In the southern suburbs of Chengdu, high tombs jutted out from the ground, surrounded by red brick walls, covered by green pines and cypresses, and the village was solemn. In front of the high mound stood a large monument with the words: A person stood in front of the monument. He looked old and had a white beard. He walked towards the tomb and looked extremely sad.
When they arrived at the tomb, the man knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times. Then, he said,"Your Majesty! I'm here to see you!"
After he finished speaking, there was a dead silence.
After a long time.
The sound of horse hooves could be heard from afar. As the sound of horse hooves gradually approached, the person heard the tomb guard ask,"Who are you?"
"Lieutenant Yang Zhen!"
"Greetings, General!" the soldier said. General, please!"
That person listened carefully, but he did not turn around. When Yang Zhen's footsteps entered his ears, he said,"Yang Zhen, why are you here?"
Yang Zhen entered Hui Ling and saw a person kneeling in front of the former emperor's tomb, but he could not tell who it was. Only when he approached the tomb did Yang Zhen see the person clearly. It was the East Vanquishing General, Zhao Yun. Yang Zhen was about to go forward and kowtow, but Zhao Yun spoke first. Yang Zhen immediately replied," General Zhao, I've just returned from Hanzhong and passed by this place. I've come to pay my respects to the late Emperor. Why are you here?"”As he spoke, Yang Zhen had already knelt behind Zhao Yun and kowtowed a few times towards the former emperor's tomb. He said,"Your Majesty! This lowly subject did not fail his mission and has already completed His Majesty's dying wish. I'm here to report to His Majesty!”
Zhao Yun stood up and walked to Yang Zhen's side. She grabbed Yang Zhen's collar and pulled him up. Seeing two streams of tears on Yang Zhen's face, Zhao Yun said,"Yang Zhen! If you complete the mission, His Majesty will praise you in the afterlife. Let's go and sweep His Majesty's tomb!"
Yang Zhen looked at Zhao Yun and felt that he was quite strong. He stood up and said,"I await your orders, General Zhao!"
Zhao Yun brought Yang Zhen around the former emperor's tomb and cleaned up the mess. Unknowingly, two hours had passed. "Not good!" Yang Zhen suddenly shouted.
"Yang Zhen, what's not good?" asked Zhao Yun.”
Yang Zhen said," General Zhao, today is the last day of my return. If I haven't returned to the palace to report by 5 pm, I'll be punished by military law!"”
"It's already late. You can still make it if you hurry back!" Zhao Yun said.”
"General Zhao, I'll take my leave first!" Yang Zhen cupped his fists and said to Zhao Yun.”
"Go!" Zhao Yun nodded and said. This old man will accompany Your Majesty again!"
Yang Zhen immediately left the mausoleum and walked to the camp of the soldiers guarding the mausoleum. He led the horse, got on it, and galloped away.
Zhao Yun saw Yang Zhen's departing figure from a high place and smiled. She turned around and said to the former emperor's tomb,""Your Majesty! He didn't expect Yang Zhen to be such a thoughtful person. He didn't let down the Emperor's nurturing of him. It was a pity that the youth's impetuousness hadn't gone away and he still needed more training. I will also try my best to complete His Majesty's request and mold him into a general who can take charge of an area!”
Yang Zhen left Hui Ling and headed straight for the Imperial Palace. He rode his horse at top speed and finally arrived at the bus station before five o'clock to complete the delivery of the Emperor's orders. He had been tired for several days and was already extremely exhausted. After eating in the Suwei Camp, he returned to his room to rest.
Early the next morning, Yang Zhen didn't have to be on duty. He left the palace in plain clothes and went straight to West Street. After passing through West Street, Yang Zhen found Wei Yan's residence and handed the letter to Madam Wei Yan. Then, he went to the north of the city because he had another letter with him. Yang Zhen had already inquired about the Guan Residence. He arrived at the main street where the Guan Residence was located near noon.
The courtyard of the Guan Mansion was bigger than Wei Yan's mansion. Not only were there soldiers guarding the door, but it also looked solemn. Yang Zhen walked to the gate of the Guan Mansion and saw the soldiers guarding the front door. Yang Zhen cupped his fists and said,"Please inform General Guan! Lieutenant Yang Zhen of the Central Army has something important to visit!”
