Delong

Chapter 541: Anchehang (10)

On the Tongguan Road, the wind was high and the clouds were light. Taoist Chonghe, carrying his package on his back, strode across the river. The waves that were moving in the opposite direction of his direction were like soft pads. Instead of being an obstacle, they helped him walk.

It seems that any master can do this kind of behavior, but it will inevitably be radiant and overflowing with true energy. However, for this Taoist in green, it is as if walking on flat ground, without any movement at all, as if a person is really walking on water.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, the world's top master suddenly stopped at the foot of Wangwu Mountain and stood on the river. A moment later, a beam of light flashed across and landed on the river in front of him. The person who came was Taoist Chonghe's best friend, the Great British Emperor Bai Hengqiu.

Unexpectedly, although the two had known each other for a long time and Taibai Peak was near Chang'an, and Chonghe went to Dongdu obviously to persuade them to surrender, when they met at this time, they were in a somewhat confrontational posture.

After a long while, Bai Hengqiu, still dressed in gorgeous clothes, spoke: "Brother Daoist, how about the trip to Dongdu?"

Chong He shook his head slowly: "Although he is a relic, he is also a living person, and an intelligent person. Now that he has seen through the secrets of heaven, he has become rebellious. How can we persuade him?"

"Does he know that he is a relic?" Bai Hengqiu's face changed slightly.

"Judging from his words, he should have known it a long time ago."

"But if he really has the intention to rebel, why would he still insist on defending Tianyuan? Isn't Tianyuan the place where he is destined to be disarmed?" Bai Hengqiu was puzzled again. "Wouldn't it be enough if he surrendered and left?"

"Because he has a stronger reactionary heart. He wants to sit here, with his weapons drawn, and wait to see who among you can put on his armor..."

"Isn't this just submitting to fate?"

"Because he feels that he has done nothing wrong, so why should he make armor for others?"

"The destiny is terrifying!" Bai Hengqiu shook his head and sighed. "It's really terrifying! Such a handsome and talented man, knowing clearly what was going on, still fell into it, and then felt that he was rebelling against the destiny!"

Chonghe folded his hands and said nothing.

After Bai Hengqiu finished sighing, he looked at the person in front of him again and remained silent for a long time.

After a while, Chonghe was still impatient: "Emperor Bai, you came to intercept me just to ask this?"

"Brother Taoist, this time you only went to the Eastern Capital and turned back, without going to Yecheng?" Bai Hengqiu asked calmly.

"I really didn't do that this time." Chong He said seriously. "The main reason was that I didn't think about the relationship between Trinity Church and the Dragon-killing Gang, and the war was imminent, so I was also worried that it would cause misunderstandings."

"Brother Dao, your cultivation level won't cause any misunderstanding, will it?" Bai Hengqiu sneered. "Didn't you go to Hebei many times in the past few years? They didn't even notice it."

"It's a different time now." Chong He was still serious. "After the Chulong Gang really deposed Tunfeng Jun, their momentum increased greatly. From the chief Zhang Xing to the ordinary white riders, their cultivation levels all made a splash. What's more, the Great Siming happened to be in Hebei at this time. His position is not comparable to that of the one in Huaixi. How can I be in charge?"

"Brother Daoist." Bai Hengqiu also said with a calm face. "You are in a difficult position alone, but if you and I are added together, who in this world can be in a difficult position? If Wei Erlang is added, the three of us will continue to be the same as before. Even if they set up the three platforms of Zhangshui, we can still conquer the world!"

"As always..." Chonghe was thinking for a long time. "Back then, the three of us traveled together, traversing the Bashu and Xiling Mountains, seeking the secrets of heaven and earth. But at that time, you were an idle Guanlong boy, I was a stupid Taoist priest who was not listed, and Wei Erlang was just a donkey peddler who only knew how to cross mountains and ridges. We had no ties and were afraid of anything. But what about now?"

"What about now?" Bai Hengqiu walked forward on the river with his hands behind his back. "Aren't Wei Erlang and I walking side by side now? The only missing person is you!"

"Old Bai, why do you have to avoid the truth?" Chonghe said seriously. "Wei Erlang now only wants the opportunity to become a Grandmaster, so it's natural for him to fight with you, but what about you and me? You are now against the luck of Guanlong, and I am against the luck of the Trinity Orthodox Church... Can we easily join forces?"

"I heard that Brother Dao meant that if I want to buy you, I have to buy the Trinity Church?" Bai Hengqiu was silent for a moment, then asked with some hesitation.

"It's not about buying the Trinity." Chonghe pointed to the sky solemnly. "It's about following the Three Glory! Or, to be more frank, I want to discard the so-called will of the Four Imperial Gods of the past and start over!"

Bai Hengqiu remained silent.

"Look, you know that God's will is changing, and the will of God was in your favor in the past, so you are reluctant to give it up. Is that right or wrong?" Chonghe couldn't help but sigh.

"Did Zhang Xing's Chulong Gang abandon the will of the Four Imperial Gods?" Bai Hengqiu suddenly asked. "Isn't he also reluctant to give up his identity as the one chosen by the Black Emperor? Isn't it because he got the Demon-Slaying Guards and the Northland prepared by the Black Emperor that he is so powerful this time? Besides, you and I both know that there may be some evil demon behind him!"

