At the beginning of the time, Zeng Yu led his Mongolian horse black bean down the mountain with the bandit leader Wu Ping, the blue sky and white sun, the snow and the wilderness, at this time, if you walk on the way back to your hometown, how good it should be, helpless to be in the thieves, step by step, only to work hard to get up.

The lead river that originates in Tongmuguan of Wuyi Mountain joins the Xinjiang River at the boundary of the estuary, the river surface in this area is open, the water flow is gentle, it is a good place to build a wharf, although the prosperous estuary town is on the south bank of the Xinjiang River, but there are also guest houses and fishermen on the north bank, the population is also prosperous, since a few days ago the bandits swept in, the residents of the north bank have fled, now it is the bandit leader Wang Er led the thieves to guard here by thousands, Zeng Yu in the distance saw a group of crazy bandits shouting and wandering, and the river surface of the boat like a shuttle and a mast sail in the past is now cold and empty artesian.

When the big boss Wang Er saw Wu Ping coming, he hurriedly greeted him, and reported that there were officers and soldiers patrolling on the other side, but none of them dared to cross the river to fight.

Wang Er saw that the young Xiucai he caught yesterday was following Wu Ping, and naturally thought that this Xiucai was really a close friend of Zhang Lian, the king of the Han Feilong Dragon, and immediately changed yesterday's ferocity, and greeted this Xiucai very enthusiastically, and took out the letter in his arms and returned it to this Xiucai-

Wu Ping said: "Is this a letter written by King Zhang Longcai to Zeng Xiucai, let me take a look." ”

The ringleader, Wang Er, handed the folded paper to Wu Ping, who unfolded it and looked at it, and said with an "oh" voice: "It was written by Zeng Xiucai to King Zhang Long." "Concentrate on the letter—

Zeng Yu was worried in his heart, yesterday he coaxed Wang Er for emergency and said that it was a letter he wrote to Zhang Lian, which was actually a copy of the thousand-character text in the seal style, Wang Er couldn't understand it, I don't know if this Wu Ping would see the flaw? Only those who study calligraphy will learn, the vast majority of readers are the most important thing to read Bagu Wen, and will not spend that kind of energy, Zeng Yu was also on a whim in the mountain hall that night to copy, so Wu Ping recognized the possibility of this fake letter is extremely small, but it is inevitable to worry, not afraid of 10,000 just in case-

Wu Ping, the leader of the bandits, didn't pretend not to pretend to understand, and when he saw if he recognized the word, he returned the letter to Zeng Yu and asked, "What did Zeng Xiucai say to King Zhang Long?" ”

Zeng Yu put the piece of paper in his arms and said quietly: "I have probably already told King Wu about the suggestions to King Zhang Long, that is, 'Jiaolong enters the sea, according to Min is called the king, these eight words. ”

Wu Ping nodded, and didn't ask about the letter again, only asked if Wang Er had sent a message to Nan'an to raise the ransom silver?

Wang Erdao: "Last night, the word passed, according to me, three hundred taels of silver is not much, and if you can afford two hundred taels, you can afford three hundred taels, and those who can't afford it can't make up even twenty taels of ransom silver." ”

Wu Ping waved his hand and said: "That's it, don't change the order overnight, even if the word is two hundred and fifty taels, then two hundred and fifty taels will be decided." ”

Wang Er nodded and said, "Big brother is right, we are two hundred and five." ”

Wu Ping told Wang Er to beware of the attack of the Leadshan guards on the other side of the river, and if there were people who came to ransom people, they would bring them to the Seven Stars Temple, and Wang Er said that he obeyed.

