Section 55: The Anxious Mother and Son

  Taishi Ci heard this and became enraged, his hand grasping the hilt of his dagger, ready to strike at Cao Cao's attendants!

  However, a thin small hand gently pulled him back, and Taishi Ci obediently stopped his hand, not daring to move again.

  The owner of this hand is none other than Tai Shi Ci's mother.

  "Son, don't be rash! These people would rather give up fifty taels of gold and trick us mother and son into coming here. It seems they don't have any malicious intentions either. But if you were to provoke them, you're alone and weak, and with me as a burden, how can you be their match?"

  These words in a low voice made Taishi Ci's face reveal his anger, but he finally endured the flames of rage and did not take action. Cao Bao's attendants knew that Taishi Ci was quite skilled, so they had been on guard from the start. Seeing Taishi Ci close his eyes and say nothing, they put down their worries and led the large cart towards where Tianping Army was located.

  This change, Zhang Kuang saw it with his own eyes and thought it wouldn't be fake. So, he made a fist at Chen Deng and said:

  "Brother Yuan Long, I've been troubling you these days. If there's anything that hasn't been taken care of properly, please forgive me."

  Chen Deng burst out laughing and said:

  "My father has summoned me, I dare not go. However, before parting, there is still one thing that is unclear, I hope you can tell me the truth."

  Zhang Kuang asked:

  "With your intelligence, is it still necessary for me to answer your questions?"

  Chen Deng said bluntly:

  "I am indeed wise, but I am also human. If you want to understand the mysteries of heaven, it's impossible without being unbridled! And let me speak freely for a moment."

  Two men rode forward, out of earshot of their attendants, and Chen Deng asked in a low voice:

  "What I said earlier about 'Daxian Liangshi' and 'Han Emperor', is it true or false?"

  Zhang Kuang laughed loudly but didn't answer, looked around and changed the subject, saying:

  "If someday there is a person with the surname 'Tao' who becomes the Governor of Xuzhou, Yuan Long's talent will be fully displayed!"

  Having said that, Zhang Kuang bowed deeply to Chen Deng and wished him well:

  "Take care of yourself!"

  Chen Deng also returned a courtesy and urged his horse to leave. After walking out for several steps, he loudly recited:

  Swallows fly in pairs, their feathers differ. Their young return home, they see them off far out into the fields. They gaze longingly but can't reach, tears fall like rain.

  Swallows flying, chirping and tweeting. Their young ones return, far away they will go. Gazing into the distance, unable to reach, standing still in tears.

  "The swallows fly, their sounds rising and falling. Their young ones return, far away to the south. Gazing after them, I am unable to reach them, truly wearying my heart."

  This poem is used to express the feeling of farewell. In Zhang Kuang's occupied body memory, the meaning of this poem can still be found. It was Chen Deng who saw that Zhang Kuang had written a good poem and specially expressed his reluctance to part with him in poetry when they were about to bid farewell.

  However, for Chen Deng, who would later rely on his superb acting skills to play with Lv Bu and Chen Gong, Zhang Kan really didn't dare to trust him easily. He waved goodbye to Chen Deng's back and bid farewell to Cao Bao, who was not far away, and then focused his attention on Tai Shi Ci and his mother, who were forcibly sent by Cao Bao's attendants.

  "Aunt and Zi Yi, you've come from afar and must be tired. I've been longing for Zi Yi like a baby yearning for its mother's milk, or a withered sprout awaiting the sweet rain. Now that we can finally spend our days together, all my worries are gone!"

  Taishi Ci's face was gloomy, his fists clenched so tightly that they seemed to be able to squeeze oil out of beans. However, in front of his mother, Taishi Ci did not dare to act rashly, and instead lowered his head, staring at the ground.

  Tai Shi's mother bowed on the carriage and asked Zhang Kuang in a calm tone:

  "This young master, does my son have a grudge against you?"

  "How did you bring this up? No grudges!"

  "But is there resentment?"

  "Uncomplaining. What does Aunt mean by this?"

  Tai Shi Ci's mother scolded with a stern face:

  "Since there's no grudge or hatred, why does the young master want to plot against my son?"

  When these words came out, Zhou Cang, a servant on the side, suddenly became furious and shouted:

  "How dare you be so rude!"

  Zhou Cang was nine feet tall, with a sturdy build, and his presence was already intimidating. Moreover, over the past month, he had grown a few strands of beard on his chin, covering up his original youthful appearance. As a result, Zhou Cang's current demeanor had a very sinister and menacing air to it.

  "How dare you!"

  "How dare you! Get out of here!"

  Taishi Ci and Zhang Kan spoke out at the same time. Zhou Cang was actually just pretending, not intending to do anything, but when he heard Zhang Kan's voice, he honestly retreated to the back. Taishi Ci's mother finally let out a sigh of relief. As a woman who rarely went out, she had been frightened by Zhou Cang and worried that Taishi Ci would get into trouble, so she hastily pulled her son back.

  Zhang Fei drove back Zhou Cang and turned around to smile at Taishi Ci and his mother:

  "This servant doesn't know what's proper, and has disturbed aunt. Zhang is ashamed in his heart, and asks aunt not to mind."

  Tai Shi Zi blocked his body in front of his mother and shouted angrily:

  "Since ancient times, Han traitors and bandits have never coexisted. You Yellow Turban rebels, having deceived a certain family's mother and child into coming here, what do you plan to do?!"

  "What is a Han traitor?"

