Fan Yanguang's legs trembled and he almost knelt down. Luoyang is the capital of the country, and those who dare to take Luoyang are plotting evil!
Zhang Mai didn't say anything, and stared at Fan Yanguang coldly. Fan Yanguang didn't even dare to look at Zhang Mai at this time, but he still felt a pair of sharp dagger-like eyes piercing him, and his clothes were soaked with cold sweat on his back.
Although Sun Rui, the general, was afraid of Zhang Mai's majesty, he was a bit quick-witted. Seeing that Fan Yanguang was suppressed by Zhang Mai and could not say a word, he became anxious and mustered up the courage to shout: "Marshal, if you really want to kill me, kill him." We will kill them directly. Although we are not your cronies, and our merits are not as great as your cronies, but if Yedu changes its banner without fighting a battle, it cannot be regarded as meritorious. Exiling meritorious ministers is to use us. Do you want to set an example for the rest of the world?"
His words reminded Fan Yanguang that although Zhang Mai today is something people dare not touch, Fan Yanguang thought that if there was no more fighting at this moment, if he was really exiled overseas, to the Linju River, or to the Western Regions, he would probably not be able to survive. There, you have to die on the way! He cheered up and shouted: "Marshal, it was me, Fan Yanguang, who should not have disobeyed you. Everything is my fault. If you want to kill me, just kill me. Just spare my men. They can't go to the Western Regions." I just want to give them a chance to go home and farm."
What he said was beautiful, and every word he said was accurate. Zhang Mai wanted to kill him, but he did not ask for it himself, but put on a posture of protecting his subordinates. You must know that since ancient times, warriors have always protected their shortcomings. In this way, Zhang Mai fell It was difficult to deal with him. If word spread afterwards, he would be appreciated by the Central Plains warriors. As for the word "disobedience", it ties the matter to Zhang Mai's likes and dislikes. Who said warriors are rude? Fan Yanguang is also very ruthless when he needs to be attentive.
Zhang Mai let out an ooh and said, "Do you think I'm angry at you because I hate you? Do you think my enfeoffments are all trying to trick you?"
Fan Yanguang gritted his teeth and said: "The emperor is kind and punishes you. All ministers have no complaints!"
Zhang Mai was silent for a moment and suddenly said: "The rules of my Tiance Datang are not decorations. The four words of "handling things impartially" will not become invalid when it comes to me. I have said it before when I dealt with the tax exemption order incident. Our regime It has just been established and needs bright governance and promotion, rather than being full of intrigues and intrigues from the beginning. Let me tell you bluntly, these four places I gave you are not places of happiness. It must have been very hard at the beginning. But if you dare to go, I will definitely support you in terms of manpower, material resources and policy strategies, and the long-term achievements you will make in the future will definitely go down in history. And for the sake of your hard work in pioneering, I will also forgive you for one of your faults. . This is not a confession to me, but an explanation you must make to history and the world."
How could Fan Yanguang believe what Zhang Mai said? He just kowtowed and said: "The marshal can exile the general wherever he wants! I just want to let my poor and innocent subordinates go!"
Seeing that he was stubborn, Zhang Mai said hey and hey: "You guys, the soldiers threaten the generals, the generals threaten the commanders, you are hateful and pitiful, but no one is necessarily innocent. The entire expedition is to give you a chance to change your ways. Since If you don¡¯t want to, then I¡¯ll deal with it separately.¡±
At this point, he paused again and said: "There are still a few people who have not been arranged just now Guo Zhangbei conquered Mobei. He had meritorious service in killing the enemy. He came forward to receive the seal."
Amid the astonishment of the generals, Guo Zhang stepped forward. Zhang Mai said: "Guo Bian has done well in India, but in the letter he sent me recently, he expressed his wish to go to the Central Plains. Now I make you the governor of Tianzhu and a low-grade marquis. I will give it to you Two years to prepare, you are allowed to recruit farmers, craftsmen, doctors, monks, soldiers, and women in the Central Plains, with a minimum limit of 30,000 people, purchase weapons and seeds, and set off for Tianzhu in two years to become an overseas governor, hereditary and irreplaceable. When the Anxi Protectorate is established in the future, you will only be controlled by the Anxi Protectorate. In addition, you can act expediently regardless of military or political affairs."
