Blood sedge

Chapter 1172: Lieutenant General Zhang Xiong (I)

"What?" Xie Xuan stood up suddenly, a hint of hesitation flashing across his brows, "You said 'lead the troops to knock on the door'?"

"That's right!" the disciple replied, "Zhang Xiong led more than a thousand soldiers and horses and asked to see the young master by name. Now they have surrounded Danfeng Garden and no one is allowed to enter or leave."

"The Mongols arrived so quickly!" Yuan Ting, who was standing behind Xunzhen, seemed to be deeply affected by the tense and oppressive atmosphere in the meeting hall. He couldn't help but exclaimed, "As soon as Sui Zuo's body was carried into Danfeng Garden, the people from Luoyang General's Mansion arrived. It seems that they are not only well-informed, but also very quick in their actions."

Hong Si frowned and made a bold guess: "The General's Mansion in Luoyang has spies everywhere. The carriage carrying Sui Zuo's body was passing through the city this morning, which must have aroused their vigilance. Maybe... they already knew about Sui Zuo's body before it was carried into the gate of Danfeng Garden."

"Perhaps this is the result they want." Xunzhen's eyes flickered with a gleam that flickered and was very scary.

"It's possible!" Before everyone could ponder the deep meaning of Xunzhen's words, Yun Zhuiyue, who was able to see through everything, spoke up quietly, "Sui Zuo is dead, and it's useless to dwell on it. For Mongolia, the most urgent task is to resolve this matter in a dignified manner, rather than to investigate the cause of Sui Zuo's death. It's time-consuming and laborious to seek revenge on Jinjianwu, which is far away in Jingjiang Prefecture. It's definitely not a good idea. Xianwang Mansion and Jinjianwu belong to the same lineage of the Central Plains martial arts world, and there are rumors that 'Central Plains righteous men participated', so it's not impossible for Mongolia to let Xianwang Mansion be the scapegoat for Jinjianwu."

"What is this? Are you picking on the weak? The Mongols dare not offend Jin Fuyu, so they are targeting the young master?" Xu Heng cursed indignantly, "I thought these Tatars were so powerful? It turns out they are just a bunch of cowards who only bully the weak and fear the strong!"

"That's wrong!" Ling Qing's thoughts were different from Xu Heng's. "The Mongols are definitely not afraid of Jin Fuyu, otherwise they wouldn't have ambushed him halfway. It's just that compared to going deep into the heart of the Song Dynasty, Luoyang City is obviously easier to advance and retreat."

"Just because Jinjianwu is far away in Jingjiang Prefecture, the Mongols gave up seeking revenge? This is too much..."

"They have a comprehensive plan for the Song Dynasty. How can they disrupt the plan because of a small Sui general? As for Jin Fuyu, in the eyes of the Mongolian Khan, he is nothing more than a stray dog ​​and a jumping clown." Yun Zhuiyue interrupted Li Haitang's complaint with contempt, his tone quite impatient.

"The Mongolian Khan has his sights set on conquering the world, and will sooner or later raise his army to invade the south. As the saying goes, 'If the skin is gone, where will the hair be attached?' If the Song Dynasty collapses, how can Jinjianwu, which is hiding in Jingjiang Prefecture, remain unscathed?" Xie Xuan agreed with Yun Zhuiyue's judgment. "Jin Fuyu knew that he could escape the disaster, so he openly admitted that Sui Zuo died at his hands, and he was so desperate to drag us into the water, trying to muddy the waters with our hands."

"No matter what, we must not take advantage of Jin Fuyu's intentions, and we must not let the Mongols take advantage of us and suffer this disaster in vain." Xiao Zhirou stated her position firmly and turned to Xie Xuan and asked, "The Xianwang Mansion has been operating in Luoyang City for many years. Can we ask for a favor from the General's Mansion?"

"That's right! At worst... we can just return Sui Zuo's body to them."

"Do you really think they are obsessed with a dead body?" Xunzhen couldn't help laughing at Chang Wuhui's naivety.

"You mean... the Mongols are trying to take advantage of this situation?"

"Jin Fuyu is despicable and shameless, and the General's Mansion is so vicious, damn it!" Lei Zhen cursed, "It seems that this shit pot is going to be put on our heads? If we had known this, we should not have paid attention to this matter..."

"The banner clearly says 'Xun Yi Da Xia', how can we pretend to be deaf and dumb and get away with it?" Xie Xuan said in a deep voice, "Even if our people don't take the initiative to stop this carriage, there will be other 'busybodies' in the city who will bring Sui Zuo's body to us. Will we accept it then? Little do we know how many eyes are staring at us now. As long as we show the slightest hesitation or evasion, rumors will spread everywhere, and we will all become Mongolia's running dogs and be despised and spurned by all the factions in the Central Plains. And this is exactly the result that Jin Fuyu has dreamed of."

Xunzhen pointed out the pros and cons in a straightforward manner: "In this way, the crime that Liu Xunyi has cleared himself of after risking his life, as well as the situation that we have worked so hard to save for him, will eventually be destroyed."

"What a vicious move. We are in a situation where we can neither advance nor retreat."

"If it's a blessing, it's not a disaster. If it's a disaster, it can't be avoided. The situation is already like this, what's the point of complaining? Since Zhang Xiong has come to our door, there is no need to hide, just meet him for a while. I want to see what tricks they can play." Xie Xuan's face was serious, and he ordered loudly, "First, collect Sui Zuo's body, and then go out and tell Zhang Xiong that he can come in, but he is only allowed to bring guards into the garden. If Zhang Xiong doesn't know what's good for him, you can let him lead his troops to force his way in. My Xianwang Mansion is not a pushover."

"As ordered!"

