At this time, the twilight outside the kiln was already thick, and Li Zicheng watched the backs of the two disappear into the vast night, driving the sheep back. His wife, Han, had been waiting for a long time, and went to the sheepfold a few times, and when she saw him coming back, she asked him why he was half an hour later than usual. Han thought her husband was tired and helped him drive the sheep into the pen.

As soon as it was dawn the next day, the dilapidated wooden door was knocked loudly, and there was a lot of noise outside the house, "Li Hongji, come out, come out!" ”

Li Zicheng and Han hurriedly got up and opened the door, and the people outside the house rushed in, stepped forward and tied Li Zicheng down, pushed and left, and his daughter was so frightened that she cried, "Oh my God! What's going on? Han screamed and hugged Li Zicheng's legs, Li Zicheng struggled and asked angrily, "What rule did I violate?" ”

"Which one? Hmph, you don't understand? You say, why is there a sheep missing? The housekeeper of Ai Mansion came in with a leather whip from outside the door, and couldn't help sneering, "Li Hongji, you are so bold!" ”

Li Zicheng was stunned, knowing that he couldn't deny it, and snorted: "I was careless for a while, and I was taken away by a wild wolf." ”

"Took it?" The housekeeper rolled his eyes and stared at Li Zicheng, "Then why don't you tell Master Ai when you come back?" There is clearly a deliberate deception. What kind of character is Master Ai, will he be coaxed by you bastard? Yesterday, you came back late, and Master Ai became suspicious, and sent someone to check the number of sheep in the morning, only to know that there was a shortage, so let's ask you to see if you are telling the truth? ”

"It's really taken away, and I'm willing to admit punishment." Li Zicheng bowed his head and said.

"Admit punishment?" The butler raised the whip in his hand and knocked on Li Zicheng's arm, leaned into his face and sneered: "You are so poor that you can't afford to wear clothes, what do you use to pay off your debts?" Don't you want to dedicate your daughter-in-law to Ai Lao...... Whew--Why are you still drinking? The housekeeper glared at Li Zicheng up and down, stretched out his hand to touch the cuffs on his chest and sniffed it, slashed his face with a whip, and scolded viciously in his mouth: "You slanderous ghost who doesn't know whether you live or die, you dare to steal and eat Master Ai's sheep and take him to see the master!" ”

"No need." With a cold voice, a thin old man in his fifties paced to the door, stroked his sparse beard under his chin and scolded: "This shameless thief is born a cheap seed, how can he enter my hall? I'm still afraid of pickles! The housekeeper and others agreed repeatedly, and the person who came was Ai Yingjia, a well-known rich man in Mizhi, who had donated a six-grade Tongzhi in his early years, and had seen a lot of the world, and his third son, Ai Wannian, was the deputy chief soldier of the official residence, rich and powerful, and his faction was much greater than that of ordinary rich people. He softened his face, sighed and said, "Although I, Ai Yingjia, dare not say that I am rich, there are also a hundred and ten people in this mansion, and I can't eat enough to work here, who will believe it?" Li Hongji, when your father and mother died, they borrowed the master's silver, and the master lifted you up and taught you to herd sheep to pay off your debts, where did you think that you would take revenge, and the sheep were not fattened, but you secretly killed them to eat? Okay, well, in the face of the villagers, the lord will not send the official, but this problem of stealing food cannot be cured! Come on! Tie him to the millstone at the entrance of the village, and teach him to rub this gluttonous mouth at home. ”

Li Zicheng was tied to the outside of an abandoned mill at the head of a village, the sun shone on his body, warm, and a little comfortable, surrounded by adults and children, pointing and pointing, gossiping, Li Zicheng looked up carefully, sighed secretly, closed his eyes and bowed his head. The house slave of Aifu came over and pressed his head and rubbed his mouth on the grinding plate, and after a few strokes, the rough stone mill rubbed his mouth and cheeks into blood, and Li Zicheng was ashamed and fainted. I don't know how long it took before I woke up. At this time, the sun rose to the sky, and the sun in late spring had already gained some power, and it was basking unhindered, and Li Zicheng felt that his body was hot. He didn't eat a drop of water and rice in the morning, the hunger in his belly was still bearable, the thirst in his mouth was the most unbearable, the wound on his mouth was already dry and cracked, and it hurt even more hotly.

