I returned to my hometown with great longing. But suddenly I found that my hometown was no longer what I imagined.
Moreover, the feeling of my hometown has changed from being familiar to being a little unaccustomed to it, and I have the idea of escaping here.
This was the case with Zhang Xiaobao. After staying in Xiabaima Village for three nights, he found it boring and ran back to Liangzhou City.
It's not because of anything else, it's because Xiabaima Village has lost its former liveliness.
Those companions who were with him in the past have either already had their own futures, or their bones have been buried behind the village.
The former can't be seen for the time being, so I miss you more. The latter can't be seen again, so I feel sad.
The remaining Juntian households were not that outstanding back then, otherwise they would definitely have left with the saint. Zhang Xiaobao and them always had trouble talking to each other.
Although the lives of the average farmers can be called prosperous, they are always a little less popular.
Moreover, with the lack of labor force, Zhang Xiaobao can clearly feel that the land's attractiveness to the people around him is declining.
These days, a new generation of heroes and athletes from various villages came to see Zhang Xiaobao on horseback.
They all invariably ignored Zhang Xiaobao's lameness and instead thought it was the badge of a good man.
What they were interested in was how Zhang Xiaobao killed the Khitan people with corpses everywhere and beat the Southern Tang army to the point where they cried for father and mother.
What they expected was to follow the saints as soldiers, but they seemed to no longer like the land, but rather gold, silver, brocade, silk, and satin.
I don’t even care about farming.
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Zhang Xiaobao, who had just returned to Liangzhou, was soon approached again.
It turned out that Yin Peiyuan, the deputy stay-at-home officer in Xijing, sent someone to ask Zhang Xiaobao to come over for a while.
Zhang Xiaobao was a little confused, because in the past, Pei Yuan could be an important member of Hexi Longyou's inner circle.
But in fact, because Pei Yuan had been guarding Lingzhou in Shuofang for a long time and his relationship with the army was not very close, he acted like a local official.
Therefore, Zhang Xiaobao's impression of him was somewhat vague. He was just an acquaintance, far from being close to him. He didn't know what happened to this powerful Hedong County Duke?
However, since it was Pei Yuan who summoned him, Zhang Xiaobao did not dare to neglect. He immediately finished washing himself and rushed to the Chengtian Mansion Office following the officials from Chengtian Mansion who came to pass the news.
Pei Yuan still looks the same as before. Although he is not old, he always gives people a very majestic feeling.
He didn't wait for Zhang Xiaobao to pay his respects, but he pulled him to sit down affectionately. He didn't talk about business, but he smiled and asked Zhang Xiaobao, what did he think about what happened at the banquet?
This immediately embarrassed Zhang Xiaobao, because he never thought that after returning to his hometown, he would be asked to compose a poem at a banquet. He could only complain with a bitter smile that he was ignorant and incompetent.
Unexpectedly, Pei Yuan also shook his head, smiled bitterly and said, "Erlang, this is still good. If you can't do it, they won't force you.
But a certain family was miserable. They had been in Liangzhou for a long time, and they were forced to write poems whenever there was a banquet.
And it’s all these messy limericks. I don’t know how Fan Zhi, Xue Juzheng and the others will laugh at me after they are spread back to the Central Plains?”
When Zhang Xiaobao heard this, he could only laugh stiffly a few times, because he could tell there was something in Pei Yuan's words.
Pei Yuan and Zhang Xiaobao didn't answer, nor were they angry. They just smiled and said to themselves.
"Liangzhou is originally the land of Longxing, but our starting point is low, and the household registration in Lianglan and Lanzhou is not very abundant.
The emperor took away a total of 50,000 troops before and after entering Guanzhong, and it seems that he will continue to recruit them.
And these 50,000 troops plus the family members, there are at least 200,000 to 300,000 people, and 30 to 40% of the ten households are gone! Is there any human race on your land?"
When talking about this question, Zhang Xiaobao could only nod his head, and then shook his head.
Because he also discovered that something was indeed not right. Juntian, who was regarded as life by everyone in the past, has now become somewhat tasteless and a pity to abandon.
