The terrain of Dongping Prefecture is high in the north and low in the south, with mostly low mountains and hills in the north.
Dulong Mountain is one of them. Although it is not a famous mountain and does not have much scenery, it is very famous within a hundred miles.
Just because there is Zhujiazhuang on the mountain, this Zhujiazhuang is an unusual villager. The village has many villagers and has hired instructors to train them. On weekdays, they rely on the strength of the crowd to roam the countryside, covering a hundred miles in radius.
Ba.
Lijiazhuang and Hujiazhuang are located on the east and west sides of Zhujiazhuang. With such powerful neighbors, the two villages naturally do not suffer much.
Early in the morning, dozens of riders from Zhujiazhuang broke the early morning tranquility and headed towards Hujiazhuang in the west.
When they arrived outside the village, they stopped riding and rushed straight into the village. There were people walking around in the village, but when they saw Zhu Biao leading his men on a rampage, they all took cover.
For a time, the village was in a state of uproar.
Sanniang Yizhang Qinghu was competing in martial arts with her brother Feitian Hu Hucheng in the village. When she heard the village was in chaos, she walked out of the courtyard with the sun and moon swords.
I saw dozens of people riding horses rushing in from the entrance of the village. The person in front was Zhu Biao, who was engaged to me.
A trace of anger flashed across Hu Sanniang's face, and she said: "This Zhu Biao is so abominable, he doesn't care about my Hujiazhuang. Xiaoqing, you go and lead my horse, and I will frustrate Zhu Biao's spirit."
Xiao Qing, Hu Sanniang's personal maid next to her, responded and went to fetch the horse.
Hu Cheng, who was chasing after him, said hurriedly: "Sister, no, Zhujiazhuang has a large number of people. Even if nothing happens, you still need to find trouble. If you hit Zhu Biao, I'm afraid Zhujiazhuang will take the opportunity to cause trouble again. Don't cause trouble, you see.
Didn't they stop?"
At this time, Zhu Biao also saw the slim and graceful Sanniang in front of Hu Taigong's house. Looking at the slim and graceful Sanniang, Zhu Biao also felt warm. Thinking of the purpose of his visit today, he slowed down his horse.
Hu Sanniang saw Zhu Biao approaching with a domineering look on his face, turned around and walked inside.
"younger sister."
Hu Cheng called out to Sanniang, but when she ignored him, he had to step forward to greet Zhu Biao alone.
Zhu Biao watched Sanniang walk away on the horse, his eyes a little straight. He waited until Sanniang's figure disappeared from sight, but he still didn't come back to his senses.
Hu Cheng looked at Zhu Biao, who was stunned on his horse, and said hurriedly: "I wonder why Third Young Master Zhu is here today?"
"Ah? Oh, I came here today to discuss with Grand Duke Hu the wedding date of me and Sanniang."
Hu Cheng was stunned when he heard this, and said hurriedly: "Third Young Master, follow me to the front hall to sit down for a while. I will ask someone to invite my father."
Zhu Biao asked Zhuang Ding who was accompanying him to wait outside the courtyard, and he followed Hu Cheng in alone.
Not long after the two of them had sat down, Taigong Hu, who had white hair and beard, came out of the back hall.
Zhu Biao stood up and said, "Hello, Grandpa."
"Well, I wish my brother is feeling better?"
Grand Duke Hu looked at Zhu Biao in surprise. Although Sanzhuang had an offensive and defensive alliance, he was considered Zhu Biao's elder, but Zhu Biao had never been so polite in the past.
A few days ago, Zhu Hu died tragically. Zhujiazhuang only sent a housekeeper to notify Hujiazhuang to track down the passers-by, but they never paid attention to them.
Unfortunately, after a few days of busy work, nothing was found. Instead, it attracted government inquiries, so Zhujiazhuang dropped the matter.
Could it be that Zhu Hu's tragic death made him restrain himself? If this is the case, Zhu Hu's death may be a good thing for Zhujiazhuang.
Hujiazhuang is next to Zhujiazhuang, so Taigong Hu is naturally aware of the shady activities of Zhujiazhuang. Zhujiazhuang relies on these activities to obtain foreign wealth, recruit villagers, and strengthen its power.
However, Hu Taigong believed that if he walked too much at night, he would always encounter ghosts, so he was unwilling to follow Zhujiazhuang's approach, which allowed Zhujiazhuang to gradually overtake Hujiazhuang.
Taigong Hu was not surprised at all by Zhu Hu's death. There are hidden dragons and crouching tigers in the world, and there is no guarantee that one day Zhujiazhuang will decline because of Zhujiadian.
Zhu Biao shook his head and said: "It's better not to see him. Yesterday I invited Dr. Wang from Ping'an Hall in Dongping Prefecture. He diagnosed my father's illness and said that he was just overly sad and not seriously ill. It's just that this heart disease requires careful medicine. He also
There is nothing we can do. It is best for the villager to organize some happy events to make his old man feel better. My eldest brother has already married, and I happen to be engaged to Sanniang. I am here to discuss a date with Grandpa. Let’s see when.
Let Sanniang come over to celebrate my father's birthday."
Taigong Hu frowned and said, "Didn't we agree at the beginning that the marriage would be consummated only after the good nephew won the martial arts examination?"
When Zhu Biao heard this, a trace of anger flashed across his face. At first, he was fascinated by Hu Sanniang's beauty, so he agreed to the condition in a daze. Only later did he realize that the martial arts examination had just ended, and the next martial arts examination would have to wait for three years, and
It's not easy to go to high school, but he fell into Hu Sanniang's plan to delay the attack.
