weaving

Chapter 1235 You are just greedy!

That night, Yongning Earl Zhang Cheng hosted a special banquet to entertain Sun Chuanting. There were only the two of them in the huge central military tent. On a table were placed four rather exquisite side dishes, including braised meat, steamed dried fish, pickled vegetables with vinegar, and baked potatoes. In addition, there were two fruit plates, four kinds of cakes, and a pot of scalded "shaodaozi".

If these wines, dishes and fruits were available on ordinary days, they would hardly be considered presentable. However, they are extremely rare when they appear on the front line of the battle against bandits.

The aroma of wine and food wafted in the military tent, making people salivate.

Although Zhang Cheng was an earl of the current dynasty, he was the host here after all. He poured two glasses of wine for Sun Chuanting, and both of them drank it in one gulp without any hesitation.

Although Sun Chuanting grimaced and exhaled alcohol every time he took a sip, he said loudly: "This wine...is delicious!"

Zhang Cheng took the opportunity to take a few glances at him while toasting. Compared with when he first met him in the eleventh year of Chongzhen, his face had a few more wrinkles, and his three thick tufts of beard were mixed with many white strands...

But the sharpness in his eyes has not changed at all, it's just... hidden deeper. It is obvious that in the past three years in the Heavenly Prison, he has been tempered to be more calm and steady, and has also learned to hide his sword well, not showing his edge, and is no longer as sharp as before.

Looking more closely, Zhang Cheng discovered that Sun Chuanting had a very high brow arch, which made his eyebrows appear very thick...

From the perspective of physiognomy, people with this kind of physiognomy tend to be arrogant and cunning, have very strong wills, and are likely to be strongly egocentric.

From a real historical perspective, Sun Chuanting was indeed such a person. Although he had experienced setbacks over the years, the pride deep in his bones remained unchanged.

If you think about it carefully, he had spent more than three years in Tianlao since the beginning of the twelfth year of Chongzhen, and had just missed the rise of Zhang Cheng.

  A few years have passed in a flash. Time really flies!

Yongning Earl Zhang Cheng was carefully observing the changes in Sun Chuanting. At the same time, wasn't Sun Chuanting also secretly observing the military leader, the new generation of nobles, and the popular figure in front of him?

This was the first time that Sun Chuanting had gotten so close to this rising star who was both well-known and controversial, with both good and bad reviews. How could he miss this rare opportunity to observe him?

Although Zhang Cheng's clothes looked very ordinary, the material and workmanship were very exquisite, which made him look generous and decent. His expression was also indifferent, but there was a mysterious and majestic demeanor...

Yes.

The mystery emanating from Zhang Cheng... gives people a feeling of being unfathomable.

It's not just Sun Chuanting who holds this view. Many people outside the country also hold this view of Yongning Earl Zhang Chengcun...

He is able to judge the situation, advance and retreat with discretion, and act smartly and decisively, while remaining cautious and steady. This is just the tip of the iceberg that Zhang Cheng has shown to the outside world.

There are too many things that are difficult to explain about his achievements today, his talents and abilities, some of which are even completely beyond the imagination of many people.

Of course, everything beyond cognition can be attributed to metaphysics and included in the way of ghosts and gods. This is an integrated inheritance from ancient times to the present in China and the West, so there are so many magical legends such as "Emperor Gaozu beheading the snake."

  For a moment, even Sun Chuanting thought that Zhang Cheng was really a star from heaven who came down to earth to save the world!

Sun Chuanting once put himself in Zhang Cheng's shoes and thought that if he were replaced by Zhang Cheng, he would probably become an ordinary military leader at most, and would not be as transcendent as Zhang Cheng. So he couldn't understand it either. Apart from "divine gift", he could not find any other explanation for Zhang Cheng's success.

…………

Tonight, Zhang Cheng invited him to a banquet alone, which was somewhat unexpected. Sun Chuanting drank the wine slowly, but he was carefully thinking about how to lead the topic to what he needed.

He picked up the silver wine pot and filled a glass of wine for Earl Yongning, saying, "My Lord, I toast to you."

"Okay." Zhang Cheng agreed, and the two of them picked up their cups and drank them all.

Sun Chuanting smiled and said, "Judging from what Lord Bo has done this year, he must be a man of great ambitions, but the current display seems a little too extravagant."

Zhang Cheng smiled and said indifferently: "It can't be considered extravagant."

He went on to say, "I am particularly fond of tobacco and wine utensils, and the same is true for other items. As long as they are acceptable, I don't have too many requirements. For example, the dishes on the table are all common items in the army, but they are made a little more delicate today.

