Chapter 202: Shi Nai'an is Bian Yuanheng's cousin

This time, he brought dozens of Tianque guns from the base, and gave Tang He twenty shots because he had to take on the task of protecting the base. He patrolled the water. The Tianque gun was the most suitable weapon, leaving ten shots for Shi Yi. Now there are still thirty-five shots left, and ten shots each of the Third Battalion and the Fourth Battalion. He can still leave fifteen shots for his base equipment.

The first thing he did when he came back was naturally to let Lu Zhen lead his men to circle Dingxichang out a place. As a highly confidentiality, he dispatched a three-squad of a hundred-man team from the base camp to patrol the place and guard it, waiting for Shide to come, and then start construction immediately.

The site is naturally adjacent to the place by the river, which makes it easier for ships to transport goods back and forth. There is also the original military camp of the Tatars next to it. Now the military camp of the team is temporarily stationed here and freed up there as a living area. In this way, the workers' living area and work area are next to each other, and try their best to isolate the outside world to reduce the possibility of leakage. Although after this period of performance, the workers are able to abide by their prior agreements, they still take protective measures to prevent the secret of purifying coarse salt.

"Brother, are you calling us?" Lu Zhen and Bian Yuanheng walked in.

"Yes, I'm not here for the past few days, how is the team training?" Zhang Yang asked.

"Brother, is there another war?" Lu Zhen asked.

"There are so many battles, it depends on how we fight. However, the team must be trained well. What I want is not the farmer holding a spear, but the elites who can fight to the death with the Tartars face to face." Zhang Yang said.

"Don't worry, brother, my current team is that the Tartar horses run to the front. Without orders, they will not retreat. Even if the horse's hooves step on their heads, they can still insert the spear into the horse's belly without changing their faces." Bian Yuanheng said.

"This time I returned to the base, I brought dozens of Tianque guns. Your third battalion and the fourth battalion are equipped with ten each." Zhang Yang said.

When they heard the Tianque gun, the two of them were delighted first, and then they looked sad: "Brother, can you give more? I can't get a few shots."

"Okay, then don't divide it. Give it a unified equipment to my base camp." Zhang Yang said.

The two immediately changed their tone: "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, even if the ants are small, they are still meat. Although they are a little small, it is better than not!"

Zhang Yang laughed in his stomach. These people all wanted to rush to get the Tianque gun, but they all thought it was too little, but there was no way. The Tianque gun's production capacity was limited, and it would take a few months to be fully equipped, but time didn't wait for anyone.

"Lu Zhen, your team will give you another task in addition to training." Zhang Yang said.

"Yes, brother, please make sure to complete the task." Before Lu Zhen could hear what the task was, she patted her chest and responded.

"It's time for the salt field to start construction again. You send a 100-man team to build a wall in the middle of the salt field, separate the salt field, free up the housing of the two 100-man teams over there, and circle the walls." Zhang Yang said, pointing at the terrain outside the window and gestured.

It's so simple? He thought the elder brother would give him what kind of task. It's so simple, it's just a plasterer's job. He sent a team of 100 people and finished it in two days.

"Brother, is anyone going to join us?" Bian Yuanheng asked.

Bian Yuanheng responded quickly and immediately thought that there must be something wrong with the elder brother asking for the freeing of this place.

"I plan to purify the coarse salt and move it here. From now on, the base will specialize in making weapons." Zhang Yang said.

The two looked at each other and were a little surprised, but after thinking about it carefully, the benefits of doing this are very obvious. The salt in the salt field does not need to be transported in a mess anymore. Here, it is directly converted into fine salt and shipped for sale. The profit will definitely be very high. The base, specially used to build weapons, will definitely increase manpower and increase the output of Tianque guns.

"I understand, brother." Lu Zhen said.

"The fence must be built higher to prevent being peeped by outsiders. Confidential work must be done well," said Zhang Yang.

"Yes, brother."

"So let's go back to training." Zhang Yang said.

Lu Zhen walked out, but Bian Yuanheng was slow and did not move.

"Yuanheng, is there anything else?" Zhang Yang asked.

"Brother, our team has just been established now. It is the time to use people. I want to recommend someone to you." Bian Yuanheng said.

"Okay, what's wrong with me? I welcome anyone who stands on the same front as us." Zhang Yang said.

"This person is my cousin, and he has served as an official for the Tartars. So, I'm afraid..." Bian Yuanheng hesitated a little.

"I once served as an official for the Tartars, but why didn't I do it later?" Zhang Yang asked.

"Two times he became an official, because he was upright and sympathized with the people, and he resigned angrily without caring about what the Tatars did."

"What are you afraid of with such a person? I just like such people. Our team needs such people." Zhang Yang said. An upright official was naturally excluded in the corrupt system of the Yuan Dynasty, and such people were exactly what he needed. "What is your cousin's name?"

"His real name is Shi Yanduan, and his courtesy name is Nai'an." Bian Yuanheng said.

Shi Yanduan, whose courtesy name is Nai'an, isn't that Shi Nai'an? Zhang Yang was excited and mentioned Shi Nai'an. No one knows it, no one knows it. That Water Margin is one of the four great classics.

