Cutting over the end of the Ming Dynasty: a dog-leg knife at the beginning

Chapter 62 Invitation
Speaking of it, Yang Menglong hasn't slept in his kennel for a while, but his room is surprisingly clean and tidy, which makes people feel comfortable.When he ran out to deal with things, Xiao Yufang would clean the room for him and neatly fold the bedding that he had made a mess of. She seemed to have a cleanliness habit and could not tolerate any filth and mess in the small circle she lived in. , including friends' rooms.Yang Menglong dragged out two stools, pushed one in front of Lu Xiangsheng, and patted it with his hand: "Sit down. The county magistrate is so stingy that he only arranged such a big place for me, so I can only feel sorry for you." You are a magistrate." He ran to Xiao Yufang again, ordered two cups of tea, and gave Lu Xiangsheng a cup.

Lu Xiangsheng took a sip of tea, clicked his mouth, and said: "It's a very ordinary tea, but it's brewed very well. It reveals an elegant and sweet taste, which makes people feel peaceful. Good tea." Looking at the spotless room, “The room was also very clean.”

Yang Menglong chuckled, and said, "Stop flattering, just tell me, what can you do with me?" His tone seemed as if he was Lu Xiangsheng's boss, and he was asked to do something.

Lu Xiangsheng put down his teacup and bowed to Yang Menglong with a solemn expression.

Yang Menglong was taken aback: "What's the matter? Why are you giving me such a big gift?"

Lu Xiangsheng said: "Master Fang told me everything about Mr. Yang. Mr. Yang stepped forward in times of crisis. As a civilian, he first led the villagers in a bloody battle with the Jiannu Rangers, saving hundreds of lives. Then he escaped in the face of the battle. Zhang Qianhu led the county's soldiers and civilians to fight bravely against the enemy and defended the county, saving tens of thousands of people in the city from being poisoned. This bloody spirit is truly admirable! Lu's gift was performed on behalf of tens of thousands of people in the city. , thank you for saving so many people!"

He spoke seriously, and Yang Menglong couldn't help but become serious again. He saluted and said, "I am not as great as adults think. I just did what a man should do. I think as long as there is a little blood, anyone They won't stay out of it." He gritted his teeth: "I blame Zhang Qianhu, that idiot! The entire Qianhu Office has nearly a thousand troops, hundreds of servants and elite scouts. They are the essence of the entire Qianhu Office. He is so reckless. The lost ones fled the city with this batch of essence, ruined the most elite force in vain, and almost shook the morale of the army!"

Lu Xiangsheng said: "I have recorded what he did and reported it to the court. Even if he dies, this kind of villain who is greedy for life and afraid of death, his relatives will have to pay the price!" Turn: "Young Master Yang, Jianu has been wiped out now, Jianu's troops are limited, and it is unlikely that they will come to besiege the county again. You can say that you have retired. What are your plans for the future?"

Yang Menglong frowned: "What's the plan? I haven't figured it out yet!"

Lu Xiangsheng smiled and said: "In this campaign, our army wiped out the three cattle records of Jiannu, and captured more heads and captured more prisoners than Ningyuan's great victory. Your son has made great contributions to this battle, and he is brave and good at fighting. Appreciated by the court."

Yang Menglong got excited: "Yes, I have made a lot of contributions. I cut down two white armored soldiers of Jiannu alone, and killed a Niu Lu Ezhen of Jiannu. This credit replaces Zhang Qianhu. It should be enough to be the head of Wuyang Thousand Households, right?"

Lu Xiangsheng waved his hands and said, "No, no, no, my son is so brave and good at fighting. It's a waste of talent to be a thousand households in the guard! If you don't mind, you might as well come to our army. You and I will work together to drive out Jiannu , wouldn't it be better?"

