Delong

Chapter 521: Journey of Thousands of Miles (4)

Less than ten days later, only five days after the chief of the Chulong Gang arrived at the Black Water Guard, the Grand Si Ming Yin Tianqi officially issued a notice and signed a document, announcing the news of the cooperation between the Dangmo Guard and the Chulong Gang to the entire North.

It was said to be cooperation, but the members of the Demon-Slaying Guard joined the Chulong Gang as individuals, the Demon-Slaying Guard as a whole obtained the positions of leader, big chief and chief quota of the Chulong Gang, and then the Chulong Gang would establish an office and set up counties in the north after the war. These news clearly showed that the Demon-Slaying Guard actually merged with the Chulong Gang, and it was the Chulong Gang that mainly annexed the Demon-Slaying Guard.

Once the notice is issued, it is difficult to reverse it.

On that day, Anchewei's Sima Lan Dawen resigned and returned home, fulfilling his political promise... From this example alone, we can imagine that the internal turmoil in the Dangmowei that Yin Tianqi mentioned yesterday is almost inevitable, and it will be quite intense, frequent and extensive.

Compared to Madam Lu who returned to Tingtao City overnight, Zhang Xing waited until the notice was issued and saw the whole city in an uproar and countless messengers of the battle group rushing out. He did not hesitate and only left a liaison team headed by Jia Yue and actually in charge of Xu Jingzu here. He, Bai Yousi, Qin Bao, and several staff officers, together with the White Wolf Guard including Hei Yan, immediately returned along the original route.

When they came, they flew a large flag, but when they left, the red flag with the word "demoted" on it was simply rolled up.

However, four days later, just after crossing the iconic Baihe River in Bailian City and before even reaching Hulukou, the group encountered a large-scale commotion... According to people who fled from the south, several war groups suddenly gathered in the southern part of Bailian City, and quite chaotic conflicts arose among themselves, including with the military forces directly under Bailian City.

Everyone immediately realized that this was unlikely to be due to the change of flag of the Demon-Slaying Guard, because they were heading south very quickly and could not catch up with the news, so the cause of the commotion must be further south.

Sure enough, one day later, as everyone approached Hulukou, they soon learned the whole story through Hei Yan from the leader of a regiment they met on the road.

It turned out that while Zhang Xing was lingering in Heishuiwei, Li Ding had successfully captured Luobo City through a field battle and a siege, and hanged the heads of Luye Gong and his sons (not only the eldest son who led the troops, but also the second son who followed the march, the youngest son who defended the city, and the second daughter who fought in the army) for public display... This was certainly one of the reasons for the panic, but it does not mean that the field battle and the siege were fought so decisively that the people of the North were scared. The North is not a secluded place that does not know the rise and fall of the Wei Dynasty and the general situation of the world. The key to the problem is that the leader of the Chulong Gang killed the entire family of Luye Gong, who had been in power for decades, without hesitation. It was truly shocking.

The ideological impact of this is no less than the speed of war.

That’s not all. Just when the heads of Lord Luye and his son were hung up for public display and the surrounding forces in the North were stunned, just when everyone thought that the main force of the Northern Expedition, the Chulong Army, would continue northward along the western road of the North to Benma City or simply deal with the Tieshan Guards right beside them, Liucheng, located in the valley on the east side of the battlefield, was suddenly bypassed by a man named Hou Junshu who sneaked into the city by bypassing the pass.

You know, the original situation in Liucheng was very awkward. They had a military conflict with the White Wolf Guards in the northeast, and Youzhou in the south changed hands again. Then the Chulong Gang's army appeared on Luoboyuan in the west without stopping. So it was naturally tense. They had already deployed layers of defense early on with the help of the surrounding terrain, and at the same time did not forget to contact various places in the surrounding area.

Among them, several large forces, such as Lelang City, Bailian City, and Tieshan Guard are still playing dumb. After all, they never expected that the situation would change so quickly... and the surrounding war groups have indeed gathered a lot of them during the cool summer, and together with their direct troops, they have been deployed outside to set up layers of defense.

The result was that Hou Junshu sneaked into one of the companies, entered the company through a backdoor listing, and the center flourished.

At present, the reinforcements of the Chulong Gang were rushing towards them from the south and west, trying to control the situation together with Hou Junshu. The troops directly under Liucheng that were originally deployed at the key pass were fleeing back like crazy. The ones causing the riot were the various battle groups that had been summoned by the Duke of Liucheng and had already arrived in Liucheng or were heading towards Liucheng.

They were afraid of revenge from the Chulong Gang and were terrified by the sudden turn of the situation for the worse. They were afraid that the Chulong Army would come out from Hulukou again and surround them in the south. Naturally, they fled north in a panic, but because of the disorder and loss of supplies, they caused chaos in the south of Bailian City.

"I can't understand it."

A whole day had passed since he heard the news. Hei Yan, who had already reached the gourd's mouth, put down his soup bowl, still indignant. "These regiments, if you look at them individually, all of them are well-organized. The leaders of each regiment have their own strengths. When they gather together, they are strong and powerful. How can we say that we can't count on them? Just like this time, you said you had a master, but what about Liucheng? Did you meet the master? They just scattered because the city was stolen! It's the same now, and it was the same when the Wei invaded! What's going on?!"

The knights with white wolf tails hanging around them were also a little angry.

Zhang Xing and Bai Yousi looked at each other and hadn't spoken yet, but Qin Bao spoke leisurely: "Why is Mr. Hei so angry? If there is a great master who can lead the way and unite as one, Li Longtou's dozen battalions will not be enough... Who knows, it will be Li Longtou who will die."

