1

In Nanchang Prison, the proclamation officer unfolded the holy decree and read it:

Fengtian transported, the emperor summoned and said: the criminal official Cao Yin, who was originally the criminal department Langzhong, the lord of Taihe County, advocated the law, fist and fist, but was hurt by the traitorous ministers, far away from the court, and then was falsely accused and imprisoned, shackled and shackled. I rule the country with virtue, the law is strict, under the bright sun, how can I tolerate grievances? He is a pillar of the country, loyal and unyielding to the countryside. I am pardoned and innocent, and I will return to the capital as soon as possible, and I will wait for the reuse of the decree, and I will not be delayed. Chin this!

After the official announced the holy decree, Cao Yin was overjoyed, knelt down to thank him, and cried with joy.

The herald said: "Lord Cao, although the holy decree urges you to set off quickly, but the emperor's grace is vast, I read that you have been imprisoned for ten years, and our family will wait for you in the government for three days, and you and I will leave for Beijing to resume the decree after three days, and we must not miss the schedule." Cao Yin thanked him: "Thank you father-in-law for your compassion, it's just that my mother now lives in Huangmei, so we might as well set off to the north immediately, and then ask my father-in-law to stay for three days when passing through Huangmei, and let the unfilial son do his filial piety for three days." Cao Yin couldn't help but cry out when he talked about his mother, and the proclamator was also moved when he saw it, and nodded and said, "Okay, just follow Lord Cao." ”

Several people went all the way north, and arrived at Huangmei for five days, and the herald took his entourage to the county yayi, and Cao Yin went to Sijing's house, knelt in front of his mother, stroked his mother's white hair, and felt guilty.

Cao Yin's voice was choked, and he muttered: "Mother, have you suffered? After that, sorrow came from the heart, and he cried out loud.

Cao's mother stroked her son, with tears in her eyes, shook her head and said: "Mother is not bitter, the Jing Kui brothers often bring me some money and food, Xiao Yao gave me some money and food, Xiao Yao gave me the silver has not been used up, my mother is in Huangmei, and the days can pass improvised, but my son is suffering." ”

Cao Yin was crying with his head buried in his head, and after listening to his mother's words, he suddenly raised his head and asked in surprise, "Xiao Yao?" ”

Cao's mother said: "Yes, when my mother accidentally fell into the river alone in the rain, I was rescued by Xiao Yao, he placed me in a thatched hut, personally collected medicine for me, and served my mother for more than two months. Later, his enemy came to the door, and as a last resort, he gave me fifty taels of silver for me to look for you, and he himself ran away in a hurry and disappeared. Later, I heard that you were in Taihe, and rushed to look for it, but my son was framed by a traitor and imprisoned, fortunately the Jing brothers took me to Huangmei to live in peace, otherwise, you and my mother and son will never see each other in this life. ”

Cao Yin said: "This person's kindness, the son will never forget, when the child goes to the capital, after settling down, he will come to pick up his mother, at that time, we will go to Dabie Mountain to find Xiao Yao, repay his great kindness." ”

Cao's mother said: "What I said is that he is not only the benefactor of my mother and son, but also a bosom friend, speaking of my son's case, others say that my son is a big official, forgetting the training of the sage, and doing things that are immoral, only Xiao Yao praised my son as an aspiring good official, saying that it is impossible for my son to do that kind of dirty deed." ”

Cao Yin was greatly moved, and Cao's mother said again: "It's just that my son wants to find him, I'm afraid it's not easy." ”

Cao Yin said: "Why is this, doesn't my mother know where his family lives?" ”

Cao's mother said: "That day he left, I was afraid that his enemy would harm me, and I left the hut in a hurry, and then I saw a group of public servants coming with knives and sticks, only to hear them say: 'Hurry up, don't go Ma Xiao, he is a criminal in the court, arrest him, we will be rich." Mother guessed, since he was the person who was going to be taken by the official, how could he dare to live in Dabie Mountain again, and dare to hide in the world. ”

Cao Yin was shocked: "Are you saying that Xiao Yao is just a pseudonym, and his real identity is Ma Xiao, a wanted criminal by the imperial court?" ”

