In Shanggu County, Yan State, under the jurisdiction of Fuyang, ten Yan army scouts are conducting routine border patrols.

Because the two countries of Yan and Zhao are currently at war, King Yan has ordered that the military towns on the border should fight with the spirit of twelve points to prevent Zhao from sneaking into the territory of Yan State. As the so-called superior person says a word, the lower person is all tired. In order to complete the tasks assigned by King Yan and not lose their high lords, officials at all levels assigned tasks to their subordinates, and their words were even harsher than those of the upper levels. In the end, it is the front-line soldiers who suffer.

Zhang Fang is a chief subordinate to the Xishan Military Town. The Xishan military town is not large, with only 500 soldiers. A military town like Xishan, on the border of Yanzhao from Yushui to Yishui, has one every thirty miles. After all, this area is sparsely populated, and it is impossible for Yan State to let Zhao Guo come and go as soon as he wants, so he built a military town as an outpost to check passing pedestrians and resist the Zhao army.

The number of soldiers in each military town is not static, and in general, the number of soldiers depends on the relationship between Yan and Zhao. If the two countries of Yan and Zhao were close, Yan would naturally not have many soldiers on the border. But if the relationship is very tense like now, the soldiers in each military town will naturally be full, and even one or two percent more.

It has been more than 20 days since Zhao sent troops to attack Hexi, except for taking advantage of it at the beginning, and conquering Changcheng and Xinji in succession, the situation was gradually reversed by Yan and Qi. Zhao Hao led 70,000 troops, and Rong Yan's six armies held and supported Liu, while the 50,000 army of Qi Guoshangfu Diao Bo was eyeing the flank, and the two sides continued to fight small-scale, but they were very restrained. Judging from the situation of the battle, both sides are trying to exhaust the other and make the other side retreat, rather than deciding the winner in a fight. No one knows. How long will this fierce battle last!

As a lowest-ranking officer, Zhang Fang naturally didn't know about these things. All he knew was that the Yan State had not yet been defeated in Hexi, and the Zhao State had no intention of expanding the scale of this war and sneaking into Jicheng, and the border he inspected seemed to have a tense atmosphere, but it was actually peaceful. At least for now. I don't have to worry about dying on the battlefield inexplicably, and I still have a daily wine and meat subsidy, which is enough. Compared with the robes who fought in Hexi, he is happy. Of course, if you want to keep your happiness, you have to keep an eye on Zhao Guo on the other side, otherwise, if you get rid of Zhao Guo's meticulous work, the punishment of a whip is quite light.

"What's long! This has been patrolling for half a month, and Zhao Jun on the opposite side has not moved at all. Why don't we sneak over and see what Zhao Jun is doing? A veteran oily man said boredly with a small stalk of grass in his mouth.

Zhang Fang frowned, glanced at the other party, and said angrily: "This idea is not bad!" Dog leftover, you go now, our brothers will give you the wind. Maybe you can even grab a mother-in-law and take it home as a daughter-in-law! But I've heard about it. The temperament of Zhao Guoniang is wilder than that of our Yan Guoniang! ”

"Hahaha!" Zhang Fang's guards let out a burst of laughter, bold. even made a joke and said: "Brother Gou Yu doesn't even dare to touch the hands of the girls, I'm afraid I can't tame the girls of Zhao Guo!" Ou, Ou, oh! ”

The laughter of the crowd was even louder, and the soldier's face was so red that he could squeeze out the blood. But he said unadmittedly: "Lao Tzu even dares to accept the life of the Zhao man, and he is afraid that the ladies of Zhao Guo will not succeed?" See if I don't grab a back, open your eyes. When the time comes, don't be greedy! ”

The laughter continued, and everyone's expressions clearly showed that they didn't believe what the dog leftovers said. The dog can only grit his teeth angrily. I thought that next time I caught the other party's handle, I would definitely tease the other party. Isn't Lao Tzu just a virgin, and when I go back, I'll find a girl to marry.

