The rules of backgammon are easy to understand. Zhang Yangquan only said them once and Liu Bowen understood them.
You two come down and I get up.
Zhang Yangquan bullied Liu Bowen as a novice and won ten games in a row. He felt relieved and said with a smile: "Mr. Liu, it's getting late. You should go home and rest."
Liu Bowen smiled slightly, stood up, cupped his hands and said, "That minister has resigned."
Unlike other officials, Liu Bowen did not like to ride in a carriage and preferred to ride a donkey when traveling.
He led the donkey away from the palace, mounted it, and slowly returned to his mansion.
When I arrived at the door of my house, I knocked on the door. The old housekeeper opened the door and said with a smile: "Master, we have a visitor. We are waiting for you in the study."
Liu Bowen said displeased: "How many times have I told you, when guests come, just say I'm not here, don't lure them home!"
The old housekeeper said: "Master, it is Mr. Song who is here!"
Liu Bowen said in surprise: "Song Lian?"
The old housekeeper nodded.
Liu Bowen was so happy that he threw the reins of the donkey to the housekeeper and ran quickly towards the study.
With a "bang", the study door was pushed open, and a middle-aged scribe was seen standing in front of the bookshelf, reading the books on the shelf!
When the scribe heard the noise, he turned around, pointed at him, and said with a slight smile: "Liu Ji, Liu Ji, you finally became an official!"
Liu Bowen laughed loudly and said: "If the people of the world can live and work in peace and contentment, what's the harm in becoming an official?"
The scribe raised his eyebrows and said: "It seems that you have a high opinion of this King of Chu! That's right. I heard that King Chu often invites you to play chess in the palace's bedroom. It seems that you two are compatible with each other!" p>
Liu Bowen said seriously: "Song Lian, the King of Chu is broad-minded and kind, and the princess is also a rare and wonderful woman in the world. Since you have come to Jiangdu, why not join me to assist the King of Chu!"
Song Lian smiled and said: "Wait a little longer, my book is not finished yet, and I also want to observe King Chu again."
Liu Bowen didn't force himself. He pulled Song Lian to sit down and asked, "The last time I heard about you, I heard it from Ye Chen. He said you were writing books in Xianhua Mountain."
Song Lian sighed: "Yeah, but unfortunately not long after I stayed, Fang Guozhen's gang of pirates came over, so I had to move to Hangzhou."
Liu Bowen smiled and said: "Hangzhou is not stable, right?"
"No! Not long after we lived there, Xiang Pulue attacked and I hid in Huzhou. Not long ago, the Jiangdu Army captured Huzhou. I heard that you were serving as an official in the Jiangdu Army, so I came over to see you and take a look at the weather of the Jiangdu Army.
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Liu Bowen nodded and said: "You can live in my house from now on. This house is just for me and the old housekeeper. It's very deserted."
Song Lian smiled and said: "The King of Chu values you so much, why doesn't he send you more servants?"
Liu Bowen waved his hand and said: "I am less than fifty years old, I have hands and feet, why should I need others to serve me?"
Song Lian smiled and said: "You still have the same stubborn temper, but having said that, since you have become an official, you'd better be more careful, as you can easily offend others!"
Liu Bowen frowned and said: "I live my own life, what does it have to do with others?"
Song Lian said: "They all travel in carriages and horses, and their servants line up. If you are so simple, doesn't it make them look luxurious? They will think that you are not the same as them, which will make them embarrassed, and they will not think of ways to exclude you!"
”
Liu Bowen said calmly: "When I conquer the world, I will retire to the mountains and forests and let them crowd me out."
Suddenly hearing the sound of footsteps, the old housekeeper knocked on the door and came in. He stood at the door and said, "Master, there is a Mr. Li outside who wants to see you!"
Liu Bowen frowned and said, "What's it called?"
"Li Shanchang!"
Liu Bowen was startled, looking thoughtful.
Song Lian suddenly said: "This Li Shanchang, isn't he the same Li Shanchang who took the provincial examination in Jiqing?"
Liu Bowen nodded and said, "That's him. This person is serving as an official under Zhu Yuanzhang."
Song Lian clapped his hands and said with a smile: "We had a drink together back then, but it was a pity that he failed the provincial examination. Now that we are together again, why not call him in for a chat?"
Liu Bowen pondered for a while and said, "Brother Song, does he know the situation of Tianwan Army in Jiangxi?"
Song Lian said: "On the way to Jiangdu, I heard something on the boat. It seemed that Tianwan's army had recaptured Qizhou and Anqing!"
Liu Bowen said: "Yes, and after capturing Anqing, Tianwan's army launched a massive attack on Zhu Yuanzhang's inaction!"
Song Lian said blankly: "Aren't they all rebels? Why are they killing each other?"
"Brother Song didn't know that Wuwei was originally the territory of Tianwan's army. Zhu Yuanzhang plotted against Zhao Pusheng and then captured Wuwei, so the two armies were in conflict!"
Song Lian twisted his beard and said: "I heard that Zhu Yuanzhang and Guo Zixing have very little power. I'm afraid they are no match for Tian Wanjun!"
Liu Bowen nodded: "There is indeed a huge difference in strength between the two families, but the 50,000 troops that Tianwan's army attacked for the first time were repelled by Zhu Yuanzhang!"
Song Lian said with emotion: "Twenty thousand people can repel fifty thousand people. This is not easy!"
Liu Bowen said: "Although he won, Zhu Yuanzhang suffered a heavy loss. A few days ago, there was news that Xu Shouhui personally led an army of 100,000 to attack Wuwei. Zhu Yuanzhang is afraid that this time it will be more misfortune than good!"
