All the way eastward, Chen Gong always looked relaxed and casual, as if he and Zhang Zhao were on an arm-in-arm picnic. However, when he finally arrived at the destination of his trip, he was so excited that he revealed a bit of majesty.
After defeating Cao Cao, Lu Bu led the remaining troops to Xuzhou precisely because of Chen Gong's advice. Although he was from Yanzhou, he had few ambitions and had already learned a lot about the neighboring hometown of the overlord. , and even believed that at this time, when people in Xuzhou were floating and Liu Bei's foundation was unstable, Lu Bu and he had a good chance of participating in this hunt.
Unfortunately...
Looking at the tall and solid city wall in front of him and the wide moat outside the city, Chen Gong imagined everything that happened some time ago in his mind.
This vast land is dotted with countless cities, and each city is the center of a battle. It is within and outside these strongholds that the three huge military groups of Liu Bei, Yuan Shu, and Wang Zheng are working to destroy and defend the city. Fight fiercely to achieve the goal, creating a storm.
The preservation or fall of each city marks not the gain or loss of one party, but the fortune and success or failure of the three parties. In the end, this battle for hegemony, which mainly focused on city offensive and defensive battles, was the youngest chess player who laughed. at last.
Whether it was Chen Gong or Lu Bu, they knew that Wang Zheng had a chance of winning, but they didn't expect that he would win so easily...
The outcome will be decided so quickly!
This completely eliminated their chance of taking advantage of the fire.
While Chen Gong was thinking about it, Zhang Zhao had already led a group of them across the moat via the suspension bridge. At this time, Wang Zheng, who was in charge of welcoming guests, had already lined up at one end of the city gate to greet them ceremoniously, and then someone else came on horseback. .
When Chen Gong saw that the person who came was quite young, he subconsciously thought it was Wang Zheng. He hurriedly gathered his energy and took a closer look. Seeing that this young man had a handsome appearance, a tall figure, and a chic and elegant attitude under his ordinary clothes, he couldn't help but secretly nodded. nodded.
"Brother Zibu." He turned to look at Zhang Zhao and said sincerely: "I never expected that Wangzhou Mu's appearance is so outstanding."
Zhang Zhao was startled when he heard this, but immediately realized that he had misunderstood, and hurriedly explained in a low voice: "This is Xu Fang, the tiger general under Naizhou Mu's tent, who is also Xu Yaoshi."
"Ahem..." Only then did Chen Gong realize that something had happened, and couldn't help but laugh. Seeing that Xu Fang had arrived in front of him, although he had a friendly smile, his eyes were shining with a look of fear, and his heart couldn't help but move.
To become an important minister at such a young age, he must be someone close to Wang Zheng, right?
He took the initiative to bow and said, "I've seen the general."
"Mr. Gongtai, you are polite." Xu Fang returned the courtesy quickly. He already respected scholars very much, and now that the other party is a foreign envoy, he did not dare to be scornful at all. He said politely, "Thank you for your hard work on the road."
As he spoke, his eyes involuntarily glanced behind Chen Gong.
However, I saw a few war horses, which looked very impressive. Because of the general's instinct, I couldn't help but take a second look.
Chen Gong heard the song and knew its elegant meaning. Without waiting for questions, he smiled and said: "These batches of good horses were born in Bingzhou and are a gift from Marquis Wen to Wangzhou Mu."
When Xu Fang heard this, he looked calm on the surface and just nodded, but he was amazed in his heart.
Lu Bu's move was very generous.
During the Han Dynasty, Liangzhou, Bingzhou, and Jizhou were known as the three major horse herding bases. Among them, Liangzhou horses were as fast as thunder and could carry heavy loads. Because they had the blood of sweat-blooded horses, they were the tallest and most powerful in appearance. The Guliangzhou cavalry had "Iron Cavalry" reputation.
The Bingzhou Horse is just the opposite. The most outstanding thing about the Bingzhou Horse is its endurance. Coupled with its tough character, it can adapt to various harsh environments. It is most suitable for long-distance raids and combat in various terrains. Troops armed with Bingzhou Horse are called
For "Wolf Ride".
The biggest problem with Bingzhou horses is that they are slightly inferior in size and not as outstanding as Jizhou horses and Liangzhou horses.
In Xu Fang's view, the appearance of the horses behind Chen Gong was completely inconsistent with his impression, which shows that they must be excellent breeds of Bingzhou horses.
