C71

Zhang Zhou finally opened the door to happiness, and began to enjoy a sweet life! His body was young, but he could endure the torment! Instead, he had exhausted his two wives every night. However, he had not been complacent for more than a few days and had been dragged into the wedding procession by the Prince of Pingyang. How could he not feel resentful in his heart?

Resentment, how could he disrespect an edict? Thinking about it, he felt that it was no big deal, sending her away was just a public expense trip to the Western Regions, and was acceptable. After the wedding procession had arrived in Hezhou, Ping Wang explained the reason behind it to Zhang Zhou. Zhang Zhou could feel that this trip wasn't as simple as he had imagined. In fact, it was a bit 'dangerous'!

The Emperor had his own perfect idea! But others weren't idiots? Especially the Sima family who had been in control of the Southflat State for almost a hundred years. They had a keen perception of this potential "threat." He was not like other local officials. After finishing his work, he would pat his butt and leave. The Southpeak State was his private property, and it was related to his own personal interests! He was referring to the place where he would reproduce and benefit the future generations of his family! How could there be such a thing as nobility? There had never been such a clan that sacrificed their own interests for the sake of the country! They would not care about how the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty mutilated himself, nor would they care about him! In other words, it didn't matter whether the Tang Dynasty changed or not. Nan Ping Prefecture was still the Sima family's kingdom! But he had to cut the flesh off the body of the Sima family! That would not work. It would "force the people to rebel"! Could it be that the Emperor would never think of such a contradiction? Or did he confidently believe that he could easily break the Sima family's wrist? If he was that confident, he wouldn't have left the Sima family here today, in front of his eyes! Clearly, this was a game of chess between the Emperor of Tang and the Sima family. The Emperor had hardened his heart to play this game and wanted to see if the Sima family would dare to eat this' river crossing '.

Zhang Zhou did not know much about the Western Tribes. Since he could not obtain a reference from his previous life, he naturally did not have any foresight or right to speak! Based on this analysis, it seemed like this was a trip with an uncertain future. However, even if his analysis made sense, he still had to go. He could only hope that the Sima family didn't have that kind of courage, and that he was the one who worried too much!

Because many of the furniture and objects that Princess married were ordered and loaded in Hezhou, they had to stay in Hezhou for two days! Tie He also had the opportunity to stroll around Hezhou City! When they entered the Tang Dynasty, they took the small road and took a long detour to the capital. They did not pass through Hezhou, but from the Hezhou Pier, the carriage and the smooth road began his journey of surprise.

Everything in Hezhou made Tie He's group feel incredulous! Could it be that the prefectures under the Tang Dynasty were already at such a scale? Everything was in such an orderly fashion? Everyone was so full of life? Although the density of the population was not as high as that of the capital, the area was still bustling with activity! On the contrary, it was more orderly! They had heard that the Hezhou region was in the Tang Dynasty, and it was far from being as prosperous as the southern states. If that was the case, what would the southern states be like? Just how strong was Tang Dynasty?

In the evening, Zhang Zhou hosted a banquet to entertain Zhao Qisheng and Tie He's entourage, the youngest king and the only marquis. The friendship and tacit understanding between the two made Tie He pay much more attention to Zhang Zhou.

Zhang Zhou sighed with emotion. If it were not because of the inconvenience of transportation, as well as the heavy animosity between countries, he would have sent Hezhou Lie and Ze Xiang to earn foreign exchange long ago. However, on this trip to the Western Tribes, he naturally had to plan on how to make a profit. This was because he noticed that the fingers of these fellows were practically adorned with all sorts of dazzling, large gemstones! In addition, the differences in regional culture would lead to different directions of development of science and technology. He also wanted to take this opportunity to "broaden his horizons!"

The Fire Cavalry General Huo Xiaoyun's name and appearance were completely different. Huo Xiaoyun: I'm in my forties, a typical military man. I have a strong build, a full beard, and a manly temperament, unlike Zhang Shuwen's. I don't have that kind of literary personality, I'm very straightforward, my alcohol tolerance is really scary, I drink like I drink water from Hezhou, and I said: "He Zhou Lie is too expensive, I finally got a chance to drink without spending any money, it's too much of a pity that I don't drink it!"

According to Zhao Qizhen's secret introductions, Zhang Zhou found out that Huo Xiaoyun was the favorite general of the Dazhu nation, Pei Yuanzhao!

Under the protection of many people, Zhao Qi had recently experienced Hezhou. However, she was not in a good mood and had little interest in anything. Not long after, she walked into a teahouse with Cui Er, the maid, and took a break!

"This place is really good!"

Zhao Qi's tone and mood were downcast.

"Your Highness, I heard that Zhang Zhou is very young!" He had only gotten married recently, and now, he had married two of them! One of them is the Great Master of the Nine Regions' business! "

Hearing the maid's words, Zhao Qi Wan forced a smile and said, "Women! "No matter how noble your birth is, how great your management is, in the end, you're still a man's subordinate!"

