Li Ye's eyes completely read what happened in Zhang's house that day, although it couldn't give Zhang Zhongli and Zhang Changan any reaction. But these scenes themselves made him feel a lot.
Not to mention anything else, Li Ye has a lot of confidence in the situation in Hexi and the mentality of the Han people.
After contemplating, Li Ye learned a lot, and felt that he had grasped something, but couldn't comprehend it for a while, so he decided to continue to observe.
At dawn the next day, Zhang Dong and Zhang Changan walked out of the Zhang family mansion early, intending to find their good friend Chu Zheng.
He deeply remembered every word Zhang Zhongli said to him last night.
In the hearts of the young people, the grandfather is a real hero, with a heart for the family and the country, and a deep understanding of righteousness. In the past, in order to return Hexi to the Tang Dynasty, he fought bloody battles with Tubo who invaded here. .
Although his grandfather was not as powerful as Huo Qubing, he was still a role model worth looking up to and admiring. Unlike my father, he was weak and obsequious in front of the Tubo barbarians like...a dog.
Walking on the street with people coming and going, Zhang Changan silently clenched his fists.
He respects and loves his father, which is a basic filial piety, but what his father did really humiliated him.
He refused to insult his father from the bottom of his heart, but he had to admit in front of the facts that his father had disgraced the Han people, humiliated those ancestors who were glorious in history and immortal, and desecrated the glory they once fought for the Han people with their lives and ideals !
Zhang Changan could never forget, when he entered his grandfather's yard last night, he sat alone on the stone steps drinking wine with his back to the dim light.
Lonely and helpless, stubborn and unwilling.
Grandfather is old, and his ambition needs to be inherited by others. Since the father is unfilial and incompetent, then let me, the grandson, take care of it!
It is difficult for young people to keep their words in their hearts. When they are emotional, they always want to find someone to share with them. Zhang Changan intends to tell Chu Zheng about these thoughts.
Zhang Changan came to a corner of Funingfang, sat down in front of a simple soup cake stand, endured the boiling blood in his heart, raised his legs, patted the table and said loudly: "Brother Zheng, give me some Bowl of soup cakes, I have something important to tell you after I finish eating!"
Behind the steaming soup cake shelf, stood a slender and thin boy. He was fifteen or sixteen years old, with sword eyebrows and star eyes. His appearance was extraordinary, but his nose was too big, which ruined the beauty of his entire face.
There were not many diners on the two tables in front of the soup cake stall. When he was free, he stood behind the steam in a daze. Although he was in a daze, his body stood up straight, like a spear, ready to stab someone at any time.
This is Zhang Changan's best friend, Chu Zheng.
When Zhang Changan was born, the Zhang family had already gone through the most difficult period, so he was a standard son of a wealthy family. Chu Zheng was different. It may not be accurate to say that he was born in an ordinary family. Zhang Changan didn't know who Chu Zheng's parents were. They had known each other for three or four years, and they had never seen each other.
Zhang Changan only knew that Chu Zheng was raised by his master. He was an old Taoist who was addicted to alcohol, he was sloppy all day long, his clothes seemed to have never been cleaned, and he didn't do much work on weekdays. He knew Chu Zhengqi from Zhang Chang'an, and the other party relied on Chu Zheng to sell soup cakes for a living.
At this time, the old Taoist must have a hangover.
Zhang Changan sympathized with the tragic experience of his best friend.
He became friends with Chu Zheng because of an accident four years ago.
At that time, ten-year-old Zhang Changan was already in the realm of Wuzong, and he could achieve Qi training with a little more effort. Among the four major families of Zhang, Liu, Zhou, and Qian, he was the top young genius, so he was inevitably arrogant and arrogant. .
One day, when he visited Funingfang, smelling the aroma of the soup cake stand, he sat down and yelled for soup cakes. He was naughty himself, and naturally behaved badly, with his feet on the stool. After eating the soup cakes, when paying, throw the copper coins on the stall, and basically fall into the soup pot.
