Out of Luoyang to the south, through Yang County, Luyang, and then to Nanyang County, Wancheng. Except for Luoyang, one could still see the singing and dancing of peace and prosperity. The places they passed by were all poor. Zhang Feng had already encountered a few people who had stopped his carriage and held up children of three to five years old or seven to eight years old in their hands, wanting to sell them for dozens of gold coins. Zhang Feng said to Wang Yue," The world is so difficult that it's hard to separate one's parents. Who would do such a thing if they had no other choice? What do you think?"
He thought that Wang Yue would have some understanding of the dark side of society, but unexpectedly, Wang Yue only said,"If I become an official, I will ensure that there are no homeless people under my rule.”Fortunately, he could see the people at the bottom struggling to make a living with his own eyes. At least, he would not be too dark in the future.
Zhang Feng smiled bitterly. It seemed that Wang Yue would not be able to stay. Forget it. Once the Luoyang incident was over, he would recommend him to become Emperor Xian's sword arts teacher, just like in history.
Most of these people who sold their children were refugees from places like Fufeng and Sanfu that had suffered from severe droughts. However, in order to maintain the superficial prosperity of Luoyang, the magistrate actually ordered the refugees not to enter the city. These people had no choice but to travel to Wancheng or Jingzhou, which was even more prosperous in the south.
Zhang Feng bought these children one by one, and their parents even knelt down to thank them with tears in their eyes. Looking at this miserable scene, Zhang Feng could not help but sigh. He had to speed up his pace. He cleared out a spot in each carriage and placed the six children he had bought.
Then, he told the refugees that if they were willing to go to Puyang, they could be taken in. Hence, many people expressed their willingness to go.
Wancheng was the gateway to the south of Luoyang. In history, Yuan Shu and Zhang Xiu were stationed here. Zhang Feng's group was dressed in fresh clothes and had many servants. The soldiers at the door did not dare to check too much. After Zhang Feng showed them the pass, they respectfully expressed that they wanted to inform the county governor to welcome them, but they were stopped by Zhang Feng.
Although this Wan City was small, it was also one of the few strong cities. In history, it had been occupied by the Yellow Turban Army, but at this time, it was also a lively scene. Zhang Feng looked at the bustling street and sighed."I wonder how many more years it will be in this peaceful world?”
"If Feng 'er didn't foresee that the world would be in chaos," said Wang Yue suspiciously.”However, Zhang Feng smiled and did not answer. Therefore, Wang Yue did not dare to underestimate this unfathomable disciple.
The northern part of the city was usually more prosperous. Most of the people who came were either rich businessmen or officials who were unwilling to be like commoners. As soon as he entered the city, a manservant from an inn by the roadside rushed over and grabbed Zhang Feng's horse's head. He said,"Looking at the young master's extraordinary clothes, he must be a noble person. He must be tired from traveling for a long time. Why don't we rest here temporarily to save our strength?”
Originally, there were a few inn workers who saw this group of tall horses from afar, but they were rushed up by this manservant who risked being trampled by the horses. They looked very annoyed.
Zhang Feng saw that the manservant was about the same age as him, but he kept calling him "Little Lord" and had a glib tongue, so he smiled and said to Wang Yue,"Teacher Wang, why don't we rest here for a while?”
Wang Yue's riding skills were not good, and he had long been dizzy from the impact."That's good." Zhang Feng went to the shop and sat down. Zhang An was the head of the servants. He went to ask for a courtyard and placed the carriage, the servants, and the children he bought here.
The manservant saw that Zhang Feng's background was not small and that he had booked a courtyard. The shopkeeper had to add some money to him, so he was in high spirits. He served tea and poured water for Zhang Feng and the others, cut grass and fed the horses, and took care of everything.
Zhang Feng worked in a hotel in his previous life, so he was very sensitive to tips. Seeing that this servant was obedient and sensible, he took out ten pieces of gold and rewarded him. The servant smiled and thanked him endlessly.
Zhang Feng pointed to a seat in front of him and said,"Please sit down, little brother. It was better to talk about some daily life with Feng.”
The manservant had rarely seen such a good-natured noble, and he was about the same age as him, so he said modestly," In front of Young Master, there's no place for a lowly person." As he spoke, he still sat down.