"Where is he? Take me there quickly." Zhang Yang said impatiently.

Bian Yuanheng was shocked. Seeing his elder brother like this, he was like a cat and a mouse. He couldn't wait. Is he very familiar with his cousin? Why is he like a brother who has been separated for many years and can meet immediately?

"He lives in Huajiaduo now and does not care about the world. He seems to be writing a book. However, my cousin has participated in the imperial examination twice and passed the Jinshi. He is a talented person and stays in the countryside. I am unfair for him, so I want to recommend it to my elder brother."

"Quick, we'll go right away." Zhang Yang couldn't wait for Bian Yuanheng to say so much. Huajiaduo is a village near Baijuchang. He knew that this place was very close to his Zhangjiaduo, far away in the sky and in front of him. However, Zhang Yang had been busy in the salt field and had no hearing about such a big man living nearby.

"Shixin, prepare horses, assemble a team and prepare to set off!" Zhang Yang shouted loudly.

"Yuanheng, go with me." Zhang Yang said.

"Yes, brother." Bian Yuanheng was very happy to see his elder brother so excited. It seemed that his cousin was very famous and his face was also very glorious.

The horse galloped, and the horse's hooves raised a piece of dust on the official road by Chuanchang River. More than a dozen people rode their horses and rushed to the north at a rapid speed.

Shi Nai'an, Shi Nai'an, why is it here? It's far from enough that he has only one Li Shanchang. This time he must convince Shi Nai'an and join his team.

Zhang Yang's time travel made Zhang Shicheng's uprising against the Yuan Dynasty several months earlier. However, looking at the entire history, it was still moving in the original direction. Shi Nai'an was still waiting for the wise master, and this wise master was Zhang Shicheng.

Shi Nai'an, whose original name was Yanduan, also known as Zi'an, was named Nai'an. He was extremely intelligent in his childhood, so his father Shi Yuande sent him to Baijuchang, east corner of Hailing to study. His childhood was marked by Baiju. He was diligent and studious, quick-witted, and quickly grew into a well-educated and well-educated man.

Bian Yuanheng was born a few years later than Shi Nai'an, but he didn't like studying. Instead, he liked to play with swords and swords. Later, because of his bravery, he killed the governor of Yancheng and was wanted. He had to hide his identity and went to Furong Village, settled down and became a hunter.

Shi Nai'an's career was full of twists and turns. When he was nineteen years old, he first entered the imperial examination and passed the scholarship in one fell swoop; but he was not admitted to the juren at the age of thirty. Later, he went to Dadu to take the Jinshi examination. He was full of confidence and hoped to be on the list of gold. Unexpectedly, things went against his wishes, but failed. He was deeply ashamed of his parents and fellow villagers, and he was fame for his old age and had no face to go home.

Fortunately, he met a good friend Liu Benshan in Dadu, who was an official in the Imperial College. After many aspects of the matter, he happened to be instructed in Yuncheng County, Shandong Province, so he recommended Shi Nai'an to take up his post.

During his time in Yuncheng, Shi Nai'an became an official and naturally wanted to realize his dream. He advocated learning, integrity and dedication, sympathy for the people, and guided agriculture and sericulture. However, in such an officialdom in the Yuan Dynasty, his upright actions caused dissatisfaction with his superiors and local gentry, and were often troubled. Especially when he was falsely accused by a gentleman named Wu Lin, Shi Nai'an finally realized the darkness of the officialdom and was struggling, so he resigned angrily.

During this period, not only did Shi Nai'an experience the difficulty of being a clean official, but also allowed him to see the darkness of society. He also walked around and visited famous places in Shandong: Shuibao Village visited the descendants of Songjiang in Songjiang, Jingyanggang paid tribute to Wusong Temple, Shijie Village paid homage to Sanxiantong, Huangduiji (i.e. Huangnigang) inspected the "gang" site, listened to storytelling on the Lion Tower. Listen to the woodcutter's morning song, sang with the fisherman at night, passed the Jinsha Beach, passed the Duanjin Pavilion, passed the Black Wind Quarter, and climbed the Liangshan Road. His experience during his time in Yuncheng allowed him to accumulate rich materials.

The following year, when Shi Nai'an was 35 years old, the Yuan court held another special scientific expedition. Shi Nai'an's desire to seek officialdom was not lost, and he came to Dadu again through a long journey. This time he achieved his true achievements and was awarded the title of Jinshi. He was appointed to Qiantang as the county magistrate.

However, Shi Nai'an did not learn from the first "learning". Although he was high, he still remained unchanged in nature. He advocated farming and sericulture, light taxes, impartially enforced the law, and suppressed the powerful. Shi Nai'an's upright behavior was always intervened by Dalu Wachi of Qiantang. His two experiences as an official made him realize that in this court divided into four classes, his ideals and ambitions were unrealized, so he resigned again and had been away from home for more than ten years.