At this time, a boss ran over and personally served the delicate tea with a respectful manner.

Cui Er, the maid, asked curiously: "Shop owner, we did not order these dishes!"

The boss politely smiled and said, "The fact that Madam can visit this store really brings light to my humble dwelling! This little one has nothing to show you, this is the best tea in the shop, I'll give you a taste! "

"Impudent! Who are you calling Madam?"

Cui'er reprimanded unhappily. The shopkeeper didn't know what was going on. Although he was a bit further away from her that day, he shouldn't have forgotten this madam's peerless beauty!

"Madame, ah, no, miss, aren't you Master Zhang's wife?"

Zhao Qi frowned and raised her hand to stop Cui Er.

"Oh, storekeeper, do I look like Zhang Zhuo's wife?"

No matter how stupid the shop owner was, he knew he had recognised the wrong person. Moreover, this woman dared to call Zhang Zhou by his name so naturally, so how could he be an ordinary person? He hurriedly apologized.

"Honorable guest, this little one has a bad eye. Please forgive this little one for being magnanimous and accepting the wrong person. These refreshments were gifted to me by this little one, don't blame me for not blaming you!"

Zhao Qi looked at the shop owner and said, "Manager, I won't blame you. I just want to know if you and I are really alike!"

"..."

After obtaining her answer, Zhao Qi felt a flash of light from her fate. This was perhaps her last hope to escape this sea of bitterness, how could she miss it!

The Queen's adopted son, Master Hou, these two identities might cause her to hesitate, but in the end, she was still a small character who relied on speculation and flattery to rise to the top. She shouldn't offend a princess just for a girl, so she had to try. Sleepless that night, he waited for the half-drunk Ping Wang to come back. He didn't know why, but he was happy to see his little sister's face lit up with excitement, thinking that she had thought it through.

The Ping Wang's followers also happily avoided. As the master spoke, the servants would know that the fewer there were, the better. But in the end, it was enough to scare the crowd. What did the two sides say? Zhao Qisheng's anger was rarely seen. He then reprimanded Princess Ziyu, causing her to burst into tears.

This episode didn't affect the team's progress.

In any case, it was a free trip, how could Zhang Zhou miss this opportunity and not make good use of it? Although he felt that there would be a hidden danger to their safety, he also felt that the safety of the team of thousands of people and the escort of several experts should not be a big problem. Perhaps someone would do something small, but they wouldn't have the guts to blatantly attack the escort team.

In addition to Yang Xiaolan, Erniu, You Nan, Ma Heizi, and a few dozen retainers, there were nearly a hundred other professionals, including Guan Xiaolou. In order to ensure the safety of Guan Xiaolou and to ensure that there was a true expert in certain aspects, Chen Chao Ying arranged the items in his hands and accompanied him along the way.

Due to the sudden turn of events, he didn't have the time to bring Zhang Xingzhi along. He could only send a letter to Cao Yi as he stared at Zhang Xingzhi.

Although he was young and without any qualifications, with Wang Sheng, Wei Da, and the new addition to Hezhou, and with the help of Liu Manzhou and his son who had returned to their posts, and with the support of such seniority, as well as the fact that Han Zhen's people were all cleaned up, Zhang Zhou's Marquis status, and the reputation he had accumulated when he went south, more than two hundred men of the Black Tiger Camp took over without showing any resistance to Zhang Zhou's succession.

The public roads of Hezhou and the surrounding few states had been built extremely well by the Nine Prefectures' commerce. Therefore, the journey was extremely smooth.

On the way back and forth, Zhang Zhou was jubilant as he conversed with all kinds of talents in the team; he discussed matters of the imperial court with Zhao Qizhen; Guan Xiaolou was quiet because he could think for a long time if Zhang Zhou had a few constructive ideas; he asked Huo Xiaoyun about the affairs of the armies and armies! He was extremely busy!

The weapon Huo Xiaoyun used was a long-hilted broadsword. Zhang Zhou also asked him for advice on how to use it in battle. Huo Xiaoyun had a good impression of Zhang Zhou. Besides, she had no reason to offend a favored Marquis. What was the difference in rank? Those with potential could quickly catch up! Of course, you have to have potential that others can see!

The last time he went to Lianzhou, Zhang Zhou had the idea of forging a new saber. After returning, he asked Wang Tieshou to use his own way of thinking, over and over again, to use the best materials to create a saber that he was satisfied with. Compared to before, it was of better quality, sharper, and heavier. He had once ordered Wang Tieshou to design all kinds of sabers. He had also secretly organized a group of people to carry out countless killing experiments, summing up the advantages and disadvantages, and constantly improving them. The handle could be added to a handle as long as an arm. It could be held with both hands to increase the advantage in distance. It was very suitable for large scale battle formations to charge and fight. This was all thanks to Duan Jiu Ji's finger attack on saber arts, which gave him a lot of insights. If it was before, Zhang Zhou might not have been able to comprehend too much. At most, he would be able to imitate a tiger. After experiencing this incident in the karst cave, he felt that his understanding of saber techniques was extremely fast. It was a pity that the wonderful feeling in the karst cave never appeared again. Otherwise, he would have wondered if there would be that kind of "stepping into the sky" described in the novels of his previous life.