Cao Mu said: "Exactly." ”

As the mother and son were talking, they heard a gentle knock on the door, and when they looked back, four men were standing at the door, and when the four saw Cao Yin, they all shouted: "Teacher." ”

Cao Yin heard the shout, and then recognized that it was the four brothers Jing Kui, Jing Ying, Jing Si, and Jing Fei, and couldn't help but be overjoyed, and greeted him and said, "Why are you here?" ”

Jing Kui said: "The four students were recommended by Lord Wu, the secretary of the household department, and served in Lujiang last year, and were respectively the county officials, the officials of the criminal room, the wardens of the criminal room, and the inspection department. Last month, Li Banghua, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, recommended my four brothers to face the saints, and we followed Lord Wu's plan to say in front of the emperor that our talents were learned from our teacher, and the emperor issued an order to pardon the teacher and take the teacher into Beijing. Master Wu ordered the four of us to come to greet the teacher, and go north to the capital with the teacher. ”

Cao Yinxi said: "Okay, Lord Wu is a good plan. After a pause, he said: "Lord Wu knows the grace of the encounter, and Cao Yin has nothing to repay." ”

Jing Fei said: "I heard Lord Wu say that this is a ploy recommended by the Manchu Dynasty. ”

Cao Yin was stunned for a moment, recalling the situation back then, he couldn't help but look solemn, and complained: "Back then, it was Man Langzhong who recommended me and Fang Qing, Luo Kong, and Wang Changyue, and now Fang Qing, Luo Kong, and Wang Changyue's mantle heir, Wang Shan, is doing his best to serve the country, but I am ...... Alas! Cao Yin failed Man Langzhong! Failed Emperor Guangzong! ”

2

Serve tea, warm quilt at night, feed decoction, beat shoulders and backs, regret the original carelessness, and do three days of filial piety.

At the end of the three days, Cao Yin settled his mother, and a total of more than ten people rode north with the Xuanzhi official and the Jing family brothers, just arrived in Wuchang, and met the Xuanzhi sent by the emperor, and ordered Cao Yin to temporarily lead the Jingmen Push Official, Jing Kui Ren experience, Jing Ying as the governor, Jing Si as the Zhaomo, Jing Fei as the prison. Cao Yin was shocked after receiving the decree, and he didn't know what happened in the court, so he asked: "Father-in-law, the emperor's previous holy decree announced that I would enter Beijing to face the saint, why did you keep me in Jingmen this time?" The announcer smiled and said: "Lord Cao, don't be suspicious, our family is entrusted by Lord Wu Lu, and there are a few whispers to tell each other." Cao Yin whispered: "Lord Wu said that the emperor is cautious, and he must first review the unjust case of Lord Cao ten years ago, and then use it, Lord Wu said, at most half a year can return Lord Cao's innocence, and then there will be a holy decree to pass on, I hope that Lord Cao will be diligent in political affairs in Jingmen, and do not disappoint the emperor's order." ”

When Cao Yin heard this, he was relieved.

The two proclamators went north to return to Beijing, and Cao Yin received the holy decree and official certificate, and took four students west to Jingmen to take office. Walking to the east and west villages in Shayang, encountering a river, there happened to be a ferry by the river, and there were four big men squatting in the cabin who were counting the burdens, Cao Yin was in a hurry to cross the river, and shouted: "Boat family, please ferry us to the west bank of the river." The four men looked at each other and smiled, and one of them said, "It's business again." Another urged, "Come aboard." Cao Yin and the five jumped on the ferry, and a man gently touched the penny, and the ferry went offshore.

Walking to the center of the river, the man who held the penny forked the penny towards the water, crossed his hands on the bow of the boat and smiled silently, Cao Yin said strangely: "Boat family, why don't you leave?" ”

The other three men laughed, and Cao Yin and the others looked at the appearance of the four people, all of them were barbaric men, all of them were fierce, and they couldn't help but be shocked. The man who held the boat sang loudly:

Ye is an Oriental Night Rakshasa who only eats big fish and not shrimp.

The Dragon King of the Four Seas was disobedient and threw himself in the pot and killed with a knife.