"Marquis Wen is kind enough to express his gratitude to me, Lord." After saying that, he raised his hand and said, "Mr. Wen Tai, Mr. Zhang Guoxiang, please come this way."
Everyone mounted their horses and continued their march into Xiapi City.
Chen Gong secretly paid attention to what he saw in his mind. He saw that the surrounding city moat was wide and irregular in rectangular shape, and the rivers meandered according to the terrain. The surrounding gates had protruding gates and protective walls, which showed that they had been newly built recently.
The traces of it show that it was built after Wang Zheng took over, just to enhance the defense of the city gate.
The streets in the city are also composed of eight parallel streets running from north to south and four main streets running east and west. The twelve streets can accommodate more than ten horses walking side by side, which is very large. Other small streets and lanes,
They are arranged in a staggered manner according to the main street, in an orderly manner.
The more Chen Gong looked at it, the more surprised he became, and couldn't help but compare it with Puyang.
The seat of Yanzhou was located in Puyang in the East County. When Cao Cao was the pastor of Yanzhou, he also carried out large-scale construction projects, which made Puyang a bit more beautiful and delicate. The decorations were even more colorful. In comparison, the city of Pi was quaint.
Magnificent, even a bit too monotonous.
Looking at the city, he knew its owner. Before meeting Wang Zheng, Chen Gong had already made some inferences in his mind.
Putting aside everything else, in terms of character alone, this "Godly General" seems to be a little too calm?
He doesn't have the energy that a young man should have.
Thinking of this, Chen Gong looked around again and saw that although the street they were walking on was empty, obviously the street had been cleared in advance, there were still many pedestrians gathered on both sides of the road. When he saw Xu Fang's flag, he was even more excited.
Many people showed respect and even knelt down to worship directly, which showed that the prestige of this young man in the hearts of Xiapi people was not low. They were more and more surprised, and they secretly increased their attention to Xu Fang again.
Seeing the high wall of the inner city vaguely visible in front of him, Chen Gong suddenly said casually, "Speaking of which, I felt something was wrong when Marquis Wen was carrying the gift that day."
"Oh?" Xu Fang looked at him sideways: "Why did Mr. Gongtai say this?"
"I heard before I came here that Zhou Mu has over 10,000 cavalrymen under his command, and they are very brave. I expect there are also many good horses." Chen Gong said with a smile: "These horses may not be considered rare.
, Although etiquette is light on etiquette but affection is important on the matter, if you take action like this, I’m afraid you will be laughed at by the state pastor.”
This is because Chen Gong saw that Xu Fang was not very old and wanted to find out in advance.
Most people have two reactions to this topic, either they just start bragging about their strength and strength, or they reply with a few words in a humble and polite manner.
But no matter what, since the topic has arisen, no matter whether the other party is bragging or self-deprecating, it is true that talking too much will inevitably lead to mistakes, and the true situation will inevitably be revealed.
In Chen Gong's view, people like Xu Fang who are young and in high positions are likely to be arrogant and arrogant, and have an unstable mind. The former is naturally more likely, and it is easier for him to spy out something.
But to his surprise, Xu Fang neither agreed nor objected. He just smiled and said, "I worry too much." He said no more.
Of course Chen Gong didn't know. Putting aside everything else, even Wang Zheng, a second-generation man, might not be able to compare to Xu Fang in terms of his calm mind.
After that, Chen Gong tried several times to test his words. Xu Fangquan always spoke concisely and concisely, as if he cherished his words like gold. However, Zhang Zhao, who had been watching with cold eyes, nodded secretly, quite approving of Xu Fang's response.
After entering the inner city, Chen Gong was about to speak when he looked up and suddenly looked shocked.
The situation inside and outside has changed drastically.
The first thing that caught my eye was no longer the bright sunshine at noon, but a large expanse of faint cold flames!
After Chen Gong squinted his eyes, he saw clearly that there were thousands of brave soldiers arrayed in front of him. Everyone was not squinting and standing straight with their chests straight.
There are even more red flags standing in the forest, rustling and waving, towers standing tall and fierce and fierce.
The swords and halberds were sharp, the military spirit was strict, and the killing intent brought by those soldiers who had experienced hundreds of battles was now more like a reality. Chen Gong, who had always been proud of his eloquence, was shocked and suddenly no longer
Speechless.
...
