Yang Zheng didn't stay much time in Hanzhong, and after confirming the establishment of the alliance of Zhang, Ma and Han and Zhang Lu sending Uncle Liu Huang to attack Sanguan, Yang Zheng said goodbye to his uncle Yang Song and Yang Bai, and returned to Nanyang by way of Chushui, first to Junxian in Nanyang, and then transferred to Junshui to go north to Shunyang, and then from Shunyang to Wancheng by land, and returned to the control of the Xuzhou army.

The Xuzhou army has now reconciled with the Jingzhou army, and because the Huang grandfather and son who controlled the Jingzhou Nanyang army also improved their relationship with the Xuzhou army, Yang Zheng and Li Lang and others passed through the Jingzhou military defense area smoothly and returned to Wancheng in early November, but what surprised Yang Zheng was that as soon as he arrived in Wancheng, the reward given to him by the Eastern Han Dynasty court controlled by the Xuzhou army was sent. gave Yang Zheng an official position of Cao Peng, the northern guest with a rank of 300 stones, and Yang Zheng, who only had a title and no official position, could be regarded as officially entering the official career.

Of course, Yang Zheng was not very satisfied with this reward of Shiyi, because the north and south guest Cao was originally the world of the old Yang family, and it was Yi who arranged Yang Zheng into the guest Cao, obviously wanting to train Yang Zheng as Yang Changshi's successor, but Yang Zheng had no choice, because this time Yang Zheng only implemented the plan of the decision-making level in Xuzhou smoothly and successfully, and there was no outstanding credit in addition, it was Yi for the deputy director of Tao that there was no deviation in such a reward, even if it was Yang Zheng's father Yang Changshi, it was not easy to raise objections.

Fortunately, for the sake of Yang Changshi's face, Shi Yi arranged a gold-plated task for Yang Zheng to make credit, and asked Yang Zheng to take the team directly south to Xiangyang and negotiate with Liu Biao on behalf of the Xuzhou Army. Welcome back the youngest son of the eldest Yuan Sangong, Yuan Mai, that is, the unlucky younger brother who was fostered in Xiangyang by Yuan Shang as a hostage. Yang Zheng guessed that this matter must be the idea of Yuan Fang, the wife of Deputy Director Tao - in order to leave a seed for the old Yuan family, he begged her husband to save her younger brother, so Yang Zheng did not dare to slack off, in order to flatter Yuan Fang, who had a strong position as the main mother, he hurriedly took Li Lang and others directly south and rushed to Xiangyang.

The anti-Tao alliance has long been destroyed by Liu Cousin's own hands, Yuan Shang has never ignored Yuan Mai's younger brother, Liu Biao left Yuan Mai in Xiangyang except for wasting food, Yang Zheng's southward negotiations were naturally extremely smooth, as soon as he saw Liu Biao's request, Liu Biao immediately agreed to Xuzhou Jun's request to let Yang Zheng take Yuan Mai. Yang Zheng, who easily made a small contribution, was overjoyed. Thank you again and again Liu Biao did not mention it.

got Liu Biao's permission to pick up Yuan after buying. Yang Zheng saw that it was getting late, so he didn't rush to meet Yuan Mai, and took it upon himself to bring some valuable gifts and ordered Li Lang to lead the way. went to Cai Mao's mansion to meet his father's friend Uncle Cai. Li Lang, who has followed Yang Zheng's father to the Cai family and doesn't know how many times, sang a promise to receive orders. But it's also very strange. couldn't help but ask, "Young Master, is it Shangshu who didn't let you visit Cai Mao?" You brought so many valuable gifts to meet Cai Mao, in case you return to Xuchang. It's Shangshu who doesn't write off the account for you, aren't you just a big loss? ”

"I didn't think about writing off the bill, I was going to pay this money myself."

