Without waiting for Xi'an officials to greet him outside the city, Sun Chuanting rode into the governor's yamen alone, activated the seal letter sealed by the outgoing governor Gan Xuekuo, and immediately posted a notice. After issuing a notice, he ordered people to send maps and books of Shaanxi and its surrounding provinces and governments to the internal signing room, and made a huge sand table by hand, and the terrain such as the Sanqin mountains and rivers and passes were clear at a glance and clear. As soon as the three days arrived, the big and small officials rushed to the governor's yamen early in the morning, waiting to pay homage to the new Futai, and after the day, a government official came out and said that the adult's illness had not healed, and the period of visiting the shrine was delayed. Sun Chuanting ate two bowls of oily spicy noodles, the sky was about to be fixed, he warmed a pot of rice wine with his own hands, poured half of it lightly, lingered in front of the sand table and pondered, slowly tasted the aroma of wine, tightly locked his brows, and suddenly heard the guard outside the door report: "Lord Gan came to visit the master's condition." ”

He groaned for a while, and someone outside the door called out his words and said, "Brother Baiya, do you have time to meet you?" ”

"Ahh It turned out that the younger brother had arrived, and the younger brother was thinking about visiting the door, but he waited for the big driver! Please, please, please! Sun Chuanting hurriedly stepped forward, affectionately grabbed Gan Xuekuo's arm, humbly sat down, and arched his hand: "I just arrived in Xi'an, my eyes are dark, everything has not yet been prepared, I am busy all day long, and I don't have a moment of leisure." You and I have a friendship of the same year, and the foolish brother should go to see him, but the emperor's order is in his body, and he can't abolish the public for personal reasons. Besides, before the settlement, you and I have a lot to do with each other, and I am deeply afraid of tarnishing the reputation of the young brother, which is really incompatible, and it is unresolved. ”

Gan Xuekuo thin and slight beard, covered with a green robe, with a smile on his face, but he couldn't hide the faint anxious and frustrated color between his eyebrows, listening to Sun Chuanting said sleekly, a little coy, his heart was on fire, he and Sun Chuanting were the same list of Jinshi in Wanli for forty-seven years, both in the top three, Sun Chuanting ranked forty-one, forty-two places higher than him, and had known each other for more than ten years, but on weekdays, they lived in one place, there were not many contacts, and they couldn't talk about any friendship. felt that the hero was short of breath, and he couldn't be strong, so he smiled dryly: "Brother Baiya is polite, and he should be a young brother in public and private." ”

Sun Chuanting didn't think about what he meant for a while, poured a glass of wine, handed it over, and said, "Eat a cup of rice wine from my foolish brother's hometown." ”

Gan Xuekuo said with a smile: "The ancients said that guests came to tea as wine on cold nights, and Brother Nian used it in the opposite way, which shows that the relationship is very thick!" If the younger brother has any reluctant request, presumably the younger brother will bother to be thoughtful. ”

"You and I both contribute to the court, how can you be reluctant?"

Gan Xuekuo ignored it, sniffed the cup, and praised: "Good wine!" Jin Bo is intoxicated with Yanmen Prefecture, this wine is golden in color and mellow in smell, which is not comparable to Jiangnan rice wine! ”

"Jin Bo is drunk in Yanmen Prefecture, and there is a June autumn in the world", which is the poem of Zhao Bingwen, the secretary of the Jin Dynasty Famous Scholar and Rite Department, praised Daizhou rice wine, Gan Xuekuo's hometown is far away in Bashu, and he has been an official in the north for many years, and he knows a lot of customs. "Brother Nian is so erudite!" Sun Chuanting pointed out: "This Beiqi rice wine is made of millet rice, although it is not as famous as the Huadiao Zhujiu brewed with Jianhu water, but it is just like the simplicity of the foolish brother to treat the deceased. ”

Gan Xuekuo got up and shook it to the ground, and said: "Baiya called out the old man, and did not abandon the waste staff to be sluggish, I will say it clearly if I have something to say." ”

"If you have any orders, please tell me directly."

"Let me go!" Gan Xuekuo said word by word, and his tone was very urgent.

"How did my brother stop it?"

"Good! I also have a matter of begging, borrowing thirty or fifty soldiers to escort me into Sichuan. ”

Sun Chuanting was surprised: "Brother Nian is not a corrupt official, and the cage is not heavy, why do you need so many people to escort him?" ”

"I have been in the sea all my life, and I am confident that I have not done anything harmful, and I am not afraid of thieves who kill people and oversell goods."

"What was my brother afraid of that year?"