"Stop, don't pass! Master Ai has an order not to give him soup. Following the shouts of the house slaves, Li Zicheng struggled to see that the crockpot held by a young man was shattered, and a pot of water was sprinkled on the ground, leaving only a faint water stain in an instant, and there was no trace of light smoke.

"Come on!" Li Zicheng shouted, "Why are you here?" "The boy was the son of his eldest brother, and he was sixteen years old.

The young man shook off the hand of the house slave, ran to the front and said, "Auntie went to beg my father, but my father didn't dare to come forward, and said that the money saved would be given to me to marry my daughter-in-law." Second uncle, I'd rather not marry a daughter-in-law than save you! ”

"Good boy! Don't talk nonsense, I don't blame your dad. Li Zicheng held back his tears and asked, "Where is your aunt now?" ”

"I went back to do the laundry, but Master Ai didn't let me come out."

Li Zicheng lamented: "It's affected the two of them." Later, would you like to do the second uncle a favor? ”

"Yes."

"The second uncle's back is a little itchy, I think it's a lot of lice that should be caught, you can catch it for me!"

Li Guo reached in and grabbed it, Li Zicheng leaned into his ear and whispered: "Second Uncle has a wooden card hidden close to his chest, you steal it out, go to Yinchuan Station to find Gao Jie, teach him to use a stagecoach to Qingjian to give it to the prince, and someone will come to save me." Just go! ”

Li Guo was surprised and delighted, scratched a few times, put the wooden card into his sleeve, and said to himself: "The lice that can't be caught are the flies that can't be caught." Second uncle, it's almost time for lunch, and I'll catch it for you in a while. "Walked away in a puff of smoke.

The afternoon sun seemed to be a little scorching, Li Zicheng was hungry and thirsty, dizzy, the villagers had long since dispersed, and the two house slaves were leaning under the trees to guard them listlessly. "Hee-hee, do you want to eat?" In the haze, Li Zicheng smelled a strong smell of meat, and when he opened his eyes, he saw a young man in brocade clothes in his early tens, holding a big meat bun in one hand, and sent the bite to his nose, and the tempting aroma of meat entered his heart and spleen, Li Zicheng couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva secretly, and felt even more hungry in his stomach.

"Young Master!" The two house slaves hurriedly got up to salute, and the house slave who followed behind him dissuaded: "Young master, don't get close to him, so as not to dirty your clothes." ”

The young man in brocade is the youngest son of Ai Yingjia's forty-year-old concubine, who is used to being spoiled and arrogant on weekdays, where is he willing to listen? Laughed and said: "Big man, it's not easy for you to eat meat, if you come to ask the young master, the young master will say a word, there is your meat to eat every day, why steal it?" But when you see this meat bun, if you shake your head and shake your body to learn to bark three times, the young master will reward you for eating. ”

"Learn! Learn! ”

"Learn! I learned to eat fragrant meat buns. Everyone coaxed, and Li Zicheng bowed his head and was silent.

"Damn! Young Master is merciful, you still don't appreciate it? The brocade-clothed young man shook his hand and hit the bun, Li Zicheng turned his head slightly, and the bun wiped his face and hit the grinding plate. When the brocade-clothed young man saw that he was not beaten, he was furious, threw another bun to the ground, and fell to the ground crying: "You pay for my buns, pay for my buns!" ”

The house slaves panicked, one hurriedly picked up the young man, and the other rushed forward to beat Li Zicheng violently, and Li Zicheng fainted again.

The sun is shining, the yellow dust is rolling, on the official road in eastern Shaanxi, a team of soldiers and horses carrying many mules and horses and vehicles are marching towards Hancheng, winding for several miles, and the yellow flags are planted on the cars, and the two characters of "military rations" are written. A slightly thin man wearing a black veil and a scarlet robe rode a white horse in front. He is in his thirties, with a fair complexion, a short beard of three locks under his chin, and a pair of slender eyes under his sparse eyebrows, which seem to be open and closed, and always shine with a terrifying light. If it weren't for the Yunyan supplement from the fourth grade, the black gauze hat, the plain gold belt, and a sword hanging from his waist, he would have looked like a weak tutor. This person is Hong Chengchou, the senator of Shaanxi Governor's Grain Road, he is followed by two guards and a handsome little guy, the tall guard is named ***, the thin one is named Cai Jiuyi, and the little guy is his personal clerk Jin Sheng, who is in a hurry to send the military grain to Hancheng. Hong Chengchou reined in the horse's head, took a hand towel to wipe the sweat on his face, looked at the soldiers who were already tired, and asked, "How far is this place from Hancheng?" ”

