After the second watch, the city of Baocheng was quiet.

It was late at night, and there was hardly any sound in the city, which was already deserted, except for the occasional barking of dogs. Now, the only people left in the city were the soldiers who defended the city. They were divided into two parts, one patrolling the streets of the country by point, and the other patrolling the city walls.

Tonight's errand was a veteran named Xu Si, as a member of the two or three thousand people who were temporarily summoned by the county commander He Yongxi, he was one of the few captains from a local background. He Yongxi is a native of Henan, and among the seven or eight squad leaders who guard the southeast city gate in shifts in small Baocheng County, five or six of them are Henan Lu clans who defected to him.

On weekdays, Xu Si gives the impression that he is diligent, loyal and simple, and has always had no quarrel with others, so he also has the nickname of "Xu Honest". Tonight, dressed in cotton armor, facing the cold wind of hunting, he stood straight on the horse road of Baocheng City, facing the pheasant moat and staring intently at the endless darkness in the distance.

The soldier standing on the side stepped forward and persuaded: "Brother Xu, it's pitch black under the city, and you don't have much to look at, why don't you let the little ones stay here, you go to the city to eat two pots of soju, get rid of the cold, and warm up." ”

"No need. Desertion is a felony, and even though there is no one to watch here, we must not cheat. ”

Xu Si didn't move at all, looking at him left and right with a resolute attitude, he had no choice but to step aside. Today, Captain Xu looks very serious, which is very different from the usual approachability.

"It's time to come, too." Xu Si whispered to himself and silently put his right hand on the saber at his waist.

And the person he was waiting for also quietly arrived in Baocheng at this moment.

"Quick, the one in the back, keep up!"

In this darkness, Hou Dagui, as the number one strongman under Zhao Dangshi, has led an advance team of 100 people to lurk under the Guo of Baocheng County. In addition to him, Bai Jiaolong led two hundred people to wait not far away, while Wu Mingfeng led the remaining hundred people to be detained after a hundred steps. Zhao Dangshi was not directly involved in tonight's operation, and Hou Dagui took full charge of the night attack instead of Zhao Dangshi.

The purpose of this operation was to seize Baocheng County, one of the two cities in the western part of Hanzhong Prefecture. The opportunity to seize the city came from Pang Jinming.

That day, Pang Jinming returned to his small tent, and an uninvited guest came on the back foot, and before Pang Jinming could make a difficulty, he said on the spot: "Brother Pang, where did this Yanling knife come from?" ”

As soon as he heard the words "Yanling Knife", Pang Jinming had to pay more attention and temporarily pressed the hostility. But looking at the man who came in, he was skinny, less than thirty years old, with thief eyebrows, no good feelings, and said in a rough voice: "I don't know you, what are you called, how dare you ignore military orders and break into my camp for no reason?" ”

The man let out a low voice, with a sneer on his face, and said, "Brother Pang, I am a newly attached brother, called Jiang Ba'er." ”

"Newly attached?" Pang Jinming's mind turned sharply, "You were originally a subordinate of the little red wolf?" ”

"Yes, yes. The little brother had no eyes before, so why did he vote for that idiot. Fortunately, it has made the grace of heaven mighty, and in the compatible camp, he wants to break his bones to repay the kindness of his encounter! ”

Pang Jinming listened to this person's flamboyant tongue, and was a little impatient. However, as the elite of the night, he has good observation, and he can see that although this person named Jiang Ba'er is trying his best to laugh, there is a dark melancholy in his smile.

"Well, Jiang Ba'er. Give you a chance, and if you can't tell me why, don't blame me for being ruthless. Pang Jinming's mouth was threatening, but in fact, he was in the spirit of twelve. This person is related to the Yanling knife, and it is the old department of the newly attached little red wolf, which is involuntarily reminiscent of the old man of Baocheng.