Baima Village, what a wonderful land, a lot of it is close to being abandoned.
The farmers who went to the Central Plains received great benefits and no longer looked down on the harvest.
At home, those who have not yet gone to the Central Plains are still practicing archery, riding, and marksmanship all the time, waiting for the call of the saint, and they seem to have no intention of farming.
After Zhang Xiaobao said these words, Pei Yuan's eyes flashed with light, because he saw that Zhang Xiaobao was not a simple martial artist.
So he looked helpless and continued: "This is the current situation in Liangzhou. The land of Longxing is almost at Dingkou. In addition, the land is located at the heart of the trade route and has a prosperous economy.
Most of the people who stayed in the city were from the older generation. They had money and leisure, so all they could do was mess around.
They don’t want to compose poetry. Instead, they want to express their noble Han identity by composing poetry and wearing Taoist robes and net scarves.”
Zhang Xiaobao could only look at Pei Yuan helplessly, "Why are Mr. Pei talking to a pawn like this? These things are not something that I can consider."
Pei Yuan shook his head and led him outside the office.
The two were walking and talking, and Pei Yuan asked: "Did you know? Duke Huaiqing was not such a person originally.
When they were in Dunhuang, Cao Yuanshen and others were so resentful that Duke Huaiqing was extremely opposed to it, and almost got into a fight with Cao Yuanshen several times.
But ever since His Majesty asked Duke Huaiqing to serve as a guard in Xijing, he began to indulge himself.
They feasted every day and played and sang every night. Not only did they not let their children and grandchildren ride horses and shoot arrows, they instead allowed them to join in the chaos of building wine ponds and meat forests.
This is not their wish, but they are a little too cautious.
The saint has no brothers, and his parents and children have not yet grown up. Duke Huaiqing sat in the left-behind position in Xijing. He was afraid that others would say that he had second thoughts, so he chose to use this to taint himself.
However, if the saints rule the world and have a golden harvest, they will be willing to live behind closed doors. Duke Huaiqing's choice would be a safe one.
However, I think His Majesty's ambition is quite similar to that of Emperor Taizong Wen of the past, who wanted to expand the territory thousands of miles away and encompass the whole world.
If this is the case, the trend of extravagance and enjoyment brought about by Duke Huaiqing will not be a blessing to Liangzhou."
Zhang Xiaobao could sense it. Pei Yuan worked tirelessly to analyze the current situation in Liangzhou, including Zhang Huaiqing's thoughts.
Whether it's someone taking the lead in enjoying themselves, or the good military land originally reserved for the Hexi soldiers has lost its original value, etc.
It seems like I'm telling myself, but in fact I'm definitely not.
Could it be?
Does Pei Yuan, the deputy left behind in Xijing, want to play the role of a sounding board?
It is impossible to say that Pei Yuan did not show up at the banquet that day, and the old man of the Yin family wanted to compose his own poem. This was all Pei Yuan's intention.
At this time, Pei Yuan asked Zhang Xiaobao again: "I heard that your brother has become the Marquis of Yu, the military commander of the imperial palace, and that Wang Jiulang of the Wang family has also entered the Hanlin Academy as a bachelor?"
Zhang Xiaobao understood that his guess was correct.
Although Pei Yuan held great power, he joined Zhang Zhao's camp relatively early.
But in fact, in Zhang Zhao's development over the years, Pei Yuan has been sent to guard one side, but he is not very close to Zhang Zhao.
However, his brother Zhang Cheng and his hometown friend Wang Jiulang and others were always by the emperor's side.
Although his official position is not high, he has great power and can meet with saints all the time. This is an advantage that Pei Yuan does not have.
Moreover, Zhang Xiaobao thought about it and realized that what Pei Yuan said were all the problems Liangzhou is facing now.
However, after thinking about it, he still raised his hand to Pei Yuan and said.
"I will tell all what Pei Gong said to my elder brother and the ninth brother of the Wang family. As for whether they will tell the saint or what considerations they have, it is beyond my control.
Pei Yuan also laughed after hearing this, "Erlang is a soldier and speaks directly and straightforwardly, so he doesn't hide it anymore.
