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

Having said that, Daqiang also felt Zhang Pingan's painstaking efforts, so he nodded and said, "Okay, the situation is chaotic now, and Xiaohu is not making any progress. After he goes to Nanshi to gain some experience, if you are still short of people, you can let him come back."

"Uncle Daqiang, Xiaohu, this is what I mean," Zhang Pingan nodded.

He then pulled out a few books from the bookcase behind him, handed them to Xiaohu, and said, "Xiaohu, you went to elementary school for a few years when you were young, and you know a few words. Read more when you are not busy. Reading makes people wise, and it is always right to read more. These books are given to you."

"Thank you, Brother Ping'an." Although Xiaohu was very disappointed and his eyes were red, he also understood his shortcomings.

He continued, "Brother Ping'an, don't worry. I will definitely read more books and study more in the future. Anyway, I will follow you for the rest of my life!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Pingan patted Xiaohu on the shoulder to encourage him. He believed that Xiaohu had the energy and could do anything well.

"Then Ping'an, let's go," Daqiang stood up and said.

"Okay, I'll let you guys eat and then I'll take you there. Prepare some common herbs and food at home, and don't tell other people too much, so as not to make them miss you," Zhang Ping'an stood up and walked a few steps with him, saying as he walked.

Daqiang nodded: "Don't worry, I understand. It's better to be low-key and cautious in everything."

This is also the most profound lesson taught him by the turbulent times of recent years.

…………

It was May of the third year of Jianxin.

Liu Sanlang and Zhao Renzhi set out from the military camp with their troops late one night half a month later.

At this time, people inside and outside Kaifeng City were still sleeping soundly, unaware that the Northern Expedition of the Great Zhou Dynasty had officially begun.

As the general manager and pacification envoy in charge of overall logistics, Zhang Ping'an holds a high position and has extensive responsibilities. He does not need to go to the front lines in person at the moment, but is temporarily stationed in the rear hub of Kaifeng.

After the army officially sets out in large numbers, we will decide based on the situation whether it is necessary to go to the front line with Commander Yang Zhong.

However, as the grain supervisor, Lord Huang was not so at ease. After the army crossed the Yellow River and captured Fengqiu, Changyuan, Huazhou and other places north of Kaifeng.

It was necessary to cross the river and establish a transfer hub in Huazhou to supervise the delivery of grain and fodder nearby.

Therefore, Lord Huang has been feeling uneasy recently.

He is a complete bureaucrat. He has the ability, but his ideals and ambitions are too far away from him. After seeing through the darkness of officialdom, he just wants to climb to a first-rank position before the end of his career, so that his life will not be in vain.

Therefore, he cherishes his life very much.

This is also the reason why he is on good terms with the military generals. As a grain supervisor, if he gets into danger on the front line, he may have to rely on these people to save his life!

"Ping'an, I'm being arrogant and calling myself elder brother, but is there any problem with your line deployment? My life is in your hands this time!" Lord Huang asked again.

"Brother, don't worry. I have thought about this escort route over and over again, and I have also made a backup plan. Normally, there will be no problem," Zhang Pingan replied helplessly.

He could understand Mr. Huang's concerns, but the situation on the front line was changing rapidly, so how could he be 100% sure?

Seeing that Lord Huang was already very anxious, he didn't want to say this out loud, so he could only give him confidence.

Moreover, it has been sunny for more than ten days in a row, with no wind or rain, which is perfect for crossing the river and fighting. Most of the vanguards are elite and have rich experience in fighting the enemy.

It can be said that the time, place and people are all right, so there is no reason why we cannot even take down Huazhou and Damingfu.

Zhang Pingan is still very confident about the current battle situation.

In addition to Zhang Pingan, Yang Zhong was also very confident about this war.

He also prepared a plan to kill two birds with one stone, intending to take the opportunity to get rid of his two deputy generals.

Keeping subordinates who don't obey orders will only be a hindrance!

Huazhou and Damingfu are not far from Kaifeng and are in plain areas. By early June, news came back from the front line that they had captured Yuanyang, Fengqiu, Changyuan, Huazhou and other places.

Currently, the vanguard camp is stationed in Huazhou, waiting for the second batch of reinforcements to join the attack on Daming Prefecture.

Lord Huang also needs to set off with the army to the Huazhou camp.

"I'm safe. This is a letter I wrote home. If anything happens to me, please remember to help deliver this letter to my family," Lord Huang sighed.

"Don't worry, it's okay," Zhang Ping'an comforted him. "I'll keep this letter safe for you, but I don't think I'll need it. I might have to join you at the front in a while!"

"The emperor is serious this time and has sent another 100,000 troops. I don't think the war will stop for a while," said Lord Huang pessimistically.

"How can there be 100,000? It's obviously 50,000. We who are in charge of allocating food and fodder can't be so careless when speaking. Be careful of what we say," Zhang Ping'an reminded.

"Including the laborers who transport food and fodder, the number will not be far from 100,000." Lord Huang curled his lips.

"Okay, let's go, don't think too much, this day will come eventually," Zhang Pingan could only advise like this.

In fact, there are already 300,000 troops on the front line. If 80,000 are left to garrison, there are still 220,000 troops that can be dispatched to the front line.

There is absolutely no need to transfer another 50,000 people. After all, the expenses for food and other things are not a small amount, which is obviously unreasonable.

Zhang Ping'an had a guess in his mind that this sudden force would most likely land near Haizhou Bay in Shandong.

Then they formed a siege with Yang Zhong's main force and captured Hebei, Shandong, Beijing and other places in one fell swoop.

The strategy is a good one, but its only drawback is that it is too large.

If any link fails, the losses will be heavy.

As the war was in full swing, good news from the front line continued to arrive.

But the people living near Kaifeng were frightened by the war and now they would never go out unless it was necessary.

Some even fled south with their families.

It was not easy for Zhang Ping'an to be in charge of the rear. The autumn harvest was approaching, and it was related to the food and grass for the front line, so he dared not be careless for a moment.

His previous guess that the special forces sent by the emperor might land near Haizhou Bay and form a siege with the army from Hebei and other places was only half right.

It is true that it landed in Shandong, but it was not Haizhou Bay, but Jiaozhou Bay in Qingdao.

The porters who had previously escorted the grain and fodder were just a decoy. Large quantities of grain and fodder had already been transported ashore via the Wu family's merchant ships in Jiaozhou.

Shandong was a poor country, so after the army landed, they did not indiscriminately massacre people, but used food and land to appease the people.

Compared with what Bai Chao did before, this combination of kindness and force is obviously more popular.

The army gradually took control of the ports and docks in the city.

Then they stayed in Lu County and did not move.

This made Zhang Pingan a little confused.

In fact, it was not just Zhang Pingan who didn't understand, Liu Sanlang and Zhao Renzhi also didn't understand.

As the vanguard, they are like a sharp sword that cuts through the enemy, and have now reached the vicinity of Jizhou in Hebei.

It's some distance away from the main force.

The two men did not dare to go any further and could only camp in Jizhou, waiting for Yang Zhong to bring his men to garrison and recover the lost territory.