The morning sun is like blood, and the earth is barren.

A group of people and horses galloped along the path, through a large low hillside, a mountain village appeared in front, surrounded by green trees, a small river gurgling, a green paddy field, swaying with the wind, several farmers were busy with something, it seemed so quiet, peaceful.

While running, Qin Huaidao carefully observed the surroundings and wrote down the terrain, not daring to be careless.

"How far is it?" Luo Zhangyu asked.

"Just go through the woods in front of you." Zhao Shuwen, the county magistrate, hurriedly pointed to the front and said.

"Brother Wei Chi, you two royal palaces." Qin Huaidao looked back behind him.

The two brothers nodded knowingly, slowed down a little, and kept a certain distance, Qin Huaidao looked at Cheng Chuliang and Cheng Chubi and shouted, "You two, one of you stares to the side, be careful of cold arrows." ”

"Understood." The two hurriedly answered.

"Brother Cheng, explore the way ahead, be careful."

"Understood, drive!" Cheng Chumo beat the horse and galloped away.

Seeing that Qin Huaidao was so cautious, Zhao Shuwen turned his head to take a look, he didn't dare to object, but his mind became active, and he suddenly felt that his choice might be right.

A line roared away, rushed out of the woods, there was a valley in front, surrounded by mountains on three sides, the mountain was not high, but some steep, and the bushes were thick, there was no way to go, it was facing everyone on one side was the entrance, built a city wall to block, the city wall was about ten meters high, someone patrolled on it, saw people coming, the gong sounded loudly.

Although more than ten years have passed since the war, the habit of self-protection of the villages is still retained.

The only suspension bridge leading to the valley was pulled up, Qin Huaidao and the others rushed closer, this time they found that there was a river below, about four or five meters wide, Qin Huai shouted: "Stop!" ”

"Herod!"

The horses neighed, and the pulled man stood up.

Tightening the reins one by one and stopping, looking around vigilantly, Qin Huaidao saw countless people appearing at the head of the city, stretching their bows and arrows, as if facing a great enemy, and said, "Lord Zhao, your clansmen reacted fast enough." ”

"My lord laughed, the lower official told everyone to be careful during this time, so go and call the door." Zhao Shuwen hurriedly explained, clamped his legs, let the horse slowly walk forward for a distance, and shouted: "Don't get me wrong, it's me who is back, hurry up and open the door." ”

There was a commotion on the city walls, and soon, the gates that had been pulled up were lowered.

"Uncle, it's not like there is fraud." Luo Zhang said in a low voice.

"Don't be careless." Qin Huaidao reminded him, raised his voice and shouted: "Lord Zhao, let your family come out, go to Chang'an with this official, and we won't go in." ”

"Okay, wait a minute." Zhao Shuwen did not refuse, nor did he beat his horse and ran away, and shouted loudly: "Who is on the city tower, is it the second uncle?" ”

"It's me, the gates have been lowered, come in." A deep voice rang out.

"If you don't go in, Uncle Lao is busy with a message, let my family come out."

"What is this for?"

"There are other arrangements, don't ask."

"Wait!"

Zhao Shuwen turned the horse's head and returned, looking really not like a fraud, Qin Huaidao didn't dare to be careless, motioned for everyone to disperse a little, quietly took out a knife and held it in his hand, and looked at the city tower carefully.

After waiting for a while, suddenly a dense roar came, like thunder rolling in the sky.

Qin Huaidao felt that the ground was trembling, and when he looked back, the dust was flying, as if something was rushing wildly, but his vision was blocked by a hillside, and before he could react, he saw a large number of cavalry roaring over, his pupils shrank suddenly, and shouted: "It's a chasing soldier, enter the valley, quickly!" ”

Everyone reacted quickly, beat their horses hard, and rushed across the drawbridge into the valley one by one.

Zhao Shuwen shouted: "Second uncle, hurry, pull the city gate." ”

"Pull the gates!" A loud voice yelled.