Duke Huaiqing was a man of great wisdom. In the past, he was raised by Emperor Huai, the Yingzu, and their relationship was extremely close.
After the disaster of Emperor Huai's family, Duke Huaiqing was not implicated. When King Ling Gong took control of the situation, Duke Huaiqing went one step further and became the most powerful member of the Zhang family. This is not something ordinary people can do.
However, precisely because of this, Duke Huaiqing was too delicate, thought too much, and was too slick.
Liangzhou concerns the North Court of An and Persia in the middle of the river. If things continue like this for a long time and fall into extravagance and only seek peace and happiness, it will definitely be detrimental to your majesty's future grand plans.
Unfortunately, a certain person is a deputy stay-at-home officer in Xijing. If a certain family submits a letter, I am afraid that some interested people may suspect that I, Pei Yuan, am greedy for power, and may even have ulterior motives.
But in fact, Erlang has also seen the situation in Liangzhou, and it has reached the point where there is no need to delay.
Asking Erlang to help convey a message is indeed a last resort."
Zhang Xiaobao nodded silently. Liangzhou was his hometown. Although he was not used to it, he was still willing to help.
He couldn't do anything else, but there was no problem in telling the things he saw in detail.
As for what choice your Majesty's brother and Wang Jiulang will make? That is their business.
After sighing silently in his heart, he also knew that his journey back to his hometown was almost over.
After all the family left this place, Liangzhou was no longer the hometown that haunted people.
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Zhang Zhao, who was in Kaifeng Prefecture, Tokyo, had not thought that the situation in Liangzhou was already serious, but he also understood that the decline of Guanzhong and even Liangzhou was inevitable.
Because the Guanzhong water transport dredging and evaluation, which lasted for one and a half years, finally came to fruition.
A huge problem faced Zhang Zhao, that is, the water volume of the Wei River had dropped by at least one-third compared to the height of the Tang Dynasty.
This has led to a serious consequence: the canals and canals from the Wei River to the Yellow River have made it difficult for large ships of more than dozens of tons to travel.
This means that it is increasingly difficult for grain from and passing through the Central Plains to reach Guanzhong through the canal.
At the same time, since the Han River was rerouted in ancient times, food from Sichuan cannot be easily transported to Guanzhong.
The same goes for grain in Hexi. During the prosperous Tang Dynasty, grain in Hexi was transported to Lingzhou and even the Hetao area through the Yellow River.
To transport it to Guanzhong, both land and water routes are extremely troublesome. If you start with ten stones, you will still have at most one or two stones when you arrive in Guanzhong.
It can be said that changes in water transportation conditions completely killed Guanzhong's chance of becoming the capital of the emperor.
Although Zhang Zhao had already decided before that to place the capital in Luoyang, which is connected in all directions.
However, the decline of Guanzhong will seriously weaken the imperial court's control over Hexi.
After all, it is thousands of miles away from Luoyang to Chengtian Mansion in Liangzhou.
Whether you patrol by yourself or send people to guard it, there are many shortcomings.
This is God's will! The northwest has moved from a semi-humid area to a semi-arid area, and its decline is inevitable.
The rise of Jiangnan, the Two Lakes and the Maritime Silk Road has become inevitable.
However, the work of dredging the Weishui River and the Cao Canal must continue.
Decline is a slow process. Since you are determined to continue to use troops in Hezhong, Persia and other places, you must try your best to delay the decline of Guanzhong and Hexi.
After arranging the affairs of the Cao Canal, Zhang Zhao summoned Zhang Liecheng into the palace again. The last matter regarding Li Xiaofeng's uncle and Li Dalang, the Chengxin Lang of Zhangwu Town, had finally come to an end.
This time Zhang Liecheng brought Li Dalang to pay a secret visit to Zhang Zhao.
In Zhang Zhao's impression, the person who could rise from an auxiliary soldier to Cheng Xinlang was probably similar to Dundup and Barbarian Bear.
But when he saw Li Dalang, he couldn't help showing his surprise.
