In June, the Black Tiger Village was busy building a new cottage on the top of the mountain in the eastern part of Yingshan Mountain, but while building the cottage, they did not forget to strengthen their control over the official road below the mountain and plunder the passing caravans.

Different from the looting in the past, the Black Tiger Village no longer uses the old looting method - that is, killing all the guards guarding the caravan, snatching all the goods, and burning everything that cannot be taken away, they now only collect a part of the goods as 'road money', and even they don't mind the caravan in the past paying directly with money.

Therefore, it is not so much looting as it is more like a private pass to forcibly solicit money from passing caravans.

Although the caravans in the past hated this, because there were previous examples of caravans being killed because they were unwilling to pay for the road, the caravans did not dare to offend the Black Tiger Village, and they could only hope that Kunyang County would eradicate this bandit as soon as possible.

Among them, influential caravans, such as the merchants of the Luye Freemasonry, united and put pressure on Kunyang County through the president Lu Kuang, making Kunyang County a great headache for Liu Bi.

On 15 June, Lu Kuang, the president of the Luye Freemasonry, came to Kunyang County again to see Liu Bi, the commander of Kunyang County, and once again expressed the hope that Kunyang County would solve the request for exterminating the bandit Yang Tong and his gang as soon as possible.

It is undeniable that the Luye Freemasonry was split, and the Luye Freemasonry merchants that Lü Kuang currently controls are only about sixty percent at its peak, and the remaining forty percent went to Ruyang headed by Wei Pu and established another Freemasonry - let's call it the Rushui Freemasonry.

But even so, the Luye Freemasonry on Lu Kuang's side still controls nearly half of the economy in Yexian, Runan, and Kunyang, so even Liu Bi, the county commander of Kunyang County, does not dare to offend Lu Kuang.

After all, the Luye Freemasonry back then, even Liu Yi, the county commander of Runan County, couldn't resist it, and finally got Ye County and asked for the help of Mao Jue, the county commander of Ye County, and now that Mao Gong has passed away, there is no one who can stop the businessmen, so Liu Bi can only be appeased with good words.

But Lu Kuang's attitude was very clear: "That gang of bandits occupies the intersection of the two main roads of 'Rukun' and 'Xiangkun', which has caused a very bad impact and serious losses to the caravans between Runan, Xiangcheng and Kunyang under the name of our Chamber of Commerce. ”

As soon as he heard this, Liu Bi immediately panicked.

You must know that he still doesn't dare to report to Xuchang, the county governor of Yingchuan County, because he is afraid that the county will ask for guilt.

Thinking about it, the county under his rule has a big guy like Yingshan Hu Yang Tong, and he Liu Bi is the county commander of Kunyang County, so he will definitely be questioned, and at least it will affect his career, and at worst, he will lose his position as a county commander.

But he didn't dare to threaten Lu Kuang, so he could only persuade with good words: "Lu Laojia is angry, in fact, my Kunyang County is already preparing to crusade against Yingshan Tiger Yang Tong and his gang again, please Lu Laojia go back and tell all the businessmen of your Chamber of Commerce, I, Kunyang, will definitely exterminate Yingshan Hu Yang Tong and his gang as soon as possible, so that your caravan will be unimpeded." ”

Seeing that Liu Bi lowered his posture and explained in an almost pleading tone, Lu Kuang didn't want to be too persecuted, and said: "Lu Mou didn't want to persecute Liu Gong, but Yang Tong and his gang caused too many losses to us......"

"I understand, I understand." Liu Bilian echoed and made gestures: "Please Lu Laojia look at me Kunyang again, this time, my Kunyang will definitely exterminate Yingshan Tiger Yang Tong and his gang." ”

Looking at Liu Bi with a smile on his face, Lu Kuang secretly sighed in his heart.

If it weren't for the death of Mao Gong, the incumbent county commander of Ye County, and the fact that the imperial court had not yet sent a replacement candidate, so that the government of Ye County now almost didn't dare to make any claims, how could he need Kunyang County to deal with that damn Ying bandit?