Guo Zhang's body was slightly shaken and his eyes were slightly wet, but he used his body to block his reaction so that no one else could see his reaction. After a while, he said: "General, take your orders! I will definitely go to Tianzhu to expand the territory of China for me. Make great achievements!¡±
Zhang Mai added: "It is one thing to expand the territory, but it is more important to establish good governance. India is a big country thousands of miles away, but its politics are now disorganized. After you go there, cooperate with Guo Bian and govern the country well. I have three years to give you a buffer, and I will replace Guo Bian after six years. I will have another important use for him. As for your son, just stay in the Central Plains. Your sister and I will raise him well until he grows up. , and then let him go to Tianzhu to serve you. Well, when Guo Bian returns from the east, let him take a detour to the river and bring Guo Luo's son with him. Your sister Fen'er misses her nephew."
Guo Zhang kowtowed and said yes.
Zhang Mai said again: "Come up to Ding Yan Mountain to listen to the seal."
Ding Yanshan is Ding Hanshan¡¯s younger brother. Since he was seriously injured by Gao Huaide, he has temporarily withdrawn from the front line of the battle to recuperate. Zhang Mai said: "How is your injury?"
DingShandao said: "There is no major problem." His voice was somewhat broken.
Zhang Mai said: "You were severely injured on the battlefield. I asked the doctor and the doctor said that you should not use force within three years, so I think you might as well demobilize."
Ding Yanshan was surprised and said: "Marshalthe generalthe general can still ride a horse and fight in battles. Now that the Khitan has not been pacified and the Central Plains has not been settled, the general is willing to fight with the marshal in front of him and behind him!"
Zhang Mai shouted: "What nonsense are you talking about! Our army now has so many arrogant and powerful generals. Although the Khitan is still here, it is just lingering. Although the Central Plains has not yet been determined, it is only a matter of time. Seeing that there are more wolves and less meat, why are you joining in the fun!"
Ding Yanshan didn't dare to say anything anymore, Zhang Mai said: "You are my confidant, and I can't treat you badly even after being demobilized. Now I promise you a good job. Talos has been dilapidated for ten years, and now the population is gradually gathering. It is the Land of Silk Although a branch line of the road is not as prosperous and smaller than the main road, in time it will be a paradise in the desert. I will make you a baron and also allow you to recruit craftsmen, farmers, monks, and other people in the Central Plains. Doctors, academic officials, and women can go to Talas and become city lords. As long as they are not guilty, they will be hereditary."
When Ding Yanshan saw that Zhang Mai had made all the arrangements, he knew that he had no choice but to say no more and bowed to accept his order.
Zhang Mai added: "General Yang Dingbang cut off the rear for our army and was living in the northwest. Yang Zhuo went to look for it. Recently, there has been news that he has found some clues, but the news is not clear enough. I guess they may We walked near the Volga River. The Western Region is thousands of miles away, and it doesn¡¯t take three or five years to go back. You have to be prepared for a long time. You are also an old man who came out of New Suiye City. In terms of fighting, your qualifications are average, but in He has a strong family background in geographical research and customs. He should be able to get used to the climate there. After arriving in Talas, he can manage the Tang Dynasty's trade route to the northwest and win over the hearts of the Huoxun tribe. If General Yang Dingbang is lucky enough in the future If we return, you will be the earliest response, or if we organize another team to go to the Volga River Basin, then you will be the springboard to the west of the country."
Hearing Zhang Mai¡¯s arrangement, Ding Yanshan turned out to have another important responsibility, so he saluted and accepted the order again. But he was very reluctant and said: "Marshal, I want my son to study in the Central Plains."
Zhang Mai said: "We are thousands of miles apart and our flesh and blood are separated, are you willing to do it?"
Ding Yanshan said: "The most I can do is wait until the general is old, and then let him come to Talas to serve me. Just like Brother Zhang."
Zhang Mai said: "Promise."
After Ding Yanshan retreated, Zhang Mai said again: "Shi Jian."
Shi Jian came out and Zhang Mai said: "From today on, you can step down from your post as deputy commander of the Longxiang Iron Armor Army."
This is an extremely important and important task, but Shi Jian said nothing. He said simply: "Yes."
Zhang Mai said: "I will make you a top-grade marquis, and go to the Luju River to find land to build a city. Where the city is located, the radius of 500 miles will be considered your fiefdom. You just came back from there, and the situation is familiar. If you are in Longxiang's iron-armored army, There are brothers who are willing to go north with you. I promise everything, make good preparations, and set off after the spring of next year."
Shi Jian said: "The marshal's arrangement must have deep meaning, but my son also wants to study in the Central Plains."
Zhang Mai said: "I know! Let the children study and practice martial arts together."
