Volume 3: Dragon and Snake Movement Chapter 320: Gift of Sword, Honesty
When he was in the capital before, Zhang Shou did not attend court except on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month. His usual circle was the Zhu family of the Duke of Zhao's mansion, that is, students and teacher Ge Yong. He did not make friends everywhere. Firstly, this did not fit the character of a poor boy from the countryside, and secondly, he did not have the time. The teaching work was busy enough all day, and it was not easy to take a break, so shouldn't he talk about love in a relaxed manner?
Therefore, Zhang Shou only heard of Du Heng, who was transferred from Linhai Camp to Ruiqi Camp by the emperor, but didn't know him - even though he was the one who deciphered the letter from the insider of the Ministry of War to Linhai Camp, and that was the first time he heard the name Du Heng. Du Heng didn't say a word during the trip, and he didn't care, but he didn't expect that he would suddenly do something strange during the break.
Seeing clearly that there was a short sword about a foot long in front of him, he frowned slightly, but did not move at all. Sure enough, when the tip of the sword was still some distance away from his chest, a hand suddenly stretched out from the side, and with five fingers together, it firmly grasped the sword. It was Ah Liu. Seeing this, Du Heng suddenly withdrew his hand and nodded to him with a smile.
"Dr. Zhang is really brave. I thought you would yell at me to kill you."
"I can't say I'm brave." Zhang Shou smiled and glanced at Ah Liu who was playing with the dagger. Then he said calmly, "I have a good helper who can plan ahead for everything. I'm used to trusting him in everything."
"I have long heard that your guard is a person that the emperor values. Today I see that you are indeed extraordinary. Dr. Zhang is so lucky."
Du Heng then turned his gaze to look at Ah Liu. Seeing that he didn't even look at him, he didn't get angry. He bowed his hands calmly and said, "I was wrong to rashly test him without telling you in advance. I'll apologize to you, Dr. Zhang, and I'll definitely have a drink to calm you down when we get to Cangzhou."
"No need to set up a banquet, it's just a small matter." Zhang Shou sneered in his heart, but shook his head and asked with interest, "I'm just curious, General Du, what is the reason for your sudden test? You can't be deliberately trying to give my Ah Liu a good sword, right?"
Ah Liu found Zhang Shou's words interesting, and finally couldn't help but look up, with a smile on his face. Du Heng couldn't help but look at this indifferent young man who seemed to care about nothing and suddenly smiled. Then he said nonchalantly: "This is what Eunuch Chu asked me to give to you, Dr. Zhang, when we set out. I was only thinking about our mission before, and forgot about it for a while."
"oh?"
Zhang Shou also became curious. He reached out and took the sword from Ah Liu, looked at it for a long time, and then laughed: "Seeing this sword reminds me of the blunt sword without an edge that Zheng Huai'en, the son of Prince Sihe, secretly sent to me. But compared to that sword, even if this one is not a divine weapon, it looks very sharp. But I am also confused about what Eunuch Chu meant by giving me the sword."
He paused, then said with some doubt: "Eunuch Chu and I have only met a few times. Although I went to the outer court of the Imperial Household Department to look for someone once, it was also for official business. What does he mean by giving me this sword? And why didn't he give it to me personally, but asked you, General Du, to pass it on? Oh, I see, General Du, you and Eunuch Chu have a good relationship!"
I didn't, don't talk nonsense!
Du Heng's momentary forgetfulness was just an excuse. When he heard Zhang Shou directly conclude that he and Chu Kuan were too close, he was immediately shocked and angry. Seeing Zhang Shou's confusion at first, and then suddenly realizing, his expression changed in an unusually real and pure way, he couldn't help but curse inwardly.
When he noticed that a few soldiers who had heard their conversation were looking around and whispering, he regretted it even more. He had been in the Sharp Cavalry Camp for too short a time and had not yet cultivated many confidants. Although he had managed to intimidate his subordinates with both soft and hard tactics, it was impossible to really make them act like one's own arm. It would be bad if people spread rumors about them. Thinking of this, he had no choice but to clear himself first.
"Eunuch Chu is the seal holder of the Imperial Household Department, and I am the commander of the left camp of the Ruiqi Battalion. We have only met twice, so there is no way we can talk about friendship. Alas, when he went to the Ruiqi Battalion to convey the emperor's will, he gave me this sword and asked me to pass it on to you. I was so busy that I left it in my luggage and forgot to give it to you immediately. I am really sorry!"
If he had known this earlier, he would have given the sword away and everything would have been fine. However, he was worried that the emperor might have given Zhang Shou some token in private, and Zhang Shou would seize his command of the Ruiqi Battalion on the road. He was also suspicious of the relationship between Chu Kuan and Zhang Shou, so he kept the sword in his hand on the pretext of being busy, and thought about it over and over again for a whole day. As a result, Zhang Shou pretended to be magnanimous, but at the same time gave him a blow!