Yang Zheng's answer made Li Lang's eyes widen, and also made Li Lang almost suspect that Young Master Yang was not Yang Changshi's biological son, but Li Lang couldn't help but ask again: "Young Master, the villain heard it right, right?" You plan to pay a gift to Cai Mao out of your own pocket, and you don't plan to find the lord to settle the account, this is not your Yang family's style? I've been with your father for almost ten years, and I've never seen your father do such a stupid thing. ”

"Father is father, I am me, I don't have to follow his style, and besides, this money is not mine, to be precise, it is the expenses we saved for my lord in Hanzhong." Yang Zheng replied with a smile: "I'm not stupid to do this, it's for my future." After the end of the Nanyang War before, the lord instructed his father to try to improve the relationship with Uncle Cai, I guess the lord did this for two purposes, the first is of course to stabilize Uncle Cai, who is an important minister in Jingzhou, so as not to cause trouble when the main force of our army marches north. ”

"The second one." Speaking of this, Yang Zheng smiled, smiling more treacherously than his father, who was notoriously not a thing, and said: "I suspect that the lord is preparing for the future Jingzhou plan, and is ready to use Cai Mao to support Liu Cong's son to inherit the Jingzhou foundation, and then Uncle Cai will definitely occupy a pivotal role in the lord's Jingzhou plan, if I don't seize the opportunity to have a good relationship with Uncle Cai now, won't I have to pass by Jingzhou in the future?" ”

"Young Master, are you joking?" Li Lang was even more dumbfounded, and quickly lowered his voice and said, "How can the lord support Liu Cong to succeed to the throne?" Liu Qi, the eldest son of Jingzhou, has always had a good relationship with our army, and he is the proud protégé of the master, and he is your senior brother of the young master, it is more beneficial for us for him to inherit Jingzhou, how can the lord support Liu Cong? ”

"Uncle Li, you're wrong." Yang Zheng also lowered his voice and said softly: "For our army, in fact, my senior brother is the most unfavorable, my senior brother Liu Qi is the eldest son and sister-in-law, inheriting Jingzhou's name is justified, there will be no major chaos, and the lord will pay a huge price if he wants to take Jingzhou." But Liu Cong's succession to the throne is different, Liu Cong is only the second son and not the son-in-law, there will definitely be many people who will be dissatisfied with the inheritance of Jingzhou, and Liu Qi, who holds the military power, will be even more dissatisfied, and if he does not obey, there will be chaos, Jingzhou is in chaos, and it will not be easy for the lord to take Jingzhou? ”

Li Lang opened his mouth wide, and only said after a while: "But Liu Qigongzi, he is a good person, his friend is ours, and he has helped us a lot?" ”

"There are only eternal interests, no eternal friends, this is the way the lord acts." Yang Zheng said his judgment of Deputy Director Tao, and then sneered and said: "Besides, my senior brother may not be an honest person, after he arrived in Jiangxia, Huang Zu, who had deep roots in Jiangxia, went back, and half of the Jingzhou sailors have also been dispatched by him, and several outstanding generals in Jingzhou have also been tried by him to get under his command to listen to them, if this continues, when the lord's army goes south to Jingzhou, our biggest opponent will become my senior brother." ”

After sneering, Yang Zheng no longer talked to Li Lang, waved his hand and urged Li Lang to lead the way, Li Lang, the old lackey of the Yang family, honestly obeyed the order, and went out of the pavilion with Yang Zheng, got in the car and went straight to Cai Mao's mansion. As a result, after walking less than two streets, the veteran oil son Li Lang came to Yang Zheng's car window again. He whispered, "Young Master, we have a tail behind our back." ”

"It's okay, let him follow." Yang Zheng said casually: "This is Xiangyang City, it's normal to be followed by people in Jingzhou, and we can't get rid of it, but it doesn't matter, anyway, I'm just going to see my uncle this time, and I don't have any official business, by the way, how can he follow how to monitor." Li Lang sang a promise, and no longer used his anti-stalking extinction. led Yang Zheng and continued straight to Cai's mansion.

Not to mention. Yang Zheng's sudden visit with a heavy gift really surprised General Cai Mao, and quickly led Yang Zheng into the hall to set up a banquet and personally wash the dust for Yang Zheng. Yang Zheng showed the sycophant skills he learned from his father. flattered Cai Mao with an uncle's sycophancy. The courtesy was extremely respectful, Cai Mao was very satisfied and hurriedly asked Yang Zheng about his intentions, and heard Yang Zheng say that he actually had nothing else to ask for. It's just that Cai Mao, who is still worried about Yang Zheng's request for himself, is even more overjoyed, and praises Yang Zheng, and likes Yang Zheng very much, a respectful and polite young man who is not greedy.