After talking about it, when they arrived at the post house, Xu Fang politely asked Chen Gong to rest for a while, invited him to a banquet in the evening, and left a few literati to accompany him, and then left first with Zhang Zhao.
The post house is very large, with several courtyards in front and behind, enough to accommodate hundreds of people. The people were so happy that they asked the guards to arrange the soldiers accompanying them. Chen Gong walked into the hall with his hands behind his hands and saw that the hall was very deep.
It is tall and spacious. Although there are not many decorative furniture and no decoration, at a glance, it feels very simple.
When Chen Gong saw it, he felt that it was very consistent with the layout of Xiapi City. He couldn't help but smile and said: "The layout here does not look like a southerner's work, but has the style of Yan and Zhao."
Among the scribes left behind by Xu Fang, one hurriedly answered: "Chen Gonghui has a sharp eye. This post house has been built for a long time, but Zhou Mu had ordered people to renovate it before, so it was specially used to receive envoys from various places.
, is of great importance, and Zhou Mu attaches great importance to it, and even designed the construction of the house and the furnishing of the furniture himself."
His guess was verified. Chen Gong nodded slightly and praised: "No wonder it's so grand." The image of Wang Zheng in his heart became clearer and more specific.
A calm and pragmatic monarch.
After chatting for a while, Chen Gong looked sleepy and stretched. The scribes understood the idea and said hurriedly: "Mr. Chen, please take a rest for now. We will wait for the banquet in the evening. I will come back to invite you later."
He immediately left and left.
Chen Gong was indeed a little tired after the long journey. He secretly recalled what he had seen and heard on the road for a while, reminding himself of a few things he needed to pay attention to. After a while, he went to the side room to rest for a while.
He slept until evening, as the sun set in the west and the afterglow spilled into the window. He was awakened by a knock on the door, but it was Xu Fang who had arrived outside the hotel and invited him to a banquet.
Are you finally going to meet Wang Zheng?
Chen Gong suddenly became energetic and quickly finished packing. Before going out, he looked at himself in the mirror and straightened his clothes again. Then he took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
When they arrived at the courtyard, they saw Xu Fang standing quietly in the distance under the dusk, not moving at all, not showing the slightest hint of impatience.
Seeing Chen Gong coming out, Xu Fang bowed his head and said, "A banquet has been prepared in a restaurant. Mr. Zhang, please come with me."
Isn't it the county government?
When Chen Gong heard this, he was startled. He first returned the greeting and said, "Thank you, General Xu." After taking a few steps forward, he couldn't help but ask, "I wonder which celebrities from Xuzhou are attending the banquet?"
"Will Wang Zhoumu attend?"
"Mr. Gongtai has a good reputation. When I heard that Mr. came, many people wanted to ask for advice in person. You will know when you meet Mr." Xu Fang said while leading the way diligently: "As for whether the state pastoral meeting will attend, I will tell you.
I don’t know yet.”
Hearing this, Chen Gong was greatly disappointed. He was also very good at cultivating qi, but there was no clue on his face. While the two were talking, they rode their horses toward a certain place in the city. When the sky turned dark, they had already arrived at a place.
We were in a high-rise building, and there were quite a few people standing at the door. They were all in regular clothes, and Zhang Zhao was among them.
"Excuse me for waiting." Chen Gong dismounted and cupped his hands and said, "I am very scared."
At this time, Zhang Zhao first led several scribes forward and introduced them one by one: "Gongtai, I am here to introduce you. This one is Duke Chen of Xiapi, this one is Prince Langya... This one is Duke Chen of Xiapi...
Pingyuan Youjun."
They are all the heads of several important families in Xuzhou, and they are also elders. Naturally, Chen Gong cannot neglect them and bows to salute them repeatedly.
Although the last person was young and not very famous, Chen Gong was even more energetic.
"Your Majesty?" Chen Gong said hurriedly: "But Mr. Zhengping?"
You Heng and You Zhengping are the first scribes known in the world who have a keen eye for gold and take the initiative to seek refuge with Wang Zheng.
"Mr. Gongtai, you are polite." Mi Heng returned the greeting with a smile, and a smile rarely appeared on his cold face: "Please come in quickly, please come in quickly." As he walked, he introduced everyone attending the banquet, most of whom were Wang Zheng at the moment.
There are mostly civil servants under his command, such as Chen Yu, Wang Rong, etc.