Zeng Yu followed Wu Ping back to the Seven Stars Temple, and still went to the Guangsi Hall to meet Zheng Shi, the smell in the hall was attacking, but more than 200 hostages shrank in the hall and did not dare to breathe outside the hall, the thieves on the hall corridor were sitting or standing, Zeng Yu and Zheng Shi stood in the open space in the courtyard, Zeng Yu said in a low voice: "Wu Ping has promised to let the three idiot brothers leave when the hostages are released——"

Zheng Shi held his hand and said: "I think about it, if I can leave here, I will rush to Shangrao to see Governor Lin's mansion, so that even if Master Tongchen has any accidents and delays, I can remedy it in time, and I must not let the thieves enter Fujian from the Yongfeng realm, but you have to be very careful, when the officers and soldiers encircle and suppress the thieves, you have to wait for the opportunity to get out and not be hurt." ”

Zeng Yu nodded and said, "I'll take care of it." ”

About the end of the hour, Wang Er sent the thieves to escort more than 30 people who paid the ransom silver, all standing outside the door of the Seven Stars Halberd, reporting the name of the person to be ransomed, after the silver inspection, there were thieves to the Guangsi Hall to roll the name loudly, the hostages who were called to the name hurriedly got up and went out of the hall, to the halberd gate to see the family members have no time to cry, hurry out of the thief cave to be stable-

The thieves still refused to give up after receiving the ransom money, and also stripped the hostages of their robes with good texture, and the hostages and their family members who came to pay the ransom money were barefoot and dressed in single clothes when they went down the mountain.

At the end of the Shen period, three groups of ransoms came, and a total of ninety-three hostages were ransomed, and the Guanghei Hall was empty.

Zeng Yu went to the halberd gate and asked Wu Ping to let Zheng Shi's master and servant leave, Wu Ping said: "Don't worry, let your cousin cross the river at sunset." He also asked with a smile: "Does your cousin still have to go to Shangrao to catch the exam?" ”

Zeng Yu's heart sank, and he replied: "I expect that the scientific expedition of Guangxin Mansion will be postponed, and my cousin will return to Guixi."

Wu Ping said: "If you go back to Guixi, don't worry, we will let him go back tomorrow morning when we go to Shangrao, and your cousins can stay together for a little longer." ”

Zeng Yu knew that Wu Ping was still suspicious of him, so he had to say: "Obey King Wu's arrangement." ”

Back to the Guangsi Palace, Zeng Yu explained the situation to Zheng Shi, Zheng Shi sighed silently, and suddenly heard a woman by the door of the hall say loudly: "Zeng Xianggong-"

Zeng Yu and Zheng Shi looked back, and saw the young woman of the Li family standing behind the door, and the girl surnamed Ji stood timidly behind her sister-in-law, Zeng Yu hurriedly asked, "Hasn't your family come to redeem yet?" ”

The young woman of the Li family was obviously frightened, and said, "I don't know why I haven't come yet, could it be that I am far away and I don't know the news?" The village of Ehu Baoshi is more than 30 miles away from the estuary. ”

Zeng Yu said: "Didn't you say that there are relatives at the mouth of the river?" ”

The young woman of the Li family said: "There are relatives. Turning his head, he said, "It's the husband of the slave family, the sister-in-law, who hasn't passed through the door, but somehow he hasn't sent the ransom money." ”

Zeng Yu had no choice but to comfort: "The sun hasn't set yet, maybe your family has already crossed the river to redeem, and it will be there soon." ”

The girl of the Li family hesitated for a moment, and begged: "Zeng Xianggong, if the ransom money is not delivered in time, I beg Zeng Xianggong to save the two of us." ”

Peng Laoqiu, who regarded himself as Zeng Yu's personal follower, heard it, and smiled obscenely: "As long as you two sisters-in-law wait for our Zeng military division, who would dare-"

"Shut up" Zeng Yu shouted: "Go to the halberd gate and take a look, is there any redemption?" "Not only this aunt and sister-in-law, but there are more than 100 people in this palace, Wu Ping can't receive the ransom money, if he orders to kill these hostages, how should he rescue them?

The afternoon is difficult, the sunset is dark and you will die if you don't pay the ransom silver, the hostages of the Guangsi Hall are talking to each other at first, and gradually they don't speak, the whole hall is shrouded in fear and tension, those who know that they can't raise two hundred and fifty taels of ransom silver at home are already shedding tears, and the thieves don't blink an eye when they kill people.

