The Yanyun area is relatively densely populated, and government control is relatively easy. Being a horse thief here cannot be compared with the empty and vast grasslands and the horse thieves and sand thieves in the Western Regions, who can gallop across the country, arbitrarily intercept and loot, and are convenient for hiding traces.

If you want to gather a large number of horse thieves in a ruling center like Yanjing, and establish a secret and safe nest, even if there are deep mountains available, it is difficult.

Zhao Yue led the men and horses into the mountain, and not too far from the mountain pass, there was a guard post disguised as a hunter in the mountain to receive him.

The seven or eight men at the outpost obviously often received their own horse teams, and they were very experienced, and they also had some fodder for feeding the horses.

They quickly wiped the horses' sweat, drank warm water, and fed them fodder to prevent them from falling ill from the cold and replenishing their horsepower.

Zhao Yue and other hungry people were also given dietary supplements.

After looking at the simple but very warm thatched house for a while, Zhao Yue immediately led the team to get up and continued to rush towards the old nest in the deep mountains.

There is no easy passage in the mountains.

Rocks, thorns, trees, rattans, steep slopes...... are all obstacles to access.

It's hard for people to walk. Horses are more difficult to walk. This journey has been so difficult, and this is fearful.

On the way, I heard the howls of mountain wolves and even tigers, and there were often fierce beasts watching and watching. It illustrates the danger of survival and passage in the deep mountains. It's still winter. When the climate is warm, poisonous snakes, centipedes and other dangerous creatures appear in the field, and the danger is even more difficult.

After several checkpoints, guides and familiar shortcuts, they walked straight for more than three days before they arrived at the lair deep in the mountains.

Zhao Yue frowned, and thought secretly: "This is a horse thief, it is clearly a mountain thief, just riding in and out is a big problem." ”

"Jingzhu, where thousands of people gather as horse thieves, usually have to be scattered and looted and stationed. This is too difficult to manage, the risk is too high, it is easy to be betrayed by captives, and the horses are easy to be detected by the government and entrenched in the base in large quantities. It's not a place for horse thieves. ”

Duan Jingzhu nodded and said: "I have also considered this problem, but I just used Jin Liao to confront, and King Yan and the government have no intention of paying attention to the small group of horse thieves in the territory. I had the audacity to do this last year, and I was lucky that there were no major problems. I want to survive this year, and I'm trying to recruit it. ”

Zhao Yue shook his head and said, "Don't bother with it. If you want to live here in peace, you have to have a small number of people and be capable, and live and move together to facilitate strict control and management. Otherwise, something big will happen sooner or later. Downsizing is necessary. ”

Duan Jingzhu touched his chin and pondered for a while and said, "Does the son want to finish the Yanshan Cuijiazhai and pick up the unwanted team?" ”

Zhao Yue nodded and said, "This is my intention to pick up the iron armor of the Liao Army and take away their weapons." I wanted to transfer so many horses and personnel in Yandi, and there was no large-scale invasion of the army to disrupt and respond. It's impossible to rush through on your own. Only disguise and pretend. ”

Han Chang, who was following a little behind, suddenly couldn't help but open his mouth and said, "Dare to ask Zhao Gongzi, what you said about picking it up, is it a pirate pick-up?" ”

Zhao Yue turned his head and glanced at Han Chang, and said lightly: "I noticed that you worked hard all the way, and finally spit out the gag cloth." didn't expose you, didn't gag your mouth again, it was to see that you were honest and didn't shout and greet in a vain attempt to attract people to save you. ”

Han Chang was shocked. Looking at Zhao Yue's dark and deep eyes, he couldn't help but shudder when he was bold. He bowed his head slightly and smiled bitterly: "With the power of Childe, who can escape from Childe's sword?" If I dare to speak out, I must be a dead body, how dare I be dishonest? ”

Zhao Yue hummed and said, "Being a smart man has your benefits." Now you are hostile to me and want to flee. Later you will understand that you make obedient choices. It is also a wise and lucky choice. Your decisions and changes are also a blessing to your family. ”

Han Chang didn't get the answer he wanted, but he vaguely sensed something from Zhao Yue's bland words. He didn't squeak anymore to show that he was obedient or disobedient, he only lowered his head and slowly went up to the cottage with his horse down, but in fact, his heart fluctuated violently like a river and a sea.

Zhao Yue didn't pay attention to him anymore.

Han Chang is undoubtedly a great general. If you can stay as much as possible, it doesn't matter if you drop or not at this time. Zhao Yue didn't plan to use this person immediately. In the future, I am afraid that if I don't descend, I am afraid that Han Chang will not be able to do it himself. If you don't want to die, you don't want the whole clan to be wiped out, Han Chang is not stupid, and he will be willing to submit.

What we have to do now is to be optimistic about Han Chang and don't let him run away. Handcuffs should never be opened.