After Shi Jian took the order. Zhang Mai said again: "Fu Yanqing."
Fu Yanqing came out after hearing the order.
Zhang Mai said: "Beyond the East China Sea, there is a big island called Ryukyu. It is the place that I just said I would give half to Fan Yanguang. In fact, I was really reluctant to give him that big island. I regretted it after I opened my mouth. , I just laughed that he missed the treasure and didn¡¯t know it. There is a bright future there in the long run, but the pioneering period will be very hard. The first step now is to establish a stronghold, open a port, and immigrate to colonize. Is there anyone among the descendants of your Fu family? Dare to open up wasteland?"
Fu Yanqing thought for a while and said: "My son is still young, but my brother's son Fu Zhaoren can take up this position."
Zhang Mai said: "This is a great achievement that will go down in history, but it is also a difficult thing. You have to think about it carefully. Don't blame me if your relatives accuse you of treating your brother harshly in the future."
Fu Yanqing said: "A young man should be strong, but if he doesn't make achievements, how can he be qualified to enjoy peace?"
Zhang Mai laughed and said: "Okay, that's good! If you don't make achievements, how can you be qualified to enjoy peace! Okay! Let him go. If you need manpower and material resources later, tell Dongshu and try your best to meet his needs, especially medicine. Be prepared. The miasma there is very serious, but I have a way to deal with it. I will send two thousand people there in the first batch, and more people will be added later. As for the shipping matter, let Zhao Zan help. You are relatives, and acquaintances are easy to handle. .¡±
After Fu Yanqing accepted the order on behalf of his nephew, Zhang Maicai turned to Fan Yanguang and said, "Do you still think I'm cheating you?"
Fan Yanguang watched Zhang Mai make arrangements one by one, none of which he could understand. Moreover, among the arrangements, three of them were exactly the way he had just been arranged, but they were all rejected by himself. He didn't know either. I was speechless for a moment whether those places were really nice or just a pit of fire.
Zhang Mai said: "For the sake of the overall situation, I really wanted to protect you, but it's a pity that you missed the opportunity."
Seeing that Fan Yanguang was speechless again, Sun Rui stepped out and shouted: "Even if there is really any merit there, it can't be as happy as the Central Plains. We don't want to go thousands of miles away to do business, we just want to go home and be a farmer." .¡±
Zhang Mai sneered and said: "Who are you! You keep jumping out and making noises! I am sealing Fan Yanguang, what does it have to do with you!"
"Ithe last general Sun Rui"
Zhang Mai raised his eyebrows and said angrily: "Sun Rui? Is he the criminal who dared to disobey the emperor and kill the law enforcement team?"
Sun Rui was startled and shouted: "II didn't!"
"No?" Zhang Mai said: "Where is the Fa Cao!"
Ma Xiaochun passed the order and soon met Fa Cao who went to Wuqing to investigate. After saluting, he pointed at Sun Rui and said: "What happened has been investigated clearly by my subordinates. Once the marshal's order was issued that day, the troops and horses in Wuqing City should have The city gates were closed for military training. But after only one day, Fan Yanguang's subordinates became loose and bored. Among them, General Sun Rui was the most impatient. He actually disobeyed military orders and went out of the city to hunt privately. He happened to meet the law enforcement team. The law enforcement team had already After showing their ID cards and asking about what happened, they found out that they were leaving the city illegally, so the law enforcement team ordered them all to put down their weapons and be arrested. However, Sun Rui refused to be captured and actually drew his sword to resist, accidentally killing one person in the chaos. In terms of law, disobeying orders It is already a serious crime, and the crime of manslaughter should be punished by death, which is merciful. But then Sun Rui saw that the matter was getting serious, so he ordered a siege and prepared to silence him. This is a bad incident that has never happened in our army since the founding of the army! Fortunately, law enforcement The leader of the team was alert, and when he saw that the situation was not good, he ordered them to separate and escape. Sun Rui could not catch up, so he only killed a few people. After returning to the city, he begged Fan Yanguang for mercy. Fan Yanguang knew what had happened, but decided to cover up his wrongdoing. Waiting for his subordinates When they entered Wuqing for investigation, they introduced three hundred scapegoats. Their subordinates investigated everywhere, and Fan Yanguang and Sun Rui sent people to follow them. They were called to help, but they were actually causing trouble in secret. Therefore, the case was delayed for a long time, forcing their subordinates to We could only turn to covert investigation. Only then did we bring out those who knew the matter and find out the truth."
