It seems that Zhang Da is sitting comfortably in the position of the county magistrate, and he doesn't want to come down for a while. If it were possible, Cheng Mingzhen even believed that Zhang Jiajun would stay in Guantao City and never leave. The big boss is the county order, the second boss is the master book, the third boss and the fourth boss are the head catchers, and the big and small bosses are the right to catch fast, archers, and helpers. Anyway, the mountain of Guantao County is high and the emperor is far away, and the officials and soldiers may not be able to take care of it for a while!

This absurd assumption made Cheng Mingzhen's heart suddenly swell with the words "Mu Monkey and Crown". He wanted to laugh, but his throat was blocked. It doesn't matter if these guys can't hold up the wall in the mud in front of him, or if they are full of evil, they saved his life after all. If he didn't mix with these bandits, he would be captured by the imperial court in the blink of an eye and beheaded as a captured thief for public display.

Therefore, no matter whether you can afford to look down on Zhang Jincheng and others. Cheng Mingzhen had to spare no effort to give advice to Zhang Jiajun. He has been firmly tied to the broken ship of Zhang Jiajun, either living together or dying together, there is no other way out. And from the brief conversation just now, he deduced that Zhang Jin said that he was also aware of the existential crisis. This cunning and fickle Zhang Da has realized from reality that it will be difficult for Zhang's army to develop and grow if he continues to blindly burn, kill and loot like he is doing now. After the city was broken, he began to try to restrain his subordinates, not so much because he suddenly showed kindness, but because he wanted to adapt to the new situation.

But a little bit of kindness is not enough to change his fate. Thinking back to what I've read, the ending of the reckless hero doesn't seem to be good. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang shook the violent Qin, but neither Chen Sheng nor Wu Guang survived to Xianyang to be divided. Green Forest and Red Eyebrows overthrew Wang Mang, and Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu killed Green Forest and Red Eyebrows without mercy. In history, the only group of thieves who started from the small cockroach thief was Liu Bang, the ancestor of the Han Dynasty, but when the Han Gaozu uprising, the Qin Dynasty had become a candle in the wind. And the current Great Sui is far from the time to linger.

Accomplish great things with the brothers in Juluze? These thoughts made Cheng Mingzhen only excited for a moment, and then his mind quickly calmed down. Zhang Jin said that he did not have the courage of Han Gaozu, and there were no heroes like Xiao He and Fan Xu in Julu Zezhong. The only practical goal now seems to be just to try to ensure that Zhang Jiajun is not exterminated by the court.

Only if Zhang Jiajun is not exterminated, can he himself live safely. Only if Zhang Jiajun is not exterminated, he will have the opportunity to slowly survive until the moment when he sees the dawn on his head. Until then, he could only be a thief with all his heart. Reluctantly, but with no choice!

"It's hard, isn't it? You've read so much, can you find some examples from there? We're not afraid to do it! No matter what you do, it's better than being in the wilderness! Finding that Cheng Mingzhen was silent, Zhang Jin said that he asked with some apprehension.

Indeed, as Cheng Mingzhen guessed. After quelling a long-planned rebellion with internal and external collusion, he learned from the pain and made up his mind to make the stall bigger and stronger. Don't seek to be able to divide one side, and sit on an equal footing with the emperor Lao'er. At least in this part of Hebei in the future, he doesn't have to look at anyone's face. Including the face of Gao Shida, the chief scoop of Hebei Lvlin.

But the big hero must have strategists like Zhang Liang and Zhuge Liang to help him. And with Zhang Jiajun's current strength and reputation, no reader will be willing to die. Although the young man in front of him is a little immature, he has read it seriously and has been an "official", and he is a material that can be made.

Cheng Mingzhen nodded, and then quickly shook his head. In front of so many people, he didn't want to disappoint Zhang Jincheng. "I'll have to find out what we're doing first. Let me ask a few questions, think clearly before and after giving you advice! ”

"Q, starting with me, anyone must answer your questions truthfully. Even if you ask him who he touched last night, you can't not answer! Zhang Jin said that he leaned his body on the Hu bed and said magnanimously.

