Zhang Xiaobao's legs are a bit limp, which is really hard to accept for a person like him who aspires to follow the saints to conquer the world and be like Qifeng Pavilion.
What was even more frustrating was that he was not injured in the leg by the enemy during the battle, but during the pursuit, his horse stumbled and threw him off, injuring his leg.
Before being injured, Zhang Xiaobao had already reached the position of Zuoyu Linwei Yuhou. He was in charge of one hundred of the most elite elite cavalry in the Great Zhou Dynasty, and his future was unlimited.
After he was injured, his superior, Zuo Yulin Weilang, sent Yue Saonu to Zhang Xiaobao. He had already applied for Zhang Xiaobao to become a local official and planned to let him serve as the county magistrate in Gongyi County, the eastern capital of Luoyang. However, Zhang Xiaobao refused because he was so worried.
Zhang Xiaobao is not without his feet. His father was the first Yi Cong Xiaoqi to follow the Saint on the battlefield. He accumulated military exploits from the auxiliary soldiers to the Forbidden Army, and is now the battalion commander of Wuwei Town.
His elder brother Zhang Xiaobiao is even more incredible. In the siege of Xiazhou, he set a terrifying record of killing 120 people by one man while the commander of Lu Gong's carriage. No one can beat it to this day.
Now, the official rank of Youwu Dafu, who has accumulated to the 14th level, is actually appointed as Yuhou, the left capital of the capital of Hanshan, the sage's most intimate army. This is basically the ceiling that the non-Yuan Cong sect can achieve in the capital of Hanshan.
When the saint officially proclaimed himself emperor, Zhang Xiaobiao also received the title of earl. The emperor personally issued a decree and gave Zhang Xiaobiao the nickname Cheng, which has now been renamed Zhang Cheng.
With such a background, it is inevitable for Zhang Xiaobao to be arrogant, and he also has this capital. He is good at riding and shooting, and is an expert at dancing with a horse. He can also treat his subordinates well, and he has begun to understand the formation of troops.
experience.
It's just luck, let's not mention it. My father and brother experienced hundreds of battles in the army, and were almost killed several times, but they recovered in the end.
But he just fell off his horse and became disabled immediately.
So after the move, Zhang Xiaobao refused the invitation from his colleagues in Guiyi Tower, took only two soldiers from Liangzhou who had also retired due to injuries, and embarked on the road back west.
This journey was not difficult, because although Zhang Xiaobao was lame, it did not affect his riding, but he could no longer mount a horse with his armor on, nor could he control the horse as commanded by his arm.
When passing by Luoyang, Zhang Xiaobao saw that the population of Luoyang, the sacred capital, had become prosperous again, and everyone was full of joy inside and outside.
This year the emperor exempted Luoyang from agricultural taxes and tinkou silver, and the food shortage in Luoyang was quickly alleviated with the news that rice from the south of the Yangtze River was about to arrive.
In fact, Luoyang is not very short of food. After all, after three years of natural and man-made disasters in Henan, the number of people who survived is not even 60% of what it used to be. Having enough to eat in three years of drought is not just talk.
In the past, the shortage of food was due to the fact that food had to be transported from Guanzhong and even Hexi. However, Guanzhong itself was short of food and had to transport it thousands of miles away, so the price was naturally high. Seeing the high price of food in Guanzhong, the local big players began to be reluctant to sell.
But now a large amount of Jiangnan rice grain is coming, and military rations have been released after the Southern Expedition, and the market has immediately returned to normal levels.
However, Zhang Xiaobao didn't like Luoyang very much, because Cao Yanming, the construction envoy of Shendu, was building a lot of construction projects in Luoyang.
Outside the city, water transportation such as the Yinluo River and Yang Canal is being dredged, Yanshi and Jinshan (Beimang Mountain) are building palaces, and Ziwei City is being repaired inside the city. Luoyang has been turned into a big construction site, causing idle labor from all over the country to come to Luoyang to make money.
Already.
These people were indeed happy because the imperial court did not impose labor or raise taxes for such a large project.
Although their salary is pitiful, they can basically eat three meals a day.
If these strong laborers can eat one more meal outside, the women and children at home can have two more full meals.
