Under the control of two Wu soldiers, the raft slowly headed towards Huangwu Mountain in the southeast.

Blood flowed out of Ren Qiang's mouth and hands, and dripped into the water through the cracks in the raft, leaving a faint trail of blood.

There was a dead silence on the raft, except for Ren Qiang's painful gasp, no one dared to speak, including Shi Sha, who had always been arrogant. At the beginning, when Cao Miao said that she would give Ren Qiang eight chances, she didn't understand yet.

Why are there only eight chances when there are ten fingers?

Now she understood.

She subconsciously clenched Shi Nuo's hand, looked at Shi Nuo's swollen and shiny instep, and asked Shi Nuo with her eyes. Shi Nuo nodded, but didn't dare to speak. Shi Sha gritted his teeth and didn't speak. The situation is stronger than people, now is not the time to reason with Cao Miao, wait until Huangwu Mountain, and then it's not too late.

Ren Qiang is not as strong as he thinks he is. After being cut off three fingers by Cao Miao, he gave in and told everything he knew.

He is the young head of the Huiren family, and his father is Ren Huangchang, the head of the Huiren family. The task was taken over by Ren Huangchang, who the employer was, he didn't know, it should be a high-ranking figure. In the whole of Luoyang, the people who can arrange tasks through Ren Huangchang can be counted on one hand.

With Ren Qiang and Yin Jian in front, Ren Wu also recruited happily. His father is Ren Qingchang, a big businessman in the horse market, and the task is also taken by Ren Qingchang, and he gives a lot of money, but there is only one request: to cut off Cao Miao's head at all costs.

"Ren Huangchang, Ren Qingchang, are they brothers?" Cao Miao asked casually while trimming her nails with a bloodstained short knife.

Ren Qiang and Ren Wu glanced at each other and shook their heads. They didn't know that Ren's family had business dealings with Ren's horse dealings, but Ren Huangchang and Ren Qingchang had never met, at least they hadn't seen them meet. Before that, Ren Qiang didn't even know Ren Qingchang's name, and Ren Wu didn't know Ren Huangchang's name. If it weren't for Cao Miao's forced confession, they might never have known.

Cao Miao didn't ask any more questions, and asked them to write a confession. Ren Qiang's blood is black, and his clothes are paper.

Ren Qiang almost fainted.

The raft docked, and Shi Sha got up to land on the shore, but was stopped by Cao Miao. "Wait, Captain, please, I have two questions for you."

Shi Sha glanced at Ren Qiang, who was trembling in pain, and couldn't help but shiver. "Townsman, why don't you go to the tent and talk?"

"No, it's still quiet here."

Shi Sha hesitated, looked at the short knife in Cao Miao's hand for a moment, but agreed and sat back. Although she had already landed, and the dozens of subordinates who stayed behind were ten steps away, as long as Cao Miao wanted to make a move, there was enough chance to capture her and return the same way.

This is clearly not the outcome she wants.

Cao Miao called Zhishu and asked her to send Ren Qiang and Ren Wu back to the other side and hand them over to Cao Su. The follow-up matters will be handled by Cao Su. These people not only want to kill him, but also kill Cao Su, presumably Cao Xiu will not give up.

Then, Cao Miao ordered Ah Hu and the others to get off the raft, leaving him and Shi Sha to sit opposite each other.

"How many opportunities do you want?" Cao Miao said unhurriedly.

Shi Sha's heart tightened, and his voice was a little astringent. "Townsman, please ask, if you can say it, I will be blunt. If you can't say it, even if you kill me, I won't say a word. ”

Cao Miao crooked her mouth noncommittally. "Did you attack my camp to kill me?"

"What I want to kill is Cao Xiu's son." Shi Sha paused. "The life and death of the townsman is not so important."

"Why did you kill Cao Xiu's son?"

"If Cao Xiu dies, the Wei Dynasty clan will have no generals, so they can only appoint foreign surnames to command the troops and supervise Yangzhou. The lord is suspicious, and the monarch and the minister are jealous, which is beneficial to my Dawu. ”

"It's like King Wu is afraid of Lu Xun?"