Shi Yong, Pan Xun, and Pan Su learned that Zhao Yue was finally here, if it wasn't for the horse thieves who were to control the subordinates in the cottage, they would have run to the road to greet them, and at this moment they left the cottage early, and rushed to meet the people and horses on the mountain. ”

The relationship between the four generals and Zhao Yue is not ordinarily deep, the more they have met very few times over the years, the more they miss Zhao Yue and cherish their affection.

Zhao Yue hadn't seen the four generals for a long time, and when he saw their more and more majestic figures, he was also a little excited, and immediately jumped off the horse, helped them up one by one, patted this one's chest, looked at that one's face, and his cold eyes became warm like spring.

"Good work, brother."

Just five words are full of deep meaning and many feelings.

Shi Yong was very good at talking, but at the moment, his heart was surging, and he became not so clever in his tongue, so he only blurted out: "It should be." ”

The Pan brothers' faces turned red and they were angry, and they all shouted, "We are willing." ”

Duan Jingzhu answered Zhao Yue, he had already been excited earlier, and at this time, he was much calmer than the excitement of the three brothers, and said triumphantly: "Having a hard opportunity is also a qualification. ”

Saying that, he squinted at Han Chang with a complicated expression, and that look undoubtedly said that no one can get this kind of opportunity if they want to work hard. Your boy is in good condition, and he is even more fortunate to be a prisoner of Childe. If you know each other, you'll be in luck. Hard work, you will also feel sweet.

Zhao Yue and the four generals all laughed.

The cheerful and hearty laughter echoed in the deep mountains and valleys, attracting the horse thieves in the village to visit curiously.

There are a lot of Khitan thieves in the cottage, accounting for about one-third, all of them are fierce and good at fighting, and they are all singles.

Zhao Yue glanced at these Khitan people who stared at him curiously, and couldn't help but sigh lightly: "Everyone is a person floating in troubled times, forming this collective, as long as you cherish this fate and survive back to back, you can also break through." I can bring you a good life. ”

He knew very well that these Khitans had fallen into Yandi horse thieves, and they must have died under the butcher's knife of the Jin army at home and relatives in the north.

They fled alone to the south. Instead of taking refuge in the Yanyun government, not taking root in Yandi and living again, they would rather be horse thieves who confront their government, and are willing to take the huge risk of fighting and being hunted down and encircled by officers and soldiers, not that they like to be robbers, not that they like this kind of thrilling life. It's just that I'm disappointed in the government, tired of contributing and sacrificing for my own government, and I want to free myself from the shackles and wield a knife to live freely.

Although they are aliens, they are in fact innocent victims of war.

Their ethnicity, like that of the Han people of the Great Song Dynasty, was no different from their suffering, disappointment, and despair.

It's all a human tragedy.

The horse thieves didn't know Zhao Yue's identity, and only heard the four leaders call Zhao Yue the lord, and they saw that the leaders welcomed Zhao Yue enthusiastically and respected and worshiped him from the bottom of their hearts. They didn't know why, but out of their understanding of the leaders' extraordinary abilities and credibility, they had a lot of speculation about Zhao Yue, the mysterious master who suddenly appeared. But almost all of them believed Zhao Yue's words.

In fact, they live a life full of dangers and precariousness, and in their inner world, they are willing to believe that Zhao Yue can bring them hope and a way out.

People will always be old, it is impossible to be young forever and good at fighting, it is impossible to maintain the interest of robbers all the time, and it is impossible to be a horse thief all the time.

There is another way out, tired of it, or unable to do it. There is a chance to get out of this state of existence and return to normal life. Being a robber is the only way to be more at ease. Zhao Yue's arrival undoubtedly catered to this psychology and made the horse thieves see the possibility.

Zhao Yue was keenly aware of everyone's mentality, and added fire with a smile: "To be exact, after beating Cui's village in Yanshan, I robbed the property there." You can come with me to good places you never dreamed of, and you can freely choose the life you want to live. ”

He scanned the crowd of black presses. Slowly but clearly, he said, "I, I promise you will not be disappointed. ”

These words caused a wave of enthusiastic discussion and response from the horse thieves.

Countless voices are shouting, "So what are you waiting for? Let's do it. ”

The Khitan and Chinese language are mixed together and roar, making the scene seem a little strange, but it is indeed high morale and eager to fight.

Subsequently. Fourth, we will arrange for everyone to prepare for the war first.

They and Zhao Yue went into the house to look at the rough map and discussed the attack plan.

In fact, the four generals had repeatedly discussed the attack plan before, but they did not have the means to break through the difficult dangers. Zhao Yue said with a smile that this problem would be solved by him.

Just do it.

Zhao Yue arranged for the money tank that was affected by the injury and crossed the mountains and mountains, Niu Jinbao, Jin Laishun, and Ma Decai with fifty Zhao Jun and weak or young logistics horse thieves to stay in the old nest here, taking care of the war horses and the horse thieves who were sick. The brigade walked over the mountain and went straight to the top of the hill where Cuijiazhai was located.

As the saying goes, the mountain runs a dead horse.

The two cottages seem to be back-to-back on the map, but they are far away, and they have to climb over several large and small mountains, as well as basins, which cannot be reached in a day or two.

