Zhang Xuan smiled, "I just feel that there are a thousand things to do, such as resettlement of disaster victims, urban restoration, land allocation, shipbuilding and shipping, mining and smelting, breeding and fishing, etc., everything is very important, but I don't know where to start?" ”

Fang Xuanling took a sip of wine and said with a smile: "Actually, the general only needs to remember one sentence, the pipe has clouds, the food and clothing are sufficient and he knows honor and disgrace, and the warehouse knows the etiquette, throughout history, as long as the two major things of eating and dressing are solved, the rest of the problems can be solved, and the general does not have to worry." ”

Zhang Xuan smiled reluctantly, "You are right, the people take food as the sky, as long as the food problem is solved, the rest of the business will develop rapidly, but"

Fang Xuanling looked at Zhang Xuan, "But the general's real concern is not this, why didn't the general say it to me?" ”

Zhang Xuan nodded silently, he stared at the green plum wine in his hand, and sighed softly for a while: "As the saying goes, the cunning rabbit dies, and the lackey cooks, I am very worried that if the bandits in Langya County are exterminated, the saint will transfer me out of Qingzhou, and I will lose my foundation, just like Wang Shichong." ”

"This is indeed a problem, the general's performance in pacifying Langya County this time is too strong and too eye-catching, it will indeed make the Son of Heaven feel uneasy, since ancient times, the mediocre have to last for a long time, the reason why Yang Qing has stayed in Xingyang County for ten years is directly related to his mediocre performance, Wagang Jun sat next to him, but he ignored it, and indulged in collecting wealth all day long, but this is it, the Son of Heaven reassured him."

Fang Xuanling's words reminded Zhang Xuan of Li Yuan, Li Yuan's greed for money and wine, self-destruction of reputation, and willingness to give up military power, so the position left behind in Taiyuan has been sitting until today, Wang Shichong is not a kind of self-destruction of his reputation, in comparison. I'm still a little tender.

Zhang Xuan was depressed in his heart, and drank all the wine in the cup, Fang Xuanling understood Zhang Xuan's mood very well, and smiled slightly: "General, there are two sides to everything, only if it is handled well." The Holy Lord will continue to trust the general. ”

"What do you mean by that?" Zhang Xuan hurriedly asked.

"The Qingzhou bandits were initially decided, but they were not stable, and the general wanted to make the saint very aware that once the general left, Qingzhou would immediately fall into turmoil."

"Is Xuan Ling asking me to find a way to start another trouble?"

"This is not necessary, the key is to let the saint understand this, and point out the root of the banditry in Qingzhou, I mean the Bohai Society."

Zhang Xuan nodded slowly, "Please keep talking!" ”

"Let the saint understand that Qingzhou's instability is only one aspect. The second is that the general must carry out the intention of the saint, which is also an important factor for the general to continue to stay in Beihai County. ”

"What does Xuan Ling mean by intention?" Jao Hyun was a little puzzled.

Fang Xuanling lowered his voice and said word by word: "Goguryeo! ”

Jang Hyun suddenly woke up to the fact that he knew what he had to do

On the eve of Zhang Xuan's inspection of the shipyard and the docks of Beihai County, he received a decree from Yang Guang, the son of heaven, and ordered him to go to Jiangdu to report on his work.

This debriefing is especially important for Jang Hyun, who has reached a critical moment to move up from the middle to the top, and if he copes with it properly, he can continue to stay in Qingzhou. If he fails, he will most likely be transferred out of Qingzhou. Follow in the footsteps of Zhang Sutuo.

For a long time, Zhang Xuan thought that Zhang Xutuo was transferred out of Qingzhou because he didn't understand the rules of officialdom and offended too many people, until Zhang Xuan himself faced this step, he realized that the fundamental reason why Zhang Xutuo was transferred out of Qingzhou was that he performed too well. In the end, he was suspicious of Yang Guang.

And he paid a lot of attention to officialdom, but neglected to be low-key, which led him and Zhang Xutuo to embark on the same path.

If he is unwilling to follow in Zhang Xutuo's footsteps, he must convince Yang Guang in this debriefing.

Three days later, Zhang Xuan led hundreds of soldiers to escort a convoy loaded with nearly 10,000 taels of gold and 200,000 yuan of gold out of Beihai County. With a heavy heart, he marched to Jiangdu and began his debriefing journey.

From Beihai County to Jiangdu, before the Langya bandits were not cleared, they could only take a detour to Lu County, then take Pengcheng County, and go around a big bend to Jiangdu, but now that the Sui army has exterminated the Langya County bandits, Zhang Xuan can go to Langya County, and then go down Pi County, below is Jiangdu County, which is a straight line to the south, which can save nearly half of the distance.