Everyone said that this was the favor of the Emperor Shao, because the money for building the palace in the capital came from the Emperor's own internal funds.
"It's very noisy!" A veteran with a broken left wrist snorted coldly.
However, Zhang Xiaobao could tell that although he snorted coldly, there was still some pride mixed in, because they were able to achieve such a prosperous age through hard work and hardship.
"You are the one who got in here like a dog. I have to beat you to death today!"
A few people were eating a bowl of mutton soup cakes with a sense of superiority that was just barely visible on the surface, and were about to set off when they suddenly started to make a noise outside and a large number of people gathered around them.
Zhang Xiaobao and others also gathered around, and saw a tall and muscular man with a sinewy face, raising his stick and hitting several cowering farmers. The farmers fell to the ground in just a few hits.
Most of the people surrounding him were farmers, but not only did they share the same hatred and went to help, they even had expressions of gloating on their faces.
The strong man also got more and more crazy as he fought, and the stick danced with a whirring sound.
Zhang Xiaobao was so angry that he was about to knock the strong man to the ground. However, seeing that the strong man was still very measured, he only hit the fleshy part of the buttocks, so he did not rush forward quickly.
He now feels a little inferior about his legs and feet, and is reluctant to reveal his inconveniences in front of others.
However, the hot-tempered and broken-armed soldier beside him couldn't bear it any longer. He roared up and knocked the strong man to the ground with one kick.
The strong man was caught off guard and fell to the ground, but when he got up and saw a short man with only one hand, he immediately felt contempt for him. He threw away the stick in his hand and rushed forward with his bare hands.
Then he was gone. The broken-arm soldier was born in Wuwei Town. Before he was injured, he was a jumping soldier. Even if he only has one hand, he is not comparable to a strong man.
Moreover, although his left hand was broken at the wrist, it was not completely missing. Hitting someone with his bare wrist would still be very painful.
Zhang Xiaobao envied people like the wrist-severing soldiers who were so heartless that they didn't regard themselves as disabled people.
When the onlookers saw someone beating up a strong man, they cheered in unison. They were not cheering for one side, but for both sides.
Zhang Xiaobao could see that these were a group of fun-loving people who had nothing to do and had no idea of right or wrong.
But this also makes Zhang Xiaobao even more surprised. These farmers who come out to work should be very united. Otherwise, as foreigners, they will easily be bullied by the locals.
But why do they remain indifferent to the beatings of those who work with them?
So while Zhang Xiaobao watched the soldier with a broken arm beating the strong man with one arm and howling, he approached a few farmers who were watching the show most excitedly and asked.
"Why is this person so unreasonable? Just hit him when he comes up?"
Zhang Xiaobao was referring to the change of situation, and the strong man who was howling after being beaten asked.
Several farmers were a little unhappy to be interrupted from watching the fun, but when they saw Zhang Xiaobao's figure and the horse he was holding, they immediately realized that they couldn't afford to offend him, so they could only reply in a low voice.
"So that Mr. Wang will know that Wang Huzi is a gangster here in Baibodu. Heqing County Magistrate recruited them to supervise the construction of Jinshan Palace. These people were beaten because they hid food."
Zhang Xiaobao understood, it turned out that the farmer had stolen the food, but there was no need to beat him like this!
There are rules for everything. If you take food, you can be punished as you want. How can you hit someone at will?
And just when Zhang Xiaobao figured out the whole story, the situation on the field had already changed. Wang Huzi was a local gangster after all. Since he was a gangster, there must be a group of brothers who came over in an instant.
The farmers who had just been chatting with Zhang Xiaobao immediately dispersed when they saw a large number of gangsters arriving.
But Zhang Xiaobao and the others did not panic. They saw more than 30 gangsters rushing over under the leadership of a strong man with handsome arms. Zhang Xiaobao and another soldier did not even raise their eyes.
The soldier with the broken arm stepped on Wang Huzi, who was yelling, and gently tapped the exposed corner of the horse's back with his left hand without a palm.
Hua Zhi rushed forward and before he could speak, he saw the hem of a set of chainmail armor exposed from a corner of the horse's back, and he was immediately stunned.
Wang Huzi on the ground also saw it and immediately stopped shouting.
