Of course, the words that made Dou Jiande furious did not come from Cheng Mingzhen's mouth. （）

Since the end of the Northern Expedition, he has been cautious, lest he say a word more and take a wrong step. There was no way, the news of the army that day was blocked by Chai Shao, in order to save him back, Du Juan, Wang Ermao, Hao Laodao and others used all the forces that the Zhaozhou battalion could mobilize. The veterans who have been retired from the county to maintain daily security, the government service, the fast catcher, the archer, the young people who can be pulled out from the tuntian points near the county seat, and the thousands of elites who have been hidden in the giant deer ze, are exposed to broad daylight as a whole. Especially those elites hidden in Juluze, usually only Du Scar, Cheng Mingzhen, Hao Laodao, Wang Ermao, etc., few people know about the existence of this force, and they rashly appear on the battlefield, which can't help but attract people's attention. Although Cheng Mingzhen withdrew the reinforcements to Xiangguo County as quickly as possible after the war, and has tried all kinds of ways to confuse the public, who can guess how much Dou Jiande will believe?

Even if Dou Jiande really believed the explanation given by Cheng Mingzhen; It is believed that all reinforcements were improvised patchwork; It is believed that there is no other hidden power in Xiangguo County except for a few thousand Yuzhou soldiers. Xiangguo's strong mobilization capacity is also shocking. That's a whole army of 20,000! Although there was a shortage of ordnance and baggage, and the soldiers did not have much training, their role on the battlefield could not be ignored. Moreover, at present, the main force of the Dou family army is only a small number of people, who have undergone strict training, and most of the others are temporarily recruited from Sixiali, and their combat effectiveness may not be much stronger than the soldiers temporarily mobilized by the Yuzhou battalion.

From Dou Jiande's point of view, Cheng Mingzhen knew that he was in big trouble this time. No matter who is the boss, he can't tolerate his subordinates secretly accumulating strength. But he can't blame his wife Du Juan and his good friend Wang Ermao for acting recklessly, if it weren't for Du Juan and Wang Ermao and others who arrived in time with reinforcements that day, just relying on the little soldiers and horses of his and Shi Zhan's department, it is difficult to predict whether they can prevent the other party from crossing the river by forcing Chai Shao away. And in case the three-way Li Jiajun forms a joint encirclement, not only him, but also Shi Zhan, Dou Jiande, Wang Fubao and others will definitely become Li Jiajun's prisoners!

Thinking about it, Cheng Mingzhen had to stay the same and respond to all changes. Dou Jiande believed that the reinforcements of the day were temporarily recruited, and this statement was okay, and there was some suspicion in his heart, anyway, his current exposed strength was enough to shock, and before the strength of the Dou family's army was restored to its heyday, it was impossible for Dou Jiande to immediately turn his face with himself.

At the same time, he also tried his best to calm Dou Jiande's heart. After returning to Ping'en, he immediately sent someone to escort a batch of gold and silver and sent it to Dou Jiande's temporary garrison for the other party to compensate the fallen soldiers and stabilize the team. Immediately, he took advantage of the fact that the autumn grain had been completely stored in the warehouse, and there was a surplus from the beginning, and sent a large amount of military food to the Dou family's army to solve the other party's urgent need.

After a series of efforts, Dou Jiande's vigilance really relaxed. First, in front of civil and military officials, he summed up the gains and losses of the Northern Expedition. Including Dou Jiande himself, he was at fault from top to bottom, and was fined for six months to one year. Only Cheng Mingzhen and Shi Zan were awarded the titles of Doctor Yinzi Guanglu and General Huaihua respectively because they had made meritorious contributions to the retreat of the army. and ten pieces of brocade, five ingots of red gold. And Tui En Yu made an exception in the name of "courage to do things", and added Wang Qiang and Shi Chong as Zhongsan doctors and General Dingyuan, who were still working under Cheng Mingzhen and Shi Zhan, but Yu Lu was paid by Dou Wangfu alone.

Subsequently, Dou Jiande personally revised a book, praising Cheng Mingzhen as a "pillar stone capable minister" and "pillar of the country", and told him to expand the team as much as possible when conditions permitted, so as to join forces with the main force in the coming year to recover the lost territory seized by Wagang in one fell swoop.

After receiving Dou Jiande's letter, Cheng Mingzhen's heart that had been hanging in his throat finally fell back into his stomach. It seems that at the moment, Dou Jiande is angry about the seizure of Liaocheng by the Wagang army, and he has no time to think about the size of the Zhaozhou battalion for the time being. In this case, there is no need for the whole battalion to be stretched like a bowstring every day, and each soldier paid a charcoal salary and went home for the New Year.

After the New Year, the surrounding situation gradually stabilized. After the Wagang Army, Xu Mao's Gong Department and Liu Heimin's Department joined forces to conquer Liaocheng, due to the long stretch of the battle line, and the supply difficulties, they temporarily stopped and continued to go north. With Liu Wuzhou on the flank, the Youzhou army and the Boling army did not dare to push the battle line too far away from the nest, and took advantage of the great victory to carve up Hejian County, and then stopped the offensive.

Getting a chance to breathe, Dou Jiande immediately ordered his civil and military officials above the fifth rank to gather in Qinghe City to discuss the establishment of the country and the capital. Whatever the reason, it must be arrived before 6 February, otherwise it will be severely punished.

