The army arrived and arrived outside the east gate of Pingliang Province on the evening of December 25. I saw that the head of Pingliang City was heavily guarded, with swords and guns, and there was a solemn atmosphere. Anton Zhongwei Qianhu Long Feng happily stepped forward to open the city gate, but was told that Long Qianhu was invited to enter the city alone, and the rest of the army was temporarily stationed outside the city.

Long Qianhu was surprised and asked the reason for the small school guarding the city, but the small school just laughed and said that it was ordered from above. A few big bamboo baskets were dropped with hemp rope on the head of the city, and the colonel on the head of the city invited Long Qianhu to sit in it, and then pulled it up to the head of the city.

This method of entering the city was disgraceful, but when everyone saw that the gate of Pingliang City was closed and the vigilance was very strict, they all guessed that something big might have happened. Long Qianhu didn't know the bottom of his heart, and he didn't think much about it at the moment, so he sat in the basket and went into the city to find out.

Long Qianhu entered the city, but Xu Liang, Xing Zhongshan, and Huang Ziren were stacked outside the city. The three of them waited for a while, and when they saw that the city gate had not been opened for a long time, they heard the officers and soldiers of the five hundred guards under Long Qianhu shouting and shouting at the city head in dissatisfaction, and scolded loudly.

Huang Ziren said worriedly: "Big brother, the situation is not right, what kind of plane is this Pingliang prefect doing?" ”

Xu Liang shook his head and said, "I don't know what the situation is in the city, so let's wait and see what happens." ”

Xing Zhongshan suddenly said: "In my opinion, it must be that Hong Chengchou, the prefect of Pingliang, saw that my army was strong and worried about fraud, so he closed the city gate. ”

Xu Liang listened, turned his head to look at the Liang army behind him, but saw that the army was neat, more than 3,000 people lined up in a large phalanx, and the Liang soldiers were outside, and the more than 2,000 thieves who were escorted were held in the array. Looking up again, he saw the nervous expressions of the Ming army guards at the head of the city, and expected that Xing Zhongshan was right, so he ordered the generals in the army to restrain their subordinates and not to make noise.

After about half an hour, there was a commotion in the city. Xu Liang and the others looked up and saw several Ming army generals standing in the city tower with Hong Chengchou, the prefect of Pingliang wearing a crimson official robe, and Long Feng, the official of Andong Zhongwei Thousand Households who had entered the city, was impressively on the side. Governor Hong squinted and looked at the two military formations under the city, all the way were the five hundred guards of Long Qianhu, but when he saw the officers and soldiers in the formation, they were sitting or standing, scolding and scolding, and it was as lively as a vegetable field. On the other hand, the Liang army brought by Xu Liang saw the soldiers in the army standing solemnly, silent, and even the more than 2,000 prisoners of war who were detained in that formation were all intimidated by the Liang army's military prestige and did not dare to speak out.

Governor Hong glared at Long Qianhu behind him, and then stared at the Liang army under the city in a daze.

Seeing this, Xu Liang under the city greeted Xing, and Huang and the others dismounted, and saluted the Hong Governor's Mansion at the head of the city: "The lower official Xu Liang has seen the Lord of Futai and the adults. ”

Governor Hong nodded, and asked faintly: "Lord Xu is stationed under Pingliang City today, what do you want?" ”

Xu Liang said: "Xiaguan received a letter from Lin Jialuo, the magistrate of Jingzhou County, and Lord Lin for help, for fear that Jingzhou would be lost, so he led the next group of brothers to Jingzhou before reporting to the lord. Fortunately, it arrived in time, and all the soldiers worked hard to move forward, so that they could frustrate the thieves and go to the dragon. Killed thousands of enemies and captured 2,316 thieves, all of whom were escorted to Pingliang Mansion to listen to the fate of the Lord of Futai. ”

At the head of the city, the prefect of Hong pondered for a long time, and then said a few words to a middle-aged general next to him, and Fang Chao Xu Liang said loudly: "It is rare that Xu Liang is loyal to the court, and the government is very pleased." Come, open the city gate and invite your Excellency to enter the city in detail! ”

The city gate guards opened the city gate, and the officers and soldiers of the five hundred guards entered the city first, Xu Liang led the Liang army into the city, but the little colonel on duty stopped him and said, "Lord Xu stays." Lord Futai only ordered Lord Xu and Huang to inspect and enter the city, and the rest of the people waited outside the city. ”

Xu Liang and the others were stunned, and they were very dissatisfied with the arrangement of the Hong Governor's Mansion. Seeing that this little school has a bad eye, there is a tendency for Xu Liang to step forward to take people if he does not obey his orders. Xu Liang nodded at Xing Zhongshan and whispered, "Xing Zhongshan, you restrain everyone outside the city, be careful. After a pause, he said: "If Ziren and I don't leave the city before dark, you will do your best to be the soldiers of my Liang army and take Pingliang." ”

Xing Zhongshan nodded and retreated into the Liang army's formation. Xu Liang and Huang Ziren entered the city and were asked to unload their weapons, so they went to the Yamen of the Pingliang Prefect accompanied by a team of Ming soldiers. Immediately, a junior colonel stepped forward and said to Huang Ziren: "Huang Patrol, Commander Ye has an invite." ”

Seeing that Huang Ziren was slightly hesitant, the little colonel said it again, and seeing that Huang Ziren was indifferent, he smiled and said to Xu Liang: "Lord Xu, Lord Futai is waiting for you in the back hall of the mansion." Lord Huang, please come with me. ”

Huang Ziren followed the little school. Xu Liang followed the team of soldiers into the backyard of the Yamen of the Pingliang Prefect's Mansion and saw Hong Prefect's Mansion in Hong Chengchou's study.

Xu Liang saluted solemnly, stood up, and respectfully waited for Governor Hong's questioning.