Chu Zheng asked him to fish out the copper coins from the soup pot.
Zhang Changan naturally quit.
So the two had a fight.
Chu Zheng made Zhang Changan lie on the ground with only two moves.
It was the first time Zhang Changan met someone of his age who was stronger than him, so he was naturally dissatisfied, but he was a young man with self-respect, so he didn't call his servants to help in the battle, but asked Chu Zheng to wait. He went back to train hard for a month, and came back aggressively to take revenge.
Then, he was beaten again.
After going back and forth in this way, the number of fights increased, and the two became familiar with each other. Zhang Chang'an also admired Chu Zheng's skill, he was obviously not higher than himself, but he could make himself unable to move with three or two strokes every time, which aroused his admiration.
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Over time, the two became good friends.
Chu Zheng quickly made the soup cakes, which were 30% larger than usual, and after placing them in front of Zhang Changan, he sat down on the table himself and asked, "What do you want to tell me?"
Zhang Changan ate the hot soup cakes, and said in a low voice, "Big... big thing!"
Chu Zheng didn't ask too many questions, just sat there watching the pedestrians in front of him lost in thought, waiting for Zhang Changan to take the initiative to explain in detail.
Zhang Changan felt that Chu Zheng was good at everything, he was loyal and courageous enough. Once he was bullied by the Tubo savages, Chu Zheng knew that he was invincible, but he dared to rush to help, but both of them were beaten with black noses and swollen faces, and he could only watch the Tubo people laughing and walking away.
But it's just that there are very few words, pitifully few, and basically don't take the initiative to talk, and it seems that they never talk nonsense, which is a bit boring.
After Zhang Changan finished eating the soup cakes, he put his chopsticks on the table, stared at Chu Zheng, and lowered his voice: "Brother Zheng, King An has already captured the southern seven states in Hexi, do you know about this?"
Chu Zheng turned his head to look at Zhang Changan, and replied dully: "I know."
"Then do you have any ideas? I plan to gather some brothers to meet Master Wang when necessary!" Zhang Changan said excitedly.
Chu Zheng was silent for a while, "A few days ago, Brother Sun and Brother Xu also united with some people to follow the old example of responding to Zhang Yichao when King An came. They found me, and I agreed."
Zhang Changan's eyes widened, his face flushed with excitement, "Brother Sun, Brother Xu? That's great, with them taking the lead, we will definitely be able to unite many people! How many people did they call?"
The so-called Big Brother Sun, Big Brother Xu, although they are just ordinary people, but they are all brave people, and they also like to make friends.
Chu Zheng said: "As of last night, nearly a hundred people joined them, all of whom are descendants of the common people of the Han family on the street."
"Okay, good!" Zhang Chang'an clapped his hands and praised, his eyes sparkled, "How about we go see them now? Discuss this matter carefully!"
Chu Zheng looked at Zhang Changan with strange eyes, "They are all at the intersection of the main street in the city... only the heads."
Zhang Changan didn't expect things to turn out like this, he was stunned for a while, his face turned blue, he was speechless for a while.
Chu Zheng stood up, "Jie Mu killed me by mistake. If I hadn't run fast, I would have died."
Speaking of this, he paused, chuckled, and the meaning of the rigid expression was unclear, "They are all guys who have no food left and can't finish this meal. When they encounter such an opportunity, of course they want to fight for wealth , maybe they also have the heart to serve the country, but it must not be much. It's a pity that Jie Mu made a move too fast this time, and they can only move their heads."
Seeing that Chu Zheng was going to leave, Zhang Changan quickly stood up, "Brother Zheng, this is only a temporary setback! You are not afraid, are you? Join me and we will find someone again!"
Chu Zheng stopped in his tracks, turned around to look at Zhang Changan, and said seriously: "You can't find anyone. Now no one dares to mention this matter again. Except for me, no one else will even listen to what you said. No courage."
