Chapter 413 Friendship
After the banquet, Meng Da, who had a lower status, left first because he was seated at the door.

The restoration of the plank road and his identity as a Guanzhong person made him barely qualified to attend the meeting.

Meng Da was in a heavy mood. As long as he closed his eyes, he could see that when the sky brightened, the heavily armored guards on both sides of the Grand Marshal scrambled to climb the rocks and build a plank road. People fell from time to time, but they could not stop the construction.

Such a loyal martyr who was not afraid of life and death died such a meaningless death.

Even though it has been almost three days since we crossed the plank road, the Grand Marshal has not sent anyone to collect the bodies, or send people to offer sacrifices, or give public praise.

Meng Da didn't know whether he should tell this secret to other people. It seemed unfair to keep it in his heart all the time.

Subconsciously, I feel that this is a very important piece of information. From this aspect, it can be seen that Sima has a cold nature... Even if his close friends are fighting to death, he will not stop. So, as an enemy, or if there is a dispute, will the other party launch a very cruel punishment?
For example, Wang Yun's three clans had already caused all the well-off families in Taiyuan and Hedong to rebel and be demoted into slavery.

When Meng Da was walking and thinking, he was suddenly stopped by a man on the side of the road. Meng Da stopped suddenly and saw that it was Fa Zheng: "Xiaozhi?"

"I just returned from Luocheng with Wang Fu and Huang Quan."

Fa Zheng was hungry. Although he did not have any decent job now, he did not think that he would be confined to a lowly position for long. Therefore, he paid attention to various events on a daily basis and tried to analyze something from them.

At this moment, he followed Meng Da and walked in the corridor with people outside. He asked, "Zijing, how does the Grand Marshal intend to settle Yizhou? Does he intend to investigate the Yizhou clans who joined the rebellion?"

"No, the Grand Marshal praised Liu Yan and his son for their contributions in pacifying Yizhou and protecting the territory and the people. He also sent envoys to inform the counties and prefectures that when Liu Jiyu left for the east, he would order the counties and towns along the way to take care of him."

Meng Da said the information that would soon spread: "There was a rumor yesterday that the Grand Marshal wanted to appoint the chief priest Li Feng as the governor of Yizhou. This has been confirmed. Tomorrow Li Feng will lead a battalion of guards to Chengdu to take up the post. There is also a troop transfer. Five thousand strong officers and soldiers from various armies in Dongzhou will be selected to gather in Mianzhu. There will also be seven thousand Yizhou soldiers, three thousand Yi soldiers, and two thousand Nanzhong soldiers."

Fa Zheng listened with a frown and asked, "Are you going to guard the other provinces? Or are you going to Guanzhong to serve as a guard?"

According to the tradition of the Qin and Han Dynasties, the guards of the capital were generally young. They were men from the counties and prefectures who had served in the imperial court at the age of 17. The best ones were selected to serve as guards of the capital and receive in-depth education and training. After the guard experience, they became guard soldiers and had to go to the border counties to guard the border regularly and become garrison soldiers.

It was common sense for Fa Zheng and Meng Da to regularly transfer scattered foreign troops to Guanzhong.

However, after Emperor Guangwu moved the capital to Luoyang, this system that was beneficial to Guanzhong collapsed.

After Emperor Guangwu abolished the county lieutenant system, the foundation of the county and state soldiers was destroyed. The imperial guards such as the palace guards in Luoyang of the Later Han Dynasty, as well as the Beijing camp troops such as the Northern Army and the Eight Pass Commanders, all became recruited soldiers.

Recruiting soldiers was also done from other states, but even if they were disbanded during use, the structure of teams of 100 or 50 men was maintained; unlike the Western Han Dynasty, where the guards were replaced as they retreated, and were completely disbanded.

All in all, the system of staggered service can be considered a low-end version of the imperial guards of the Han Dynasty.

When Fa Zheng asked, he had already made various guesses about the future changes of these troops. In the end, Meng Da said: "I don't know yet, but I heard that heroes will be selected to be appointed as captains and lead various armies. There will be five captains."

Seeing Meng Da's fascinated and hopeful look, Fa Zheng also understood. They had already walked out of the official residence during the conversation. Meng Da was still standing on the steps looking around for the location of the ox cart of his personal soldiers.

After recognizing him in the crowd, Meng Da led Fa Zheng towards his own personal guards.

There were only three personal soldiers, one of whom drove the car.

Fa Zheng was so hungry that his legs were weak. It was only with the help of Meng Da that Fa Zheng was able to get into the carriage. Meng Da also got in.

The ox cart started moving, and the two people in the carriage looked at each other in silence.

The opportunity is right in front of you, this is a chance to change your destiny.