"General, wait here. I'll go in and report to you!" the guard said.”
Yang Zhen stood in front of the Guan Mansion. After waiting for a while, the guard walked out and said to Yang Zhen,"General, please come in! General Guan is waiting in the main hall!"
Yang Zhen entered Guan Manor and walked straight to the hall. Before Yang Zhen entered the hall, he saw Guan Xing standing up and walking towards him. The two of them met at the entrance of the hall. "Greetings, General Guan!" Yang Zhen cupped his hands.”
"Brother Yang, there's no need to be so polite. We're both soldiers, so there's no need for such formalities!" Brother Yang is one of the guards, are you satisfied?”As he spoke, Guan Xing pulled Yang Zhen to sit down in the hall.
"I am very grateful for General Guan's recommendation," Yang Zhen said."I am now a lieutenant in the central army. Everything is fine."”
"Good!" Guan Xing said. I heard from the guard that you're looking for me for something important?”
Yang Zhen replied with an "oh" before taking out the letter Guan Feng had entrusted him with and handing it to Guan Xing. He said,"General Guan, I just came back from Hanzhong yesterday. Your sister asked me to bring you a letter.”
Guan Xing took the letter and thanked Yang Zhen as he opened it. He skimmed through it and smiled at Yang Zhen."Brother Yang, is my sister doing well?”
" Your sister is doing well," Yang Zhen said." Don't worry, General Guan. General Wei has taken good care of her."”
Guan Xing suddenly laughed and said,"This Feng 'er, as long as she doesn't cause trouble for General Wei, that's enough."”
"General Guan!" Yang Zhen said. Since the letter had already been delivered, then he would take his leave first!”
"What?" Guan Xing asked. You just arrived and you're leaving?"
Yang Zhen said," I still have to be on duty in the afternoon. There's still some distance from here to the Imperial Palace. I'm rushing back now and just in time. I hope General Guan can forgive me!"”
"En, Brother Yang will do his best, so I won't force you to stay." Brother Yang, please!"
Guan Xing sent Yang Zhen to the gate of the Guan Residence. Before he left, he said to Yang Zhen,"Brother Yang, I will do my best to help Feng 'er.”
Yang Zhen was confused, but he didn't think too much about it and bid farewell to Guan Xing.
In the afternoon, Yang Zhen led his guards around the palace. Everything was as usual.
Yang Zhen was a bit bored as he guarded the palace every day. One day, he saw Zhang Biao and Li Erniu. The three of them had not seen each other since Yang Zhen became a lieutenant of the Central Army. Now that the three of them met, they were especially happy and chatted for a long time. Yang Zhen suddenly thought of Chen Dao and asked,""Ever since I returned to Chengdu, I have not seen you and General Chen. It is very boring to lead the soldiers around the palace every day. Zhang Biao, how is General Chen now?"
Zhang Biao glanced at Li Erniu, his expression slightly gloomy, and said,""Yang Zhen, did you know that General Chen has already been transferred out of the Suwei Camp?”
"When was General Chen transferred away?" Yang Zhen shook his head. Where did you transfer him?"
"Just ten days ago, General Chen was transferred to Yong 'an by the Prime Minister to assist Minister Li Yan in guarding the city."”
Yang Zhen looked depressed. Although he didn't talk much with Chen Dao, General Chen's strict requirements and care for him after training had made him develop deep feelings for Chen Dao. The three of them chatted for a while more before they parted ways.
The Imperial Palace's Suwei Camp was divided into four camps, north, south, east, and west. Yang Zhen was in the east camp, while Zhang Biao and Li Erniu were in the west camp. The daily route of the Suwei Camp was relatively fixed, and the brothers of the two camps rarely met. If it wasn't for the fact that the Suwei South Camp was resting today, Yang Zhen, Zhang Biao and Li Erniu definitely wouldn't have met.
Yang Zhen led his soldiers to guard the palace all day long and felt increasingly bored. After a few months, Yang Zhen gradually got used to it.
