The north-south official road has always been the most important transportation artery in Shangguo. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 Whether it is the invasion of nomads in the north or the rebellion of ethnic minorities in the south, this official road running north-south carries the mission of transporting troops and grain and grass for the upper kingdom. It is hard to believe that without this official road that runs through the richest state and county in the south of the Yangtze River, the imperial court of the upper kingdom would be able to stabilize the interior, resist the north, and occupy a place in the southern land. Now, on this wide official road, among the travelers who travel from south to north, there are a few special people, and they are the Nanshan catchers who caught people from Wang Yueying's house in the morning.

It was nearly noon, and there were a total of four people including Zhao Han, all of whom were hungry, and they all squatted under the big tree next to the official road. A tall and thin-looking catcher took out a large cloth bag from the package he carried, and then took out two large cakes from this large cloth bag, and tore each in half, one half for each of the four people. Among the four people, a short and fierce catcher reluctantly took half of the cake and said, "Old Xiao, why do you have to rush back as soon as you take someone!" ”

As soon as he saw someone speak, another catcher next to him who was eating cakes also interjected: "That's it, I won't rest in Yuanhe County, it's not too late to eat a good meal and leave!" ”

"What do you know, this is afraid of long nights and dreams, after all, it is not on our territory, what if Yuanhe County wants to detain people. Besides, have you all forgotten what the county magistrate and Zhang Zhutou told us before leaving? ”

"I didn't forget, I didn't forget. But the adults and Zhang Zhutou didn't say that they wouldn't let us eat before leaving! You see that you are good, go to get people early in the morning, and after taking people, you will drive more than ten miles of official roads, so that the brothers will be hungry, so you will eat this. The short and fat catcher held half a piece of bread in his hand and shook it with disdain in front of the man named Lao Xiao.

"It's nice to have this cake to eat. We only came out of town in the morning, and there was no other market town near here, so where could we find food. Originally, we didn't have a lot of entanglements, but if you hadn't been greedy on the way here and drank several more jars of wine, would you have been able to nibble on bread now? Lao Xiao said this, except for the short and fat catcher, the other catcher seemed to be mute, and he didn't say anything on the side.

"You've drunk a lot of it yourself, and you're talking about us." Although the short and fat catcher was silent when he saw the other catcher, he still had to say it.

The man named Lao Xiao seemed to be a little tired of this short and fat catcher, and his face began to be gloomy, and he threw the cowhide water bladder in his hand to him, and said, "If you think the biscuits, you will have more water, and after eating, you can continue to hurry." Then he took half of his bread and sat down under the tree and ate it.

Zhao Han, who was not far from this dispute, squatted alone under the tree, biting the cake one bite at a time. He quietly listened to the complaints of the catchers in Nanshan County. The old Xiao's cake was really dry and unpalatable, but he couldn't say anything. Now he is not a cook but a prisoner, with shackles on his hands instead of a spoon. Even if the bread is dry, he can only eat it silently, and he can't leave it yet, and if the arrested people find out that he threw away the bread or left the bread, it may be used as an excuse to vent their dissatisfaction. Zhao Han dragged his feet when he was in a hurry at the beginning, but he was beaten by that short and fat catcher.

For a while, except for the sound of the wind blowing in their ears, the four of them were silent. Maybe they all want to just quietly finish the half of the unpalatable flatbread in their hands, just finish today's journey, and arrive in Nanshan County like this. But time does not pass quietly like this, and a life without waves is a meaningless life. Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves could be heard in the distance on the official road. The catcher named Lao Xiao hurriedly stood up, ran up the official road to look in the north-south direction, and said to the other two catchers: "It seems to be a fast horse from the direction of Yuanhe." ”

The other two catchers quickly heard him say this, and then they also stood up, and they all wanted to go to the official road to see it clearly, only to hear the old Xiao turn his head and scold: "You guys watch the criminal, I'll take a look." Being reprimanded like this, the catcher who pulled Zhao Han's shackles unconsciously held the chains in his hands tighter.

After a while, sure enough, there was a person who looked like a yamen catcher riding a horse, and this person was the one who Xing Zhutou ordered to chase Zhao Han and his party in the county office. I saw this catcher on the horse whipping and clenching his fists and asking: "How many people are from Nanshan County who came to catch the fast brother?" ”

"Exactly, I don't know if this brother is a Yamen brother from Yuanhe County, what is the matter with us?" The catcher named Lao Xiao replied quickly.

