Luoxia Mountain is not the same as Xiaoluoxia Mountain.

It is a large mountain range with undulating hills.

It stretches from northwest to southeast, stretches for 100 miles, spans three counties, and cuts Shaozhou Mansion into two parts, north and south.

The main peak of Luoxia Mountain is in the middle of the mountain range, located in the outer seventy or eighty miles of Shanyang County, about fifty miles away from Luoxia Town, the highest point of this peak is about more than 400 zhang, it looks like a tiger's head from afar, so it is called the Tiger Head Peak.

The second peak is nearly 300 zhang high, is located in Luoxia Town about 30 or 40 miles, more than 60 miles away from Dongyue County, because there is a large limestone cliff on the side peak, it is called vulture rock.

In addition to these two most famous peaks, there are five or six high and low peaks and valleys in the mountain, such as Taiping Valley, Wuya Ridge, Fangtang Cliff, Hengshan Bend, etc.

Five or six years ago, Shaozhou Prefecture was in drought for two consecutive years, and there was no harvest in many places, and starvation was everywhere.

However, the government was corrupt and dark, and the relief materials of the imperial court could not be distributed to the people, which eventually forced the people to resist, and there were incidents of grain grabbing and killing people in many places.

After these people finished looting and killing, they hid in the mountains in order to escape arrest. Most of the mountain people living at the foot of the mountain went to the mountains in search of food as soon as the famine occurred. In addition, there are some ordinary people who have nowhere to flee their relatives and cannot find food, and it is really difficult to live, and they do not care about the danger, and run into the mountains to seek a chance to survive.

In this way, more and more murderers and disaster victims gathered in Luoxia Mountain, and then they slowly became mountain bandits who collectively blocked the road and fought viciously.

In the past three or four years, the year has been good, and the emperor has vigorously rectified the rule of officials, and although corruption among local officials is still widespread, it has been much less than five years ago.

Three years ago, in order to allow the people hiding in the mountains to go down the mountain to resume production, the counties under the rule of Shaozhou Government issued a special exemption order, promising to re-register the land, and gave preferential treatment for land reclamation, which attracted a large number of people who were just going up the mountain to find a way to survive.

As for the big and small leaders of those mountain bandits, the prefect of Shaozhou Prefecture back then also recruited them, put forward a series of conditions for exemption or preferential treatment, and also recruited a few small leaders.

However, since Wu Dahao, the leader of the bandits in Wuyaling, died inexplicably in his new residence in Fucheng after recruiting An, the good situation has changed.

Some of Wu Dahao's subordinates, suspecting that he had been assassinated by the government, secretly escaped from the city, led people to loot several villages near Luoxia Town, and re-entered the mountains. As a result, the few remaining vicious bandits on the mountain gave up the idea of recruiting An, and temporarily retreated into hiding.

After the escape incident, the prefect became angry and asked the imperial court to ask the Shaozhou garrison to lead people into the mountains to eliminate these evil bandits.

It's just that by the time the large army arrived at these bandits' dens, the bandits had already gone to the empty building.

Shao Zhouwei's people were in the huge Luoxia Mountain, and they had no clue after looking for three days, and finally had to return in vain.

Soon after, there was another Miao rebellion on the southwest border of Shaozhou Prefecture, and Shaozhouwei's troops were transferred, and the problem of mountain bandits in Luoxia Mountain was put aside in this way.

The government couldn't take care of it, and the mountain bandits who did not change their dead nature hibernated for less than a year, and began to harass the people and caravans who traveled to and from Shanyang, Qinghe and Dongyue counties, especially the caravans that passed in the direction of both ends of Luoxia Town.

Especially in the last six months, almost all the robberies have occurred in Qinghe County.

Because of this, the incident of suppressing bandits, which should have been the concerted efforts of the three counties, has become the most important task of Qinghe County and one county, which have suffered the most, and this priority has now fallen on the small Luoxia Town Inspection Division.

……

This time, the place where the bandits' traces were found was in a col between Hengshan Bend and Fangtang Cliff to the northeast.

It can be reached from Tangxia Village at the end of Hengshan Bend, or from Xianren Village in the direction of Fangtang Cliff, and the journey takes about an hour.

However, Xianren Village is closer to Luoxia Town than Tangxia Village, so the route of the team is set in the direction of Xianren Village.

If you want to catch the bandits by surprise, you must set off in the middle of the day and arrive at the col before the middle of the afternoon.

More than 100 people hurried on the way, without a moment of rest on the way, and finally arrived at the foot of the mountain at the edge of the immortal village at the beginning of noon.

Along the way, Lord Shen and several people rode forward, and it was not until the immortal village that they deposited their horses in the villager's house. Therefore, except for some dust on their bodies and faces, several people did not show fatigue.

But the large army on foot is different, the archers who actively participate in the training on weekdays have a better complexion, and those who usually hang their children are already pale, and they have more breath and less air.

Lord Shen had to order to rest on the spot for half an hour.

"My lord, it's less than two hours from Fangtang Cliff here."

After Lord Shen and the others found a shaded place to sit down, Yu Dongshan pointed to the direction of Fangtang Cliff and introduced: "It is said that there was also a mountain bandit in Fangtang Cliff before, and the boss was called Meng Shan. It seems that he has a good relationship with the dead Wu Dahao, saying that he was originally going to be recruited after Wu Dahao, but it's a pity that ......"

