Lan Ziyi didn't know how to interject, so he had to listen to the side.

Zhang Taiwei went on to say:

"Defeating the Takayama is the hardest battle I've ever fought in Taisho, even harder than the battle of Mobei that your father fought this year.

The ancients said that Buzhou Yuan is the pillar that supports heaven and earth, and you can only look up when you stand under the Zhou Yuan, and climb on the Zhou Yuan, which is really no different from ascending to the sky. Although the west side of Taizheng is wide, but a few passes that can be connected with the original can be counted with one hand, the best one to walk is on the Tianfu Road, even so the road is narrow and difficult to walk, some places are only enough for a car to pass, and the alpine people guard the pass is a husband when the pass is not opened. I personally led the team to climb the cliff, entered the city overnight, desperately opened the pass, and the army immediately entered, which was able to pass, but I didn't expect that it was the beginning of the difficulty to go to Zhou Yuan, I don't know why the higher the climb, the more uncomfortable it is, the more difficult it is to breathe, many soldiers sleep and die the next day, it is difficult to walk in that kind of place, and the knife can not be picked up, I can be regarded as realizing why the previous generation of the expedition is not Zhou Yuan has never won. ”

Mrs. Zhang paused and said:

"Fortunately, I urged my subordinates to go fast, unexpectedly went around to the capital of the high mountain people, although there were heavy losses along the way, but the capital was built in a valley bottom, people were comfortable to enter, that battle was really heroic, because of the death, the soldiers were a hundred times brave, a battle annihilated the enemy, attacked the capital, looted for three days, and later learned that although the original is vast, there are only a few places suitable for living in the capital, and the capital almost has ninety percent of the population of the mountain people. Since then, the remaining mountain people have disappeared without a trace, and it has been decades since then, and the west is stable, and there is no more wolf smoke. ”

Lan Ziyi saw Zhang Rang's enthusiasm as he spoke, as if he had stepped on the battlefield again, whether it was the cruelty of the battle or the joy after the victory, and even the ferocity during the raid was written on his face, the face that had originally looked disheartened gradually appeared again, and his eyes were also moistened with emotion, and they regained their luster little by little.

"Taiwei Zhang must have been a fierce general before." Lan Ziyi thought: "When I talk about it now, I still have such courage, and I must have been majestic when I guarded the border pass back then." ”

After talking about the past of the attack on the capital of the Gaoshan people, Taiwei Zhang seemed to be still immersed in the joy of victory for a while, forgetting the existence of Lan Ziyi and them. Lan Ziyi didn't want to disturb the good memories of the captain, so he just sat quietly next to him.

After a while, Taiwei Zhang seemed to realize that he was just sitting in his own living room now, and the spirit on his face slowly faded, and when he came back to his senses completely, he smiled slightly self-deprecatingly and said:

"The hero doesn't mention the courage of the year, but for the old immortal guy, what else can he mention if he doesn't mention the year?"

兰子义 says:

"Taiwei Zhang's meritorious service was outstanding, and the first war was decisive in that year, so that the west has been fine so far, and this kind of experience is certainly worth learning from us small characters."

After hearing this, Taiwei Zhang smiled and did not answer Lan Ziyi, but continued his own words and said:

"When I won the battle, I was named a marquis, and the emperor issued a decree to recruit me into the court to be a captain, and for a while, I made a reputation all over the world. At that time, I wanted to enter the prime minister, rectify the dynasty after entering the court, and assist the emperor. I think it's very good, but how can things go so smoothly in the world, everything is as people wish? ”

Lan Ziyi heard Taiwei Zhang's words and understood that Taiwei Zhang couldn't use his fists and feet after entering the court, and then thought about his current situation, and suddenly felt that he had met a confidant. So he said:

"It seems that Taiwei is not very happy in the capital."

Zhang Taiwei smiled:

"Who said that? Who says it doesn't go well? That's good. I, Zhang Rang, as the third duke, is a very popular minister, how many of the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty can get such glory? Now I am the only one who is the living person to be the third duke, and the rest are posthumously gifted, and I am now in the capital, with a house, a manor, a field, and a lot of time and silver, what's wrong? It's very good, it's very good, Wei Hou, don't be jealous. ”

Lan Ziyi also smiled bitterly twice after hearing this, and nodded.

Mrs. Zhang sighed and continued:

"Your grandfather is a good man, and I have been urging the imperial court to send troops to rescue him before he was trapped in the Zangmapo near the old capital, but ...... I didn't bring any troops. Fortunately, your father is very competitive and has not failed your grandfather. ”

Lan Ziyi suddenly remembered something when he heard this, and asked:

"Doesn't the captain have children? Why didn't you come to the shonai? ”

张太尉 says:

"The old man has three unscrupulous sons, and the eldest followed me to fight inconsiderately and died in battle; The second child died young; There is also a third child who just died of illness two years ago, and I sent a white-haired person to a black-haired person, which was really sad for a while. Now I have a grandson, but I just follow his group of Confucian colleagues every day to play in the mountains and rivers, chant poems, wind and snow, and play poetry clubs in Erlong Mountain, alas, I can't even see each other every day. ”