Yang Menglong's eyes lit up.Lu Xiangsheng's name is not very famous now, he is just a magistrate, but after the siege of Beijing, he has a great reputation. In just a few years, he became the Optimus Prime of the Ming Dynasty, and his troops were also defeated He has compiled and trained the Tianxiong Army, which ranks among the top three, making the rogues terrified. It can be said that he himself and his troops are all potential stocks, and they are worth buying!He couldn't help but his heart moved, his eyes sparkled.But then he thought that in the winter of the 11th year of Chongzhen, Lu Xiangsheng and the Tianxiong Army he had devoted his life to had a tragic ending. Because Yang Sichang and Gao Qiqian played tricks behind their backs, the mighty Tianxiong Army was dismantled to pieces In the end, Lu Xiangsheng could only lead five or six thousand old, weak and remnant soldiers to fight against the elites of the Jiannu and Two Banners, and even the supply of food and grass was cut off, and they went to fight hungry, and finally all died in battle... Such an ending, thinking about it, shudders, he I don't want to be one of those five or six thousand corpses!
In fact, the root cause of Lu Xiangsheng's tragedy was that he had always been used as a firefighter by Chongzhen. He was transferred wherever a fire broke out. He fought hard and bloody battles, and never stopped to manage a territory properly. The supply of soldiers, grain and grass were all in the hands of the imperial court. A few bastards cut off the supply of food and grass when they got upset, so he could only starve.The most terrible thing is that whether he is intentional or unintentional, he is eventually involved in a power struggle. This is the most fatal for a pure person like him who can only understand everything from the bright side, so , he was defeated, defeated by his own people and Jiannu.If he could stop and take a break, spend a few years running Xuanda, and let his army have a certain amount of money and food reserves, his ending might not be so tragic.Thinking of this, Yang Menglong made up his mind. He couldn't make Lu Xiangsheng's mistake. Without a stable territory and a strong reserve of money and food, it was difficult to guarantee the combat effectiveness of the army. He should honestly find a way to manage a territory and save enough capital. talk later!Even if he couldn't fight on the battlefield and destroy the city, he could still help Lu Xiang get a promotion, right?Wuyang County, which has salt mines and iron ores, seems to be the best choice.

After thinking through this layer, he suddenly became enlightened, and said to Lu Xiangsheng: "My lord, thank you for your appreciation, but I can't join your army yet, and I will live up to your kindness."

Lu Xiangsheng frowned and asked, "Why?"

Yang Menglong said: "Because I promised the soldiers of the Wuyang Qianhu Station that their families would live a good life and let them walk across the Naihe Bridge without any worries! They are not soldiers at all, but a group of long-term Facing the menacing Jiannu, they instinctively wanted to run away and surrender, but because of what I said, they chose to fight the Jiannu to the end! The average army should collapse if the casualties exceed one , More than half of them were killed or injured, but they were still fighting to the death. To put it bluntly, they just wanted to use their lives in exchange for my promise to let their families live a better life! I can't let them down. Before the good days, I can’t go anywhere! So, Master Lu, if you really want to help me, please find a way to make me a thousand households of Wuyang Qianhu Office, please!”

Lu Xiangsheng remained silent, looking at Yang Menglong with eyes that seemed to be able to see through people's souls, and Yang Menglong looked at him calmly.After a while, he sighed leisurely: "There is no impurity in your eyes, and people instinctively choose to believe in your eyes. I have no doubt that you will fulfill your promise at all costs. I finally understand that a group of vulnerable guards Why did the soldiers fight so tenaciously? Even though more than half of them were killed or wounded, Jiannu could not capture the city wall because it was you who led them, not Zhang Qianhu." He drank all the tea in the cup, put it down, and rubbed his hands. , "Okay, just because of your sincerity and persistence, I want to help you."

Yang Menglong was overjoyed: "Master Xie Lu, Mr. Xie Lu!"

Lu Xiangsheng waved his hand and said, "You don't need to thank me. In fact, with your military achievements, as long as you open your mouth, the position of Qianhu in Wuyang is yours. But, Wuyang is really not a good place, don't you think about it again?" ?”

Yang Menglong shook his head: "Don't think about it anymore, I've thought about it long enough... Wuyang, and even Nanyang as a whole, as long as it's managed properly, it's hard not to be rich! Just wait, maybe in a few years, my lord will find you I borrowed money, hehe!"

Lu Xiangsheng laughed: "So confident? Then I'll have to wait and see! By the way, stop yelling at adults, just order casually."

Yang Menglong raised Erlang's legs immediately, and he was really not polite at all.

Lu Xiangsheng couldn't help laughing, cursed "Sit or not sit", and asked: "I will take people on the road the day after tomorrow and rush to the capital, do you want to go too?"

Yang Menglong scratched his head: "Going to Beijing? There are millions of troops gathered there. What use can I do by myself? I'll stay here and continue to guard the county, lest Jiannu kill him!"