According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, private ownership of swords, guns and clubs is not prohibited, but it is not allowed to make them privately.
All standard swords, guns and clubs must be registered with the county government. Those in the county town will be managed by the county captain, and those in the countryside will be under the inspection and management that will be established soon.
But this is not the case with armored stomachs. Although the imperial court allowed private individuals to possess armored stomachs, the number of people involved was strictly restricted.
For ordinary soldiers, when the armor is removed after a battle, that is the real removal of armor. The armor and stomach must be returned to the army.
Only those who have a rank and have been rewarded with a stomach can carry their stomach with them.
In other words, if you see a person wearing or carrying a stomach armor on the road at this time, then he must be a warrior who has made meritorious service in the military and has a high rank.
Hua Yishou and Wang Huzi, etc., immediately ceased their activities. The aggressive momentum they had when they came disappeared without a trace. Hua Yishou still bowed his hands politely.
"I don't know which town's official is in front of me? If I offend you, I hope Haihan will do it."
The wrist-broken soldier curled his lips, "How dare you, a bastard like you, ask about Ye Ye's origins?"
Huazhi was scolded, but he didn't get angry, but became more respectful.
Because they dare to say this, it further proves that they are indeed warriors in the army, and they are not the guards of the Central Plains, but the suppressing army or even the pro-army from Hexi.
"The villain was originally a soldier from Heyang under the command of Li Gong Jianchong. During the battle at Yanshi City, he also followed the officials to help kill the northern captives. Now he is working under the command of Lieutenant Li of Heqing County."
Who is Li Gong Jianchong? What does Li Xianwei of Heqing County represent?
Although the broken-arm soldier came from Hexi, he had always been a small soldier. He didn't understand these things, so he was stunned immediately.
When Hua Zhi saw him, there was a different look in his eyes. He didn't know all this, but he was a pure big-headed soldier!
Although he couldn't afford to offend him, that didn't mean that he beat someone in vain. At least... Well, if he beat Wang Huzi so badly, he had to at least apologize to himself.
"The general is a loyal and kind man, but you haven't learned anything from him? He hides some food and then beats people to death?
If you carry Captain Li out, do you think you can scare us away?"
Zhang Xiaobao stood up. Li Jianchong certainly knew that when he followed Zhao Kuangyin into Luoyang, Li Jianchong directly took refuge with Zhang Zhao's military governor of the three towns in Heyang.
However, he was getting older and did not want to continue licking blood from his sword, so he got the false title of Zuo Long Xiangwei General and went home to spend his old age with a salary.
County Lieutenant Li of Heqing County was Li Jianchong's original tooth general. After the old leader retired, he stopped working in the army and found a job as a county lieutenant, which was considered a return to his hometown in glory.
Just by looking at Zhang Xiaobao's casual attitude, Huazhi knew that he was facing a tough fight. His attitude changed again, and he quickly saluted Zhang Xiaobao.
"Please forgive me, officials. Duke Cao, the envoy for the construction of Shendu, has said that civilians are not allowed to hide food privately, because the construction task of Shendu is heavy and if they don't have enough to eat, it will be tiring to death and it will harm the saint's kindness.
The servant really has no choice but to make this decision."
Zhang Xiaobao also figured out the reason for this. It turns out that this is just a job, but there are also disadvantages.
Many conscripted civilians often choose to hide food in order to save some food to take home or sell for money.
They think that two meals a day is the norm, and they can feel full even if they only eat two meals a day.
But Zhang Zhao is not a saint with no bottom line. There is naturally a reason why he chose to give the common people three meals.
Because the construction of Shendu and the palaces in Jinshan and Yanshi areas, as well as the project of dredging the waterway from Luoyang to Kaifeng, were not easy, we often had to work overtime after sunset.
If they were only given two meals, many peasants would be exhausted due to excessive labor intensity. In the past few months, there were even cases where peasants were so tired that they vomited blood and died.
A good benevolent government ended up costing a lot of lives. After Zhang Zhao came back, he called Cao Yanming to Kaifeng, Tokyo and gave him a scolding.
Therefore, Cao Yanming had no choice but to ask his subordinates to start supervising the peasants and prevent them from hiding food.