Zhang Feng laughed inwardly and asked,"Brother Guan, you're very eloquent. What's your name?" Who else is there in the family?"
The manservant was smiling, but when he heard this, he became dejected."I don't dare to hide it from Young Master. My name is Wen Pin, and my parents are both dead. I have no choice but to do this lowly labor. I originally wanted to join the army but was rejected because I was young. Because his late father once served as a small school, he hoped that his son would become a dragon, so he dared not not inherit his father's ambition.”
Zhang Feng laughed heartily. I am Zhang Feng, the son of the marshal of the court. If Brother Wen does not abandon me, I can follow Zhang Feng around. In the future, I will be in charge of the army and gallop on the battlefield.”
For people from poor families or people who were extremely filial, it was better to show them the "aura of a tortoise" in the yy books than to show them something more practical.
Sure enough, Wen Pin was overjoyed. He knelt on the ground and called him Lord. Zhang Feng smiled and helped him up. Was this the planner of the empty city strategy that was said to be earlier than Zhuge Liang? In 226 AD, in the autumn and August of the seventh year of Emperor Huang Chu of Wei, Sun Quan attacked Shiyang with 50,000 troops and surrounded Wen Pin. The situation was critical. At that time, it was raining heavily, and most of Jiangxia's city gates had collapsed. The people were scattered among the fields and had no time to return to the city to repair the defense project. When Wen Pin learned that Sun Quan had arrived, he didn't know what to do at first. However, he thought that in the current situation, only by hiding could he make Sun Quan hesitate. So Wen Pin ordered all the people in the city to hide and not let Sun Quan see him, and he himself lay in the mansion and did not get up. Seeing this, Sun Quan became suspicious and said to his generals,"The North (Cao Group) believes that this person (referring to Wenpin) is a loyal official, so they entrusted this county to him. Now that our army has arrived, but he has remained silent. In this situation, if he doesn't have a secret plan, then he must have reinforcements from outside.”So he did not dare to attack and retreated. Wen Pin faced the Sun Wu army and was also outnumbered. However, unlike Zhang Liao, General Zhang used the strategy of taking risks to defeat the enemy and stabilize the morale of the army. However, General Wen had adopted the strategy of confusing the enemy and weakening his fighting spirit. Wasn't this Zhuge Liang's "empty city strategy" in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms? Moreover, it was safer and more stable. Undoubtedly, in this kind of dangerous situation, using Wenpin's diversion strategy was safer. Zhang Liao's "strategy of cutting off the sharp" was not something that could be done without taking risks, so the latter's achievements were higher than the former's, and his reputation was also much better. However, from a military perspective, we can see that Wenpin was a very rigorous and prudent person. When Sun Quan attacked Jiangxia, the court knew that Wen Pin was defending. The ministers discussed sending troops to Jiangxia to rescue him, but Cao Rui said,""Sun Quan is used to water warfare. The reason why he dared to disembark and attack on land was because he wanted to take advantage of our surprise. Now that his army was already at a stalemate with Wenpin, and the difference in attack and defense was several times greater, Sun Quan would not dare to stay for long.”(The Three Kingdoms? Wei Shu? Ming Emperor Ji). Other than showing Cao Rui's foresight, it also showed how much Cao Rui trusted Wen Pin. Wen Pin was stationed in Jiangxia for decades. He was famous for his power and kindness, so that the enemy did not dare to invade.
Zhang Feng was overjoyed to see Wen Pin agree. Although Wang Yue's martial arts were much higher than Wen Pin's, his goal was to become an official. They had different paths and could not work together. Moreover, if he were to lead an army, Wang Yue might not be able to compare to Wen Pin.
Wen Pin said," Thank you for taking me in. I dare not refuse to serve you, but I have received great kindness from you the other day. I dare not refuse to repay you. Please allow me to part with you for the time being. I will be back soon."”
Zhang Feng had nothing to do, so when he heard this, he said,"Since that's the case, I'll follow Brother Wen.”
"Since ancient times," Wen Pin said in alarm,"there has been a difference between the upper and lower levels. Since I have worshiped you, my lord, how can you call me brother?" I don't dare to accept it."