Jiang Ba'er nodded like pounding garlic and said, "Naturally, naturally." Then, he set his eyes on the Yanling knife that was still on Pang Jinming's waist, "This knife ......"

"What's this knife about?"

Jiang Ba'er suddenly bowed her head and bowed, choking in her mouth: "Please tell the eldest brother the old father!" "Speaking of which, all of them are gone, and they are all gone, and they look like they are all in a sloppy state.

Pang Jinming pretended to be puzzled and said coldly: "This knife is mine, what does it have to do with your father?" ”

Jiang Ba'er raised her teary eyes and asked in a trembling voice, "Dare to ask where Brother Dang got this knife?" ”

Pang Jinming heard the clue and replied truthfully: "Baocheng." ”

"Yes, yes!" Jiang Ba'er nodded while crying, completely becoming a tearful person, half-kneeling on the ground, wailing again and again, "Dad, the child is not good, it was the child who hurt you!" ”

Pang Jinming frowned, stopped him and said, "Be quiet, don't cry, bring Luo Bing here, I can't protect you!" He said, "A good and dignified man, but he cries like a little girl, is it shameful to be ashamed?" Make things clear, or I won't allow you to continue to be angry with me. ”

Jiang Ba'er is also an acquaintance, hearing him say this, he quickly cleaned himself up, but he couldn't completely withdraw from his grief, and he was still a little sobbing.

Pang Jinming sighed and said kindly: "Brother, do you know the origin of this knife?" ”

Jiang Ba'er nodded with a bitter face: "Yes." Don't hide it from Brother Pang, this knife was robbed by me and a group of brothers from the road near the suburbs of Hanzhong Mansion earlier. ”

"Robbed?" The development of things seemed to deviate from Pang Jinming's expectations, and he couldn't help but wonder even more, "This knife is not from the Rui Domain?" ”

"Rui, Ruifan? What Ruifan? Jiang Ba'er was stunned, "Oh, it's Rui Wangfu?" ”

"Didn't you steal this knife from King Rui's mansion?"

"Brother Huge has really raised the younger brother. Although the younger brother has the kung fu of flying eaves and walking on the wall, he thinks what kind of place is the Rui Domain? That's pretty much a wall. Don't talk about me, not even a cat can get in. No one dares to stay longer on weekdays. If you want to go in and do something, you have to put your head on the waistband of your pants. The younger brother doesn't have the ability and guts. Jiang Ba'er said, actually a little burst into laughter.

Pang Jinming didn't have time to talk to him, so he asked directly: "How did this knife fall into your hand?" ”

Jiang Ba'er thought of his father and said, "So that Brother Da knows about it." The younger brother is not talented, he is considered a half-land snake in Hanzhong, and in the past, he was mixed under the hands of red thieves, and there were many eyeliners in various cities and counties in the house. I don't know which one it was that day, and I secretly informed that there would be a treasure to pass through the forest ten miles east of Fucheng. Speaking of this, he swallowed his saliva and continued, "There are quite a lot of officers and soldiers in Hanzhong City, and usually the younger brother and others don't dare to get too close, but the informant blindly said that there is a big treasure to pass by, and the younger brother is greedy for profit, so he lowered his heart and led a group of brothers to ambush there. It is also good luck, and if he really waited for the main master, he killed most of the younger brother and others, and took the 'big baby'. ”

Pang Jinming interjected: "This 'big baby' is the Yanling knife in my hand?" ”

Jiang Ba'er nodded and said: "Yes, this knife is extremely well-made, although the little brother is a turtle, he can also see that it is indeed a rare treasure." When you are happy, you often wear it around your waist to show off. Everyone who saw it praised it, but it also gave the little brother a lot of face......"

