While being repeatedly scrutinized, Cheng Mingzhen was also secretly observing Pei Lian, the envoy of the Tang Dynasty. According to the information he had at hand, this old gentleman was known for his ruthlessness. When Tang Duke Li Yuan rebelled, it is said that this person contributed to it. The recent death of Liu Wenjing, an important minister of the Tang Dynasty, is said to be because of this person's slander. However, such a ruthless person has a very righteous face, a square face, and a gray beard, which makes people feel close at a glance.

In the blink of an eye, the boat had docked. Wang Ermao bowed his hand to everyone and introduced with a smile: "This is Mr. Pei, the envoy from the Tang Dynasty, and a few guards are on the boat behind, and they will follow me soon!" ”

"The right servant of the Tang Dynasty shoots, and he is here on the orders of the Tang Emperor!" Before a group of vulgar guys stepped forward to talk, Chen Liangcheng corrected in a low voice. Afraid that the other party would not know how to score, he deliberately bit the three words of the right servant very hard.

"The old gentleman has worked the road! Please get off the boat first and rest on the island with you. Cheng Mingzhen glanced at Chen Liangcheng lightly, and stepped forward to bow his hand to Pei Lian. The rest of the people on the shore saw that Cheng Mingzhen was neither humble nor arrogant, and they also smiled and bowed their hands, "The old gentleman has worked the road!" Please go to the island and rest."

"Hmm!" Chen Liangcheng touched a soft nail and couldn't help but feel angry. turned his head to look at Pei Lian, hoping that the other party would go away with him. But he didn't expect Pei Lin to care about whether others were rude or not, so he smiled and returned the favor with the courtesy of his peers, "It's just a few years old, and I can't afford to be an old gentleman." If you don't see the outside, call me Xuan Zhen or Lao Pei! ”

"Xuan Zhengong invited, we are in the countryside here, and we don't know much about etiquette. Don't mind if you want Xuan Zhengong! Seeing that Pei Lin didn't put on a show at all, Cheng Mingzhen made a gesture of support and respectfully asked Pei Lin to get off the boat.

Pei Lin shook his head, his legs worked at the same time, and he jumped directly from the deck to the shore of the lake with a "rubbing". first lowered his head and straightened his clothes, and then said with a smile: "What kind of etiquette is not rude, is it possible that Pei Mou came all the way to find a place in front of you and others?" If General Cheng thinks like this, he will not only despise Pei, but also look down on you too much! ”

"Xuan Zhengong is polite!" Cheng Mingzhen was stunned when he heard this, but he didn't expect Pei Lian's words to be so sharp. He smiled and raised his arm to make a gesture of please. "Xuan Zhengong, please go here, I have ordered someone to prepare refreshments in the Juyi Hall!"

"General Cheng is the master here, General Cheng please!" Pei Lin also stretched out an arm and invited Cheng Mingzhen to walk in front of him.

"Xuan Zhen Gong, please!"

"General Cheng, please"

The host and the guest retreated, then looked at each other and smiled, and at the same time walked side by side to the dense housing area in the middle of the island. Chen Liangcheng, who was holding back his anger, looked stupid, so he had to take the rest of the guards and follow step by step.

He couldn't understand how the high-ranking and powerful Pei Lin didn't care about his identity at all, and he couldn't understand why Juluze's group of thieves who had reached the "end of the road" were neither humble nor arrogant in front of the right servant. Previously, even Wang Junkuo, the chief of the Wagang Army in Hanoi, was respectful when he saw Master Pei. Where is it like Cheng Mingzhen, who actually treats each other calmly with the courtesy of grass people?

If you don't deliberately detour, the main island in the middle of the lake is actually not that big. After walking for half an hour, I arrived in front of the Gathering Hall. The guests and hosts sat down separately, and immediately a hand-wrenching maid brought new tea. Cheng Mingzhen took a sip of the teacup first, and then raised it at Pei Lian, "I didn't know that the Xuanzhen Guild would come in person, so I didn't make any preparations." This tea was picked by the people in the lake in the spring, hoping to enter the mouth of Xuan Zhengong! ”

Hearing this, Pei Lin immediately picked up the tea and took a big sip. Then close your eyes and let the hot tea slowly tumble on the tip of your tongue. It wasn't until the tea was almost cold that he swallowed it slowly, took a long breath, and praised it with a smile, "Although this tea is unknown, it is a rare treasure in the world." General Cheng, your giant Luze is a treasure of feng shui! ”

"It's just a poor mountain and a bad water. I can't afford to be praised by Xuan Zhengong like this! Cheng Mingzhen smiled and shook his head slightly. Pei Lin came this time, and it was clear that he had the idea of subduing the Zhaozhou camp for the Tang Dynasty. But in the end, whether to return to the Tang Dynasty or not, from the last time Wang Deren came to the present, the brothers in Ze have not been able to reach an agreement. After all, there is the bloody lesson under Dou Jiande, and whoever makes a decision has to be cautious.

asked about sincerity, the sincerity expressed by Wang Fubao and Dou Jiande at the beginning was no less than Pei Lian. But in the end? Who would have thought that Dou Jiande's promise was not cold, and the butcher's knife had been raised high?

