Three days later. In the early afternoon.

Kong Sheng will always remember this very special day - the fifteenth year of Tianbao, that is, the 20th day of December in the first year of Zhide. He set out from Jiangning at the end of November, and after many hardships and hardships, he finally arrived in Suiyang on this day, which took more than 20 days, a few days longer than he imagined.

On Suiyang City, the flags were unfurled, and the soldiers on duty on the city gate tower were smiling and standing tall. The great victory in Ningling, with the annihilation of more than 10,000 enemies, greatly boosted the morale of the defenders of Suiyang, and the large number of captured equipment, grain and grass also greatly alleviated the shortage of materials and the shortage of grain and grass in Suiyang.

In the past few days, the soldiers and civilians in Suiyang City have enjoyed together, and every household has put up lanterns, just like a festival.

A black-faced military general with bright armor and a solemn expression led a team of soldiers to slowly ascend the city from under the city gate, and the captain guarding the first battlement immediately clasped his fists and bowed and said: "The last general will meet General Lei!" ”

This person is the famous Lei Wanchun. One of the two main generals of this Ningling victory, he is also the backbone of Suiyang's guards, and one of Zhang Xun's absolute henchmen.

Lei Wanchun's black face was serious, but there was a slight grief and pain in his eyes, the day before yesterday, the third son Lei Tingjin suddenly returned to Suiyang and brought back the bad news that his wife Xiao Wuniang committed suicide, which made him miserable.

But Lei Wanchun has a hard temperament, and he has long put life and death out of the way, and no matter how painful he is in his heart, he will not show it, let alone affect the morale of the army. He even strictly ordered his third son Lei Tingjin not to expose the news, and he did not allow his three sons to wear filial piety for their mother.

Lei Wanchun waved his hand and strode forward.

Despite a great victory, the whole city was immersed in an unprecedented sense of joy and a false illusion of victory. Many people, including Suiyang's subordinate officers and generals, thought that the rebels were vulnerable. The heavily battered Yan army did not dare to attack Suiyang again in a short period of time.

In fact, no one knows better than Lei Wanchun and Nan Jiyun. Ningling's victory had its luck, and the cost was extremely heavy. At present, Suiyang is embattled, and the rebels will soon regroup and make a comeback.

In the past two days, Zhang Xun sent people to report the victory to Li Ju, the king of Yu, and at the same time asked Li Ju, the king of Yu, to play the imperial court and invite merit and rewards for the generals such as Lei Wanchun and Nan Jiyun. You must know that Lei Wanchun is known as a general in Suiyang. In fact, there are no official ranks canonized by the imperial court, and they are all low-level captains.

It's no wonder that Zhang Xun himself was just a county magistrate before. How high can the rank of the people under him go?

Of course, Suiyang is too shou Xu Yuan is a genuine fourth-grade official, but Xu Yuan is very open-minded and courageous, he knows that his military intelligence is not as good as Zhang Xun, so he took the initiative to give up the position of commander to Zhang Xun. Therefore, although the current Suiyang is dominated by Zhang Xun, the highest-ranking official is actually Xu Yuan.

Lei Wanchun was leading his army to patrol the city when he suddenly heard the rhythmic roar of horses' hooves outside the city. couldn't help but change his face suddenly, he was a veteran general in the army. Immediately reacted, this must be a cavalry team of no less than 100 people - not good, could it be that the rebels are attacking again?!

"Close the city gates, Mingjin call the police!" Lei Wanchun waved his hand with a gloomy expression, and the soldiers under his command immediately sounded a warning in gold, and all the defenders on duty on the entire four sides of the city tower were shocked in their hearts, and they were full of spirit, staring at the direction outside the city.

On the official road from Yucheng, a cloud of smoke and dust rose all over the sky. Not long after, more than 100 Mo sword cavalry teams dressed in bright light armor galloped neatly in formation, and the first person turned out to be a handsome young man in green clothes.

Including Lei Wanchun, they couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief when they saw this. This is the standard armor of the Tang Army, and the Modao cavalry is the elite of the elite of the official army, although such a cavalry does not know where it came from, it is not an enemy or a rebel attack, just now it was just a false alarm.

Lei Wanchun's suspicious gaze fell on Kong Sheng's body, and he suddenly remembered what the third son Lei Tingjin had mentioned to him about Kong Sheng, but he looked at it carefully for a long time, but he didn't see Kong Sheng holding Fang Tian's halberd in his hand, let alone a brave and invincible general.

More than 100 Modao cavalry teams lined up outside the city to stop the horses' hooves.

Kong Sheng stepped forward, raised his head and clenched his fists at the city gate tower under the city, and said loudly: "Please report, in the lower Kong Sheng, add the order of Suiyang Songcheng County, and come to the post on the order of the imperial court, please open the city gate." ”

Lei Wanchun raised his eyebrows, and his heart was really that Kong Sheng? But...... This is what the son said about the ten thousand enemies who made the rebels terrified like the resurrection of the overlord? Wenwu Shuangquan Sai Lu Bu? It's outrageous, but it's just a weak scholar boy who has no power to restrain the chicken.

Lei Wanchun knew that Kong Sheng was an official of the imperial court, but he did not slack off, on the one hand, he sent people to communicate with Zhang Xun and Xu Yuan, and on the other hand, he asked people to open the city gates, but only Kong Sheng was allowed to enter the city alone, and the cavalry team of unknown origin under his command could only be stationed outside the city for the time being.

Kong Sheng dismounted and walked, leading the white horse to chase the wind and slowly walk into the city gate. Only Wu Xian and Wu Jie, who had changed into the armor of the guards, followed him into the city, while Mu Changfeng and Nie Chuchen were waiting outside the city.