Because the Cheng Xinlang in front of him gave people a weather-beaten look, but he was actually quite handsome.
He is not particularly strong, he just has long arms and legs. At first glance, he looks like a nimble player who is good at running and archery.
Before meeting him, Zhang Liecheng also explained some of Li Dalang's situation to Zhang Zhao.
Jinyiwei investigated and learned that although Li Dalang resented his mother, in fact, this resentment was also mixed with some small inferiority complex.
Because his mother was a noble lady and his father was just a farmer in the fields.
Li Dalang probably felt that his mother left without saying goodbye because the marriage to his father made his mother, who came from a famous family, feel a little embarrassed.
So on the one hand, Li Dalang was very eager to find his mother and taste the maternal love he had lost for almost thirty years.
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On the other hand, he was very inferior to his own origin, especially when he learned that his half-brother was actually a descendant of Li Shen, the prime minister of the Wuzong Dynasty of the Tang Dynasty. This feeling became even stronger.
In response to this situation, Jin Yiwei's suggestion was to ask Zhang Zhao to give a posthumous gift to Li Dalang's father to make up for the shortcomings in his heart.
Zhang Zhao adopted this suggestion, which was actually what he thought, and he thought more comprehensively.
When he entered and exited the palace for the first time, Li Dalang seemed very frightened. Almost everyone he saw seemed to want to bow down to each other.
When he was brought to the Hall of Wende and saw Zhang Zhao, Li Dalang even knelt down with a plop and never dared to raise his head again.
Faintly, there was also a slight cry, I don't know whether it was gratitude or fear.
At this time, the side of Zhang Zhao who was born in the market was well displayed. He came over without any pretense and patted Li Dalang on the shoulder.
"I heard that you fought alone against more than a dozen people from the Southern Tang Dynasty in the battle formation, and even killed Cheng Silang, the Marquis of Yu, the capital of the Longwu Army of the Southern Tang Dynasty.
If you are not afraid of life and death, why are you trembling now? Get up quickly!"
Li Dalang shivered again after being photographed by Zhang Zhao, but he still managed to stand up and said to Zhang Zhao.
"I am not afraid but happy. I never expected that I would see the saint again ten years later."
Hey! Zhang Zhao took a closer look at Li Dalang, but he really couldn't remember seeing him again.
Li Dalang was already talking to himself, "Ten years ago, the saint led the Hexi Heavenly Soldiers into the Guanzhong Plain and rescued hundreds of farmers in Wugong County who were about to be killed by the rebel army..."
When Li Dalang said this, Zhang Zhao suddenly had a look of realization on his face. He pointed at Li Dalang with a bit of surprise and a bit of unexpectedness in his tone, "You are the one...that..."
In fact, Zhang Zhao didn't think of anything, but Li Dalang thought that the emperor had already remembered it, and he trembled and burst into tears.
"I am the first civilian that the saint pulled out from the death pit of the Jingnan Army.
I was naked at that time, so the saint immediately took off his fur coat and put it on me. Later, he also gave me clothes, food, and three bushels of rice when I returned home, so that I could work hard at home."
When he said this, Zhang Zhao really remembered that after defeating the rebels entrenched in Wugong County, he indeed saved thousands of people who were about to be buried alive by the rebels.
Moreover, he Mohu remembered that he did give his fur coat to a common man who was completely naked and trembling.
Over there, Li Dalang had already burst into tears, "Without a saint, my bones would have been buried in a pit of death in Wucheng County. How can I go home to see my wife and children again, and I can't eat more rice for the past ten years."
My life was given by saints, and saints are my reborn parents!"
Zhang Zhao saw Li Dalang crying with gratitude, and he felt a lot of emotion himself.
He thought of many ways to keep this key figure in Shu loyal.
But I didn't expect that when I first entered Guanzhong to quell the chaos, those actions that seemed very womanly had already planted the good fruits today.
"Okay! Okay! Don't cry. Since we are old friends and it's almost noon, just stay and have a light meal with me. Cheng'er went to ask the Shangshi Bureau to prepare some more Guanzhong dishes. You can stay too.
