After Chen Zhen's victory, at the celebration banquet held for Chen Zhen by the Assassin's Mansion, the matter of the Eastern Expedition to Longxi was once again proposed. After three rounds of drinking, Chang Shi Yanyi took the lead in getting up during the banquet and sang loudly.

"Xijing is chaotic, and the jackals and tigers are in trouble. Abandon China and commit yourself to Jing Barbarian. Relatives feel sorry for me, and friends chase after me. When you go out, you can't see anything, and the white bones cover the plain. There are hungry women on the road, holding their children and abandoning the grass. Gu heard the crying sound and waved his tears and refused to return it. I don't know where I died, how can I finish both? drove the horse away, and could not bear to hear this. Climb the south to the shore of the tomb and look back at Chang'an. The people who went to the spring to understand the bottom of the river were sad and sad. ”

The poem sung by Bianyi is one of the "Seven Sorrows" written by Wang Cang during the time of Emperor Ling of the Eastern Han Dynasty. This poem vividly reflects the misery and formlessness of the people in the troubled times. Yan Yi borrowed this poem to metaphorize the people who are in turmoil under Liu Zhao and Shi Zhao today. The intent is self-explanatory.

During the banquet, all the subordinate officials listened to the sad singing, and unconsciously put down the dishes, chopsticks, wine glasses and other things in their hands one after another, and then turned their heads to look at Yan Yi. During this period, there were many subordinate officials whose ancestral homes were in Longshang and Guanzhong, and they thought of something, and secretly wept during the banquet.

Chen Zhen had already taken off her armor at this time and changed into a chapter uniform. He saw Yan Yi get up and sing, and sang very poignantly. Then he looked up, but saw Zhang Jun making a slight gesture to him under a few cases. Chen Zhen immediately understood, got up and arched his hand: "The envoy is above, today is the time to celebrate the merits, and the minister knows that he should not talk about the rest of the matter. However, Fan Changshi's recitation of this poem also made Zhen very emotional, and he dared to say a word or two to the envoy......"

Zhang Jun said with a solemn face: "What Qing said, it is straightforward." Today, Lone will never condemn his ministers because of his words. ”

Chen Zhenxing came to Zhang Jun after a few cases of banquet drinking, hugged his fists and knocked on the ground: "Liu Yao, Liu Yin, father and son are cruel and unreasonable, and treat all ethnic groups in Longxi coldly, they have lost the hearts of the people and will perish one day. And he was so bold and reckless that he sent captives and horsemen deep into the territory of our state, slaughtering the people and villagers, and destroying the fertile land. Zhen had the courage to ask the envoys, raise volunteers, select generals, raise food and salaries, and then go east in one fell swoop to rescue Longxi Lishu from fire and water, in order to fulfill the wishes of the ancestors......"

Zhang Jun frowned slightly when he heard this: "When the subordinate officials in the mansion were discussing the previous time, Chen Zhechong did not advise Lonely, and he should not raise troops easily. Why did you change your mind this time? Now the state is still not rich, and it is quite expensive to use the guards and the soldiers of the prefectures and counties to exterminate the captives. Now that there are no soldiers and no pay, how can we raise troops to the east? Think twice! ”

Zhang Jun refuted Chen Zhen's words, but it had already made the officials in the hall even more anxious. Fang Caiyi's words have already aroused the homesickness of the subordinate officials who are originally from Longxi and Guanzhong. And the local scholars of Liangzhou in the hall are also thinking about it, trying to take this opportunity to finalize the matter of the Eastern Expedition.

The strange silence in the hall lasted only a dozen breaths. Chen Zhen, who was kneeling in front of Zhang Jun's case, never raised his head and got up, but among the people on the side, Zuo Sima Yinyuan, who was already a little old, stood up, walked a few steps tremblingly, and then knelt down in front of Zhang Jun's seat with Chen Zhen.

