The journey of the only child of a peasant family to take the imperial examination

"Thank you," the old baldy said with a bow.

He then introduced them: "This is Mr. Zhang, the Tongzhi of Huai'an Prefecture. He is my colleague in Ze County and also my good friend. He is a man of both wisdom and courage. He played an indispensable role in my successful escape and coming to see you this time!"

After saying that, he patted the city guard's shoulder and continued with a smile, "As for this guy, he's my good brother from the Imperial Guards Camp. His surname is Kou and his name is Zhongxun. Don't be fooled by his unshaven beard. He's tall and strong, and looks like a true military commander. In fact, he is particularly fond of calligraphy and admires scholars the most. You two will definitely get along!"

"Go away, don't bother me!" General Kou scratched his head embarrassedly when he heard that.

Then he bowed and said, "Master Zhang, I have long admired you!"

Zhang Pingan also smiled warmly and bowed in return: "Lord Kou, I have long admired you!"

After both sides finished talking, General Kou ordered his men to take the other people on the canal boat away to rest.

He took Zhang Ping'an and Lao Tu to the main building in the city.

As the commander-in-chief, Zhou Ziming always lived in the main building when he was not fighting.

As they walked, he said to the two men, "The food and fodder sent by Lord Huang of Huai'an Prefecture arrived yesterday morning. I didn't expect you to arrive today too. You're really fast. If I had known this, I would have sent someone to meet you in advance!"

"How can we not be quick? There are so many people on the front line waiting for food, we can't delay for a moment," said the bald old man in a loud voice.

"Thank you all for your hard work!" General Kou patted the two men's shoulders with gratitude and heaviness.

Then he asked, "I've heard from my subordinates about your encounter with the pirates. Judging from your appearance, I know you've experienced a fierce battle and escaped death. I wonder how many casualties have been suffered by the soldiers?"

Mentioning this, the old bald man instantly became depressed and replied in a hoarse voice, "Almost half! After the handover, you have to help me find a Feng Shui treasured site near Huaiyang Pass to bury these dead brothers!"

"This is a must. Why do I need you to explain it?" General Kou rolled his eyes and nodded heavily.

"By the way, didn't the group of people in front get attacked yesterday? How are they doing?" Zhang Ping'an thought of the people delivering food in front and couldn't help asking.

"They suffered heavy casualties and were nearly wiped out. Luckily, Lord Zhou was wise enough to send someone to pick them up at the right time. Otherwise, the consequences would be disastrous! I was planning to arrange for someone to pick up the second batch of food tomorrow, but I didn't expect you to arrive early."

"Fortunately, the food and supplies are safe," said the bald old man thankfully.

He then asked, "Do you know where these people came from? Didn't they say that the people of Baichao and Abula retreated beyond Huaiyang Pass?"

"The majority of the troops have retreated, but some remain lurking near Huaiyang Pass. These people are elites and are close confidants of Bai Chao and Abula," replied General Kou.

He then analyzed, "Looking at the wounds on your bodies and the weapons they used, they must be from the White Nest!"

"Yes, the other party is not a foreigner!" Zhang Pingan nodded.

"I guess so. Although Abula stole the food, he was also severely injured by our troops and was chased by us all the way to Luoshan. If they hadn't relied on the natural barrier of Luoshan, which is easy to defend and difficult to attack, we would have snatched the food back long ago," said General Kou gritting his teeth.

Zhang Pingan pressed on, "So much food and fodder, were they really all taken away?"

"Not all of them were taken away. Some were burned, and some were thrown away during the pursuit. We pulled them back and managed to hold on for two or three days. Otherwise, I wouldn't be in such good spirits as you see now!" General Kou said self-deprecatingly with some helplessness.

"Victory and defeat are common in the military, don't take it to heart!" the bald old man comforted.

"Didn't Lord Zhou tell us what to do next? Should we just leave it at that?"

"You'll know when you meet Lord Zhou," General Kou said without elaborating.

Zhang Ping'an observed the man's words and expressions and knew that there was something hidden, but it was not convenient to tell.

I didn't ask any more questions.

Anyway, since I'm here, I'll find out eventually.

Several people followed General Kou through the streets of the city and headed towards the main building in the middle.

Huaiyang Pass is a standard military town. There are no civilians in the city, only garrisoned soldiers or the families of a few generals.

Therefore, there are no vendors doing business on both sides of the streets in the city.

It is divided into several parts: granary, armory, clinic, barracks, arsenal, stables, chariot field, drill ground and government offices.

There is a sense of heaviness everywhere!

Along the way, General Kou met many acquaintances who greeted him, and it was obvious that he had a good relationship with others.

When we got near the main building, we could clearly feel that the guards were very tight and it was impossible to pour water in even if it was an iron bucket.

Even if General Kou is leading the team, he still has to report to all levels.

After a while, Zhang Ping'an and Lao Tu finally entered the main building and arrived at the reception room.

A soldier came forward to serve tea without saying a word. After the tea was served, he quietly left.

There was not even a female mosquito to be found in the entire main building, let alone a maid.

Both Old Baldy and General Kou acted as if they were used to it and didn't care. They invited Zhang Pingan to have tea.

Zhang Ping'an nodded, glanced around, picked up the teacup and took a sip without saying much.

About half a minute later, they finally met Mr. Zhou Ziming, the front-line commander!

But he was helped in by someone.

The whole person looked pale and sick, and it was obvious that he was unwell!

Zhang Ping'an and Lao Tu both stood up in surprise, their hearts trembling, and exclaimed, "Master Zhou, what's wrong with you?"

Zhou Ziming clenched his fist and coughed twice, then waved his hand calmly: "Sit down, we're not strangers, don't make a fuss, it's just a minor injury!"

He is much calmer than the other two!

But there was a distinct weakness in his voice, completely lacking the passion he had when he encouraged everyone in the Yangzhou camp more than a year ago.

After the two sat down, Zhou Ziming continued, "Old Baldy, I haven't seen you for a long time. You look stronger and stronger. It seems that you are living well in Ze County, ahem!"

He coughed twice while speaking, which made people feel distressed.

Lao Tuqiang smiled and replied, "Thanks to your grace, I have been eating well and sleeping well in Ze County. Isn't this how strong I am?"

"Haha, you are still the same!" Zhou Ziming chuckled twice.

Then he continued, "I expected you to be the one escorting the second batch of grain and grass here, but I didn't expect you to arrive so soon. I miscalculated! But when my subordinates reported that Ping An and you came along, I understood, ahem!"

After coughing, Zhou Ziming looked at Zhang Pingan and explained, "This old man Huang Chengxi looks foolish, but he's actually very smart. He was once a discarded child of a powerful family, but when he arrived in the north, he was revitalized and has become more thoughtful. It's also true that things are unpredictable. I originally thought that I would have to spend a few more days with him, but with you, Ping'an, taking action, I'm not surprised!"

"Then why does the adults put him in such an important position?" the old bald man couldn't help but ask.

"It's precisely because he's so smart that he's suitable to be the prefect," Zhou Ziming said with a faint smile, "He has a clear conscience and wouldn't dare not pay for food!"