On 20 May, the Black Tiger Village met with officers and soldiers to exchange prisoners.

On this day, Zhang Jing personally came forward and watched Huang Ben, Gao Chun, and Ma Gai negotiate with Guo Da and Chen Mo sent by Black Tiger Village, and then exchanged prisoners one by one.

The captives on both sides who were exchanged were excited.

During this period, Huang Ben said to Zhang Jing in private: "General, do you want to take the opportunity to kill them for a while?" ”

Zhang Jing shook his head and said, "No." …… First, you have lost your integrity, and second, do you think that the other side is defenseless? ”

As he spoke, he glanced at the soldiers who were exchanged back, and said in a low voice: "These soldiers who have been exchanged back, take a good look at them, and see if the bandits in Black Tiger Village force them to do anything, I don't believe that this is just a simple exchange of prisoners, there must be some conspiracy behind it." ”

"Humble duty understands."

Huang Ben nodded.

After exchanging prisoners that day, Zhang Jing, Huang Ben, Gao Chun, and Ma Gai led people back to the barracks.

Immediately, Huang Ben, Gao Chun, and Ma Gai did a review of the soldiers who were exchanged.

Among them, it is Ma Gai's mood that is the most complicated.

There is no need for Huang Ben to remind Ma Gai to know that among the soldiers under his command who were captured by the Black Tiger Village, there must be some people who couldn't resist the fear of death and gave in to the Black Tiger Village, and were forced to agree to some conditions, just like him at the beginning.

And what he feared most was that some of these subordinates knew about his existence.

Therefore, when he brought these captured men to his tent, Magai was actually very apprehensive in his heart.

But it seems that these captured subordinates do not know their existence.

Could it be that the Black Tiger Village didn't persecute them?

I thought secretly in my heart, but Ma Gai's face was silent, he glanced at the dozen or so subordinates in front of him with their heads bowed, and said calmly: "Let's talk about it, after you were captured by the thieves, did those thieves force you to agree to any conditions." ”

The captured soldiers looked at each other and did not dare to speak.

Seeing this, Ma Gai shouted in a deep voice: "What do you all look at each other? Do you want to make a confession? Say! ”

Under his deterrence, finally one of the soldiers couldn't stand it, fell to his knees with a puff, and cried: "The county lieutenant spares his life, the county lieutenant spares his life, the little one really has no way to be forced to sign the confession, and the group of thieves said that if I don't sign it and don't want to be their internal response, they will kill the villain...... There are old and young people in the villain's house, there is really no way, the county lieutenant spares his life......"

"Confession?"

Ma Gai was secretly startled, his eyes quickly swept over the dozen or so people in front of him, only to see that more than half of them showed a look of panic and shame, but there were also a few who showed consternation, these people looked at the soldier who knelt on the ground in shock, and scolded with wide eyes: "Deng Laoer, you really gave in to those thieves?" You're just ...... Simply ......"

These people immediately scolded, scolding the soldier who fell to the ground and did not dare to raise his head.

Seeing this, Ma Gai immediately stopped: "Enough! ”

He glanced at Deng Lao Er, who was kneeling on the ground, and immediately summoned his subordinate head catcher Yang Kang, and instructed him: "You take them into custody first, and I will ask them one by one." ”

"Yes!" The head catcher Yang dared to hold his fists and take the order, and left with the group of soldiers.

At this time, only Ma Gai and the soldier known as Deng Lao Er were left in the tent, and he asked the latter, "What is your name?" ”

The soldier said ashamedly: "Back to the county lieutenant, the villain is called Deng Ren." ”

"Get up and talk back."

“…… Thank you, County Lieutenant. ”

After waiting for Deng Ren to stand up, Ma Gai asked calmly: "I ask you something now, and you have to answer truthfully, understand?" ”

"Yes." Deng Ren nodded again and again in horror.

Seeing this, Ma Gai asked Deng Ren and said, "You should tell me everything after you were captured, and you can't hide half a word!" ”

"Yes, yes."

Deng Ren nodded again and again, and said honestly: "I was patrolling outside the camp that day, and suddenly I was attacked by a group of thieves, who were all unstoppable, and most of the rest ran away, and I and a few others couldn't escape, so I was caught by them." …… They took me to the main village of Black Tiger Village, and put me in custody, and then someone came, and I could recognize that person, it should be Yang Tong's right-hand man, Eagle Eagle Guo Da. He ordered me to be taken to another prison and forced me to sign a confession as an internal response to the Black Tiger Village, and if I didn't comply, he said he would send someone to kill my whole family......"

"Fur ......"

Margai exhaled and nodded imperceptibly.

Well, the familiar method is indeed the consistent trick of Black Tiger Village.

"And then?" He asked.

Deng Ren said with a panicked face: "Then, I was held in solitary confinement, and it was not until the early hours of this morning that someone came to see me and took me down the mountain with the others, and then I knew that they were going to exchange us for the captured thieves......"

"Under the pretext of exchanging prisoners, take the opportunity to place a group of internal guards in our camp? It's cunning.'

Ma Gai thought secretly in his heart, and then asked Deng Rendao: "That's it?" Nothing else? ”

Looking at Deng Ren's appearance of wanting to speak and stopping, Ma Gai immediately guessed that he must still have something to hide, so he said coldly: "Deng Ren, for your sake, I may be able to exempt you from the crime of giving in to the thief, but if you still have something to hide, then I can't help you......"

Hearing this, Deng Ren was shocked, and hurriedly cried and begged: "The county lieutenant spares his life, the county lieutenant spares his life, the villain just forgot about it for a while." …… The thieves also asked the villain to inquire about one thing for them......"

"What's the matter?" Ma Gai asked in a deep voice.