Zhang Changan didn't believe it. In his consciousness, the sons of the Han family are all brave and fearless, and they should remember the glory of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and Taizong of this dynasty. How can people be afraid when they die? When Ban Gu left the Western Regions, there were only a few dozen people around him, and he was not afraid. Now there are more than ten million Han people in Jincheng County, so why should he be afraid
Zhang Chang'an said loudly: "I don't believe it! Brother Zheng, you... how can you do this? You have always been a bold person, why are you so afraid now? Let's find someone, we will definitely succeed, just Like Huo Qubing, like Ban Gu!"
Chu Zheng shook his head: "There will be no one."
Seeing that Zhang Changan was blushing and wanted to say something, Zhang Changan said: "This is how ordinary people live. Living here, you have to do your best to make a living. How can there be so many loyalty? Even if there are, it is better to live Important. The situation is favorable, and it’s okay if someone takes the lead. Maybe it can inspire blood and fight for a better life for future generations. Now the situation is not good, and the person who took the lead has been killed. Who dares to move
"The matter of Huo Qubing and Ban Gu is too far away for them. It is a story, not reality. It cannot be used to satisfy hunger, nor can it protect against the cold. But who wants to die if there is still a bite to eat? Xiaodong, go back."
After saying these words, Chu Zheng returned to the back of the stall, continued to stand upright, looked at the courtyard wall across the street and said nothing.
He has said enough for today. On weekdays, he rarely spoke so much.
The grief-stricken Zhang Changan kicked over the stool and left. Before leaving, he even shouted that he would break off relations with Chu Zheng.
Chu Zheng pretended not to see the tears in Zhang Changan's eyes, and waited until Zhang Changan walked away before going over to put the stool back.
Behind the steaming white steam, Chu Zheng remained motionless and did not say a word. until the next guest arrives.
"Brother Zheng, the old rules, put more vinegar, and serve another bowl of soup!" A middle-aged man with an unshaven beard sat down at the table and greeted with a loud voice.
Chu Zheng nodded, didn't speak, but his hands moved swiftly.
This middle-aged man was an old diner and an acquaintance of Chu Zheng. He lived next door. Because of his strong body, the neighbors called him Tie Ban, a porter.
Chu Zheng despises the name of iron plate, because although this person looks tall and eats a lot, even if he eats a bowl of soup cakes, he will drink an extra bowl of soup. It's all about taking a step back.
Brother Sun and Brother Xu also found the iron plate when they gathered their hands, but he hurriedly waved his hand and refused, running so fast.
The diners came one after another, and those who were acquainted would say hello to Chu Zheng.
"Brother Zheng, my daughter is always talking about your soup cakes. The old man sees that she has taken a fancy to you. How about it? Do you want to get closer to my daughter?" The rough woman winked at Chu Zheng while waving her handkerchief through the soft drink.
Chu Zheng just smiled and didn't answer. Because of Zhang Changan's incident, his smile was not as good as usual.
The woman in front of him, Chu Zheng only knew her surname was Wei. It was said that her husband's family had died early, and now she was alone with a daughter. Everyone called her Mrs. Wei.
At the age of fifteen or sixteen, you can find a family for marriage, but the daughter of Mrs. Wei's family is only five or six years old... This shrewd philistine woman, every time she comes to eat a bowl of soup cakes, she will take her daughter Speaking of things, the purpose is just to want to give less money.
Sometimes, seeing that Chu Zheng was happy, she even paid back the money on credit, and then never paid that time again.
Chu Zheng is very familiar with the whole Funing Square.
Granny Zheng, who sells vegetables on the street corner, is always shoddy and often quarrels with others, but as long as she comes to eat soup cakes, Chu Zheng will only charge half of the price.
The gray-haired Blind Chen, who would beg at the gate at this time, looked old, but was actually only in his twenties. Not only was he blind, but he was also lame in one leg, which was said to have been crippled by the Tibetans.
