4

In the early morning of the next day, the wolf bully hurriedly told Duan Qi: "Seventh sister, it is rumored among the sergeants that Zhang Xianzhong set up a 500-step 'Huangquan Road' outside the military camp at Guimen Pass, and laid sharp and hard sundries on it, forcing Cao Yin to walk barefoot. ”

Duan Qi was shocked, and hurried to the Ghost Gate Pass with the wolf tyrant, only to see all the soldiers and people gathered there, a long road was paved with broken tiles, iron nails, broken swords, sharp stones, broken spears, thorns and other things, Cao Yin ** was held at the beginning of the road by the sergeants with both feet. Everyone giggled, and some said: "Cao Yin, this is the 'Huangquan Road' laid by the handsome for you, you can go to the end, you can leave Xiangyang, if you can't go, then go to see the king of Hades, haha." Some said, "If he is really a loyal man, the gods will keep him safe, but if the gods do not bless him and fall halfway, it means that he is also a traitor, haha." ”

Duan Qi opened the crowd and said to Cao Yin: "Lord Cao must insist, I will go to Zhang Dashuai to intercede, and I will definitely save you." ”

Cao Yin raised his head and recognized Duan Qi and Wolf Ba, he had long heard that Tang Hai had rebelled against the seventeen brothers, but he never thought that they were also in Xiangyang. Cao Yin said coldly: "I am a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty, and I have received the grace of the emperor, although I am still glorious in death, I don't need you to intercede." ”

Duan Qi knew that it was useless to say more, so he pulled the wolf bully and hurriedly forced his way into the camp tent, and when he arrived outside the camp tent, Duan Qi calmed down, straightened his hair, and asked the guards to report with a smile. Zhang Xianzhong invited the two into the tent, and after seeing the ceremony, he asked: "We will set off in another hour, and the two generals are ready?" ”

Duan Qi saw it and said: "It's all ready, just wait for the order of the big handsome." ”

Zhang Xianzhong said: "Very good. ”

Duan Qi knew that the situation was urgent, so he asked bluntly: "Dashuai, why didn't you kill Cao Yin secretly, but you want to humiliate him with such fanfare?" ”

As soon as Cao Yin was mentioned, Zhang Xianzhong became angry and said angrily: "I killed King Xiang and more than 100 officials, leaving Cao Yin alone, I wanted to worship him as an official, but he not only didn't appreciate it, but scolded me for being a thief, hum, don't let him taste the taste of 'Huangquan Road', how to get out of the evil anger in my heart." ”

Duan Qi said with a smile: "Dashuai wants to kill him, and the result of a knife last night is that even if he is forced to take any Huangquan Road, he should not be so hyped up." ”

Zhang Xianzhong was extremely puzzled: "Why? ”

Duan Qidao: "Cao Yin is pedantic, incompetent, but famous, the world says that he is a wise man, whoever kills him will leave a bad reputation for killing virtuous." Back then, Wei Zhongxian didn't kill him and exiled him to Tonglu, and a few years ago, Chongzhen didn't kill him and imprisoned him in prison, all because he was afraid of killing a useless person and carrying a lifetime of infamy. Tang Hai wanted the marshal to hand over Cao Yin to him, but he just wanted to humiliate him, and he would not harm him. These people still understand the truth that Cao Cao will not kill Youheng, and the handsome man is a hero through the ages, how can he be negligent and commit this taboo for a while? ”

Zhang Xianzhong was frightened into a cold sweat, and after thinking about it, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that Duan Qi's words were reasonable, and regretted: "Yes, this thief is hateful, but he can't kill ......" When Bai Wenxuan, the former military governor, Wang Shangli, the governor of the Chinese military government, and Wang Ziqi, the governor of the rear military government, were present, and the three of them said: "Dashuai, why not kill a pedantic thief." Strategist Wang Zhaolin said: "The three generals don't know, Cao Yin was given by Emperor Guangzong to pass through the heavens, and he was famous all over the world for a while, and the world said that he was a great sage, if we kill him now, we will be criticized by the world." He said to Zhang Xianzhong again: "Marshal, we are reckless in this matter." ”

5

At the moment of life and death, Cao Yin had a lot of thoughts: "I think that back then, when the Manchu Dynasty recommended me and Fang Qing, Luo Kong, and Wang Changyue, Emperor Guangzong personally gave Tongtianwa, admonished the Son of Heaven, inspected hundreds of officials, the palace forbidden courtyard, the government barracks, day and night in and out, unimpeded, such a favor, how many people can be a minister?" Blame me Cao Yin for his bad luck and bad luck, after the early death of the Holy Monarch, he was in charge of traitorous ministers, so that he was full of blood and had nowhere to repay the country. No matter what, no matter what, what is there to fear in death, but as a minister of the Ming Dynasty, how can I kneel at the feet of thieves? No matter how dangerous, painful, and bitter this 'Huangquan Road' is, I will go over it, and I must not fall down halfway, so that these traitors will underestimate my Ming. ”

"Let's go!"

"Afraid of what?"

In the midst of the ridicule of more than 100 sergeants, Cao Yin looked into the distance with his bare feet, snorted coldly, raised his right foot, and walked forward with a look of disgrace.

The noisy "Huangquan Road" suddenly quieted down, the soldiers of the righteous army were all surprised, and the onlookers were shocked, everyone could not have imagined that Cao Yin would take the initiative to take steps and embark on this road of no return.

Blood flowed from Cao Yin's feet, and the rubble, sharp stones, broken swords, thorns and other things pierced into the soles of his feet, which was really painful and unbearable. But Cao Yin's eyes widened, and he struggled to walk step by step.