"Where did the poor mountains and bad waters come from, but the old man clearly saw a piece of paradise in his eyes!" Pei Lin smiled and shook his head, "General Cheng, don't be too humble, this kind of land of fish and rice is still poor mountains and bad waters, and people in other places can't live!" ”

"Xuan Zhengong has won the award!" Cheng Mingzhen shook his head, not wanting to continue the similar topic.

Pei Lin refused to give up an opportunity to get to the point, took a sip of tea, and continued: "Actually, most of the poor mountains and bad waters in this world are not caused by people. Whenever troubled times come, the court is incompetent, the order collapses, and the people are struggling to make a living. If it is in a peaceful and prosperous era, the people live in peace, the roads are smooth, and the officials do their best, the mountains and rivers will naturally return to clarity! ”

"Xuan Zhen Gong Wonderful Theory!" Cheng Mingzhen smiled and bowed slightly at Pei Lian. Knowing so many officials, Pei Lin was the first to attribute the responsibility for the rampant bandits to the imperial court. It made him feel very retiring.

"But can General Cheng know what is the difference between this troubled era and the prosperous era?" Suddenly, Pei Lian's tone changed, put away his smile, and asked with a straight face.

Got to the chase so quickly? Cheng Mingzhen was stunned by the question. After thinking about it, he responded in a low voice, "Although Cheng has suffered from the troubled times, he is not very clear about the difference. In Cheng's humble opinion, the so-called troubled times are the times when you want to be a good person but can't. And the era when most people can live without doing evil can be regarded as a peaceful and prosperous era! ”

"What an era of 'wanting to be a good person but can't', General Cheng's words are really clever!" Pei Lin frowned at first, then stroked his palms and laughed. "Most people can live without doing evil, and they will be prosperous. If you want to be a good person but can't, it's a troubled time. Come, for this reason, let's use tea as wine and drink a big cup of him! ”

With that, he raised the tea bowl in his hand and drank it all.

Cheng Mingzhen smiled and accompanied him, and then said in a low voice: "It's just a little bit of the junior's own understanding." Let Xuan Zhen Gong see and laugh! ”

"No, no!" Pei Lin shook his head lightly. "Although the old man is an important minister of the Tang Kingdom, he has no foresight. is usually conscientious, but it is just to end the troubled times early and rebuild peace. The general's words today touched the old man deeply! ”

Whether these words are really heartfelt or welcoming, the appreciation contained in them was felt by everyone in the audience. Several old men in Julu Ze looked at Pei Lin again, and they had a good impression of this person in their hearts. Secretly, I couldn't help but think: "If the surnamed Pei is willing to show some sincerity, it will be a good ending to return to the Tang Dynasty." After all, from the immediate point of view, Datang is the most promising to dominate the world. If the children follow the right person, maybe they will be able to fight for a high-ranking official in the future! ”

Pei Lin did not seize the opportunity to strike while the iron was hot, but dragged Cheng Mingzhen to discuss the world's major affairs and guide the country. I almost ripped off the shortcomings of the previous dynasty and the current situation, and then put down the teacup and asked with a smile: "Since ancient times, after the chaos, people's hearts will inevitably be at peace. General Cheng, I don't know what your plans are in the future? Can you tell the old man? ”

Hearing this, the people who were secretly appreciating Pei Lin just now immediately widened their eyes. Is there such a lobbyist? I can't even make a bend! No matter how bad our life is in the camp in Zhaozhou, we always have to take care of our identity, right?

"Hmm!" Cheng Mingzhen began to be silent. He didn't know how to respond to Pei Lian's words, and at the moment, the situation of the Yuzhou camp could almost be described by the words "the mountains and rivers are exhausted". Not only was he defeated by Dou Jiande on the battlefield one after another, but the people's hearts accumulated over the years were also losing little by little. The people are tired of the turbulent days, and as long as they can farm with peace of mind, they don't care too much about who gives orders to them. Therefore, the dispute between the Zhaozhou battalion and the Dou family army did not receive much help from the people. On the contrary, those who already had their own lands in various parts of Pin N preferred to see the fighting end sooner. If they could choose between the continuous fighting in Ping'en and the beheading of Cheng Mingzhen and others by Dou Jiande, they might prefer to choose the latter.

