Chapter 115: Strange Phenomena Suddenly Appear

The sauce garden attendant had thick eyebrows and big eyes, looked strong and sturdy, and was a good hand at work.

But his expression was a bit silly and dull, looking not very smart.

Hearing Zhang Gui's question, he stared for a long time before confirming.

That this guy, dressed strangely in the middle of the night on a rainy day, coming in a group to eat hot pancakes with sauce, was really the boss's son.

So he answered in a rough voice: "So it really is the young boss who has come.

Paying respects to the young boss.

The boss has returned to Pingyang Town and won't be at the counter tomorrow.

I will serve you rice soup, sauce, and refreshing radishes."

Clearly knowing Zhang Gui's identity but not calling him General, but calling him Young Boss—this was indeed a bit slow-witted.

Zhang Gui nodded harmoniously, "Then many thanks."

Then he turned to look at Gongsun Benxiao, his face becoming as gloomy as water.

"The mastermind has been killed, the rest are also human lives, why go so far."

Gongsun Benxiao said seriously:

"It's not just to vent anger for Brother Zhang and Junior Brother Jiujiang,

but 'without rules, there is no square'.

Their families have worked for the Gongsun family for generations.

Since childhood, they have known the clan rule of 'governing the family with military law'.

But they just had to make a mess when doing things for me.

It is exactly 'don't hit the greedy, don't hit the lazy, just hit the one who doesn't have eyes'."

Since someone dealt with their family generals from this perspective, Zhang Gui, as an outsider, had no position to criticize at all, so he could only fall silent.

Gongsun Benxiao then reached out and lifted the lids of the boxes held by the attendants behind him.

Revealing the human heads inside.

The first head was white, fat, and plump, with an honest appearance.

The second was a thin man with bruised cheeks.

Finally, there were three or four youths with distorted faces and bared teeth.

Zhang Gui frowned slightly when he saw them.

Zhang Jiujiang on the side turned pale, but only opened his mouth weakly without making a sound.

Gongsun Benxiao covered the boxes again and took out a thin gold book he had prepared from his bosom.

"Brother Zhang, you are a hereditary Fourth Rank Dragon Tiger General and have the power to open the curtain.

You should have requested the full volume of 'Training Soldiers and Establishing the Army' from the provincial military prefecture.

I see that you seem to have been delayed by busy matters these days, so I helped you get it done."

Although the Ming Song Kingdom has had constant changes of dynasties for ten thousand years, the god of war that the whole country believes in has always been the 'North Dipper Star Lord', who is in charge of killing and conquest.

Therefore, the establishment of the regular army has always been based on 'seven', multiplying by seven to rise in rank, to fit the mystery of the Big Dipper.

And saying it is precious, actually, no matter which military family clan has a green family fortune, a commandery, or a prefecture, they will not lack it.

It belongs to the standard among standards.

But to say it is ordinary, it has a bit of the meaning of Zhang Gui's previous life's 'technical barrier'.

If the status is enough, it can be collected easily; if the status is not enough, it is extremely difficult.

"Although I am now a hereditary Fourth Rank Opening Curtain General, by reason, I should indeed be able to get this full volume.

But in reality, I never thought I could get it easily.

Brother Gongsun, I understand what you mean, but..."

"Since you understand, Brother Zhang, I will say no more." Gongsun Benxiao interrupted Zhang Gui and looked toward his junior brother, Zhang Jiujiang. "As for what comes next, it depends on what you think, Junior Brother Jiujiang."

Zhang Jiujiang had also experienced many scenes in the past year, his brain was not stupid, and he immediately understood Gongsun Benxiao's meaning.

He nodded like a garlic clove without hesitation,

"I understand, I understand.

This is truly the best.

I was originally embarrassed; Da Gui risked danger and traveled on the sea for half a month to help me stand out, how could I live up to such generous and beautiful intentions.

But the idea of redeeming the prisoners of war was yours, Senior Brother Gongsun, and before that, so many fellow students in the academy were busy together.

How could I enjoy the fruits alone?