The people below are even more crude and simple in their approach. It is impossible to be reasonable and the only option is to use force to deter them.
Okay! Zhang Xiaobao was also a little stunned. He thought he was here to seek justice, but this turned out to be the case.
Although in the eyes of future generations, these rough-and-tumble gangsters' 'law enforcement' must have been too rough and suspected of crimes.
But in this era, it is actually a very common situation. It can even be said that it seems a little gentle. This is what Zhang Xiaobao thinks.
Bang, bang, bang! The gong sounded. This was a critical moment in the construction of Shendu. All officials in Luoyang, big and small, were working hard.
Because after the construction of the divine capital is completed, Luoyang will become the capital again, and their status will rise sharply.
Therefore, the officials under the Construction Department who were beaten were immediately reported to the magistrate of Heqing County.
The county magistrate's surname was Liu, and he was among the first batch of people to pass the Ming Dynasty imperial examination after Zhang Zhao became emperor.
Zhang Zhao is currently undecided and has not yet had time to adjust the imperial examination, so he can only follow the previous dynasty system on the basis of the Hexi imperial examination.
What's more, the Jinshi Examination is still too difficult for most people in this era of cultural decline. Nowadays, even those who pass the Mingjing Examination can get an official position.
Although Magistrate Liu brought a dozen Wuhou and dozens of helpers, he still felt weak.
Because he heard that those who caused the trouble were warriors in the army who had strong stomachs, and he was just a poor scholar who passed the exam.
As long as in the past, let alone a poor county magistrate like him, you were a member of the central government, as long as you did not reach the level of prime minister, meeting a warrior, especially such a fierce one, can be said to have no dignity at all.
Therefore, when Magistrate Liu saw Zhang Xiaobao, he felt a little cramped in his calves. The power he had accumulated over the years as a warrior made him feel like he was facing a thousand troops even if he only faced three people.
However, County Magistrate Liu recalled the words of his superior, Shendu Yin Cao Yanming, who was the construction envoy of Shendu, saying that the sage had been committed to implementing the strategy of civilian governance and taking back administrative power from the hands of the military.
Just looking at the dozen states and counties around Kaifeng Prefecture in Tokyo and Luoyang, the sacred capital, we know that the chief officers are either not soldiers, or they are retired personnel who no longer hold positions in the military.
He finally climbed to the position of Heqing County Magistrate. If he hesitated like this, he might have been sent home to eat wild vegetables immediately. He was really unwilling to do so.
Not only was Magistrate Liu cowarded, but Marquis Wu, who was under Magistrate Liu, was also cowardly.
According to the previous situation, whoever dares to go up at this time will definitely be killed by these "tooth soldiers" on the street. Then the tooth soldiers mount their war horses and run, turning into bandits and bandits on the road. Finally, they are recruited by a certain commander with a lot of money.
If they come out and continue their glory, their death will be in vain.
Although the Broken Wrist Soldier is from Hexi, he was actually the fang soldier of Fengxiang Li Congyu.
After Li Congyao could no longer hold on to his family business in Fengxiang Mansion, he went to Hexi to seek refuge with Zhang Zhao, so the aura of the tooth soldier still existed in him.
He saw that Magistrate Liu and dozens of others did not dare to come forward, and there were hundreds of people watching around him who all looked a little afraid. He felt even more proud in his heart. He pointed at Zhang Xiaobao and said.
"This is the sage's personal army, Zuo Yu Lin Wei Marquis Yu, a meritorious official from Liangzhou. Who dares to be disrespectful?"
When the hundreds of people watching heard this, they were all in an uproar and did not even dare to step forward.
The county magistrate's face was red, and his mind was buzzing. On one side was the oppression of reality, and on the other was Cao Yanming's words that kept echoing in his heart.
Of course, there was also a small voice, chanting in his mind such sage principles as "Be benevolent and righteous, and be unyielding with force".
Zhang Xiaobao suddenly discovered that things had suddenly entered an uncontrollable situation.
As one of the best Yi Cong Xiaoqi families living in Liangzhou, Zhang Xiaobao also read some books, so of course he knew what Zhang Zhao was thinking.
He kept cheering up that Magistrate Liu in his heart. If this fucking Magistrate Liu didn't dare to come forward, Zhang Xiaobao would have to carry the hat of a warrior and be domineering. He might be killed by a saint to scare the monkeys.