After receiving the order, the disciple quickly ran out of the hall, but almost bumped into Su He who was rushing over. "Thank you, Palace Master, Xiao Gu Master, Yun Sheng Master, Miss Xunzhen, everyone!" After entering the meeting hall, Su He first bowed to everyone in turn, and then stated his purpose directly, "Just now outside the courtyard, Su seemed to have seen an old friend. He was leading troops and horses in a menacing manner. It seemed that he came with bad intentions, so I came to disturb you. I want to find out what's going on?"

Hearing this, Xunzhen and the others couldn't help but look at each other. After a brief exchange of glances, Xie Xuan smiled calmly and asked instead, "Is the old friend that Brother Su mentioned Zhang Xiong, the Lieutenant General of Luoyang General's Mansion?"

"Is it really Zhang Xiong?" Although Su He had already recognized Zhang Xiong, he still couldn't suppress the surprise on his face when he got Xie Xuan's confirmation.

"What's wrong?"

"How come Zhang Xiong is not training troops in Mobei and is serving as a lieutenant general in the General's Mansion in Luoyang?"

"This... I'm not afraid of Brother Su laughing at me. This General Zhang Xiong has just arrived and has been in office for a short time. I haven't had the chance to make friends with him yet."

"From the tone of Master Su's voice just now, it seems that he is quite familiar with Zhang Xiong." Xunzhen asked thoughtfully, "Master Su seems to be very surprised by Zhang Xiong's current identity. Why? Shouldn't he be here?"

"Zhang Xiong has been serving in the military camp and has never been on duty in the government for many years, so I..."

"Who exactly is this Zhang Xiong? Is he easy to deal with?" Before Su He finished speaking, Xu Heng, who couldn't wait, asked loudly, "What is your relationship with him?"

Su He was startled, but did not argue with Xu Heng's impoliteness. Instead, he pondered for a moment and answered slowly: "Zhang Xiong was born in a humble family. When he was young, he joined the Boy Scouts in order to have a full meal. He followed General Wang in the battles, but unfortunately he was unlucky and was injured in the battlefield. He had to retreat from the front to Mobei. He could not get out of bed for a whole year and recovered after three years. This person has a stubborn temperament and is a bit eccentric. He is not familiar with the ways of the world and does not know how to get along with everyone. For many years, he has been neither high nor low. Fortunately, General Wang did not abandon him and appreciated his loyalty. Therefore, he appointed him as the deputy commander of the left camp, responsible for training new soldiers in Mobei. Although it is not an important job, it at least gives him a stable meal and a chance to be loyal."

"Boy Scout..." Xie Xuan felt familiar with this title. "If I remember correctly, that Long Yu...seems to be a Boy Scout as well."

"That's right! Those who can be selected as Boy Scouts are all cruel by nature and have decisive means. Long Yu is not only a Boy Scout, but also the best among the Boy Scouts." Su He said frankly, "Although Zhang Xiong's ability is not as good as Long Yu, he is not a good-for-nothing. As for the Lieutenant General of Luoyang General's Mansion... Although the official rank is slightly higher in name, the actual power and prospects are not as good as the position of Deputy Commander of the Left Camp. The previous few were all unknown and mediocre. Moreover, Luoyang is peaceful and prosperous. There is no merit or hard work to be done by serving as a Lieutenant General here. Such an idle job is generally reserved for children of aristocratic families who are not good at civil and military affairs and have no ambitions, or old people who have chronic diseases and want to retire. These people do not seek to make a name for themselves, but only to have enough food all day long. I really can't understand why Zhang Xiong, who is so young and has always been competitive, is willing to come here?"

Li Haitang made a bold guess: "Could it be that he offended his superiors and was demoted?"

"No! Commander-in-Chief Wang is strict in military discipline and knows how to appoint the right people. He will not bury talents. Moreover, even if he is demoted, he should be sent to a cold and bitter place. Why would he be sent to Luoyang City to enjoy leisure?"

"According to what Master Su said, Zhang Xiong's appointment as the lieutenant general of the Luoyang General's Mansion is not a demotion, but it is a waste of talent." Xunzhen thought, "If this is true, then this matter becomes even more interesting."

"What do you think of this?"

"It's obviously an insignificant job, why send such a powerful character? Is it because Wang Dechen has too many talented people around him, and any one of them is not an ordinary person? Or is it because the vast Mobei cannot accommodate Zhang Xiong who is unfamiliar with the ways of the world? I guess neither!" Xunzhen weighed every word carefully and made assumptions. "The only reasonable explanation I can think of is that the Luoyang General's Mansion... or this Luoyang City is about to have a big event, and Wang Dechen had to send his beloved general Zhang Xiong here to replace those mediocre people in the past, intending to... deal with some more complicated situations."

"A more complicated situation? The only major event that happened in Luoyang during this period was the Anti-Traitor Conference, but I had already presented General Luoyang with a peace of mind gift, so the General's Mansion did not take any action until the Anti-Traitor Conference was over. If Zhang Xiong came for this... it doesn't seem likely." Xie Xuan was puzzled and murmured, "As for the situation, even if Luoyang City is more complicated now, it is just a dispute in the martial arts world, which is far less complicated than the Mongolian conquests. Zhang Xiong is a talented general in the army, so it stands to reason... it would be more valuable to send him to the front line to serve."

"This matter is indeed strange." After listening carefully to Xie Xuan's analysis, Xunzhen nodded lightly, "Since General Luoyang dared to accept the gift from Lord Xie, it means that the General's Mansion has no intention of intervening in the grudges of the martial arts world, and has no intention of causing trouble for us. But if Zhang Xiong didn't come for the martial arts event such as the Anti-Traitor Conference, and for us martial arts people, then... what else could he come for, and for whom?"

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