"Sir, we are about to enter the city!" Seeing the city wall that protected the inner ferry right in front of him, and the watchtower on the wall was brightly lit, Yang Yizhong suddenly turned back to remind him. "I heard from the people who came here before that there are burned ships and wooden fences in the river, and several water gates are also broken. We need someone to guide us to pass. Sir, please don't speak for the time being."

"Just like that." Zhao Jiu held the food box in his arms and didn't care.

"How dare you come to Xiacai?" Seeing the ships coming in and the Song sailors shouting, the soldiers guarding the water gate of Xiacai City actually started to curse. "You bastards are living a good life in Henan, and you left us here. Do you have any conscience?"

“Get out, get out!”

Before Yang Yizhong could say anything, a man dressed as an officer flashed out from the watchtower on the city wall and was more direct. "If you dare to bother me again, I will shoot you with an arrow!"

"Is it Li Laosan from Hezhong Prefecture?!" When Yang Yizhong heard the man's voice, he almost immediately flew into a rage. "Who gave you the courage to do such dirty things to me? I have an imperial decree on me, and I want to see General Zhang. Now quickly send someone down to lead the way, and then find Commander Tian (Shizhong) to come to the inner crossing to meet us, don't make trouble!"

The man seemed to recognize Yang Yizhong's voice. After a while, he sent someone to report and personally came down with a lantern to point the way. However, when he arrived at the water gate, he couldn't help but mutter on the shore: "Yang Dalang is now a popular figure in front of the government, so he is naturally powerful. How could he know our hardships? We were abandoned here, and the ferry was burned. It's like we are orphans..."

"Li Laosan!" Under normal circumstances, Yang Yizhong would have just listened to the other party's nonsense, but today there were people on the boat, so how could he let the other party chatter on and on. "The emperor has already beheaded Liu Guangshi. In the current situation, the officials on the other side have repeatedly advised the emperor to leave first, but the emperor is unwilling to leave. Isn't it because of you? Now that things have come to this, what can I complain about? You are in this position, just look at the dragon flag of the emperor on the opposite side!"

"Go this way, there's no need to pull the sluice gate, this side is more than half burned, the boats can pass directly..." Li Laosan stood on the shore inside the gate and directed the boats to enter the city, but he couldn't help but deliberately muttered loudly. "Who knows if it's just a dragon flag, the emperor himself has already fled to Yangzhou? I heard that Yangzhou is a sea of ​​gold and silver... And Liu Guangshi, he only knows how to bluff me, a general, higher than General Zhang, his father is the general, how can he be killed? Who are you trying to fool? Send your head to me and let me see!"

Yang Yi was so angry that he almost died, but seeing that the official didn't make any movement, he had to pretend that he didn't hear anything.

In this way, after the boat entered the inner crossing protected by the city wall through the water gate, although the water was open for a while, due to the complicated water conditions, it twisted and turned for a long time. It also listened to the complaints of the third brother for a long time along the way before it found a suitable place to go ashore... At this time, Tian Shizhong, the general of the central army under Zhang Jun, had already been waiting here.

"Don't make a sound, don't look around, the emperor is here." As soon as Yang Yizhong got ashore, he held his former colleague's hand and whispered. "Don't alarm others, take us to see the general quickly."

Tian Shizhong was filled with surprise and doubt, but did not dare to say much. He just turned around and ordered his subordinates to fetch some horses. Then he could not help but take the opportunity to steal glances at them one by one, until he caught a glimpse of Zhao Jiu holding the food box. He then quickly turned around, and when the horses arrived in a moment, he led the way again.

This time, perhaps because it was late at night and the snow was quite deep, the road was not very congested. Almost a moment later, the group arrived at a spacious mansion that had already become quiet.

It is said that Tian Shizhong was the most trusted of Zhang Jun's trusted confidants, and the most trusted of his confidants, so there was no need for any communication. Someone was sent from the front to wake up Zhang Jun, and Commander Tian in the back directly led Zhao Jiu and Yang Yizhong all the way to Zhang Jun's bedroom in the backyard. At this time, the light in the bedroom had just been turned on.

After waiting for a while, a maid opened the door, and Zhao Jiu no longer concealed himself and went in alone, carrying the food box.

"Officials!"

Zhang Jun was half naked, and there were two naked concubines on the bed. When he saw the man coming, he wanted to scold him, but when he put down the food box and took off his helmet, he was so shocked that he quickly turned over and knelt. "Why did the emperor come here? The prime minister, the censor, the eunuch, and Yang Yizhong should all be beheaded!"

Seeing this, Zhao Jiu first waved his hand to signal the two frightened concubines and the rest of the maids in the room to leave wrapped in blankets. He then waited until Yang Yizhong and Tian Shizhong, who were supposed to be beheaded, cleared the area and closed the door before he sat down shivering beside a stove in the room.

"It's cold, I've crossed the river, my hands are cold, so I won't help you, General Zhang, get up and sit down... I'm just here to deliver a few things and chat a little, I can't stay for long!"

Zhang Jun got up hurriedly upon hearing that, but found an exquisite silver heater on his bed and handed it to him. Then he fastened his clothes awkwardly and sat carefully opposite Zhao Jiu, but his mind was still blank.

"Open it and take a look." Zhao Jiu pointed to the food box on the table.

Zhang Boying did not dare to delay and opened the food box directly. However, he was shocked to see a saltwater duck with one leg missing in the box. He didn't know what to say for a moment.

"Today is New Year's Eve. I'm hosting a banquet at the North Ridge of Bagong Mountain in Huainan to entertain the civil and military officials. This is specially prepared for me by Lin Jingmo, the governor of Shouzhou." Zhao Jiu said while holding the stove. "After eating a leg, I suddenly remembered what you and I said at Dongtai Pavilion in Beifeikou. I thought I had to send it to you no matter what... It's not tasty now, so let's steam it tomorrow morning!"

Zhang Jun opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.

"There is another layer underneath!" Zhao Jiu continued to say.

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