In order to have a good relationship with the Cai family brothers earlier, after making Cai Mao happy, Yang Zheng said again: "Uncle, if it is convenient, the little nephew also wants to meet the three brothers of the uncle and give them the gift of sons and nephews, as well as Uncle Zhang Yunzhang, the little nephew also wants to visit by the way, I wonder if the uncle can introduce the little nephew?" ”

"Unfortunately, I can only introduce your second uncle to your nephew." Cai Mao replied casually: "Your third uncle, fourth uncle and Uncle Zhang happen to be not in Xiangyang, you can only visit them next time, if the virtuous nephew has any gifts for them, you can stay with me, and I will pass it on for you." ”

"Thank you, uncle." Yang Zheng hurriedly thanked him, and after seeing that Cai Mao sent someone to invite Cai Yuan, Yang Zheng asked casually: "Uncle, the third uncle, the fourth uncle and Uncle Zhang are all important ministers of Jingxiang, I heard my father say that they rarely leave Xiangyang in ordinary times, why are the three of them not in the city today?" ”

"It's ......." Cai Mao hesitated for a moment, and then said with a smile: "The virtuous nephew is not an outsider, and he won't hide it from you, in the last Nanyang War, our Jingzhou army was beaten too badly by you, and my uncle's brother-in-law was extremely angry about this, and scolded the generals for neglecting the training of the non-commissioned army, and asked the troops to strengthen training. A few days ago, in order to check the effect of strengthening the training, my brother-in-law decided to hold an unprecedented scale of actual combat exercises of the water and land army in Xiakou at the end of the month, so your three uncles all went to Xiakou, as well as Wen Ping, Deng Yi, Liu Xian and Kuai Liang. ”

"Hold a real combat drill in Xiakou?" Yang Zheng shook his head and said in his heart: "Xiakou? Isn't that in Jiangxia? If the Jiangxia army also participated in this big exercise, the army that Liu Biao used this time would account for more than half of the Jingzhou Naval Division? For Liu Qi, this is a God-given opportunity to gain more military power, could it be said that this actual combat drill is a plan to seize power conspired by Liu Biao and Liu Qi?! ”

Although he was so suspicious in his heart, Yang Zheng also knew the taboo of making shallow words, so he didn't dare to ask more, but just knocked a few words on the side in the chat, and figured out that the Jingzhou army used more than 80,000 marine and land troops in this exercise, more than 6,000 large and small ships, and the exercise was to use the money and grain storage of Jiangling, the largest granary in Jingzhou, and then Yang Zheng was afraid that Cai Mao would suspect that he was spying on Jingzhou's military aircraft, so he didn't dare to continue to ask more, just a strong flattery and Cai Mao's relationship and friendship, and then it didn't take long, Cai Cheng was also invited to Cai Mao's mansion, and Young Master Yang Zheng kowtowed and flattered him again.

After staying at Cai Mao's house until the second watch, the half-drunk Yang Zheng was personally sent back to the pavilion by Cai Mao, and then Li Lang, who had always followed Young Master Yang Zheng's side, had to finish serving the old and serving the young, and personally changed his clothes and shoes for Young Master Yang Zheng, fetched water and washed his face, and it was also when Yang Zheng wiped his face, Li Lang said to Yang Zheng alone: "Young Master, Cai Dudu's mansion is different from usual, it seems that someone has arranged eyeliner." ”

"How do you know?" Yang Zheng asked casually.

"That beautiful maid who cooks wine has been eavesdropping on the young master's answer between you and Cai Dudu." Li Lang said in a low voice: "Young Master, when you and Cai Dudu mentioned military affairs, her face was wrong, she seemed to be a little nervous, she was silently remembering your conversation, Young Master, and almost knocked over the wine cup for this. ”

"Really? Why didn't I notice? Yang Zheng was a little confused at first, and then quickly smiled: "Uncle Li, no wonder my mother scolded you for taking your father badly for three days, isn't that beautiful maid beautiful, and you have been peeking?" ”

Li Lang, who was in his early fifties, blushed a little and said, "Young master, why are you also making fun of me?" I have a little problem with your father, who doesn't know about Xuchang and Pengcheng? It's also thanks to you, young master, that you are self-respecting in terms of women, and you haven't been damaged by us. But young master. I've been with your father for almost ten years, and I've been dealing with these people a lot, so I can tell that that beautiful woman is eyeliner! ”

"It's okay if it's eyeliner." Yang Zheng yawned and said: "Anyway, Uncle Cai and I haven't talked about any official business, whatever she wants, when we leave Xiangyang tomorrow, if Uncle Cai comes to see him off, we can quietly tell him, and we can also sell personal favors." Li Lang sang a promise, hurriedly helped Yang Zheng to freshen up, and then slept next door to Yang Zheng's room. Yang Zheng sat under the lamp and read until he fell asleep.