But the biggest reason was that Chu Kuan really wanted him to give him the sword "by the way", and the tone of his voice was very casual, otherwise he would never dare to do so!
Seeing that Du Heng bowed and saluted very formally this time, Zhang Shou said calmly, "It's no problem, it's no problem." But he couldn't help laughing in his heart - you withhold the things that others ask you to pass on to me, and when you give it to me, you test me?
Haha, I'm sorry. After I said that, at best, some people might speculate that you, the general leading the Sharp Cavalry Battalion, are in collusion with the palace eunuchs. At worst, some people might speculate that you, the commander, secretly detained Chu Kuan... Of course, it could also be something that the emperor gave me privately!
After such a simple yet complex conversation, Du Heng hurriedly handed over a black leather scabbard with a plain style, and then quickly left Zhang Shou as if he were a vicious snake.
He has never been the kind of military commander who knows how to behave. The reason he became the commander of the Linhai Camp was, after all, because Zhang Chen reported the corruption in the Linhai Camp, and a lot of officials from top to bottom were fired. He had just been transferred to the new post and didn't know how to behave, so he had no chance to collude with others. Naturally, he got the opportunity to stand out because he didn't go along with the crowd.
Later, when he was sweeping away pirates, he demonstrated high tactical qualities, and was commended by the emperor. He was first appointed acting commander-in-chief and then the commander-in-chief. However, within two years of this good life, a mutiny broke out in the camp.
Even so, because the emperor liked him very much, he seemed to be demoted by half a level, but in fact he was admitted to the Ruiqi Battalion . But he knew in his heart that such praise could not be used as food, but this time he made a mistake because of a momentary thought! It was still a big mistake! Alas, Zhang Shou was a civil servant who had never been independent, so why should he worry about others seizing power?
As Du Heng hurried away, Ah Liu came forward. After seeing Zhang Shou put on the scabbard, he handed the dagger to him without saying anything. He took it with some surprise, but couldn't help asking, "Is it okay?"
"A sword is given to a hero. With the few moves I learned from you, it would be a waste to give me a good sword." Zhang Shou smiled and shrugged, then said indifferently, "Since Du Heng has tried to figure it out but couldn't come up with a solution, it's impossible to hide something in the scabbard or hilt, and Chu Kuan doesn't need to go to such trouble. In this case, it's very likely that he simply gave the sword to me."
"If I'm giving you a sword, then of course it's for you."
Ah Liu drew out the sword again and waved it a few times, then tested the weight. Then he sheathed the sword and put it into his sleeve. He nodded and said, "The length and weight are just right. It suits me very well."
Zhang Shou saw that Ah Liu was obviously very happy, and his mood, which had just been disturbed by Du Heng, could not help but become better. He immediately joked: "You have a bow and arrow for long-range combat and a short sword for close combat. You can be said to be good at both long-range and close-range combat, and you have no weaknesses. If I had known that you had this ability two years ago, I would have traveled all over the world to enjoy the beautiful rivers and mountains. Why would I be afraid of bandits and road bullies?"
Ah Liu didn't expect Zhang Shou to say this. After thinking for a while, he said seriously, "You can go later."
"Hahaha!" Zhang Shou burst into laughter. "You said it, I'll remember it! When we have some free time, we'll go travel around the world. Maybe we can write a travelogue that will go down in history. Of course, we won't learn from those guys who use postmen, servants, and women to carry sedan chairs when they travel around the world!"
Ah Liu certainly didn't know that Zhang Shou was casually mocking Xu Xiake, who took it for granted that public-funded tourism was exploiting farmers. But after hearing what he said, he nodded solemnly and said, "Who is that guy? I'll beat him up. If he's an official, Miss can beat him up later!"
You are such an honest boy!
Zhang Shou was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. He saw the officers and soldiers who had been eavesdropping on him fleeing away, clearly afraid of this evil star. He sighed and said, "There are countless people like this from ancient times to the present. You can never beat them all. Even if you and Yingying are powerful, if you beat one, others will applaud. If you beat two, others will remain silent. If you beat a bunch..."
He paused, and then said meaningfully: "Just like the chaos in Cangzhou, I'm afraid it will turn into a mess!"
Ah Liu didn't quite understand what Zhang Shou said. Why would beating up those bastards who disturbed and harmed the people eventually lead to unrest? But he was used to listening to whatever Zhang Shou said... As for doubt, that was absolutely impossible. Zhang Shou had never lied to him, so he always believed in Zhang Shou.