"You know it in your heart."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You don't have to hide it from me, you must have already received an urgent document from Hong Junmen, and the Liukou took Tongguan and entered Shaanxi, and now that I am leaving, I don't have to live and die with Xi'an City."

"You're in a hurry to leave, so that's what you're doing?" Sun Chuanting couldn't help touching the paperwork in his sleeve, he was worried that the news would leak out, the soldiers and civilians in the city would be panicked, and the situation would be out of control.

"Not bad."

Sun Chuanting asked straight to the point: "When is Brother Nian going to leave for his hometown?" ”

"The sooner the better."

"I'm afraid the delivery is not so easy!" Sun Chuanting's face sank, and his eyes were fixed on Gan Xuekuo.

"I didn't be greedy for ink, I didn't bribe my boss, those official documents and books were sealed in the duty room, just ask a few masters to clean up and hand them over, I don't have to delay here, go back to my hometown and wait first, if you find any clues, you can go to the excerpt to participate, I am willing to accept the guilt, and I will never deny it!"

"What's the use of having clear accounts? I want to have the money I need. Liukou is fierce, if you take Tongguan, Xi'an will have no danger to rely on, will bear the brunt, but Shaanxi soldiers and horses have been brought into Henan by Hongjunmen, only less than 5,000 left, how to defend the city? I plan to recruit the people to build an earthen city wall outside the city, and only set up four city gates: East Changle, Xi'an Ding, South Yongning, and North Anyuan. Each gate is built with three gatehouses: the gate tower, the arrow tower, and the main building. The gate tower is outside, the arrow tower is in the middle, the main building is inside, and a wall is built between the arrow tower and the main building to think that the urn city is built, and a wide moat is dug deep outside the city. For such a big project, how can the tens of thousands of taels of silver in the treasury be enough? ”

"That's your business, I can't control it, Shaanxi has a bad harvest year after year, these tens of thousands of taels of silver are still the emperor's gifts, don't dare to use them, otherwise the treasury would have been empty."

Sun Chuanting couldn't scare him when he saw it, so he changed his face to a smile and said, "Oops! Brother Nian returned to his heart like an arrow, and sent dozens of soldiers to escort him, which was also a trivial matter, just stretching out his hand. But you and I are in love in the same year, and we have to have a drink to say goodbye to the bar! But you have also seen that the military situation is urgent, and I am afraid that I can't take care of it for a while! ”

"This cup is a send-off." Gan Xuekuo raised his head and drank it all.

"That's snubbing." Sun Chuanting poured another cup and said: "Brother Nian just showed two things, and the foolish brother also asked for something, and he hoped for kindness." ”

"Shouldn't you teach me to donate money?"

"How could it be! Those silver were all the money of the imperial court, and no one dared to touch it. How can a foolish brother be a man with only two eyes on silver? I want to invite my brother to stay for a few days. ”

Gan Xuekuo stood up, patted the armrest and said sharply: "What do you mean by this? Do you want to pull a cushion? ”

"Hahaha......" Sun Chuanting let out a long laugh, gritted his teeth and said: "Don't look down on us, others are afraid of rogues, we are not afraid!" I keep you for the time being, so that I am a thief. If the thieves want to invade Xi'an, they must cross the Qinling Mountains. There are five main roads from east to west when the Qinling Mountains enter Hanzhong: Wuguan Road, Bao Slope Road, Fu Luo Road, Meridian Road, and Sanguan Road. The thieves are afraid that the officials and soldiers will chase after them, so they will not take the Wuguan Road. Sanguan Road has to walk hundreds of miles more, so Hongjunmen has returned to Sanqin, and the thieves will definitely have no chance to take advantage of it, and they will not take this road. The Praise Slope Road and the Meridian Road have been in disrepair for many years and have long been abandoned, and they only have to go to Fu Luo Road. I ambush here, and the thief will take it. ”

Gan Xuekuo bowed and said: "Thank you for your kindness, this place enters the river, and the mountains are blocked, but I can't help the wild goose to pass the book, and I am waiting for the good news at home." ”

"You have to go?"

"There is no intention of lingering."

"You're going to mess with my people?"

"I can't take care of it anymore."

"Someone!" Sun Chuanting smiled and shouted: "I have given you enough face, but you insist on going your own way, no wonder I am ruthless." Take good care of Lord Gan, and don't be wronged. Then he went to his house to find some valuable objects to confiscate and help the army, and said that Lord Gan donated money to defend the city. ”

"You ......" Gan Xuekuo looked at the few martial artists who came in, trembling with anger.