"We have to talk about this separately. I know that he has taken advantage of the Black Emperor, so I will not help him just because he named his country Ming." Chonghe was still solemn. "As for the evil and unorthodox, we all know that this matter is not that simple. We must not make a hasty conclusion. Who knows who is the real supreme being? In the end, we are talking about our own business. You also know my temper. It's ridiculous to use others as a pretext."

Bai Hengqiu smiled and said, "Brother Daoist, even if you have achieved great success and become the best person in the world, or a god on earth, you are still a Taoist priest after all, and you cannot let go of your own Taoist tradition."

"You are the same. You know so many things and have reached such a high level of cultivation, but you are still that kid from Guanlong, always thinking about the prosperity of your family, the court intrigues, and manipulating the world." Chong He did not retreat at all.

"So, we are still the same as we were back then? A Taoist priest for life, a noble son for life?" Bai Hengqiu thought about it and seemed to find it funny. "But why can't we travel together?"

Chong He was also a little distracted, but after a moment, he still made small talk and said, "In my opinion, even if someone wants to borrow the Swallowing Wind Terrace to build a tower, it's not Zhang Xing. He has high ambitions."

After saying this, as if he felt that he had fulfilled his obligations as a friend, he started straight ahead and walked past the other person on the waves.

At the moment when he turned behind the other party, Bai Hengqiu suddenly spoke again: "Brother Dao, have you ever thought that the world will be decided, it's either this or that. If the Trinity Orthodox Church cannot make a choice, no matter who wins in the future, they will all look at each other with disdain."

Chonghe stood with his back to the other party, then pointed to the sky proudly: "The three lights are flowing, unchanging from time immemorial. Whoever wins or loses, we must follow it. How can it be either this or that?"

Bai Hengqiu sighed, "Then let me ask Brother Dao one last thing. Although the Three Glories are eternal, you are the only one who can be the head of the Trinity Sect. Haven't you ever thought about making the glory even brighter in your hands? Besides, you hold that puppet in your hand, and your divination skills are unparalleled in the world..."

"It is because my divination skills are unparalleled that I know not to use puppets for this kind of divination." Chong He said solemnly. "Otherwise, it will definitely bring disaster, and the Orthodox Church will continue to waste time in my hands."

"But what about divination before wars throughout the ages?"

"That's formation divination, so it's done naturally... Do you want the old Taoist to help you?" Chong He continued to ask. "But to be honest, I have done human divination for Sima Erlang twice in Dongdu, and I have roughly guessed the result of this formation divination."

"If you put it that way, I guessed it." Bai Hengqiu turned around and smiled. "But I'd still like to trouble you to do the hard work for me."

Chonghe squatted on the water without saying a word, took out the wooden stick from the package, and threw it easily in front of the other party... As a result, the wooden stick fell on the waves below, rolled over, and actually sank to the river bank. Fortunately, the grandmaster was here, and he picked it up easily, threw it again, and it rolled and sank to the bottom again. After three throws, it floated on the water, took a shape, and then dispersed.

"The first two hexagrams are very clear, they are the hexagrams of Xian Shang Jiu." Chonghe picked up the wooden stick and explained seriously.

"I know that." Bai Hengqiu looked up at Wangwu Mountain and said, "There are high mountains and rivers below. If someone can sail them, they can cross them. The divination says: high mountains and big rivers cannot be conquered without sailing... This means that the situation of Dongdu is like a big mountain or a famous river. If you are not well prepared and sail carefully, you cannot pass through it. Therefore, you cannot conquer Dongdu in the first two times... Yes or no?"

Chong He was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "That's what I mean, but two or three may not be the exact number."

"This is natural, but did we eventually cross these mountains and rivers?" Bai Hengqiu continued to ask.

"The third hexagram is the image of the idle eighth. The so-called Chixiu Boguan means that the great king is not idle, and he can conquer the country and take over the family... Let's not talk about conquering the country and taking over the family. The meaning of Chixiu Boguan is exactly the image of entering the room." Chonghe explained seriously. "That is to say, after many careful and well-prepared attempts, the third time, you can enter the room, conquer the country, and take over the family!"

Bai Hengqiu looked up to the sky and sighed, "This is exactly what I thought... Sima Zheng is the remnant of destiny, and he also has the essence of the Wei Dynasty. In addition, the Chulong Gang's army is at his side. It is impossible for him to conquer Dongdu in one go. He must fight hard for many times. But he is destiny and cannot be violated, or the general trend is irreversible. Dongdu alone cannot resist the world, so it will be defeated sooner or later. If it were me, I would have to fight him countless times and fight hard for many times before I could win... Brother Dao, at my current point, I am only afraid of one thing, that is, the years are getting longer and I can't delay, so I have to act quickly and quickly to accomplish great things! This is a good omen, and a bad omen! But I accept it!"

Chonghe packed up his things and remained silent.