If Mao Gong was still alive, he would have organized thousands of people to kill Yingshan a long time ago.

Even, if the second son of the Zhao family is still alive, why not that second son can even invite the army under the command of General Wang Shangde, just a bandit?

However, the reality is very cruel, Taye County is now vacant in the position of the county order, the dragons have no leader, although there is a county commander temporarily acting as the county order, but he does not dare to send troops across the county border to suppress thieves, for fear of causing dissatisfaction in Yingchuan County.

Therefore, he Lu Kuang could only come forward to lobby Liu Bi in person, but this damned Liu Bi was afraid that his own official performance would be tainted, and he refused to ask for help from Yingchuan County, which made Lu Kuang so angry that he was ready to tear his face with him for a while.

After thinking about it, Lu Kuang whispered to Liu Bi: "Lu knows what Liu Gong is afraid of, but Yang Tong and his gang have become a big trouble in your county. Lu didn't disbelieve in your county, but it was also a fact that your county was defeated twice, so why didn't your county ask for help from neighboring counties? …… Although my Ye County cannot help across counties for the time being, your county can ask for help from Runan and Xiangcheng. If Liu Gong is afraid of losing face, Lu can come forward on his behalf, and Lu is still a little thin in Runan and Xiangcheng counties. ”

Liu Bi had no doubt that Lü Kuang was indeed capable of inviting reinforcements from Runan and Xiangcheng, but it was precisely because of this that he wanted to stop Lü Kuang.

After all, the three counties jointly crusaded against a bandit, this matter is too eye-catching, Xuchang will definitely send someone to ask, and at that time, Liu Bi can't hide it even if he wants to.

Thinking of this, he swore to Lu Kuang: "Please believe that Lu Laojia has the ability to exterminate Yingshan Tiger Yang Tong and his gang, and this time it will definitely be possible!" ”

“……”

Lu Kuang looked at Liu Bi suspiciously, and only after a while did he say, "Okay, for the sake of Liu Gong's face." …… If your county can defeat the gang of bandits this time, whether it is the need to recruit manpower, or the aftermath pension, the food during the period can be borne by our Luye Freemasonry, but if your county still can't succeed this time......"

"No, no!"

Liu Bi agreed repeatedly, so that he could send Lu Kuang away.

After waiting for Lu Kuang to leave, Liu Bi sent someone to invite the county lieutenant Ma Gai and said to the latter: "Ma Gai, this crusade against Yingshan Tiger Yang Tong and his gang is the last chance for you and me. …… Look at what Lu Kuang meant, if I Kunyang can't win this time, he will definitely send someone to tell the county, and then you and I will inevitably be questioned by the county. ”

Hearing this, Ma Gai nodded calmly: "Gong Liu, rest assured, Ma will definitely be able to achieve something this time." ”

Seeing that Ma Gai was so calm, Liu Bi was also relieved, but he was also a little puzzled, and asked curiously: "You already have a strategy to break the enemy?" ”

"Yes!"

Ma Gai nodded, and said: "Last time, I led eight hundred people to recruit Yang Tong and his gang, I thought that the number was enough, but I didn't expect that the rest of the bandits on Ying Mountain would send people to help Yang Tong and his gang, just like I said to Liu Gong at that time, the bandits who resisted our encirclement and suppression at that time were far more than Yang Tong and his gang, there may be three or five hundred bandits...... These people themselves know everything about the mountain, and they have the advantage of the location, and the number of people is not much less than ours, so if we lose once, the thieves will have a great advantage. …… Since this is the case, then this time we will go the opposite way and cut off the rest of the bandits first, such as Chu Jiao, Zhang Feng and others in the south of Yingshan. Those bandits are weaker than Yang Tong's gang, we might as well fight them first, on the one hand, it can boost the morale of our soldiers, and on the other hand, it can also weaken Yang Tong and others in disguise. As long as these bandits are cut off in advance, when we encircle and suppress the Black Tiger Village in the future, it will be difficult for Yang Tong and his gang to get the assistance of the rest of the bandits......"