Cheng Mingzhen, as a county guard, is naturally among the must-attend meetings. Wang Ermaoxin was awarded the fictitious title of Zhongsan doctor, and he also had to go to participate. In order to prevent accidents, Du Juan ordered Wu Tianxi to select two hundred elite cavalry to accompany him. In addition, the soldiers at all levels also ended their recuperation and rushed to the city to stand by at any time.

Seeing his wife's appearance as if he was facing a great enemy, Cheng Mingzhen felt very awkward, shook his head, and explained with a smile: "Now that Lao Dou has just suffered a defeat, when the army's heart is unstable, he will take the initiative to provoke infighting again." If you have that kind of effort, you might as well lead everyone to urge the people to reclaim more wasteland. In the event of another big war this year, the little food stored in the treasury will definitely not be enough to consume. ”

"It's hard to tell!" Before the cuckoo spoke, the old Du Scar shook his head and said: "Those cats on the green forest road, I am more familiar with the cuckoo than you!" If you win a big victory last year, Lao Dou may not take it to heart about your hidden strength. But I was defeated, and I suffered a belly outside, and I couldn't rush home, where else could I go? ”

"Haven't you always been optimistic about Lao Dou?" Cheng Mingzhen was very surprised and retorted with a smile.

Du Scar spat on the ground and added in a low voice: "It is precisely because I am optimistic about him that you have to be more careful with me." If you don't have a black heart, you can't be a scoop handle. Juan Zi has been married to you for several years, and there is still no movement in his stomach. In case your kid has three longs and two shorts, who will our father and daughter count on for the rest of their lives! ”

"Grandpa!" This time, without waiting for Cheng Mingzhen to speak, Du Juan hurriedly interrupted. "You don't always say something serious, and you talk about frustration all day long!"

"What is serious living, passing on the family is the most serious. Everything else is. Du Scar waved his hand and said with a big grin. The bigger the official does, the greater the risk. It's better to find a place to live a down-to-earth life! You go back this time, if Lao Dou doesn't force you, you will still give him a smile. If he cares about your private hiding of soldiers and horses, you can simply resign from him and hand over the territory and team to him, and our lords will not serve! ”

"Okay, I'll listen to you old!" Cheng Mingzhen knew that if he continued to entangle, Du Scarqi would definitely become more and more useless the more he talked. smiled and said a few perfunctory words, and then led the team on the main road.

"You," the cuckoo caught up a few steps, and suddenly realized that countless pairs of eyes around him were watching, and he took the mount and waved his hand lightly, "You be careful, you must come back well!" ”

"Got it!" Cheng Mingzhen turned around and gave his wife a reassuring smile. "Back then, when Lao Dou rode alone, he dared to come to Ping'en, if I didn't dare to be summoned with so many brothers, wouldn't it make people feel even more ghosts in their hearts? You can rest assured that after discussing the big thing, I will rush back immediately! ”

The group galloped along the official road, and soon left the send-off team out of sight. In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the bank of the Zhangshui River, jumped off their mounts, and were transported to the opposite bank by ferry. Looking at the spring water king of Yijiang that had just thawed, Ermao sighed and said quietly: "I think it was about this time when the two of us were forced to enter Juluze, right?" The days are really fast, and in a blink of an eye, hundreds of miles of square yuan around here are all owned by our brothers, and the two of them can talk about it! ”

"A little earlier than that. It was the end of winter when you and Zhang Da rescued me from Guantao County. It's spring now. But the days go by so fast, and I really remember that everything is the same as yesterday! Cheng Mingzhen didn't know what Wang Ermao was for, sighed, and added along with the other party's meaning.

"Yes, the days are not mixed!" Wang Ermao stretched his waist on the boat and continued: "Little Brother Jiu, when you were forced to follow Zhang Da to take charge, did you think of today? ”

"It's weird to think of it. If I hadn't entered Juluze back then, I wouldn't have had a living ghost, so I would be willing to be his Jiuzhai master! Cheng Mingzhen thought about it and shook his head with a smile. After going through so many things, I have forgotten many of my wishes in the past. It's just that occasionally looking back at the stupid stupid boy in my memory still feels very warm.

Whether it was hatred or love at the beginning, after experiencing the erosion of time, all that can be left is warmth. Who says those hard days are not days? It's just a treasure unique to everyone, and you don't need to compare it with others, and you can go back and savor it slowly when you grow up.

"I remember that the two of us worked so hard to live for two words!" Wang Ermao's eyes gradually deepened, and he squinted together and said.

"yes!" He has long been accustomed to his brother, and whenever he has amazing words, Cheng Mingzhen nodded in response.

"Now, Brother Jiu, have you ever thought about being a prince of one side and winning the championship?" Wang Ermao Xun opened his eyes and looked at Cheng Mingzhen's eyes and asked.

"Yes, but I have to have that strength!" Listening to the river wind whistling in his ears, Cheng Mingzhen responded with a smile. "With our current capital and ambition, the faster we will die! What's wrong with you today! ”

"Then I'm relieved!" Wang Ermao smiled and shook his head. "I'm just afraid that you're so big that you've forgotten why we rebelled back then."

Turning his head, he looked at the fragments of the ruins on the other side, sighed, and muttered, "Actually, if we just want a way to live, who will we do?" You said no? ”

"What did you say?" The wind was too strong on the river, Cheng Mingzhen didn't hear it too clearly, and opened his throat to ask.

Wang Ermao turned his head and smiled faintly. No longer repeating what had already been said, he walked down from the cabin with his hands behind his back, picked up a pot of wine, poured himself a drink, and tasted it slowly.