Dujiangyan was located in the west of Chengdu, on the Minjiang River in the west of Chengdu Plain. Yang Zhen had never been here before. The first thing he did after taking office was to visit Dujiangyan.
In front of Yang Zhen was the famous Dujiang Weir. Decades before Qin Shihuang ordered the construction of the Great Wall, a remarkable project had been completed on the Chengdu Plain. On the surface, its scale was far less than the Great Wall, but it was destined to be stable and beneficial for thousands of years. If the Great Wall occupied a vast space, then it actually occupied a vast amount of time. The social function of the Great Wall had long since been abandoned, but it was still a source of fresh water for countless people. With it, the Chengdu Plain, which was often drought-prone, became a land of abundance.
Yang Zhen walked alone for a while. Not far away, he saw a stone statue. Yang Zhen knew that this stone statue was the founder of Dujiang Weir, Li Bing. Li Bing was the county governor. He held a long spear in his hand and stood by the surging river, completing the original shape of the word "guard".
Continuing forward, Yang Zhen saw a chain bridge across the river. The bridge was very high, and the bridge cable was made of hemp rope and bamboo strips. When he stepped on it, the bridge swayed violently. The more he hesitated, the more it swayed. Peeking at the bridge from such a high place would make one panic, but this was a chain bridge, and it was leaking everywhere. One had to look. At first, he was shocked, then he exclaimed. The river under his feet rushed over from such a distant place. It had a decisive momentum, carrying the cold wind, spitting white foam, and advancing sharply. Yang Zhen stood so high up, but he could still feel its piercing cold air. It probably came from the snowy mountains. However, looking at the other side of the bridge, it had turned into many shiny canals, changing from evil to good.
At this moment, Yang Zhen thought of the couplet that had been circulating."Worship Water Dujiang Grass, Dao Seeking Qingcheng Mountain!”Dujiangyan was eight hundred miles in radius and was now under Yang Zhen's jurisdiction, including Qingcheng Mountain. He had just taken office and was not in a hurry to go to the military camp. He had been depressed for a few months and was finally released today. He wanted to have a good time.
After leaving Dujiangyan, Yang Zhen rode his horse and headed towards Qingcheng Mountain alone. Qingcheng Mountain was more than 30 miles away from Dujiang Weir. Yang Zhen did not seem tired from the journey, and his happy mood was still hovering in his heart.
Qingcheng Mountain was at the northwest edge of Chengdu Plain, near the snowy mountains of Min Mountain, facing the Western Sichuan Plain. The whole mountain is verdant and green all year round. The peaks stand around each other, shaped like a city wall, so it is called Qingcheng Mountain. There were thousands of steps on the pill ladder, and the winding path led to a secluded place. Since ancient times, it had the reputation of "Qingcheng and the world are secluded".
Qingcheng Mountain was surrounded by lush greenery. The peaks, valleys, and temples were all hidden in the lush green trees. The pavilions of the Taoist temple were made of natural materials and were not decorated with carvings. They were integrated with the mountains, forests, rocks, and springs, reflecting the simple and natural style of Taoism. In Yang Zhen's heart, Qingcheng Mountain was a place where immortals entered the Dao. Legend had it that Heavenly Master Zhang had become an immortal here.
After Yang Zhen finished touring Qingcheng Mountain, it was already very late. Although the scenery here made him linger, Yang Zhen had no choice but to leave. Because tomorrow, he would officially take over the position of commandant Diannong, and from then on, he would no longer have the leisure time like today.
It was almost midnight when Yang Zhen returned to the camp. When he recalled the scenery he had visited today, he suddenly felt relieved. If Dujiang Weir was said to have attracted him by shock, then Qingcheng Mountain was said to have attracted him by its beauty and legends. After eating the food that the military academy had prepared, Yang Zhen went to bed early.
Yang Zhen woke up early in the morning. He had never slept so well in the past year. It was already late winter. Yang Zhen put on a thick cotton coat and walked out of the tent.