Sijing heard the song and knew that he had encountered a robbery, Jing Kui said sharply: "This Lord Cao on the boat is the new Jingmen magistrate, and the four of us are experience, governors, Zhaoma, and prisons, and this East and West Village is the territory of Jingmen, what are you going to do?" ”

The man who supported the boat said: "We don't want to do anything, we just want to ask for a transition fee?" ”

Jing Kui said: "How can there be a boat in the middle of the river that has to charge the ferry fee?" ”

The man said: "We are not a boat family, so naturally we don't follow the rules of the boat family." ”

Cao Yin asked in surprise: "Aren't you a boatman?" And what about the boatman? ”

Another man said with a smile: "He has sunk to the bottom of the river, and it is easy for the five of you to find a boatman, and the master will send you into the water, haha!" ”

It turned out that the four big men on the ship were none other than the one wolf and three tigers who left Hanzhong. The four wolf tyrants went south to Sichuan, and after a few months of mixing, they came down the east of the river to Jingzhou, stayed in Jingzhou for more than a month, and then came to Shayang to play for a few days. Wolf Ba and the Three Tigers discussed the way out, feeling that although the world is big, there is nowhere to go, think about the grass on Dingjun Mountain for more than a year to be free, no worse than in the city, so a total, simply go back to Luoshan, go to Jigong Mountain to rob the house, feel free, if the government dares to come to encircle and suppress, he will kill him personally on his back and turn over, just to report the hatred of being wanted by the government for no reason the year before last.

The four of them were preparing to cross the tributary of the Han River to return to Luoshan, but unfortunately they were penniless, and when the boat arrived on the east bank, the wolf bully said to the boatman: "Big brother, it's really unfortunate, my brothers didn't bring any money, and they will come to pay you for the ferry another day." "Then you have to leave in a hurry. The boatman was also damned, and he didn't let go of the wolf tyrant, and shouted: "If you want to take a white boat, believe it or not, sink a few of you into the river to feed the fish!" The wolf bully was furious, knocked the boat over with a punch, and then stepped on his chest and asked angrily: "How much money do you owe you for the ferry fee, dare to feed me to fish?" Ruan Tianhu said: "Big brother, what to tell him." As he spoke, he took out his knife and stabbed it violently, and the boatman immediately went to Huangquan to mourn.

Seeing that he had killed someone, the wolf bully ordered Ruan Tianhu to throw the body into the river, reversed and got on the boat to search for property.

Cao Yin said angrily: "You are so bold that you dare to commit robbers in broad daylight? ”

The wolf tyrant held the penny in his hand and smiled: "Don't say that you are the judge of Jingmen, even if the emperor comes, why should I be afraid?" If there is a lot of silver, grandpa may be happy to spare the lives of the five of you. ”

Liu Guangfu said: "Big brother, others can spare their lives if they ask for mercy, but there is no good thing in the official, just kill it." Liu Guangfu said, holding the knife and approaching Cao Yin, Jing Kui, Jing Ying, Jing Si, and Jing Fei stepped forward to protect him, and shouted in unison: "Hugh wants to hurt Lord Cao." ”

Liu Guangfu didn't care what Lord Cao and Master Zhang was, and was about to commit murder, but he was stopped by the wolf bully, and the wolf said domineeringly: "Tie it up first." When the three tigers heard this, they rushed up and tied up the five people and threw them on the bow of the boat, and then took the baggage of the five people into the cabin and opened it. Ruan Tianhu searched out a jade plate, saw that it was crystal clear, and said happily: "This is valuable." ”

Cao Yin saw that the thief was going to snatch his jade plate, and shouted angrily: "Hugh wants to move me to Tongtianwa!" ”

Ruan Tianhu was furious, and ran over to hit Cao Yin, but was shouted by the wolf bully: "Stop, bring the jade plate to me to see." Ruan Tianhu sent the jade plate to the wolf overlord and said, "Big brother, this is valuable." "Wolf Ba took a closer look, and saw the dragon flying and the phoenix dancing on the jade board, engraved with the words 'Yuci Tongtianwa'. The wolf bully was shocked, came to Cao Yin and asked, "Are you Cao Yin?" Cao Yin said: "It is this official." ”