The sun went down early on the day of Layue, and at two o'clock in the unitary hour, a round of red sun fell from the west of the mountain, and there was still a glow outside the palace, and the hall soon dimmed down, Peng Laoqiu came to report: "Zeng Xianggong, there is another group of people, who should come to pay the ransom silver, and are going up the mountain." ”

Zeng Yu followed Peng Laoqiu to the door of the Seven Stars Halberd, and saw more than 20 people going up to the mountainside under the custody of several knife-wielding thieves, Zeng Yu said in his heart: "This should be the last to pay the ransom silver, I wonder if the family of the two sisters-in-law is here?" ”

More than 20 people came to stand outside the halberd gate, and reported the names of the people to be redeemed in turn, a literate thief took Zeng Yu's register last night to find the name, and when he found it, he took the cinnabar seal and put it on the name, this cinnabar seal was found in the Taoist temple, engraved with the words "forgiveness of sins", if you have money, you are guilty, and if you pay the money, you will forgive your sins—

Zeng Yu noticed that there was a person in the crowd who was coughing violently, and when coughing, he stretched his neck, his feet were high, and his eyes were always looking at him, so he looked at the person carefully, and couldn't help but be surprised, this person was none other than Yu Xuan, a Taoist priest of the Qing Palace in Longhu Mountain, who was a friend of him and Zheng Shi, four days ago, he and Zheng Shi left Yingtan Fang, it was Yu Xuan who came to take Zheng Shi's family to Shangqing Town to avoid the bandits, how could this Yu Xuan appear here, and being a layman is not a Taoist attire, who does Yu Xuan want to ransom?

Zeng Yu was surprised, seeing that Daoist Yu Xuan obviously had something to say to him, but there were many ears and eyes outside this halberd, how could he speak?

Zeng Yu walked down the steps, his feet slipped, his right hand was propped on the ground, and he rolled to the ground, screaming in pain.

Peng Laoqiu and another thief hurriedly came to help, Zeng Yu stood up, supported his right elbow with his left hand, and inhaled with a "sizzle" in his mouth: "The pain is tight, I don't know if this right elbow is fractured or dislocated, is there a bone?" ”

Yu Xuandao in the crowd understood it, and immediately stepped forward and said: "Poor Dao can connect bones." said that he leaked his mouth, and quickly explained: "I was a Taoist priest before, and now I am married and vulgar. ”

Peng Laoqiu wanted to slap Zeng Yu, and said busily: "Then hurry up and come to Zeng Xianggong's bones, good reception, there are benefits for you." ”

Zeng Yu and Yu Xuandao looked at each other, and Zeng Yu said: "Go to the Daizong Hall to give me a good life diagnosis and treatment, I also know some medical skills, but orthopedics is beyond my ability." ”

Peng Laoqiu and another thief carried Zeng Yu to the Daizong Hall in the main courtyard, Yu Xuandao followed behind, Zeng Yu shook his shoulders and didn't let the two of them help, and said, "No need to help, the leg is not broken." ”

The Daizong Hall was empty, twilight fell, the hall was dim, the two big candles in front of the original incense case had already been taken away by the bandits, Zeng Yu sat down cross-legged on the futon in front of the statue of Emperor Dongyue, and said to Yu Xuan: "Please ask my brother to pick up the bones for me." ”

Yu Xuan said: "Poor Dao first has to move the bones and joints for Zeng Xianggong, the weather is cold, the bone joints are stiff, and it is not easy to continue." That is, Ma Bu half-squatted behind Zeng Yu, and his hands were pinched on Zeng Yu's back.

Zeng Yu said to Peng Laoqiu and another thief: "You two are waiting outside the palace. Seeing Peng Laoqiu and the others exiting the palace gate, he didn't look back and said softly: "The third idiot brother is fine, don't worry, how can Brother Dao come here."

Yu Xuandao was about to ask Zheng Shi about his safety, but when he heard Zeng Yu say this, he was immediately relieved, and while massaging Zeng Yu's shoulder, he lowered his voice and said: "Poor Dao is here to save Brother Jiu Li's virtuous brother and Brother Shi, but it seems that Brother Xian seems to be very respected by thieves." ”

Zeng Yu smiled, and was about to explain this experience, but he heard Yu Xuandao say again: "Naturally, the little fairy Gu is also here." ”