As soon as he stepped out of the tent, Yang Zhen was stunned by the scene outside. The entire military camp was covered in white. The ground was covered in a thick layer of snow. As far as the eye could see, the ground was covered in a layer of white. Yang Zhen was stunned. Although it was very cold when he came yesterday, there was no sign of snow. He did not expect that the snow would cover the entire camp overnight. He saw a few soldiers who had woken up early playing in the distance. Each of them was holding a ball of snow in their hands and throwing it at each other. They seemed especially happy.
Yang Zhen looked at them and thought of his childhood. He lived in southern Sichuan, where the climate was warmer than in northwestern Sichuan. Even in the cold winter, it rarely snowed. The sudden snow made him inexplicably happy.
Yang Zhen stretched his back and ran towards the soldiers on the thick snow. It was still snowing in the sky, but it was not very heavy. It gently fell on Yang Zhen's face and clothes. When the soldiers saw Yang Zhen running over, they became much more cautious. At the same time, they cupped their hands at the new commandant and said,"Greetings, General!"
Yang Zhen waved his hand and said to the soldiers,"Forget it! It snowed heavily last night, and all of us are very happy today. I haven't played in the snow for a long time, so let's play together.”
The soldiers were skeptical. They could not believe that their general would play with them. They stood there in a daze, not knowing what to say. Yang Zhen had already seen through their thoughts and said to them,"Beat the drums! The louder the beat, the better. Let the brothers gather on the drill ground! I have something to say!"
The soldiers received the order and went to beat the drum. Soon, the drums began to beat. Following the drumming, soldiers walked out of the tents. When they first saw the snow outside the tents, they were so surprised and happy. The three drums sounded, and all three thousand soldiers gathered on the drill ground of the military camp. Yang Zhen walked up to the command desk and looked at the three thousand soldiers standing in the snow. He said in a clear voice,"Brothers! I am your new commandant, Yang Zhen.”
"General Yang is mighty!" The three thousand soldiers shouted in unison.
Yang Zhen waved his hand and said," Today is my first official day in office. I didn't expect it to snow so heavily at night. Tell me honestly. Are you happy to see this snow?"”
The three thousand soldiers looked at each other, but no one answered. "When I first saw it, I was very happy. Since none of you answered, you must be unhappy. I originally wanted everyone to play with the snow today, but since everyone is unhappy, I can only give up on my idea. I'll let everyone clear the snow and prepare for training. Brothers, let me ask you again. Are you happy to see the heavy snow?”
The soldiers were afraid that Yang Zhen would give up on the idea, so they shouted together,"Happy! Happy! Happy!"
"Alright!" Yang Zhen laughed heartily. Since everyone is so happy, let's give everyone a break today and have a snowball fight together. How about that?”
The soldiers were all exceptionally happy. Their initial wariness had long disappeared. They shouted at the same time,"General Yang is mighty! General Yang is mighty!"
After breakfast, Yang Zhen and the 3,000 soldiers started playing games related to snow. From morning till night, they had fun.
After playing in the snow for a whole day, Yang Zhen was as happy as all the soldiers, but he was also very tired. At night, Yang Zhen and the soldiers held a bonfire party, letting those who were good at singing and dancing perform on stage. The soldiers also completely eliminated their wariness towards Yang Zhen, and in an instant, they became brothers who talked about everything.
Yang Zhen was really having a good time. This was the first time he had done this since he joined the army. As a soldier, Yang Zhen was perhaps the only one who knew what soldiers wanted. Although he was their general, Yang Zhen did not put on airs at all and fought with the soldiers. Yang Zhen, who had left the shackles of the palace and re-entered the military camp, perhaps this was the life he yearned for the most, carefree.
