Later, the Boy Scout followed, and Huo Bao asked Huo Bao, who was fast-paced, to go to the mule cart to pass the word, and said to the others: "Hou Xiaoming also followed the leopard, look at the opportunity to get on the mule cart, change someone down, and leave two people to follow the mule cart, and the others went separately to inquire about who is in charge of this Quyang County now, and when did the tax collection at the gate start." ”

The crowd answered and dispersed.

Huo Bao and Shui Jin still followed the mule cart.

The mule cart did not change direction, it still went in the direction of the shopping street.

The grain stores and grocery stores in the county town are concentrated there.

The two young men who looked like ordinary people were always behind the mule cart.

Huo Bao carefully bypassed the two of them, turned to the front, and only then did he make a feint from the fork in the road, as if he had almost been hit by a mule cart, pulling the reins of the driver and chirping crookedly.

No one noticed, Hou Xiaoming ran into the carriage, and a person got out of the carriage and dodged into the fork in the road.

After the two finished exchanging, Huo Bao put down the reins of the driver and left with a scolding.

"What the hell is going on?" Shui Jin asked in a low voice.

"Either the grain store is not open, or the grain store is a 'thief's den'." Huo Bao Dao.

Saying this, the group arrived at the buying and selling street.

Compared with the previous month, this trading street is becoming more and more depressed, and there are only a few shops open on the entire street.

The hand that opens the door of the shop, and there are few pedestrians.

The door of the grain shop was open, and only one man was sweeping the floor at the door, and there were no guests in sight.

The mule cart stopped at the door, and the fellow came up and gestured and said something.

Huo Bao also came over, and just happened to hear the guy say: "The county government has issued a notice that it is not allowed to sell grain privately, and you must go to the yamen to register before you can buy grain." The guest officer still registers with the yamen first, and if there is a note from the yamen, we can sell grain here. ”

The man who drove the car said impatiently: "One buys food, and is still so verbose? What kind of yamen do you want to enter? ”

The guy said with a bitter face: "This is the rule set by the county lieutenant, who dares not to listen." ”

Huo Bao asked with a little curiosity: "Why didn't the bun shop on the other side open?" And the braised meat shop and the sauce duck shop are not open, so where to rest? ”

"It was closed at the beginning of the month, and now the food is expensive, everyone can't drink porridge, where is the spare money to eat steamed buns and meat?" The guy sighed, hesitated for a moment, and said, "The inns in the city are almost closed...... The little brother really had nowhere to run, so he went to the Sifang Inn in the back street...... In the county, only that one is still entertaining guests now......"

"Thank you, big brother!" Huo Bao's face was full of sincerity, and he pulled the guy's hand.

The guy blinked.

Huo Bao said in a low voice: "Ask the eldest brother, isn't that the Sifang Inn...... A relative of the county lieutenant opened it? ”

The guy didn't answer immediately, but gave Huo Bao a thumbs up, and then whispered: "It's the county lieutenant's deal." ”

Huo Bao nodded, thanked again, didn't look at the mule cart, and went to the back street.

The "manservant" who drove the mule cart babbled and reluctantly drove to the yamen in the other direction.

Behind the mule cart were the two young men who followed from the city gate, and behind the young men were two inconspicuous scouts.

After a while, Huo Bao chased after him.

"Uncle Bao, this is obviously a trick, what if the Great Sage really falls into it?"

"If you don't get into it, how can you inquire about the news?" Huo Bao said: "The Great Sage is good and careful, and he has learned the escape technique before, so don't worry." ”

"Great Sage" is Hou Xiaoming's nickname, which Huo Bao personally gave him.

Just like Bao Dai reading the West Chamber fifty years later, there is also a story of Journey to the West in this world.

The Scouts are not very old, they are familiar with each other, and they are also close to each other by their own nicknames.

It's just that Hou Xiaoming suffered from his surname, and some people began to call him "monkey". He was the chief and the chief of the tun all the way up, such a nickname detracted from the majesty, so Huo Bao personally replaced the name "Great Sage", but called it away.

Huo Bao was relieved, but Shui Jin was even more worried: "Xiaobao, you can't just care about the child soldiers, the three sons have never learned the art of escape." ”

"Brother Shui, rest assured, as long as they are obedient, there is no danger to their lives." Huo Bao Dao.