Shi Sha's eyes flashed slightly, and he closed his mouth.

"This is Madame Sun's order?"

Shi Sha lowered his head. "I acted on my own hands, not a warrant from my wife. If the townsman doesn't believe me, I can show you the warrant from my wife. ”

Cao Miao nodded. Shi Sha immediately ordered someone to go to the big tent of the Chinese army to get Mrs. Sun's warrant. While waiting, Cao Miao asked a lot of questions, and Shi Sha was a little blunt, such as her personal resume. Some of them were silent, such as the establishment of the trouble-relief camp that Mrs. Sun was in charge of.

Someone took Mrs. Sun's military order. After Cao Miao saw it, she confirmed that Mrs. Sun had no intention of killing him, and it was all Shi Sha's own opinion. Cao Miao didn't say anything more, and when Zhishu returned, he followed Shisha ashore and entered the camp.

The task was completed, and Shi Sha immediately ordered the camp to be pulled out and returned to Wuchang.

Shi Sha's official position is Du Lieutenant, and he actually has only 200 people. Because of her unauthorized actions, the robbery camp failed, but nearly half of the manpower was lost, and fifty or sixty people were injured, and the morale was very low, no different from losing the battle.

Climbed over Huangwu Mountain, entered Xiguishui, boarded the boat left here by Shisha, and went down the water, much faster.

On the way, Cao Miao met with Tian Fu, loaded the 400 million money that Tian Fu escorted onto the ship, and paid an additional 100 gold as a reward. Tian Fu was very satisfied, and repeatedly expressed his gratitude, saying that if there is anything in the future, don't be polite, just ask.

Two days later, the boat passed through Wushi Mountain. The water is getting wider and the terrain is flattening, and the mountains are turning into hills and then into swamps. In winter, the water is shallow, with large areas of land outcropping and only a few small rivers meandering in between.

Soon, the Yangtze River was in sight.

Cao Miao, who had been hiding in the cabin and did not show up, invited Shi Sha and handed her a letter. "Captain Lao is handed over to Mrs. Sun."

Shi Sha was surprised. "Won't the townsman meet his wife?"

Cao Miao shook her head and sighed faintly. "I think it's better not to meet Mrs. Sun, I'm afraid she doesn't have the ability to shelter me. If you take refuge rashly, you will harm others and yourself, why bother? ”

Shi Sha was anxious. "Fellow Citizen, why do you say this? If the lady can't shelter the township, who else in Wu can shelter the township? ”

Cao Miao looked at Shi Sha, smiled bitterly, and pushed over a wooden box. "Thank you Lieutenant for answering, and a lot of people died. A little bit of money, not a tribute, and asked the lieutenant to accept it as compensation. In addition, I still have this ship, so I would like to ask the lieutenant to give it to me. ”

Seeing that Cao Miao had made up his mind, Shi Sha was anxious. "Where is the townsman going? If the lady wants to see the villager, how should she contact her? ”

Cao Miao turned her head to look into the distance. There was a tall building there, standing on the top of the mountain, and it could be seen twenty or thirty miles away. He was silent for a moment. "It's better to forget each other in the rivers and lakes, why say goodbye. The big is hidden in the court, the middle is hidden in the city, and the small is hidden in the wild. Those who flee to the country cannot be listed in the dynasty of the enemy country. The four bodies are not diligent, the grains are not divided, and it is not possible for me to build a house and live in seclusion. Only hidden in the city, to the businessman self-worship, this remnant of life. ”

Shi Sha couldn't persuade him, so he had a plan. She ordered someone to take a pen and paper, wrote a warrant, used a seal, and handed it to Cao Miao. "In that case, then I am not reluctant. This order can help the townspeople enter the river, up to Wuchang and down to Chaisang, and no one will collect your taxes. ”

Cao Miao took it and took a look, folded it carefully, put it in her sleeve, and bowed down.

"Thank you."

——

(End of Volume 1)