Although the second half of the sentence is rough, it is just right for the temperament of the big and small leaders. Everyone laughed and responded with a mouthful of tongues, "Nine masters just ask." We're sure we'll be telling the truth. However, I'm afraid that if some words come out, the nine masters may not be able to understand! ”

The audience laughed at Cheng Mingzhen, and the third master, Du Scar, immediately stood up, "Bullshit, Xiucai doesn't go out, he can know the world." Do you know who said this? ”

"This old man looks at his son-in-law, how can he look at it more and more pleasing to the eye!" The bandits laughed and continued to ridicule the relationship between Cheng Mingzhen and Du Scar. was so "angry" that Zhang Jin said that he only shot the shocking wood, and it took a lot of effort to suppress the chaotic laughter.

Cheng Mingzhen was not annoyed, thought about it, and was the first to surrender to Zhang Jincheng, "Dare to ask the big boss, how is the battle situation near Guantao now?" Did the city office and the official treasury successfully take over? Does anyone dare to resist? ”

The city office and the official treasury are important financial and tax areas in the county, and after Zhang Jiajun enters the city, he will definitely take the lead in attacking these two positions. The reason why Cheng Mingzhen asked this was actually to understand Zhang Jiajun's control over Guantao County. Zhang Jin, the big boss, was not ambiguous, nodded, and replied solemnly: "The city bureau and the official treasury were taken down in the second half of last night. There were hundreds of silk horses, more than 4,000 copper coins, and some broken knives and armor, all of which were not very suitable. However, there was very little food in the official treasury, and the brothers could eat it sparingly, and they could eat it for half a month at most. ”

"Half a year ago, after Wang Shichong's army was defeated, he was stationed in Guantao County for a few days!" Cheng Mingzhen smiled and gave the reason for the emptiness of the official treasury of Guantao County. After a blackmail by Zhang Jiajun and a loot by Wang Shichong, it is not easy for Guantao County to have a surplus of 4,000 hanging money. Moreover, at present, all parts of the Great Sui Dynasty are poor temples and rich abbots. There is no money and food in the official treasury, but the private treasury of the officials is all very rich.

Without waiting for him to continue to ask, Zhang Jin said that he took the initiative to confess, "The dog official's house has copied 1,500 yuan in cash and a lot of gold and silver jewelry." Sixty horses of silk, white arrowroot, and fine linen each had about a hundred horses. There are also six large boxes of various clothes, and I haven't asked how much. However, there is very little food in the dog official's house. This bastard waits for the filial piety of others for everything, and he doesn't have food in his own house! ”

"The surname Guo, the surname Jia, and a few other officials have also copied the homes. The brethren handed over a lot of floating wealth, and there was not much rice. Now Lao Wu and Juanzi are leading people to attack the Zhou family's compound, hoping to collect more food from their family! ”

"The old Zhou family has food!" Without waiting for Cheng Mingzhen to speak, Wang Ermao jumped out first to remind. "In June, I saw with my own eyes that more than 20 boatloads of grain were transported to the Zhou family's compound. At that time, Brother Jiu and I were both working on the canal and helped move for several days! ”

"Really?" Zhang Jincheng's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he looked at Cheng Mingzhen and asked.

"It's the grain that Li Mi smuggled out of Liyang County!" At this time, Cheng Mingzhen didn't need to hide it for the enemy, nodded and said in a low voice. "It's not just the Guantao Zhou family who got a copy. The Liu family, sixty miles away, and the Zhao family near Wuyang seem to have been divided. If we can easily take down the Zhou family and the Zhao family, the harvested grain will definitely be enough to eat for a whole year! ”

When the words fell, the lobby immediately became chaotic. Having food means being able to raise more minions. Being able to raise more minions means more power. The owners of the village and the hall masters do not have the concept of streamlining the administration of elite soldiers, nor do they know much about strategy and tactics, and they always swarm when fighting, and they completely rely on human lives to fill up. Therefore, if you can raise 10,000 more brothers, you will certainly not raise only 8,000.

"Bang bang bang! Bang bang bang! Zhang Jincheng grabbed the startling wood with one hand, clenched his fist with the other, and slammed it at the table in front of him. Shut your mouth, shut your mouth and listen to the nine. When Lao Tzu asked you to think about it, you all pulled your faces like donkeys. Nine masters have an idea, and you don't listen to it well. Catch up with a soldier surnamed Dou and bring troops to the door, and you have to obediently hand over the brothers in your hands. Then the surname Dou was knifed one by one, and all of them were made of plate knife noodles! (Note 1)

Everyone let out a loud laugh, and then quickly shut up, and their eyes swept towards Lu Fangyuan, the eighth master. Like the eight-master Lu Fangyuan, Dou Jiande is also a bandit who is moving around under the sign of Gao Shida, the chief scoop of Hebei Lvlin Road. But this person has far-reaching ambitions, and always wants to integrate all the green forest heroes into one and jointly create a "great cause".

