On the night of August 19 of the ninth year of Jianxing.

On the head of the county seat of Changning, there is the head of the rebel who is bald and orphaned. Most of the rebels outside the city have calmed down. Changning County sent more than 300 soldiers to collect all their weapons. At this moment, these more than 6,000 rebels laid down their arms and set up camp for themselves. The camp is nearly two miles in circumference. Dozens of large and small bonfires are burning in it. After handing over their weapons, the rebels sat lazily around these campfires in groups of three or five, groups of ten. These few days of running have made them physically and mentally exhausted. Now the dust is settled. The head of the rebellion is dead. After returning from the negotiations in Changning County, several representatives also told the people that the Changning County Order kept its promise and promised not to pursue the crimes of thieves and allow them to temporarily be stationed outside the county seat after handing over their weapons. He also promised that before the reasonable resettlement of the people, he would find a way to provide food, and report to Gu Zang as soon as possible, and introduce resettlement measures for the people.

Everyone sat by the bonfire and rested, and it didn't take long for them to see the city gate of Changning County open, and carts lined up from the city and came straight to the camp. The fatigue and nervousness of the crowd for a long time disappeared after seeing these carts carrying grain. The crowd began to talk and laugh. The camp is gradually starting to regain its vitality.

Zhao Shuzhi took the county soldiers and transported the 100 stone of grain from the county warehouse to the temporary camp set up by the rebel army outside the city. Those rebellious troops had calmed down at this time, and they were all grateful to see that Changning County had also brought them food. Zhao Shuzhi spoke to the rebel army surrounding in Hu language, and said: "The county gentleman is benevolent and righteous, and he doesn't care about the mistakes of your thieves, but I just hope that you can be hungry, and no matter where you go in the future, you can do your duty to support your family, and don't do illegal things again." ”

The rebels were grateful, and said yes again and again. The scribe Zhao handed over the grain to the rebel army, and appointed one of the older tribal leaders to temporarily take charge of the affairs of the rebel army. Restrain subordinates and don't move around. The leader agreed. And promise that as long as they are here, these rebels will definitely defend themselves. Hearing this, the scribe Zhao was very satisfied, so he led the soldiers to push the cart back to the city.

One hundred stone of food is actually not much, only enough to feed the more than 6,000 rebellious soldiers outside the city for two meals. This was Li Yanzhao's idea. Although the weapons in the hands of the rebellious soldiers were confiscated, before the situation was settled, Li Yanzhao believed that it was still necessary to guard against possible changes to these rebellious soldiers, so he suggested that Ren County Order distribute the food allocated to the rebellious soldiers in batches, and only distribute two or three meals of food for them at a time. This is undoubtedly equivalent to pinching their life. As a result, they had to settle in and stay in the camp.

Ren County Commander was deeply convinced of Li Yanzhao's cautious suggestion, so he ordered the grain in the county warehouse to be distributed in batches and times. His officials complied.

Li Yanzhao immediately remembered something, he walked down the city tower, and went to the county jail, Cui Yang and Han Wencan were on duty at the prison gate, and when they saw Li Yanzhao coming, they hurriedly greeted them, Li Yanzhao talked with the two of them for a few words, and told the two of them to be more vigilant. The bald and orphaned family of the thief chief has to be careful every day when he is in prison. When the two heard Li Yanzhao's advice, they both nodded solemnly, saying that they would definitely strengthen their vigilance and act cautiously.

Li Yanzhao entered the prison door, but saw Niu Erzhuang lying on the table guarded by the cell head, sleeping sweetly. Ding Yue, Liao Rulong, Qin Dayong, Zhang Xing, and Wang Qiang each found a bench and sat in a row on the side. Seeing Li Yanzhao come in, everyone immediately got up. Qin Dayong also stepped forward to the cell head table and pushed the sleeping Zhengxiang Niu Erzhuang.

Niu Erzhuang was pushed a few times by Qin Dayong and snorted a few times reluctantly. Then he turned his head and fell asleep again.

Seeing this, Qin Dayong was in a hurry, and hurriedly went up and pushed Niu Erzhuang a few times, and said, "Wake up, wake up!" Erniu! Li Shichang is here! ”

Niu Erzhuang responded a few times. Then he bounced up from the table: "What? Li Shichang? ”

As soon as he got up, he saw Li Yanzhao next to him looking at him with a smile. He was suddenly a little flustered, and said: "Li Shichang is here, Li Shichang is ......"

Li Yanzhao smiled, without blaming, and said to his subordinates in prison: "Everyone has been working hard to quell the rebellion these days, and I know it. But now that we have a lot at stake, please stick with it. It's been a few days since I was running. It won't be long before everyone can return to Guangwu and reunite with their loved ones. ”

When they heard this, they were overjoyed. They are not tired, they are not tired. Li Yanzhao said with a smile: "If you are not tired, you are a ghost!" Tired must be tired, and I'm tired too. However, the responsibility is heavy, and everyone still takes shifts. Two or three people take a nap, and the rest are on duty, and after a while they change, but they need to be vigilant and careful. "Everyone heard that it should be.