The wolf bully hurriedly picked up Cao Yin, personally untied the rope, and let the three tigers let go of the four brothers of the Jing family, and respectfully worshipped: "Lord Cao is honest and honest, law enforcement is like a mountain, disrespectful!" ”

Cao Yin asked, "Who are you?" ”

The wolf overbearing: "I am the Luoshan wolf tyrant." ”

Cao Yin said: "I am an official of the imperial court, you are a gangster in the rivers and lakes, it is my duty to arrest you, Cao Yin is law-abiding like a mountain, law enforcement is like a ding, although you let me go, but I can't let you go." ”

The three tigers were furious: "The dog official doesn't know anything, we kindly let you go, but you have set up the official tree, or not, grandpa will send you to see the king of Hades, and you will take the king of Hades to arrest a few of my brothers." ”

The three tigers pushed Cao Yin and wanted to throw him into the river, but the wolf lord scolded: "Hugh is going to be rude to Lord Cao. He said to Cao Yin again: "Your Excellency is not shocked, I will send your adult across the river." ”

The wolf bully picked up the penny and pushed the boat across the river, and when he reached the shore, he pushed the embarrassed Cao Yin and Sijing off the boat, Cao Yin got off the boat, looked back at the four fierce robbers and hesitated, wanted to arrest them, but they didn't have the ability, so they left.

The wolf bully smiled: "Lord Cao should not regret it, go back to Jingmen to mobilize people to capture me, haha." After saying that, he picked up the penny and put it on the shore a little, laughed with the three tigers and left.

When the boat arrived at the heart of the river, Liu Guangfu said: "Big brother, why don't you kill them?" Chen Hu also said: "Yes, Cao Yin is loyal to the imperial court, God is fortunate to let him fall into our hands today, why not kill him?" Ruan Tianhu also shouted: "How happy it is to kill these five dog officials." ”

The wolf said domineeringly: "The hero I respect the most on the rivers and lakes is the thief, he once said: 'I am good when a good person hates me, and I am also evil if a wicked person is kind to me.'" 'Although Cao Yin is a member of the court, he is a good person, how can I kill him?' ”

When the three tigers heard this, they all nodded yes, and the four of them returned to Jiangdong, abandoned the boat and looked at the east wind and galloped away.

3

The four of them walked to the foot of Jigong Mountain in Xinyang for more than a month, saw a restaurant in the distance, the four of them were hungry, strode forward to take a look, and saw that the signboard said "North and South Boundary", there were no other customers in the store, the four of them untied the Pu knife and found a big table to sit down. Seeing that business was coming, the shopkeeper ran over to wipe the table with a smile, and the wolf bully asked, "Little Er, how do you call the north and south boundaries?" Xiao Erdao: "Although this Jigong Mountain is not high, it is the north and south sides of the sky, the north of the mountain plain, the climate is cold, the south of the mountain is mountainous, the climate is humid, the ancients regarded the Jigong Mountain as the boundary between the north and the south, so the shopkeeper named this hotel the north and south boundary." Chen Hu smiled: "Nonsense, we are all locals, why have we never heard of it?" The wolf said domineeringly: "Xiao Er, take care of him in the south and the north, hurry up and serve good wine and food." Xiao Er poured the tea, boiled beef and pig's trotters for the four of them, and gave them a pot of rice wine, and the four of them let go of their bellies to eat and drink, and after a while, they fell drunk under the table and stool.

When they woke up, the four of them found themselves sleeping in four beds, and the wolf bully got up and looked left and right, and exclaimed, "Oh no, brothers, we have been robbed." Chen Hu opened his eyes and was furious: "Who the hell eats the leopard's gall and dares to rob the master." The wolf bully hurriedly woke up Ruan Tianhu and Liu Guangfu, and the two sat up lazily and said, "Good wine." ”

The door creaked open, and a woman and three men walked over, and when the four of them looked, the woman at the head was Duan Qi, followed by Zhao Dezhi and others.