This was no longer a route for business in the Nine Prefectures. The road conditions were poor, but fortunately, it was not the soft and wet season yet. Although it would take a lot of time, the team could still barely move forward!

Zhang Zhou had a solid impression of the vast and barren South Pingzhou. As they went deeper and deeper into the plateau, the climate became more and more hostile. In addition, the team was no longer able to get the local supplies in time, and needed to solve more problems on their own. Occasionally, he would meet a few families, but when he saw the shadow of the army, he would disappear without a trace.

Under the strong wind and weather, the three days of travel had only covered a distance of less than 60 miles. For most people, they had suffered through their hardships.

On the fourth day, the wind had finally calmed down. The team had already lost more than thirty large carriages, as well as several tens of wounded men. Fortunately, the carriage the princess was riding was specially made by the Nine Prefectures and was extremely safe.

Nanping Province's scenery was vast and it was even more magnificent! The occasional herd of wild horses that appeared after the melting of the snow not only added a bit of poetic feeling, but also broadened one's heart! The hardships of that journey were soon forgotten. With Huo Xiaoyun's consent, more than a hundred of the Imperial Guards rushed out of their ranks with the intention of rounding up a group of wild horses! Although he didn't have that kind of experience, he still couldn't resist the urge to become hot-blooded.

In the end, of course, there was nothing to show for it, but it made the whole team feel more enthusiastic. Beside Zhang Zhou, there was a fifteen or sixteen year old boy who was eager to give it a try! Because he often went to the library to eavesdrop, he let Zhang Zhou know that this young lad was good at riding horses. Knowing that his archery was good and his character was simple, he stayed by his side to help take care of the horses.

This time, Zhang Zhou brought seven or eight Huyan clansmen. He was the youngest of them.

"Sudden? Want to try it? "

"Yes!" Ye Zichen smiled, revealing a row of white teeth.

"Then go and give it a try! If there's anyone in the camp who wants to play around with me, it's fine if I don't lose face. I just don't want to hurt myself! "

More than thirty of them came out in an instant. Wang Sheng, You Nan, and Liu Manzhou's son, Liu Quan, were among them! Zhang Zhou laughed loudly: "Remember this. This mission requires you to listen to the orders of the abruptly!" If you do not listen to my orders, I will order you to go to the Western Tribes! "

Everyone answered in unison, and with a sudden whistle, the thirty odd riders dashed out.

After cheering for a bit, Zhang Zhou shouted to Huo Xiaoyun, who was standing not too far away, "General Huo, let's have a wager. Let's bet on who gets the first prize. Let His Highness give us justice! "

"Hahaha, no problem. Master Hou, if you lose, give me ten pots of He Zhou Lie. I would have lost if I lost, so please feel free to let me have it!"

Zhao Qisheng, who was not far away, also shouted, "This King will be your witness!"

Under the command of the scouts, the soldiers split up and encircled the wild horses, preventing them from breaking out of the encirclement. Suddenly, they locked onto their target. It was a young Black God. With a wave of his hand, the command team began to charge towards the horses. After a few attacks, the black horse was successfully separated from the herd of horses. After falling to the ground, it ran in panic and left and right, although it was fighting alone, it was extremely violent, no one could get close to it, and while riding the horse, it kept following it for a few dozen feet, making use of the right timing, suddenly using its momentum to reduce the distance to only a few steps, swinging the rope in the air, throwing it out, accurately grabbing onto the neck of the black horse, following the strength the horse, it jumped up and landed steadily on the horse's back, holding onto its mane with great accuracy. Amidst the constant cheers, the black god finally calmed down and stopped resisting. He won the match and raised his arms to cheer the loudest! This kind of victory would not arouse the dissatisfaction of the losers. Instead, they applauded it and expressed their deep admiration.

Zhang Zhou shouted to Huo Xiaoyun, "General Huo, you've lost! If you don't want your gold and silver, I want you to sing a song!"

Huo Xiaoyun laughed out loud and said without the slightest hesitation, "Since Your Highness is here to testify, I, Old Huo, will admit defeat!" Originally, I didn't know how to sing, but I really liked your "loyalty to the country" song. It definitely could be sung by a lot of people in the Imperial Guards! Come come come, losers, sing along with this general! "

Smoke rising up the river and mountains to the north

The dragon rose up and the horse let out a long hiss. The sword qi was like frost …

The heart is like a great river

Who can resist in twenty years?!

Where the long knife of hatred goes

"..."

As more and more people joined in the chorus, the Ping Wang also began to sing along with the crowd.

Thousands of Great Tang Imperial Guards were singing out loud on the vast plateau! This situation would make every hot-blooded man feel relaxed and happy, and their heart would be filled with yearning!