zhang Tong said, "However, that Liang Mengbiao doesn't seem to know too clearly, which makes him want to show off a little." The villain deliberately talked to him almost while he was drunk, and he only vaguely mentioned a word that made the villain very strange - the first emperor! ”

"The First Emperor?" Qin Mubai was even more surprised.

"Yes, the villain's memory is true, and it can't be wrong. That secret may be related to the 'First Emperor'. But what it is, I'm afraid Liang Mengbiao doesn't know. Zhang Tong said.

Qin Mubai nodded slowly, thinking that now Yin Hongzhi, Li You and their henchmen are all dead. Facts have proved that they did not use any internal correspondence and so-called "secrets" at that time, otherwise they would not have been defeated so quickly, and there would be no abnormality in the court.

"Who is the inner response and what kind of secret?" Qin Mubai fell into deep thought......