When he followed Zhang Shou silently and arrived at the gate of Cangzhou with the troops of the Ruiqi Battalion, he saw an unexpected scene. He saw a large group of people gathered at the gate of the city, more than a dozen of them knelt on the ground, tears streaming down their faces, and they were all complaining. He felt that it was familiar, and then he thought, wasn't that the scene of stopping the sedan chair of the imperial envoy to file a complaint that he had seen in the little play in Tingyu Cottage last time?
When Zhang Shou saw the city gate before, he calmly reined in his horse and walked a few steps slowly, gradually falling behind. He and Ah Liu were mixed in with the people in the Ruiqi Camp and seemed inconspicuous. When he came out this time, Zhu Ying insisted on bringing more people with him, and Ah Liu also said that there were still a few people available in Zhang Yuan, but he still chose to bring only Ah Liu with him because he was afraid of this kind of thing.
How could he hide himself so perfectly if he had to bring a large number of followers with him?
Du Heng inherited his father's position and has been an official all the way to the present. He has always been a military commander. This is the first time he has encountered a civilian stopping his horse to complain. He instinctively looked back, but found that Zhang Shou was hidden among his many subordinates and had no intention of showing up.
If he was worried about someone seizing power before, his headache now is that he has to face this tricky situation by himself!
After weighing the pros and cons, Du Heng took a deep breath and asked with a straight face, "General Mingwei has been ordered to take full charge of Cangzhou affairs. If you have any grievances, you can go and see him directly. Why are you stopping the horses here?"
He was famous for his fierce look. His eyes glared and his power was so frightening that the timid ones in front of the horse trembled and lowered their heads to the ground. But not everyone was as timid as a mouse. There was a brave one who knelt down and stepped forward and said loudly: "General Zhu captured the rebels and recovered the palace as soon as he arrived in Cangzhou, but he..."
He paused and said in tears, "But he captured Xu Xianzun directly, and then let those rebels move freely. Now the soldiers of the Sharp Cavalry Battalion he brought have surrounded the homes of good citizens like us, and no one is allowed to enter or leave without permission. We are really wronged!"
Du Heng's face suddenly became extremely strange. Although he and Zhu Tingfang were not very familiar with each other, Zhu Tingfang's achievements in the Northern Expedition had long been known to everyone. After the New Year, he was even impeached by the censor for being captured and losing the dignity of the state. As a result, before Zhao Guogong Zhu Jing could fight back, the emperor was furious, and no one dared to make trouble for a while.
Therefore, thinking that the emperor treated other maternal relatives only in a mediocre way, but treated Zhao Guogong's family very well, he instinctively attributed Zhu Tingfang's actions in Cangzhou to the emperor's will. Without thinking too much, he said with a straight face: "The Ruiqi Battalion was ordered to follow General Mingwei to clean up the chaos in Cangzhou. I only led the troops and didn't care about anything else!"
Hearing this, the people who were blocking the horses on the city wall had different reactions, but most of them were disappointed. Among the more onlookers, someone started to make a fuss, "They are indeed good citizens, but they are the richest good citizens in Cangzhou!"
Zhang Shou, who was among the soldiers behind Du Heng, had already had some suspicions when he heard these people's cries of injustice. When he heard the people around him shouting like this, he immediately knew what was going on. It turned out that the people who were crying out for injustice were not the spinners who had lost their jobs and their homes destroyed, and had to fight to the death , but the wealthy families who had once colluded with the eldest prince!
Although Du Heng didn't know the details, he suddenly understood what was going on when he heard the words "rich and honest people". He immediately waved his whip in the air impatiently and said, "I was wondering who it was, it turns out to be you who turned honest people! Well, I'm in a hurry to get into the city to meet up with General Mingwei, so I don't have time to talk to you. Make way, or don't blame me for being rude!"
When the people blocking the road saw Du Heng's gesture, seven or eight of his cavalrymen immediately rushed forward. Several timid people who were so scared that they lay on the ground and dared not move immediately ran away. However, the middle-aged man who had the audacity to accuse Zhu Tingfang just now took a deep breath.
He raised his head and shouted loudly, word by word: "Even if we did something wrong before, it was the eldest prince's order. Now he has put all the blame on Xu Xianzun and us, and even said that those rebels did not attack the Cangzhou Palace, but came to him to argue. It's ridiculous!"
"My biggest crime was listening to his instigation and killing innocent people. I believed him, the son of a dragon and the grandson of a phoenix! Since I am guilty, I will die today to atone for my crime... It's a pity that my parents are both dead, my wife died young, and my two innocent children are only eight years old!"
Having said that, he turned his wrist, suddenly took out a dagger, and stabbed it straight into the chest.