This guy seems to be getting more and more relaxed.

Hearing this, Hei Yan sneered twice, and actually turned around: "That's hard to say... With their current situation, even if the Great God of Destiny came in person and won one or two battles, what would be the use? Can they leave the Northland and fight to Youzhou? Will they still be there when they reorganize their troops and come again? Can the Grandmaster stay still? Sooner or later, they will be divided and disintegrated, and defeated one by one... It's not like I haven't seen it before!"

Qin Bao said "Oh" and said no more.

After Hei Yan reacted, he couldn't help but shake his head.

In fact, this short episode revealed many of the reasons why the Chulong Gang was able to seek peace in danger and peacefully merge with the Dangmo Guards.

First of all, the most core and biggest reasons are obvious:
Culturally speaking, the North and the Central Plains were originally one, and politically the Central Plains's in-depth advancement into the North was even more turbulent and never stopped. In addition, although the Great Wei Dynasty suddenly disappeared, it could not stop the people from settling their minds due to the chaos of the previous hundreds of years. This is called the irreversible trend of history;
As for the current situation, the Chulong Gang controls the densely populated elite areas of the Central Plains such as Hebei, Dongjing, and Huaibei. In theory, they do have the military strength to annex the northern areas. Li Ding's army and Xu Shiying of Youzhou are there. They really want to fight, not just make empty threats. This is called the reality that cannot be bullied;

In addition, the eight nobles of the Northern Garrison and the Demon-Slaying Guards are not clearly subordinate to each other. The eight nobles of the Garrison occupy the most prosperous areas and hold the initiative in the economy and population, but they are independent of each other. The Demon-Slaying Guards are theoretically one, but are divided into various geographical key points... This was a last resort to maintain the basic public structure of the North during the retreat period, but it also lost the basic system for gathering strength to fight against external forces.

In addition to the three major reasons, there are also several other reasons that play a significant role.

For example, Zhang Xing was born in the north and was chosen by the Black Emperor. The political system of the Chulong Gang, which looked similar to that of the Demon-Slaying Guard, did play a huge role and saved a lot of integration steps. Another example was that the three cities and two guards in the southern part of the north were too closely connected with the political and economic ties of Hebei. Another example was that the Wei Dynasty died too quickly, and the people in the north still remembered how the Wei Dynasty had swept into the north with great momentum, and were even more angry about the excessive taxation in the later period. As a result, the Chulong Gang now established its foundation as an anti-Wei gang, and when they returned to the north, they had a natural political stance with the Demon-Slaying Guard, which had had fierce conflicts with the Wei Dynasty.

It can only be said that Dawei’s contribution to the Chulong Gang is still being underestimated.

As for Hei Yan at the moment, he is the iconic figure driven by these forces.

When the Wei Dynasty marched northward, he was full of vigor and vitality. As an eyewitness and a loser, he witnessed the power and brutality of the rising dynasty in the Central Plains.

However, the White Wolf Guard where he was located controlled the seaport and the area was mostly hilly and heavily dependent on commerce, so it had close ties with Hebei in commerce. As a result, it was more sensitive to the situation in the Central Plains and had a clearer understanding of it. Therefore, when the Chulong Gang was seeking allies against the Wei forces in Hebei, he took the initiative to step forward and became the first core member of the Demon-Slaying Guard to form an alliance with the Chulong Gang, and concluded a basic trade and military mutual assistance alliance.

Moreover, he was the first person to take action against the official forces of Wei in the north.

Such a person is naturally an ally of the Chulong Gang, but even he feels uneasy and hesitant about what is about to happen.

"Chief Zhang, do you think there will be another big battle in the North?" Hei Yan ate and drank a few mouthfuls, and as expected, he asked. "This kind of battle of taking cities one by one doesn't count."

"Didn't we talk about it on the way?" Zhang Xing answered immediately. "The key is that in the northern western route, Madam Lu has gone back, and Lan Siming has also resigned from his position. It can be seen that they have some intentions. It's hard not to fight a battle, right?"

"That's the thing." Hei Yan frowned. "I just realized it now... Chief Zhang, I want to remind you of something. Madam Lu is also famous for her way of doing things. Her favorite method is to use the opponent's force to fight back, but she will withdraw herself and deal with it after the battle. So, when the battle really starts, it may not be Madam Lu who leads the way."

"Whether she leads the battle or not, if we want to have a fight, the soldiers and horses are not fake, and the masters cannot be fake either. What will we do if they are all wiped out?" Bai Yousi also frowned.

"That's what I'm afraid of." Hei Yan said seriously. "If the elite of the Northwest Road are wiped out in one battle, but the most important people who oppose your Chulong Gang are left behind, wouldn't it seem that the people who died were unjust?"

"If we really go to the battlefield, no one will be wronged." Bai You thought for a moment and sneered. "Otherwise, we really don't take the sword seriously."

Hei Yan was stunned.

Zhang Xing, on the other hand, said quietly, "I actually know what Lord Hei meant. It would be best to choose calmly, pardon certain people and punish certain people. But I don't have the authority to do so now. Otherwise, I wouldn't have used that method when discussing the internal issues of the Demon Slayer Guards with the Great Sima... I would have just pardoned them directly."

Hei Yan frowned slightly: "Chief Zhang, I wanted to ask you before. If before this sweep across Hebei, there were still people who could restrain you by raising their hands in meetings, but what about now? With your prestige, is there anyone who can stop you from doing anything you want? To put it bluntly, even if our Great Sima gets angry, what can we do to him, let alone you?"