The pressure came to the two focal figures. Finally, under the eyes of everyone who was looking forward to it, Magistrate Liu walked forward with heavy steps, cold sweat dripping down his face, while Zhang Xiaobao breathed a sigh of relief, not daring to move at all.
.
Because he found that Magistrate Liu had been looking at his waist, where a horizontal knife was hanging.
Zhang Xiaobao believed that if he touched the horizontal knife at his waist, Magistrate Liu would definitely run away like a frightened rabbit.
Then it's over, both of them are over!
"Why did this Yuhou beat up my office worker of the Construction and Construction Department?" Magistrate Liu was still frightened and even used the name of the construction and construction department's office.
Because the Construction and Construction Administration Office does not belong to the local officials, its positioning is a bit vague. You can treat it as a military governor and it will be no problem.
Zhang Xiaobao gritted his teeth and could only ask word for word: "Are you the magistrate of Heqing County or a government official?"
Magistrate Liu gritted his teeth as he looked at the unkind looks cast by the long horizontal sword and the war horse.
In the past, when Yang Guangyuan and his son were in Luoyang, they would often kill officials in Luoyang just because they said something wrong. Du Chongwei did the same thing after he arrived in Luoyang. The police officers in the government office were more powerful than the county magistrate.
However, County Magistrate Liu mustered up the courage to raise his hand and said, "I am the magistrate of Heqing County and a brave general of the Yuhou family. Why do you want to beat others?"
This is right. Zhang Xiaobao breathed a long sigh of relief. When Magistrate Liu asked the question, he quickly explained the matter clearly.
"Although this man works as a helper for the Construction and Construction Department, he beats up civilians arbitrarily for a small mistake. A certain family couldn't stand it, so they just gave him a lesson."
At this time, County Magistrate Liu also felt something. Seeing that Zhang Xiaobao was not arrogant and gradually entered the role, he raised his hand and said.
"Even so, it should be punished by the Yamen of the Construction Department or the county government in accordance with the law. How can it be lynched by the Marquis of Yu?"
After Magistrate Liu finished speaking, Wu Hou behind him and Hua Zhi and others in front of Zhang Xiaobao all stared wide-eyed, and many of them even felt weak in their calves.
This is the Marquis Yu who the saint considers to be his confidant and close to Zuo Yu and Lin Wei! If he were to be sent abroad, he would have at least started as a governor or military envoy. How dare County Magistrate Liu speak like this?
When it was over, Wuhou in Heqing County all groaned inwardly. Although Wuhou was originally developed from the Jinwu Guards, by now, they are completely different from pro-army troops like the Jinwu Guards.
When the time comes, Lin Wei Yuhou, who is on the opposite side, becomes angry. Should he run away? Or run away?
However, contrary to everyone's expectations, Zhang Xiaobao actually stood very neatly at this moment. He also raised his hand towards Magistrate Liu and bowed slightly to say.
"When the saint was in Hexi, he paid attention to laws and orders. Today, a certain warrior under his command is indeed reckless. Since County Magistrate Liu wants to enforce the law impartially, please judge according to the law!"
As soon as this statement came out, not only did everyone feel that it was untrue, but even the broken-arm soldier's eyes widened. Just as he was about to say something, Zhang Xiaobao immediately turned around and warned him with a stern look.
Magistrate Liu finally relaxed at this moment. He vaguely felt that he might have been in a scene that would be passed down through the ages.
Maybe not only will he not be stabbed to death by the guard on the opposite side, but he may also be a blessing in disguise and his reputation will reach the heavens.
Suddenly, his waist straightened and his voice became louder. He looked around at the crowds of people watching and feared that there might be thousands of people speaking loudly.
"Wang Huzi's punishment was too severe, he beat the common people at will, and sentenced him to two hundred yuan for decoction and medicine, and ten days of hard labor.
The warriors under the command of Marquis Zhang Yu injured others and were ordered to pay 500 yuan for decoction and medicine. They thought they had served the country well and were exempted from other punishments."
Zhang Xiaobao also understood at this moment that although the county magistrate opposite was a little timid, he was still a sensible person.