Governor Hong looked at Xu Liang fixedly, his face complicated.

"The two or three thousand soldiers you brought with you were really recruited by you?"

"Yes."

"It was you who took these generals to repel the thieves to the Heavenly Dragon?"

"Yes."

Governor Hong asked bluntly, and Xu Liang replied simply. Then the study fell silent. Governor Hong looked at Xu Liang, who was standing straight, not squinting, and wearing armor, for a long time, and then chuckled: "Xu Liang, you are very good, you really didn't disappoint this mansion." ”

Xu Liang immediately knelt on one knee, clasped his fists, and said solemnly: "The lower officials are loyal to the court and the Lord of Futai. In the future, the Lord of Futai has orders, and he will fight to the death! ”

"Good, good!" With a smile on his face, Governor Hong stepped forward to help Xu Liang up, and patted Xu Liang's shoulder appreciatively. Immediately, he inquired in detail about the course of the First Battle of Jingzhou.

Xu Liang was serious, and he said it 1510, and then he talked about the nonsense about Long Qianhu on the road. Hearing this, Governor Hong nodded again and again, greatly satisfied.

At the end of the conversation, Governor Hong took out an official document from the desk drawer, handed it to Xu Liang and said: "Xu Liang, you have not lost Jingzhou, and you have made such a great contribution, so the punishment of "dismissal and listening" will be revoked today. From today on, Xu Liang, you are the magistrate of Zhenyuan County again. ”

Xu Liang was surprised when he heard this, and said in surprise: "Xiaguan thank you Lord Futai for your painstaking cultivation. Belch...... Doesn't this reply need to be approved by the ministry? ”

According to Xu Liang's understanding, the Ministry of Officials is in charge of the promotion and appointment of officials across the country, and it seems that such a reinstatement document has to be approved by the Ministry of Officials.

Governor Hong smiled and said, "Xu Liang, you are only suspended, not dismissed." Such trivial matters do not need to go through the ministry. Xu Liang suddenly realized, thanked Governor Hong for his kindness, and patted his chest again and again to promise to obey Governor Hong wholeheartedly in the future. When he said goodbye to Governor Hong's mansion and went out of the study, he saw two rows of sword-and-axe hands standing side by side outside the study. When the leading knife and axe hand saw Xu Liang come out, he squeezed out a little smile, waved his hand and retreated with the other sword and axe hands.

Xu Liang was immediately shocked into a cold sweat. It seems that this Hong Governor's Mansion didn't have any good intentions when he brought himself into the city, but he was in the study, but there was a trace of response that did not meet the wishes of the Hong Governor's Mansion, but he was afraid that when the Hong Governor's Mansion gave an order, the knife and axe hand outside the house would rush in and chop himself into meat puree!

Xu Liang quickly walked out of the backyard of the prefect's yamen, came to the front yard, walked to a secluded corner, opened the official document in his hand and looked at it, and saw that the date of the payment was the fifth day of December in the seventh year of the Apocalypse, and it was printed with the bright red and blood-like seal of the Shaanxi Fuxun Yamen. Xu Liang counted the days, today is December 24, which means that twenty days ago, the governor Yamen had already reinstated himself, but he was somehow suppressed by the Hong Governor's Mansion.

Thinking of the two rows of murderous knife and axe men outside the study of Governor Hong's mansion, Xu Liang couldn't help but shiver again. Suddenly, I felt that there seemed to be danger everywhere in the yamen of the Pingliang Prefect's Mansion. didn't dare to stay at the moment, hurriedly walked out of the yamen, saw that Huang Ziren was already waiting at the door, and after the two converged, they hurriedly walked out of Pingliang City.

The two returned to the Liang army outside the city, and Xing Zhongshan, who was in charge of staying behind, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he saw that the two had returned unharmed, and handed over the prisoners of war to the defenders in the city, and then returned to Zhenyuan City.

On the way, Xu Liang took out the official document of reinstatement and read it with Xing Zhongshan and Huang Ziren. Both of them were very happy, Xu Liang noticed that Huang Ziren was smiling a little far-fetched, but when he was also like himself, the commander of the Andong Zhongwei in Pingliang Mansion was also frightened, and did not delve into it, and returned to Zhenyuan City on December 25 the next day.

When officials at all levels below Huang Daozhou heard the news of Xu Liang's reinstatement, they happily welcomed Xu Liang to the county hall and gave him a big salute. After the other officials withdrew, Huang Daozhou personally went to Xu Liang's original study and told Xu Liang in detail about the government affairs of Zhenyuan City and the movements of the court during Xu Liang's suspension.

The two talked for a long time, and after Huang Daozhou finished talking, he rubbed his hands and smiled: "Now that the adults are back in charge of Zhenyuan County, it is really gratifying." Today, the lower officials went to the backyard to pack up, and the adults could move back to the backyard of the county government tomorrow. ”

According to the practice of the Ming Dynasty, the official of a county must live in the county office. During the period of Xu Liang's suspension, the backyard has always been inhabited by the county Cheng Huang Daozhou, and now that Xu Liang has been reinstated, Huang Xiancheng is not good to stay in it and not move out, so he brought it up.

Xu Liang shook his head, stopped Huang Xiancheng's words, and said: "There is no need to be so troublesome, this official still lives comfortably in his own home." This county ya, Huang Xiancheng doesn't have to move, let's live inside, it's okay! ”

Huang Xiancheng was so bluffed that he waved his hand again and again, and his head shook like a rattle: "This, where is this?" There has never been such a rule! ”

Xu Liang interrupted him and said, "Maybe not before, since this official has been in the past, Zhenyuan has had this rule!" Xu Liang's words were unquestionable and quite domineering. Huang Xiancheng was stunned for a long time when he heard this.