"That's true. Didn't you Si Ming say that? If you break the rules, you will damage your own prestige." Zhang Xing spread his hands. "No need... Besides, I didn't say that I won't solve the problem. In the Northland, you can decide for yourself in the Demon-Slaying Guards. As for those outside the Demon-Slaying Guards, I'm going back to Yecheng and I'll build a country. Then I'll ask the gang for the authority to do what it wants in the Northland, and then I'll go back to the Northland. If you've solved your internal problems by then, come together. We'll set a scope. For example, the Great Si Ming and you Si Mings, I and Li Longtou and a few other big leaders will decide who should be pardoned and who should be killed... But then again, if they're dead or surrendered before I come back, no one can be blamed."

Hei Yan nodded: "If this is the case, then it can be considered as doing our utmost. If we haven't even dealt with the internal strife here, and they have already killed people over there, we can only say that they are too shortsighted. They still insist on charging at the top despite the huge gap... They deserve it."

Zhang Xing nodded and said no more.

Besides, there is a reason for saying this here and now. Both parties had already agreed on the road during the day that since Li Ding attacked so quickly, Hei Yan should rush north to mobilize the White Wolf Guard and immediately participate in the attack on Liucheng and Lelang City. This is also the best way to merge; and Zhang Xing took the opportunity to go to the hometown of Tieshan Guard to take a look at the situation. He did not expect to take over Tieshan Guard directly, but at least he had to make his position clear and control part of the force to deter them. In this way, when the Chulong Army advances north again, there will be no chaos.

Therefore, Hei Yan would escort Zhang Xing across Hulukou and then turn back immediately.

As expected, the two agreed to part ways on the west side of Hulukou the next day. Hei Yan returned to Bailangwei, while Zhang Xing went to his theoretical hometown Tieshanwei with Bai Yousi and Qin Bao.

Tieshanwei, as the name suggests, is built on a hill with excellent iron ore. In fact, Tieshanwei and Luobo City, one high and one low, one worker and one farmer, one garrison and one demon-slaying guard, complement each other and constitute the basic political, economic and cultural ecology of the richest area in the north.

It is worth mentioning that as the Demon-Slaying Guard in the southern part of the Northland, Tieshan Guard is also at the forefront of ideological wavering. The biggest and most obvious manifestation of this is that Zhu Mu, the Sima of Tieshan Guard, has always intended to push his son to succeed Tieshan Guard in order to emulate the eight dukes of the nearby garrison and the small counties on the edge of Youzhou to complete the hereditary succession.

Frankly speaking, the first half of his approach was impeccable, which was to train his two sons, let them first establish prestige, improve their skills, win the hearts of the people, and gain a say in local military and economic affairs... To put it bluntly, he used means within the rules to push his two sons to power.

There is really nothing wrong with this method.

So what's the problem?
The reason is that the two sons are equally capable, but there is only one Tieshanwei, and the roots of both sons are in Tieshanwei.

So, when the two sons had grown up, the old father fell seriously ill four or five years ago, which somewhat reduced his energy, causing the Tieshanwei, which had been as strong as an iron barrel, to split... and it was not just divided into two halves.

"There are three petals." Huang Ping sat at the wooden table, his expression unexpectedly looking a little dull. "There is another petal, which belongs to you."

"My people?" Even though Zhang Xing was now quite knowledgeable, he was still stunned for a moment.

"You underestimate yourself too much." Huang Ping said seriously. "Zhu Siming is sick and weak, his two sons are making a mess, and the Demon-Slaying Guard has its own system, so of course they are a little disgusted with them... But the real Siming is also surnamed Zhu, and he is still sitting there, unable to resist. But isn't this you? You crossed the river with floating horses, and built such a foundation with bare hands. Now it is not inferior to Dongqi at all. In addition, last year's rescue, thousands of people went there and knew your posture firsthand. If you come back, won't you be famous?"

Zhang Xing nodded, and came to realize that there was actually one thing the other party hadn't said, and that was the role of his uncle himself... In theory, this was his only close relative, and he had been in Tieshanwei for decades, so he had a lot of prestige and was a natural political guarantor, so they could form a "petal" around "him".

In any case, it will be much easier if you have a handle, and you can do it any way you want.

However, Zhang Xing was calm in his heart, but he didn't say anything extra, just waiting for his uncle to continue speaking... He had noticed early on that the other party was in a bad mood.

"Did the Great God of Destiny really agree?" Sure enough, after a long while, Huang Ping spoke in a sullen voice.

"This can't be faked, right?" Zhang Xing could only smile. "My uncle has already said that I have such a great foundation now, so what is the purpose of faking it? Just to shake the determination of Tieshan Guard and make it easier for Li Ding to launch a surprise attack? And uncle, you are in Tieshan Guard, you should also know the current situation in the world and the problems within the Demon-Slaying Guard. Isn't this the general trend?"

Huang Ping shook his head slowly, his head drooping involuntarily: "That being said, that being said, how can I be willing?"

Of course Zhang Xing could understand the other party's feelings, but because of the uncle-nephew relationship, he couldn't act like a chief. He could only turn his head and look around, and finally his eyes fell on a young girl.

Xiao Niang is actually about the same age as Yue Niang, but her personality is obviously different. She felt uneasy standing behind Huang Ping. In the room behind Xiao Niang, although Zhang Xing's cultivation level was so high that even a grandmaster would find it strange, his perception was as good as ever, and he knew early on that there was a sleeping baby there.