Said: "There are still more than fifty miles. ”

Hong Chengchou pointed to the woods in front of him and ordered: "Teach the soldiers to rest there for a while, and then step up their journey, and be sure to rush to Hancheng tonight." *** agreed, and the horse went forward.

The woods in the distance are shrouded in a purple-blue mist, like smoke and fog, faintly connected with the rolling hills behind, far into the sky, the scene is vast, and the spring color in the south of the Yangtze River is very different. Hong Chengchou couldn't help but sigh to himself, and suddenly heard the chaos in front of him, and he was shocked, but when he saw the *** Pegasus coming back, he reported angrily: "My lord, it's not good, there are officials and soldiers who want to rob our grain truck!" ”

"Not a bandit fake?"

"They claim to be subordinates of Du Wenhuan, the chief soldier of Yansui Town."

"Didn't General Du break the siege in Hancheng, how could he suddenly come here?" Hong Chengchou was very surprised, and urged the horse: "Wait for me to take a look." ”

When Hong Chengchou arrived in front of the team, he saw many sergeants stopping in front of the grain truck, and the soldiers guarding the grain were holding on to them with knives and guns. Hong Chengchou shouted: "Which one is bold and dares to rob the military rations?" ”

A lieutenant stepped forward with a smile and said, "Hehe, my lord, look at us not carrying guns to fight?" Since it is military rations, it should naturally be left for us, and what is robbed and robbed, this is also ugly. ”

"Presumptuous! This is the military rations of the former enemy in Hancheng, which one dares to stay, don't die! ”

"We are also soldiers fighting in Hancheng, what's wrong with leaving our share?"

Hong Chengchou's face turned cold, and he said sharply: "Hmph...... You are also fighting in Hancheng, why did you end up here? It's obviously a bandit who pretends to be an officer and soldier, but it's so easy to earn my grain and grass! ”

"Fuck, you dog official is really full of men who don't know how hungry men are hungry, our brothers haven't eaten for a day, borrow you some food, and still push back like this, and accuse us of being thieves and grass cobs! If you don't look at your black gauze robe, it's just like this...... Look at you......" The lieutenant didn't finish speaking, but he saw a thin figure beside Hong Chengchou flying up like a gray crane, only to hear a few loud "crackles", the lieutenant covered his face and couldn't stop howling, opening his mouth and spitting out a tooth.

The soldiers who grabbed the grain were stunned for a moment when they saw Cai Jiuyi's ghost-like skills, but when they saw that the captain was beaten and his mouth and nose were bleeding, they were angry and shouted: "They don't give food, and they beat people." Brothers, let's live, go up together! Fuck it! The sergeants rushed up and surrounded the grain carts, and the two sides were about to meet each other. Hong Chengchou shook the reins of the horse, took a few steps forward, took out the arrow from his arms and held it in his hand, and shouted: "I am ordered by the military gate to transport military rations to Hancheng, and those who dare to intercept will not be killed!" He saw that everyone stopped, looked at each other, and knew that his mind had been shaken a little, and then persuaded: "As soldiers and horses of the imperial court, you don't want to kill the thieves, but you rob the army rations, aren't you rebelling?" This is a capital crime, and it will destroy the nine tribes! Which of you has no parents, wives, brothers and sisters, and is it worth it to trade their lives for a mouthful of food? When they heard this, they put down their swords and spears. Hong Chengchou beckoned to the lieutenant, "Come here." ”

The lieutenant glanced at Cai Jiuyi, staggered over, without a trace of arrogance, and asked carefully, "What do you command?" ”

"Whose subordinates are you?"

"The little ones are all under the tent of Mr. Du."

"If it's really Du Wenhuan's subordinate, then why did you get here?"

"The little ones are going back to Nimset."