  "You and others rise in arms, rebel, burn, kill, plunder, and commit all sorts of evil. Wherever you pass, everything is left in ruins. Isn't this the behavior of bandits?"

  "What? My Heavenly Army has always been strict in discipline, how could such evil acts occur?"

  Zhang Kuang's words were straightforward and confident. He had always attached great importance to the military discipline of the Tianping Army. Random looting not only damaged their own reputation, but also hindered the cultivation of combat effectiveness. If a military force relied solely on private plundering and killing for its combat motivation, such an army would be unable to fight any tough battles.

  Of course, Zhang Kuang's army was not without plundering behavior. However, the objects of the Heavenly Army's plunder were strictly controlled and selected, targeting only those powerful households that were not too strong. Moreover, this kind of plunder was organized, planned, and rule-based, which not only trained the combat effectiveness of the troops but also ensured a sufficient supply of military needs.

  However, regarding the phenomenon mentioned by Taishi Ci, Zhang Fei was actually feigning ignorance.

  The current Yellow Turbans, after a period of differentiation, have clearly emerged with distinct factions. In those teams that are firmly grasped by the "Taiping Tao" Daoists, although they have to plunder the countryside to obtain supplies, under the restraint of the Taiping Tao Daoists, the military discipline in the army is still guaranteed to some extent and will not be too excessive.

  However, those teams expanded too quickly, or the village rascals who took advantage of the situation and pretended to be the Yellow Turbans, almost had no concept of military discipline. These city rascals and rural vagrants were not good at fighting, but they were very skilled at looting and robbing civilians. What Taishi Ci said was probably done by these opportunistic elements among the Yellow Turbans.

  When Zhang Kuang spoke like this, with such a straight face and confident tone, both Taishi Ci's mother and son couldn't help but be taken aback for a moment. Zhang Kuang took the opportunity to argue deceitfully:

  "Doesn't Zi Yi know the saying 'Bandits are like combs, soldiers are like sieves, and officials are like razors'? The harm that today's officials and soldiers bring to the people is truly shocking! Just last month, Huangfu Song had tens of thousands of Yellow Turban soldiers beheaded and made into a 'human forest'! How can such ruthless and merciless generals treat the people with kindness?"

  The so-called "Jingguan" is to pile up the corpses of the enemy on both sides of the road, cover them with soil and compact them, forming a pyramid-shaped mound. Zhang Kuang actually didn't know whether Huangfu Song was killing prisoners to build Jingguan or not. However, even if it were fabricated, Taishi Ci's mother and son would definitely not be able to identify it.

  After all, Zhang Kuang had seen records of the Han army collectively slaughtering tens of thousands of Yellow Turbans on a forum while playing Three Kingdoms games in later generations. He arranged for Huangfu Song like this, and it was not entirely unfounded.

  "Bandits pass like a comb, soldiers pass like a sieve, officials pass like a razor?"

  Tai Shi thought carefully about this sentence, although he had never heard it before, but felt that it was quite vivid. The Han army was naturally very powerful in battle. However, if they stirred up the people, they were even more effective. Moreover, those wealthy families, the Han army did not dare to disturb them. In the end, the people who suffered the most damage were still the middle and lower-class families.

  Tai Shi Ci began to ponder, Zhang Kuang quickly seized the opportunity to instill various righteous thoughts of his own side into the mother and son duo. Finally, when Zhang Kuang said that Tai Shi Ci was personally appointed by "Nan Hua Lao Xian" and specially dispatched to assist his general, Tai Shi Ci's mother nodded and said:

  "In that case, I'll trouble you with my mother and me."

  Zhang Kuang was feeling parched and dry, but when he heard what Lady Tai Shi Ci said, he was overjoyed. He personally led Lady Tai Shi Ci and her son into the fort.

  Without mentioning Zhang's excitement, he said to Taishi Ci, when there was no one around, he couldn't help but ask in a low voice:

  "Mother, these people are just talking nonsense, how could you believe them?"

  "Foolish child! Even if you don't believe it, how can you say it to my face? Don't think that these people are harmless just because they seem so. If you insist on not obeying, will there be a good outcome? It's better to pretend to comply for now and wait for an opportunity later, then you can think of a way to escape..."

  As she said this, Tai Shi Ci's mother thought of her child's future and couldn't help but feel sad in her heart. Even if they could successfully escape from these Yellow Turbans, they would probably have to leave their hometown and never return home again.

  Tai Shi Zi is in hand!

  Zhang Kuang would not have noticed such trivial matters. He was confident that after Taishi Ci stayed in the Heavenly Scales Army for a period of time, he would be "enlightened" by Zhang Kuang and naturally integrate into the army successfully. As long as his mother did not encounter any mishaps, with Taishi Ci's filial piety, he would certainly be loyal to Zhang Kuang.

  However, before Zhang Kuang could unleash his Water Mill Technique on Taishi Ci and his mother, a guard rushed into Zhang Kuang's bedroom early the next morning, sweating profusely to report:

  "Enemy attack! Commander!"

  Bandits pass like a comb, soldiers pass like a sieve, officials pass like a razor. This sentence is a sarcastic remark.

  Bandits came and plundered, sweeping through the house like a comb, but the teeth of the comb are far apart, so some things were left behind. The soldiers' search was meticulous, with fine-toothed combs, they thoroughly ransacked every nook and cranny, taking everything, unlike bandits who at least feared the authorities and hastily retreated after plundering.

  Three sentences are all metaphorical with hair, very vivid. So, it can be said that those of you who have the good fortune to live in a peaceful world should be satisfied with your luck.