Because they brought more than 100 mule carts, the march was not fast, and ten days later, Zhang Xuan and his party arrived at Suyu County, the county of Xiapi County.

Xiapi County and Pengcheng County are the garrison of the great general Yang Yichen, and it is also the northern barrier of Jiangdu, 30,000 troops are stationed in Surabaya and Tongji Canal, because this area has not suffered from the ravages of bandits, social stability, economic prosperity, large population, large areas of rice fields can be seen everywhere.

This is a little different from the Qingzhou area, which began to grow corn after the wheat harvest, which is the same as the cultivation method in Hebei, but Xiapi County has developed a little bit towards the Jianghuai side, which used to grow corn, but now it has also begun to grow rice.

The main thing is that the yield per mu of rice is twice as high as that of corn, which is very attractive to farmers.

Zhang Xuan pointed to the rice fields on both sides of the official road with a horsewhip and smiled at Fang Xuanling: "Xuanling, I am also thinking about promoting rice in Beihai County next year, we have enough water over there and can grow rice, so that the grain yield will be much higher, what do you think?" ”

"General, I think the old farmers are more experienced in this kind of thing than us, and when we come back, we will ask them again, why don't they grow rice?"

Zhang Xuan laughed, "That's right, it's much more useful to ask someone who knows how to do it than for us to worry about it here." ”

At this time, a group of cavalry rushed forward, about a dozen or so, led by an official in his fifties, who stepped forward to salute Zhang Xuan, "May I ask General Zhang from Beihai County?" ”

Zhang Xuan stepped forward and smiled back: "I'm Zhang Xuan, may I ask Your Excellency who is-"

"Below is the article of Cheng Li of Xiapi County, on the order of General Yang, to convey an important news to the general."

"It turned out to be Li Juncheng, it's rude, may I ask General Yang what news he wants to give me?"

"If the general is going to Jiangdu to face the saint, then it's best to go back!"

Zhang Xuan was stunned, "Why is this?" ”

"The saint has left Jiangdu seven days ago and returned to Beijing, and the day before yesterday, the fleet entered the Tongji Canal in our Xiapi County, and General Yang also rushed to face the saint."

Zhang Xuan was taken aback, the Son of Heaven had already left Jiangdu and went north, he didn't even know at all, he hurriedly asked, "Then where has the Holy Lord's fleet arrived now?" ”

"I heard General Yang say that this time the saint is in a hurry to return to the north, and the speed of the ship is faster, if General Zhang chases quickly, he may be able to catch up with the fleet in Qian County."

Zhang Xuan and Fang Xuanling glanced at each other, their convoy was too slow, and it was difficult to catch up with the convoy if they went on like this.

Fang Xuanling hurriedly said: "Otherwise, the general will take the first step, and his subordinates will lead the convoy to follow behind." ”

This is also a way, Zhang Xuan nodded, "Then I'll go first, you bring the baggage with you, it's better to take a boat more convenient." ”

Next to him, Li Wenwen said with a smile: "Please rest assured, general, I will arrange a ship to transport the baggage." ”

"Thank you Li Juncheng!"

Zhang Xuan saluted, instructed Fang Xuanling a few more words, and then led twenty personal soldiers to turn their horses and gallop in the direction of Tongji Canal

That night, Zhang Xuan and his entourage arrived in Xiaqiu County, a small county close to the Tongji Canal, located at the junction of Xiapi County and Pengcheng County, where Zhang Xuan needed to inquire about the fleet.

They run along the official road for a few miles, a hundred steps away on the left is the famous Tongji Canal, the water surface is dozens of zhang wide, the waves are flat like a mirror, it is very spectacular, the small rivers on both sides of the Tongji Canal are full of boats, this is to return to the dragon boat fleet of the Son of Heaven.

It can be seen that the fleet of the Son of Heaven did not travel long, otherwise these small boats would have been able to enter the Tongji Canal a long time ago.

But what makes Zhang Xuan a little strange is that the official road is full of people, and many of them are scholars, carrying luggage, riding donkeys, all of them are full of anxiety, mentally exhausted, and hurried with their heads down, but they don't know where these scholars came from?

"Hey! Where are you readers? A soldier asked the soldiers in a loud voice.

But the scholars ignored them, but gave them a look of disgust, and continued on their way.

"General, what's the matter with these people, it seems like we provoked them."

"Forget it, ignore them, let's find a place to rest first." After a long day's journey, the men and horses were exhausted, and they urgently needed to find a place to rest for a while, and then ask for news by the way.

"General, there is a tea shed in front of you, you can rest for a while!"

Zhang Xuan nodded, "Go to the tea shed to rest!" ”

Everyone urged their horses and followed Zhang Xuan to the tea shed in front. (To be continued.) )