Deng Ren didn't dare to hide it, and said truthfully: "The people in Black Tiger Village don't know where to find out, saying that there is a general in our camp, and they want me to inquire about the details of that general, I ......."

"General?" Ma Gaihu glanced at Deng Ren suspiciously.

Deng Ren explained with a sad face: "County Lieutenant, it's not a small nonsense, that's what the people in Black Tiger Village asked, and I don't know where they heard that there are any generals in our camp...... I told them at the time, that there were no generals in our camp, but those people didn't let go......"

Looking at Deng Ren, who was still explaining there, Ma Gai was thoughtful.

There is indeed a general in his camp, and he is also one of the famous Five Tigers of Chenmen, but nine out of ten people in the camp don't know about it.

"Black Tiger Village is aware of Zhang Jing's existence? That's pretty impressive. However, they expected soldiers like Deng Ren to find out the details of Zhang Jing, and it was inevitable that they would ...... Wait!'

Thinking about it, Ma Gai suddenly felt a little chill in his back bones.

He suddenly realized a possibility: it was very likely that the Black Tiger Village was just using the mouth of Deng Ren and the other captured soldiers to inform him of their intentions and let Ma Gai investigate on his behalf.

Thinking of this, Ma Gai asked Deng Ren quietly: "Let's not talk about the general, have they ever met with you and how to contact you?" ”

"Yes."

Deng Ren nodded and said, "Then Guo Da said, meet at the time and place when I sign the confession......

"What?" Ma Gaihu interrupted suspiciously.

Deng Ren hurriedly explained: "This is the original words of Guo Da, I was puzzled at the time, and I didn't dare to ask more." They also threatened the villain, saying that if the villain did not go, they would kill my wife and children, and God would pity me......."

Magai chuckled in his heart.

The more he listened, the more he felt that the words that the people of Black Tiger Village said to Deng Ren were obviously conveyed to his ears through Deng Ren's mouth.

Deng Ren's group of captured soldiers all signed the confession in the main village of Black Tiger Village, so Guo Da directly said that it would be over if they met in the main village of Black Tiger Village? Is it necessary to say so in circles?

Yes!

Because of his horse gai, he did not sign the confession in the main village of the Black Tiger Village, but in a cave in the mountain......

"Someone from Black Tiger Village wants to contact me."

After some contemplation, Margay came to a conclusion.

Later, Ma Gai interrogated the remaining dozen soldiers alone.

Except for a few soldiers who did not give in to the Black Tiger Village and tried their best to prove their innocence, most of the rest gave in under his intimidation and honestly told the truth.

The words spoken by these people are roughly the same as those of Deng Ren, but there are some differences.

For example, there are a few of them, the Black Tiger Village asked them to set fire to the grain and grass in the camp, Ma Gai thought about it, and didn't think that this group of soldiers had the ability and courage to do this, obviously, this is probably just the Black Tiger Village's method of confusing the public, and the real purpose of the Black Tiger Village is to find out the details of Zhang Jing.

As for the 'meeting place', almost all the soldiers said that after the incident, the people of Black Tiger Village asked them to meet at the 'time and place where the confession was signed', which made Ma Gai more and more sure of his guess.

The people of the Black Tiger Village wanted to see him, and took advantage of this exchange of prisoners to send a message.

But how to respond?

Margay fell into deep thought.

I don't know how long later, a soldier came in and reported: "County Lieutenant, Huang County Commander sent someone to ask the county commander to come to his account to discuss. ”

"Okay."

Ma Gai nodded, got up and went to Huang Ben's tent.

When he came to Huang Ben's tent, he unexpectedly found that Zhang Jing and Gao Chun were also in the tent, and even more, Huang Ben was still scolding: "How can this be reasonable!" Outrageous! I almost fell for the tricks of those thieves! ”

Ma Gai was puzzled and asked, "What's wrong?" ”

Huang Ben glanced back at Ma Gai and said angrily: "The soldiers under my command who were exchanged back, after some interrogation by me, they finally admitted that they were forced to sign a confession and admit that they were connected to the Black Tiger Village, what do you think the Black Tiger Village wants them to do?" They actually want these people to burn our grain and grass......"

As he spoke, he asked Ma Gai with a little anger: "Ma Gai, are any of the soldiers under your command who have been replaced subordinate to the Black Tiger Village?" ”

Seeing that Huang Ben, Gao Chun, and Zhang Jing were all looking at him, Ma Gai panicked slightly, didn't dare to hide it, and said honestly: "Yes." ”

"Sure enough!"

Gao Chun frowned and exhaled, shook his head and asked Ma Gai, "What does the Black Tiger Village want your subordinates to do?" ”

"There are also those who burn grain and grass, and there are ......"

Ma Gai hesitated in his heart, but considering that this matter could not be concealed, he lowered his voice and said: "It seems that the Black Tiger Village is aware of the existence of General Zhang Jing and wants them to find out ......."

Previously, Zhang Jing crossed his arms and smiled silently, until he heard Ma Gai say this at this moment, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he said with a smile: "Yo, I actually noticed Zhang, this is really getting more and more interesting......

As he said this, he quietly glanced at Ma Gai.

If his prediction was correct, the main purpose of the mastermind in the Black Tiger Village to send people to capture the officers and soldiers was not to exchange their captured bandit brothers, but to send back these officers and soldiers who had promised to be the internal response......

Do you think these captured soldiers are the plotter's reliance on trying to turn the tide around?

No! These people are just pawns.

The conspirator had long expected that these captured officers and soldiers would be interrogated when they returned, and his real purpose was to use the confessions of these people to convey some key information to their real internal response - Kunyang County Lieutenant Ma Gai!

『…… Wonderful!'

Zhang Jing couldn't help but applaud the other party's layout.

Who would have thought that among a group of bandits who he had not looked down on before, there would be such a person.