After returning to Xiaqiu, Cao Zhang handed over the captives to Li Tong, and then summoned the county magistrate of Xiaqiu County at the county government without bothering to change into his blood-stained robes. Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info

Cao Zhang's purpose in summoning them was to consider how to deal with the seven local tyrants and squires in Xiaqiu City, if they were too deeply involved with the Yuan family, they would have to be ruthless.

In the Han Dynasty, more than 10,000 households in the county seat will be placed in the county order, if less than 10,000 households will be placed in the county magistrate, Xiaqiu residents 13,000 households, is to have a county order, this county order as early as Yuan Shu occupied the county after the post here, later Yuan Shu was insufficient, retreated to Huainan, Xiaqiu was completely in the hands of the Gan family and the other six tyrant families.

This county commander surnamed Wang, a native of Lu County, Yuzhou, was originally a general Zhang Xun under Yuan Shu's account, because he could read and write, so he was sent to Xiaqiu as a county order, but since he was in charge of the county Cheng who was in charge of the documents, the county lieutenant who managed the militia, and all the subordinate officials of the county government were from the seven wealthy families of Xiaqiu, and these seven wealthy families were prosperous in this place, intermarried from generation to generation, and had great influence.

At first, when Yuan Shu occupied Qian County, Xia Qiu would also pay taxes, since Yuan Shu retreated, Xia Qiu has completely formed a self-contained business model, this Wang County Order was obviously forgotten here by his old boss Zhang Xun, and he was not brought when Yuan Shu led the army to retreat to Huainan, but because the trivial matters of 13,000 households still need someone to take care of them, so the seven families of Xia Qiu still raise this county order.

At this time, Wang Xianling, who was over fifty years old, was standing in front of Cao Zhang, who was standing on the main seat, although Cao Zhang's face was still full of childishness, but after several battles, there was also a killing aura on his body, coupled with his blood-stained robe, he looked like a little devil, so that Wang Xianling, who was standing in front of him, did not dare to breathe.

"Wang County Order, according to what you say, these seven surnames in Xiaqiu County have completely hollowed you out? So the matter of supporting the Five Rivers bandits has nothing to do with you? It's all their money? Cao Zhang asked lightly.

The Wang County Commander hurriedly replied: "The general is wise! The small one has been since Yuan... After Yuan Highway retreated, he didn't get enough money every month, so how could he participate in supporting the bandits of Wuhe. ”

"The Gan family's manor is the closest to Xiaqiu, twenty miles away, so where are the manors of the other seven families?" Cao Zhang asked.

Wang Xianling replied: "The other six manors are not as many as the Gan family, so they combine the manors into one, forty miles east of Xiaqiu, there are only a small number of people in the manor to guard, all of them are some farmers and peasant women, because the bandits in Yuzhou are all supported by local wealthy families, so these six families are attached to the Gan family, and the Gan family is attached to the Zhang family, a distant relative of the Yuan family, and those robbers will not harass their manor if they know the inside story." ”

"When do the products of the manor usually arrive in Xiaqiu?" Cao Zhang asked.

Wang Xianling replied: "Generally, at the beginning of the month, in the middle of the month, the end of the month will bring rice, melons, fruits, and meat, in March, June, and early September, the prepared silk and linen cloth and cotton cloth will be transported, and in the month of Layue, the medicinal materials planted in the manor will be transported, and as for the heavy material of wood, the workshops of the seven major families will transport it according to their needs, and there is no regular period, while the wine will be brewed and sold by the major families themselves." ”

Cao Zhang calculated, now it has just passed the fifteenth or third day of the first lunar month, so if there is no accident, the people from the manor will not come, so he then asked: "These things won't be used up at once, right?" Where is it generally stored? ”

Wang Xianling replied: "The things that can be preserved will be stored in the treasury of the seven surnames, and the things that are difficult to preserve, such as meat, melons and fruits, will be sold directly to the local residents." ”

Hearing this, Cao Zhang suddenly thought of a clever plan, and then a guard walked in and reported: "Third son, Marquis Lu is back." ”

Cao Zhang's heart was just right when he heard this! Then he said to the guards: "Send someone to invite Master Hou to come to the county government to discuss matters." ”

After the guards agreed, they left, and Cao Zhang smiled at Wang County's order: "There is no need to panic about the county order, now the county is nominally under our dynasty, and you are still the county commander after this incident, please take a seat." ”