One day, Yang Zhen finished his duty and returned to his room. A servant followed him. Yang Zhen knew this chamberlain. He often accompanied the Emperor. His surname was Huang and his name was Hao. Huang Hao said coquettishly,"Pass on His Majesty's orders to summon Lieutenant Yang Zhen to the Chonghua Hall!”
Yang Zhen didn't understand and said to Huang Hao,"Eunuch Huang! Why did Your Majesty summon me?"
Huang Hao said,"Since His Majesty summoned me, I have my own instructions. You will know when Lieutenant Yang goes!" Come with me!"
Yang Zhen looked at Huang Hao. He saw that Huang Hao's age was similar to his, but he didn't expect Huang Hao's words to be filled with contempt. No matter how talented Yang Zhen was, he was powerless against Huang Hao. After all, he was the Emperor's most beloved chamberlain. Yang Zhen closed the door and followed Huang Hao to Chonghua Hall.
Arriving at Chonghua Hall, Huang Hao walked to the Emperor's side and said to the Emperor,""Your Majesty! Yang Zhen is here!" After saying that, he stood behind the Emperor and stared blankly outside the hall like a stone statue.
When Yang Zhen saw the Emperor, he immediately knelt in front of the hall and said,""Long live Your Majesty! Long live!"
The Emperor was still young, only seventeen or eighteen years old. When he saw Yang Zhen kneeling on the ground and shouting, he said,""Yang Zhen, stand up!"
Yang Zhen stood up and stood respectfully in the hall. "Yang Zhen, the Prime Minister hasn't arrived yet," the Emperor said to Yang Zhen."Let's wait here for a while."”
"Wait for the Prime Minister?" Yang Zhenxin asked. The Prime Minister and His Majesty are in the main hall at the same time just to see me. I wonder what's the matter?”"Your Majesty, I will wait here." Yang Zhen replied.”
The Emperor looked at Yang Zhen and saw that he was dressed in battle armor and a steel helmet on his head, looking very heroic. The Emperor and Yang Zhen waited in the hall for a long time. The Prime Minister had not arrived yet, and the Emperor could not stand the loneliness, so he said to Yang Zhen,""Yang Zhen, I heard that you went to Hanzhong and fought with Guan Feng several times. I wonder who is stronger between you and her?”
When Yang Zhen heard this, he couldn't help but feel a little surprised. He and Guan Feng were competing in martial arts in Hanzhong. How did this news reach the Emperor's ears? "The Emperor asked me about this and urgently summoned me, could it be because of this?" Yang Zhenxin asked.”Faced with the Emperor's question, whether it was because of this matter or not, Yang Zhen answered readily,""Your Majesty! General Guan's martial arts skills were outstanding. Yang Zhen was no match for her, and he admitted defeat!”
The Emperor laughed heartily." Presumably, Second Uncle's children wouldn't be too bad. It's just a pity that she's a woman. Otherwise, I would definitely make her a Great General."”
Yang Zhen knew that since ancient times, men were superior to women. It was already an exception for a woman to be a general like Guan Feng. Even if there were, there were very few. Yang Zhen thought of Guan Xing and said," Your Majesty, General Guan Xing is a man. His martial arts skills are much better than Guan Feng's. Why did Your Majesty make him a Great General?"”
Huang Hao, the stone statue beside the Emperor, suddenly spoke up and said angrily,""How dare you, Yang Zhen! Since you're speaking to His Majesty in such a tone, why aren't you kneeling down?”
Yang Zhen knew that accompanying the emperor was like accompanying a tiger. He also felt that he had misspoken and hurriedly knelt on the ground, kowtowing to the emperor."Your Majesty, this humble subject did not mean to make a mistake. I hope Your Majesty will understand!”
"Huang Hao!" the Emperor said. Yang Zhen is loyal. You can't be rash by the side!”
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Huang Hao replied.