Zhang Fang relieved the siege and said: "Give me a few words!" Be mental, don't be taken back as a prisoner by Zhao Jun on the other side. When the time came, the mother-in-law of the family didn't see it, but gave Zhao Guo a slave as a horse! ”

After speaking, he glared at Gou Yu and said, "Right now, our Yan Kingdom and Zhao Kingdom are at war!" Without an order from above, go across the border to provoke Zhao Jun on the other side, who is responsible for the problem? Kill us ten times or eight times, and Qu Hou won't be able to spare us! Be honest with me, don't provoke right and wrong, do you hear me? ”

"Whoa!" The soldiers replied in unison, with a smile on their faces.

Zhang Fang nodded with satisfaction, motioned for everyone to follow him and continue patrolling. After inspecting fifteen miles to the south, the group of ten people turned around, ready to rest, and then inspected another thirty miles to the north. In this way, the day's patrol mission is over.

Wu Chang Han Feng took advantage of the break and asked Zhang Fang, "What's the chief!" In the past few days, I have seen that Qu Hou has not paid so much attention to patrols, and the original patrols of three times a day have been reduced to two. ”

Han Feng accidentally learned that his elders Zhang Fang and Qu Hou were uncles and nephews. In Han Feng's opinion, if there is any news above, Qu Hou should not hide Zhang Fangcai. I am a little light-hearted, and I always feel that it is not appropriate to reduce patrols. If you can confirm from Zhang Fang that Zhao Guo will not attack Fuyang, then you can also relax. As for whether the Zhao Kingdom would attack the rest of the Yan Kingdom, Han Feng didn't care at all. Anyway, the dead friends don't die in the poor way, and their own lives are the most important.

Zhang Fang's expression was dark, he glanced at Han Feng with great meaning, and said softly: "Han Wuchang is very observant!" But the mind of the above is beyond your imagination and I can speculate! ”

Han Feng secretly said in his heart that it was not good, but he still couldn't help but talk more. Zhang Fang does not call himself a brother, but calls himself a position, which obviously means to do business. Wu Chang's unpopular role is really ironic to call it.

"It's a gaffe." Han Feng said in a low voice.

Zhang Fang smiled, changed his tone to a close one, and said, "It's good that Brother Han knows about this matter, don't say more." ”

Han Feng was obviously stagnant, and his brain couldn't turn around. Although it was not clear that Zhang Fang's reactions were so different, Han Feng also understood the intimacy in the other party's tone just now.

Zhang Fang secretly thought that Han Feng was a little clever, but he was too desperate for his life, and he was also a usable talent after a beating. Five days ago, an elite scout of the Yan army infiltrated the territory of Zhao and found out a shocking news - Lian Po had led 30,000 of the most elite border troops south to support Zhao Hao, and now the one guarding Yunzhong County was just a little-known Yan Zhou. In addition to the once captured Gaotang. Guarding outside Liaocheng, Yan Zhou really couldn't pick out any eye-catching achievements. Let Yan Zhou command hundreds of thousands of troops to guard the border, it seems that Zhao Guo's intention is already obvious, that is, the strength of Lianpo and Zhao Hao to attack Hexi with all their might. In this way, the possibility of Zhao opening a second battlefield in Yan is very small.

I rested for half an hour. The ten-man scout team set off again. But this time, after only ten miles of travel, he encountered an unexpected situation, and a caravan suddenly appeared in the sight of the Yan army scouts. The size of the caravan was not large, only a dozen carriages, and the guards seemed to be only seven or eight people. In the past, this was normal, but now, the two countries of Yan and Zhao are at war, and the merchants are afraid of losses. So there are basically no caravans going back and forth between Yan and Zhao. Therefore, the appearance of this caravan surprised Zhang Fang and them.

Signaling his subordinates to cheer up and be on guard with his eyes, Zhang Fang led his scouts to slowly approach the caravan. The caravan was not much surprised when it found the Yan scouts approaching, but instead showed a relieved expression, even though the Yan scouts' crossbow arrows were aimed at them, and the long swords were pointed directly at them.

"Ladies and gentlemen. We belong to the Wang Firm, not bandits. Not bandits! An old man who looked like the leader of the caravan explained again and again.

"Wang's firm?" Zhang Fang muttered. Naturally, he knew about the Wang firm, which was one of the largest firms in Jicheng, and I heard that the boss of the firm was a relative of a powerful person in Yan Kingdom, and many nobles had also joined the shares.