Li Yanzhao immediately looked back at Niu Erzhuang: "Erzhuang, I've been away from home for so long, do you miss your mother?" ”

Er Zhuang remembered the day when he attacked the enemy camp not long ago, he was homesick and almost became a deserter. So he scratched his head embarrassedly. Then he said in a voice like a mosquito, "Yes." ”

Li Yanzhao saw Niu Erzhuang's posture, but he laughed and said: "Manly man, what is there to be ashamed of thinking about your mother." Look at you, you look like a girl's house. ”

When everyone saw Niu Erzhuang's squirming posture, they all laughed when they heard Li Yanzhao ridiculing him like this. Seeing this, Niu Erzhuang was anxious, and said loudly to everyone: "Li Shichang has said it, what is there to be ashamed of thinking about your mother, what are you laughing at!" ”

Li Yanzhao saw his embarrassed posture, but he had no intention of making fun of him anymore, and hurriedly asked everyone to stop laughing at Niu Erzhuang, and then Li Yanzhao solemnly said to Niu Erzhuang: "Erzhuang, it doesn't matter if you miss your mother, it just so happens that I have an errand to hand over to you." I'll write a letter, you take it, ride back to Guangwu County, give the letter to the prince, and then you go home and meet your mother. You don't have to come back. After our class returns to the county, you can return to the team. ”

"Huh? Really? Niu Erzhuang was surprised when he heard this, and asked.

"I'll let you do something, can you still fake it?" Li Yanzhao patted Niu Erzhuang's back with a smile and said to him, "Let's go, I'll write a letter and give it to you." ”

"Hey! Here it goes. Niu Erzhuang was surprised, and hurriedly packed up his weapons, dry food and other things, and then ran straight to Li Yanzhao outside, leaving everyone in the cell looking at his back with envy.

In addition to reporting to Taishou, Li Yanzhao thought that he also needed to inform Ma Duwei and send a messenger to Xiping County to report the news. And it all had to be overnight. After thinking about it, Ma Duwei was outside, and he was uncertain, and he didn't know where to find them. However, they must have sentry horses following the rebels, and after thinking about it, there was no need to send someone to deliver the news to him. But on the side of Xiping County, who will be sent? After thinking about it, Li Yanzhao suddenly remembered that the horseman who went with him to visit the relatives of the thieves before coming to Changning overnight seemed to be called Cheng Min. So he hurriedly walked towards the urn city where the cavalry temporarily lived.

Li Yanzhao entered the city of Weng, but saw that all the cavalry were tired, holding their weapons, sitting on the ground and leaning against the root of the city wall, and fell asleep. I couldn't help but feel a sense of tiredness in my heart. He beat his spirit and shouted to the urn city: "Cheng Min! Cheng Min! ”

A sergeant who was lying down at the base of the city wall and had not yet fallen asleep heard that Li Yanzhao was shouting several times in a row, but no one answered, so he got up and followed his side to look carefully, and after a while, he found Cheng Min's figure, but he was sleeping dead. hurriedly stepped forward and pushed him: "Cheng Min, get up, Li Shichang has something to look for you." ”

Cheng Min sat up in a daze, then rubbed his eyes with his hands, yawned again, and then stood up and asked, "Who?" ”

Li Yanzhao stood at the inner gate of the urn city and beckoned to him: "Cheng Min, come here." ”

Seeing that it was Li Yanzhao, Cheng Min hurriedly stepped forward, as if his eyes were still worried, and asked, "Li Shichang, what's wrong?" ”

Li Yanzhao touched his waist, took out a small bag of money, about a few dozen yuan, handed it to Cheng Min's hand, and said: "The rebellion has been quelled, and we need a competent person to go to Xiping County to report the news. This is a little bit of my heart, and I will exchange it for a few bowls of wine to drink, not too little. ”

Cheng Min held the money bag in his hand and had been asleep for most of the time. After some resignation, he saw that he couldn't resist Li Yanzhao, so he picked up the money bag. Then he packed up his weapons. He went to find his horses outside the urn city, and then went out of the city gate to Xiping.

Li Yanzhao found Zhao Shushi again, borrowed pen, ink, paper, inkstone and other things from him, coarsely polished the ink, and then picked up the pen and wrote on the paper.

After half a pillar of incense, Li Yanzhao wrote the letter, then sealed it, and handed the letter to Niu Erzhuang, who was sleeping against the city wall. Niu Erzhuang woke up and saw that the letter had been written, but there was light in his eyes. He hurriedly carried the letter carefully into his bosom, and then took the weapon. He also went to find his own horse, got on his horse and went out of the city gate, and went straight to the direction of Guangwu County in the north.

After doing this, Li Yanzhao went to the county government and reported to the county commander about sending people to inform the military situation. Ren County Ling was meditating on the good news that he was going to send to Guzang. I heard that Li Yanzhao had sent people to send letters to Guangwu and Xiping respectively. It saves me the trouble of arranging by myself, and I am very happy. praised Li Yanzhao again and again. Li Yanzhao said a few words modestly, and then left the house.

Li Yanzhao returned to the city tower, found a stool, sat next to the city tower, and looked at the calm rebel camp outside. Fang Cai's sleepiness came again, and he felt that his eyelids could not stop fighting, so he no longer reluctantly, propped his head on the battlements, and fell into a deep sleep.