Everyone stepped up the stairs to the second floor where the banquet was arranged, and the guests and hosts took their seats.
After drinking for three rounds, Chen Gong took a look at the situation and estimated that Wang Zheng would not come today. He couldn't help but become more disappointed. He also thought that except for Xu Fang, none of his generals were present at today's banquet. He couldn't help but feel a little angry.
I feel like the other person doesn’t pay much attention to me.
Seeing that everyone on the side was only trying to persuade him to drink without mentioning anything about it, he finally couldn't hold it back anymore and looked at Xu Fang and asked: "In the afternoon, I conveyed Marquis Wen's heart to General Wangzhou Mu, but I don't know..."
Before Xu Fang could answer, Mi Heng on the side smiled lightly and said, "Mr. Gongtai, please have a drink!" He said that he would do it first as a sign of respect.
Chen Gong could only hold back his words, and after drinking another drink, he said, "I've never been good at drinking, and I don't dare to drink again after this cup."
Ni Heng pretended to be dismayed: "Mr. Chen is a famous scholar in Yanzhou. I have only heard that people from the south are very modest, but I have never heard of people from the north who are not good at drinking. Why should I be so modest?"
"But I can't drink anymore." Chen Gong glanced at Mi Heng and said sternly: "I'm here to do this for official business, how can I ruin it by greedy for drink?"
"There is a difference between Gongtai's words." At this time, Zhang Zhao on the side also laughed and said: "In the past, the son-in-law of Qi once said that before giving wine to the king, the law enforcement was next to him and the censor was behind. He fell down and drank in fear, but it was just a day.
I am drunk in Dou Jing, but if my clothes are untied and I smell the scent of Xiang Ze, I can drink a stone at that moment!"
"Although there is no fragrance of orchids tonight, everyone here is here because of the name of Gongtai. In addition to old friends, they are also new friends. They can also talk about romantic affairs and sorrows. They can only talk about private matters and not public affairs. How can we make friends with each other?
For such a small quantity, it would cost at least five buckets!"
"Drink this cup to the fullest."
The son-in-law of Qi refers to Chunyu Kun, the "son-in-law" of Qi. This man was less than seven feet tall, but he was eloquent and eloquent. Every time he went to the vassal states, he returned with success and was very popular with the king of Qi.
of attention.
In the eighth year of King Wei of Qi, the State of Chu launched a massive attack on the State of Qi. The King of Qi sent Chun Yu Kun to the State of Zhao to ask for reinforcements. After Chun Yu Kun presented the pros and cons, he persuaded the King of Zhao to send 100,000 elite soldiers and 1,000 chariots to directly surrender.
Chu State withdrew its troops overnight.
King Wei of Qi was very happy. He held a banquet in the harem and invited Chun Yukun to drink together. During the questions and answers, he left an eternal saying, which is the origin of the idiom "Extreme happiness produces sorrow".
Zhang Zhao's face naturally had to be sold. Chen Gong frowned. After drinking, he waved his hand and looked at Mi Heng and said: "I have heard about the name Zhengping for a long time before I entered Xuzhou. Now I have been traveling all the way."
, I can see that Xuzhou is prosperous all over, and you are indispensable to it."
Hearing this, Mi Heng looked at Chen Gong, smiled lightly and said: "With Heng's talent, in Xuzhou it is just as good as a car, so what's the point?"
"Mr. Gongtai is so complimentary!"
Although his words were so humble, it was probably because he had drunk too much, and his drunken state returned to his old ways, and his face once again showed a arrogant look.
Zhang Zhao is mature, Xu Fang is calm, Chen Gong has tried several times on them but failed to get any useful information, but now his eyes lit up when he saw Mi Heng's appearance.
Arrogant people will naturally underestimate the enemy, be careless, and give others opportunities to take advantage of.
For Chen Gong, this person is a breakthrough!
Feeling inspired, Chen Gong regained his composure and was about to speak again when suddenly there was a noise of people downstairs, the sound of armor, and footsteps.
what's the situation?
Chen Gong looked around with some confusion, but saw that everyone at the table looked solemn at the same time. Everyone stood up without saying anything, and dozens of eyes were focused on the stairs.
There was silence that could be heard when a needle dropped, the sound of footsteps was sonorous, and soon, a tall figure slowly climbed up to the second floor.
Only seeing his shadow but not his face, Chen Gong was already shocked.