Lu Xiangsheng groaned a little and nodded: "Alright, the county's defense force is so weak, it's always worrying. It's good for you to stay and guard for a while. I will help you guard the county with 1000 people, and bring the rest of the troops day and night. Go to Beijing, help defend the capital and also report victory to the imperial court, and the imperial court will definitely use you, so that the pearl will not be dusted."

The two talked for a while, and then the night got late. Lu Xiangsheng returned to the military camp to rest, and Yang Menglong also got into bed and fell asleep.The next day, Fang Yizhi and others held a big banquet to celebrate the success of Lu Xiangsheng, Yang Menglong and others, and at the same time to celebrate his own survival. Lu Xiangsheng really didn't like this kind of banquet, so he ate something casually, while Yang Menglong let his belly go wild. Eat and drink, and eat enough.

On the third day, Lu Xiangsheng politely refused the retention of the gentry, soldiers and civilians in the county. He took his men and horses and set off against the cold wind, and rushed to the capital day and night.This is not an act, they are really reluctant to let Lu Xiangsheng leave.Although his army is not a regular army, it is more bloody, braver, and well-disciplined than the regular army. With such an army, everyone feels at ease. If he leaves, what will they do if Jiannu comes back?Fortunately, Yang Menglong stayed, otherwise they would really have jumped into the well.

After sending you off for twenty miles, Lu Xiangsheng reined in the reins, bowed his hands to Fang Yizhi, and said: "I will send you off for thousands of miles, and I will have to say goodbye at the end. My lord, and all the folks, please go back. If there is a destiny, we will go back." See you here again."

Fang Yizhi took Lu Xiangsheng's hand, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Master Lu, you must take care of yourself! There are really not many people like you who are brave enough to do things!"

Lu Xiangsheng smiled freely and said, "My lord, I appreciate the prize." Then he cupped his hands to Yang Menglong: "Little General Yang, I'm leaving. The safety of the county is in your hands!"

Yang Menglong said: "Lord Lu, please rest assured, as long as I am alive, I will protect the safety of the wounded you left behind in the county!"

Lu Xiangsheng said: "You are a real man, I can trust you! I hope we still have the opportunity to fight the enemy side by side and gallop on the battlefield. We will meet again in the future!"

"There will be a period later!"

The two sides saluted and said goodbye to each other. Lu Xiangsheng lightly kicked the horse's belly. The white horse neighed and spread its hooves, chasing after the troops that had gone far like a bolt of white lightning. It was far away, and everyone stayed in the same place and looked forward until he disappeared at the end of the horizon.Xiao Yufang said to Yang Menglong in a low voice: "Lord Lu is a good official, and even a good person!"

Yang Menglong said: "Yes, he is a good man, but..."

Xiao Yufang asked: "Just what?"

Yang Menglong shook his head: "It's nothing... I won't let that kind of thing happen, never!" He glanced at the end of the horizon again, then turned around and strode towards the county seat.He was also full of reluctance. He and Lu Xiangsheng had only known each other for a few days, but they had formed an extremely deep friendship. A person who can let him talk freely and has so many common topics, subconsciously, he has already regarded that elegant and fair man as his elder brother.He really wanted to follow this elegant and gentle elder brother to the capital to see the turmoil there, but he couldn't because he knew very well that Lu Xiangsheng chose a one-way street, and once he took the first step, he couldn't turn back .In fact, he is also the same, but Lu Xiangsheng chose to face it calmly, while he chose to be a turtle.

Yes, he just wants to be a turtle.Living like Lu Xiangsheng is too tiring, too bitter, and there is no good outcome. For him, a rich second generation, it is simply a nightmare. Unless his brain is broken, he will desperately rush into the boiling crater of the capital!It’s better to honestly find a place to settle down, find a way to fulfill your promise, and earn a little money for yourself. The high-risk, low-return way of life where you fight with soldiers and iron horses on the battlefield is really not suitable for him. Don't make the same mistake as Lu Xiangsheng. Not only don't make the same mistake as him, but you also have to find a way to pull him out. He is a good person. God can't always let good people go without good rewards. It's not fair!

Yang Menglong and Lu Xiangsheng run in opposite directions. These two outstanding figures who will become famous all over the world in the near future separated like this and embarked on the paths of their own choices.Lu Xiangsheng chose to face the difficulties, while Yang Menglong was still confused and chose to find land to mine to make money. As for who is right and who is wrong, we can only leave it to time to prove.

(End of this chapter)