"The siege of Hancheng is unsolved, why do you want to go back to Ningsai?"

The lieutenant was about to answer, when a group of men and horses came from the woods like a whirlwind, led by a general, with golden helmets and golden armor, riding a red horse, about fifty years old, with a bearded face, very majestic, but the golden helmet was tied with a long strip of white cloth, and the horse's head was also covered with a white flower, and the personal soldiers behind him were also dressed in white belts, all of them looked sad, as if they were funeral, and it was extremely funny and mysterious. The general pressed his sword in his hand, stared at his blood-red eyes, and cried out, "Who struck me?" ”

Hong Chengchou arched his hand and said, "Your Excellency is Mr. Du?" ”

The general rolled his eyes and said, "Who are you, why did you beat my captain?" ”

Hong Chengchou saw that he was so arrogant, and he didn't even care about the etiquette of the officialdom, and said coldly: "It's not just Shaanxi Governor Grain Road Senator Hong Chengchou." Mr. Du wanted to know why I beat people, so he asked the lieutenant. ”

Du Wenhuan touched a soft nail, turned around and scolded the captain: "You fucking say it quickly, why did you beat someone?" ”

"The little brothers had not eaten for a day, and when they saw Lord Hong's grain cart, they couldn't help it, so they wanted to ...... Ouch! Seeing Du Wenhuan whipping down, the captain didn't dare to dodge, and took a whip stiffly, and a blood groove on his face flowed out, and those sergeants were all frightened.

Hong Chengchou sneered: "Mr. Du, Hong once heard that the general is extremely strict in governing the army, where did he think that he would rob the military rations?" I thought it was a thief on the top of the mountain who pretended to be the general's banner, who thought that it was the general's subordinates, it was really better to be famous than to meet, and it was really chilling. ”

"You say I'm just in vain?"

"I don't dare. It's just that Hong knows that the use of soldiers should be constrained by law and discipline, and he can't indulge in wanton behavior, the so-called freezing to death will not demolish the house, and starving to death will not be plundered. Otherwise, what is the difference between forgetting righteousness and raping and robbing in the mountains and forests? ”

Du Wenhuan was speechless, his face was pale, and he shouted: "Come on, take him!" Two samurai stepped forward and tied up the captain. Du Wenhuan looked up to the sky and sighed, and wept: "Since I, Du Wenhuan, led the troops, there have been countless large and small battle formations, who has not fought bravely to be the first, and has never been greedy for a penny of property, who would have expected to do such a thing today!" It is necessary to severely punish the robbery of military rations, but if it is not for leaving Hancheng without permission with me, it will not be like this, and eighty military sticks will be beaten and the soldiers will be expelled. Eighty sticks, I will receive forty for you. Do it! When his soldiers heard this, they knelt down and pleaded together. The lieutenant fell to the ground and wept bitterly, and drew his sword to kill himself, but the sergeants hurriedly stopped him, and wept all over the place.

Hong Chengchou was angry that his words were reckless and rude, but seeing that he had changed his temperament, and seeing that the soldiers were crying emotionally, he couldn't bear it, so he dissuaded: "Mr. Du, the military rations have not been robbed, and his crime seems to be light." If the general is bent on punishing, how can Hong bear it if he is not a person who will repay him? ”

Du Wenhuan was silent, shook his head for a long time and sighed: "It's me who has caused them." ”

"Why did the general say that?"

"Lord Hong, can you see the heavy filial piety on my body?"

"I was about to ask."

Du Wenhuan let out a long sigh, he stretched out his hand to wipe it, and said through gritted teeth: "I was fighting with Wang Zuojiao and Miao Mei in Hancheng, but unexpectedly, Wang Zuojiao contacted the thief God Yiyuan, captured Ningsai, and burned down my Wuyue Thatched Cottage, leaving one of my family's thirty-eight people behind...... Pity my eighty-seven-year-old mother and my son who was born to a concubine under a year old...... They were all killed, and their bones were left in the wilderness, and I don't know if they could be found. Du Wenhuan felt pain in his bone marrow, he couldn't bear it anymore, and he cried on his horse.