"Brother Taoist, if I become an insider in Dongdu and put on this armor, please come and lend a helping hand to me." Bai Hengqiu was extremely earnest.

Chonghe said nothing, picked up his bag and headed westward along the river. Bai Hengqiu watched him leave, but turned north to Wangwu Mountain and crossed the mountain into Jin.

After the two men left, Wangwu Mountain remained motionless and the water of the river continued to roll.

Following the direction of the water flow, all the way eastward, you will reach Bai Hengqiu's goal, which is also the place where Chonghe came from. It is called Dongdu, and is actually the center of the world. It is the natural capital of this world. But now, the last remnants of the Wei Dynasty, which should have disappeared, have gained a leader of extraordinary talent here.

Many people believe that even so, it will only make this battleground a little more difficult to fight for, because after the three expeditions and the Jiangdu military coup, the Wei Dynasty has completely lost its political appeal, and no matter how strong the military force of the Eastern Capital is, or how powerful the generals are, it is like a tree without roots and water without a source, and will be exhausted sooner or later; but many people believe that although Sima Zheng is poor, he is powerful and strong after all, and the Sima family has a strong influence in Guanlong. Correspondingly, although Bai Hengqiu took the lead, controlled Guanzhong and Bashu, and became the leader of Guanlong, he was older after all, and his only decent daughter left her. Once he has survived a few battles and Bai Hengqiu is exhausted, the Sima family may be able to replace him.

In fact, in the past few years that Sima Zheng has been in control of Dongdu, there has been a strong mobility of Guanlong figures between the two sides. It is normal for veteran masters like Yu Jieluo to take the opportunity to defect to the Bai family, which has a greater chance of winning, but there are also some frustrated young people from Guanlong families who go to Dongdu to work.

“Guanzhong may look aggressive, but in fact, all the troops are silent. It’s just that the emperor himself is a great master and he is suppressing everyone so that they dare not speak out.” That night, in the West Garden on the northwest side of the East Capital City, where the war mode was officially launched, a dinner was temporarily arranged to reward everyone for their hard work during the day. Sima Zheng presided over the dinner, and hundreds of civil and military officials were sitting below. The one who spoke at this time was a member of the Dou family, named Dou Liao, who came from the West Capital.

"Captain Dou's words make sense." Just as Dou Liao finished speaking, someone beside him spoke up. It was Xue Changxiong's eldest son Xue Wanlun. "My brother in the Western Capital often said that there were undercurrents, but no one dared to move... If that person was defeated in the Eastern Capital, the people below would definitely be more disunited. If they really get old and hurt, there will definitely be changes!"

As soon as he finished speaking, someone laughed out loud. It was Niu Fangsheng. "Minister Xue is right. But who among us in Guanlong didn't get pounced upon by hungry tigers when we were weak? Do you need to say that?"

Everyone laughed dryly, but after a while they couldn't suppress it and it turned into laughter. Even Sima Zheng, who was sitting in the host seat, and today's guest of honor Li Shu couldn't help it, and in the end everyone really burst into laughter.

After all, first of all, this matter is really funny. The typical jungle law within the Guanlong clan and the superficial skin, hundreds of years of chaos and the absurd demise of the Wei Dynasty's second generation are all full of a certain contradictory ridiculousness, especially these people themselves are in it; secondly, these people in Dongdu have lived an extremely depressed life in recent years... It's not just that Dongdu is the weakest and their military pressure is the greatest, but that, as children of Guanlong, they were born in the prosperous era of Wei and grew up during the collapse of Wei. Who wouldn't be tired and who wouldn't be overwhelmed by the current situation?
Everyone thought that the world would be peaceful, but then chaos struck them!

After laughing, Zhang Changxuan became more serious: "The Bai family has two problems right now... One is that Bai Sanniang is too outstanding, and she passed away. As a result, although Mr. Bai has many other children, none of them can be recognized by the upper and lower levels. What's more, the Bai family is rich and powerful, and the children of the side branches are divided into several houses and families. There must be heroes among them, and there will inevitably be internal strife like the previous families. The second is that the most trusted general and person in charge of the region is actually a person who had nothing to do with Guanlong before. The two sides can't get along, and they are suspicious for no reason."

"This is the truth."

"That being said, he is a Grand Master after all. The Emperor is also a Grand Master. As long as he is here, we will have peace and security."

"I didn't say I'm after him now."

"Let's hold on first!"

Everyone expressed their feelings and generally agreed with the previous analysis, but their words were vague, as if they still lacked confidence in the upcoming war... It was as if they wanted to express something but couldn't say it directly.

Moreover, everyone's eyes gradually focused on the person at the top. It was the middle of the month, with two moons setting simultaneously. In addition, many candles that could not be burned out from the Xiyuan storehouse were lit on the scene, so even people without any cultivation could clearly see the expression of the master of Dongdu.

Sima Zheng smiled. He certainly knew what these people were going to ask, and he was not going to hide it when the time came. But just as he was about to speak, his eyes swept across someone in the audience, and he couldn't help but be curious: "Mr. Li, what are you thinking about?"

