Ding Tingxun was burning incense to worship his ancestors, listening to Liu Shiyi's cry, the incense in his hand almost fell to the ground, he hurriedly finished speaking, inserted a pillar of high incense into the incense burner, and then forced himself to walk out of the ancestral hall calmly, and led a group of deacons into the rowed rooms on both sides of the second door of the ancestral hall, which was the place where the Ding clan discussed important matters.

Although Ding Tingxun has experienced countless winds and waves in his life, the danger of today's incident is too great, so big that the huge Ding family can be removed from Bazhou overnight. He is already old, has a family, a business, a wife and children, and the burden on his shoulders is getting heavier and heavier, and he can no longer bear such a blow. After entering the row room, a cup of ginseng tea was forcefully poured down, and his iron-blue face regained a little popularity.

Seeing that the deacons on the left and right were all flustered, and he, the head of the family, categorically could not show a weak image in front of his subordinates, Ding Tingxun was panicked, and quietly called in the man who reported the news, first asked about his son's injury, and learned that Ding Chengzong only broke his legs because of the overturned horse, and his life was not in danger, so he turned to ask about the robbery of the grain truck.

This time, Ding Chengzong, the eldest young master of the Ding family, escorted two hundred grain trucks to Guangyuan, and the Ding family's business of transporting grain and selling grain has long been done, although there are some cottages along the way, but in the past ten years, the Ding family has already opened up the joints, and every time they send some silver, those cottages will not come to fight their ideas.

On the one hand, this is because the Ding family has made good connections over the years, and on the other hand, because at this time, the landlord and gentry's family of the guardian family, and even ordinary servants, have to practice martial arts in the off-season to serve as a strong people. Two hundred grain trucks have to be escorted by thousands of people, and even a big cottage with a brand name may not be able to eat a strong team of thousands of people. Besides, the Ding family transports military rations, in case the officers and soldiers come to encircle and suppress, it will be more than worth the loss, and the bandits and robbers are also for survival and wealth, who can't get along with themselves, so in the past ten years, the Ding family has been transporting grain to Guangyuan, and it has always been peaceful, and there has never been any major incident.

Despite this, Ding Chengzong still calculated the distance in advance, and set off more than ten days in advance, and transported the grain in advance, which was foolproof. Ding Chengzong is as cautious as his father, although he is familiar with the road, encountering mountains and rivers along the way, eating, staying and camping, he is still careful, and he is not negligent because this is a familiar road. But who knows if it's just so careful, or something goes wrong.

On this day, they went out of Shenze Town, and continued to hurry, at this time there was only a day and a half away from Guangyuan City, and further west of Shenze Town, it was a saline-alkali land of thousands of acres in a radius, and the soil layer was both like black sand and pond mud, and such soil did not grow anything except reeds, so it was extremely desolate all around.

Ding Chengzong sent a fast horse to explore the road in front, but this is also an ordinary arrangement, such a large area of land is desolate reed land, there is no human population at all, and there is no danger. No, they ran into a group of robbers right here.

The robbers seemed to have already explored the path and time of their journey, when they were just halfway through, thick smoke billowed in, and someone actually lit the reeds, at first Ding Chengzong thought it was a wildfire, but ordered people to rush to the car forward, and the first car soon fell into the dug sand pit to block the road, then he knew that he was ambushed, and the robbers then swarmed in. It had already been smoked by the smoke and fire, and the entire car formation was dragged into a long queue of grain teams, and it was difficult to take care of them, and they were cut to pieces by the bandits.

Ding Tingxun was asking what happened, but Mrs. Lu Shao hurriedly broke in, wiped her tears with a handkerchief and said, "Daddy, how is Chengzong?" I heard that he was seriously injured, and it was freezing cold, but how could he be good, Daddy, Chengzong must not have an accident. ”

Mrs. Lu Shao's name is Lu Xiangwu, and her father is also a big gentry in Bazhou. Today's Ding family worships the ancestors, this grandmother is dressed very decently, with a soft body with a round and jade bead, a cotton jacket with a fox collar brocade, an eight-piece Xiangshui skirt, no jewelry, black hair, and a pretty face with sad tears, just like a pure lotus floating on the water, pure and beautiful, and pitiful.

Ding Tingxun was full of worries, but he was a little unapologetic about this eldest daughter-in-law's rash intrusion, he frowned, and shouted unhappily: "This is the important place of the ancestral hall, what are you doing when you come in, Chengzong is my son, don't I care?" Go out and wait. ”

Lu Xiangwu broke in in a hurry, and now he was scolded by his father-in-law in public, his expression was suddenly a little embarrassed, and two flushes floated on his face that was as clear as jade.

"Young lady, don't worry, isn't the master gathering everyone to discuss a way, young lady, please wait first, there will always be a way."

