Although after coming down from the city tower, Zhang Weixin, Zeng Zhilin and others also arranged some entertainment programs for Xu Xinsheng and Zhao Anyi, and set up a banquet to entertain the two. But Zhao Anyi, who was full of worries, was not interested in these activities, but he was absent-mindedly perfunctory there, far less invested than the interested Xu Xinsheng. In this regard, although Zhang Weixin, Zeng Zhilin and others saw it, since the other party was unwilling to say it clearly, they didn't want to ask, so they just didn't see it, and instead focused all their attention on Xu Xinsheng, who was already interested in joining the crossing team, and the time-traveler who might soon become his brother pushed the cup and had fun, until late at night.

Because he wanted to talk to Xu Xinsheng about something, after the banquet ended, Zhao Anyi declined Zhang Weixin and the others' kindness to send Xu Xinsheng to take Xu Xinsheng to rest, and took the initiative to help Xu Xinsheng, who was already a little drunk and didn't look very stable in walking, back to his residence. Seeing that Zhao Anyi said politely, but the attitude in his eyes was very persistent, Zhang Weixin and the others were not reluctant, and Zhao Anyi went as he pleased.

Zhao Anyi helped Xu Xinsheng into the room arranged for him, first helped the other party to the chair and sat down, and then poured a cup of tea to relieve his hangover, and when Xu Xinsheng came to his senses a little, he asked with great concern: "How does Commander Xu feel, do you need Zhao to bring a bowl of sobering soup to sober up?" ”

Xu Xinsheng waved his hand when he heard this, and said, "Xu is just a little drunk, but he doesn't need to drink that sobering soup." Moreover, things like supporting the next room and serving sobering wine soup are just ordered to be done by the servants, how dare you let Mr. Zhao do it himself, isn't this killing Xu? ”

Zhao Anyi shook his head again and again after hearing this, and said: "Where did Commander Xu come from, you and I are working under the command of the deputy inspector, and we can be regarded as colleagues. And my brother intends to marry my little sister to you, and you and I will be relatives in the future. With the relationship between colleagues and relatives, why can't Zhao serve a bowl of sobering soup for Xu's command. ”

Seeing that Zhao Anyi moved out of his colleagues and relatives, Xu Xinsheng was not good at being too polite with the other party, and politely declined Zhao Anyi's kindness to serve him sobering soup, while inviting the other party to sit down, and poured a cup of tea for him, and the two chatted like this.

Under the circumstance that Zhao Anyi deliberately did so, the content of the chatter between the two gradually shifted to the personal evaluation of the "Qingyuan" brothers of the Beiping Army, as well as the possible future relationship between the Beiping Army and the imperial court. Seeing that Xu Xinsheng was very talkative, it was the time to tell him what was on his mind. So, Zhao Anyi took the opportunity to say: "Speaking of this group of people in the Beiping Army, I think that although they are now deferential to the imperial court and bow down to their vassals, they seem to be willing to lie dormant in the not very big place of the Beiping Army, but this is just an expedient measure when they are accumulating liliang. In the future, once its strength is enhanced and its wings are full, it will definitely not be willing to be trapped in this Beiping army, and it will definitely have some plans and achieve greater achievements in Meifan. ”

Listening to Zhao Anyi's words, Xu Xinsheng's original drunkenness was not too strong, and his mind became clear and his spirit quickly entered a state of high concentration, deeply analyzing every sentence and word that the other party just said, carefully pondering the possible meaning, quickly thinking about his own response words, and asked tentatively: "In Mr. Zhao's opinion, how long will it take for this group of people in the Beiping Army to become full-fledged and their strength will become stronger?" ”

"Looking at what a group of people in the Beiping Army have done, I am afraid that their ambition is not only limited to the small land of the Beiping Army, but also the world." Zhao Anyi replied, "Moreover, judging from the Battle of Youyun and the subsequent Battle of the Northern Han Dynasty, I am afraid that it already has the strength to conquer the world now." ”

"The Beiping Army intends to fight for the world? It's unlikely, right? After all, although the Beiping army acted arrogantly, whether it was Wang Kunjun, the envoy of Jiedu, Xu Shao'an, the deputy envoy, or other civil and military subordinates, they had always been respectful to the imperial court, and had never shown signs of disobedience or contempt for the imperial court. Since its establishment, it has always been concerned about and operated its own feudal towns, neither encroaching on or encroaching on the territory of other military states in the surrounding Great Zhou Dynasty, nor participating in the government and military affairs above the court, nor colluding with the enemies of the imperial court in private, and communicating with foreign countries, so as to strengthen its own strength, so that it can one day compete with the imperial court. On the contrary, on the one hand, in accordance with the will of the imperial court, it wiped out the hypocrites with lightning speed and bloodlessness. On the other hand,-for-tat with the Khitans, small-scale harassment, sneak attacks, and 'grass valleys' operations have not stopped. It must be known that keeping the rebellion of the puppet Han involves the energy of the imperial court, which is far more beneficial to the Beiping army than to destroy him; It is far more advantageous to maintain a state of peace with the Khitans and keep them neutral than to form countless grudges with them and be stabbed in the back at any time when they go south to fight for the world. Xu Xinsheng first asked in surprise, and then began to defend the Beiping Army without a trace.

