Beijing, moonlit night.

The mansion of the British Duke is located in the northeast of the capital, a quiet place in the middle of the noise, although it is in the middle of the city, but it is away from the noisy market, the flow of people is prosperous, it is said that it is the location personally selected by the emperor of the dynasty, which is enough to show the degree of favor of the British Prince.

British Gong Zhang Fu was standing in the study with his hands behind his back at the moment, sighing at the thing enshrined on the high table in the middle hall, silent.

Above the middle hall is a seemingly inconspicuous iron thing that is as black as a tile, but Zhang Fu burns incense and worships it, and does not dare to slack off, because it is the legendary world ticket.

The sequential voucher, also known as the Danshu Iron Voucher in folklore, is a certificate that the emperor bestows on meritorious heroes to enjoy privileges for generations. Its size is divided into nine according to the height of the official, the outside is engraved with its merits, and the inside is recorded with its faults, divided into two pairs on the left and right, the left is stored in the hero's home, and the right is hidden in the inner house.

If there is a crime committed by the descendants of meritorious heroes, in addition to the ten major crimes such as rebellion, they can take the iron roll to investigate, and reduce their merits and demerits, so the folk also call it "iron coupons to avoid death".

In the past dynasties, all those who can be awarded iron coupons by the emperor are all meritorious heroes and famous generals, and this iron coupon of the British Gongzhang Fujia is naturally not easy to obtain.

Zhang Fu's father, Zhang Yu, was a famous general at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, but later surrendered to the Ming Dynasty and was subordinate to Zhu Di, the king of Yan. He led his troops to guard the northern border, and broke the remnants of the Northern Yuan Dynasty many times, which won Zhu Di's love and relied on him as his arm.

Later, Zhu Di, the king of Yan, launched the Battle of Jingjing, and Zhang Yu was the general, defeating Li Jinglong's army many times and turning the tide of the war for the Yan army.

Later, in the battle of Dongchang, Zhu Di was besieged by Hou Shengyong of Licheng, in order to save Zhu Di, Zhang Yu repeatedly rushed to kill, and finally made Zhu Di and another general Zhu Neng be able to rendezvous, break through, and he himself died on the battlefield due to injury and gravity, at the age of 58.

After Zhang Yuzhan died, Zhu Di cried bitterly, crying incessantly, like losing an arm. Later, Zhu Di finally succeeded in appeasement, got to the great treasure, and posthumously presented Zhang Yu as the Duke of Rongguo and the right pillar of the country.

Subsequently, his son Zhang Fu was also named the Marquis of Xincheng for his exploits in the Battle of Jingnan, and soon after, he accompanied the general Zhu Neng on an expedition to Annam.

Soon after the expedition, Zhu Neng died of illness in the army, Zhang Fu commanded the whole army in his place, and cooperated with Mu Sheng, the Marquis of Xiping, which lasted three years, and finally destroyed the Hu Dynasty of Annan who usurped the throne, and pacified the whole territory of Annan, a total of 48 prefectures, 180 counties, and 3.12 million households.

Since the fall of the Tang Dynasty, Jiaozhi has been independent for more than 400 years, and now it has returned to the central government, and Zhu Di is naturally overjoyed. When Zhang Fu returned to the dynasty with the edict of the whole army, Zhu Di personally gave a banquet in the Fengtian Palace, and wrote the "Song of Peace South".

In terms of meritorious deeds, Zhang Fu was awarded the title of British Duke, with 3,000 stones, and was also rewarded with crowns and countless gold and silver jewelry.

In the eyes of outsiders, this naturally means that Zhang Fu is deeply favored by the emperor, and he is the supreme glory and glory of his ancestors.

However, every time Zhang Fu looked at the somewhat mysterious iron coupon enshrined high, he always felt a chill down his spine and shuddered.

As a military general from the army, he has now reached the pinnacle position that can be imagined, and the emperor has also given all the rewards that can be given, it can almost be said that he will be "at the top of the mountain", but the height is not cold, before the top, it is often an endless abyss, and if you are not careful, you will stumble and be crushed.

After all, everything depends on the emperor's thoughts.

Zhang Fu looked at the iron coupon in front of him, and felt that it did not seem to be a symbol of glory, but it was like a warning that reminded him all the time, a pair of eyes that were watching him all the time, making him cold all over his body, and his cold hair stood on end.

Zhang Fu looked at the iron coupon in a daze, and the door of the study behind him was suddenly pushed open.

There was no need to look back, he knew that there was only one person who could drive straight into his study in this mansion without passing the word, and dared to open the door directly and break in.

He sighed secretly in his heart and said softly, "Madam, are you here?"

The woman who broke into the study was dressed gracefully and luxuriously, her figure was a little fat, but her body was straight, and there was a bit of arrogance between her eyebrows and eyes.