Liu Shiyi, the deacon of the outer court, persuaded Lu Xiangwu to go out, turned around and said: "Master, it's not a way to be in a hurry, this is the critical moment of our Ding family's life and death, you have to come up with a charter immediately, and the big guys can work together to survive this difficulty." ”

Ding Tingxun has gradually stabilized, he calmed down, picked up his son's letter and read it again: "Father, the child is not good, the military rations have been taken away, and the Ding family has suffered a monstrous disaster, and there is no redemption for a hundred deaths." I hope that my father will not think of his son when he sees the letter, and it is important to resolve this catastrophe as soon as possible.

The seizure of military rations this time is quite strange. Transporting grain from Bazhou to Guangyuan, official roads, mountain roads, big roads and small roads, crossing and replacement, there are many feasible routes, which can be determined at any time, which is unpredictable, and the thieves actually predict the route and time, and set up an ambush, fearing that there will be spies among the people accompanying me. The people led by the children were strong and brave, and although the thieves were prepared and unprepared, they still suffered heavy casualties. The head of the thief was shot in the left eye by an arrow, and in great anger, he set fire to the grain, and the mule cart that the son was riding was frightened, galloped into the wilderness and overturned, breaking the child's legs, and the son returned slowly, so he sent his henchmen to rush back, and the father must do whatever it takes to transport the military rations in Guangyuan. If the military rations are delayed, a catastrophe will befall the Ding family......"

The handwriting is a little sloppy, but in addition to the shocking change of his son, he was seriously injured, and he can still think so carefully, he really lives up to his training for so many years, thinking of this, Ding Tingxun felt a little relieved in his heart.

"...... owner, you have an idea." Li Shouyin, the chief foreman, also said anxiously. The chief foreman and the tenant head are also the equivalent of deacons in Dingfu. The Ding family tenants farmed the land, and did not need the owner to supervise the land, these long-term foremen and tenant heads had a group of people under them, and the subordinates of those households were well managed, so these deacons were quite favored by the owners, the Ding family ate meat, they drank soup, and now they are all small landlords and other families with heads and faces in the local area. Their fate is closely related to the Ding family, seeing that the Ding family is in danger, how can they not be in a hurry?

Ding Tingxun took a long breath, slowly raised his head, and instructed word by word: "Liu Ming, you took inventory of all the grain stored in my Ding family overnight, left the seeds, and shipped the rest in bags and sent to Guangyuan. However, I am afraid that the existing grain stock of my Ding family is not enough, you immediately entered the city overnight after taking inventory, today is Chinese New Year's Eve, there is no curfew in Bazhou, after you enter the city, immediately buy all the grain from each rice shop and transport it back, and all the grain that our own shops are ready to sell will also be transferred back. ”

"Yes!" Liu Ming stood up and hurriedly responded.

"Liu Shiyi, you transfer all the cars, horses, donkeys and mules that can be used from our Ding family, as well as all the Xiazhuang and other villages overnight, and then go to the city, rent all the cars of each car dealership and foot shop, and send them back to me immediately."

"Yes!"

"Chen Feng, Yang Ye, Li Shouyin......" The expression on Ding Tingxun's face softened a little, and he arched his hand to these long-term foremen and tenant heads: "Few, the Ding family is now at a critical juncture of life and death, Ding has a major event, please ask a few, and ask a few people to mobilize manpower immediately to help the old man hire Ding Zhuang from ten miles and eight townships. ”

"The owner, you are polite, the little one must do his best to go through the difficulties with the Ding Mansion." Chen Feng, Yang Ye and others hurriedly got up and gave their hands.

Ding Tingxun nodded, a sickly flush welled up on his face, he clenched his fists, pursed the corners of his lips and said, "In this world, there is no hurdle that cannot be passed. This time...... The old man personally went out and made sure to transport the grain to Guangyuan. ”

"Owner, you have a bony body, you can't do it......"

"Master, leave this mission to me, you can't go......"

The deacons were stopping one after another, and a woman's voice at the door said, "Dad, let me go!" When everyone heard the sound, they turned around and saw Miss Ding standing at the door.

"You, a girl's family, what kind of fun!" Ding Tingxun scolded fiercely, Ding Yu raised his eyebrows, and said disappreciably: "I am also from the Ding family, why not?" I can ride a horse and shoot arrows, I have been to the three major cities of Guangyuan, Taiyuan, Pingyuan, and Border Pass, who will go if I don't go at this time? ”

"You're a woman, no!" Ding Tingxun flatly refused.

Early the next morning, Ding Tingxun lay on the kang with a wet towel on his head, and repeatedly advised: "......, in short, the people who escaped back this time must have spies in them, so none of them can be used." With the finances of our Ding family, it would have been impossible to collapse if we lost two hundred truckloads of grain, but this is military food, once a major event is mistaken, the Ding family will be a tragic ending full of beheadings and female dependents being slaves. Yuluo, Dad has only entrusted the Ding family to you now, you have to send the military rations to Guangyuan safely and securely no matter what, maybe it's too late, but it's a few days late, with the friendship between our Ding family and the Guangyuan Army for so many years, maybe it doesn't matter, but if it's delayed for a long time......"