Seeing this situation, Chief Zhang wanted to make some small talk here to break the deadlock.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, Bai Yousi suddenly spoke up: "Uncle has been in the Demon Guard for decades, and it is natural for him to be concerned about it. But the problem now is that the matter has become a foregone conclusion, and uncle is the foundation of the people in the Iron Mountain Guard who are close to the Chulong Gang and the orthodox Demon Guard... If uncle can't cheer up, I'm afraid it will make things worse... Uncle, this is a matter of life and death, and it may even lead to rivers of blood."

Frankly speaking, Bai Yousi's words had no technical content, they were just a simple reminder of the seriousness of the situation, but the beauty of it lay in her special identity.

One of the most famous masters in the world, the leader of a major faction within the Chulong Gang and the de facto chief, the eldest daughter of the British Emperor, and the only wife of Zhang Xing... Speaking at this time, he easily broke down the barrier of uncle and nephew status that Zhang Xing was unable to break.

"Bai... Manager Bai is right. If I wasn't worried about the situation, I wouldn't have let my mother and grandson hide here." Huang Ping was helpless. "But how should we deal with it?"

Bai Yousi then looked at Zhang Xing.

Zhang Xing smiled and gave his answer: "You can do whatever you want, as long as you do it... Let's spread the news now, tell everyone that the Demon Slayer Guard and the Dragon Slayer Gang have merged into one, and I will be the boss from now on. I am here with my uncle now, please ask everyone from the Iron Mountain Guard to come, and within three days, anyone who wants to come can come to my uncle's place to see me. As long as you come and sit down, drink a bowl of soup, and shake hands, you will be considered one of us... It's not about the future, the key is that before the war, we have to distinguish between friends and enemies."

Huang Ping nodded and asked again: "Where are those regiments?"

"As long as they are in the vicinity of Tieshanwei, please invite them to come."

"There are always people who won't come..." Huang Ping was still a little depressed.

"Are they from the battle group or the Tieshan Guard?" Zhang Xing continued to ask.

"Weili didn't break up with them, so even if they had some intentions, they wouldn't take such a big risk in such a short time." Huang Ping said seriously. "As for the regiment, no one would act on their own, but there must be people in Weili with bad intentions, and then instigated some peripheral regiments to cause trouble..."

"No problem." Zhang Xing remained calm. "Uncle... the war group usually fights for venues and has ups and downs in business. There must be some conflicts, right? There are even enemies and friends, right?"

"It's natural."

"Then you must pay attention to those enemies of the war group that may cause trouble. When the time comes, I will ask them to control the situation outside Tieshanwei..."

"This will cause trouble." Huang Ping reminded hurriedly.

"It's just to make trouble." Zhang Xing responded calmly. "Uncle, think about it, how many troubles can there be in three days? If a few people make trouble, won't the rest be fine? This is good for the overall situation... If you want to protect Tieshan Guard, this is the best way."

"That's right." Bai Yousi also spoke up to remind him. "Uncle, please think clearly. This is a matter of life and death. Those people are gambling on their own. No matter if they are willing to be the swords and guns of others, it is beyond their control. They deserve life and death. What uncle needs to do now is to seize the time and use Sanlang's identity and advantages here to quickly implement the matter. If it is really delayed, Sanlang will leave and we will not be able to divide the land, which will cause a big mess."

Huang Ping sighed. How could he not know that it was not just the Demon-Slaying Guards and the Iron Mountain Guards who were forced into a corner by his nephew and the general trend, but himself as well?

After the decision was made, things became simple. Zhang Xing revealed his identity, and official news came that the Demon-Slaying Guard had merged with the Dragon-Chuling Gang. Coupled with Li Ding's previous performance... Under the triple pressure, the entire Tieshan Guard immediately fell into a state of disorder, and people from top to bottom came to pay their respects to Zhang Xing in fear and suspicion.

Both of Zhu Siming's sons came, but Zhu Mu himself did not come. However, he asked Deputy Siming to come over with the excuse of poor health.

After Zhang Xing was sure that Yuwen Wanchou had left in a hurry and headed north, he no longer had any extra thoughts and just focused on manipulating the local situation step by step, which was in sharp contrast to the Zhu father and son who were worried about gains and losses.

They just don't believe that this matter can be so simple, but they dare not do anything big.

To be fair, if Zhang Xing really came here as a defeated general as he had joked with the Great God of Destiny Yin Tianqi before, he would definitely make trouble for the Zhu father and son, and he would definitely spend a lot of time and effort thinking about how to take advantage of every opportunity and maximize his benefits.

Who knows, maybe they will stage the same golden cone drama as the one they used to deal with Chen Ling before.

But now it’s different, really different. The snowball has started rolling, and the rules of the Chulong Gang are really the same as the previous Dongqi. It has such a large territory and is still sweeping across the country. At this time, the affairs of the Zhu father and son are just a storm in a teapot... It doesn’t matter whether you learn from Li Ding to kick over the teapot and kill them all, or learn from Zhang Xing to pick up the teapot and put it aside.

In fact, the result was smoother than expected. In the end, only four regiments caused trouble. However, because they sensed that something was wrong, two more regiment leaders came alone to see Chief Zhang before the third day.

Now there are only two regiments left.

However, even though there were only two regiments left, Chief Zhang still kept his word... On April 25, the Chulong Army showed up at the border of Tieshanwei as promised, and under the leadership of the chief Liu Heiyu, they decisively launched an attack with three battalions of troops, which were actually just symbolic.