In front of him, in the ancient city with high walls, the roads in the city were crowded with people and businessmen watching the excitement, and there were two rows of soldiers in a neat line staring at him with blazing eyes.

Two soldiers led the way, and whether it was watching the lively people in the city or the guards who lined up to play the role of monitoring and defense, they all looked at Kong Sheng with some curiosity, how did the Xindao Imperial Court choose to appoint a young man to Suiyang to serve as the county commander at this time? What is the origin of this young man?

From the East City Gate to the Suiyang Taishou Yamen, it is only five or six hundred meters. Kong Sheng led the horse slowly, and it took about two teas. Unhurriedly, he walked into the yamen with Wuxian and Wuxie, and went straight into the lobby.

In the lobby, there are two middle-aged officials in their fifties sitting at the back of the official case, the one on the left, with a slightly white complexion, a thinner body, and an official robe covered with a layer of armor, looking a little unusual; The one on the right is wearing a crimson civil official robe, with a slightly dark complexion and a slightly chubby body.

On both sides of the hall, there are more than ten people in each row, all of whom look solemn and solemn, these are loyal and good generals who will die in the future, and the backbone of Suiyang will be guarded.

Kong Sheng only glanced at it, and guessed that the one on the left should be Zhang Xun, and the one on the right should be Xu Yuan.

As for Lei Wanchun and Nan Jiyun, the two well-known heroic generals, Kong Sheng didn't have time to take a closer look at them one by one for a while.

Kong Sheng fixed his mind and bowed: "The next official Kong Sheng, under the orders of the imperial court, took office as the commander of Songcheng County in Suiyang, and met Zhang Zhongcheng and Xu Taishou!" ”

Zhang Xun was speechless, and looked at Kong Sheng sharply. Seeing that Kong Sheng was not as gentle and elegant as the weak crown, he didn't say anything on his lips, but he was a little worried in his heart, when is this, what Suiyang needs is grain and grass is a military general who can fight well, why did the court send such a weak young man to do it? Isn't that adding to the chaos?

Zhang Xun's thoughts are actually the common aspirations of everyone in Suiyang. Although Kong Sheng is famous, Suiyang has been isolated from the world for a long time, how do these people know that Kong Sheng is the so-called first genius in Jiangnan and a protégé of the Son of Heaven?

Xu Yuan's personality was gentler, he coughed and cleared his throat, and said with a smile: "Kong County Order, where is your canonization order?" ”

Kong Sheng waved his hand when he heard this, and Wu Xian took out Kong Sheng's Zhaoming official from his bag in the north, and the big seal of the official department and the emperor's jade seal were impressive.

Xu Yuan has been an official for many years, and when he saw that Kong Sheng was accompanied by two guards dressed as palace guards, and he had the title of a protégé of the Son of Heaven, he guessed that Kong Sheng had an extraordinary background, and his heart was awe-inspiring, so he glanced at Zhang Xun.

Zhang Xun's profound gaze swept over Kong Sheng's canonization on the desk, and then projected on the two of Wu Xian and Wu Xie behind Kong Sheng, and said in his heart: The protégé of the Son of Heaven? This son actually has a guard to follow, and it seems that he has a lot of origin; But if he is the son of a powerful person, Zhang Xun doesn't believe it. Because what kind of place is Suiyang, how can the children of the real powerful come here to die? Which play is this play, the emperor?

And Zhang Xun also heard the report that Kong Sheng even brought a Modao cavalry team of more than 100 people, who is this little guy sacred, and when he came to Suiyang, he really rushed to the national disaster to prepare to sacrifice his life for the country?

Zhang Xun's heart flashed, and then he said slightly: "Kong County Order is so young, he was recommended by the imperial court to be promoted as a protégé of the Son of Heaven and Songcheng County Order, and it can be regarded as a young man's ambition." However, our Suiyang is a place with many wars, no more prosperous than yours in the south of the Yangtze River, and you may have to fight with the rebels at any time, are you really mentally prepared? ”

Zhang Xun's attitude seems to be a little unkind.

This famous and fierce minister in history, although Zhang Xun has the name of loyalty, but when he really came into contact, Kong Sheng suddenly felt that this person was a little stubborn, at least he had a big shelf, and his power was very strong, and he belonged to the kind of person who did not allow different voices.

Xu Yuan took the initiative to cede power, perhaps...... Maybe the inside story is not as simple as recorded in the history books.

This is a very strong premonition and first impression of Kong Sheng.

He realized that although Suiyang was now embattled and in danger, it was also very deep.

It's a deep pool. came to Suiyang with his head down, and it seemed difficult to integrate into this small circle that had long been made into an iron bucket by Zhang Xun.

"Since the lower officials have come to Suiyang to take up their posts, they have long put life and death aside." Kong Sheng arched his hand: "When the national disaster is at the head, all people with lofty ideals in the world should go to the national disaster, even if they sacrifice their lives for the country, they will not hesitate!" ”

Zhang Xun said with a smile when he heard this, but his eyes were still as sharp as a knife: "It's rare that Kong County Order is so deeply aware of righteousness, since he has arrived, it is a subordinate official of Suiyang, and it is not a peaceful time in wartime, and now Suiyang is integrated with the military and government, headed by this official and Xu Taishou, and the joint advance and retreat are dispatched." As for your Songcheng County Yamen, it has been requisitioned for grain and grass to reorganize the Yamen—"

"I don't think it's as good as this, find another place for you in the city, you settle down first, and come to the Taishou Mansion Yamen every day, and you should have your own scheduling arrangements for daily affairs." (To be continued.) )