The night passed quickly. The next morning, after Yang Zheng got up, he first sat on the bed and recited a piece of Sun Tzu's Art of War and a piece of his father's sycophant poems as usual, and then called Li Lang to help him fetch water and wash his face. It's a busy time. Outside the door, there was the sound of fast footsteps. Immediately after, a very happy voice sounded outside the door, "Brother Huaiqing." Can Brother Huaiqing be here? ”

Yang Zheng put down the satin handkerchief and turned his head, but saw a handsome man in a twenty-eight or nineteen-year-old shirt and square scarf rushing in outside the door, and shouted at Li Lang first: "Li Lang, don't call me by my name." Then the handsome man turned to Yang Zheng again, and said with a smile: "Brother Huaiqing, guess who I am." ”

Of course, Yang Zheng is not stupid, seeing the age of this handsome man, and seeing that he is very familiar with Li Lang, he naturally immediately knelt down on the handsome man's knees, clasped his hands into fists and saluted, and said happily: "Brother Liu Qi is above, please accept the little brother Yang Zheng!" Brother Liu Qi, the younger brother really never dreamed that you would be in this Xiangyang City! ”

"It's really worthy of being the son of the teacher, and I will immediately guess the identity of the foolish brother." Liu Qi laughed heartily, hurriedly came over to pick up Yang Zheng, and said in a loud voice: "Elephant, elephant, the virtuous brother and the teacher are simply too similar!" Brother Fool didn't expect that he had just returned to Xiangyang City this morning, and he would be able to meet with you, how is his teacher? ”

"Father, he's fine." Yang Zheng replied happily, and hurriedly asked, "Brother, aren't you in Jiangxia?" Why did you suddenly return to Xiangyang today? ”

"It's not the matter of Xiakou's big drill, come back and ask for my father's orders." Liu Qi smiled even more happily, and said: "It's just that Brother Fool didn't expect anything to say anything, for the sake of Yuan Mai's matter, Brother Xian, you happened to be in this Xiangyang City, Brother Fool heard about this, and immediately came to meet Brother Xian." Brother Huaiqingxian, although we are brothers, it is the first time we have met! ”

"Isn't it?" Yang Zheng said with a smile: "My father often said in front of my younger brother that my younger brother is not only far from being able to catch up with my brother in terms of knowledge and talent, but also far from catching up with my brother in terms of appearance, and my younger brother is often not convinced. My brother is so handsome and chic, there must be a lot of beauties around him, right? The younger brother has come from afar, brother, you have to entertain the younger brother well. ”

"Of course, that's of course." Liu Qi laughed, pulled up Yang Zheng, and said with a smile: "Let's go, Cuihong Mansion, treat me to my brother, you can have as many beautiful women as your brother wants." ”

Yang Zheng laughed and thanked him, so that Liu Qi and Yang Zheng, the two unscrupulous brothers trained by Yang Changshi himself, went out immediately, and in the early morning, they touched the Cuihong Building, the largest brothel in Xiangyang City, and called ten or eight popular beauties to set up a banquet for corruption and degeneration, and spent all day drinking and messing around.

The most embarrassing thing is the young master Yang Zheng, it is not enough to hold the two beauties in his arms, a stinky mouth keeps gnawing on the tender face of another beauty, and his lustful appearance is better than his immoral father, Liu Qi saw joy in his eyes, and suddenly asked: "Brother Xian, who have you already met when you come to Xiangyang this time?" ”

"I didn't see anyone." Yang Zheng put his dirty hand into the belly pocket of the beautiful woman in his arms and stroked it, and said casually: "The little brother only arrived in Xiangyang City yesterday, first visited Jingsheng Gong, and last night he went to see Cai Dudu and General Cai Cheng by the way. ”

"Cai Dudu?" Liu Qi's face changed, and he asked in surprise: "Brother Xian, you know the relationship between Brother Wei and him, why do you still go to see him?" ”

"Brother, it's not that the younger brother wants to see him, it's the lord who ordered the younger brother to see him." Yang Zheng said with a wry smile: "The main prince is about to fight in Youzhou, for the safety of the southern front, so I want the younger brother to pat his ass and let him give Jingsheng less bad ideas." Not only him, but when the younger brother returned to Xuchang, he also went to Xinye to visit General Huang Lao and send something, also to stop his mouth. ”

"Oh." Liu Qi sighed, and asked casually: "Tao Taiwei went north to Jiyou, and now he has hit there?" ”

"This ......." Yang Zheng was a little embarrassed, and said with a wry smile: "Brother, don't blame, except for the fact that the younger brother likes to drink and listen to music, he has always paid attention to these and forgot." Oh, Uncle Li, Uncle Li. ”

"Young Master, what are your orders?" Li Lang pushed the door in and asked.