This is the main room of the British Duke Zhang Fu, the Li family who was named the British lady.

As soon as the Li family broke in, his voice was like a thunderbolt, and he asked, "Master, have you heard that Wu'er has returned to the capital now?"

The "Wu'er" in her mouth is the eldest son of her and Zhang Fu, the British prince, Zhang Wu, who gave him this name in the hope that he could inherit the tradition of the Zhang family and become a generation of famous generals.

It's just that this Zhang Wu has a stubborn personality, likes literature and is not good at martial arts, and he also took it upon himself to change his name to "Zhang Idiot", which means obsessed with reading. This bastard boy also messes around with a group of gentlemen all day long, and even worships as brothers of the opposite sex, calling himself the "Four Youths of the Beijing", which is really unknown.

However, no matter how he changed his name and messed around, in the eyes of his parents, he was still their flesh and blood, the chubby and lovely Wu'er.

Zhang Fu sighed again in her heart, in the end she still knew.

There was silence for a moment before he asked in a deep voice, "How did you find out?"

Li Shi replied without thinking: "The old Feng Tou, who had followed you before, recently led the troops back to Beijing from Xi'an, and brought some local products to visit, saying that he saw Wu'er follow a team into the capital mysteriously, but our family didn't know anything about it. What the hell is going on?"

Zhang Fu still held his hands behind his back to Li, stood without saying a word for a while, then suddenly turned around sharply and asked her, "Do you think I should know?"

Li Shi was stunned, Zhang Fu's face was very bad, full of sternness, but it seemed to prove that he actually knew.

Her voice softened a little: "Wu'er is your son, don't you know where he is now?"

Zhang Fu snorted heavily, full of anger: "He is now an adult, naturally he is doing what he should do, where he should be, and I didn't tie his hands and feet, how can I know where he is now?"

Do what should be done, where it should be, Zhang Fu didn't seem to say anything, but he seemed to say a lot.

Li suddenly thought of something, and couldn't help but feel a thrill all over his body, his eyes glanced at the iron coupons enshrined in the hall with some fear, and asked in a low voice: "You, you mean Wu'er, he is still ...... now"

Zhang Fu suddenly raised his eyes, a sharp gaze swept over her face, and Li quickly closed his mouth.

After a while, she asked softly with some unwillingness: "So, will he be in danger now?"

Zhang Fu lowered his head and shook his head heavily for a while.

He really didn't know.

As a courtier, he can only know what he should know, and perhaps what he knows now is a little too much.

Seeing that he was silent, Li's face darkened, and he said with some sadness: "Wu'er, he is your own flesh and blood, and he is the only hope of the Zhang family at the moment, if he is really in danger, can you see death without help?"

She was telling the truth.

British Mrs. Li had two sons, and although the eldest son Zhang Wu was stubborn, he was in good health. The second son Zhang Zhong is not only young, but also has a disability since he was a child, he can't ride a horse, can't open a bow, can't inherit the style of the Zhang family, and can't attack the knight, so the future of the Zhang family is all pinned on Zhang Wu.

Hearing this, Zhang Fu suddenly changed color, and scolded angrily: "Women's family, what do you know! How do you know what the Zhang family's only hope is?"

As he spoke, his gaze also glanced at the iron coupons enshrined in the middle hall, intentionally or unintentionally.

Li Shi seemed to feel his gaffe, and immediately closed his mouth, and lowered his head a little aggrieved.

Zhang Fu seemed to feel that his tone was a little too heavy, his face softened slightly, and he said in a deep voice: "The Zhang family is not the only heir of Wu'er, and he can attack the lord in the future, isn't there still Zhong'er?"

Li Shi raised his head and said hurriedly: "However, Zhong'er's body is ......."

She didn't finish speaking, but the meaning was already very clear, with Zhang Zhong's disabled body, how could he inherit the title in the future, how could he continue the Zhang family's generalist style, lead thousands of troops, and make contributions?

Zhang Fu knew her worries, and his voice softened more and more: "Don't worry, we are not too old, even if Zhong'er has a physical disability, we will have other children in the future, why worry about it?"

When Li Shi heard this, he suddenly changed color and said: "Speaking of which, you are actually going to give up Wu'er? Even if you don't remember him as your flesh and blood, we have raised him with hard work in the past 20 years, and you can give up the family affection that has been around your knees for so many years? Are you still human?"

When Zhang Fu heard this, his face also changed color instantly, and he shouted sternly: "Shut up! My Zhang family can have today, all because of the loyalty of father and son to the emperor, for the emperor, Hugh said that it is a son, that is, I want my head full of people, and I will definitely not frown." ”

"What's more, in the past 20 years, why have I been pampered and indulged in Wu'er, and have never restrained his absurd behavior, don't you understand the reason for this? Although I didn't say anything to you about the events of that year, I didn't hide anything about it. That's it

Now, after so many years of planning, do you think he can still quit now?"