Hearing that it was the Nanshan County catcher he was looking for, the man got off the horse, approached and asked, "I don't know what this big brother is called." ”

"My name is Xiao Bai, and my brother calls me Lao Xiao." Lao Xiao smiled and reported his name.

"It turned out to be Brother Xiao. I am the second king of Yuanhe County, and the head of our county government sent me to ask a few big brothers to go back, and he wants to wash the dust for you. This Yuanhe catcher named Wang Er said, waving his hand and signaling the two catchers standing behind Xiao Bai to return to Yuanhe County with him. As soon as the short and fat Nanshan catcher heard that he was going to pick up the wind and wash the dust for them, he instantly swept away the decline that he had been reprimanded just now, and hurriedly stepped forward and agreed.

"Okay, okay, it just so happens that we are talking about resting before leaving, I don't want this Xing Zhutou to think of it for us, it's really ・・・・・・" Before the short and fat catcher finished speaking, Xiao Bai interrupted very unceremoniously: "Lao Zuo, don't say a word." ”

This short and fat catcher named Lao Zuo saw Xiao Bai interrupting him again, and his tone and attitude seemed extremely impatient, and he was angry in vain. He asked himself in his heart, why did the surnamed Xiao press him everywhere, didn't he just rely on Zhang Zhutou to value him on weekdays! You must know that in terms of qualifications, I am slightly longer than the surname Xiao. The fire in his heart was about to attack, and he saw Wang Er say with a smile: "Brother Xiao doesn't have to be so unkind, our Xing Zhutou is also kind, and it won't be delayed for long if we rush tomorrow." ”

"The second brother Wang doesn't need to say much, the brothers were also instructed by the county commander, and they had to rush back to recover their lives without stopping after taking the people. Brother Lao went back to thank Xing Zhutou for me, and next time I have the opportunity to drink with him. After speaking, he waved his big hand and motioned to Lao Zuo and another catcher behind him to get up and hurry. Xiao Bai didn't give Wang Er a chance to speak again, turned around and walked south, without looking back.

Thinking that seeing Xiao Bai and the others with a resolute attitude and vowing not to return to Yuanhe County, the second Wang had to ride on his horse and return the same way. It wasn't until he heard the sound of horses' hooves fading away that Xiao Bai turned his head to look at the passer, and felt that a trouble was in the past.

The two catchers held Zhao Han, who was wearing shackles, and walked in front, and Xiao Bai walked at the end. As he walked, Xiao Bai suddenly realized something, quickened his pace to catch up with the three people walking in front of the team, and said to Lao Zuo and another catcher with a serious face: "We have to step up our pace, hurry up and find a place to hide first." ”

"Hide?"

As soon as Xiao Bai said "hide", the other three, including Zhao Han, couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, and they all had a big question mark in their hearts. Lao Zuo, who was not used to repeatedly scolding himself, finally couldn't hold back the anger in his heart, and scolded loudly: "The surname Xiao, what the hell are you doing." The three of us are all yamen on official business, why do we want to hide, what are we hiding? Are you afraid that Yuanhe County will come to rob people? ”

"I'm afraid they'll come and rob people. I won't say anything more to you first, you won't understand it. Hurry up and get the criminals on their way. ”

"Phew! As far as your surname Xiao is concerned, both of us brothers eat dry rice? If you don't make it clear first, I won't leave. With that, he went to the side of the official road and sat down again. Seeing that the situation was frozen like this, Xiao Bai really wanted to cut the surnamed Zuo with a knife, but he knew that he couldn't do it, so he motioned to another catcher with his eyes to help him persuade Lao Zuo. This catcher should also understand Xiao Bai's intentions, with a smile on his face, and hurriedly started to make peace.

"Brother Xiao, Brother Zuo, we are all brothers together, and we can't hurt our harmony for this little thing." After speaking, seeing that neither of them reacted, he said to Lao Zuo again: "Brother Zuo, Brother Xiao has his own plans. Today, let's find a place to settle down and rest. Aren't you tired too? ”

"It's still Xiao Liu who can speak, we ・・・・・・"

Unexpectedly, before he finished speaking, the sound of horses' hooves came from a distance in the direction of Yuanhe. It's just that this time the sound of horses' hooves is more urgent, and there are ten people who listen to the sound.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the three of them thought that they were really trying to rob people, so they hurriedly pulled up Zhao Han and ran a few steps south on the official road. Helplessly, the trees beside the official road were washed, and there was no other fork in the road, and seeing that the people behind him were in a hurry, he had to hide in a dyeing room next to the road for temporary shelter.