Zhu Biao resisted the urge to fall out and said: "The martial arts examination will not be held until three years after Xuanhe. Now that my father is seriously ill, it cannot be postponed. It is better to get married in advance and celebrate my father's happiness. When the martial arts examination is held,
My son-in-law must take the exam."
Taigong Hu was confused: "Sanniang has a strong temper, but I'm afraid she won't agree."
When Zhu Biao saw that Hu Taigong didn't know how to praise him, he couldn't control his temper and said in a dark voice: "I also know Sanniang's temper, but this matter is my eldest brother's idea. If this matter fails, I'm afraid it will be difficult for the two villages to get along with each other in the future.
"
Grand Duke Hu was stunned when he heard Zhu Biao's threats.
Hu Cheng hurriedly said: "Third Young Master, don't be impatient. Let me advise Sanniang. She must give Third Young Master an answer as soon as possible."
Zhu Biao looked at the panicked look of the two of them and knew that Sanniang would not be able to escape from his grasp.
"I'm not forcing you, it's just that my father is lingering on the sickbed, and we can't watch him suffer. Three days, I can only buy you three days. After three days, if there is no reply, I'm afraid my eldest brother will get into trouble.
.”
Hu Cheng said hurriedly: "Definitely, definitely, within three days, I will definitely give Third Young Master an answer."
While he was talking, there was another sound of horse hoofbeats coming from outside the courtyard, approaching from far away and not stopping until outside the courtyard.
A Zhujiazhuang servant ran in and said breathlessly: "Third Young Master, it's not good, a large group of Liangshan soldiers and horses are rushing towards our Zhuangzi. The eldest young master asked you to take the people back quickly, and at the same time, please ask Hujiazhuang soldiers and horses to rescue us.
"
Zhu Biao was just running rampant in the countryside. When he heard this, he couldn't sit still. His arrogance just now disappeared and he said in a panic: "I'm going back to the village first. I also ask Brother Hu to lead people to rescue him as soon as possible."
When Hu Cheng heard that Liangshan soldiers and horses were coming to attack, his expression changed drastically. The three villages were so close, how could Liangshan soldiers and horses only attack Zhujiazhuang? He hurriedly said: "Third Young Master, go ahead. I'll summon the villagers and go."
"It's time to work."
Zhu Biao bowed his hands and said goodbye, and then hurriedly ran back with the people who had come to show off their power.
"Dong dong dong"
The big drums in the threshing floor of Hujiazhuang also sounded, and the strong men in the village were all using their instruments, and water poured in from all around.
Hu Sanniang heard the sound of drums in the backyard, so she put on her clothes and armor and rushed out with her maid Xiaoqing, asking: "What happened?"
Hu Cheng looked at his heroic sister with helplessness in his eyes and said: "The bandits from Liangshan are attacking Zhujiazhuang, and Zhujiazhuang is asking us for help."
"Brother guards Zhujiazhuang. I will lead 300 people to rescue Zhujiazhuang. Xiaoqing, let's go."
When Hu Cheng saw Hu Sanniang leaving the house in a hurry, he hurriedly shouted: "Sister, wait a minute."
Hu Sanniang did not stop, but said: "The thieves in Liangshan are powerful. They just broke into Dongping Mansion. My brother is guarding Zhuangzi to prevent them from sneak attacks."
The maid Xiaoqing trotted to catch up with Hu Sanniang and gasped: "Miss, aren't you unwilling to marry that Zhu Biao? Why are you going to save him now?"
Hu Sanniang gritted her teeth and said: "I am not going to save him, but to save Zhujiazhuang. Sanzhuang has a covenant, and as long as the covenant is still there, we cannot break our promises."
Hu Cheng watched Sanniang leave like a gust of wind. He also knew that his sister was afraid that he was poor in martial arts and would go out to save people but failed and was captured by Liangshan instead. He remembered that he had just tried to persuade his sister to marry Zhu Biao in order to protect the entire Hu family village.
It's guilt.
"Let her go. There must have been an alliance between the three villages before, and we are not qualified to sit on the mountain and watch the fight between tigers."
"What if we defeat Liangshan and Zhu Biao comes to press us again? Do we really want to marry my sister to him?"
"When I promised Sanniang to Zhu Biao, I hoped that the two families would become a good couple of Qin and Jin Dynasties, and the two villages could live in harmony. Who would have thought that Zhu Chaofeng was so greedy that he actually asked me to give half of the land in Hujiazhuang as a dowry. I usually suffer a small loss.
Forget it, I can’t agree to this matter.”
"If you refuse, I'm afraid Zhujiazhuang will bully me, Hujiazhuang, everywhere in the future."
Grand Duke Hu looked at his weak son and couldn't help but shook his head secretly. He began to worry about the problems after his death. Although Zhu Biao's domineering character might cause trouble, it would be extremely difficult for Hu Cheng to maintain his foundation with such a weak character.
Sanniang has a stronger personality, but unfortunately she is only a girl and will eventually get married.
Taigong Hu sighed and said: "Let's get through this hurdle first. Chao Gai of Liangshan was originally a hero of Jingdong, and he had many leaders who were like wolves and tigers. The Dongping Mansion's two-gun general Dong Ping had ten thousand men to blame.
They are both brave and have become the generals of the defeated army. Although Sanzhuang has a favorable geographical location, I am afraid it will not be easy to survive this disaster."