Zhang Feng was helpless. At that time, such behavior would be considered deviant, so he did not force it."Do you have a name?”
Wen Pin shook his head and said,"I lost my father when I was young, so I have no words."”
"In that case, how about giving it to Zhongye?”
It was a great honor for the lord to send his subordinates a letter. Wenpin was so happy that he bowed to the ground again."Master's great kindness, Zhongye will repay it with his life. Don't forget it.”
Zhang Feng helped him up with a smile and only brought Zhang An and a few others along. Great Swordsman Wang could only lie on the bed and faint.
Wen Pin led Zhang Feng all the way across the south street, talking about the local customs and customs to Zhang Feng. He was eloquent and often made Zhang Feng laugh. Wen Pin saw that Zhang Feng was so proud at such a young age, so he admired his luck.
"There is a family where the wife is happy to give her husband's family's supplies to her family. One day, the husband looked for his coat and couldn't see it. He asked his wife, who said,'Seeing that it's small, I washed it and gave it to my brother. My wife's brother. He asked again, and his wife said again,"Seeing that he is small, I will give him to my younger brother (brother-in-law)." Her husband was furious.'Why don't you give me to your sister?'”
Zhang Feng laughed so hard that he bent forward and backward. The servants behind him also held their stomachs and squatted on the ground with tears in their eyes.
"Who is this person?”Zhang Feng wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes and asked Wen Pin.
"My lord will be able to see him in person soon.”So it was the Duke Xu he was talking about.
On the side of the south street, a small butcher's shop was sandwiched among the many shops. It was not very eye-catching. On the meat table were all kinds of dried meat and internal organs, all of which were dripping with blood. Several hooks hung from the top of the table, with mouth tags hanging from them. In the middle was a huge pig's head. It was biting its teeth and grinning. Zhang Feng looked a little scary.
Behind the table was a young man in his twenties. His eyes were bright and he looked capable. He was dressed in short clothes and his sleeves were rolled up high, revealing his muscles that were as tight as iron. He had already seen Wenpin and me behind him, so he shouted,"Little Brother Wen brought a noble to take care of a certain business?”
Wen Pin gave this person a big bow. Zhang Feng also followed suit and bowed to him. That person hurriedly returned the bow."I can't accept such a big gift from a noble…What's the matter, Little Brother Wen?……”
"I've only survived until now because of the charity of Xu Engong," said Wen Pin. Today, I have already acknowledged this Young Master Zhang Feng as my master and have come to bid farewell to my benefactor.”
The man sized up Zhang Feng and said,"" Don't mention such a small matter. I don't deserve to be your benefactor. I just want to ask this Young Master Zhang…"
Zhang Feng smiled and bowed again." I am Zhang Feng, the son of the Grand Commandant. I saw that Brother Zhongye is a very filial man, and that he is shrewd and capable, so I took him in. May I know Brother Xu's name?"
"My name is Huang, not worth mentioning," the man said. I thought he was a noble man, but he turned out to be the son of the marshal. I hope you won't blame me for my rudeness.”After saying that, he rolled down his greasy sleeves and returned the greeting respectfully.
These ancient people are really troublesome. When they give gifts, they still say that they are noble people. Actually, I'm not expensive at all. The price is very cheap. I can casually buy a beauty like Xi Shi.
When Zhang Feng heard Xu Huang's name, he finally understood why Mi Heng would say that Xu Huang was "able to slaughter pigs and dogs" when he met Cao Cao. It turned out that he was actually in the same industry as Zhang Fei!
Since he had seen it, how could he let such a good general off so easily! Zhang Feng did not care about the value of his clothes. He pulled Xu Huang affectionately and wanted to drink. Xu Huang was so anxious that he waved his hands and retreated. Wen Pin also advised him, but Xu Huang had no choice. He closed the butcher shop and took out a short axe from under the table. However, it was as wide as a carriage wheel. Zhang Feng was secretly speechless when he saw it.
The three of them returned to North Street and stood under a restaurant. "This is the most reputable restaurant in Wan City," said Wen Pin."The wine is never mixed with water, but it's the most honest.”