Lan Ziyi heard that Taiwei Zhang's grandson was also participating in the poetry club, and he became interested for a while, and hurriedly chased the tail:

"Taiwei Zhang, your grandson is also participating in the poetry club? The younger generation also came back from visiting the Erlongshan Poetry Society today, but because it was late, he didn't have time to enter the city. ”

Although Lan Ziyi mentioned that the poetry club was elated, Zhang Rang obviously didn't take it seriously, and just said lightly:

"That's just a thing made by the gentlemen in the capital themselves, why should Wei Hou be nostalgic? When I first entered Beijing, I also wanted to squeeze into the circle of other literati and artists, but they have their own ways of playing, and it is my turn to be a martial artist to step in at will. ”

As soon as Lan Ziyi heard the poetry club's thoughts, he all went there, and he didn't care what Taiwei Zhang said, he just asked:

"Dare to ask how Taiwei's grandson joined the Poetry Society?"

Mrs. Zhang waved his hand and said:

"Hey, what's not to join, he's been messing around with those boys since he was a child, so he naturally went in, and there's nothing else to join."

Lan Ziyi frowned when he heard this, thinking to himself, "What's going on?" Cui Hao told me that he had to go through a strict trial, but Zhang Taiwei told me that I could join because I played together, what the hell was going on? ”

However, Zhang Taiwei's words interrupted Lan Ziyi, and Zhang Taiwei said:

"When I was at the border, I only knew that one person had one merit, and when I came to the capital, I realized that I couldn't study, and you didn't have any credit. Do you know why the officials who studied in the Jinshi have not abolished the border generals? At the beginning of the founding of the country, the eastern coast was doing business, and no one was fighting, so the eastern army was abolished, and the western army and the northern army were inseparable from Hulu every day, so the two armies rose. By the time I've finished the war on the western side, Westtown will no longer need a garrison. After I entered Beijing, the Western Army is not as good as a day, and now it is withdrawn, scattered, and your father also impeached one a few days ago, and he was just removed from his post and investigated. When I was fighting, I looked forward to no war in the world, but after the war, there was no war, but every day I thought about what it was like when I was on the battlefield, I was old, I was old. ”

As he spoke, Taiwei Zhang shook his head, picked up the tea bowl and took a sip.

Lan Ziyi heard Taiwei Zhang's sad voice, recalling that when he was at home a few days ago, his father planned to betray the generals of the Western Army and take refuge, that scene was still as if it had just passed, and now look at Taiwei Zhang's weak appearance, think about the tiger general who swallowed thousands of miles back then but now he looks old, and even his former subordinates were squeezed out, he can only sigh a thing or two, and he no longer has the courage of the past.

Lan Ziyi said with emotion:

"Taiwei Zhang, you have achieved fame, your achievements will be praised by the world, and it is also a pleasure to spend the rest of your days in retirement."

Mrs. Zhang sighed and said:

"I used to be the same as you think, I have made great achievements and made a name in history, my deeds will make everyone who reads it boil, and the mountains and rivers that I and my soldiers have laid down will be as solid as iron. But how many years have it been now? I've almost forgotten the war, how many people will remember? Historian? At most, it will only be a sentence in the sky in the historical materials, and in a certain year, Taiwei Zhang Rang was not thoughtful, and that's it. I thought I was going to move the world, but in fact I was just moving myself. ”

Lan Ziyi lowered his head when he heard this, and stopped talking, is this the fate of the general? Become such a twilight old man?

Zhang Taiwei sighed again:

"Wei Hou still has to rush into the city early tomorrow, right? Although the old man still wanted to chat with Wei Hou about the scenery outside the Saiwai, he couldn't delay Wei Hou's business tomorrow. After all, like an old man, he is idle every day, and there are few people in this capital. Wei Hou should go and rest early. ”

As he spoke, he beckoned the servant to come in.

Lan Ziyi hugged his fists:

"Then there's Captain Law."

Zhang Rang asked:

"I see that several of Wei Hou's guards are very close to Wei Hou, how many rooms are you going to sleep in tonight?"

Lan Ziyi looked at the Tao brothers, his heart was entangled, and said:

"I also ask Mrs. Zhang to prepare a guest room for the juniors alone."

Zhang Rang nodded, the Tao brothers seemed to have expected this, but they were not too surprised.

Lan Ziyi and the Tao brothers stayed overnight in Taiwei Zhang's mansion. At dawn the next day, several people got up and rode back to Beijing together after saying goodbye to Captain Zhang.

Several people rushed all the way back to the palace to prepare to attend the morning class of the palace. But as soon as he arrived at the gate of the palace, he was told that King De had gone to the Yamen of the Household Department.

Lan Ziyi asked:

"Why did the prince go to the household department?"

The little man at the door replied:

"Yesterday, Wei Hou was outside, and he said that he didn't know. The emperor issued an edict yesterday and ordered King De to take charge of the household department. So early this morning, King De rushed to the Yamen of the Household Department. ”

When Lan Ziyi heard this, he said to the Tao brothers:

"Chase the tiger, you go back to rest first, I have to rush to the household."

The Tao brothers answered, and led the horse into the palace.

Lan Ziyi turned the horse's head and rushed to the household.