Li Shu came back to his senses and couldn't help laughing: "You guys just kept saying that the Great Ying was in a state of total silence, and that Bai Hengqiu was suppressing it with his Grandmaster cultivation. I am also from Guanlong and helped the Zhong family rebel, so how can I not believe it? I just thought that it's not just the west that is in a state of total silence, the east is also in a state of total silence."

Everyone then became awed.

Sima Zheng also became interested: "What do you mean?"

"Zhang Xing is naturally inferior to Bai Hengqiu in terms of cultivation, not to mention his family background, but he has two methods that are unrivaled in the world. One is to build our gang's internal structure and mediate conflicts between the various factions; the other is to use personnel, strategies, and wins and losses to win people over at all times... The former is to make the entire gang revolve around him as the chief, which is why he wanted to suppress me in the first place, and the latter is to make people believe in him." Li Shu said seriously. "And his two abilities are so powerful that people think that the Chulong Gang is united, and some even think that the Chulong Gang's system is better than the old systems in the past."

"So, there is no unity within the Chulong Gang?" Sima Zheng narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Of course." Li Shu sighed. "The current situation of the Chulong Gang is actually supported by Zhang Xing alone... When he is here, the Chulong Gang is united from top to bottom, truly soaring into the clouds, like a real dragon rising. If he is not here, I'm afraid the personnel will fall apart... Let alone other things, Bai Sanniang and Li Silang, one in the south and one in the north, are actually all tied to Zhang Xing. They are the weights that Zhang Xing uses to suppress the Grand Secretariat. If Zhang Xing is not here for a day, will these two obey Xu Dalang or Xiong Tianwang, the new people elected by the Grand Secretariat? Or will the people of the Grand Secretariat obey them if they choose them?"

Many people present nodded, saying that what was said before was not clear enough and this example was enough to convince most people.

"Actually, this is nothing. Bai Sanniang and Li Silang will return to the Grand Secretariat after their respective posts, and several people in the Grand Secretariat will be replaced by then, so there won't be this trouble." Zhang Changxuan retorted half a sentence.

"Changing the commander at the last minute?" Niu Fangsheng sneered.

"We are talking about the present moment, after all, it is Chief Zhang's arrangements that are not yet complete, and there are big flaws now... but he is young after all, and he has enough time to fix it." Dou Liao also raised his glass and interrupted.

"It's not just these two people, there are also chaos within the Chulong Gang..." Li Shu laughed. "Hebei and Henan, Henan is divided into Xu Dalang's central faction and Shan Dalang's local faction, Hebei is divided into Dou Lide's righteous army faction and Chen Bin's surrender faction... To put it bluntly, this is another reason why Bai Sanniang and Li Silang can't integrate, because without these noble children from Guanlong, the remaining people are originally a motley crowd from Guandong."

"There are heroes in Guandong too." Xue Wanping, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up. "Otherwise, what is my father?"

"I've said it before, this is because Zhang Xing has brought these heroes together as one. If he's not here, these people will disperse and fight each other... Is this what Lord Li meant?" Niu Fangsheng asked, covering half of his face with a wine glass.

"Yes." Li Shu nodded slightly.

"We'll tell you when the time comes!" Sima Zheng sighed. "No one knows what happened on the battlefield... However, since I have reached the level of Grandmaster and have already built a tower, whether it's Bai Gong or Zhang Sanlang, there will always be a chance."

Everyone was shocked and then looked at each other.

After a while, Xue Wanlun spoke carefully: "Marshal, since you have built a tower as a master, you are more than capable of dealing with it. Why do you have to... have to be a grand master?"

It turned out that the matter was so unbelievable that many people suspected that this person was lying.

"Do you think I'm exaggerating?" Sima Zheng looked around and couldn't help laughing. "I'm not kidding you, I'm already a Grandmaster... But, this isn't entirely a good thing."

Everyone then believed it, and were both happy and worried... Obviously, they had misunderstood again, and just thought that the other party had used some method that damaged his foundation to forcibly improve his realm.

But it doesn't matter.

The war is about to begin, take up arms and fight against fate, that's all.

The double moons set, the sun rose, and a new day arrived. People in Yecheng still knew nothing about the specific information of the war, but this did not prevent the entire city from falling into a strange state - everyone was busy, preparing for the upcoming war, but the real final mobilization had never begun.

It's like a pot of water that keeps absorbing heat. It hasn't boiled yet, but it's already started to tumble.

The place that was constantly emitting heat at this time was the Wind Swallowing Platform.

It is said that Tunfengtai is next to Zhangshui, to the west of the palace. It was previously a military palace complex built by the Hebei government. In the Eastern Qi Dynasty, there were three of them, and they were called the Linzhang Three Terraces. It was just abandoned during the Wei Dynasty. The Chulong Gang began to repair it after taking over, but currently only the middle platform has been repaired and has a complete architectural system. In addition, the Chulong Gang had just deposed Tunfengjun, so it was renamed Tunfengtai.

The original site of Tunfengtai had a rammed earth platform more than ten feet high. Thanks to the efforts of Tabaiqi, it was further raised and expanded. Now it is a huge platform fifteen feet high, about one hundred and fifty steps from north to south, and more than one hundred steps from east to west, which is almost equivalent to a small city.