There are many such people.
Chu Zheng has a good impression of some people, but despises others.
For example, Blind Chen, who received a lot of care from Big Brother Sun on weekdays, knew that Big Brother Sun was dead this morning, and said that he had a bad character and deserved his fate, so he couldn't blame others.
At about four o'clock, Chu Zheng closed the stall and pushed the wooden cart home.
In the dilapidated yard, there were clothes still drying on the bamboo poles. As soon as Chu Zheng opened the door, he closed the door behind his back, fearing that the chickens he raised would run away.
"The one who came back today was two quarters earlier than yesterday. Why, business is not good today?"
The person who spoke was an old Taoist, sitting in the courtyard basking in the sun, twisting a wine gourd in his hand, and sending a sip to his mouth from time to time. When he spoke, he didn't look sideways, and didn't look at Chu Zheng at all.
Chu Zheng, who was quiet and dull outside, heard the old Taoist's ridicule, suddenly overturned the wooden cart that was carefully pushed in the door, the charcoal fire in the stove burst out, the flour and seasoning on the chopping board spilled all over the place, pots and pans It even shattered a lot.
The five old female golds who were leisurely looking for food in the yard flapped their wings in shock, screaming and jumping wildly, with chicken feathers flying around.
The young man stared at the old Taoist on the rattan chair, his face was as red as coal fire, the veins on his forehead were twitching, his teeth were clenched, but he just kept silent, like a wild beast about to run away.
The old Taoist still didn't turn his head to look at Chu Zheng, but let out a sneer from his nostrils, "What's the matter, boy, I think your elder brother Sun died unjustly, so I can't bear it anymore? Do you want to fight with the Tubo people? Ah, I won't stop you."
Chu Zheng clenched his fists and his shoulders trembled, just like Zhang Changan looked at him in disappointment, growling with scarlet eyes, "Why?! Why didn't you do anything last night? You can obviously save them! You have the ability to save them Yes! Jie Mucuo is not your opponent, why don’t you make a move?! Why can’t you do what you taught me?!”
The old man was finally willing to turn his head.
But he just turned his head and didn't even sit up straight.
He looked at Chu Zheng's bloodshot eyes, and asked calmly: "I can save them, and I can kill Jie Mucuo. Then what? You and I will be chopped into mincemeat by the Tibetans. You don't think that , just relying on you and my master and apprentice, relying on those ordinary men who only have the courage of blood, relying on your big grandson and big brother Xu, can you change the banner of the king at the head of Lanzhou City?"
Chu Zheng squeezed out a few words between his teeth: "There is also Xiaodong! There is Xiaodong's grandfather! There are those..."
"Who else can die?" The old Taoist interrupted Chu Zheng coldly.
Chu Zheng was speechless.
The old Taoist snorted coldly, "If you don't know, just relying on these people, just giving heads to the Tubo people, they have been my apprentices for nothing all these years."
Chu Zheng sat down on the ground.
The old Taoist continued: "If you want to welcome Master Wang and subdue Hexi for the court, it is useless to rely on blood and courage. If you want to achieve great things, you must first plan. If you dare to expose yourself without a careful plan, it is just death. Such a stupid person, you expect them to rely on them to regain Hexi? They will only do bad things. This may be ruthless, or it may be unfair to them, but it is the truth!"
Chu Zheng hugged his head.
The yard fell silent.
Only the hen made a few calls from time to time.
After a long time, Chu Zheng suddenly said in a low voice: "Master, I am very grateful that you have taught me for so many years."
The old Taoist stopped drinking, "What are you going to do?"
Chu Zheng stood up, adjusted his robe, "I'm leaving."
The old Taoist stared wide-eyed: "Are you leaving again? Don't you know that we Bailudong disciples are destined to do great things?! The world doesn't know Bailudong, and the world has no masters! Have you forgotten? How many times have I told you that we..."