Now it's good, it should be like this."

Feeling Zhang Jiujiang's sincere relief, Gongsun Benxiao was a bit moved,

"Junior Brother Jiujiang, you are truly a kind and loyal person.

Before, because you were slightly disrespectful to your own brother, who is like a true qilin, in your words.

We had some misunderstandings, but now it seems that one cannot judge a person by their appearance."

Although this was clearly a rhetorical technique, it invisibly brought the relationship between the senior and junior brothers closer.

Next, the transaction was completed, and the atmosphere in the sauce garden became harmonious.

Drinking porridge, eating sauce pickles with hot pancakes, and chatting until dawn.

Zhang Gui led Zhang Jiujiang and Gongsun Benxiao onto the Western cargo ship at the dock.

Seeing the alchemical array on the deck at the stern, Gongsun Benxiao seemed quite interested.

He squatted on the ground and studied it for a long time.

Zhang Gui saw this and looked at him with even higher regard, specifically explaining,

"This Western He Continent's alchemy is said to be similar to our Eastern Sheng Continent's mechanism art.

But one is mainly driven by painting to evolve, and the other is specialized in sculpture and biomimicry.

How should I put it..."

"Neither is easy to steal the art." Gongsun Benxiao contributed his opinion very straightforwardly.

Zhang Gui couldn't help but laugh, nodding in deep agreement, "Actually, after this ship was rented, I studied it inch by inch.

The final conclusion is, no wonder they were willing to rent it."

After speaking, the two laughed together...

Time flew like a shuttle, and three days passed in a blink of an eye.

The over one thousand three hundred Ming Song prisoners of war who were saved had all been transported away by the Ministry of War to recuperate well, waiting to take off their armor and return to their fields.

And the imperial court's prestige, which had already fallen to a new low, didn't seem to have risen at all because of this.

But the legendary story of the nine students of the Qingdou Academy, led by Gongsun Benxiao of the Longbei Qulong Gongsun family and with Zhang Jiugui of the Pingyang Zhang family as deputy,

cleverly rescuing over a thousand Ming Song prisoners of war at sea, gradually spread.

As for how they were rescued.

Some versions say they entrusted a wealthy merchant who often traveled by sea to redeem them.

Some versions say they received a secret letter and asked a Southern Kingdom naval local official to come out and intercept them, forcibly rescuing them.

There are even more bizarre versions.

Saying that the Longbei Qulong Gongsun family has a supreme offering who can calculate the future.

Predicted in advance that the fleet carrying the Song Ming prisoners of war would encounter a big storm at sea.

Pointed out a location for the nine students of the Qingdou Academy to wait with empty ships.

And directly rescued the people.

And regardless of the various colorful stories outside, it is difficult to distinguish true from false.

Zhang Jiugui, along with his teachers, fellow students, attendants, and others, always continued to nest in Zhihai Town.

Moving is not as good as staying still.

On the contrary, Zhang Gui, as the master, rarely presided over the overall situation in the fief, often disappearing early in the morning.

And not returning late at night...

This day, at the True Dragon Kingdom capital training ground on Giant Serpent Head Island.

Zhang Gui conducted a temporary surprise inspection of the 'Small Star Array' of the new recruits, replacing the usual training situation.

Although he felt it was unsatisfactory, he didn't criticize anything.

He still bestowed the ability of a single Stone Corpse Soldier upon over a hundred old soldiers as planned.

Promoted a batch of ten-Stone Corpse Soldiers, and two or three hundred-Stone Corpse Soldiers.

Waiting for the 'feeding chicken soup' stage.

He suddenly felt a trace of abnormality surge into his heart.

As if a young tiger felt a fierce beast that it could not defeat for the time being step into its territory.

His heart couldn't help but sink.

But Zhang Gui remained calm on the surface, continuing to nag for a long time before ending the inspection,

And teleported back to the mainland.

However, this time he didn't go directly back to the backyard of the Zhihai Town Mansion, but went to the long-lost Deep Mountain Mushroom Valley.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 116 =====