Twilight fell, the last rays of light faded, and the stars began to appear in the velvety dark blue sky.

The mighty caravans also camped on the side of an unknown river, each with a tent, and hundreds of large tents were stationed on the west bank of the river, like a huge peony in full bloom.

The goods were unloaded and put into the big tent, and the mules and camels lay down outside the big tent to rest, and after a day's journey, the merchants were too tired and fell asleep.

The soldiers also had their own tents, and most of the soldiers rested in the tents, and Liu Wuzhou arranged for more than 20 soldiers to stand guard around to prevent night attacks by black horse thieves.

So far, Liu Wuzhou has done a very good job, sending thirty cavalry to explore along the way every day, looking for clues of black horse thieves, and sending at least twenty sentries to patrol the caravan within three miles of each camp to ensure the safety of the night.

In fact, they will arrive at Beggar Anchor tomorrow, and they will be safe and sound all the way, and I don't know if it is because of the military escort or because they are lucky, the black horse thief has not shown up so far.

Many merchants breathed a sigh of relief, secretly glad that they had made the right choice, although the first batch was the most risky, but also the most profitable, and the price of the next few caravans would definitely fall as the goods increased.

Time passed slowly, and at the fourth watch, Zhang Xuan was woken up by a guard of Li Shentong, "Childe, Cheng Zhijie is back." ”

Zhang Xuan sat up all of a sudden, and asked urgently, "Where are the people?" ”

"He was discovered by the soldiers patrolling the sentry and taken to Liu Wuzhou by them, and he should be in Liu Wuzhou's tent now."

Zhang Xuan slept with his clothes closed, he grabbed his war knife, stood up and walked briskly towards Liu Wuzhou's big tent.

Cheng Biting Jin left with two of Li Shentong's guards, but he returned alone, but the process of Biting Jin was very treacherous, he went around a big circle, came back from the south, and was surrounded by seven or eight cavalry when he was still two miles away from the camp, and the cavalry brought him back to see Liu Wuzhou.

Liu Wuzhou had just been woken up by the soldiers, and he was really surprised when he heard that Zhang Xuan's men had left the team in the middle of the night, lest Zhang Xuan discover his secret and immediately rush to the big tent to inquire.

"I advise you to tell me the truth, where did you leave the team? Don't let me suspect that you're in collusion with the dark horse thief! ”

Although Liu Wuzhou's tone was tough, Cheng Yanjin said impatiently: "I told you, I didn't want to do it anymore, I wanted to slip away halfway, but I found that the account was wrong, Zhang Gongzi seemed to give me less than fifty yuan, so I came back, you actually think I have collusion with the dark horse thief?" It's almost like seeing you big-headed ghost, it's the first time I've come to Mayi County. ”

Liu Wuzhou was furious, drew his sword and rushed towards Cheng Yanjin, and at this time, Zhang Xuan's voice came from the door, "Please be merciful to General Liu's subordinates!" ”

Liu Wuzhou stopped, glared at Cheng Jin, and said: "Look at your master's face, I will spare your life for the time being, if you dare to speak rudely, see how I killed you alive!" ”

Zhang Xuan just arrived at Liu Wuzhou's big tent, came in time, called Liu Wuzhou, he walked to the door of the tent and said with a smile: "General Liu, my guy has been studying little since he was a child, no one disciplines him, and he always causes trouble, can you hand him over to me, I will definitely strictly control him and prevent him from causing trouble to the general again." ”

Although Liu Wuzhou suspected Cheng Yanjin's intention to leave the team, he had no evidence and had to give Zhang Xuan a face, after all, Zhang Xuan was the guard of King Yan, and the official was the crown prince Qianniu, not an ordinary businessman.

He whispered to the sentry next to him, "Where did you catch him?" ”

"To the south!"

Liu Wuzhou secretly thought, if he came from the south, maybe he really didn't find anything.

Thinking of this, he turned to Zhang Xuan and smiled: "Since it is Zhang Gongzi's partner, I naturally won't embarrass him, please ask Gongzi to take him back, be strictly controlled, don't leave the team easily, otherwise there will be danger." ”

"Thank you, General Liu!"

Zhang Xuan glanced at Cheng Yanjin, Cheng Yanjin snorted, did not greet Liu Wuzhou, and strode out of the tent, Liu Wuzhou's face was gloomy, looking at Cheng Yanjin walking away, if it wasn't for Zhang Xuan's face, he would have to break one of this maniac's legs!