Although he knew that the other party was the kind he couldn't afford to provoke, Zhang Fang, who was committed to his duties, still carefully checked the other party's customs clearance documents. There is naturally no problem with the writing, but Zhang Fang's heart is only half relaxed.

"Boss Dong. The border is not at peace right now! Why are you going back and forth between Yan and Zhao at this time? Zhang Fang said tentatively.

The old man sighed and said, "It's not forced by life!" Don't look at the scenery in front of us, but it's very hard behind us! Thousands of miles away, sometimes the goods are unsalable, and the loss is bankrupt. Although the boss takes the lion's share. But this kind of coolie under us earns a commission, and if the goods are lost, we can't earn a single knife coin for a few months. ”

Zhang Fang nodded again and again, but he smiled and did not speak. The other party still did not answer his own question. It's natural to make money, but if you pick this tense moment to ship goods, you may lose more money!

At this time, Wu Chang Han Feng came over and whispered to Zhang Fang: "Shi Chang, it's all been investigated, the other party is carriage is full of cement and tea goods, which are worth a lot of money." Five of the eight guards are Lian Jiazi, three should be ordinary young people, and the other servants have ten. There are no ranged weapons such as crossbows, only a few shields and swords, which pose little threat to us. ”

Zhang Fang was noncommittal, motioned for Han Feng to step back, and walked back to the old man, arching his hand and saying, "Boss Dong's path is very wide!" These dozen truckloads of tea and cement are rare in Jicheng, and Boss Dong made a lot of money this time. ”

The smile on the old man's face flared, and he said again and again: "Luck! By the skin of one's teeth! This is also what I finally got from Xinzheng, and I wanted to go back to Jicheng in Qi country, but I didn't expect that a war broke out in Hexi. I changed my route to Zhongshan again, and it took a lot of effort to quietly pass through the Zhao Realm! Don't hide it from the military master, we don't know how long the war between Yan and Zhao will last, and it is not a way for my batch of goods to be pressed in Zhao State, and the relationship between our Wang family firm in Zhao State is not as good as in Yan State after all, if someone takes advantage of it and sells my whole family, I can't afford to lose it! So you can only risk crossing the border. ”

Zhang Fang said that he understood very much, listening to the tone of the other party, the other party also invested a lot of money in private, if it was deducted by Zhao Guo for no reason, the other party would have no place to reason. Who called them Yan people, the business house of Yan country! If you want to blame it, blame them for being born at the wrong time, catching up with the time when Yan and Zhao tore their faces.

"If I were Boss Dong, you! I will shoot directly in Handan, and I don't have to ship it back to Jicheng! What do you say, Boss Dong! Zhang Fang pretended to be casual and said.

The old man smiled dumbly and said bitterly: "I want to!" But this batch of goods was named by the magnates of Yan Kingdom, if I can't send it over, I'm afraid my life will not be guaranteed! What's more, the military master doesn't know, the tea on the market in Handan is good to say, and the cement is not easy to sell! ”

"What do you mean by that?"

"King Zhao ordered that cement should only be purchased by the state, and it was illegal for private people to buy it. It can only be purchased by the state, and the price can be imagined. The old man explained.

"I see!" After Zhang Fang's casual questioning, he finally put his mind at ease. Now I can be sure that the other party should not be detailed, but there are still necessary inquiries.

"Boss Dong came all the way from Zhongshan. I must know a lot of news about Zhao Guo, I don't know what happened to Zhao Guo now? ”

The old man glanced left and right, and after confirming that no one was listening around, he said cautiously: "Don't hide it from the military master, I just have information to inform the military master!" ”

Zhang Fang snorted and pretended to be intimate. He said in a deep voice: "Boss Dong, don't leave one military master after another, I'm just a little and a chief, it's nothing." However, if you have important information to inform us of Qu Hou, we will definitely reward you heavily. Boss Dong, but it doesn't hurt to say, I can still talk to Boss Dong. ”

The old man cautiously told Zhang Fang what he had learned, and Zhang Fang's face changed after hearing this, and he immediately returned to normal, and then his expression was a little more respectful, and he said to the old man: "Boss Dong's news is very timely!" Why don't you go and meet Qu Hou with me now? I believe that Qu Hou will definitely reward you heavily! ”

The old man looked hesitant. After a while, he stomped his foot and said, "Then I'll go with the military master, but after tonight, I have to go, Jicheng is urging a lot!" We little people are still living by pointing to the goods this time! ”

"That's self-inflicted!" Zhang Fang agreed again and again.