After thanking Wang County, he sat down, and after a while, Lu Bu came, and Cao Zhang smiled at Lu Bu: "Master Hou, please sit down, Zhang has already thought of a very wonderful way to break the thief." ”

Lu Bu sat down and asked, "Oh? What method, the third son, please say. ”

Cao Zhangxiao asked with a smile: "How many peasant women did Master Hou bring?" ”

Lu Bu replied, "There are two hundred and thirteen people. ”

Cao Zhang said: "We first used a hundred soldiers to disguise themselves as strong men of the Xiaqiu Hao clan and took these women and the wine of Xiaqiu and the Gan family manor to Wuhe, so that those thieves could have a good time, and then let the other three hundred soldiers kill in Wuhe in the middle of the night, so that they would definitely die." ”

Lu Bu laughed when he heard this: "It's really a clever plan!" ”

Cao Zhang then sent someone to invite Li Tong and told him about this plan, Li Tong also agreed, and then Cao Zhang told Li Tong that the other six families in Xiaqiu also had a manor fifty miles to the east, and told Li Tong the time of transporting the goods.

Li Tong heard the words and said: "Two hundred of my subordinates who have stayed in the county have rested enough, just in case, I will take them to raid this manor, and after I return to the army, the third prince and the marquis can lead the four hundred soldiers who have recuperated to go to the Gan family manor with women and wine to act according to the plan." ”

Lu Bu said: "That's right, otherwise they will transport timber to Xia Qiu at any time, so that our whereabouts will be easily exposed." ”

Cao Zhang nodded and said: "Then there is Hou Ye Lao to prepare the wine stored in the county town and the clothes of the local tyrants here, this Wang County Commander is quite familiar with this, and can help Hou Ye." ”

Lu Bu smiled: "Wonderful! After speaking, he left with Wang County's order.

Li Tong also got up to say goodbye, saying that he would lead the army to raid another manor.

When Cao Zhang heard this, he said goodbye to Li Tong, and then changed into a set of clothes after the county government asked people to boil hot water for a bath, and then found a room to sleep.

When he woke up, it was already dusk, Li Tong returned from a raid on the manor, and brought back one hundred and fifty-three male captives and seventy young peasant women.

Lu Bu had already asked a hundred sergeants to disguise themselves as strong men of the Gan family, and also brought the Gan family's special wooden pole halberd, and loaded ten carts with stock wine, and asked another three hundred sergeants to escort two hundred women, and the dozens of people left behind let Li Tong fill his own military camp as a camp prostitute.

After Cao Zhang saw Lu Bu, he said: "Master Hou, according to the plan, the troops need to be divided into two routes, first someone must transport wine and women into the den of thieves, and then lead the army to raid, so that not only do you need two people to guide the way, but also someone to lure the enemy." ”

Lu Bu smiled: "What's so difficult about this? Finding another person to guide the way is that it is not only the head of the Gan family who knows the way, and luring the enemy is just a trivial matter for Ben Hou. ”

Cao Zhang said: "Master Hou can pretend to be a businessman who has hidden the people of the Gan family, and naturally he can also hide from the bandits, but I am afraid that the head of the Gan family will be timid and afraid of death, and if he misses the horse's feet, people will see the clue and fall short." ”

Lu Bu glanced at the head of the Gan family who was sitting on the ground, and wondered: "That's true, how can others not see this kid's dejected expression." ”

Cao Zhang said: "In front of everyone's eyes, it will naturally be seen, but what if he leaves with the sergeant after he has delivered the wine and the woman? ”

Lu Bu was surprised: "If there is no internal response, it is not easy to raid!" ”

Cao Zhang said with a smile: "Naturally, there must be an internal response, there are many members of the Gan family, I pretend to be this kid's brother, Hou Ye pretends to be a guard, and then Hou Ye's guard takes a hundred strong men to stay in Wuhe for the reason of taking these women back, and my clan brother leaves with this kid, and then I wait until late at night to let this kid lead the way in and raid it?" ”

Lu Bu said with a smile: "Wonderful, in this way, the third prince walks through once first, and knows where the secret post is, so it is more convenient to raid!" But it's best to raid again at dawn, when the thieves are going to be asleep. ”

Cao Zhang smiled: "When the time comes, I will use the sound of the arrow as the signal!" ”

After the two had made a decision, they took the sergeant, the wine, the peasant woman and the unfortunate head of the Gan family to the Gan family's manor.