The core building on the platform is a rectangular hall that can accommodate hundreds of people, with side rooms on both sides. On the two sides outside, there is a circular lobby that can hold meetings with dozens of people. In addition, there are two rows of public houses with corridors on both sides of the platform without lobby, which belong to the Secretariat and the Military Affairs Department respectively.

These are just the buildings on the platform; the logistical facilities below are even more densely packed.

At noon on September 17, a bizarre thing happened: the three downhill entrances and exits of Tunfengtai were blocked!

"They are right. The next terrace needs to be used to store documents." Wei Xuanding was sweating profusely. He saw Zhang Xing signing documents from afar and came to complain. "Otherwise, where can we store so much paper? Chief, do you know that Cao, the chief steward, just told me that we are running out of paper and need to buy some on the market! There are so many places in Hebei that make paper, and we have many paper mills in our gang. Now we are actually short of paper. It's ridiculous!"

Zhang Xing said calmly without even raising his head, "Once the war starts, we will ride on the white cavalry to fight. I'm afraid this rammed earth platform won't be able to be built? And if we seize the Eastern Capital, it's hard to say whether we still need to continue to build the remaining two platforms here... As for the paper, it's a good thing that there's not enough paper. It means that the Grand Administration has a more detailed control over the local area. What's so funny about that?"

Wei Xuanding did not continue with these nonsense topics. He walked over and handed over a stack of papers: "Manager Zhang and others have drawn up the ranking of this year's Jinshi. There are many people this year, so only one out of three will be chosen...Manager Chen and others and I will take a look at them one by one. Please make the final ranking."

Zhang Xing took it, flipped through it, and asked seriously, "Who changed whose ranking?"

"There are no major changes this time. The main ones are two people... Li Yishu and Liu Renzhe. Both of them are very outstanding. Chief Steward Chen took a fancy to Li Yishu's identity as the son of a Hebei official and wanted to appoint him as a confidential clerk. Chief Steward Xu took a fancy to Liu Renzhe's background in Yingchuan and wanted to appoint him as his confidential military officer." Wei Xuanding said seriously.

"Then we should each go our own way and not interfere with each other, right?"

"Indeed, but the chief has to nominate the first one..." Wei Xuanding urged.

Zhang Xing was speechless. After thinking for a while, he looked at the list and found that the third person was surnamed Cui. He asked, "Which family is this Cui Dunyi from? Qinghe or Boling?"

"He is from Boling." Wei Xuanding answered immediately. "His father and I studied and practiced together under the princes... His father didn't come this time, but he did. His writing is very well-balanced, and so is his personality, just like his father when he was young."

"Then let's do this one." Zhang Xing drew a circle on the third place. "We can't discriminate against people just because they are from aristocratic families. Our Chulong Gang is tolerant and generous."

Wei Xuanding was speechless, but had to nod. After waiting for the other party to look at the list again and hand it back, he hurried away.

Zhang Xing also continued to bury himself in the pile of documents.

There is no way, this is inevitable before the war comes. If the war really starts, there will not be so many documents, but it has not started yet, right? Therefore, Zhang Xing must review the various plans of Wang Yi's army and communicate directly with hundreds of leaders, either to appease or encourage them, not to mention the logistical issues such as food, military uniforms, and livestock.

On the second day, the situation in Yecheng further heated up as the troops began to gather.

Zhang Xing and others also became busier. They all went down to the army to inspect, including a new batch of Jinshi. Almost all of them were assigned to various armies and took up a simple and rough job - clerical adjutant of each camp.

This matter was controversial, because some people suggested that the suspicion of these new Jinshi being spies could not be ruled out, but Zhang Xing finally decided to demote this group of Jinshi… because a spy needs to first pass the Jinshi exam of the Chulong Gang in a ratio of one in three, and then use the possible bright future of the Chulong Gang, but in the end he only gets the general movement of a battalion, and he doesn't know whether he can contact them… This is too much of a loss!

Xu Shiying and others also agreed. If there really is a spy, it would depend on the course of the war. It goes without saying that if the war is won or lost, even if it is a stalemate, the spy would have to lurk to the end and see if he can get into the house. But if he really gets to the point of getting into the house, who would still be a spy?

However, despite this, there was still no definite news about the war until September 20th. However, the scouts kept reporting that the Eastern Capital had been evacuating officials and civilians from Henei and inspecting the three cities of Heyang for several days. This almost explicit and expected direction of the troops made people even more upset.

However, that was all. That night, countless scouts came from the direction of Henei and Ji County. Soon, scouts also responded from the direction of Wuan Xingtai. The news was clear: Bai Hengqiu had moved!

On the evening of that day, the British Emperor personally led a large army out of Wangwu Mountain, passed through Chen Pass, entered Henei, and would be able to attack Heyang City the next day.

The number of troops is currently unknown, but it is said that there are 200,000. The well-prepared Chulong Gang scouts encountered the British scouts and Hanoi refugees who were unwilling to evacuate before and were now fleeing their homes in panic in almost the entire Hanoi.

