After drinking Laba porridge, the entire city of Nanjing began to be decorated with lights and colors, and the quaint city began to show vitality again.

It’s New Year’s Day after Laba. As the Chinese Army’s notices are posted, in the ancient blue brick city, although the wind blows and the snow covers, the crowds coming and going on the long bluestone street feel a little more enthusiastic.

“Dongcheng is being divided?”

"No, I saw Dongcheng and was still measuring the land."

"Is Nancheng starting to be divided?"

"Nancheng started to divide yesterday."

"Why don't you go register quickly?"

"I'm waiting to divide the land in the west city. My ancestral grave is in the west."

The hurried crowd temporarily forgot the chaos of the year and began to prepare for a new beginning.

In the Forbidden City, Wanjun, who was unable to return to Lucheng, became increasingly less interested as the new year approached.

Cui Ziyi's matters at hand are on track, and he has been accompanying Wan Jun to relieve his boredom in the past few days.

"Oh, the gorgeous Forbidden City, the glorious Golden Palace."

"Oh, the cold Kowloon Danchi."

Cui Ziyi smiled and said, "Hahaha, a stiff gold-plated dragon chair is indeed not as warm and comfortable as a woman's chest."

While the two were talking, a soldier came to report, "There is a lame beggar outside Hongwu Gate asking to see him."

"Cripple beggar?" Wan Jun was stunned.

Cui Ziyi said, "What kind of lame beggar would report such a thing?"

The soldier said, "The gatekeeper seems to know this lame beggar, and he has been sent to Duanmen."

Wan Jun said curiously, "Go and bring him over to have a look."

Soon, several soldiers came over with a beggar. The beggar was lame in his left leg. He limped over and met Wan Jun and others, without any formality like ordinary people.

Cui Ziyi said, "Who are you? Do you want to see me for something?"

The lame beggar suddenly laughed out loud and took two steps closer, but was immediately blocked by the guards.

The lame beggar didn't care. He looked at Wan Jun and said, "Don't you recognize me?"

Seeing that the two of them still looked confused, the lame beggar smiled again and said, "Even if you can't recognize my face, you can't even recognize the left leg that was lame in Lucheng County?"

Wan Jun suddenly remembered something, "Are you Zhang Sheng?"

The lame beggar laughed and said, "It's me, long time no see. Now our Chinese Army has a big business. We even captured Nanjing. I remember that when I left, we had just come down from the mountain and had just occupied

A small county town.”

When Wan Jun saw Zhang Sheng again, he immediately stepped forward excitedly and grabbed Zhang Sheng's shoulders, "It's really you. There's been no news since you left. I'm so worried about you."

Zhang Sheng was also very excited, his eyes almost turned red, "How is Xiaoyan? Is everything okay?"

Hearing this, Wan Jun suddenly felt a twinge of guilt in his heart. Zhang Sheng was out in the wild, but he slept with his daughter.

"Xiaoyan is fine. I left her in Lucheng, which is far away from the battlefield and will be safe."

"That's good." Zhang Sheng breathed a sigh of relief, "All these years of going through life and death, the only thing I have cared about is my daughter. If I die, I will feel relieved to have you taking care of her."

Another voice came out in Wan Jun's mind, yes, he was taken care of very well, and he was taken care of all the way to the bed.

Although it was Zhang Xiaoyan's choice, Wan Jun still blamed himself very much. He also lost control of himself that night and turned against Zhang Xiaoyan.

The victorious woman strikes.

Cui Ziyi grabbed Zhang Sheng and said, "Hey, don't just stand around. Come sit down and talk."

"Zhang Sheng, you must have suffered a lot outside!" Cui Ziyi asked while pulling him to sit down.

When Zhang Sheng sat down, an attendant had brought tea. Zhang Sheng picked up the tea bowl and took a sip. He sighed, "I just arrived in the Gyeonggi area from the Taihang Mountains. The battlefield has already advanced from the Gyeonggi to the south. The Hu people have descended to the south of the Yangtze River.

I rushed from the Xuzhou area to Jiangnan. I was in Nanjing when your Excellency fought in Anqing. It can be said that I had a narrow escape from death along the way."

Although Zhang Sheng said a few words lightly, you can hear how he persevered along the way.

Wan Jun was quite shocked, "Brother Zhang, you have worked hard all the way. Now the situation is great. If you come back this time, don't leave again."

Zhang Sheng waved his hand and said, "We have to wait a little longer. The imagined intelligence network has not yet been established. I am here to warn you of two things."

Wan Jun asked curiously, "What's the matter that requires you to personally take action?"

Zhang Sheng did not answer. He picked up the tea bowl and took a sip. Cui Ziyi understood what Zhang Sheng meant and said to the attendants and guards, "You all go out and stay outside the door."

When there were only three people left in the room, Zhang Sheng put down the tea bowl and said, "There are two things you must pay attention to. As far as I know, the officials and gentry in Jiangnan are not honest. This time after we clear away their excess land,

, I find that their secret thoughts are becoming more and more frequent."

Wan Jun said, "It doesn't matter. I'll see what kind of tricks they can do with these weaklings. We'll have to tax them together later, lest they rebel."

Zhang Sheng asked curiously, "Taxation as one body? Do the gentry also have to pay tax?"

Wan Jun said, "Yes, the gentry also have to pay taxes as a group, and the more property they have, the more they have to pay."

Zhang Sheng said, "But it is the ancestral system of the Ming Dynasty that the gentry did not pay taxes!"

