The 53rd Section of Exile is also powerful

  Zhang Kuang laughed and said:

  "My surname is Zhang and my name is Kuang, with the courtesy name Wuji. Although you may not know me, I am aware that you and your husband are the predestined auxiliary stars of my 'Taiping Dao'!"

  Zang Jie listened and secretly laughed in his heart. Such words could only deceive rural villagers. As a dignified Han official who had served as the "Er Bai Shi" officer, how could he be easily fooled? However, since being imprisoned by the Governor of Mount Tai, Zang Jie's thoughts had become more cunning, so he wouldn't directly confront him. Instead, he put on a puzzled expression and asked:

  "How dare you utter such words?"

  Hahaha...

  Zhang Kuang laughed even more happily. He stopped his laughter and said to Chen Deng, Xie Xun and Zang Ji who were all ears:

  "To be honest, I don't know why either..."

  Seeing everyone in the scene reveal toothache-like expressions, Zhang Kuang's words suddenly changed:

  "It was also a superior person who told me that having you and Leng Jun by my side is the natural auxiliary star of 'Tai Ping Dao', which is how I came to know this matter."

  "Who is this great man? I'd like to hear more about him?"

  Chen Deng, who was standing beside him, couldn't help but add a sentence. His family's academic tradition belonged to the "Modern Script School", and they had some knowledge of omens and portents, so now he was half-believing and half-doubting.

  "Of course it's 'Dream Master' Nan Hua Lao Xian."

  Because Zhang Kuang always claimed that "Nan Hua Lao Xian" was teaching him in his dreams, he simply gave "Nan Hua Lao Xian" the title of "Dream Master".

  "'Nan Hua Lao Xian' mentioned to me in a dream the other day, saying that Zang Ba from Tai Shan Hua County is my destined left and right arm. Since even 'Nan Hua Lao Xian' has such an edict, everyone naturally becomes one family..."

  Chen Deng burst out laughing and asked:

  "Does Brother Wu Jin have any evidence for saying this?"

  Zhang Kuang laughed and said:

  "Yuan Long has been with our army for a long time, doesn't he know that the 'Old Immortal of South China' granted me the ability to 'enlighten'? All those who are destined to be my generals, I have the power to 'enlighten'. Like Zhou Cang, Dian Wei, Yu Jin, Yue Jin, Shen Fu and others, they all were like this. What doubts does Yuan Long still have?"

  Zang Jing, who was standing beside them, couldn't help but ask Chen Deng:

  "Is your surname Chen?"

  "That's right."

  "Could it be that you are Chen Yuán Lóng, the eldest son of the East Sea's Chen family?"

  Chen Deng felt somewhat pleased with himself:

  "A humble name, unexpectedly known by a superior? I am ashamed..."

  Zang Jie's face remained unchanged, but in his heart, he had already started drumming a small beat.

  Since Zang Ba raided the prisoner's cart, Zang Shi and his son fled to Donghai County adjacent to Taishan County. Due to Zang Ba's reputation and bravery, a large number of rural heroes gathered around him in just a few months.

  In order to maintain these visiting and fleeing young heroes, the Zang family had to think of ways to open up financial resources. As a result, Zang Jie established a relationship with another powerful man in Donghai County, the wealthy merchant Mi Zhu.

  The Mi family, although inferior to the Chen family in terms of both power and prestige in Donghai Commandery, was also a large landowner with fields and houses connecting several counties, a great magnate. If one were to discuss wealth alone, even the Chen family would be slightly inferior to the Mi family.

  The Mi family was born into a merchant family, with business networks covering nearly half of Xuzhou. However, if we talk about the most profitable industry under the Mi family, it is still the salt trade. In the profits from the salt trade, official salt only accounted for 30%, while 70% came from private salt smuggling.

  So, after Zang Jie colluded with the Mi family, the Mi family valued Zang Ba's military power and his prestige in Tai Mountain County, and they joined hands to start large-scale smuggling of private salt into Yunzhou. In just a few months, both parties had gained considerable profits. To facilitate the transportation and settlement of salt goods, the Mi family built this small fort on the border of Tai Mountain County as a transit point for transporting salt goods.

  So Zhang Kuang's sudden attack this time was indeed a careless move that stirred up a big hornet's nest!

  Zang's father and son have joined forces with Mi's family, and their relationship with Chen's family has gone from bad to worse.

  After all, as the saying goes, "one mountain cannot contain two tigers." The Chen and Mi families being in the same county, it was inevitable that they would have different ideas. Although the upper echelons of both sides were very restrained, carefully avoiding places where interests conflicted. However, between the two big families, it could not be said to be friendly at all.

  However, Zang Jie's eyes rolled around and he smiled as he asked:

  "Could it be that you are indeed a hero of the Chen family? But I don't know, how did you come to have such refined taste, and condescend to visit my humble abode?"