Have two drinks.”
Zhang Liecheng was not surprised and immediately accepted the order. Li Dalang was grateful and wanted to kneel down again, but Zhang Zhao held him back.
I, Zhang Shengren, have always understood that eating is the best way to build relationships among Chinese people.
After Li Dalang calmed down a bit, Zhang Zhao asked about the situation at home and the living conditions of the villagers, and helped Li Dalang recall how the lives of Guanzhong people had changed since he had Zhang Shengren.
Of course Li Dalang was extremely grateful and repeatedly expressed that all the villagers believed that their lives were saved by Zhang Zhao.
Zhang Zhaoze nodded with satisfaction and felt that the people's gratitude was quite easy to earn.
But what he didn't know was that without Zhang Zhao, there would indeed be no roosters crowing in Guanzhong in the near future, and bones would be exposed in the wild.
Because historically, just next year, a large-scale warlord melee broke out in Guanzhong, led by Li Shouzhen, Wang Jingchong, Zhao Siwan, and Meng Shu.
By the time Guo Wei put down the rebellion, 250,000 corpses had been pulled out of Chang'an City alone.
The entire Guanzhong is conservatively estimated to have lost more than half of its population, which is more than 700,000 people. This was the last straw that broke the camel's back in Guanzhong.
Soon the food and wine were served. Li Dalang was extremely flattered and sat on the lower right side of the emperor, enjoying the exquisite royal meal.
In fact, there was nothing good. Each person got a bowl of mutton soup cake, two white flour steamed buns, a stack of chicken fried with chives, a barbecued leg of lamb, a plate of cheese lamb chops, and a jug of wine.
Zhang Liecheng replaced Zhang Zhao and frequently invited Li Dalang to drink. It was only after he was full of wine and food that Zhang Zhao asked: "How is the life of the people in Huainan, where Lang Guan visited the Southern Tang Dynasty?"
Li Dalang shook his head, "The imperial court of the Southern Tang Dynasty imposed excessive taxes, and the government, the powerful, and the fish and meat, farmers with more than ten acres of land had trouble even having enough to eat. Although it is better than in Guanzhong in the past Jin Dynasty, it is not as abundant as in Guanzhong today."
"Alas!" Zhang Shengren's acting skills were so good that he looked at the air at an angle of 45 degrees, tears seemed to be shining in the corners of his eyes, and he tapped the table with the leg of lamb in his hand.
"In the past, when your country was lost, I was sent away by the Cao family. My father died and my mother was not allowed to see each other. So I traveled to various places and saw how difficult the people's lives in the world were. Therefore, I recalled the aspirations of my ancestors to pacify the world so that all people would no longer suffer from hunger.
I don’t think this year is already thirty-four, but we still can’t save the people of Southern Tang, Meng, Shu, Hedong, and Youyun. Why can’t Heaven show mercy to ordinary people?”
These words made Li Dalang burst into tears, because Li Dalang's father died and his mother and son were not allowed to see each other!
At this moment, Li Dalang found the common ground between him and the saint, and felt the same for a moment.
Secondly, his father was captured by the Later Liang court, and his body was eventually wiped out. Li Dalang had a more intuitive experience of the anger and fear of tyranny and tyranny.
And Zhang Zhao actually did good things for the people, which he saw with his own eyes.
"The saint cares about the world, and he will surely realize his long-cherished wish sooner or later. Although I am stupid, I am willing to follow the saint's arrangements and go to Shu to contribute my small amount to the unification of the world."
Zhang Zhao slowly shook his head, "I understand your loyalty, but this matter is extremely risky. I cannot send a warrior who has fought hundreds of battles for the country into the tiger's mouth."
Li Dalang kowtowed to the ground and said firmly: "I have made up my mind to repay His Majesty's kindness even if I die!"
Zhang Zhao stopped pretending at this time. He put down the leg of lamb, wiped his hands, and helped Li Dalang up.
"What I want is not for you to die, but for you to help me save the people of Shu and unify the world. Do you know the hardships here?"
Li Dalang nodded heavily, "I know that I am willing to go to Shuzhong."