In the early years of the Great Tang Dynasty, urgent battle reports at the border flew to Chang'an five times a night. This made Tang King Li Shimin anxious, and he decided to lead the personal expedition. He and Marshal Yuchi Gong led an army of 200,000 troops straight to the northeast border. Everyone knows that Yuchi Gong, the black-faced commander who robbed three levels in the day and took eight walled cities at night, did have the courage to be reckless during the war, but his temper was very urgent. Originally, the march was so tight that the wind blew, but he also ordered the urgent departure, hoping to keep turning day and night.

It was the season of early summer, and God's face changed. Seeing that Yanshan was still a hundred and eighty miles away from the north, suddenly the sky was covered with dark clouds, like the bottom of a black pot. "Crack -"   With a thunderclap, it started pouring rain, and the avenue was muddy and watery. The team was sleepy and could not walk, so they had to set up camp on the spot, hoping to come out early that day to march. Who knew that the rain would never end, and it would take more than ten days at a time, but the Tang army was trapped! Li Shimin and Yuchi Gong were very worried.

The grain and grass in the barracks were about to run out, and the grain and grass carts behind them were not yet in sight. These 200,000 people went out on an expedition, pulling the ground to the sky, and people were fed by horses. It was no joke! Yuchi Gong fired ten arrows in a row to urge the grain and grass, but the people who came back reported that the river was full of water halfway through, and grain carts were blocked, making it difficult to pass. You say you want to die! Far water can't quench your thirst. As soon as the heavy rain stopped, Yuchi Gong sent people to the vicinity for recruitment. Who knew that the common people were fed up with the soldiers grabbing horses, and they hid when they saw the soldiers. Yuchi Gong had no choice but to go to Li Shimin to ask for a decree.

Li Shimin also struggled for a few nights without sleeping. After listening to Yuchi Gong's report, he thought for a while and said, "Don't send people, let's go together!"

Li Shimin, Yuchi Gong, and a few strategists walked out of the barracks, turned around a few mud posts, and came to a village. The common people thought they were doing business, and no one was hiding anymore. They were just about to ask someone, when suddenly there was a noise of children in front of the mud posts:

King Tang, King Tang,

The war was short of food.

Poor calculation,

Bad heart.

Yuchi Gong was on fire when he heard this nursery rhyme: "These are all bad people in the village who deliberately oppose Long Live, wait for me to bring a few of them!" His shout was like thunder in mid-air, scaring the children away. "Wait a minute." Li Shimin grabbed Yuchi Gong, "The nursery rhyme will not come out easily, there may be Gao Xian in the village, we might as well go to the door to ask for advice."

"This?"

Just as they were talking, a few peasants carrying plows came forward and asked, and they were all happy: "There is no such thing as a good man here!" They looked up and down at Tang Wang and the others and said: "You old guests seem to have come from afar, right? You don't know what's going on here. Around here, anyone who has any difficulties will ask Zhang Ancient. Zhang Ancient has a strange temper and a good heart. If you have any difficulties, ask him!"

"Where does he live?"

"Houcamel Port in the North!"

The King of Tang was overjoyed and asked Yuchi Gong to rush back to the barracks and prepare a generous gift to invite Zhang Ancient. Yuchi Gong accepted the decree, and his heart was full of dissatisfaction: "A country bumpkin can do such a big move." He returned to the barracks and sent the soldiers to pass the order. Who knew that after two hours, the soldier came back alone, saying that Zhang Ancient refused to come. Yuchi Gong was furious: "I'll tie him up!" Saying that, he got on his horse and went to the back camel port.

Li Shimin heard that Yuchi Gong had gone to get Zhang Ancient, and knew that it was bad. He hurried to the tent and saw Yuchi Gong come back dejected, so he asked, "Where is the person you invited?" "It's long gone. If you find him, you have to..."

"Shut up! A hundred thousand troops and horses are trapped here, but you are fooling around at will. Tell the soldiers to prepare the horses, and you will follow me to make amends!"

Tang Wang and his party came straight to Camel Port, but when they arrived at Zhang Gugu's residence, they were still nowhere to be seen. After asking everyone in the village, they all shook their heads and said they didn't know. Yuchi Gong said, "Look, long live and he will leave, I think it's better to find another way!" "No, please be sincere, Liu Xuande can take three visits, can't we invite three? As long as you can find a way to live, it's worth it to come ten times and eight times!" Yuchi Gong smiled and said, "Liu Xuande invited Zhuge Liang, a capable man, while the lord invited an old man from the countryside, is it worth it?"