I am a greedy person... I want to taste everything delicious and tasty, just for this... I dare not say anything else, but I have more military cooks in my camp than other places, whether it is delicacies or soups and snacks, there is nothing that the military cooks in my camp cannot cook. "

Sun Chuanting immediately added: "As the saying goes, 'Governing a big country is like cooking a small fish.' Governing a country is like cooking a small fish. The seasonings of oil, salt, sauce and vinegar must be given just the right amount, neither too much nor too little.

It is no accident that the Earl of Yongning has achieved what he has today in just three to five years. Today, he is using cooking to illustrate the key to governing a country, which is indeed accurate and brilliant. "

Zhang Cheng waved his hands awkwardly and said, "No, no, I have no other intentions, I'm just greedy!"

Sun Chuanting, however, had a look of disbelief on his face. He smiled and continued, "People say that one should cultivate oneself, manage the family, govern the country, and bring peace to the world. A real man must accomplish great things when he is born into this world, so as to leave a name in history and live up to his great achievements."

He finally asked, "My Lord, are you right?"

Zhang Cheng smiled mysteriously and stopped playing tricks on him. He said, "The ancients said, 'If you want to cultivate yourself, you must first correct your heart.' But nowadays, many people can't even have a 'correct heart', so how can they 'cultivate themselves and manage their families', let alone 'govern the country and bring peace to the world'?"

"What Lord Bo said, Chuan Ting also felt something."

He picked up the wine cup on the table and drank it all, then put it down heavily and said, "However, since we are born into this world, how can we be willing to fall into depravity just because others are mediocre?"

Sun Chuanting stared at Zhang Cheng with his big eyes, and said, "I, Sun Chuanting, will never go along with them. Even if I die a hundred times, I will have no regrets!"

Zhang Cheng's expression was normal, without any change. He slowly picked up the wine pot and filled Sun Chuanting's cup with wine. Then he raised the cup and drank it all in one gulp without saying a word.

Although Sun Chuanting didn't know what Zhang Cheng meant, he generously picked up the wine cup and drank it all. Until he put down the wine cup, his eyes never left Zhang Cheng.

"The road ahead is dangerous and not easy to walk on." Although Zhang Cheng's tone was extremely calm, it sounded like thunder to Sun Chuanting. He said in a deep voice: "Although it is difficult and dangerous, I will go ahead."

"Even if you die and your reputation is ruined, or even bring disaster to your descendants, you don't care?"

Sun Chuanting's eyes showed an extremely resolute expression, and he said: "I have made up my mind. As long as I can save the Ming Dynasty, I will have no regrets even if I die!"

Zhang Cheng nodded, picked up the wine pot and filled it again for him, saying: "When the ancients fried small fish, they only washed it briefly, without removing the intestines or scales, just because they were worried about breaking the fish."

Sun Chuanting didn't know why Zhang Cheng brought up this again, but he thought it must have a deep meaning, so he listened carefully...

"The truth behind this saying is 'Don't be too hasty when cooking a small fish, and don't be too hasty when governing a large country', because 'if you are too hasty, people will get tired, and if you are too hasty, the fish will be ruined'."

Zhang Cheng tapped the table with his hand and continued, "But now is not a prosperous and peaceful era, but a chaotic era of war and chaos. As the saying goes, 'In prosperous times, benevolent policies are implemented, and in chaotic times, harsh punishments are used.' Just like when Governor Sun entered Shaanxi this time, if he strictly adheres to the principle of 'governing a large country is like cooking a small fish', he will definitely be mediocre and accomplish nothing."

Sun Chuanting's heart skipped a beat, but a rather mysterious light flashed in his eyes, and he asked hastily, "Uncle, why are you teaching me?"

Zhang Cheng smiled and said softly, "To the common people, we should be lenient and show them kindness to appease their hearts and prevent them from becoming bandits. To the officials and nobles, we should be strict and frighten their hearts so that they will not cause chaos and hinder Governor Sun. Only in this way can we take the money and food to recruit brave men and train soldiers to keep the people safe and suppress bandits!"

Sun Chuanting suddenly picked up the wine cup and drank it all, and said excitedly: "What the uncle said hits the mark!"

However, his expression darkened and he said miserably, "It's a pity that I don't have any soldiers around me. I'm afraid that my thunderous methods will be difficult to use and I can't do anything to deter the villains."

After he finished speaking, he stared at the Earl of Yongning and continued word by word: "Chuanting, I beg the Earl of Yongning to lend me troops. The money and food obtained will be used to rebuild the Shaanxi troops, and the rest will belong to the Earl of Yongning's faction.

So... that's good!"

Zhang Cheng looked at him earnestly and said, "I and Governor Sun share the same ideals. Since it is Governor Sun's request, we cannot wait and see. But now my entire army is out to confront the bandits. Not only are we short of soldiers and horses, but we also need money and food, which is like a bottomless pit."