Fu Luo Road north from Zhou to Luoyukou, one hundred and twenty miles southwest of the county, south to Yangxian Fuyukou, thirty miles away from the north of Yangxian County, the valley road is four hundred and twenty miles long. In addition to a section of the main peak of Qinling, the winding mountain road twists and turns for more than 80 miles, a total of 84 plates, it is not easy to walk, the other terrain is open, all are plateaus, shallow mountains and flat hills, one after another, and there is no precipitous place. Gao Yingxiang and others have bypassed Tongguan and walked in the valley of Fu Luo Road. Years of war, Fu Luo Road has not had the prosperity of the previous dynasty, showing some dilapidated scenes, the four sides are extremely secluded, the former plank road, the shop is left with rubble and gravel tiles, broken walls and ruins, along the West Luoyu River to the north, to the territory of Zhouzhi County, only gradually more people. Gao Yingxiang looked at the sun in the west and asked, "How far is it from the county seat?" ”

"I just sent someone to investigate, this is Heishuiyu, in front of which is Mazhao Town, and there are still more than thirty miles away from the county seat." Li Zicheng pointed forward with a horsewhip: "There is a Xianyou Temple on the bank of the Heihe River, which was built in the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui, and the towering one is the Fawang Tower. ”

Gao Yingxiang lele immediately went up the hillside, and saw that a corner of the yellow wall and red tiles were faintly exposed among the trees, giving the afterglow to the west to shadow more and more golden brilliance, and there was a pagoda standing in all directions behind the temple, but he could not hear the bell singing, and saw the surging black river flowing endlessly. He got off the horse, moved his muscles and bones a few times, ran around for days, the supply was poor, and after two days of relaxation, he felt tired, and the soldiers on foot were even more tired, he ordered: "Rest early today, tomorrow morning the four drums will sneak attack Zhouzhi County, enter the city to rest, and recuperate enough to attack Xi'an." ”

Li Zicheng knew that Gao Yingxiang believed in Buddhism and was extremely pious, and he had been killing all year round, although he didn't care about worship, but he had developed the habit of entering the temple every time, and called Gu Junen and said: "You accompany King Chuang into the temple for a walk." ”

Gu Junen agreed: "This Xianyou Temple is worth seeing, when Bai Lotian was the county lieutenant of Zhouzhi, he wrote the Huanghuang masterpiece "Song of Long Hatred" here, which has been sung for hundreds of years, which is wonderful. ”

Gao Yingxiang patted his forehead and said: "Oh, I remember, he and his friends Chen Hong and Wang Qianfu drank in this Xianyou Temple, Chen Hong wrote "The Song of Long Hatred", he wrote ......" The words were still unfinished, and suddenly heard the sound of the cannon, the arrows were like rain, Gao Yingxiang was hit by two arrows on the arm, and he almost fell down in pain, and wondered: "But the official army came?" ”

"The officers and soldiers who don't know where are in ambush here, just release arrows, and the brothers have been shot and wounded a lot." Li Guo ran over panting.

"Where's your second uncle?"

"He is leading people to rush and kill, but the arrow rain is too urgent and dense, and he is afraid that he will not be able to rush hard." As he spoke, an arrow swooped and struck his mount's right eye, and the horse neighed, and jumped up on its front legs, and Li Guo hurriedly threw off the stirrup, and at the moment when the horse was about to fall to the ground, he jumped down, picked up a steel knife, and rushed down with a scream.

Gu Junen saw that Gao Yingxiang's arms were dripping with blood, and dyed the white robe scarlet, so he hurriedly tore the placket and wrapped it around him, observed around for a moment, and persuaded: "The enemy is dark and I am clear, we are at the bottom of the valley, the officers and soldiers are condescending, we must not fall in love with war, only rush to kill with all our strength, and leave this dangerous situation first." The officers and soldiers must have ambushed the large groups of men and horses at the mouth of the valley at both ends, and their bows and arrows were very powerful, and they should not be reckless. There are few arrows shot on both sides, presumably there are not many officers and soldiers there, so we can rush to the top of the mountain. Seeing Gao Yingxiang nodding, he hurriedly helped him onto his horse, raised his arms and shouted: "King Chuang has an order, rush to the top of the mountain on both sides!" ”

There are really not many officers and soldiers on the top of the mountain, Sun Chuanting's men are less than 5,000 men, plus the 4,000 recruited, it is still less than 10,000, not to mention that in a hurry, the newly recruited soldiers are not trained, and they will only do the physical work of throwing stones, and they will rush to kill several times, and Gao Yingxiang and others will be halfway up the mountain. At this time, the sky was completely dark, Gao Yingxiang ordered people to take advantage of the night to touch the mountain, but the mountain was covered with bells, once touched, the bell rang loudly, the stones flew around, and people were smashed into meat pies. Gao Yingxiang saw that the officers and troops were so well arranged, so he had to take people to hide in the cave. Gao Yingxiang sat leaning against the stone, looking at the dark night outside the cave, and sighed: "Junen, I didn't expect that I had been crisscrossing for many years, but this valley was blocked. As the saying goes, there will be no luck like the Carriage Gorge. ”