After receiving the news, the top leaders of the Chulong Gang were originally preparing to go to Tunfengtai, but they were stopped by people led by Qin Bao at the foot of Tunfengtai. They were asked to immediately turn to Guanfengyuan where Zhang Xing lived. As for the rest, they were to go back and rest and not spread the military information.

Everyone naturally realized that Bai Hengqiu would not be able to reach Yecheng in the middle of the night, and the front-line troops had already entered a state of combat readiness. Making a mess at this time would only cause unrest among the people, so they all did as they were told.

So-called leader, there were only five people, Xiong Boyan, Wei Xuanding, Chen Bin, Xu Shiying and Chai Xiaohe. They rushed to Guanfeng Courtyard one by one and went up to the Guanfeng building. Sure enough, they saw Zhang Xing in casual clothes in the pavilion upstairs. At this time, the other five people were all in military uniforms, and everyone except Xiong Boyan was carrying a sword.

The custom of wearing swords was formed after Zhang Xing bestowed swords on people.

Seeing the five people sitting down together, Zhang Xing first told them something that was expected: "I have ordered the blockade of the outer city, inner city, palace city, and Linzhang three platforms. Everyone must wait until dawn and do not make any noise to cause unrest in the city. Only the six of us will make the general plan first."

Everyone nodded, and Wei Xuanding agreed: "That's true. Yecheng has a large population, especially merchants, and the outer city is not well protected. If someone panics and flees, it will cause a big joke."

Zhang Xing nodded, and then continued: "I have a few wartime arrangements here. Do you have anything to say? Speak quickly, don't hesitate."

The five of them looked at each other. Xu Shiying held his knees and asked first, "Then according to the plan, will we start the military parade from the East City Parade Ground tomorrow?"

"Yes." Zhang Xing nodded immediately.

"Will we send out thirty battalions first?" Xu Shiying continued to ask. "Will we send out ten battalions from Yecheng before noon that day?"

"Correct."

"Is that enough?" Chen Bin suddenly interrupted. "Bai Hengqiu claims to have 200,000..."

"Da Ying certainly has 200,000 troops, but Hanoi is an area that comes from Chenguan. If Heyang City is not taken, he can only send 100,000 or even 60,000 or 70,000 troops at most." It was Chai Xiaohe who explained seriously. "In fact, our 30 battalions are not without follow-up. With the support of 20 battalions in Henan and 40 reserve battalions in the north and south, the troops are definitely enough..."

"That's right. If a real fight breaks out, it would be incredible if we could deploy 50,000 or 60,000 troops at the key points of the front line." Zhang Xing also added. "The strategy we decided on earlier was well thought out. The so-called 200,000 troops there will not change the overall situation."

Chen Bin nodded, but he was still a little uneasy.

"Don't blame Chen Zongguan. Chen Zongguan has also been in the army for a long time. How could he not know military affairs?" Wei Xuanding said solemnly. "It's just that Yecheng is right here... If we don't deploy troops in front of Yecheng, we will always feel uneasy."

"Then I'll be frank." Zhang Xing responded without hesitation. "First of all, this military deployment will not affect Yecheng. From a strategic point of view, Bai Hengqiu still wants to take Dongdu. It is unlikely that he will go beyond Dongdu to take Yecheng. If it really comes to that, we will try our best to protect Yecheng. However, Yecheng is only a city after all. This kind of war is fought on people, so if there is any carelessness, then Yecheng is not a big deal. We can use two or three years to build Yecheng like this, and naturally we can build it again!"

Wei Xuanding pursed his lips, seeming to want to say something but stopped himself.

"We must do our best to protect Yecheng." Xiong Boyan finally spoke up when he saw this. "Because Yecheng is our capital after all, we can't just abandon it. The chief is just exaggerating... Lord Wei, when the time comes, I will naturally build a tower with the Swallowing Wind Terrace."

"The king should try to display his skills at the front line." Wei Xuanding waved his hands repeatedly as if he was a little weak. "I understand the reason, but I can't tell the difference between the important and the unimportant."

Everyone was silent.

Zhang Xing waited for a while, looked up at the two moons that were still half round, and then looked at the people in front of him: "So, you guys don't have anything to say, actually?"

They remained silent. After all, with so many preparations and plans made before, it would be strange if they came up with any sudden ideas.

"In fact, I have never thought of abandoning Yecheng. Just now, as the Heavenly King said, it was the extreme." Zhang Xing smiled. "Otherwise, I would not have asked you to make the following arrangements at this time... Everyone, I have a few things to do while the war is going on, and I have been holding back until now."

Several people regained their spirits.

"The first thing is to mint coins." Zhang Xing took out a copper coin from his pocket and threw it on the table at one side. "For a long time, we have been using the money of the Great Wei. After all, the Great Wei has kept so many reserves, so there is no reason not to use it... However, at this point, our Chulong Gang's territory has been stabilized, and the mineral resources have been acquired. We should mint our own coins, which is not only to make profits, but also a means to make the Daming and Chulong Gang deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. However, the money of the Great Wei is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. If we change it on weekdays, it may cause trouble."