Not only did the people not support everyone to seek justice from Dou Jiande, but a large number of low-level soldiers in the camp were also desperate for the future. Hatred can make a few core figures feel courageous, but it cannot be the motivation to unite a team. In the past few months since retreating to Juluze, dozens of soldiers have secretly fled for 6 consecutive years. Although most of the guys who deserted were caught by Wang Ermao and cut off their heads, it is an inescapable fact that after a long time, the battalion will collapse without a fight.

In addition, there is the problem of the supply of grain and grass. Device support issues. The issue of the source of funding. After losing Ping'en, Zhushui and other places, everything became a source of water. If the Zhaozhou battalion was really as strong and rich as it was in front of Wang Deren, everyone would have driven Dou Jiande back to the east bank of Zhangshui a long time ago, and he could still toss and turn at will on the foundation that everyone had worked so hard to open up?

But these internal dilemmas can't be shown on the surface, and they can't instinctively tell Pei Lian frankly. Whether it was to show Wang Deren his strength that he had never had last time, or to deliberately keep a distance from Pei Lin this time. It's all about seizing the initiative in negotiations. In addition, after experiencing the lesson of the last surrender to the Dou family, Cheng Mingzhen did not dare to trust others easily. As Pei Lin said, the troubled times are coming to an end. And if you make the wrong choice at this time, it means that many brothers will be ruined along with you.

"What, does General Cheng have the intention of being self-reliant? That's not bad, before the situation in Hebei is undecided, I, Datang, am willing to support as much as possible! Seeing that Cheng Mingzhen was reluctant to answer his question, Pei Lin smiled and continued to ask.

"In this world of Hebei, there are enough people who are kings. Don't need another one for me? For this question, Cheng Mingzhen quickly gave an answer. Sighing, he continued to add: "Although Cheng is not talented, he is not so arrogant that he doesn't even know how many catties and taels he has!" ”

"Hehe, in fact, the most difficult thing for people to see clearly is themselves!" Pei Lin put down the teacup and smiled indifferently at Cheng Mingzhen. "General Cheng can not force himself to do things that he is not sure of, he is already much higher than ordinary people!"

"The old-timers have won the prize. The younger generation rebelled back then, just to find a way to live! Cheng Mingzhen smiled bitterly and shook his head gently.

I don't want to be the king of myself, first, I don't have the capital, and the other reason is that I don't want others to see my jokes. On the land of Hebei, there are no less than ten grass-headed kings who have had their heads cut off in the past five years. It's enough to look at the joke on the sidelines, and there's no need to do it yourself.

"Now, what is General Cheng asking for now?" Pei Lin knew that Cheng Mingzhen's heart was already in turmoil, and quietly used words to lead the other party in the direction he was expecting.

"Now, maybe it's just a matter of finding a way out!" Cheng Mingzhen stood up and looked around blankly. In the eyes of the brothers, he saw a clear expectation. Everyone is waiting for him, waiting for him to come up with an idea, waiting for him to find a way out for everyone. This expectation was so heavy that he could barely straighten his waist and breathe. Even when you dream, you have to hunch your body.

"Do you want to know the old man's dream?" Pei Lin looked up at Cheng Mingzhen and asked with a smile.

Cheng Mingzhen didn't answer, but just made a gesture to ask for a speech. The two sides are too different in scheming, and as soon as they meet, he is restrained everywhere. This feeling is very awkward, and I can't reverse it after several efforts. Since it can't be reversed, just let Pei Lin swing as much as he wants, anyway, whether to surrender or not in the end, the decision is still in his own hands.

Having made up his mind, he slowly calmed down again. My thoughts gradually became more organized. Pei Lian, who had been secretly observing the other party's expression, had a flash in his eyes, and secretly screamed admiration in his heart. He smiled and continued: "The old man is a layman. Wife, beautiful concubine, high-ranking official, and Houlu all want it. But the old man believes that these things can be earned by ability, and there is no need to rely on murder to steal them! ”

"The husband is in the world, and it should be so!" Cheng Mingzhen smiled and nodded. Hao Laodao next to him, Du Scarqi and others also felt that Pei Lin was a real person, and there was no high-ranking official on his body. Drawing on the lesson of being moved by Wang Fubao and Dou Jiande's words last time, if Pei Lin opened his mouth today, what kind of world is it, and what is a great cause when he closes his mouth, everyone will definitely scoff at it. However, the old servant shot with the idea that ordinary people were most looking forward to, and suddenly received unexpected results.