"Our fifth disciple of Bailu Cave, nicknamed 'Yinzi' at the mountain gate, has existed in a dangerous environment surrounded by enemies from the moment he was born. With one strike, the most glorious achievement will be achieved, and the most famous name will be left to the world!"
Chu Zheng took the old Taoist's words, but he couldn't hide the disappointment in his eyes.
The old Taoist sat up straight in an instant, staring at Chu Zheng: "Since you know everything, why do you still have to leave? A good man should be immortal, just like Huo Qubing... Although we can't lead an army for thousands of miles, we can What we do is actually no different from Huo Qubing, the same astonishing world, the same earth-shattering... "
As he spoke, the old Taoist's voice became quieter. Just looking at Chu Zheng's disdainful expression, he felt extremely guilty.
The old Taoist coughed twice, and said seriously: "Don't you know that the inheritance of our fifth disciple of Bailudong, the mission of life..."
"The mission of our life is to protect the dignity of our family and country! The dignity of our family and country is tied to our fifth disciple of Bailu Cave. Without us, when our family and country are in crisis, they will not receive key support and can only decline. So We, the fifth disciple of Bailu Cave, should fight for our family and country without any regrets, this is our honor!"
Chu Zheng recited this passage as if he was endorsing it.
The wine gourd in the old Taoist's hand fell to the ground.
He said: "Since you know everything, why do you still have to leave?"
The disappointment in Chu Zheng's eyes has turned into despair: "Master, just because of your words, since I was sensible, I have supported you by selling soup cakes for six years, and I have endured you for six years! There are countless times of disappointment in the middle. I wanted to leave, but I was so tempted by your demagogic words that I was so tempted to stay here willingly!"
Speaking of this, Chu Zheng took a deep breath, "But today! I know, your words are just nonsense and useless at all! You are a coward and a coward! What Bailudong, what? Fifth disciple, it's just an excuse for me to support you because you are too lazy to work!"
The old Taoist was dumbfounded.
Chu Zheng closed his eyes and calmed down, and then said word by word: "I am already sixteen years old, and I will never be bewitched by you again. Today I must leave! I want to fight the Tubo barbarians with Xiaodong to the end! Even if it is death, it is better than raising you, a drunkard, here!"
After finishing speaking, Chu Zheng stared at the old Taoist.
The old man was speechless.
After hesitant to speak for a few times but stopped, his expression became lonely, and his energy suddenly disappeared.
At the end, the old Taoist waved his hand weakly and sighed: "Since you have decided to leave, then go and do what you want to do. Being a teacher... I will not stop you as a teacher. There is nothing wrong with being a teacher." It's used, it's just an old trash, I can't drag you down. You... you go, go!"
Chu Zheng looked at the old Taoist in disbelief, and could hardly believe that these words came from the other person's mouth.
This old man is willing to let himself go
When he wanted to leave before, the other party always tried every means to stop him.
"Then I... really left?" Chu Zheng was uncertain. At the moment when he got the qualification for liberation, he actually felt uneasy, feeling extremely awkward, as if he had become a ruthless, rebellious and unscrupulous thief.
"Let's go, let's go, Master is old, and you won't listen to what he says. Do what you want to do. Even if Master died at home drunk, you don't come back to collect the body. Anyway, Master is a misbehaved person." You bastard, you deserve to die and no one will bury you!"
The old Taoist stood up miserable, looked up to the sky and let out a long sigh, he didn't care about the wine gourd that was regarded as life, and walked into the room with his hands behind his hands and his back hunched.
Chu Zheng stayed there stupidly.
He was dumbfounded for a long time.
Then... Then he turned around, bent down, bowed his head, silently lifted up the soup cake stand, packed up the pots and pans, and pushed into the wing room. Then, he started to clean the yard. Finally, he went straight into the kitchen and cooked for Master.
It's like wanting to leave countless times before, but in the end I had to stay.