This time he gave up completely. He no longer pursued his career and his thoughts of going home became stronger and stronger. So he traveled day and night from Qiantang to return to Gaoyou. However, everything in his family had changed. His wife, Mrs. Ji, died of illness earlier than the previous year. Her father was also ill in bed. Soon after, he was in a state of grief and lamented that fate was a mess. More than ten years of experience made him realize a lot. Not long after, he continued Xianshen, taught and farmed, and read, and became a rural scholar who did not care about the world.

At this time, Shi Nai'an was hiding in the city. While teaching, he used the "Legends of Xuanhe" of the Song Dynasty as a model, and began to write "The Biography of the Heroes of the Jianghu". This is the "Water Margin" that was passed down from later generations.

If it weren't for Zhang Yang's uprising, Xinghua would still be in peace. However, Zhang Yang had already raised the banner of righteousness. Although Shi Nai'an was over the age of an angry young man, his desire to benefit the people and resist power was getting stronger and stronger.

"Brother, it's here in front." Bian Yuanheng said.

The ordinary thatched hut is already a little dilapidated. It trembles slightly in the cold wind of winter. A couplet on the door was torn a corner by the cold wind.

"Wuxing Mianshize, Chushui seals Mingyan" Zhang Yang read silently, and the meaning here is probably that Shi Nai'an, who is now at ease in seclusion in the water town and has a mentality of writing books.

In the past, Liu Bei visited the thatched cottage three times. Today, I, Zhang Yang, asked Shi Nai'an to come out. Will he agree? Zhang Yang made up his mind to invite him out even if he came three times, five times, or ten times.

Besides, I have Bian Yuanheng, there is always some love between my two cousins?

"Cousin, is your cousin at home?" Bian Yuanheng shouted loudly.

"Crack," as Bian Yuanheng shouted, the door was opened. A middle-aged woman had a wooden hairpin on her head, wearing an ordinary plain white brocade dress, but her eyes curiously looked at the people in front of the yard.

They were leading war horses, wearing coarse cloth clothes, carrying a strange weapon on their backs. They were all majestic. The two leaders were even more energetic and looked not ordinary people.

"Who are you looking for?" she asked.

"I dare to ask if it's my sister-in-law? I'm here to find my cousin Shi Nai'an." Bian Yuanheng bent down and bowed.

"Are you?" The person who opened the door was Shi Nai'an's Xuxian Shen family, but she didn't know what cousin Shi Nai'an had.

"Is it Bian Yuanheng? Is your cousin at home?" Bian Yuanheng didn't know Shen either, so he could only recognize him when he saw his cousin.

"He went to the lecture hall on the south side of Beibao Temple and listened to the storytelling, but he has not come back yet." Shen replied half-believingly.

It turns out that anyone who writes books needs to accumulate material. Shi Nai'an also likes to listen to people's stories and use this to improve his ideas on his novels.

It seems that I will return without success this time?

Originally, Shen was planning to welcome them into the house, but when she looked at them, she hesitated. There was a murderous aura on these people, and it was probably because the visitors were not kind.

"Then I'll bother my sister-in-law. Let's come back another day." Zhang Yang spoke.

Bian Yuanheng heard the helplessness in his elder brother's mouth, but he had no choice. This time he was convinced to persuade his cousin to come out, so he can't be rude. Besides, although he was turned away, that person was his cousin's wife. What can he do?

He turned his head and prepared to lead the horse back.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and two people slowly walked towards the path in the distance.

He was wearing a long gown, a pair of trousers, and a pair of black cloth shoes. He tied his hair up and tied it into a bun. He held a wine pot in his left hand. His steps were steady, his eyes shining, and his mouth kept shouting: "It's so satisfying, it's so satisfying. He distributed the land to the farmers, so that the farmers will never be bullied by the rich landlords again!"

"Teacher, please keep your mouth shut. If the people from the court heard it, there will be a disaster." Another man said behind him. He looked much younger and was a student of Shi Nai'an.

"Guanzhong, a good man dares to act and take responsibility, and it will not be in vain for a lifetime." He said, and suddenly became stunned. When did such a group of people come in front of his house? They are all holding horses. What kind of big shots are they?

"Cousin!" Bian Yuanheng had already recognized that the person was his cousin Shi Nai'an, and quickly shouted loudly.

Shi Nai'an looked closely and said: Although it became a little taller than before, the outline of the eyebrows was the same as before, and it was his cousin Bian Yuanheng.

"Yuan Heng!" Shi Nai'an shouted, "Why are you here? Since you killed the governor in Yancheng last time, there has been no news about you. I really didn't expect to see you again."

"Yes, cousin, I just found out that you have moved to Baiju. Come and I will introduce you to me. This is my eldest brother, Zhang Shicheng."

"You are Zhang Shicheng?" Shi Nai'an opened his eyes wide and looked at Zhang Yang in disbelief.

"Yes, I'm just like a fake one." Zhang Yang said, looking at the person behind Shi Nai'an, and asked in disbelief: "Is this Luo Guanzhong?"

The man behind him was stunned: "Yes, how do you know my name?"

Bian Yuanheng was also confused. Why didn’t he know each other? Why did he know each other again?
To be continued...