How can these two regiments still have the will to fight?
They were about to head north directly towards Benma City, but were intercepted by Bai Yousi and had one of them beheaded. Another was chased by Liu Heiqie, and his troops were scattered. He had no choice but to commit suicide as a token of his guilt so that his subordinates would surrender.

There was no disturbance in the war.

Then, the Chulong Army turned around and marched into the mountain city of Tieshanwei. Under Zhang's marching order, they openly demanded that Tieshanwei provide military supplies, and required all leaders of armed groups who had come to see Chief Zhang to issue a unified order and to draw on Tieshanwei's direct forces and elite regiments to prepare to go north to participate in the war.

At this time, resistance was meaningless, especially as the follow-up troops of the Chulong Army were still advancing. And with the news that the other guard among the three cities and two guards in the southern part of the North, the White Wolf Guard, had also clearly joined the battle to attack Liucheng, people lost the desire to resist.

So Zhang Xing did not stay any longer and set off south again.

This time, there were a few more people around him. Niu He still stayed here to help control the situation, but Ta Baiqi returned to Qin Bao's command and continued to serve as Chief Zhang's direct guard. Clerk Feng Changfeng, who recovered from his illness very quickly, also brought with him some of the clerks and staff who stayed here.

In addition, there was a guest named Zhu from Tieshanwei. He was not their two sons, but Zhu Siming himself. Under Zhang Xing's strong "suggestion", he set off at this time, ready to find Master Qianjin to recuperate.

Even Zhang Xing’s cousin and nephew are among them… Huang Ping requested this because there will be a war in the north and he is worried… This is nothing of course, but Zhang Xing sensed something was wrong as soon as he set out on the road, because many people have an ambiguous attitude towards Chief Zhang’s cousin and nephew. Not only do they care about him, but they are also somewhat sensitive and evasive.

But he immediately realized...it's not about how great his cousin is, but that his nephew is the only next generation with whom he has a certain blood relationship. This is even more important, especially considering the lack of other relatives of Zhang Xing himself.

But Manager Bai happened to be in the team as well.

Zhang Xing reacted, but he was too lazy to care. Anyway, the child would have a better education environment in Yecheng, and he couldn't send him back. The only confusion was that he suddenly realized a problem, that is, neither he nor Bai Yousi seemed to have a definite pursuit of having children.

Is there something wrong with the couple, or what? Why don't other people react too much to this?

It seems, it seems, that many of my peers in the gang also don’t have children?
It is said that the higher the level of cultivation, the fewer offspring one will have, but is this normal?
"I have something to tell you..." When they reached the intersection in front of Zhidao Ridge, Li Ding, who had come from Liucheng a long time ago, was already waiting here, and then he said something shocking on the side of the road. "Shi Niang is pregnant, I have asked her to go back early."

Zhang Xing and Bai Yousi were obviously stunned for a moment.

Before he could congratulate her, Chief Zhang entered political animal mode: "This is a good thing. Let her go to Yecheng. It will be a lot easier for her to be the head coach of the North when the meeting comes."

Li Ding was stunned for a moment, not knowing whether it was because of the child. Although he was still sarcastic, his tone was much more simple: "Even if I keep her by my side, don't you have the ability to push me to be the head coach?"

Zhang Xing laughed dryly, then asked, "How come it has not bloomed for several years but is bearing fruit today?"

"Why do you think so?" Li Ding said proudly. "Practicing is time-consuming and labor-intensive, so it is difficult for those who practice to have offspring. Moreover, we were born in a chaotic era. In the past five or six years, we were busy running around all day and stayed in the military camp all year round. We were together less and apart more. It was only in the past six months that you forced the gang to rest for half a year, and these leaders in the gang finally had some offspring..."

Zhang Xing thought about it and felt something was wrong.

Bai Yousi said, "But according to the date, Shi Niang should have been pregnant in Youzhou or even in the Northland. What does it have to do with the six months of absence before? Besides, it is true that others are busy everywhere and rarely see each other, but Shi Niang is always by your side. Why would you care so much?"

Li Ding was embarrassed for a moment.

Zhang Xing didn't care about this, instead he thought out of the ordinary: "Have you chosen a name?"

"What are you kidding?" Li Ding was confused for a moment. "I don't know whether it's a man or a woman."

"If it's a boy, he'll be named Wukong. If it's a girl, she'll be named Chenxiang." Zhang Xing thought about it, but couldn't say the word Nezha. It didn't make any sense.

"Wukong is fine, he still has some Confucianism background, but what about Chenxiang?" Bai Yousi couldn't listen any more. "How can a girl be named after a spice?"

Zhang Xing could only nod: "Then call her Li Zhenying."

"Don't talk nonsense." Li Ding was extremely helpless. "I didn't ask you to come here to see me off, nor to talk about this, but it's hard to hide it... Chief Zhang, Zhang Sanlang, you entrusted the north to me, and there is a place that is important... Who are you going to give Youzhou to?"

Zhang Xing was silent for a moment, but then asked, "Who do you think is good?"

Li Ding looked at Bai Yousi.

Zhang Xing immediately shook his head: "No, I won't hide it from you, I plan to let Sanniang be the southern marshal."

Bai Yousi looked calm, as if they had discussed the matter with their spouses.

"If that's the case, why let Sanniang come to the Daxingtai to be the chief steward? Why not continue to lead the troops and turn to the south?" Li Ding seemed a little puzzled.

"Because the south is different from the north." Zhang Xing said solemnly. "The south is a feint attack, and the north is a real attack. The south already has soldiers from the Huaiyou League, so we only need to use a small number of elite troops to attack specific cities and control the situation along the river. The north is a large-scale field battle, and it will be a one-shot kill. Therefore, we need to let Sanniang first master a force similar to the Jing'antai before, and at the same time let you manage the north first and prepare."