Yin Yuan knelt down, which made Zhang Jun feel a little uneasy, and he hurriedly got up and wanted to help Yin Yuan up. Unexpectedly, he stretched out his hand and grabbed Yin Yuan's robe sleeve and pulled it, but Yin Yuan didn't move.

"Yin Sima has been with the Duke since the time of Wu Gong. Such a big gift, Jun Ke can't afford it...... I also hope that Yin Sima will get up. If the little nephew has any thoughts, I hope that Yin Sima will teach you a lesson or two......"

Zhang Jun saw this old subordinate of Liangzhou kneeling and kowtowing, and hurriedly put on a posture of being humbly taught. Even the self-proclaimed one became a "little nephew" because of this. His voice fell, but he saw Yin Yuan straighten up and arch his hand: "Envoy, it's not a subordinate to force each other, but now the middle and upper reaches of the state are the highest gates, and the lower ones are all the same enemies." The thieves are brutal, the villagers are resentful, a few days ago, the tribesmen each recruited troops in the shade, when they heard that they were going to go to crusade against the thieves, the young and strong have enthusiastically joined the army, in just a few days, more than 2,000 strong men have been recruited. ”

"The envoy said before that there is no food and no salary in the state, and we, as the state sergeant clan, are also deeply favored by several generations of Ming dukes, so we should share the worries for the envoy. Although the Yuan was old and faint and occupied the position of Zuo Sima, he was no longer able to lead the army into battle, so he had to donate more than half of his family wealth to the envoy to serve as the military ...... of the army."

"It is a state affair to raise troops to go on the march, how can Jun rob the assets of the kings? Yin Sima, this matter must not be ......"

Before Zhang Jun's words fell, Yin Yuan interrupted him with words: "Envoy, the previous thief entered the Kou, and I don't know how many families in the state were ruined. We have received the favor of the princes in our world, and we also know the wisdom of the king, and share the worries of the king. Under the nest, how many eggs can be finished? If the thief is not at peace for a day, we will not be at peace for a day. This time, he only wanted to make the king clear and send the army south to conquer the thieves. ”

He thought for a while, and then accentuated his tone: "If Yuan has a lifetime and sees Guan Long Suping, there will be no regrets in this life." He will drive the crane to the west one day, and he can laugh at your ancestors......"

Yin Yuan's words were extremely poignant. Since he followed Wugong Zhang Rail during the Yongjia period, he has experienced three masters for more than 20 years. He witnessed with his own eyes how Zhang Liang sent troops east several times to the country, and how he quelled the rebellions of various wealthy clans and foreign races such as Qiang Xianbei and other ethnic groups in the state. And how did Beigong Chun, who went to the east to go to the country, be defeated under Luoyang City. How did Zhang Wei die and the hands of the thieves, Zhang Mao made several unsuccessful conquests of the land of Guanlong.

As for Zhang Jun, he once agreed with most people's opinions, believing that the family business that was not easy for your ancestors to accumulate would be destroyed in the hands of this gentleman who was born in Liangzhou and grew up with a golden spoon. However, the death of Xu is Zhang Mao made this previously carefree young man grow up overnight. Zhang Jun's series of actions since his accession to the throne made Yin Yuan feel that Liangzhou was still expected to develop and grow in the hands of this young envoy.

What is even more commendable is that although this envoy was born in Liangzhou, he still inherited the will of the ancestors, and his heart was determined to restore Guanlong and conquer Hu Xuan. It is precisely because of this that Yin Yuan can take advantage of the scene to lyrically say such a request for Zhang Jun to go on an expedition against Longxi on this occasion.

Yin Yuan's voice fell. During the banquet, several people got up and knelt down together in the hall: "We all attach to the proposal of Yin Sima, and we are willing to sacrifice our family wealth and recruit troops as soldiers, please make up your mind to conquer the thieves!" ”

Zhang Jun's expression was still a little hesitant. However, in an instant, more subordinate officials in the table had already avoided the table and knelt in the hall in front of them.