  Is the Chen family also going to join the Yellow Turbans?

  Chen Deng felt a bit annoyed and embarrassed in his heart, but on his face he said calmly:

  "Brother Wuji's sincere invitation, I couldn't decline, so I had to follow Brother Wuji for a trip."

  Everyone is equal, but in terms of treatment, it's definitely better than yours!

  As he spoke, his eyes fixed on Zang Jie, and he said slowly:

  "This trip was really rewarding!"

  Chen Deng really didn't have a good impression of Zang Shi and his son. As soon as Zang Ba fled to Donghai Commandery, he immediately united the surrounding powerful families including Taishan Commandery, Donghai Commandery, Langya Commandery, Lu State, and Xiapi State, and connected with the Mi family to operate private salt.

  Although this behavior did no harm to Chen's interests, the gathering of so many heroes was a latent threat to Chen as well.

  The later Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin said, "By the bedside, how can you let others snore?" Although this idea has not been produced at this time, the same principle does not require high intelligence to think of.

  However, the Chen family, although powerful, has never been known for its military prowess. Faced with Zang Ba's bravery, which is said to have reached the level of "breaking a thousand men", and having only slightly lost to Cao Jiao in battle a few months ago, the Chen family's military strength alone would be unable to suppress him. Moreover, Chen Deng's father, Chen Gui, also did not want to actively oppose Zang Ba out of fear for his bravery.

  This makes things difficult. To use a later analogy, the relationship between Chen and Zang families was probably in a state slightly better than "Cold War".

  Chen Deng, as the legitimate son of a noble family, was instead mixed with Cao Bao, who was brave but lacked strategy. This matter, apart from his own unruly and adventurous nature, also had to do with his good relationship with the Cao clan in Pengcheng, borrowing their power to suppress the Mi clan. Now that he heard Zhang Kuang's sudden prophecy, Chen Deng immediately wanted to see it come true.

  If Zang Ba joins the Yellow Turbans, he will be a rebel against the Han dynasty. In this way, he can no longer collude with the Mi family and threaten Chen Shi. Without Zang Ba's military support, it will be much easier for Chen Shi to deal with the Mi family.

  At this time, Chen Deng also smiled and said:

  "Who is the master of this place now? This is the nephew of 'Daxianliangshi', who has gained his trust, and is currently the leader of a certain 'Fang'. He is still dreaming of worshiping 'Nanhua Old Immortal' as his teacher and often receives guidance. His surname is Zhang, his name is Kuang, and his courtesy name is Wujin."

  In the past, Zang Jie was also a powerful and wealthy man in Tai Shan Hua County. He had a strong personality and did things without much consideration. However, after being wrongly accused and imprisoned, Zang Jie's temperament changed greatly. Now that he is under someone else's roof, how can he not lower his head? He bowed and said:

  "Zhang Qushuai is young and promising, truly a hero of the Zhang family! I wonder if you know the venerable 'Southern China Old Immortal', namely the one surnamed Zhuang named Zhou?"

  Has he read some Taoist scriptures?

  Zhang Kuang thought so and nodded gently.

  "What you said is absolutely right. But I don't know where Xuan Gao brothers are now? I haven't seen them once, and I'm very regretful."

  Chen Deng burst out laughing and said:

  "What's the difficulty in meeting Zang Xuan Gao? As long as we invite Zang Shu to stay here for a few days, why worry that Xuan Gao won't come? The name 'Filial and Righteous Bandits' is known throughout Yan and Xu states, isn't it?"

  With his old man here, does he dare not come as a son?

  Zhang Kuang nodded. Although he didn't know why Chen Deng was so enthusiastic about helping him, as long as it was beneficial, Zhang Kuang wouldn't mind. So, Zhang Kuang immediately passed down the order to treat Zang Jie with kindness, just like one of his own people.

  So when will Zang Ba come?

  Zhang Kuang was waiting for him. He had been waiting for a long time. It just so happened that the Tianping Army had been marching for many days and could also take this opportunity to rest and train.

  P.S: I am studying classical literature now.

  The New Text School and the Old Text School were two major schools of Confucianism during the Eastern Han dynasty. The two schools stood in opposition to each other, with intense debates between them.

  New Text Confucianism refers to the classics and interpretations that were memorized by elderly Confucians, transmitted orally, and then written down in the modern script (jinwen) of the time by their disciples during the Han dynasty, following the burning of the books and burying of scholars by Qin Shi Huang.

  It emphasizes the resonance between heaven and man, the cycle of the five virtues, and gradually merges with the theology of portents and omens. It was once used by Wang Mang of the Xin Dynasty and Emperor Guangwu of Han to seize power. The popularity of the technique of portents and omens during the Eastern Han period is based on the Confucian classics, specifically the New Text school.