Ding Tingxun coughed when he said this, and Ding Yuluo hurriedly stroked his back and comforted: "Dad, don't worry, even if my daughter gives up her life, she will have to transport military rations." ”

Ding Tingxun, who originally insisted on refusing to let his daughter escort military rations on behalf of the Ding family, finally fell ill and couldn't get up from bed under repeated blows, and he was impatient, so he could only hand over this important matter to the eldest daughter who can now represent the Ding family. He coughed for a while, and then said: "Go, go, the Ding family, you can use whoever you want, bring another 100,000 taels of silver tickets, 2,000 taels of broken silver, and the silver is used as a reward on the road, silver tickets...... When the food arrives, use it to unclog the joints, cough cough cough ......"

He knew that the second batch of military rations would likely be delayed for a few days, so in order to keep his privilege of selling military rations alone, he did not hesitate to take out 100,000 taels of silver for his daughter to dredge up the relationship. As long as you keep your business privileges, the losses will soon come back, but ...... Even if the joints are unblocked with silver, the delay cannot be too long, otherwise who would dare to accept his silver and who would dare to cover it for him?

"God bless, I have heard that Guangyuan General Cheng Shixiong is brave and good at fighting, and he is well versed in the art of war, I hope he will not suffer a defeat, otherwise...... Otherwise, I am afraid that my Ding family will have to bear the charge of defeat......" My daughter has already gone out, and Ding Tingxun, who is not at ease, is lying on the kang, but his heart is like pouring boiling oil, and the pain makes him breathless.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the sound of crackling firecrackers sounded in the village, and it was the beginning of the morning when families began to cook dumplings. In previous years, the Ding family, which had to set off firecrackers for at least half an hour, has not moved at all for the New Year. A large number of temporarily recruited Minzhuang gathered in the courtyard of the Ding family, and the carts pulled by various styles and mules drove into the courtyard one by one, and the domestic servants who came and went like ants hurriedly loaded bags of grain into the carts, tied them with linoleum cloth, and then drove them out.

At three poles in the morning, the last car was also loaded with grain, and slowly drove out of the courtyard of the Ding family, Ding Hao, who had just finished carrying the grain, stood idly on the side, curiously looking at the people who were holding shuttle guns and hunting bows.

If you want to officially recruit the people, you have to order the prefect and the magistrate to issue a fire sign, but these people are farmers, and it is common sense to work short-term jobs to subsidize their families in the slack season, as for why they still carry weapons for short-term work, with the relationship between the Ding family and the prefect of Bazhou, as long as they don't make trouble, they can still turn a blind eye.

Ding Hao was standing in the courtyard watching, a man in a strong suit suddenly swept past him, this person was wearing a cashmere hat covering his ears, wearing a set of gray cotton riding clothes, a woolen shoulder on his upper body, a sword on his shoulder, and an apricot yellow sword tassel trembling in the wind. Look at his back, his waist is neatly tied, his cotton trouser legs are leggings with upside-down waves, his wrists are also wrapped with extremely soft sheepskin sleeves made of nitrate, and a pair of gripping boots with buckle tiger claws under his feet.

"Are the big guys ready? Okay, let's go! ”

As soon as the man spoke, Ding Hao was stunned, listening to "his" accent, it was actually a girl? At this time, the man stretched out his hand to pull the saddle, jumped up, and landed on the horse's back neatly, looking at "him" appearance, long eyelashes, big eyes, straight nose, delicate little mouth, how can there be such a handsome young man in the world, it is clearly a big girl who is easy to hairpin and Ben.

"Miss?" Ding Hao's eyes flashed, and a thought suddenly flashed in his heart: "If I don't go out, I will never have a bright day." Go out, it's up to me to make it! The current Ding family is in great trouble, and it is an opportunity, why don't I go and break through? ”

"Pig, let's go too."

"Huh? Let's, shall we? Neither of us has ever been ten miles away from home in our lives. ”

"You can say that we haven't been far away until now, but it doesn't need to be said that it will be a lifetime, today, let's go to a place thousands of miles away!" Seeing that Ding Yu was about to leave, Ding Hao suddenly dodged and jumped out.

Ding Yuluo was so anxious that he was about to gallop out of the atrium as soon as he knocked the horse's belly, when a person suddenly flashed out of the side, stopped in front of the horse and shouted: "Miss! ”

Ding Yuluo hurriedly pulled the reins, the healthy horse neighed and stood up, Ding Yuluo sat firmly on the horse's back, a pair of handsome eyes glanced forward, only to see Ding Hao standing in front of the horse, and said loudly: "Miss, Dumb and Pig are willing to go with Miss." ”

"You guys?" Ding Yuluo pulled the reins of the horse and circled around him, and asked, "Tell me, what can you do?" ”

Ding Hao glanced at Zhen Zhu'er and replied loudly: "Our kung fu of driving horses is still passable, make a whip, and send grain with the eldest lady." ”

Ding Yuluo raised his eyebrows and said simply: "Cheng, come with me!" With that, he shook the reins of his horse and galloped away.

Ding Hao perked up, hurriedly pulled Xue Liang, and chased Ding Yuluo's figure out.