Zhao Anyi waved his hand disapprovingly when he heard this, and said: "Not to mention that when the imperial court conquered the puppet Han, the Beiping army was likely to secretly contribute to assist the puppet Han court in resisting the attack of the imperial army, and it was likely to be the culprit who caused the loss of General Shi's bones." Just from Wang Kunjun's song "Qinyuan Spring. Judging from the words of "Snow", the domineering spirit of 'wanting to compete with the heavens' and the pride of the pilgrimage lord Mingjun in front of the eyes are revealed. The people who can compose such grand poems are definitely not small in their plans, and they are very comparable. ”

Realizing that Zhao Anyi, who had not had much contact with the Beiping Army and had a more limited understanding, and that his judgment of the Beiping Army was mainly based on various materials and information provided by his companions, colleagues, and fellow party members, the reason for his sudden change of opinion on the Beiping Army was actually just a poem, Xu Xinsheng couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself. He complained in his heart about why Zhang Weixin wanted to recite this poem that is easy to make people relate, produce illusions, and be domineering, and while placing the author of the word on Wang Kunjun's head, he also actively defended the Beiping Army: "Although the poem can be clear, but just one word thinks that the Beiping Army intends to fight for the world, Mr. Zhao's statement is a bit arbitrary." After all, according to Zhang Weixin, this poem was an impromptu work by Wang Kunjun on the bank of the Yellow River in Shuozhou the previous year, and it only reflects the author's state or mood when creating the poem. And this state or mood is often just a momentary feeling, fleeting, and it is likely to be inconsistent with the real aspirations and true intentions in their hearts, or even far away.

Yes, the Beiping Army has been doing a good job here for more than a year from the Jiedu envoy to the group of civil and military forces under its command, and the 'Flying Dragon Army' and 'Security Army' under its command are also very strong and brilliant. However, the 'Qingyuan' brothers have been in control of the Beiping Army for a short time, and they have not really gained a firm foothold in the sixteen or even twenty-four states of the Beiping Army. Once he decided to conquer the world and move southward, the gentry and common people of the Beiping army, who had just returned to the Central Plains and were determined, were afraid that they might not be willing to fight again and repeat the war. Without the support of the gentry and people of the Beiping Army, the 'Qingyuan' brothers are water without roots and trees without roots, and even if the weapons in their hands are sharp, they cannot exist for a long time. Second, judging from the fact that during this period of time, Zeng Zhilin, who accompanied his brother Jia Run'an and one of the most important generals of the Beiping Army, visited many military villages and fortresses of the Beiping Army, and heard and witnessed various situations, the strategic focus of the Beiping Army is the Khitan outside the Great Wall, not the Great Zhou court; His strongest battalions of 'Rangers', 'Wolf's Teeth', and other elites were all stationed along the Great Wall, rather than on the side of the city under his jurisdiction, and their daily training and battle drills were mainly against cavalry, rather than against infantry or conquering fortified cities.

Besides, if a group of people in the Beiping Army have the intention to seek the world, they will definitely regard the deputy inspector who has a high prestige and great talent in the forbidden army and the court as a huge obstacle to his achievement of the king's hegemony, and will be careful to be wary of our two visitors under the command of the deputy inspector, how can you and I be allowed to tour around in the Beiping Army, and even allow a certain to visit many of its military villages and fortresses? Therefore, in a certain view, the goal of the Beiping Army is to hold its existing territory and completely defeat the Khitan barbarians outside the Great Wall, rather than to compete for the Central Plains and the world. ”

Although he does not agree with Xu Xinsheng's interpretation of the poem Mingzhi, Zhao Anyi has always regarded him as his own person, thinking that the other party is as loyal to the Zhao Group and Zhao Kuangyin as himself, and never thought that the guy in front of him, who has worked with himself and his brother for many years, has won the trust of Zhao Kuangyin, and will soon become his brother-in-law, will betray his side and take refuge under the command of the "Qingyuan" brothers of the Beiping Army. Regarding Xu Xinsheng's previous series of remarks, he only regarded it as expounding his own views, and did not realize that the other party was looking for reasons and covering for the Beiping Army. Second, Zhao Anyi was still very convinced of Xu Xinsheng's military talent, who was the commander of the right army of the most elite "Shenji Army" in the Great Zhou. In addition, Xu Xinsheng did visit many military villages and fortresses of the Beiping Army before, so Zhao Anyi was also convinced of Xu Xinsheng's inference about the location of the main deployment of the Beiping Army and its strategic focus.

Compared with Zhao Anyi's conclusion based on a poem relayed by Zhang Weixin, in fact, it is impossible to determine whether it was Wang Kunjun or not, Xu Xinsheng's assertion that "facts are the basis" and "common sense is the basis" is obviously more convincing. So, after some careful consideration and careful consideration, coupled with Xu Xinsheng's constant "telling facts and reasoning" beside him, Zhao Anyi finally gave up his seemingly "hasty" and "immature" conclusion, recognized Xu Xinsheng's analysis and judgment of the future trend of the Beiping Army, and decided to report to the deputy inspector and his brother accordingly after returning to Beijing.