"We are all willing to give our wealth as military funds. I hope that the king will send troops forward to recover Longxi, in order to repay the will of the ancestors! ”

Zhang Jun looked around the hall and saw that among the subordinate officials, the spokespersons of various high-ranking families were already among them. He glanced up at Chen Zhen, who had previously proposed the idea of an eastward crusade. And Chen Zhen still knelt and kowtowed, silent.

"That's it, since all the princes have this discussion, Jun will fulfill the wishes of the princes, discuss with the princes, participate in the grand event, rebel soldiers, beg for unkindness, recover Jin Zuo, inherit the will of the ancestors, and sweep the dust in the universe! I hope that all the princes will walk with the horses and fight hard, and they will not return to the rivers and mountains, and they will not stop until death! ”

"Willing to be dispatched from Ming Gong!" The subordinate officials in the hall looked solemn and bowed one after another. Zhang Jun stepped forward, picked up several old ministers of several dynasties in the front row, and then turned his head to look at everyone in the hall, and said: "Gentlemen, please get up, since the plan has come to this, we will finalize all the things of the Eastern Expedition one by one, and then continue to feast and drink, why do you think so?" ”

When everyone heard this, their faces couldn't help but show great joy. So everyone was excited and got up.

Zhang Jun returned to the main seat, and then sat down after a few cases full of dishes and buttermilk, and waved his big hand: "All the gentlemen will be invited to the table, and then discuss the military of Longxi." After everyone in the hall returned to the case, Zhang Jun first looked at Yin Yuan and asked as if asking: "Yin Sima thinks that who should be the commander in the conquest of Longxi?" ”

When Yin Yuan heard Zhang Jun's question, he thought about it for a while. The person he likes is nothing more than the Yin Jian and Yin Ping of the brothers and nephews in the clan. However, at this time, it was inconvenient for him to recommend these two people directly to Zhang Jun. Once I came to the land of Longxi, it was really coveted by all families for a long time. Before the conquest of Longxi, Zhang Mao and Zhang Jun both appointed Han Pu as the commander, Han Pu was older, and each family couldn't say anything. However, since the defeat of Woganling, although Zhang Jun has not blamed Han Pu, he has already been idle and will not be used again.

In this case, this handsome position will undoubtedly become the object of contention. And if he directly recommends his brothers and nephews, it will inevitably look too ugly, and it will anger the rest of the families. Naturally, this is not the result that Yin Yuan is happy to see.

Yin Yuan pondered for a moment, and then looked at Chen Zhen, who was under Zhang Jun's head. My mind suddenly came alive. Chen Zhen's military attainments had already been verified when Zhang Mao resisted Liu Zhao's entry into the Kou in the eleventh year. proposed to take him as the commander, on the one hand, it was also to release goodwill to Zhang Jun. On the other hand, he also knew in his heart that it was impossible for the high-ranking families of the various families to allow Chen Zhen to be appointed as the commander-in-chief.

The corners of Yin Yuan's mouth were slightly upturned on the ground, and then he got up and arched his hand, and said to Zhang Jun: "Thanks to the envoy who does not give up, ask the old man, the old man should know everything, and say everything." Chen Zhen, the general of the folding, has a strategic mind and many strange schemes. The envoy might as well take Chen Zhichong as the commander and lead the troops and horses from all walks of life to Longxi. Chen Zhechong will definitely win in one fell swoop......"

As soon as Yin Yuan's words came out, there was a sound of surprise in the audience, and then, someone stood up during the banquet and arched his hand to Zhang Jun, who was the head of the house, and said: "Zhang Yuanjun, you can't be handsome!" ”

Zhang Jun looked up and saw that the speaker was Changshi Yanyi, who had just recited poetry during the banquet. He nodded, and then asked, "Why can't you say it?" In the eleventh year of Chen Zhichong, he had more than 1,000 cavalry soldiers in Tongzhou, entered Longxi, attacked the enemy's grain road, and achieved great results. All of you here have experienced it firsthand. When it was a good candidate for the commander-in-chief......"