Hong Chengchou said: "Mr. Du, this is not the place to ask for advice, please move and speak." The two entered the woods, dismounted and sat on the ground, and Hong Chengchou asked, "Do you want to rescue Ningsai?" ”

Du Wenhuan gritted his teeth and said, "I want to seek revenge from God Yiyuan!" ”

"When did you get the news?"

"It's noon today."

"How far is Ninsai from Hancheng?"

"More than five hundred miles."

"Six hundred miles of urgent paperwork still takes one day and one night, even if you run five hundred miles in one day, and the general rushes to Ningsai again, it will take two days, do you think God can wait for you there?"

Du Wenhuan suddenly came to his senses and said, "This ...... Naturally, not. ”

"The general is eager for revenge, and he just wants to meet and fight, but he is so anxious that he doesn't want to think about leaving the place without permission, what is the crime?"

"I—I'm in a mess."

Hong Chengchou shook his head secretly, frowned, and said: "The general acts like this, and the military gate knows about it, but it's not a trick!" Military law is strict, if ......"

Du Wenhuan punched the ground and said hatefully: "Lord Hong is talking about Yang He!" What does he know about marching and fighting? It's just that after reading the art of war for a few days, where have I fought with real swords and guns! Isn't that a dream for the soldiers who surrender without a fight, and the good for the good? ”

"It's useless for you to be upset! The strategy of appeasement was approved by the emperor. Now you are the one who is on the run. ”

"As long as I avenge my family, I will come back with a thousand cuts, and I am grateful to him."

"Hatred? One day or two, I'm afraid it's hard to report. It's better to hurry back to Hancheng to avoid things getting bigger, and there is no room for maneuver. ”

Du Wenhuan said gloomily: "If I go back, how can Yang He let it go?" Originally, he said that I wantonly killed and hindered the overall situation, and he had already regarded me as a thorn in his side, and he wanted to get rid of it quickly. Ay! I, Du Wenhuan, am also a dignified seven-foot man, who has fought more than 100 battles in his life, and has never been cowardly, but now he can't even protect his family, what face does he have to live in the world! Even if you don't die, you can leave these brothers under your command behind, so it's better to find God Yiyuan to do a fight! ”

"It is human nature for the general to be agitated with righteous indignation, to be in a hurry, and to think only of revenge in his heart. Who has no parents, no brothers, no wives and children? Although you and I meet in the water, I have already heard of the general's loyalty and bravery, and I have the courage to persuade a sentence, revenge should not be in a hurry, and the scenery should be long-term, and things have not yet reached the point of desperate fighting. The general insisted on going, and he was afraid that he would not be able to go to Ningsai without food and salary, and he would eventually fail to learn from the bandit and grass robber? If I risk my life to give the general a few days' salary, I am afraid that it will be difficult to kill the enemy in my eagerness, and it will not be a good strategy in the end. You have to think twice about going and staying, and you must be cautious. ”

"Wen Huan is reckless, he is a rough man, the matter has come to this point, I am afraid it will be too late to redeem it." Du Wenhuan couldn't help but feel a little remorseful and a little suspicious.

Hong Chengchou smiled slightly and said, "It's not necessarily late. I have a plan that may reduce the general's culpability. ”

"Your Excellency says it clearly."

"I falsely claimed that the thieves intercepted the grain and sent people to ask for help, but when I met the general in the city, the bandits were like fire, and I didn't have time to ask the military gate for my life, how about it?"

"It's just a drag on the adults, and I feel uneasy."

Hong Chengchou said with a heroic smile: "Shaanxi's thief is not just around the corner, and the general and I have to share hardships for this matter, where to talk about the word drag?" ”

Du Wenhuan was very grateful, and hugged his fists and said: "Since ancient times, I have not thanked for my great kindness, and I will never give up if I am useful in the future." ”

"The general is serious." Hong Chengchou got up and looked at Han Cheng and said, "The general is private, the thief is powerful, Han Cheng doesn't know what's going on?" The general went quickly, and then I planted more flags, thinking that it was a backup, so that the thieves were suspicious, and if the thieves fled, the general could pursue them behind, and the siege of Hancheng would be solved. ”

"This is the best plan!" Du Wenhuan glanced at Hong Chengchou in surprise, flew on the horse, waved his whip, and shouted: "Hurry back to Hancheng----"