This was a fair enforcement of the law, but it did not cause much actual harm to them. It was just a compensation of 500 yuan, which was nothing to Zhang Xiaobao.
"This penalty is reasonable and we will pay the 500 yuan."
After Zhang Xiaobao finished speaking, he threw a small money bag to the ground, and then raised his hands to the people around him.
"Although I am a personal soldier of the Emperor, the Emperor always teaches us not to be proud of our merits, but to treat the people well and respect the law.
I also ask all the elders to testify that a certain family has been punished today and has indeed followed the teachings of the saint."
The people of Luoyang and the people from all over who were watching the excitement suddenly felt like they were participating, and they all turned towards Zhang Xiaobao.
"The general obeys the law. We have seen it with our own eyes and it is absolutely true."
Magistrate Liu was dumbfounded. He stood blankly on the spot and took a long time to realize that he seemed to have been upstaged.
Zhang Xiaobao suddenly felt that besides mounting his horse to kill the enemy, this was quite interesting, so he returned the salute again, then waved to the soldier with the severed wrist and said, "Why don't you come and help someone mount his horse?"
This is Zhang Xiaobao's brilliance. With so many people surrounding him, this can almost be said to be the first time since the restoration of the sacred capital of Luoyang that a civil servant was able to punish a personal guard.
He was afraid that others would see that he had a disabled leg and that he had retired from the army, which would affect the deterrent effect of the matter, so he was ready to mount his horse and leave.
However, there was another gong sound, and more than ten people who opened the way, wearing cyan narrow-sleeved attire, wearing cyan futou, and carrying short horizontal knives on their waists, Wuhou, who was obviously one level higher than Wuhou in Heqing County, appeared.
Immediately afterwards, several big flags were waved out, and a letter was written to the Duke of Ziting, ordering the construction of the divine capital, and the command of the divine capital to Yin and others.
Everyone got out of the way and saluted quickly. This was the arrival of Cao Yanming, the top official of Luoyang, the capital of the gods.
"Zhang Saburo, you kid doesn't even look at me when you pass by, but you still beat others here. Be careful of your brother Dong Anbo, we will deal with you according to the family law!"
Zhang Xiaobao was a little stunned because he was not close to Cao Yanming.
This Duke of Ziting County, the construction envoy of Shendu Camp, although he started out with military merit, he mostly did technical things, and he also managed technical units such as Shenji Camp and Jindu.
In addition, Cao Yanming had an extraordinary background, married the second princess of Khotan, and was a big shot in the Yuancong sect. Although Zhang Xiaobao followed his elder brother to visit him, he never became so familiar with him.
"Hiss!" As soon as Cao Yanming finished speaking, everyone gasped. Magistrate Liu almost fell to the ground if not for several Wu Hous who were supporting him from behind.
At this time, everyone realized that the Yuhou in front of them had such a profound background!
Hearing the hisses from the crowd, Zhang Xiaobao realized that people said that Duke Cao was a second-generation man who relied on his family background to reach a high position.
But today Zhang Xiaobao realized that he must be capable of reaching this position.
Duke Cao, who might have gotten the news a long time ago, endured it until now, and then came out to give him a boost.
Zhang Xiaobao bowed his head to the end and said, "I have made a mistake today. I really don't have the face to see Duke Cao. I will definitely go to the house to apologize."
Cao Yanming chuckled, "If you are His Majesty's confidant and can be punished according to the law, then it's good. Go ahead!"
After Zhang Xiaobao finished speaking, Cao Yanming turned to look at Magistrate Liu, "You have done a good job! But we must prevent officials from beating the people at will and remember the virtues of saints."
At this time, County Magistrate Liu actually had the illusion that all the hardships would be rewarded. He knelt down and shouted, "The saint is benevolent!"
The people around him also cheered loudly, drowning out the buzzing discussion.
A wisp of breeze blew the loose soil on the ground, and Zhang Xiaobao rode his horse away gradually.
Behind them, the cheering crowd were all discussing the famous scene in which Magistrate Liu dealt with the saint's personal guard Zuo Yu Lin Wei Yuhou today.
Everyone can vaguely feel in their hearts that the era in which people could kill people at will with a sword in their hands is going to be gone.