Duan Qi said coldly: "Wolf Ba, you are so bold, the government is taking you everywhere, but you have come back from the net, do you know that I, Duan Qi, have been short of money recently, so I specially gave me a credit and asked me to receive the reward?" ”

Ruan Tianhu, Chen Hu, and Liu Guangfu were furious, and were about to get up to attack, when the wolf bully commanded: "Sit down." The three of them obediently returned to the bedside and glared at Duan Qi angrily, their hatred still unsubsiding. The wolf bully got up slowly, walked up to Duan Qi and arched his hand, "Thank you Seventh Sister for saving your life." ”

Duan Qi smiled and said, "How can I save you." ”

The wolf bully said with a smile: "If the seventh sister wanted to take my four brothers to ask for merit and rewards, we would have already been tied up and sent to the county government. Besides, the seventh sister was forced to fall into the grass after a big fight with the Ya of Luoshan County, how could she be an eagle dog of the government for the sake of some silver? ”

Duan Qi smiled slightly: "The wolf bully is really powerful. Duan Qi took a few steps lightly, sat down on the wooden bench, crossed Erlang's legs, and Zhao Dezhi and the others stood obediently behind him. Duan Qi said unhurriedly: "It's not a secret, Duan Qi and the dog officer fought and killed, and now he has abandoned his family property, gathered all the villagers to go to this Jigong Mountain, and became the king of the mountain. ”

The wolf said domineeringly: "In this case, why don't the seventh sister leave?" With just Jigong Mountain, how can it resist the thousands of troops and horses of the government? ”

Duan Qi snorted, smiled contemptuously, and replied: "Today, the people eat stones, gnaw tree bark, and have no way to survive, and there are many people who rise up from the pole, and the next day is already crumbling. I am now driving hundreds of angry people, condescendingly, facing a group of thieves who are greedy for life and afraid of death, why should I be invincible? ”

Wolf Ba was overjoyed when he heard this: "Seventh Sister is bold and overlooked, Wolf Ba is willing to help Seventh Sister with three brothers to fight and kill faint officials, so as to relieve the hatred in his heart." ”

Duan Qi was overjoyed, got up and ordered: "Come on, set up a banquet in the lobby to catch the wind and wash the dust for one wolf and three tigers." ”

After a short time, the banquet was set up, seated, and after three rounds of drinking, the wolf lord asked: "Seventh sister, if there are officers and soldiers coming, how can you retreat from the enemy?" ”

Duan Qidao: "Jigong Mountain is a hundred miles in circumference, dozens of villages, thousands of people, all of them are poor peasants, they hate the officers and soldiers to the core, many of our brothers on the mountain are local villagers, if the officers and soldiers enter the mountain, there will be villagers to report." This is the Langya Ridge, the mountain is high and the road is dangerous, if the officers and soldiers come to attack, we will lure them deep, and then attack it by surprise in the dense forests in the mountains, and they will surely win. The wolf bully was overjoyed to hear this.

The next day, Duan Qi personally took the four wolf tyrants to check the terrain in various parts of the cottage, and then went to the surrounding passes to investigate, and walked to the steep road up the mountain in front of the mountain, Duan Qi pointed to the nearby pond and said: "Wolf tyrant, this full pond of water can be defeated by 10,000 male soldiers." ”

The wolf bully was puzzled and asked, "How do you say this?" ”

Duan Qidao: "If the officers and soldiers go up the mountain from this road, I only need to release water to attack the enemy soldiers, and I can win without a fight." ”

The wolf tyrant thought about it, suddenly cheerful, and said happily: "Good strategy, after the water disperses the enemy, we will cover up and kill again, like a wolf into a flock, there is no reason to be invincible." ”

Duan Qi said with a smile: "When the time comes, you still need to be here with a wolf and three tigers, and give the officers and soldiers a head-on blow." ”

The wolf said domineeringly: "Very good, I hope that the official army will come as soon as possible, and my brothers are waiting to kill each other to relieve their hatred." ”

Duan Qi turned around and instructed his entourage: "Shouchun, you will take a few brothers with hoes to stay here day and night tomorrow, just wait for the officers and soldiers to arrive, and when they confront the wolf brothers, you can dig a ditch and release water." ”

Shouchun said: "Seventh sister, don't worry, my subordinates will come here tonight to wait." ”