After entering the hall, a waiter came up to him and recognized Zhang Feng as the boss who paid the bill at a glance. He nodded and bowed,"Three masters, do you want a private room on the second floor? The restaurant is located in the center of North Street of Wancheng. The view from the second floor is wide and you can have a bird's eye view. The three of you can also order some courtesans and listen to some tunes. Wouldn't it be fun?”
How could anyone from the Three Kingdoms have such good eyesight? However, Zhang Feng thought too simply of the three kingdoms. Anyone who stayed in a restaurant for a long time would naturally have a sharp eye and could tell who was human and who was ghost at a glance. Zhang Feng was not the only one who had such an ability.
The three of them followed the waiter to the second floor. As expected, the scenery was different when they went up one floor. At this moment, they could almost see the western city wall with a glance. They could see the curling smoke from the chimneys. The trees were green and the houses were green. It was much more comfortable than the bustling noise on the first floor.
Zhang Feng didn't waste any time. He only said,"Bring me a few jars of the best wine in your shop and a few of your signature dishes."”The waiter's mouth was about to flow out when he heard this, and he nodded continuously. Zhang Feng heard that there was a prostitute and said,"Just order another courtesan to come up.”
At this time, there was no white wine, which was similar to rice wine. Even Zhang Feng's alcohol tolerance, which was originally only two taels, became a huge amount here.
When Xu Huang heard this, he said," I didn't expect Young Master Zhang to have such a high alcohol tolerance despite his young age. I like such straightforward people the most. That petty person is so petty, but he isn't forthright enough."”
Zhang Feng also followed his tone and said,"That's right, that's right. This Zhang is so straightforward. Brother Xu is to this Zhang's liking.”Xu Huang only knew that Zhang Feng was not born with the playboy style of looking down on others like the sons of officials. Who would have thought that a ten-year-old would have the ability to speak human language to people, speak nonsense to ghosts, and observe expressions?
The two of them drank and chatted happily, which stunned Wenpin. He felt that Zhang Feng was easy to get along with, so he was relieved. His days in the future should be easy.
At this moment, a woman in her twenties and an old man came up with a zither in their arms. They bowed to the three of them and said,"What song do you want to listen to?”
Wen and Xu didn't say anything and just looked at Zhang Feng. "Just pick some songs that you're good at," Zhang Feng said.”It was like a cafe for future generations, with food, drinks, and performances.
The three of them ate and drank without restraint. After drinking a few more bowls, they began to chat with each other. The woman babbled and sang something, but they couldn't understand it. It seemed to be a Shanxi accent.
At this moment, another group of people came upstairs. After sizing up their table, they sat down directly. Before the dishes were served, they heard the voices from the other table.
"I shouldn't have declined the favor of the noble envoy. However, my son is seriously ill in bed. I can't get away alone. When my son's illness recovers, I will immediately retire. What do you think?"
Another person said," Huang, my lord thinks highly of you. That's why he asked me to come and persuade you. If it weren't for your mediocre skills, do you think I would come to this godforsaken place to find you politely?" If you know what's good for you, pack up and follow me. I'll make you a lieutenant or something. If you don't obey, I'll get someone to tie you up and take you away.”
Loyalty? Yellow? Could it be Huang Zhong? Zhang Feng pricked up his ears and paid attention to the people at the table.
When the man who had his back to him, who was most likely Huang Zhong, heard these words, the unyielding spirit of a martial artist immediately appeared. The killing intent around him was like a sharp ice blade, making people feel as if they were in a cold cellar. It was as if several knives were scraping their bones, making sizzling sounds. Zhang, Wen, and Xu were all martial artists, but they could not help but feel their bodies twitch. With Wen Bin being the most, they actually felt a little scared.
"What an imposing manner!" Xu Huang said in a low voice.”Zhang Feng nodded.
Huang Zhong said proudly," Although I am a martial artist, I know that I cannot be subdued by force. Please return now. I will definitely come to apologize in the future."”
The person opposite him really scared Huang Zhong. He knew his martial arts, but he could not do anything to him. He vented all his anger on the poor courtesan."I'm here to discuss important matters, but you guys are babbling non-stop! How annoying! Shut up and get lost!"
Those courtesans were rootless duckweed, how could they not be bullied? They couldn't afford to offend anyone, so when they heard this, they both knelt down in fear.
"Wait!" Zhang Feng said.
——
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