Suddenly, the sergeants became annoyed and scolded one by one: "Go! There you go! See how far you can go! ”

Many sergeants drew their swords, only for Cao Yin to fall impatiently. The commander has an order, as long as he pours it, he can be chopped into mashed meat.

Although Cao Yin was sweating profusely from pain, he didn't shout, only to see him clenching his silver teeth and moving forward steadily step by step......

The onlookers hid their faces and couldn't bear to look at them directly, but they also had the courage to stand up and persuade the soldiers: "Although this person is an official of the court and the central government, he has no evil deeds, how can he be guilty of the same crime as King Xiang?" ”

Some of the sergeants were moved, and slowly put down the swords in their hands.

Cao Yin had already walked more than 300 steps, and seeing that he was about to walk out of this Huangquan Road after walking more than 100 steps, five sergeants were in a hurry, and they pulled and hid to the side to discuss. One said: "This 'Huangquan Road' is paved by a few of us, ordinary people will fall into five doubts when they walk three or five steps, who would have thought that this Cao Yin is like King Kong, and he has worked hard for more than three hundred steps with his flesh and blood, if he really walked through, the handsome man will definitely blame my brothers for their incompetence." ”

Another said: "With the temper of the handsome, if we do not do things effectively, we will definitely be beheaded for public display." ”

Another said: "Why don't you chop him with a knife, just say that he can't support himself and fell first, so we just did it." ”

The sergeant who began to speak shook his head: "No, the rebel brothers will naturally face us, but so many people are watching, they will definitely say that what our rebels say doesn't count, once it reaches the ears of the commander, we will be finished." ”

Another said: "The left and right are dead, it's better to fight, I'll go to stand at the end of Huangquan Road now, if he Cao Yin can go to the end, I will kick him over, you four rush up and slash indiscriminately, the handsome will be blamed, I will bear it alone." ”

The other four people looked at each other and said: "That's fine, the marshal will be held accountable, and the four of us will intercede for you, now is the time to employ people, forgive the marshal will not behead his brother, at most a hundred military sticks." ”

Cao Yin endured the pain and moved forward, at this moment, life and death are no longer important, what matters is dignity, the dignity of a loyal minister, the dignity of the Ming Dynasty, and the dignity of the Son of Heaven.

I have walked more than 400 steps, as long as I hold on for dozens of steps, I will reach the end of the 'Huangquan Road', but who would have thought that at the end of the 'Huangquan Road', there are five impermanence of fate waiting for Cao Yin's arrival.

Suddenly, the wolf tyrant separated everyone, carried Cao Yin out of the 'Huangquan Road', gently placed him on the ground, and carefully pulled out the thorns and iron nails one by one from the soles of his bloody feet......

Seeing this, the sergeants danced their swords to kill the wolf tyrant, Duan Qi held up the token and shouted: "On the order of the marshal, pardon Cao Yin......"

6

Duan Qi led the way, and the wolf tyrant carried Cao Yin to the medical hall, and the doctor saw that Cao Yin's feet were miserable, and cursed while applying medicine: "Why are these people so ruthless, just kill King Xiang, and torture a good official like Lord Cao like this, it is intolerable." ”

Cao Yin said: "I am a sinner in the imperial court, and it is nothing to suffer a little, but they use the name of Tianxing Dao to burn, kill and loot, and trample on the law of my Taizu to the point that it is incomplete. ”

The wolf said domineeringly: "Lord Cao, Zhang Xianzhong's law is not strict, and his sergeants are misbehaving, and he will be punished by God one day." I heard that King Li Zicheng worshiped Tang Hai as a prison army, breaking the evil and establishing righteousness is not in vain, the army arrived, the autumn did not commit it, the righteous army only punished the crime of greed, not the good family, you are not treated well by the court now, why not go to the king and Tang Hai. ”

Cao Yin sneered: "You two rescued me from the ghost gate, although it is a good intention, please forgive Cao Yin for not being able to thank him." Cao Yinsheng is the minister of the Ming Dynasty, and he is the ghost of the Ming Dynasty when he dies, he is an official, enforces the law like a ding, serves the people, abides by the law like a mountain, and will never be in the same stream with the rogue. If you two want to kill me, I will never ask for forgiveness, if you don't kill me, I will not go anywhere, waiting for the official army to recover Xiangyang, at that time I will continue to serve my sentence in prison, without the emperor's amnesty, Cao Yin swore not to go out of prison. ”

The wolf overlord was shocked. The doctor nodded and praised: "If the officials of the imperial court are all law-abiding like Lord Cao, why will the next day be like this!" ”

Duan Qi comforted: "Lord Cao, you take good care of your injuries, only when your injuries are healed, can you have the opportunity to realize the ambitions of Xiangshan Fighting Spirit and defeat him Tang Hai." ”

Cao Yin lowered his head in thought, sighed, and asked Duan Qi and Wolf Ba instead: "You are originally from Tang Hai?" Why are you with Zhang Xianzhong again? Could it be that all the people in the world have become one family? ”

Duan Qi smiled: "Don't dare to deceive Lord Cao, Marshal Tang heard that Zhang Xianzhong wanted to attack Xiangyang, he was worried about your safety, so he specially ordered the two of us to come to comfort Zhang Xianzhong not to kill innocents indiscriminately, especially a good official like Lord Cao." ”

Cao Yin sneered: "Tang Hai is a person with small benevolence and righteousness, no great wisdom and great wisdom, he can walk the rivers and lakes, although he has a bad law, after all, he only kills corrupt officials, not in vain good people, if he wants to talk about the crime, at most he will be convicted of murder, and he will be harmed by himself." But he was arrogant, bewitched by the Li thief, rebelled against the imperial court, gathered tens of millions of rogues, and delusionally devoured the world's artifacts. ”