Fan Yanguang and Sun Rui looked like they had seen a ghost when they heard it halfway! They thought the investigation on that matter had been concluded long ago, who knew they would be singled out at this time! The details before and after the incident are clear and detailed, and there is no way to evade it!
Fa Cao explained in detail. He took the trouble to present the documents and said: "These are all testimonies, with the fingerprints of the testifiers' confessions on them."
Zhang Mai took the document, glanced at it, and handed it to Ma Xiaochun. Ma Xiaochun handed it to Fan Yanguang. Zhang Mai said, "What else do you have to say?"
Fan Yan¡¯s face was as pale as earth, and he didn¡¯t even have the courage to open the document. Only Sun Rui was still resisting on his deathbed, shouting: "False accusation, false accusation, this is a false accusation!"
Zhang Mai said: "The evidence of the crime is conclusive, how can I allow you to deny it!"
Sun Rui shouted: "This is evidence of crime!"
"Criminal evidence? Then I'll find a personal witness for you!" Zhang Mai stared at Fan Yanguang's back and said, "Is there anyone with knowledge who is willing to testify?"
Behind Fan Yanguang and beside Sun Rui, Feng Hui stood up and said, "I would like to testify that what Fa Cao just said is true."
Fan Yanguang suddenly looked back, his eyes full of anger and surprise, and then he realized why Fa Cao knew the matter so clearly!
Sun Rui jumped up and shouted: "Youyou!"
Zhang Mai shouted: "What are you doing?" He turned to Fa Cao and asked: "Is there any other witness?"
Fa Cao said: "Fan Yanguang's aide Zhang Qiwei is also willing to take the blame and make meritorious service, and testify against Sun Rui. The fingerprints of the confession are already in the document."
Zhang Mai said: "Okay." He then asked Fan Yanguang and Sun Rui: "Do you still need me to let Zhang Miracle come in?"
Fan Yanguang was almost paralyzed and could not speak.
Zhang Mai said: "Sun Rui broke the law, what should he do according to military regulations?"
Facao said: "Behead!"
Zhang Mai said: "Execute!"
Fa Cao waved his hand, and two law enforcement sergeants came in and pushed out the struggling Sun Rui. Soon there was a gunshot outside the tent, and Fa Cao's sergeant replied: "The guilty general has been killed!"
Zhang Mai said: "Official leader, let's serve as a warning! Continue the thorough investigation and find out who committed the murder with his own hands. He will be guilty of the same crime as Sun Rui. The remaining accomplices among the three hundred people will be exiled to the river!"
Sergeant Fa Cao took the order and left.
Zhang Mai looked at Fan Yanguang again and said:"Sun Rui resisted and disobeyed the order, and I couldn't spare him no matter what. No matter who it was, there would be no mercy for violating military law. But after all, you had the ability to change the flag and played a great role in stabilizing Hebei in advance. It can be said that you indirectly saved the country." I have lost the lives of many people in Hebei, so I originally wanted to be open-minded"
Fan Yanguang hurriedly knelt down and said: "Marshal, spare your life! Marshal, spare your life!"
"It's too late!" Zhang Mai said: "Now that the matter has been revealed, I must punish you with exile. This time you are really exiled."
Fan Yanguang kept kowtowing and said: "General, I don't dare to shirk the blame anymore. Please ask the marshal to discuss the matter. Please discuss the matter with the marshal."
Zhang Mai said: "If the seal of five hundred miles is removed, you still have the accomplices and soldiers. Let's be exiled for eight thousand miles together. Can you accept the crime?"
Fan Yanguang did the math and thought that even though it was five thousand miles away, he might not have reached Talos yet. Secretly he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "The guilty general is willing to take the blame."
But Zhang Mai said: "Okay, then I will give you four choices. First, thousands of miles northwest from Talas, there is a huge inland sea called the Caspian Sea. What flows into this inland sea, There is a big river called the Volga"
When he said this, Ding Hanshan was already very strange. I don¡¯t know how Zhang Mai knows such a distant geography - the Ding family has been responsible for the military geographical information of the Tang Army in Anxi for many years. He has been in Xinsuiye City in the northwest for so many years, and he doesn¡¯t know where the sea or the Volga River is.