Yan Yi gave a deep salute: "The envoy, the former prince and the envoy, both of them are handsome with Han Duhu. In his early years, Han Duhu followed Duke Wu and Duke Zhao to make contributions, and his qualifications and fame were all the best choices. And the previous expedition to Longxi was to use the elite of state governance. This time is different, most of the soldiers and food are raised by various families, so if you take Chen Zhichong as the commander, I am afraid that your subordinates will inevitably have constraints......"

As soon as Yan Yi said this, the expressions of all the people in the banquet became a little unnatural. They reached a consensus this time, recruited their own soldiers, and arranged their own food and salary, and indeed each had their own thoughts. However, they didn't expect Bianyi to be so bold and poke out all these careful thoughts. For a long time, although each family has its own calculations, everyone has a tacit understanding. At this time, Yan Yi made these things clear, which undoubtedly angered these high doors sitting in the banquet.

General Yang Lie, Song Ji, stood up first, and pointed at Yan Yi with a halberd: "I don't know what I mean by this sentence?" But accusing us of disobeying military orders? I don't know about others, but Song has followed his brother to fight for Liangzhou for more than ten years, no matter who the commander-in-chief is, he has never disobeyed military orders! ”

In the face of Song Ji's reprimand, Yan Yi still did not change his face, and said to Zhang Jun: "I also hope that you will make a clear decision, and choose a person with superior qualifications and everything to be handsome......"

Song Ji saw that Yan Yi turned a blind eye to his words, and his whole face turned blue and purple when he landed, but when he saw Zhang Jun glancing at him, he had to withdraw his hand and sit down angrily. I only heard Zhang Jun say slowly: "Since you feel that Chen Zhichong is embarrassed by this position, you might as well recommend each of them to Gu as a handsome candidate." Lonely should be carefully considered......"

Chen Zhen sat in the banquet, her face did not change, her eyes were slightly closed, as if she was an old monk. And when Zhang Jun saw him like this, he couldn't cry or laugh in his heart. After thinking for a moment, he pointed out Chen Zhen and said: "Chen Zhichong, I don't know who you think can be responsible for this important task, you might as well talk to Gu Shen." ”

Chen Zhen got up and respectfully bowed his hand to Zhang Jun: "Who is handsome, Zhen thinks that the envoy has already made up his mind in his heart." However, the envoy asked Yu Zhen, and Zhen will tell me a little bit in detail, if there is something wrong, I hope that the envoy and the monarch will be in Haihan. ”

"The land of Longxi is mountainous and difficult to travel, the Weishui runs through it, the terrain is complicated, and the army marches, cantonment, and fights in the middle, and encounters many difficulties. This time, each family used manpower and material resources to overcome it in one fell swoop. Therefore, it is very important to choose a person who is familiar with the topography of Longxi as handsome! Count the generals in the state, and those who are good at this way are nothing more than a few people. ”

Seeing that everyone in the hall was listening attentively, Chen Zhen continued to speak: "Caohan is too shou Xin Yan, Jin Xing is too shou Yinping, Guangwu is too shou Xin Peng, and Li Yanjiong, the chief historian of Huqiang. Among these four people, Xin Yan guarded Caohan, but he supported the army to respect himself, and all the government decrees in the state were not implemented, which shows that his people are unappointable. The king of the underworld guards Jinxing, often deals with the Zhuqiang of Longxi, and his subordinates are also familiar with the terrain of Longxi, which can be appointed. ”

"Guangwu is too guarded by Xin, and his director is to govern the locality, and military affairs are not his forte. It is also impossible to be handsome. Li Yanzhi, the chief of the Qiang guard, had fought with the thieves in Longxi many times before, and he was defeated many times. The corporal is a general, and he is a permanent map of Longxi. It is also quite appropriate to appoint him as the commander......"

"The words of the Jane family are only for the envoy's reference." After saying that, Chen Zhen avoided the table and bowed straight down to the first Zhang Jun. And what he just said on the phone had already caused an uproar at the banquet......