"How?" Zhang Xuan asked in a low voice after leaving the big tent.

Cheng Yanjin sneered, "Sure enough, you said yes, there are no Turkic merchants over there, but I have seen a lot of Turkic troops, at least two or three thousand people, have already set up a pocket, just waiting for us to get in!" ”

'Turkic army? ’

Zhang Xuan's mind turned around, and he remembered that Chai Shao said that the black horse thief was a subordinate of the high priest, not the Turkic army, and now that there is a Turkic army, then this time the trade route is cut off, there are two Turkic forces.

Zhang Xuan suddenly understood that Liu Wuzhou was not colluding with the black horse thieves, but secretly colluding with the Turkic army, although the Turkic army could not invade the territory of the Great Sui at will like the black horse thieves, but they also had the same greed as the black horse thieves to seize the caravan's property.

So they laid a trap in the begging station, and waited for the caravan to go north and throw themselves into the net.

But the Turkic army also did not want to engage the Sui guards, which is why Liu Wuzhou took the initiative to ask Ying to be the escort leader.

On the one hand, he wants to bring Zhao Dan, the big fat sheep, to the Turkic army, and on the other hand, he also wants to lead the Sui cavalry to leave the battlefield at a critical moment, as long as the army is not lost, the Sui Dynasty will not care about the life or death of a few merchants.

Cheng Yanjin said in a low voice: "The other two brothers who went with me are in the south to answer, I have found the loophole of Liu Wuzhou's sentinel, call Brother Chai and the old supernatural power, we will leave immediately, as for the other merchants, let them feed the wolves!" ”

Zhang Xuan glared at him and said angrily: "If you want to go together, these hundreds of people have no parents, wives and children, let them all die on the grassland, can you do this kind of thing?" ”

Cheng Yanjin twisted his face and pursed his lips disdainfully, this guy is going to be a good person again.

Zhang Xuan ignored him and walked quickly towards Zhao Dan's big tent, if the merchants wanted to retreat south with them, Zhao Dan had to take the lead.

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On a grassy hill about a few miles away from the caravan camp, stood several men in black on horseback, led by Liang Shidu, the leader of the black horse thieves.

In fact, the Black Horse Thief was disbanded after suffering a heavy blow ten years ago, and this time Liang Shi just borrowed the name of the Black Horse Thief, wearing the costume of the Black Horse Thief, and was ordered by Mr. Beijing to bloody the caravan heading north.

Among the eight divisions of Jinshan Palace, Liang Shi is the third department, and it is also the Ministry of the Han people, hundreds of his subordinates are outlaws, fled from the Central Plains to Saiwai, and were accepted by Jinshan Palace, becoming Liang Shidu's subordinates, a total of 470 people, this time he led two hundred knights disguised as black horse thieves to wash the Han caravan.

At this time, two hundred neat black-clothed knights lined up behind Liang Shidu, they were holding war swords and spears, as long as Liang Shidu gave an order, they would pounce on the caravan in the distance like wolves.

Everyone was itching, eager for wealth, eager to kill, and even the war horses under their crotches were infected by the murderous aura of their masters, snorting low and snorting, constantly beating the ground with their horses' hooves.

Liang Shidu looked coldly at the caravan camp a few miles away, the reason why he followed all the way and didn't do anything was not because this caravan was guarded by the Sui army, but because he knew that this caravan had been booked by the Turkic army that was begging for a moor.

It was the army of Shi Shu Huxi, the first favorite of the Turkic Shibi Khan, and he didn't dare to take offense for the time being, otherwise he would anger Shibi Khan, and even the high priest might not be able to protect him.

But Liang Shidu was not reconciled, he peeked around the periphery like a wolf pack, looking for an opportunity to raid.

At this time, a centurion said in a low voice: "Since we can't eat this group of merchants, it is better to go south and eat those small caravans, they have changed a lot of furs and medicinal herbs, they may not go fast, we should be able to catch up." ”

Liang Shidu glanced at his subordinates and said coldly: "Can those few little bones be full?" ”

The centurion hurriedly lowered his head and whispered, "But they will be at the begging place tomorrow, and they are afraid that they will not have a chance." ”

Liang Shidu sneered and said: "There is an imperial caravan here, that is the fat meat, the leader surnamed Zhao is very slippery, once he finds out that something is wrong, he will escape immediately, we are waiting on the periphery, and it will not be in vain to eat this imperial caravan." ”

Liang Shidu's heart was full of expectations for this piece of fat.

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