Cui Ziyi said, "The Ming Dynasty has retreated to the south of the Yangtze River. We are not the Ming Dynasty."

Zhang Sheng nodded and said nothing more. Wan Jun asked, "You just said two things. What about the other one?"

Zhang Sheng said, "There is one more thing that I haven't found out yet. It's very strange."

Wan Jun asked curiously, "What's so strange?"

Zhang Sheng said, "It's the news from the Hu people. According to the reports from our informants, the Hu people seem to be making some big move. But from what I've learned, the Hu people's troop mobilization is completely opposite to the intelligence. It's very strange."

Cui Ziyi said, "Tell me what it means?"

Zhang Sheng put the tea bowl on the table, stood up and said, "Look, you two, this is Sichuan and this is Nanyang. The Hu people have recently mobilized their troops to gather in the direction of Hanzhong. It is clear that they want to take Sichuan in one fell swoop."

Cui Ziyi said, "What about Nanyang?"

Zhang Sheng said, "There are soldiers and horses from Shandong, Shanxi, and South Zhili gathering in the direction of Nanyang. On the surface, they want to enter Guanzhong and go to Sichuan, but for some reason they all stopped in Nanyang."

Wan Jun thought for a while, "It seems that the Hu people want to attack the east and west, and pretend to attack Nanyang to contain our army to defend Henan. They can take advantage of the situation to capture Sichuan. Once Sichuan is captured, the Hu people can move down the river.

With each passing day, we will be fortified everywhere along the Yangtze River below Kuizhou."

Cui Ziyi continued, "Everywhere is fortified, but there are weaknesses everywhere. When the time comes, they will be attacked one by one."

Zhang Sheng shook his head and said, "It's not that simple!"

"If we want to attack east and west to capture Sichuan, we will have to feint attack in the direction of Nanyang. The momentum will be huge, but the number of troops will not be very large. On the contrary, heavy troops will be gathered in the direction of Hanzhong."

Wan Jun said, "Yes, you just said that the Hu people are mobilizing troops and horses towards Hanzhong."

Zhang Sheng said, "But the abnormality is here. The Hu people gathered troops and horses towards Hanzhong with great fanfare, but now a large number of troops and horses did not go to Hanzhong, but stayed in the direction of Nanyang."

Cui Ziyi asked curiously, "Using Sichuan as bait to attack Nanyang? But Nanyang is undefeated. Sichuan is the real battleground for military strategists. Why Nanyang?"

Wan Jun said, "There are Zhang Xianzhong's Great Western Army and the remnants of the Ming Dynasty in the direction of Sichuan. The troops led by Zhang Wuyang are also heading towards Wanzhou. If the Hu people cannot concentrate their forces, it is impossible to conquer Sichuan?"

Cui Ziyi said, "It is impossible for the Hu people not to know the value of Sichuan, so they must still focus on attacking Sichuan."

Wan Jun nodded and said, "Yes, the Hu people must take Sichuan. Although there are heavy troops in the direction of Nanyang, they are just to contain our army. If necessary, they will rush into Jiangnan again. Compared with Jiangnan, taking Nanyang will have a greater impact on the current situation."

The war situation is not beneficial at all."

Zhang Sheng said, "The number of soldiers and horses held by the Hu people seems a bit abnormal. Lucheng is also very close to Nanyang."

Wan Jun said, "Lucheng is just a small county town. Nanyang has no impact on the war situation, let alone Lucheng. How could the Hu people go to war to capture a small county town in such a big way?"

Cui Ziyi said, "In this case, how does the head of state plan to respond?"

Wan Jun smiled and said, "During the Tang Dynasty, An Lushan and Shi Siming rebelled, and Chang'an was occupied by the rebels. But with Shu, the Tang Dynasty could retake Chang'an. As long as Sichuan is in hand, it will have the capital to compete for the world.

No matter what the Hu people want to do, we will just take Sichuan."

Zhang Sheng nodded, stood up and said, "Your Excellency has taken measures, then I can rest assured. Your Excellency will take good care of Xiaoyan for me."

Cui Ziyi stood up and grabbed Zhang Sheng and said, "Now that we have become stronger, brother Zhang Sheng no longer has to put himself in danger."

Zhang Sheng waved his hand and said, "I'm used to it. Most people won't notice a lame beggar. I've encountered bandits many times, and the bandits didn't bother to catch me."

Zhang Sheng said with a smile, "Besides, I always feel that the barbarians are up to some conspiracy. I will investigate some more here. I will go back to Lucheng County directly. I haven't seen Xiaoyan for a long time. After all, Xiaoyan is about to leave the cabinet."

Given her age, I, the father, should find a good family for her, and then we can meet again in Lucheng County."

Zhang Sheng saluted the two of them, turned around and limped out.

Wan Jun watched from afar, Zhang Sheng's figure became much more timid, and his left leg seemed to be even more lame. Indeed, no one would notice such a person.

"You must come back safely!"

Wan Jun thought silently in his heart that no matter what happened, he must give an explanation to the father and daughter about the matter with Zhang Xiaoyan.

Thinking of Zhang Xiaoyan, Lucheng County is indeed very close to Nanyang, and the barbarians in Nanyang don't know what they are up to.

A thought flashed through Wan Jun's mind. Did the Hu people know about his relationship with Zhang Xiaoyan and wanted to seize Zhang Xiaoyan and blackmail him?

Then Wan Jun laughed to himself, how could the Hu people know what happened that night? It was because he had watched too many TV series.
Chapter completed!