Seeing everyone nodding frequently, Pei Lin knew that he had poked everyone's heart. He smiled and continued to agitate: "And now is such an opportunity. The Son of Heaven of the Tang Dynasty intended to reorganize the mountains and rivers and rebuild order. It's my generation's chance to show off what we can do. General Cheng, the old man is optimistic about you. Your Majesty is far away in Beijing, and I have heard of your name! ”

After that, he raised his eyes to look at Cheng Mingzhen, eager to hear an answer.

"What kind of order?!" Cheng Mingzhen's emotions were really mobilized, and he asked in a dumb voice. He vaguely remembered that when he returned from Juluze, Lin Xianling advised him to endure the breath of his wife being taken away. Then he vaguely remembered that Dou Jiande raised his arms and shouted in front of thousands of troops, "There are many injustices in the world, I will take you to eradicate them!" ”

They are all trying to maintain or establish a kind of order. But there is no place for them in their order.

"Of course it's a normal order!" Pei Lin didn't expect Cheng Mingzhen to suddenly ask this question, frowned, and explained in a low voice. In other words, it is the king's ministers and subordinates, each doing his duty. Shinong industry and commerce, each according to its part. Then choose the best and the best, and shepherd the ......."

"I see!" Cheng Mingzhen's face that was full of smiles just now suddenly turned cold again, sighed softly, and said in a low voice: "If the rich and noble are still reckless, the poor and lowly will always be trampled like weeds, there is nowhere to redress grievances, and there is no way to get ahead if there is talent." Dare to ask the boss, how long can this order be maintained? What is the difference between such a Datang and the Great Sui? Boss, Cheng is a shallow learner, and he may have to live up to your expectations! ”

"Ah——!h Unexpectedly, the situation that was in his hands suddenly took a sharp turn, and Pei Lin almost screamed. Turning his head to look at Du Scar, Sun Huozi and others, expecting that these old men could stop Cheng Mingzhen's recklessness. But although everyone was disappointed on their faces, their eyes absolutely refused to meet their gaze in private.

"What did I say wrong?" Pei Lin asked himself in his heart. I was so shocked that I couldn't recover for a while. Since Cheng Mingzhen is willing to invite himself to the Juyi Hall to drink tea, it shows that Juluze is not completely opposed to accepting Datang's recruitment. Since you are recruiting? It's understandable to haggle a bit. Why did you suddenly turn cold without warning?

Just when he was puzzled, he heard Cheng Mingzhen say in a low voice: "The old man hasn't eaten yet." Cheng Mou ordered someone to prepare some thin wine just now, if the boss doesn't dislike it, let's get drunk today! ”

After that, he ordered someone to set up a feast. When Pei Lin saw it, he knew that if he couldn't impress Cheng Mingzhen at the moment, he was afraid that when the wine cup was raised, he would never have a chance. In a hurry, he suddenly had a sense of wisdom, waved his hand, and shouted loudly: "Wait." Don't be in a hurry to drink. The old man didn't come here to drink today. ”

When Du Scar and the others heard this, they immediately turned their heads again. In everyone's hearts, they actually still hope that Cheng Mingzhen will listen to the conditions offered by the Tang Kingdom. No one wants to stay in Juluze for the rest of their lives, let alone wait for the world to calm down and be wiped out by people as rogues. But why Cheng Mingzhen suddenly stopped the discussion with Pei Lian, everyone was not clear. Young people have always been more rational in doing things, as was the case back then, and now, after so many ups and downs, it is still the same.

Seeing that everyone was creating opportunities for themselves, Pei Lin turned his heart and added loudly, "Didn't General Cheng ask General Wang a problem last time?" General Wang couldn't answer. The old man can give you the answer today! ”

Hearing this, Cheng Mingzhen, who had already stood up and instructed the guards to prepare the banquet, turned around slightly, and wrote the word "surprise" between his eyebrows. Pei Liancai didn't care whether the other party was surprised or not, gasped a few times, and then said: "The Tang Emperor Li Yuan is greedy for money, lustful, and has soft ears. There is no long-term vision and clear goals for doing things. I can't even say anything exciting! Compared to the ancient sages, he was hopelessly mediocre! ”

After saying a few words, everyone was completely stunned, and they all fixed their eyes on Pei Lian's face. I have seen a bold person, but like this, slandering his own lord behind his back, Pei Lin is definitely the number one in the past.

Arching his hand around, Datang's right servant shot Pei Lin and stood up, his gray beard trembling with excitement, "But Li Yuan is willing to listen to persuasion, and if there is a mistake, he can change it." Although he can't speak, he knows how to do things down-to-earth. General Cheng, what is the difference between the order that the Tang Dynasty is about to establish and the previous dynasty, Pei is not clear now. But Pei can tell you clearly that most things in this world are not spoken, but done. The troubled times will come to an end, how is the new country, what is the order? If you don't participate, it will never go as you wish. ”