Pang Jinming waved his hand and said, "Keep talking about business, don't talk about these things that you don't have." Why did the knife leave your hand again? ”

Jiang Ba'er said yes again and again, and then said, his face suddenly turned sad again, and he only heard him say: "The younger brother has been working for generations, and the eldest brother in the family has been a soldier for many years, and his father originally wanted me to inherit the family affairs." It's just that I'm not born to keep to myself, I can't do the work of watering the garden and carrying the goods, and I got acquainted with a group of brothers, instead of causing trouble for my father in the city, I simply came out to do business without capital......" said, looked at Pang Jinming, and saw that his face was as black as ink, and he couldn't see his joy and anger, so he continued, "Although the little brother is a wolf-hearted and dog-hearted, he doesn't dare to forget his father's kindness." He would go into the city every once in a while to visit his father. I am ashamed to say that my old father really loved me so much that he never showed half of my traces to others, and I have been safe and sound several times. ”

Pang Jinming snorted coldly: "What do you always do in the city?" ”

Jiang Ba'er said bluntly: "My old father is old and immature, and he can't do any work. First, I came to visit him to fulfill my filial piety, and secondly, I also brought some money and food to help him every time. ”

There is a discrepancy between what he saw and heard when he was in Baocheng, it was obvious that Jiang Ba'er was lying, and Pang Jinming didn't say anything, just said silently: "Okay." You go on to say. ”

Jiang Ba'er didn't see anything unusual about Pang Jinming, and continued: "Just half a month ago, the younger brother went to Baocheng to visit his father as usual. I also entered the city in the middle of the night, but I ate a lot of wine that day, and I unconsciously slept with my head covered until noon. But my father suddenly came to me in a hurry and asked me to remove the goose feather knife from my waist. ”

"Did you bring the knife into Baocheng?"

"Yes......" Jiang Ba'er's face was a little embarrassed, but he knew that he must have wanted to show off to his father with this.

Pang Jinming didn't have time to pay attention to these details, but asked, "What did your father say?" ”

He said that he had just gone out and found that the whole city was plastered with government notices. These notices are all bounty orders, and the portrait on them is not a person, but it is this goose feather knife. ”

"Offer a bounty for this knife?" Pang Jinming subconsciously glanced at the Yanling knife in his hand, "What is written on the notice?" ”

Jiang Ba'er shook his head: "My father is illiterate, but he can see that it is a reward order." And I vaguely heard others say that the bounty written on it was extremely heavy. If the offender is caught, he will not be able to escape death. He didn't look much at it in a panic, so he hurried to inform me. ”

"After that?"

"I woke up from my sleep and was stunned when I heard this. I also heard that the government will soon go from house to house. Ignoring the knife for now, the only thing I can think of is that I'm going to have to escape. But the knife belt is too conspicuous on the body. At last I hid the knife at home, and I sneaked out of the city and found a hidden dog hole at the base of the wall......"

He was glad when he said this, but Pang Jinming despised him very much. This Jiang Ba'er kept saying that he was a person of great filial piety. But he visited his father, just to ask for money and food, and at this time he revealed that he did not hesitate to put his father in danger in order to escape for his life, and he didn't see the slightest filial piety at all. Such a person who is inconsistent and incorruptible, if it is not for some relationship with Yanling Dao, Pang Jinming is too lazy to take care of it.

"I see, so this Yanling knife has been hidden in your father's house since then?"

"Yes......" Jiang Ba'er frowned sadly, and the corners of his eyes were wet, "But this knife is now in the hands of Brother Pang, I can't tell my father, he, he is already ......"

Preconceived notions have greatly affected everyone's long-term views and attitudes towards each other, Pang Jinming really didn't have a good impression of this Jiang Ba'er, seeing that he was gloomy, he said secretly: "You are so sad, but I don't know if you are really worried about your father or afraid that there will be no land to fish in the future." In order to find out the situation as soon as possible, Pang Jinming was unwilling to delay, but said: "Your father is fine, this knife was handed over to me by him." ”

"Brother Pang's words are true!" When Jiang Ba'er heard this, she was both surprised and delighted, and her eyes flashed.