When Xing Zhutou led people to chase halfway, he met Wang Er, who was sent back by Xiao Bai, and guessed that the catchers in Nanshan County must have noticed something, so they also accelerated the pace of chasing. chased behind him but disappeared without a trace, Xing Zhutou and his party suddenly realized that they had just hid in the dye house they had just passed by, so they led their horses to chase back.

Seeing that the people chasing were all moving forward, Xiao Bai was a little relieved. As a result, soon the men and horses came to the door from the front and surrounded the dye room where they were hiding, and Xiao Bai knew that he would not be able to escape today.

"Are they officials or bandits, and they are the ones who came to rob us." Lao Zuo's question asked everyone's voice. I only heard someone shouting outside: "Nanshan County catcher brothers, can you come out to talk!" ”

"What should I do?" Someone in the dye room is starting to lose an inch.

"It's a blessing or a curse, it's a curse that can't be avoided. I'll go out and meet them for a while. Xiao Bai looked like a big brother at this time, and walked out of the dyeing room alone.

Outside the small dye room, there were more than a dozen people who looked like they were catching fast and a dozen horses, all of whom were waiting for them. The sun in winter is not as high as in summer, so the shadows of a dozen people and a dozen horses on the ground are also dragged by the sun. Coupled with the fact that the north wind blows from time to time will carry the fallen leaves and dust, such dialogue scenes are a bit like the flavor of American Westerns. Outside the town tavern, the two groups are about to fight.

"Below is Nanshan County to catch Xiao Bai, I don't know if the people who come are the brothers of Yuanhe County!"

"Exactly, this is the head of Xing Zhutou in this county." The person who replied gestured with his hand to the man with a knife standing beside him. I only heard Xing Zhutou say: "Brother Xiao, our county magistrate wants to entertain you and wash the dust for you, why are you in such a hurry?" ”

"How dare the villains ask the county to invite the adults to a banquet, but they are only on official business, and they cannot be delayed. I also ask Xing Zhutou to make it convenient, so that our brothers can go back as soon as possible. ”

Xing Zhutou knew that it was useless to talk too much, so he directly talked about Zhao Han's case, "Brother Xiao, the person you took is called Zhao Han?" ”

"Exactly. Do you know Xing Zhutou? ”

"It's just a one-sided relationship. I wonder what crime he has committed? ”

"It's not a felony, it's just a matter of escaping servitude. The county commander sent an official letter to your county, asking your county to help get people, aren't I taking people back? ”

"The county magistrate has received the official letter from the assistant manager you submitted, but he wants you to take the people to the Yuanhe prison first, and then take the people back after the hall. Why did you just take people away and trap them in a big place? ”

Xing Zhutou said that the matter seemed to be very serious, Xiao Bai couldn't help but be shocked in his heart, thinking to himself, isn't it normal for me to bring back the people from Nanshan? So he asked a little puzzled: "How do you say this?" ”

"Don't you know that the fugitives are arrested in other places, and the territorial officials of the arrest areas have the right to co-ordinate?" As soon as Xing Zhutou asked this, Xiao Bai was suddenly a little confused. He is a big old man, he only knows how to do things with people, who knows the law and the like. After thinking about it, they wouldn't be fooling him with the words of the law he didn't understand, in order to save Zhao Hanbu. I couldn't help but be vigilant in my heart, and replied: "I'm a rough person, I don't understand this, I only know how to take people as instructed, and now that people have got them, I just need to bring them back to Nanshan County on time to resume my life, and I don't care about the rest." Please make it convenient for Xing Zhutou. After saying that, it was another fist hug.

"Xing Zhutou, tie them up and go back first!" Wang Er next to him gave Xing Zhutou an idea, but Xiao Bai heard it. Agitated, he reached out and drew his saber.

For a while, more than a dozen catchers in Yuanhe County also showed bright steel knives in unison, and the atmosphere immediately became solemn.