Zhang Mai said: "Although the Volga River Basin is bitterly cold, it is a fertile and vast plain thousands of miles away. It is still a barbaric land today. General Yang Dingbang, the earliest second commander of our Tiance, was forced to go westward many years ago. There is no news at all. , and then Yang Zhuo went to look for him again in order to avenge his crime and meritorious service. He recently brought back news that he heard news about General Yang Dingbang on the banks of the Volga River. You should lead your guilty subordinates now and follow Ding Yanshan to Talas first, and then let him arrange it. , go to the Volga River. Once there, follow the orders of General Yang."
Fan Yanguang was so frightened that he thought, thousands of miles to the northwest from Talos, where would that be! It¡¯s scary just thinking about it!
He was so frightened that he kowtowed and begged for mercy. Zhang Mai said, "You don't want to go?"
Fan Yanguang cried: "The guilty general can't go away. Please give the general a second choice, Marshal."
Zhang Mai said: "Okay then, Guo Bian's men and horses are going south along the Indus River. The forefront has reached the seaside of Tianzhu. You follow Guo Zhang to Tianzhu. Then build a ship and go to sea from there, and go west along the coastline. Cross The Gulf of Oman, then go southwest along the coastline, and then cross the Gulf of Aden, you will reach a peninsula called the Somali Peninsula. This peninsula belongs to a continent. It is called Africa, also called the Black Continent. From the mouth of the Indus River to Somalia , there are channels that Tianfang merchants have opened along the way, so you don¡¯t have to worry about running out of ways. Somalia is probably a few thousand miles away from Tianzhu¡¯s seaport. After you get there, open up villages and establish strongholds. I promise that within ten years Inside, there will be ships from China arriving there, and you can respond on the spot when the time comes."
Fan Yanguang finally understood at this time that the so-called "eight thousand miles of exile" is not the eight thousand miles from here, but the eight thousand miles from the very border of the Tiance regime! The Volga River, although it sounds far away, is still land after all! This Somali Peninsula is a faraway place after the Western Regions!
Fan Yanguang screamed: "Marshal, General Sin can't go away! He can't go away!"
"Still not going?"
¡°It¡¯s not that I won¡¯t go, it¡¯s that I can¡¯t go.¡±
"Then" Zhang Mai said: "I will give you a third choice. Starting from Ryukyu, further south, there is a large island called Mayi (Philippines). Further south from Mayi, there is an even bigger island. The island, probably as big as a hundred Youzhous, is called Bali. Further south from Bali, there is a huge continent called Southern Continent, about 30 to 40 million square miles. I want to open a base there to Prepared in the distant future as a migration place for China after its population becomes overpopulated"
Fan Yanguang was already dizzy, but he heard Zhang Mai say: "You don't need to go as far as the southern continent, just go to Bo Ni. You can also establish a stronghold there. This can be considered a crime and meritorious service."
Fan Yanguang shed tears and said: "Marshal, is there a fourth option?"
Seeing him like this, the generals felt a little pity for him.
Zhang Mai sighed: "Although the first three are difficult, I still have some confidence. The last one, I am not sure either. But although the risk is great, the benefit is even greater. As long as you bring your hundreds next year The guilty men should go to Ryukyu first, board the ship when the ocean current moves north, go all the way to the northeast, bypass the Koryo Peninsula, go all the way to the east, pass by the East China Sea Nvzhi, and reach the point of no return, where the sun never shines in summer. Luoluo is the northeastern corner of our Chinese continent. There is a shallow strait, about 170 miles wide. Opposite it is another continent larger than the Southern Continent, called the Eastern Continent, also known as Fusang.Fusang Continent, our ancestors of Dongyi once passed here and cultivated high-yielding and cold-resistant crops with their ability. One is potatoes and the other is corn. If you can go to Fusang Continent and get these two things back, you will not be exempted, prince. Wealth is whatever you want! In addition, the Eastern Continent is rich in gold. There is a river called the Golden River. The sand in the river valley is half a bucket of gold and half a bucket of sand. If you can go there and bring back any amount of gold, it will be yours. "
Fan Yanguang was completely dizzy and just kept kowtowing to beg for mercy. Zhang Mai looked at him coldly and was no longer interested in continuing to exhort him. He waved his hand and said, "Go down and think about where you want to go."
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After Fan Yanguang was pushed down, Zhang Mai announced that the meeting was over. Zhao Zan deliberately stayed behind and asked Zhang Mai: "Marshal, is the Eastern Fuso Continent really there? Is there really a golden river?" "
Zhang Mai glanced at Zhao Zan, with a smile in his eyes.
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Note: I got lost in writing a few days ago and forgot that Guo Luo and Yang Yi were both generals. This statement is corrected. (To be continued)