Yang Fan went back to the inn, and after telling Chen Wangting about his plan to return to Beijing, he came to the attic on the second floor. Zhang Yao stepped aside, handed over an account to Yang Fan, and said, "Sir, the head of the Cao family brought over the account for you to see." ”

"The Cao family?"

Zhang Yao nodded and said: "The Cao family, a salt merchant, said that he and Chang Wentian have the same chamber of commerce, but the two of them are not pleasing to each other, and in the end, after seeing through our identity, he also took the initiative to bite out Chang Wentian's old fox." The Chang family has done a very good job of smuggling arms, and there are almost no flaws to be found. Every time I trade, I also negotiate with the Green Gang through a small intermediary vendor, and I never take the initiative to negotiate by myself. ”

"Chang Wentian he bit out?" Yang Fan raised his eyebrows.

Zhang Yao nodded and said, "That's right." In fact, when Brother Liu was identified by the Qing Gang, Cao Bangde began to suspect me of waiting. He secretly wanted to get rid of Chang Wentian very early. It's just that I haven't been able to find connections. Although Liang Hongcheng didn't get involved in this matter, he secretly knew some cats, and it was estimated that he had accepted bribes, and they were the same as Chang Wentian. He and I also tested each other's opportunities, and finally decided to join the lord. ”

"Take refuge in me?" Yang Fan wondered.

"That's right. The Cao family's business, deducting the annual points to the salt officials and the officials here, the income is not as good as before, and a stable backer is very needed to reduce these points. "As a salt merchant, in addition to the taxation of the salt industry, there are many gray interest chains. To do business steadily, it is indispensable to do something. The deep background in the court is slightly better, and those people don't dare to go too far.

A family like the Cao family, which is already in decline, is tired of paying salt taxes on the one hand. It is also necessary to feed the bureaucrats whose appetites are constantly growing. Gradually, it declined, and generally merchants like the Cao family who rose up with salt. After only five generations of wealth, it gradually disappeared.

When it was prosperous. Always wanting to be able to continue the glory, some talented children embarked on a career in office, and as a result, it was difficult to have an heir to the family's business. After one generation later, the family declined.

Now the Cao family is in a state of scarcity. There is no one in the court, so there is no better way to rely on relying on people like Xiang Zhang Zeduan, relying on a few thousand taels a year to maintain business. This was also in the Red Mansion at that time, and as soon as he heard that Zhang Yao was a person from Jinyiwei, he immediately surrendered. Cao Bangde is also an old fox. Smelling a hint of danger, the Nine Clans were wiped out, and they knew that this was the best time to be courteous, so they did not hesitate to surrender.

Yang Fan closed the ledger and said, "Return the ledger." Tell Cao Bangde that I have received this friendship, and when I use him in the future, I will naturally contact him. ”

"Yes, sir."

"Zhang Yao."

"Huh?" He turned around. "Is there anything else to do with the sir?"

"I have never been able to understand why Liu Hui's cautious personality was exposed." Yang Fan looked at Zhang Yao and said, "Later." You should be careful and run away rather than make a needless sacrifice. ”

"Yes. Sir. Zhang Yao left slowly. Yang Fan looked at the cunning moonlight outside the window and muttered, "I hope the old man is still the same." ”

……

……

Gaizhou

In the mountains and forests. The green-faced scholar wiped the blood from his face and tossed the knife in his hand aside. took a sip and scolded: "These puppies are really difficult to deal with." ”

The knife in Mao Yuanhui's hand was put into the sheath, pulled the hat on his head, and said, "Hurry up and rest." This place should not be stayed for long. His knife picked up the token at the waist of the dead man, put his helmet on his head, and gasped, "Now is the time to really test us." ”

The blue-faced scholar's aura was finally settled, he had just killed a dozen or so soldiers, and the physical strength consumed was not small, he looked up at the cunning moonlight, which was their most dangerous light at the moment. "Can't we turn back?"

"I can't." Mao Yuanhui shook his head and said, "Now it's completely a death search for going back here." We don't know if the news leaked out. What was killed here were some small leaders in the Dongjiang Army, and the biggest one was the captain of the cavalry. I suspect that there are other people in the Dongjiang hierarchy over there, and if that's the case, we'll be killed if we go back. The group of people who came out together this time were all killed by us, and it is not clear when we go back. Therefore, the safest way is to make a dangerous move, make a detour to the north, enter the customs all the way from Guangning, and then return to Beijing. ”

The scholar in Tsing Yi pressed the wound on his arm, tore off a piece of cloth from the corpse on one side, tied it to the wound, and muttered: "Damn, I have to scrape Lao Tzu before I die, it's really unlucky." ”

"Lao Yang, for half an hour, you stay for a while. Let's take a break, and then I'll change shifts with you. We left for the north in an hour. Mao Yuanhui didn't talk nonsense, he directly pulled the hat and leaned against the trunk of the tree to sleep. For this killing, they haven't closed their eyes for a day and a night. For this mad slaughter.

Yang Chuan bandaged his wounds, his pupils shrank, and he hurriedly lay on the ground, "There is a situation!" He exclaimed, in a low voice, "an unknown number of cavalry troops have come from the north!" ”

"What, how is that possible?" Mao Yuanhui exclaimed. He stood up, leaned against the jungle on the mountainside, and carefully pushed it away. The cavalry were not good at fighting in the mountains, forests and slopes, and if they really came at them, they should abandon their horses and go uphill. The mountains were blazing, and thousands of cavalry rushed quickly on the flat mountain road.

"With so many cavalry, if we really rush up, we will really be trampled to the point that there is no scum left." Mao Yuanhui muttered, "They didn't come to us. ”

The cavalry sped quickly across the mountain stream and rushed south.

"When they went south, did they go to attack the Dongjiang Army?" Yang Chuan was taken aback, these cavalry looked like Jiannu, and only Jiannu's cavalry could swim in the mountains and forests so briskly. The cavalry on one side did not dare to march so boldly.

"Qianhu, what should I do? Do you want to go back and report the news? ”

Mao Yuanhui's pupils reflected the fire that was gradually extinguishing, and said, "It's too late, they're fast." No matter how hard we rush there, we won't be able to get there. ”

"What then?"

"Let's go, let's go to Linghe City and the Thirteen Stations. As for Jinzhouwei's side, he can only let the Dongjiang Army ask for more blessings. "After all, there were only ten of them, and it was impossible for them to rush down and destroy an entire cavalry team.

Mao Yuanhui said: "I want to rest." Our bodies can't hold it anymore. Wait until you're rested before you go. I hope you don't meet the people who built slaves. He continued to lie under the trunk, and then there was silence. And when they were tired, they lay down and slept. Everyone prayed in their dreams that they would never encounter the men and horses of the boar skin again when they were on the road late at night. (To be continued......)