Li Shi was speechless, but said a little unwillingly: "But he, he ...... after all"

Zhang Fu resolutely interrupted her words: "There is nothing to do! To tell you the truth, I have already revised the Zhang family tree, and on top of the family tree, you and my son are only Zhong'er, and there is no name of Zhang Wu at all!"

When Li Shi heard this, his face changed drastically as if he had been shaken, and he looked at his husband's indifferent face, and said in a trembling voice: "You, you are so ruthless?"

Zhang Fu looked at his wife with tears in her eyes, after all, she was a little unbearable, slowed down the color, and said softly: "Okay, there is no need to say anything about this matter." I have already received the holy decree, the old minister of Annam, Jian Ding, rebelled again, and the emperor ordered me to take the general seal and lead the army to go to the conquest. I have already ordered my henchmen to take the lead to reorganize the army for battle, and I will leave Beijing in the near future, so you should hurry up and pack up for me and get ready to go on the road. ”

Li Shi still seemed to be unwilling, and when he looked up and wanted to say something more, Zhang Fu sighed lightly, waved his hand and said undoubtedly: "Okay, you go!"

Li had no choice but to bow his head with sorrow on his face, and silently withdrew from the study without a word.

As a mother, knowing that her own flesh and blood are in danger and facing calamity, the anxiety and sadness in her heart can be imagined.

Li staggered away, but as soon as she turned the corner of the house, her originally somewhat rickety body slowly straightened up, her steps became brisk, and her face was calm, as if she was suddenly not worried at all.

She and Zhang Fu got married in the army and have been together for many years, so she naturally knows her husband very well.

If Zhang Fu had persuaded her with kind words just now and patiently comforted her, maybe Wu'er would really be hopeless.

After all, in the hearts of parents all over the world, where is there a reason why parents don't love their children?

But Zhang Fu interrupted her words in a loud voice just now, and he didn't even have a chance for her to vent her emotions at all, which may just show that he already had a plan in his heart.

It was by no means easy and fortunate for her husband to be able to become an ordinary general in the army to the position of the British duke he is now high.

Whether it is on the battlefield or in the court, although Zhang Fu has always been cautious, none of the things he planned were unsuccessful.

Lee has absolute trust in her husband.

He knows his temperament best, he has always been hard-mouthed and soft-hearted, how could he be indifferent to his son in danger?

Li Shi walked briskly, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously had a smile, at least for now, there was nothing to worry about.

......

After Li left, Zhang Fu couldn't help but let out a long sigh, walked to the door and stretched out his hand to cover the door of the study.

Then he stood quietly inside the door, pricked up his ears to listen carefully to the movement outside, and after a while, when he was sure that there was no one outside, he turned and walked slowly to the side of the window.

He gently pushed open the window sash, the wind outside on a winter night was a little cold, and there was a cold full moon hanging in the sky, which seemed a little more cold.

Zhang Fu silently looked at the full moon in the sky in a daze, and suddenly said to himself for a long time: "It's almost time, you can go too!"

A shadow suddenly flashed by the window, it turned out that there was a person standing here all along, but his whole body was covered in a black night coat, standing here motionless, if he didn't move, he would hardly realize that there was still someone here.

The man in black bowed to Zhang Fu, turned around and left in a hurry, without saying a word from beginning to end.

Zhang Fu continued to look up at the bright moon in the sky, and let out a long sigh, as if he didn't know the existence of the man in black, and the man in black seemed to have never appeared.

He looked at Leng Yue, and felt a chill in his heart, and muttered silently: "Wu'er, you idiot, how are you now?"

(Regarding the British Gong Zhang Fu, the historical records record that there is only one son-in-law Zhang Zhong of the original Li family, and there is nothing later.) Zhang Fu lived until he was seventy-five years old, and in the fourteenth year of orthodoxy, he followed the Ming Yingzong and died in battle.

After his death, his son-in-law Zhang Zhong was disabled and could not take the title, so Zhang Mao, the eldest son born to the concubine Wu, inherited the title, and was hereditary British Duke at the age of nine.

Counting the old man's sixty-four-year-old and still happy to have a noble son, it is really awesome in his health!

Zhang Mao was strong and strong, good at arching horses, and when he became an adult, he was in charge of the Beijing camp and the Governor's Mansion of the Five Armies, and later became the Taishi and the Prince's Young Master. When Zhengde died in the tenth year, he also lived to be seventy-five years old.

In the records of the history books, the name of Zhang Wu or Zhang Idiot has never appeared, never. ）