"Where did the lord go?" Yang Zheng asked Li Lang.

"I took Nanpi last month, and after being captured, I refused to surrender, and the lord rewarded him for committing suicide." Li Lang replied truthfully: "Later, the lord attacked Youzhou again, and now he should confront the Youzhou army on the front line of Yishui." ”

"Brother, that's how it should be." Yang Zheng turned to Liu Qi and said with a smile: "If my brother cares about the war in the north, although you can ask Uncle Li, he knows better than me. The younger brother clearly ....... ”

Smiling, Yang Zheng suddenly kissed the face of the beautiful woman in his arms, and then added: "The only thing that the little brother knows is that this little beauty's belly pocket is red, and there are mandarin ducks playing in the water embroidered on it." ”

The beauty in Yang Zheng's arms smiled coquettishly, and was just coquettish in Yang Zheng's arms, Liu Qi also smiled, and said with a smile: "No need, the foolish brother just asked casually, Li Lang, you go down to rest, ask the bustard's mother to arrange two women for you, and I will account for it." ”

Li Lang thanked him and went out, Yang Zheng continued to laugh with the prostitutes, and his obscene face was matched with a lewd expression, which was extremely obscene, Liu Qi smiled even more happily, and suddenly said: "Brother Xian, if you want to ask your teacher for something, please beg your teacher to agree." ”

"If the elder brother has something to say, the younger brother must tell his father." Yang Zheng said with a smile: "If my brother wants to ask for the title of official of the imperial court, now is a good opportunity, the old man blocked a fatal knife for the lord in Yecheng, and now he is red in front of the lord, as long as he speaks, the lord will definitely agree." ”

"But." Yang Zheng dragged out his voice again, and said with a smile: "Brother, what kind of temper is my old man, you also know, if you ask me to bring a few such beauties back, brother, you are begging to be crowned as a great master, and the old man will definitely help to the end." ”

Liu Qi laughed loudly and said: "Brother Xian, don't worry, no matter who you like, these beauties can be taken away, and the foolish brother will redeem them, but the foolish brother doesn't dare to covet the position of the third prince, he just wants to ask the teacher to say a few words in front of Tao Taiwei." ”

"Oh, what do you say?" Yang Zheng asked.

"It's very simple, if Liu Zhang of Yizhou asks Tao Taiwei for help in the future, please persuade Tao Gong not to agree." Liu Qi replied with a smile.

"In the future, if Liu Zhang of Yizhou asks the lord for help, please ask my father to persuade the lord not to agree?" Yang Zheng repeated it, and asked with a blank face: "Brother, what does this mean?" The little brother is stupid, why can't he understand? ”

Liu Qi carefully observed Yang Zheng's expression, and it was not until he confirmed that Yang Zheng was not pretending to be stupid that Liu Qi said with a smile: "Please tell the teacher to tell him, and the teacher will understand what he means." ”

"It's easy to do, and I'll write to my father right away and tell him about it." Yang Zheng waved his hand, hugged a beautiful woman again, and said with a lewd smile: "Beauty, bring your rouge, and then pick out a white one for your underwear, this son is going to write a letter to his father, and when he finishes writing, this son will redeem you." ”

The woman was willing to believe there, but she didn't follow it, and Young Master Yang Zheng cursed and swore again, saying that as long as the woman helped her write a letter to her father, she would definitely redeem her, and she hugged the woman and kissed and touched, full of ugliness. Liu Qi just smiled when he saw it, and snorted coldly in his heart: "It's okay, it's just a wine bag and rice bag!" ”

"Really? As long as you bring the dirty clothes to write a letter to this son, this son will redeem you, don't believe it, you see, this son's money bag is ....... Dog's day, my son forgot to bring a money bag, Uncle Li, Uncle Li, did you bring a money bag? Yang Zheng continued to shout in an ugly manner, and snorted coldly in his heart: "I want to use actual combat drills and preparations to attack Yizhou to cover up your army movements, and I want to cover it up!" Our Chaisang and Poyang Lake sailors are in danger! (To be continued......)