Li Ding thought about it and nodded in agreement: "Yes, if Sanniang goes to the south, Bai Hengqiu will definitely look at her with awe. Sanniang's cultivation is also suitable for display in the south."

Bai Yousi lowered his head and said nothing, not knowing whether he was thinking about his life experience again.

At the same time, Zhang Xing nodded slightly and asked again: "Besides Sanniang, is there any other candidate?"

"How about you let Xu Dalang stay in Youzhou?" Li Ding continued to ask. "Although he has some bad intentions, in terms of talent and ability, he is definitely the best in the gang. Look at what happened in Liucheng. He provided support very quickly and well. If he stays in Youzhou, he will be of the greatest help to me."

"First, I want to keep Xu Dalang by my side as the Central Army Marshal." Zhang Xing shook his head immediately. "Second, putting him in the local area may not be a good thing for him or the gang."

"Then...how about giving Youzhou to me as well?" Li Ding showed his true colors.

"No." Zhang Xing shook his head. "Not only does the gang disagree, but more importantly, if Youzhou is given to you, Bai Hengqiu will be alert."

Li Ding remained silent for a while before nodding: "That makes sense... Then who are you going to arrange to come to Youzhou?"

"How is Dou Lide?" Zhang Xing did not hide it.

"Dou Lide..."

"The good thing about Dou Lide is that he is good at handling relationships, and Youzhou is so big that not many people can be transferred here..."

Li Ding finally had nothing to say: "Well, Dou Lide is better than Shan Tonghai..."

"I will go back to Hebei and meet Xiong Tianwang, Xu Dalang, Dou Lide, Hong Changya and others to discuss and coordinate. These are the real core of the gang, and we must respect their personal ideas. Then I will go back to Yecheng." Zhang Xing thought about it and gave the final answer. "But don't worry, all arrangements must be subject to our overall strategy. I just want to use your heroic spirit, Li Silang, to decide the outcome. If Dou Lide doesn't come, I will transfer Xiao Zhou."

Li Ding sighed and could only nod: "You'd better keep your word... One last thing, you can't stay in Yecheng for too long, you need to send troops to support us quickly. According to what you said before, there will be a big battle in front of Tingtao City. The battlefield has been laid out, and I don't have enough troops."

"Of course." Zhang Xing nodded. "What's happening in the north won't be delayed until winter."

The two of them agreed and were finally allowed to go.

This time, Zhang Xing had a smooth journey into Youzhou.

After arriving in Youzhou, he called Xu Dalang who was guarding Youzhou and said something to him, and asked about the situation in Hebei... Although it was an inquiry, in fact, Zhang Xing had only been in the north for a month, and there had not been any earth-shaking changes. Even the personnel arrangements in Hejian and Youzhou were not proper. The only major change was that Shan Tonghai entered northern Shanxi and joined forces with Hong Changya and Daying's troops to fight a battle in the mountains, but there was no winner.

Of course, for the Chulong Gang, opening up northern Shanxi is a victory in itself.

So Zhang Xingfu sent out scouts in all directions, pointing out several key figures in the northern part of Hebei and asking them to come to him, not to Youzhou, but to the residence of Xiongbo Nanxiong Tianwang on the road southward.

That was the post-war base camp of the Chulong Gang during the Battle of Xushui.

The larger team continued to move forward. When they arrived there, it was already early May and the weather was getting hotter. Fortunately, this place was the post-war base camp of the previous war, and many buildings were complete. Surrounding the market where they were stationed before, it even had a city feel.

However, due to the distance and the small entourage, Dou Lide, Hong Changya and Feng Wuyi had all arrived by then, and only Tonghai was still stationed in Jin.

Zhang Xing met with a few people, but he didn't say anything polite, nor was he in a hurry to discuss business in public. Instead, he asked the three to return to the camp first. He then took Bai Yousi, Xu Shiying and Xiong Bonan to hurriedly explain the situation, thus gaining Xiong Bonan's approval in advance.

Then, that same evening, the three men were summoned in batches.

The first one to see it was Dou Lide.

When Dou Lide arrived here, he saw a small courtyard under the starlight. Outside were people on white cavalry, and Qin Bao was personally leading the inspection. Inside, there were only four people, Zhang, Xiong, Xu, and Bai. Recalling how he had sent the three of his family members back without any shame during the day, his heart skipped a beat, knowing that they were going to talk about something important, so he became extremely alert, and even forgot to drink the bowl of iced sour plum soup that Chief Zhang personally handed to him.

After serving the sour plum soup, Zhang Xing also got straight to the point: "Dou Longtou, go to Yecheng immediately. There is an emergency meeting. We would like to invite you to transfer to Youzhou to start the Xingtai after the meeting and serve as the military and political commander of Youzhou Xingtai."

Dou Lide, who was sitting on the bench opposite, felt relieved but still a little hesitant when he heard this.

He was relieved, of course, because Youzhou was in an important position and had a large territory. Compared to staying in Jiangling before, it was definitely a step up, and he was confident that he could sort out the complicated relationships in Youzhou, appease the local people, and even gather these people together to make progress around him, Dou Longtou. But hesitating was also reasonable. In the past few months, Dou Longtou had been thinking about it... The Chulong Gang swept across Hebei like a whirlwind, and even now the Northland was also making a big move. In this case, would it really be a step up to continue to stay in the local area and be a commander in charge of several counties?