It was a strenuous and arduous journey, but it was much safer to climb the mountain faster than to ride around on horseback.

Along the way, the beast did not dare to sneak attack on such a large group. You can also grab some game to satisfy your taste. There is food and drink, there are warm sleeping bags made of animal skins, and they are not afraid of the cold when they stay in the mountains at night. In the deep mountains where spring came, it was still bitterly cold, and everything was not a big problem.

This kind of road sleeping bag was first designed and produced from the skin of the sheep raised by Zhaojiazhuang for commercial use, and was first provided to the Western military who often needed to go out to fight.

With this, there is no need to bother to bring a large number of tents in the winter when transportation is inconvenient, which greatly facilitates the winter operations of the Western Army.

This can also be regarded as a small means to sell Tong Guan well at that time and form a good relationship with the vast number of soldiers of the Western Army.

The vast number of officers and men of the Western Army have this kind of sleeping bag, and they have indeed suffered too much in sleeping and resting in the harsh winter, and they are indeed good.

There is no real secret in the Great Song Dynasty. Sleeping bags can't keep secrets on the battlefield.

Soon, the armies of various countries were assembled.

There are many national animal skins on horseback, from the civilian to the army, it is much more convenient to assemble road sleeping bags than the Great Song Dynasty, and the number is more.

These sleeping bags of the horse thieves are all snatched by passers-by over the years. A robber is a robber, he doesn't give birth, and every breath he exhales has the smell of blood.

The brigade marched quietly, crossed the mountains and finally came to the hidden Cuijiazhai in the deep mountains.

This is a dangerous place on a mountain, but it is actually a high cliff jutting out of the edge of the mountain.

Zhao Yue saw this dangerous place with his own eyes, and even though he had already heard Shi Yong and Duan Jingzhu explain it in general before, he couldn't help but be amazed.

It is located on a high mountain of five or six hundred meters, abruptly pulled up again, the top is not in the clouds, it is difficult to know how high, it is not the kind of isolated steep but narrow stone peak that is imagined, the area is very large, the side connecting the mountain range is very wide, everywhere can be used as a road to climb at will, but the upward gradually becomes the only road that can be passed, fortunately it is still relatively wide. It's hard to climb anywhere else.

Zhao Yue dived from the trees to see the first mountain checkpoint is like a protruding mountain city wall, the lowest point is also more than ten meters high, the passage gap should be about 20 meters wide, people with cement and stone to build the city wall, both sides are facing the stone wall under the mountain, the big surface is not as smooth and regular as the city wall, but steep and smooth, not to mention people, even monkeys can not climb up, forming a natural solid city wall.

This place is about 180 meters wide, and it only takes a few people to condescend to resist the attack of the army, which is really a good mountain gate.

But when the army came, equipped with siege crossbows and stone throwers, with the help of trees, it was not difficult to break through the mountain gate on a relatively wide hillside. The horse thief army did not have heavy weapons, but it only suppressed the mountain defense with dense bows and arrows, and forcibly attacked with many soldiers with cloud ladders, which may not be impossible to break.

It's just that according to the captured messenger of the Cui family, the second checkpoint above is called a husband as a pass, and ten thousand people are not allowed to open.

That level is a stone crack more than ten meters wide, which is also built into a city wall, but it is higher, and the stone walls on both sides are as steep and smooth as the first level, but it is thirty or forty meters higher than the stone wall of the first level. Don't even think about it.

Moreover, the checkpoint faces the section of the uphill road near the city gate, and the normal walking distance is only a few meters wide. If anyone comes to attack, you will not be able to exert any strength even if you have thousands of troops. It's too easy to defend at the city gate, you just need to throw a rolling log and a stone on the narrow mountain road, and its blow is like a thunderbolt, and you can go up the mountain for nothing.

Such a level cannot be infiltrated even with Zhao Yue's ability and equipped with modern mountaineering tools, let alone attacked.

Even if you can break through the mountain gate, entering the stone crevice is a dead end.

The crack is more than 100 meters long, and as long as the mountain guards stand on the high stone walls on both sides, they condescendingly attack the narrow stone tent, even if they don't throw stones and rolling wood, don't pour oil and set fire, just release arrows, it is definitely enough for the mountain attackers to drink a pot. The corpses filled the stone canopy and could not be attacked.

The other side of the cliff is a steep and rugged rock wall that rises from the forest of the mountain, all of which are stones, and small trees are rare on the cliff. Looking up from the foot of the cliff, just in response to that sentence, Yunshen doesn't know where to go, I don't know how high it is, just look at it and feel dizzy, as if the mountain peak is falling head-on. The illusion is creepy.

Zhao Yue surrounded this cliff that was actually a huge stone peak, carefully observed and circled, and finally understood why the four generals were attacking here, and he obviously wanted to kill it all at once as soon as possible, but he was helpless and could only stare angrily. The geographical miracles created by nature are too sinister and difficult to fight.

In other words, it was really difficult for the Cui family to find such an ideal hiding place. (To be continued.) )