As he spoke, he picked up the wine pot and filled Sun Chuanting's cup with wine, saying, "It's really 'good intentions but lack of strength'!"

Sun Chuanting's eyes were full of disappointment, but he also knew that what Zhang Cheng said was true, but he was very unwilling in his heart, so he lowered his posture and asked again: "One thousand... one thousand troops, how about it?"

Without waiting for Zhang Cheng to answer, he continued, "This battalion of soldiers and horses that accompanied me today looks very elite. Can you lend them to me temporarily and release them immediately after the military operations in Shaanxi have achieved some results?"

…………

Sun Chuanting was not very familiar with the military system of the Yongyi Army. He thought that the one thousand infantrymen in the front of the Xuanwu Camp were a battalion of troops.

Because he was going to Xi'an to take up the post, he vowed to accomplish something great. However, without his own armed forces, he would inevitably be blocked by local officials, gentry and wealthy families. The Earl of Yongning was his only hope.

On the way here, he had already made up his mind, because he saw that Shen Jingbang's 1,000 troops were stationed in Wu'an County, and there was more than one camp there, it seemed that there were nearly 10,000 troops.

Therefore, Sun Chuanting believed in his heart that Zhang Cheng still had a backup plan, so he had to settle for the second best option. Even if Zhang Cheng rejected his proposal to "borrow troops", he would rather lose face and ask for Shen Jingbang's thousand troops to be loaned to him.

  In fact, Sun Chuanting had another meaning in his mind. He guessed that the number of soldiers and horses under Zhang Cheng's command seemed to have exceeded the number approved by the court. Therefore, he proposed to lend Shen Jingbang's troops to him. He was also reminding Zhang Cheng not to push him into a corner, otherwise the matter of privately raising soldiers and horses would be out of control!

Zhang Cheng naturally didn't mind this. He believed that even if Sun Chuanting wrote to the court, it would not have any impact on him, not even the slightest ripple would be seen.

But from another perspective, Zhang Cheng wanted to cultivate Sun Chuanting so that he could retrain the Shaanxi soldiers as soon as possible and form effective combat power to jointly eliminate bandits.

Zhang Cheng saw it clearly. With his Yongyi Army and the border troops of Datong and Shanxi, they could basically be invincible against the troops of Li Zicheng and Luo Rucai. Even if Zhang Xianzhong and the Gezuo Fifth Battalion were added,

But the best we can do is to hold out against them. Even if we can defeat the bandits, so what?

There are many bandits, numbering hundreds of thousands, and they are divided into several groups. Once they are defeated, they will inevitably flee in all directions and will be wandering among several provinces again in a short time.

However, there were less than 100,000 soldiers and horses on his side. Even if he divided his troops, he could only defend the city. Although he could still concentrate his main force to try to annihilate a group of the enemy, the battle was protracted and no results were achieved. On the other side, the enemy forces rose again, and it would be difficult to completely eliminate the bandits.

In this way, wouldn't we be following Yang Sichang's old path, which would ultimately lead to "suppressing one problem but causing another to pop up", and it would be difficult to achieve the full goal!

Therefore, in Zhang Cheng's view, supporting Sun Chuanting, or even supporting Zuo Liangyu and others, is his inevitable choice. There is no better way. After all, the court will not allow him to control hundreds of thousands of troops alone.

…………

In view of this, Zhang Cheng looked at Sun Chuanting, who had a look of eagerness in his eyes, and said, "Don't worry, Governor Sun. Let me think about this matter for a while before I can give you an answer."

Sun Chuanting was secretly delighted to see that things had taken a turn for the better. He also knew that he should not push Earl Yongning too hastily, lest something unexpected happen. He smiled and picked up the wine cup, saying, "Okay. In that case... I'll trouble you, Earl. This cup of wine is from me, Earl!"

Zhang Cheng also picked up the wine cup, said "please", and drank it all with him.

Sun Chuanting was determined to borrow the troops. Just now, when he saw Zhang Cheng's refusal expression, he was very disappointed. But now that he saw a turn for the better, he was naturally happy.

Therefore, in order to get a step closer to Zhang Cheng, he said with a twinkle in his eyes: "At the end of the eleventh year of Chongzhen, when I first met Lord Bo, Lord Bo was following Lord Lu.

Thinking back to that year... the bravery in the battle of Julu, the people risked their lives, their loyalty and righteousness were so touching, this person who knew he was going to die..."

Zhang Cheng interrupted him calmly and said, "Following Lord Lu is the greatest blessing of my life, and also the pride of my life."

Sun Chuanting stroked the three strands of his beard. He could hear Zhang Cheng's admiration for Lu Xiangsheng and couldn't help but sigh, "It's a pity that Mr. Lu..."