Qin Huaidao pulled the reins and stopped, and looked back, there was a large turntable on the city gate, several strong men were struggling to turn, the rope was straight, and many young men on the city tower opened their bows and arrows, aiming at the outside of the city, no one rushed up to attack him, and looked at Zhao Shuwen with a sigh of relief.

Zhao Shuwen said excitedly: "They must be here, damn it, they actually don't keep their promises, my lord, please help Zhaojiacun, the lower officials promise to know everything and fully cooperate, even if they are confronted face to face." ”

"Who's coming?" Qin Huaidao took the opportunity to inquire.

"Just look at it, let's do it?" Zhao Shuwen proposed.

Qin Huai was bold and bold, anyway, everyone came in, and he couldn't hide from anything, so he immediately nodded, motioned Zhao Shuwen to go ahead, and gave everyone a look, everyone nodded knowingly, and clenched their weapons.

Zhao Shuwen turned over and walked forward, but the smart one didn't run, so as not to misunderstand, Qin Huaidao and Luo Zhang also turned over and caught up, one left and one right, if there was anything, they could control Zhao Shuwen as soon as possible, and Cheng Chumo and others followed behind, opening up some distance just in case.

Everyone hurriedly went up to the city tower, and an old man came over with a few people, glanced at Qin Huaidao and the others curiously, and said unabashedly: "Shuwen, these people look at Miansheng, what's wrong?" ”

"I'll talk about it later." Zhao Shuwen came back, rushed to the wall to take a look, and his face instantly became gloomy.

Qin Huaidao saw that Zhao Shuwen did not act abnormally, he still didn't dare to be careless, threw Luo Zhang a look, and also came to the wall battlement to take a look, a cavalry rushed over, there must be seven or eight hundred people, all wearing armor, knives, bows, and dozens of people holding crossbows, suddenly frowned, and asked, "This is a regular army?" ”

"No, it's the caravan."

"There is such an elite caravanserais?" Qin Huaidao looked at Zhao Shuwen.

Zhao Shuwen said solemnly: "The escort team of the Taiyuan Wang clan is usually responsible for guarding the Wang family's business name to walk the world, all of them are composed of domestic slaves, loyal and loyal, and it is said that the combat effectiveness is very strong. ”

"So much, the imperial court can also allow it to exist?"

"Which of the five surnames and seven wangs does not have a caravan? The imperial court once wanted to ban it, but the five surnames and seven wangs joined forces to resist and put forward a condition, as long as the imperial court compensated for the losses after the accident of each caravan, it agreed, this is a pit, how can the imperial court agree? You can't send troops to shelter, you can only acquiesce, but the number of people must not exceed five hundred, and you can't hold crossbows or wear armor, and this team will be completely violated. Zhao Shuwen pointed ahead and reminded.

Qin Huaidao looked at what he was pointing at, and his face suddenly changed: "Alien? ”

Zhao Shuwen said in a firm tone: "That's right, it's the Eastern Turks, after the surrender of the Eastern Turks, some small tribes were quietly incorporated by the Taiyuan Wang clan and became private armies, but they existed in the name of protecting caravans, and they incorporated foreign armed forces, with an excess number of people, all of them were armor-piercing, and they were equipped with strong crossbows, each of which was like a rebellion." ”

"I'm afraid that if there is no empirical evidence, I am afraid that it is not enough, and the Wang family can infer that they do not know."

"Xiaguan also knows that a place is training an army of 2,000 people, Wang Gui's third son Wang Tongbiao is the commander, and they are the ones who recently attacked the adult's mansion and Qinjiazhuang, and the lower official is responsible for opening the way, supplying food and other affairs, and there are account books and related vouchers to hide, as long as they don't die, they must be handed over to the adults."

Qin Huaidao was moved, if there were really account books and other vouchers, even if it was empirical evidence, looking at the cavalry rushing forward, at least nearly half of them were aliens, he was even more furious, and asked coldly: "If you are not from my clan, your heart will be different, the Wang family should die, listen to this official for a while, and then set some news." ”

"Whoa!"