Everyone suddenly realized. Chen Bin, Wei Xuanding and Chai Xiaohe couldn't help but slap their thighs after Zhang Xing said the first sentence - this matter should have been done long ago, but it was delayed in the past six months due to Zhang Xing's river repairs and war preparations.

Naturally, no one had any objections.

Zhang Xing nodded and reiterated his attitude: "We should take our time and use the new money through military supplies and military affairs. From the rear to the front, from military supplies to civilian use, we should prepare enough old money and military supplies. There is no need to rush."

Having said that, Chen, Wei, and Chai just nodded hurriedly.

"The second thing is to set up the Censorate." Zhang Xing continued, but the five people present were all stunned.

Zhang Xing sighed: "Our gang seems to be going smoothly, but in fact it is based on the continuous victory in the previous battles, expansion, and mutual support. But we can't just rely on this in the future. We need rules and methods... You also know my habit. I like to take advantage of the situation and save energy... So I thought that now that we are fighting, we should raise the banner of strict military discipline and gang rules. The Gang Affairs Department, the Military Affairs Department, and the Criminal Law Department will work together to separate the supervision regulations from the affairs, and after the war, they will be unified under the Censorate."

Chen Bin hesitated for a moment: "How about Jing'an Terrace?"

"In the future, when the world is peaceful, the Jing'antai will be responsible for suppressing civil strife, monitoring unstable places such as practitioners, clans, and gangs outside the gang, and will also be responsible for military intelligence and espionage; while the Yushitai will monitor the illegality and immorality of those in power within the gang and the country... In essence, the Criminal Law Department is the foundation, but there are some places that they cannot control or cannot reach, so these two departments are set up." Zhang Xing said seriously. "Of course, if someone in the gang really connects with a gang and wants to rebel, the three parties will definitely attack together, and the scale will also depend on the size of the case, so the leader will conduct a joint trial."

"Then let's do it!" After a long pause, Xiong Boyan said in a muffled voice. "To be honest, while the chief and us are alive, we can do whatever we want, but we have to think about the future of the Chulong Gang after we are gone... It's not just the chief, Dou Longtou mentioned this kind of thing when he came back, and many brothers have mentioned it, and some people are thinking about it in their hearts without saying anything... According to the chief, even if we don't expect to live forever, we have to do this."

"Then do it!" Chen Bin suddenly stood up and stamped his feet. "If the chief is willing to do it, what can we do? But the chief must promise us that when the agreed date is reached in three years, you must sit on the throne of the king!"

"Of course." Zhang Xing stood up and replied. "I will never break my promise."

Xiong Bonan and the others also stood up, and finally Wei Xuanding also stood up slowly under the gaze of everyone, but sneered: "Since the Chief and Chen Zongguan said so, I have to put forward a condition."

"You say." Everyone was inevitably surprised and suspicious, but Zhang Xing knew the other party's temper and laughed instead.

"Yecheng has become a mess after its expansion. Prostitutes, which were banned before, are gradually rampant again, and most of them are disguised as dancers, female musicians, and even cooks and nuns. I want to use military law to clean up Yecheng!" Wei Xuanding said proudly.

Everyone felt relieved and even found it a little funny.

Zhang Xing, on the other hand, said as always: "You can clean up Handan and Liyang at the same time!"

"Okay!" Wei Xuanding nodded. "Then I have nothing to say, let's start the battle!"

Zhang Xing nodded and waved his hand, signaling them to leave, and they really left to rest.

At dawn the next day, because the patrols and information were controlled, there was no reaction in Yecheng at first. But soon, as the morning went on, the soldiers began to clear the streets, and countless middle and high-level officials from the Chulong Gang from top to bottom swarmed out to the east gate, and notices were posted all over the bulletin boards. Even the most ignorant people knew that Britain was invading Hanoi, and the Ming Dynasty would take the initiative to declare war in order to unify the world.

That’s right, the notice did not say anything about going to support the Eastern Capital, but it directly told everyone that the world was in turmoil, and the Ming Dynasty had to fight for the world itself and prevent Britain from gaining the world.

In the morning, the ten battalions that were to set off first had gathered outside the parade ground. They were the battalions of Wang Shuyong, Liu Heiqi, Wang Xiongdan, Kan Leng, Xiahou Ningyuan, Ding Shengying, Liang Jiading, Cao Chen, Han Erlang, and Jia Runshi.

Countless Yecheng citizens had already left the city to watch, and gathered only on the east side of the parade ground and on both sides of the north-south official roads. According to the notice, the Chulong Army would go directly to the front line after the military parade.

"We are about to set out. Chief, do you want to say a few words?" Chen Bin asked on the stage.

"Then say a few words!" Zhang Xing, who was wearing black armor and a red cape, holding a curved sword at his waist and riding on a yellow horse, immediately agreed, and the next sentence was filled with his true energy and shook the sky. "Brothers, I am Zhang Xing, the chief of the Chulong Gang! Now I have a few words to say to you!"

The sound, wrapped in true energy, quickly resounded throughout the entire parade ground, but the noise below did not stop immediately.