In order to reassure him, Pang Jinming had to briefly tell the story of the incident in Baocheng again. Jiang Ba'er stroked his chest and calmed down his emotions.

Although Jiang Ba'er's sudden visit solved some of the doubts in Pang Jinming's heart, more doubts followed, such as why this Yanling knife was lost from the Rui Domain. Jiang Ba'er only said that the robbers in the forest at that time were all dressed as strongmen, not like decent people, but this alone is not enough to solve these many questions.

Jiang Ba'er said again: "I was very surprised to see the huge brother Pei's sword standing on a high platform on the red thief's legal field. After the end, he sneaked closer to take a closer look. This goose feather knife is the best in a hundred, and no matter how cloudy the little brother is, there is no reason to admit his mistakes. ”

Pang Jinming didn't squeak, he was silent for a while, and Xu Yan: "Are you looking for me this time to get the treasure knife back?" ”

Jiang Ba'er was shocked and hurriedly defended: "How dare the little brother not know the height of the sky. When this treasure knife falls into the hands of the younger brother, it is like falling into a dung pit. Only in the hands of a hero like Brother Pangda can he make the best use of it. It's just that I really thought about my father's safety, so I took the risk to come here to ask. The huge brother is thin and cloudy, and please do not expose the little brother for the sake of this. ”

Pang Jinming looks indifferent, but he is actually very reasonable. Filial piety comes first, no matter what Jiang Ba'er's motive is, as long as the banner of "filial piety" is raised, he has no reason to embarrass the other party.

Jiang Ba'er saw him bow slightly, knowing that he had acquiesced, he was very happy, and thanked him without saying anything. At this time, Pang Jinming suddenly remembered something and asked, "You said that you have been in and out of Baocheng many times. There are a lot of troops stationed inside and outside the city, and the precautions are quite strict, how do you touch it? ”

Hearing this, Jiang Ba'er's face immediately showed a hint of triumph, and he said: "Brother Pang, like a little brother, this kind of natural bad material, I don't understand anything else, I still know a little bit about this kind of sideways." ”

Pang Jinming's heart moved, and he hurriedly asked for details. Jiang Ba'er talked to him, he couldn't help but touch his hands, and it was rare to see a smile: "If this is the case, Baocheng is not worried!" ”

With Jiang Ba'er's guidance, Hou Dagui and others made their trip tonight.

According to the agreement, Bai Jiaolong nervously observed ahead, and when he saw the fire candle lit in the darkness in the distance, he understood that Hou Dagui was already in place, and looked up at the sky, there were no stars and no moon tonight, it was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"Hmm"

Bai Jiaolong swallowed his saliva, and then ordered left and right: "Send arrows!" ”

An archer beside him had been waiting for a long time, and without hesitation, he took a rocket, and the other person lit the oil ladle, and immediately shot the arrow into the sky of Baocheng County with a "bang".

The rocket cut a graceful and bright arc in the dark night sky and fell into the darkness again. Bai Jiaolong believed that the man on the castle must have noticed this.

Xu Si stood at the head of the city, his face was pale, and he came up left and right in surprise: "Brother Xu, what was that just now?" ”

"Tell me the order to open the gates at once!"

Shocked when he heard this, he took two steps back and said in a trembling voice: "Xu, Captain Xu, you, you, what are you talking about?" ”

Xu Si didn't answer, and looked at a few henchmen behind him. The brethren understood, drew their swords, and swiftly dealt with the two astonished soldiers.

Xu Sifang did not change his color, and said to his henchmen: "Go and open the door!" ”

At the same time, Hou Dagui heard the sound of the city under the city, and knew that Nei Ying had already acted, I don't know whether it was joy or nervousness, even the hand holding the handle of the knife trembled violently, and said in a suppressed voice: "Brothers, hold everything tight!" ”

As soon as the words fell, a "boom" sound was heard, and the city gate was slowly opened.