The Emperor smiled and said to Yang Zhen," Yang Zhen, Guan Xing's martial arts skills are indeed not bad, but considering his relationship with Zhang Bao, I can't make this decision. Both of them are my brothers, and their martial arts skills are equally good." If he gave it to Guan Xing, then Zhang Bao would definitely not be happy. If he gave it to Zhang Bao, then Guan Xing would definitely not be willing. Moreover, Zhen's Empress is Zhang Bao's younger sister, she definitely wouldn't want Zhen to make Guan Xing the Great General. Both brothers are loyal to zhen, zhen knows this. However, I also know that as a Great General, martial arts alone is not enough. No matter how good his martial arts are, he is just a boorish man. If he is not smart enough, how can he lead my Great Han army? Ever since the Prime Minister came to power, all matters, big or small, have been handed over to the Prime Minister to handle. I have been left in peace and can play with whatever I want. As for the troubles of the Great General, I'll leave them to the Prime Minister to handle.”
The Emperor paused for a moment before continuing," Yang Zhen, when my father was critically ill, you were always by his side. You performed filial piety on my behalf. I am very grateful to you." So, Yang Zhen, if you have any requests, I will try my best to satisfy them.”
When Yang Zhen heard this, he could not believe his ears. He did not expect the Emperor to say such words. "Your Majesty! I only hope to return to the military camp as soon as possible!”
"Yang Zhen, get up!" the Emperor said. Are you not willing to be the lieutenant of the Central Army? Or do you despise me and are unwilling to protect me?”
Yang Zhen said," Your Majesty, even if I had ten guts, I wouldn't have such thoughts. It's just that I came from the military and there are too many etiquette in the palace. If I'm not careful, I'll offend the nobles. I'm really like an icebreaker!" On the contrary, this lowly subject trained every day in the military camp, and it seemed to be fulfilling.”
"Oh," the Emperor replied."Yang Zhen, can we talk about this when the Prime Minister comes?" After all, the Prime Minister was the one who handled this matter. I have never done it before!”
As they spoke, a person walked in from outside the hall. It was Prime Minister Zhuge Liang. Yang Zhen was still kneeling on the ground. He and the Emperor saw Zhuge Liang walk in at the same time. Suddenly, the Emperor stood up from the Dragon Throne and quickly walked towards Zhuge Liang. He helped Zhuge Liang stand on a sandalwood chair in the middle of the hall. Yang Zhen lowered his head, not daring to look directly at Zhuge Liang and the Emperor. He only heard the Emperor's voice in his ear,""Prime Minister! Why didn't you inform me that you were here so that I could personally pick you up!”
Zhuge Liang said,"Your Majesty, you are the most respected person in the world. Although you serve me as a father, it is not ethical for you to do so!"”
"Prime Minister!" the Emperor said. You worry too much! Prime Minister, please sit! Yang Zhen is here right now, please make the decision, Prime Minister!”The Emperor walked up to the main hall and sat on the dragon throne.
"Yang Zhen!" You really don't want to be a lieutenant in the central army anymore?”
"Prime Minister, it's not that I don't want to do it, but the military camp suits me better!" Yang Zhen said.”
Zhuge Liang said,"You don't want to do the important duty of guarding the palace!" Fine, fine, I'll fulfill your wish. However, once you're released, your official position and salary will be reduced. Are you willing?”
"Thank you, Prime Minister!" Yang Zhen said. Yang Zhen is willing!"
Zhuge Liang said," The whole country is opening up wasteland now. Most of the soldiers are farming in the fields. Even if they are sent out, they will only be opening up wasteland to accumulate food. You can imagine how hard it is." It's better to be free in the palace. Are you really willing?”
"I'm willing!" Yang Zhen said. Yang Zhen is willing!"
"Since you've made up your mind, then I have nothing to say!" Zhuge Liang said. Yang Zhen, listen up!"
"I await your orders, Prime Minister!" Yang Zhen replied.”
Zhuge Liang said,"You are now appointed as the Commandant of Diannong. You will be in charge of the area eight hundred miles around Dujiangyan."”
"Thank you, Prime Minister!" Yang Zhen said.
Zhuge Liang helped Yang Zhen up and said,""Yang Zhen! Although the commandant is a minor official, the place under your jurisdiction is very important. The farmland of Chengdu Plain is watered with Dujiang Weir water, so you can't ignore it. Your 3,000 soldiers are all soldiers guarding the weir. The 800 li area is where the army is stationed and mixed with the people. After you go, remember not to let the soldiers and the people come into conflict.”
"The Prime Minister has ordered!" Yang Zhen replied. Yang Zhen will remember this!"
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。