Song Lian's eyes flashed and he said: "Li Shanchang comes to you now. Could it be that he wants to persuade the King of Chu through you to let Jiangdu Army send troops to rescue him?"
Liu Bowen said: "That's probably why he came here, so I can't see him!"
Song Lian touched his beard and said calmly: "He may also see that Zhu Yuanzhang is weak, so he wants to switch to Jiangdu Army and asks you to introduce him!"
Liu Bowen said: "Then I will never see him again!"
Song Lian smiled and said: "Then let's not talk about him. Take a look at the poems and essays you have recently written. Let me see if Brother Liu has another good work!"
Outside the Liu Mansion, the sky was pitch black.
Li Shanchang stood at the foot of the stone steps with his hands behind his hands, waiting silently for a long time. Suddenly he heard a creaking sound, and the old housekeeper stuck his head out and said, "Mr. Li, my master has taken a rest. Please come back!"
Li Shanchang looked up to the sky and sighed, stared at the plaque of Liu's house twice, turned around and strode away.
He returned all the way to Guanyi, crossed the courtyard, and came to a room in the west courtyard. The three people waiting in the room immediately looked at him.
"How is it? Mr. Li, will Liu Bowen agree to advise the King of Chu on our behalf?" Hua Yun was the one who spoke. Besides him, the other two people were Guo Tianxu and Zhang Tianyou.
Li Shanchang sat down on a chair, poured a cup of tea and drank it.
"He didn't see me."
Guo Tianxu snorted and said, "Didn't you say you knew Liu Bowen?"
Li Shanchang said in a deep voice: "He must have guessed my purpose of coming, so he refused to see me!"
Hua Yun said angrily: "Guo Niansheng is missing, Lu Liangzuo is missing, and now Liu Bowen is missing too. I think these Jiangdu officials hope that we will be destroyed by Tianwan's army!"
Zhang Tianyou glanced at him sideways and said: "Who can blame this? When we were trapped in Haozhou, Jiangdu's army came non-stop to rescue us, but Vice Marshal Zhu turned around and robbed Chuzhou!"
Guo Tianxu said in a strange tone: "Uncle, why are you telling him this? During the Battle of Haozhou, General Hua was still plowing the fields in his hometown!"
Hua Yun said angrily: "Our army is in a critical situation. You don't think about countermeasures, but you are here to run against me. What does this mean!"
Zhang Tianyou snorted coldly: "It's not our army, but your army. Now this army has changed its surname to Zhu. What does it have to do with us? Tianxu, let's go!"
Left the room with Guo Tianxu.
Hua Yun gritted his teeth and said: "Mr. Li, you have seen it, these two bastards are probably going to join the Jiangdu Army!"
Li Shanchang was silent for a while and said: "Now that Wuwei is surrounded, our soldiers are panicked. They are already at odds with the deputy commander and want to find another way out. It is not surprising!"
Hua Yun stared at Li Shanchang and said: "Mr. Li, you don't know how to..."
"Bastard, since I followed the deputy commander in Chuzhou, have I ever had a different intention!" Li Shanchang interrupted angrily and left with a flourish.
Early the next morning, Zhang Tianyou and Guo Tianxu left the post house together and went to Zhao Mansion to ask to see Zhao Desheng.
The housekeeper of Zhao Mansion opened the door and after learning the purpose of their visit, he said: "My general went out early in the morning!"
Zhang Tianyou hurriedly asked: "Do you know where you are going?"
The housekeeper said he didn't know, then closed the door with a bang.
Guo Tianxu asked anxiously: "Uncle, what should I do? Apart from General Zhao, do you know any other generals in Jiangdu City?"
Zhang Tianyou smiled bitterly and said: "I've met quite a few officials, but most of them only have a one-time relationship. We are now in a desperate situation and come to invest, so I'm afraid they won't take kindly to us!"
Guo Tianxu said frustrated: "What should we do?"
Zhang Tianyou said: "Let's have something to eat first, and come back to General Zhao in the evening to try!"
Guo Tianxu had no choice but to agree.
The two left Liyuan Street and found a Hu Cake stall on Minghu Street. When they were about to buy four Hu Cake, a person suddenly ran from a distance.
"Shopkeeper, get three biscuits and be quick!" the man said anxiously.
Zhang Tianyou heard the familiar voice, turned around and shouted: "Zhang Biao!"
That man was Zhang Biao from Lvpai Village who had defected to Jiangdu Army.
Zhang Biao turned his head in surprise and was very surprised when he saw the two of them: "General Zhang, Major General Guo!"
Zhang Tianyou hurriedly said: "General Zhang, can you do us a favor?"
Zhang Biao has been following Xu Baisheng, and now he has become a deputy general. He also knows the current situation of Zhu Yuanzhang's army. He frowned and said: "If you ask me to persuade the king to send troops to rescue you, then don't talk about it!"
Zhang Tianyou said hurriedly: "No, no, as long as you help us send a message to His Highness the King of Chu, say that the two of us want to see him and tell you something important!"
Zhang Biao said angrily: "I can't meet the king myself. The most I can do is introduce Marshal Xu to you!"
Zhang Biao said: "I have to take part in the martial arts test now, so you can come see me again tonight!"
Zhang Tianyou was afraid that he would deliberately shirk it, so he said: "Where are you going to take the martial arts test? We can wait for you outside!"
Zhang Biao was in a hurry and didn't bother to talk to them anymore. He took three Hu biscuits from the stall owner, said, "Come with me," and ran towards the street.