"King Chuang doesn't have to worry too much, the danger like the carriage gorge has been passed, and the mountains here are gentle, how can they trap us? When the sky is bright, let's choose to rush to the death in one place, why worry about not tearing an opening? ”

Gao Yingxiang looked at the soldiers who were busy cooking in the light and shadow of the torches, and said with a wry smile: "Let's rush to kill separately, so that the officers and soldiers can't care about each other, and if you go out one more, you don't have to accompany me to death." ”

"Why did King Chuang say such ominous words?"

"My whole arm is numb, and I guess there must be poisonous ...... on that arrow."

"Get the medicine!" Gu Junen untied the blood-soaked strip of cloth, tore Gao Yingxiang's sleeve, and sure enough, he saw that one arm was black and bruised, swollen a lot, and it was difficult to bend, so he hurriedly pulled out a sharp knife and cut it along the wound, flowing out a stream of black and red blood, and the smell was fishy. The busy soldiers had already stopped what they were doing, and stood in a daze, their faces full of panic.

"This is not an ordinary poison, we don't have much medicine, so we don't have to waste it."

"That'...... Then I had to waste my whole arm? Gu Junen's hand holding the knife trembled a few times, and his heart was still unwilling.

Gao Yingxiang shook his head and said, "It's late." The poison of the arrow has already flowed into the heart, and it will not help to cut off the arm. ”

Gu Junen's expression changed greatly, changed his usual appearance, threw the sharp knife on the ground, wiped out a string of sparks, sat on the ground with his head in his hands, and muttered: "Then what should I do, what should I do?" ”

"Bring me a bowl of wine."

Gu Junen stopped: "You can't eat or drink!" Otherwise, the poison will run faster. ”

"The husband laughs about life and death, there is no need to dodge! Besides, wine can relieve pain, give me a bowl. ”

"No, no...... Say nothing you can't drink! ”

"Bring the wine!" Gao Yingxiang's eyebrows were raised violently, his tone was sad and sad, and his face was a little hideous.

Gu Junen was helpless, knowing that he couldn't stop it anymore, a personal soldier choked and held a bowl full of wine, tremblingly placed it at Gao Yingxiang's feet, and tears fell silently in the wine bowl. Gao Yingxiang beckoned to everyone: "You all come here!" Everyone gathered around, Gao Yingxiang picked up the wine bowl with his left hand, and said with a smile: "Brothers, I, Gao Yingxiang, have been fighting with you for many years, and I have spent more days together than my biological parents and siblings!" Today I'm going to take the first step, let's brothers, I can't say half a word of thanks, this bowl of wine should be a farewell. He threw his head back and dried up, tears welling up in his eyes. Everyone knelt in front of him, whimpering, and there was a cry in the cave.

Gao Yingxiang did not dissuade him, and still shouted: "Another bowl!" ”

Gu Junen knelt down two steps, took his hand and said, "King Chuang, while the poison has not yet occurred, we will protect you to find the general and kill it together!" ”

"No, I can't. Junen, it's not that I don't have the heart to survive, it's just that I'm afraid that I'm not as good as a wasted person, so many people escorting me will inevitably attract people's attention, and it will be easy for the officers and soldiers to find out, and it will be difficult for everyone to get out. Even if I desperately fought out of the valley, I couldn't cure the poison of the arrow, I couldn't live for a few days, but I gave my brothers their lives in vain! Gao Yingxiang swallowed a big sip of wine, coughed twice, breathed for a while, and then said: "You take the brothers to go first, I will lead the officers and soldiers to the entrance of the cave, you take the opportunity to rush out, and live one more." As long as you set me a bowl when you drink, I will be satisfied. ”

Gu Junen wept and said, "If I don't escort you out of the valley, what face do I have to meet the general?" ”

"Let's go!" Gao Yingxiang waved his hand.

"Chuang Wang ......" everyone mourned in unison.

Gao Yingxiang stood up with his body propped up, drank the wine in a big gulp, slammed, smashed the wine bowl, and shouted: "Go ----" and then slowly fell down the stone wall.