Two hours later, Zhang Fang led the old man into the room of Quhou in Xishan Military Town. Qu Hou looked the old man up and down carefully, no matter how he saw that the other party was an ordinary old man who had no power to restrain the chicken, it was not necessarily a meticulous work. The heart was half relieved first.

After retreating the guards on the left and right, Qu Hou arched his hand. Said: "Listen to the general's hand, the old gentleman has important information to tell the general!" ”

The old man was obviously a little nervous, the tea in the cup spilled a little because of the shaking, and he stammered a little: "The villain doesn't know if it's important information, it's all the villain who listens to the people on the road, and he can't do it seriously." I can't do it really! ”

Qu Hou looked at it, and it was obvious that the other party had not seen anything in the world. That's right, the other party is just a businessman, and it's okay to bargain with people and play some things to raise prices. In the face of murderous professional soldiers, it is not easy to deal with it easily.

Qu Hou smiled slightly, pressed down with both hands, and signaled the other party to be calm and not impatient, and did not have to get up to salute. Then he said gently: "The old gentleman has traveled thousands of miles to come, and he only needs to say what he has seen and heard." This is true or false, in fact, it doesn't matter, the old gentleman just thinks it's talking to his heart, even if someone deliberately tells you a lie, you tell it to Ben Jiang, Ben will never mind and blame! Instead, Ben will give you another twenty gold as a reward for the old gentleman, how about it? ”

I don't know whether he was moved by the twenty gold or appeased by Qu Hou's words, the old man breathed a long sigh of relief, sorted out his thoughts a little, and then told him in detail about what he had seen and heard all the way from Handan. Qu Hou interjected a few words from time to time when the old man was telling, and asked some details.

Half an hour later, the conversation ended, and Qu Hou said with emotion: "Is the old gentleman sure that Lian Po went south to Zhongshan with an army of 50,000?" ”

The old man nodded affirmatively and said: "This plan will not be fake, the villain also saw the team of Zhao Jun going south a few days ago, covering the sky and the sun, stretching for more than ten miles, there are definitely as many as 30,000." Counting the 20,000 Zhao troops that the villain had seen before, the Zhao army dispatched at least 50,000 soldiers and horses. ”

Qu Hou nodded to indicate that he knew, and said, "It's not easy for the old gentleman!" The twenty gold is as a thank-you! After speaking, without waiting for the old man to refuse, Qu Hou continued: "You go down to rest first, the general has already arranged for the guards to prepare the camp tent for you." However, this is a military town, no more than the wilderness. Collect your weapons and return them to you tomorrow when you depart. In addition, you can't walk around the military town at will, otherwise you will be killed, remember! Remember!! ”

The old man said yes again and again, and went out happily with twenty gold without looking back. When he turned to leave the room, he didn't notice that several of Quhou's henchmen walked out from behind the screen.

Qu Hou said lightly: "Do you think this person is reliable?" ”

The three of them looked at each other, and one of them said: "He was a little nervous at first, but after the general was appeased, his words were orderly and orderly, and he was able to justify himself, and he thought his duties were credible." Zhao Guo asked Lian Po to have 20,000 soldiers and horses on the surface, but secretly sent another 30,000, presumably to create an illusion for us! Counting Handan's 30,000 troops, in this way, Zhao State will soon have 150,000 troops in Hexi, which is already the total number of our Yan State army plus Qi State army! I'm afraid there is danger to General Rong! ”

The second person also quickly stood up and said: "The same idea is the same as the lowly position, the general will do his best to report this military situation to Jicheng, and he must rush before Rong Yaqing's messenger arrives in Jicheng, in this way, it is a great achievement!" ”

Qu Hou smiled and said disapprerovitically: "These merits don't matter!" With the power of our family, it is only a matter of a few words to get ahead in the army. What does the general care about is that Zhao Guozhen is willing to put down such a big book? If General Rong can't resist the Zhao army, wouldn't it be an opportunity for our side? ”

"General Shengming!" Several henchmen said in unison. (To be continued......)