The next day, Yang Zhen ordered all the soldiers to start clearing the snow. The tense and fulfilling life in the military camp began again. The cold weather didn't extinguish the soldiers 'passion for training. The training methods and formations that Yang Zhen had learned from Chen Dao were completely applied to these 3,000 soldiers. Only through strict training could good soldiers be produced. Yang Zhen and the soldiers had lived together completely and had long been separated from each other. None of the soldiers had any complaints about this new commandant. Even though the training was much more intense than before, they persevered and worked hard, afraid that they would fall behind others.
Life in the military camp was rather boring. Yang Zhen, who knew this well, would let the troops rest for a few days after a certain period of time. What he thought in his heart was what the soldiers needed. This kind of life lasted for a month, and the soldiers were very respectful of Yang Zhen. The Spring Festival was approaching. The imperial court had sent people to deliver the military pay and generous food for the new year. The military academy that had sent the supplies also brought a letter to Yang Zhen.
Yang Zhen ordered people to move the supplies to the military warehouse, and he took the letter alone and returned to the tent. Yang Zhen looked at the delicate words on the envelope and opened it.
The letter was written by Guan Feng. The general idea of the letter was to ask him about his current situation. Other than taking care of his body at the end of the letter, there was nothing else. Yang Zhen quickly replied, sealed the letter, and handed it to the military academy, asking the military academy to bring it to Guan Feng.
The Spring Festival had arrived, and Yang Zhen and the soldiers had been through thick and thin together for more than a month. Year, this comforting word made Yang Zhen and all the soldiers play happily for another ten days. Ten days later, the fulfilling and slightly boring life in the military camp began again.
As spring approached, Yang Zhen slowly grew up. From a soldier, he slowly grew into a general who was loved and respected by the soldiers.
Three months later, the earth returned to its green color, and the plants that were full of vitality began to slowly return. During the three months, Yang Zhen would lead his troops to patrol the area under his jurisdiction at regular intervals. When they passed by towns, Yang Zhen would not allow the soldiers to enter. They would only wander back and forth in the fields.
Dujiang Weir was still bursting with vitality. The river water continued to irrigate more than 40 counties on this land. Yang Zhen often led his troops to patrol the surroundings. As the weir guards, they would come to Dujiang Weir every few days to guard this great water conservancy project and half of the country. It could be said that without Dujiangyan, there would be no agriculture in the country, and there would be no fertile Chengdu Plain.
When the farming season was busy, Yang Zhen would often lead the troops to help the people. In the past few months, Yang Zhen had received many letters from Guan Feng. Most of them were concerned about his well-being, and her words also revealed Guan Feng's concern for him.
After the busy farming season, Yang Zhen and the soldiers rested in the barracks. A group of cavalrymen made up of dozens of people rushed towards the military camp. A soldier had already reported this to Yang Zhen. Yang Zhen came to the gate of the military camp and saw the cavalrymen from afar. As the cavalry got closer, Yang Zhen saw that the leader was Zhao Yun.
Yang Zhen ordered people to open the gate of the village and lined up on both sides to welcome him. He personally went out to welcome Zhao Yun. When the cavalrymen arrived at the gate, they all stopped. Yang Zhen immediately cupped his fists and said,"Yang Zhen welcomes Old General Zhao!"
"Yang Zhen, am I that old?" Zhao Yun dismounted.”
Yang Zhen looked at Zhao Yun and saw that he was in high spirits and still had a threatening heroic spirit. He laughed and said,"General Zhao, please forgive me, Yang Zhen misspoke!”
"No matter, no matter," said Zhao Yun.”
"General Zhao, please!" Yang Zhen said.
The soldiers on both sides of the camp shouted at the same time,"Welcome, General Zhao! General Zhao is mighty!"
As Yang Zhen led Zhao Yun into the camp, he asked,""General Zhao, what brings you here?”
"I was bored in Chengdu and wandered around. I didn't want to come here." Now that the busy farming season has just passed, I finally have some free time. I heard that Dujiangyan and Qingcheng Mountain have good scenery, so I came to enjoy it.”
"General Zhao, you've come to the right place," said Yang Zhen. Come, come, come. Please enter the tent. I'll bring you to see the scenery tomorrow!”
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]