"So, there are two gangs of bandits in this area? Do you know how many people are surnamed Meng? Lu Tong's expression was slightly condensed when he heard this.

"Master Lu, the villain didn't dare to investigate last time...... Yu Dongshan said ashamedly.

"Back then, when the garrison led the troops to suppress the bandits, they didn't find any trace of the bandits in Fangtang Cliff."

Lu Tong suddenly patted his forehead and said to Lord Shen: "Guangde, let's see each other!" I should have taken the road map of the bandits from my father, and sent people to carefully investigate them one by one first—two years have passed, and some bandits must have returned to their old strongholds......"

Lord Shen glanced at him and said lightly: "Before I came, Senior Brother had already given it to me, and I had already investigated, but I didn't see the bandits. ”

"When? How did I not know? Lu Tong whispered with a stunned face, "He asked me to help you, why didn't he let me know this?" ”

Lord Shen glanced at him wordlessly, then turned his gaze away, and said in his heart: "It's obviously you, pestering him to come......"

Lu Tong could guess what he was thinking by looking at his reaction, and his face suddenly looked like constipation.

Xiao Song, who was sitting next to him with a water bag in one hand and stuffing steamed buns in his mouth with the other, saw that his young master's face was ugly, and immediately comforted him vaguely: "Young master, no matter whether there are bandits coming back from that Fangtang Cliff, let's kill this group of bandits today, they will definitely be scared away!" ”

"Hmph, you're right!" Lu Tong muttered, stuffed the remaining half of the steamed bun in his hand into his arms, stood up and walked towards the side of the mountain.

"Young Master, where are you going?" Komatsu hurriedly stuffed the half of the steamed bun and the water bag into the pocket bag, got up, and chased after the remaining steamed bun while stuffing it into his mouth.

Zhao Qingfeng and the others on the side looked at the sudden change in amazement, and said worriedly: "My lord, Lu Gongzi's action will be dangerous, the villain will send a few people to follow over to take a look?" ”

Lord Shen bowed his head and said, "Order ten people to follow—good skills." ”

In this way, the wayward Lu Gongzi left the team by himself before he came to the battle because he was not angry with his father's concealment.

Half an hour later, Lord Shen first gathered a few small flags, put out a temporary drawing, and asked Zhao Qingfeng to explain the direction of the siege after each flag went up the mountain.

After making sure that all the flags were clearly understood, the team was reorganized and began to enter the mountain.

"Look, my lord, that's the fortifications they haven't finished building." Yu Dongshan approached Lord Shen, pointed to the front of about twenty zhang and said, after saying that, he said "Huh" again.

"What's wrong?" Zhao Qingfeng asked nervously.

"I just feel like it's not much different from when I came to see it......"

"Maybe they've been in a situation for the past few days and have temporarily stopped working – what about elsewhere? Can it be different? ”

"It seems to be a little different......," Yu Dongshan frowned, his eyes quickly swept to the half-built house on the other side.

"Spread out and find a place to hide!" Lord Shen ordered.

The order was passed out, but at this time, due to the different physical strength of the flags, they had already pulled away and began to climb their own way.

Lord Shen looked back, and his brows couldn't help but wrinkle.

"Chen Qinghe!" Lord Shen called softly.

A thin young man with a thin figure who had not yet reached the crown leaned forward: "My lord! ”

This person is a newly recruited archer, who has learned some kung fu and is also smart, and in this anti-bandit operation, he temporarily served as a spy with three or five archers.

"Your people, can you detect anomalies?"

Chen Qinghe's face was slightly red, and he said, "I have been scattered twice before, but I haven't come back yet. ”

Lord Shen's face changed, he thought for a moment, and said coldly: "Yu Dongshan, Chen Qinghe, lead the three small flags, surround them first, if the spies are caught, they will not move first, if there is no one, come back immediately." ”

"My lord, do you think there is a fraud?" Zhao Qingfeng's face became a little apprehensive.

The operation to suppress the bandits, which had been thought to be well-planned and foolproof, came to an end, and the situation suddenly changed......

Suddenly, his heart couldn't stop surging with panic and helplessness.

"Hmm!" Lord Shen raised his chin forward, motioned for him to look ahead, and said, "That col - if you block the bottom and attack from a high place behind, can you wipe out all of us without effort?" ”

"Could it be those bandits who know about our anti-bandit operations today?" Zhao Qingfeng's eyes widened.

"Perhaps." Lord Shen replied lightly, walked a little higher, stood still, looked around intently, and then intently observed the team that was climbing up.

"Ma Huaide, and a few of his small flags, don't follow." Lord Shen said with a sneer.

Zhao Qingfeng, who was standing at a low place, turned pale suddenly, and quickly turned his head to look down the mountain.

He had just confirmed, and Lord Shen said again: "A total of five flags have come up, and Huang Guangfu has fallen." ”

"My lord, could it be that Ma Huaide knew that there was fraud, so he led the people to run away halfway?"

Before Lord Shen could answer his guess, Yu Dongshan hurried over.

"My lord, it's not good, a few spies are gone, and I haven't seen any thieves there......"

Without waiting for him to finish speaking, Lord Shen hurriedly shouted: "All small flags, quickly retreat to a high place!" Be on your guard! ”

As soon as his words fell, a higher-pitched voice rang out in the mountains.

"It's too late! Shen Heiface, you will die here today! ”

In an instant, a group of people poured out from the top of the mountain.