As frustrated low-ranking military officers and idle people in society during the periods of Liu Yan and Liu Zhang, the two men's positions and goals were unprecedentedly consistent.

The ox cart slowly drove out of Mianzhu City. The former military camp in the suburbs was Meng Da's residence. The walls of this house were neat and tidy, much more decent than the bamboo house thatched cottage that Fa Zheng had built together in the mountains in the suburbs.

Fa Zheng had no stable income and could not afford to rent an attractive house in the city. The houses he could afford were not to his liking or of his status.

It was impossible for him to live with the local ruffians in the dirty and messy corners of the city. Due to his status as a scholar and his personal pursuits, he could only live in a hut in the mountains with other scholars who were visiting the place.

Only truly honest and upright scholars would bring their families to run a thatched cottage and a house. People like Fa Zheng would travel for a long time, sleeping at one friend's house for a few days and then at another friend's house for a few days.

If you meet a local wealthy family or a generous poor or powerful family, you may be able to sleep in a separate small courtyard and have a maid arranged for you to sleep with him.

It cannot be said that such a life is unpleasant. It is much better than that of many civilians in Shu. At least Liu Zhang's head tax and corvee labor would not be collected on people like Fa Zheng.

But Fa Zheng, who had a strong sense of self-esteem, felt an indelible sense of shame and indignation every time he ate a free meal.

He no longer hated the chaotic world that had broken up his family and made him wander in a foreign land, and he was not as good-looking as Meng Da, who seemed to be both civil and military and had a good relationship with people.

Fa Zheng only hoped that there would be more unexpected events like the Grand Marshal's entry into Shu. The more big news there were, the more drastic the changes in the situation would be.

Just like the miners sifting gold sand by the river, only by repeated shaking and impacting can the mud and sand be washed away, leaving behind the real gold.

After an unknown amount of time, when Fa Zheng was starving, the ox cart finally stopped.

Meng Da got off the car first and turned around to help Fa Zheng get off.

Meng Da's wife was already waiting at the door with her children. She bowed to Fa Zheng, and Fa Zheng also bowed in return.

After washing and soaking their feet with warm water, the two of them entered the side hall one after the other, wearing clean and comfortable linen shoes.

The food was ready. Meng Da was worried and had no appetite, but he still raised his glass: "Yizhou has undergone a great change. The Grand Marshal has led his army into Shu. The day for us to return home is just around the corner. Just for this matter, it is worth drinking. Xiaozhi, please."

"Yes, in the past few days, some people have come to flatter a fool like me. This is all the kindness of the Grand Marshal."

Fa Zheng raised the warm rice wine and drank it in small sips. At this time, Meng Da sat up straight and knelt to pour wine for both of them. He said, "I think the post of Dongzhou Bingduwei will be chosen by Huangfu Song's son-in-law Sheyuan. I have no intention of competing with him. I will be satisfied if I can be Sima. Xiaozhi, do you have any good advice for me?"

As he spoke, he extended his arm to signal Fa Zheng to serve the food. Fa Zheng picked up the bowl and stopped when he was about to pick up the food with chopsticks. He thought seriously, "Zi Jing has made a special contribution to welcoming the Grand Marshal to Shu. He must not underestimate himself. The people inside and outside Shu are watching. If Zi Jing cannot be properly settled, it will be difficult to gather people's hearts. I think Zi Jing should immediately sort out the close and distant relationships between the military officials of Dongzhou and submit a secret letter to the Grand Marshal. The Grand Marshal is new and needs eyes and ears. If he delays, others will get there before us, and it will be too late to regret."

"Yeah, when it comes to you and me, what else can we rely on?"

Meng Da sighed in a low voice and immediately said to Fa Zheng, "This matter cannot be delayed. Xiaozhi eats first. I will go to the study first. I will trouble Xiaozhi to correct and supplement it for me later."

“This is what should happen.”

Fa Zheng agreed with a smile, stood up and saw Meng Da off quickly, then returned to the side hall.

Alone, he sat down comfortably, picked up the bowl, and immediately put the fattest slice of chicken breast on the rice. He then put the slice of meat in with some of the rich rice and put it into his mouth, chewing it in big mouthfuls.

It was very enjoyable. I used a bowl to receive the dishes. Soon I had finished most of the four dishes. Finally, I sipped the chicken bone ginger soup and cleared away the last remaining dishes with chopsticks.

He took out a handkerchief to wipe the oil stains on his mouth, and then used a corner of the oily handkerchief to wipe his mustache, giving his beard a simple layer of maintenance oil.

Afterwards, stroking his belly, Fa Zheng stood up and walked towards Meng Da's study with satisfaction.

(End of this chapter)