"Chief, Heavenly King, Youzhou is a very big place, and you let me manage it because you trust me." Dou Lide did not hesitate and directly put forward his idea. "But, I was born in Hebei Volunteer Army, and I became the leader in Hebei. The Daxingtai has always said that I was blackmailing Hebei to gain respect. Now I am going to Youzhou. If I manage it for a long time, I am afraid that there will be more gossip... Chief, I am not afraid, I am not afraid of being tired, I am just afraid of being disliked by the gang. If possible, I would like to do something in the Daxingtai."

Zhang Xing nodded, but looked at Xu Shiying.

Xu Dalang spoke immediately, but said something seemingly irrelevant: "Dou Longtou, when we, the Chulong Gang, started our army, we shouted that we would eliminate the tyrannical Wei and stabilize the world. Now we have actually eliminated the tyrannical Wei, but we have not stabilized the world yet, and we are also on the way to enforce justice on behalf of heaven. How do you think we can stabilize the world and enforce justice on behalf of heaven?"

Dou Lide was stunned for a moment, then slowly said: "I think that as long as we can enforce justice on behalf of heaven, we can win the hearts of the people and strengthen our power, and then we will naturally be able to stabilize the world."

"That's true, but I'm not asking about that. I'm asking about how to do it specifically?" Xu Dalang couldn't help but laugh. "For example, military strategic operations and arrangements."

"Deputy Commander Xu, just speak frankly." Dou Lide was extremely helpless. He knew nothing about specific military operations. "I have always been bad at military affairs."

"To be honest with you, Dou Longtou, Chief Zhang, as a northerner, actually had a basic idea long ago to deal with our biggest enemy, Bai Ying." In the breeze, Xu Dalang pointed to the southwest. "The East Capital is the source of the world, and we have to fight for it. The Sima family is in the East Capital. Although people with insight know that they will sooner or later make wedding clothes for others, Sima Zheng is strong, the East Capital is solid, and the grain reserves are deep. If we really fight, I'm afraid there will be rivers of blood, exhaustion, and life hanging by a thread... So, the chief means that he leads the people of Heji, with the Daxingtai as the auxiliary, and can't say it's a feint attack, but to waste time there, delaying the two main forces of Sima Zheng and Bai Hengqiu. The only requirement is that Bai Hengqiu can't get the East Capital Tianyuan."

Dou Lide did not say anything, but listened attentively with great seriousness.

"Then, with Li Ding and Li Longtou as the leaders, we will gather the people of the north, supplemented by the economy of Hebei, cross the bitter sea, attack Wudi, and then go south to take the back of Baiying, and then great things will be accomplished." Xu Shiying continued. "If necessary, we can also send a general to the south, strangle the river, go upstream, and divide the power of the Bai family... This is the so-called plan to take the Eastern Capital in public and cross the bitter sea in secret!"

Dou Lide was stunned. His military vision did not allow him to judge the pros and cons of this plan. However, he soon realized that strategic plans of this level were never a question of pros and cons, but rather a question of feasibility.

And just looking at the four people in front of me, it seems that they all agree.

That's right, this was Zhang Xing's military strategic plan all along, from the initial plan in his mind, to the private discussion with Bai Yousi, to the approval of the inevitable executor Li Ding, and then the disclosure to Chen Bin, Xu Shiying and Ma Wei, followed by this trip to the north. Bai Yousi and Zhang Xing witnessed the war potential and objectively feasible geographical conditions of the north with their own eyes, and finally decided to lay out the plan at the highest level.

In fact, there is nothing really surprising about this plan. Under this situation, Dongdu must be fought for. However, due to the existence of Sima Zheng, Dongdu, a place that must be fought for, is too hard, so hard that it is daunting, but people cannot give up.

What else can we do?

We can only hold on to Dongdu while looking for ways from the north and south directions.

The south is easy to deal with. Not only will the Chulong Gang send generals to the south, Bai Hengqiu will also definitely send generals to bypass the river in an attempt to encircle Dongdu.

As for the north, of course the way is to cross the Sea of ​​Bitterness, use the Witch Land and then go south... However, so far, no one in this world has attempted this route.

These people agreed before, essentially because there was no other way to go.

"Old man." Zhang Xing saw this and reminded slowly. "This strategy is currently known to a few people here, Li Ding, the leader, Chen Bin, the general manager, and Ma, the deputy manager, and you are the eighth person to know... What do you think?"

"If you ask me, how can I compare with the Chief, Li Longtou, and Deputy Commander Xu? If you think it's feasible, then it's feasible." Dou Lide gritted his teeth and said, "So, you let me go to Youzhou to cover up and assist Li Longtou?"

"Yes."

"Then I'm willing to go!" Dou Lide stood up suddenly. "What I'm afraid of is that I will be left alone in the gang and won't be able to do my best. If I can assist the main attack of the North Route, I will naturally do my best."

"Okay!" Zhang Xing nodded immediately. "Just your words will do...Please ask Mr. Feng and Hong Longtou to come."

Dou Lide felt relieved and sat back down. He wanted to ask Zhang Xing what he would do with Lingxingtai when he arrived in Youzhou? Who would take over? But he glanced around and found that the bench he was sitting on was facing the four people opposite him. It was obvious that he was being summoned. He couldn't help but feel a little moved, so he stood up and calmly squeezed to the bench of Xu Dalang diagonally opposite, pretending to be waiting to be summoned by others.

I don’t mind the hot weather.