This kind of trick to drive stupid dogs up the wall naturally can't hide the eyes of the old rivers and lakes. (Note 2) Who is much more stupid than whom, why is everyone charging forward with knives, and his surname Dou is enjoying it? But Gao Shida, the chief scoop leader, was quite moved by this remark, and has been discussing the merger with several larger handkerchiefs. The last time Liu Zhao'an, the eighth master, rebelled, it happened after Gao Shida proposed a merger, and Zhang Jin said that he repeatedly lied and prevaricated.

Liu Zhaoan's rebellion failed. Gao Shida consciously took care of the loss and did not dare to force Zhang Jincheng too hard. So he cut off the heads of a few little minions who fled back, and handed them over to Lu Fangyuan, the owner of the confidant village, to personally send them to Juluze. Then this Lu Zhai lord naturally stayed, and sent a message to Zhang Jiajun for Gao Shida at any time.

Lu Fangyuan, the eighth master, was blushing when he was seen by everyone's eyes, and he arched his hand and explained curtly, "In fact, the master of Dou Zhai is also very kind. It's just a bit too hasty. Before I came, the chief scoop said that if the brothers of Juluze did not want to merge, he would never use force. When Zhang Da feels that the opportunity is right, when is it not too late for everyone to discuss specifically! ”

"Never fit!" Wang Mazi, the fourth master, rolled his eyelids and added coldly.

"Our Juluze is too far away from Douzigang. If the surname Dou can open up the middle road, we can go over and merge! The third master, Du Scar, is not a good person, with a smile on his face, but the words that come out of his mouth are full of mockery. (Note 3)

"I'll say that later, and I'll say it later. Let's listen to the advice of the nine masters today! The second master, Xue Song, saw that Lu Fangyuan's face had turned black, and hurriedly came out to play a round.

Second, the face of the boss still has to give a few points. The village master and hall master Chong Eight Master Lu Fangyuan pursed his lips, sneered and turned his face to the side. After the silence in the lobby returned, Cheng Mingzhen arched his hand to Wang Mazi, the fourth master in charge of military discipline, "May I ask the fourth master, how was our loss in the war last night?" ”

"What a loss. The dog officer surnamed Lin thought that we were still waiting for him outside the city to deceive as we did last time, and he didn't take precautions at all. The townsfolk on duty were angry but you were wronged by them, and as soon as Brother Wang shouted below, they immediately opened the city gate! Wang Mazi waved his hand with a smile and summed up very proudly, "When attacking the county government, there were more than a dozen minor injuries, and none of them were seriously injured. Juan Zi and Lao Wu attacked the Zhou family's compound today, and it is estimated that it is a hard bone and it is more difficult to gnaw. But at most, it will lose 180 brothers, and if it hurts too much, there will be no place for the face of the fifth child! ”

Compared with the other battles that attacked the county seat, Zhang's army's losses this time were almost negligible. Therefore, from Zhang Jincheng and Wang Mazi to the ordinary minions, they are all proud of the result of this battle. In addition to being happy, the heart is inevitably softer, and from the breaking of the city to the present, there has been no large-scale massacre.

"Since the brothers have not suffered heavy losses, can the king order the sealing of the knife now?" Taking advantage of the good mood of everyone, Cheng Mingzhen solemnly requested.

"This ......!" Wang Mazi was stunned by the question, and quickly turned his head to look at Zhang Jincheng. The meaning of sealing the knife is not only to stop the killing, but also some robbery and adultery incidents of little significance are also prohibited after the knife sealing order.

"Except for the Zhou family's compound that is resisting, other places can be sealed. Damn, almost all of them are dead, and all the ones that should be robbed have been snatched back. Kill a few fewer people, even if you give the nine masters a face! Zhang Jincheng waved his hand impatiently and ordered.