"Makes sense."

Liu Bi stroked his beard and nodded thoughtfully, adding a little confidence to Ma Gai's crusade against the Ying bandits.

But what about Margai, he is ...... at the moment

Well, he is also full of confidence, because he knows that Yang Tong and his gang in Black Tiger Village will cooperate with him, or to put it simply, this is the task that Yang Tong and his gang in Black Tiger Village gave him in that cave at the beginning.

Looking at Liu Bi with a happy face, Ma Gai felt a little uncomfortable in his heart.

He knew very well that taking the lead in encircling and suppressing Chu Jiao, Zhang Feng and other weak people among the Ying bandits, not only could not weaken the overall strength of the Ying bandits, but would make the Black Tiger Village stronger and stronger.

The reason is very simple, Chu Jiao, Zhang Feng and others will definitely choose to defect to Black Tiger Village if they lose their cottages - and this is the reason why Yang Tong ordered him to crusade against other cottages.

Although in this process, Black Tiger Village may not support Chu Jiao, Zhang Feng and others, but if you think about it, you will know that it is just Black Tiger Village's play, so Yang Tong will really help the rest of the cottages defeat him Ma Gai?

Impossible!

He Ma Gai's crusade against Yingshan Qunkou will inevitably win, and he will win many battles, and the victory will be enough to wash away his previous two defeats.

Although this battle has not yet begun, in fact, the winner has already been decided.

Around dusk, Ma Gai politely declined the invitation of his colleagues to drink with him, and rode back to his mansion to have dinner with his wife and children.

During the meal, his wife, Zou, frequently looked at her husband and stopped talking, much to Ma Gai's surprise.

"What's wrong?" Margai asked his wife.

Zou Shi stopped talking when he heard this, hesitated for a long time, and finally couldn't help asking, "Today...... Didn't anyone invite your husband to eat and drink? ”

"Huh?" Ma Gai was stunned, a little puzzled.

Seeing this, Zou lowered his head and said: "In the past, there were many colleagues in the official office who invited their husbands to eat and drink, and the husbands always had to drink until around the end of the year before they went home drunk, but since the last crusade against the Ying bandits, the husband returned home before dusk every day, could it be ...... Could it be ......"

From the side, his son, who was nearly ten years old, opened his eyes wide and asked timidly: "Dad, is it that the county government won't let you be a county lieutenant anymore?" ”

Only then did Ma Gai come to his senses, rubbing his son's hair and laughing: "What are you thinking about? Do you think I came back early these days because no one invited me to drink? How could it be, I just turned them down. ”

"Really?" Zou was surprised and asked, "Why did you reject them?" ”

"Why ......?"

Ma Gai looked at his wife and children in front of him, and couldn't help but think of the words that Yang Tong and his gang threatened him in that cave that day.

At that time, he realized that what he cared about most was his wife and children at home.

"Isn't this going to conquest those thieves again?"

Ma Gai smiled and said, "Take some time to spend more time with you two mothers." ”

Although Zou was glad that her husband had not lost power in the county government, she was still very worried when she learned that her husband was about to go on another expedition to defeat those Ying bandits.

Seeing his wife's worried look, Ma Gai smiled and said with relief: "Don't worry, I'm completely sure this time." ”

Zou wanted to speak and stopped, barely squeezing out a smile, but his son believed in his father very much, and shouted: "Father will definitely be able to defeat those Ying bandits!" ”

"Huh." Magai smiled and rubbed his son's head.

Yes, he will win, because he is already the gang of bandits in the county office......

How could Yang Tong and his gang give up on him?

『……』

Looking at his wife and children in front of him, feeling the happy atmosphere, Ma Gai picked up the wine bowl in front of him and poured it down.

In late June, Kunyang County Wei Ma Gai once again recruited more than 1,000 officers and soldiers in the county to crusade against the Yingshan Qunkou.