A moment later, Feng Wuyi and Hong Changya came over. When the latter sat down with a bowl of iced sour plum soup, he felt strange as to why the stool under his butt was hot... Could it be that someone had sat on it before?
Seeing the two, Zhang Xing didn't say anything extra. He got straight to the point and said, "Hong Longtou, ever since General Manager Bai and his group from Jinbei helped you start the rebellion, Jinbei has always stood firm and considered itself a member of the Chulong Gang. When Yuchi Rong was sent to rescue you, it was even more memorable. Moreover, you have guarded Jinbei for many years without losing it, which is really amazing... Now that the gang is connected, do you have any ideas? Do you want to work in the Grand Executive Office of Yecheng, or continue to set up an executive office in the local area?"

Hong Changya knew that this was a foregone conclusion, but he immediately stood up and saluted, and expressed his long-held idea: "Chief, please understand, the reason why we rebelled is because Bai Hengqiu was narrow-minded in his administration. Northern Jin was vast and sparsely populated, and it was difficult to govern. Not only did he not help the famine, but he drove all of us, the so-called troublemakers in Jin, away... Chief, no matter what, please keep us on the front line in Jin."

"Okay." Zhang Xing nodded. "How about coming to Wu'an?"

Hong Changya was stunned, and Feng Wuyi, who had not yet spoken, was also stunned.

"Wu'an Xingtai, originally there were three counties: Wu'an County, Xiangguo County, and Zhao County. I now add Hengshan County and give it to you. Please help me guard against infiltration into Jin territory...how do you think?" Zhang Xing continued to ask.

Hong Changya thought about it carefully and was speechless for a moment.

This is not only because the population, economy, and territory of this office are better than the three poor and incomplete counties in northern Shanxi, and not only because these three counties do meet his requirements for the front line against Jin and are close to his hometown. More importantly, the establishment of this office obviously serves as a protection for the entire Hebei core area... For this reason alone, it cannot be said that there is any discrimination or distrust.

To put it bluntly, it is to incorporate you, to annex you, but the conditions are very good, both face and substance... Only, if you trust me, what if I stay in northern Shanxi? Wouldn't it be easier?

With this thought in mind, Hong Changya asked seriously, "If this is the case, Chief Zhang, where will Li Longtou be placed, and who will take over in northern Shanxi?"

"Li Longtou will serve as the marshal of the north. Before the north is pacified, this office will remain vacant. I have also agreed with him." Zhang Xing said, looking at Xiong Boyan. "As for northern Shanxi, I want Zhou Xingfan, the deputy commander of the Xuzhou office, to take over."

Xiong Bonan thought about it and just nodded.

Hong Changya knew that Zhou Xingfan was Zhang Xing's confidant, but he was even more puzzled. The three counties in northern Jin were so poor, and they only had a bitter sea...

At this time, as if he had guessed the other party's thoughts, Zhang Xing also smiled and said: "To be honest with you, Hong Longtou, I plan to let Zhou Xingfan adapt to the situation, and then give him the area near the Bitter Sea in Youzhou, so that he can follow the example of Yu Shuwen back then... By then, northern Shanxi will not only be the front line against Jin, but also the key to controlling the situation in the north through the Bitter Sea."

Hong Changya nodded immediately: "If Chief Zhang has such a plan, I have nothing to say and am willing to move the town."

Zhang Xing then looked at Feng Wuyi and said, "Mr. Feng, I'll have to trouble you to assist Hong Longtou with the affairs of Wu'an Xingtai."

Feng Wuyi was even more speechless.

Things seemed to be settled at this point, but Dou Lide still remembered the time when he was in charge of the Lingxingtai, so he asked in a serious tone: "Chief, has the Lingxingtai made any arrangements?"

"Yes." Zhang Xing said with a smile. "There will be no Xingtai in Jiangling, Jibei, Hejian... Even Weijun will not have one. All these Xingtai far away from the front line will be evacuated and unified under the direct jurisdiction of the Grand Xingtai, with military and political affairs separated."

Dou Lide was shocked and asked again: "But if this is the case, what should Chai and Wei do? Should they both enter the Grand Secretariat?"

"That's probably it." Zhang Xing's words were evasive, and he suddenly changed the subject. "Everyone, do you think that with the regulations of this place and the newly recruited soldiers, it is enough to establish a new county?"

"Yes." Xiong Bonan immediately joined in. "I have already told the Grand Secretariat that there are too many prisoners here. The flow of troops and the transportation of supplies have also brought this place to a boil. We can send someone to manage it... We can build a new county."

"Then how about I come up with a name?" Zhang Xing picked up the sour plum soup and stood up and talked to himself. "The three lights are divided into the sun and the moon, shining on the heaven and earth, and the sun and the moon are bright together, so it can be seen that the three lights are bright... The Black Emperor only respects the heaven, earth and people. We descendants dare not do this, and we also have to respect the sun, the second month and the four emperors. How about calling this place Xingming County?"

Everyone was still a little dazed, but they first felt the wind rising around them, shaking the starry sky, and the two moons above their heads, although not the middle moon, became inexplicably brighter, and Bai Yousi stood up suddenly.

At this time, Zhang Xing picked up the sour plum soup and drank it all, then raised the empty bowl to the moon: "The three radiances flow, the Ming Dynasty begins and ends, the four emperors divide the world, then the dragon will be deposed and ascend to heaven... Everyone, if you can fully grasp the opportunity of the movement of heaven and earth, then my Ming Dynasty will be invincible!"

Several people finally came to their senses, and Dou Lide felt a little heartbroken for no reason... What the hell is Daming? It must be Sanhui, how vulgar! He had already thought of it, how good it would be to call it Daxia!
PS: Happy National Day to everyone!