"I and everyone in the Grand Council have never doubted whether you are good at fighting, and we have never doubted whether you dare to fight! But at the end of the war, we have to figure out one thing, and that is why we are fighting, right?" Zhang Xing ignored the reactions below and continued as if he was chatting.

"Brothers, everyone has seen the notice we posted in the military camp this morning. Those who haven't seen it must have been told by someone. It clearly states that we want to fight for the whole world, but why should we fight for the whole world? Can't we just stay in Hebei, the north, the east, and Huaibei and live a peaceful life? Didn't we live happily for the past six months?

"The reason is very simple. If we don't fight for the world, the world will be taken by others, such as Great Britain! But we still have to ask, what if Great Britain takes over the world? By then, you leaders and chieftains will not be able to serve as officials, so can't we still go home and farm? Isn't it still equal distribution of land?

"Brothers, this is not the case, this is not the case!"

When the words reached this point, the sound was as deafening as thunder, and the large parade ground, which had already been shaken by the magical volume, was now even more silent, with everyone on alert.

"Let me tell you what will happen if Great Britain takes over the world!" Zhang Xing said so confidently that the surrounding Chulong Gang leaders were completely attracted. "If Great Britain takes over the world, they will tear down Yecheng again!"

The soldiers and the people around were all laughing because this was the truth that could be traced back. Of course, they would demolish Yecheng again! The high-ranking officials of the Chulong Gang on the stage, including some people who knew the situation, laughed out loud... After all, they thought that Chief Zhang would say something earth-shattering. Compared with the gains and losses in the world, demolishing a city was nothing.

"If the British conquer the world, the women in Handan can only become female musicians!" Zhang Xing continued, but he was a little slow. "If the British conquer the world, if you want to be an official, you can only go to those Guanlong nobles, flatter the playboys among them, be humble and humble, and then you will never be able to enter the palace for the rest of your life."

Now, those smart people can't laugh anymore.

"If Great Britain conquers the world, your children, brothers and sisters who have built the foundation will be sent to the border areas and Guanzhong and will never be able to return home until they die of old age.

“When Great Britain conquers the world, you will have to build a palace again.

"If Britain takes over the world, your taxes will flow into their government warehouses like water, and then rot there, with no one paying attention to them." Zhang Xing said one sentence after another, and gradually, no one inside or outside the surrounding area talked or laughed anymore.

On the contrary, Zhang Xing suddenly smiled frivolously at this time, and raised his hand and pointed to the southeast:
"Daying has taken over the world, brothers, even Lishan and the others will be torn apart!"

The military formation below roared again.

"But what if we conquer the world? Will we tear down Mangshan?" Zhang Xing changed his tone. "I tell you, no! We will not tear down Mangshan, nor will we discriminate against Guanlong people to be officials, and we will not let Guanlong people come to Yecheng to build palaces. On the contrary, we will collect their bones and build canals for them in Guanzhong! We will help them burn their high-interest debts and ban prostitutes! We will also recruit the best among them into the gang and rule the world together!
"Brothers, our Ming Dynasty and Great Britain are not the same thing. It's not a fight between two families! They don't deserve it! Our Ming Dynasty and the Dragon Destroying Gang are stronger, more civilized, and more in line with the Way of Heaven than them!
"Brothers, when we fight for the world, we are not fighting against them. We fight for the world against ourselves! However, we must always eliminate those traitors who do not know the will of heaven and the way of heaven and yet covet the world!
"You are not going there simply to fight, or to kill people or fight for land. You are doing a great deed that is second to none in the world! You will bring a new world of heaven to this world!
"So let's go! Take up arms and fight for our destiny!"

Wang Shuyong, who had been preparing for a long time, was stunned for a few breaths before he rode his horse and strode forward, leading his battalion of soldiers to set off, causing the surrounding people in Yecheng to cheer and shout.

The second person in line was Liu Heiqiu. He watched Wang Shuyong's battalion set off until his own departure, but he was still in a daze amid the cheers of the people of Yecheng... He had been in a daze since the beginning.

The reason is very simple. Liu Heiyu always thought that he was a smart man. From striving for the military organization of the so-called Hebei Volunteer Army to taking his bride to the river bank to find Chief Zhang, he always knew what role he played... He didn't care, because he always knew what he wanted. He was just a Qinghe rascal who only knew how to fight. He had to lead troops to fight, and only then could he feel comfortable.

In this regard, when the war broke out and he was able to lead a cluster of troops to set off in his most ideal condition as he wished, he was so impressed with his own operations over the past six months.

He felt that it was all worth it, and he thought those who laughed at him were ridiculous.

But just now, when he listened to Chief Zhang's words, which he thought he would only shout outwardly but didn't care about at all inwardly, he found that he was still shocked... It was not about climbing Mount Lishan that Wang Shuyong and others cared about, but the words "the world's first-class achievement"!

What you want to do is to achieve the best achievements in the world, rather than killing people for land?

Liu Heiyu walked for a long time and led his army across Hanling Mountain before he gave up the idea and focused on military affairs.

PS: Ji Cha's new book is on the shelves! Go! Beat him up! "Mountain and River Festival"