Shui Jin frowned, where can he rest assured?

The Sifang Inn was in front of him, and Huo Bao was worried that they would accidentally show their whereabouts, so he whispered: "Quyang County is not right, there are only people entering the city at the gate of the city, and there are no people leaving the city...... There is also something wrong, it is the yamen who provides food and shelter; And then there is the Quartet Inn in front of me, which is a relative of the county lieutenant, not a relative of the county commander and the county magistrate...... If what I expected, it is the county lieutenant who is in charge of this Quyang County now......"

"They're expanding their army in Lazhuangding?!" Huo Bao reacted first.

"Expansion? Isn't there no food, so what's the expansion? The emperor is not bad for hungry soldiers! Shui Jin just felt that it didn't make sense.

"There is only one grain store in this city, and there is no grain to sell, and the grain stored in the county should be collected in the hands of the county lieutenant. For other news, I will inquire slowly. When you enter the inn, the two of you just pass by the hotel to rest, not to mention anything else. Huo Bao said in the end and explained.

Quyang County was "recovered" at the end of last month, and the white-shirted army could not be defeated without a few hundred troops.

I just don't know when this county lieutenant began to "expand the army" and how much.

Huo Bao and Shui Jin both quieted down, and followed Huo Bao into the inn.

The door of the inn was open, and it was empty, except for two small chirps behind the counter.

"Is the shopkeeper there?" Huo Bao approached the counter and asked.

A small head came out from behind the counter, a girl with a bun, ten years old, eyebrows and eyes, tilted her head and said, "Does my little brother live in a hotel?" The rice is 250 wen per room, and the rice is not 100 wen. ”

Huo Bao's sideburns were already oozing sweat, not tired, but hungry.

"Dinner, two rooms." Huo Bao took out two pieces of broken silver from his purse: "Pay it for three days first." ”

The girl took it with a smile, took a key from behind the counter, led the three of them into a room upstairs, took another key and said, "This is the key next door, do you go over now, or do you go over after dinner?" ”

"Let's eat after dinner, let's eat first." Huo Bao took the key.

The girl answered and went out.

"Strange? How can you be a little girl? Shui Jin wondered.

"He was dressed in muslin, and his shoes were satin. It's not like a subordinate, it may be a family member of the owner. Huo Leopard's eyes were sharp.

Huo Bao doesn't feel very good.

The innkeeper and the guy may leave for a while, but what about the guests? Nor can I see it.

The gate of Quyang County is wide open, only in and out, today Huo Bao and his entourage can get "guidance" to come and settle down, and there should be others who get "guidance" to come and settle down.

Where are all these people?

After a quarter of an hour, the little girl went and returned, this time with a group of men, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, sharp hands and feet, holding a large food plate, on which were three bowls of porridge, as well as three steamed buns, and a plate of dried radish pickles.

"Now that we are fighting thousands of dollars, our inn has tried our best, but we can only do this." The girl was a little embarrassed and snapped her fingers.

"It's been an accident." Huo Bao said sincerely.

When he heard about rice before, it was only a bowl of gruel, but it turned out to be thick porridge and steamed buns, what else is there to be picky about?

According to the price of food today, this meal is worth dozens of dollars.

Seeing that they were not picky, the little girl was in a good mood, and said "little brother use it slowly", and took the guy out.

Huo Bao closed the door and untied his backpack.

In addition to the two Zijin pickets, the remaining two big bags are all food, a pack of jerky and a pack of fried noodles, which add up to more than ten catties.

Porridge, steamed buns, jerky, fried noodles, several catties of things went down, Huo Bao put down his chopsticks and looked at the food in front of him worried.

These meals can only be supplemented by two or three meals, and without supplies, they will not have much time to stay in the county.

*

In the northeast corner of the county, Hou Xiaoming and others, who were "robbed" of the mule cart and copper coins, were beaten and pulled here with their hands tied.

Along the way, there were no ordinary people, all county soldiers armed with spears and sabers were guarding.

After waiting for one alley after another, I came to a wide place.

When he saw the dense crowd of people in front of him, Hou Xiaoming only felt that his cold hair stood up, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

God, how many people are this!?

It's scary!