Gu Junen stepped forward to probe, his snort was weak, he had already fainted, and hurriedly ordered someone to carry him out of the cave and retreat down the hillside. When the officers and soldiers on the top of the mountain heard the movement, they shouted in unison: "The thief has run away, release the arrows quickly!" ”

The jolts and shouts woke Gao Yingxiang up, he struggled to sit up, and shouted: "I, Gao Yingxiang, am here, not afraid of death!" ”

"Don't let go of arrows, you have to capture the king of thieves alive and go to Beijing to offer prisoners!" Under the torches and the starlight, a lightly robed scribe brandished his sword and shouted majestically from the top of the mountain. When the officers and soldiers boarded, they poured down the mountain like a tide, and Gao Yingxiang was in a hurry, "Help me get on the horse!" When he landed, Venus splashed in front of him, and he fainted again......

In the middle of spring, the sun is shining. The top gatehouse of the palace on the nine wings of the city gate is high, the thirty-six doors facing the south are all opened together, the city tower in the center is majestic and solemn, paved with yellow glazed tiles, a pair of five-clawed golden dragons on the top, hovering with their heads high, volleying in the air, the front of the gatehouse is set up in the tent throne. On the square in front of the building, the civil and military officials and the prisoner generals brought by Sun Chuanting came early in the morning and stood solemnly on the left and right, bowing down and waiting for the emperor's arrival. In the middle of the square, a little south of the place to offer prisoners, tens of thousands of forbidden troops are neatly arranged around, all of them are brightly dressed and majestic. Some of the older people watched and talked from afar.

After receiving the good news from Sun Chuanting, Chongzhen came out of the provincial residence, bathed and changed clothes, and agreed to hold a ceremony to sacrifice prisoners, and sent officials to report to heaven and earth, Zongmiao, Sheji, Yuedu, mountains and rivers, palaces and shrines within ten miles of Beijing. The Ministry of War heard about the so-called "Lubu", and the Ministry of Rites issued a notice to inform the people, and those who were over 60 years old in Beijing gathered at noon to watch the ceremony. As soon as the five drums were handed over, he ordered to drive, Wei Qinghui, the palace maid in charge of the Qianqing Palace, had already prepared a leather dress, a black gauze hat decorated with colorful jade, a silk dragon robe, stepped on the Taiping Horse, Gu Pan proudly galloped along the morning door of the horse, and threw the apricot yellow silk reins to Ma Yuancheng in the sound of a mountain calling long live, sitting upright on the dragon chair, and the hundred officials shouted long live salute.

Squeaky dumb...... With the harsh sound coming out, a huge wooden cage was pushed by dozens of red-clothed knife and axe hands, and the green cloth cover on the wooden cage was lifted, and inside was Gao Yingxiang, who was wearing a cloak and a cape, only a few dozen days, his appearance was still greatly changed, his cheeks were deeply sunken, and the white robe on his body was dirty. Sun Chuanting came out and said: "The ministers are ordered to sacrifice the thieves to their captives, and wait for the decree to be decided. ”

Chongzhen suppressed the anger in his heart and said majestically: "Take it!" The judge of the law department will delay this daring thief. ”

Wang Dehua shouted downward: "Long live the Lord has a will, cut it!" ”

The wooden cage was wide open, and the knife and axe hand dragged Gao Yingxiang out, Gao Yingxiang stared at Sun Chuanting next to him resentfully: "Your antidote is far better than poison!" ”

Sun Chuanting sneered: "Hmph! It's a great honor that you, a grass people, can see the face of heaven. Repent of life, ask for a good life in front of the king of Hades, and atone for your sins! ”

"Rip him! Rip him! Rip him! Tens of thousands of forbidden soldiers shouted together with the people, and the sound shook the sky and made people's hearts shake.

Wang Dehua asked: "Long live the lord, how many knives do you cut?" ”

Chongzhen got up and looked down at Gao Yingxiang, as if he saw Fengyang's sky-high fire, he scolded sharply with his halberd fingers: "When I rebelled against Liu Jin, I cut 3,300 knives for three days. The thieves burned the imperial tomb, humiliated the ancestors, added 300 knives, and then burned the corpse and scattered ashes, and there was no return. I want to see with my own eyes that he can't survive, and he will die wailing! ”

Two knife and axe hands came up, tore Gao Yingxiang's clothes off with their hands and feet, exposed his whole body, and tightly strangled his body with fishing nets, and the muscles and flesh of his body bulged out from the mesh one by one. One, two, three, four...... From top to bottom, cut in turn, the size of each fingernail, with a knife is extremely careful, for fear that if the cut is deep, the prisoner will die if the number of cuts is not enough. Those small pieces of bright red meat were thrown into the small basket, like meat sauce about to be chopped, dripping with blood......