"Stop talking, come back tomorrow! I don't believe that sincerity can't beat Zhang Ancient!"

Unexpectedly, after two days, there was still no padlock on Zhang Gu's door. Yuchi Gong complained: "I think this ancient one has no ability at all, and he is trying to hide from us!"

Li Shimin let out a long sigh: "It seems that the sky can't help me, a shameless person, can't it be that I can only retreat!" In the evening, Li Shimin gloomily gathered the generals of the battalions in the tent to discuss strategies. The generals looked at each other, shook their heads, and the tent was dull and silent. At this moment, the sergeant suddenly came in to report: "Long live, an old man came outside the tent, claiming to be Zhang Gugu, and wanted to see Long live and the marshal!" "Oh, what a good time!" Li Shimin was very surprised, "Dear friends, hurry up and welcome!"

Outside the tent, in the moonlight, stood an old man with white hair and a long beard. He saw Li Shimin and hurriedly paid homage: "I am an old man in the countryside, but I have been to the humble house several times. I really can't bear it!"

Yuchi Gong was so annoyed: "This country bumpkin is really weird. You didn't come three times, but you came to the door by yourself today, it's incredible!"

Li Shimin hurriedly gave up his seat to the old man, told him about the lack of food in the rain of the Northern Expedition, and asked the fathers to think of a way.

Zhang Gu said: "Long live the intention of serving the country and the people, the people already know. It's just that the wheat is not ripe at the moment, and the villagers don't have much food at home. Even if they are all recruited, it will not be enough!"

"Oh, so that's the only way to retreat?" "No!" Zhang Gu stood up, "The old man is here today for this matter. To solve the food and grass for these 200,000 troops and horses, only the thousand hectares of beach in the front catwalk!" "Beach?" Everyone looked at Zhang Gu in confusion, "This beach has no grass!" "No, there is a kind of Chicken Crying Valley, as long as there is an appropriate amount of water, it can grow in this beach. It is said that this grain was left by Shennong's family when he saw the sandy land in this area. This grain is sown at night, and tomorrow the chicken crow will germinate at dawn and set ears at noon, so it is called Chicken Crying Valley. Because the seedlings are short and the harvest is small, there are not many people planting them. Long live if you sow thousands of hectares of beach, this crisis can be solved within three or two days! "Oh, there is such a divine valley? Where did the seeds come from?"

"I have everything ready, long life, don't worry."

"Good wow! Can you prepare all these things in one night?"Long live, come and see!" Zhang Gu said, leading Li Shimin and the generals out of the barracks. Not far away, there was a commotion in front of him. Under the moonlight, a dark crowd, carrying aquamarine plows, and people leading livestock continued to pour in from all directions. Zhang Gu pointed to the crowd and said, "The old man learned that Long live has personally fought against the enemy. He has traveled all over the four townships in the past three days and invited all the villagers to gather here tonight. As long as the military order is issued, you can immediately plant it immediately."

Everyone was surprised and happy when they heard Zhang Gugu's words, and Li Shimin was even more excited: "The love of the father and the villagers should be thanked, and the old husband should be sealed!" "No, no!Zhang Gugu waved his hand, "People only hope that there is a holy master who can make us live and work in peace and contentment, and there is nothing else to ask for!"

Yuchi respectfully asked, "Since the old man has this Chicken Crow Valley, why did he let it drag on until today?Zhang Gu stroked his beard and smiled: "The general doesn't know this Chicken Crow Valley yet, the ground is dry and the water is not long, and it must be planted three days after the rain. If I had brought it to the general three days ago, the general was so anxious that he would definitely plant it immediately, wouldn't that delay the matter? Long live, Marshal, hurry and pass the order, no more delays. I bid farewell to the old man." After saying that, he turned around and walked away.

Looking at the back of the old man, Yuchi Gong remembered the recklessness of the past, and he was very regretful in his heart. He hurriedly ordered the soldiers of the battalions to go to help the people sow the chicken crow valley. The soldiers and the people started together, and all the seeds were sown overnight. When the roosters were crowing, it was dawn, and the beach was green. It was noon, and the valley was golden. Everyone said happily, "It's really the valley of the gods!"

The millet was harvested, and the morale was greatly boosted. Li Shimin and Yuchi Gong ordered them to work hard and continue to advance, and soon defeated the enemy. Since then, the border has been peaceful and stable. The officers, soldiers and people of the Tang Dynasty are very grateful to Chicken Crow Valley, and even more grateful to the old man Zhang Gu.