Immediately, a henchman took the arrow from his hand and ran out of the county office to announce the sealing of the knife. Cheng Mingzhen was very grateful to Zhang Jincheng and bowed his hand, "Xie Da is the master of trust." The subordinates suggested sealing the knife, not because they were soft-hearted. It's about the next few strategies, which have to be effective after the knife is sealed! ”

Zhang Jin nodded generously, "Say, just say it." It makes sense, let's execute it immediately! By the way, if the Zhou family is broken for a while, don't plead with anyone. Juan Zi has already sworn a poisonous oath in public, if she doesn't kill Zhou Fumanmen, she will shave her hair and be a sister-in-law! ”

This mixed remark caused a lot of laughter. Several younger hall masters looked at Cheng Mingzhen, their eyes full of envy. What's not good about this guy either? actually made the seven masters so desperate for him. Not only did he force Zhang Da to send troops to attack Guantao, but he also vowed to arrest the woman who betrayed him with his own hands, and cut his face into mud in public.

It seemed that a thousand waves had rolled over from his heart in an instant, and Cheng Mingzhen's breathing became heavy unconsciously. Smiling calmly, he said with an indifferent expression: "The Zhou family bullies men and women in Guantao County, and does a lot of evil. Death at the hands of the great boss is the retribution they deserve. But I hope that instead of being killed on the spot, the brothers will be escorted to the intersection outside and pronounce on the street what they have done over the years. This not only gave a breath of relief to his subordinates, but also to the fathers and villagers of Guantao County! ”

"Well......" Zhang Jin said that he didn't understand what Cheng Mingzhen meant for a while, and his response dragged on for a long time. The banner outside is "Doing the Way for the Heavens", but he has never seriously thought about how to do the Dao for the Heavens. And Cheng Mingzhen's words just now were like drilling a hole in the roof of a dark room without windows, although it was only a small point, but it made him suddenly feel the freshness of the air.

"Last night, my subordinates came home, and on the way I saw some ruffians fishing in troubled waters. The subordinates didn't dare to let them ruin the chivalrous reputation of our Zhang Jiajun, so they killed them directly! Cheng Mingzhen's voice continued to float in the county office, not high, but it reached everyone's ears very clearly.

"When we entered the city last night, the situation was chaotic, and there must have been many young people who were doing evil under the banner of our Zhang Jiajun. These bastards who ruined our remaining bastards, his subordinates suggested that Zhang Da should not be soft, and they should be arrested and cut together! ”

"There are also those who are in the township, who bully and dominate the market, collude with the government to oppress the people, and create grievances. His subordinates suggested that Zhang Da Boss arrest them and cut them down together. What the government refuses to come out, let's Zhang Jiajun will do it. We are here this time to eradicate corrupt officials and bullies, and we have no intention of committing any offence with the people. Not only did they not rob them, but the remaining materials after attacking the wealthy families were not their share. Do the right thing for heaven, rob the rich and help the poor! ”

Suddenly, the county office was so quiet that even the wind outside could be heard clearly. Except for the eight-master Lu Fangyuan, everyone had expected that Cheng Mingzhen would definitely come up with a good idea to help Zhang Jiajun get out of trouble. Through the incident of ambushing Wang Shichong and Huo and Liu Zhaoan last time, all the village owners and hall masters firmly believe that the Jiu Dangjia is a brave and resourceful true hero. But no one expected that the first idea given by the Nine Masters to everyone would be so ruthless and insidious.

Do as he says, and not only will all those who have enemies with him die. and pushed all the evil that everyone did last night away. The people don't care about what they get is actually the wool from the sheep, they will only remember the benefits of Zhang Jiajun. As long as one or two of them spread it out with gratitude, the reputation of Zhang Jiajun in the future will be very different from the original.

Even if Guantao County fell back into the hands of the imperial court and lost the support of the local big households and the popular support of the people, the new official and master could not sit firmly in the yamen. At that time, Zhang Jiajun "borrowed" some grain, grass and wealth from him, where did he have the courage to say half a "no"? !

In the end, it is someone who has read it. The village owners and hall masters nodded as they pondered the merits of the strategy. No one noticed that just when they were impressed, Cheng Mingzhen took a sip of tea lightly, and swallowed the blood stains on the corner of his mouth mixed with the tea into his stomach.

Note 1: Tricks, methods. Ming'er: Tomorrow. Plate knife face: black words in the rivers and lakes, cut off the head.

Note 2: Driving stupid dogs up the wall, Hebei vernacular, refers to using others as cannon fodder.

Note 3: Douzigang, a swamp land in the southeast of Hebei in the Sui Dynasty that meets the Yellow River. Dou Jiande, Gao Shida, Gao Kaidao and other green forest heroes are all active here.