On the road, on what road?

Could it be that these fierce and vicious people in front of them give themselves something to eat, just to make themselves a full ghost?

Thinking of this, the bread and jerky in the hands of the Axe Gang suddenly became less fragrant.

"Grandpa spares his life, grandpa spares his life. Don't kill us, don't kill us!" a few quick reflexes threw away the rest of the food in their hands and kowtowed like pounding garlic. The expression of satisfaction that was originally felt because of a full stomach was gone, and it was replaced by tears.

They didn't care whether the ground in front of them was stone or sand, and they kowtowed desperately. After a few strokes, sweat and blood fell together.

The idea of pretending to kill someone was sent by Zhou, and he first took Qi Xu to scare these people and put on a black face. Li Qiang was stopping him, pretending to be white-faced, and it would be much easier to interrogate him separately.

These people are so close to Weinan County, and they must know more about the affairs in the county than they do.

When Zhou Fa's knife was only 0.01 cm away from the jade-faced flying dragon, Li Qiang finally shouted to stop.

"Wait! These people stay first, I still have a few questions to ask!"

Li Qiang said the line words as planned, the Axe Gang was taken down separately, and Li Qiang carried the jade-faced flying dragon into the forest.

On the hill next to the official road was a forest, most of the leaves had already fallen, and the withered yellow leaves had spread a thick layer on the ground, making a clicking sound with every step.

The jade-faced flying dragon was tied up and thrown to the ground, and the rope on his body was still brought out by them when they robbed the road, and now it is all used on himself.

"Stop acting, this black-and-white trick is what we thieves often play. The jade-faced wyvern lay on the ground, rubbing as clean a spot as possible, leaning against it, squinting and yawning.

He saw through Brother Zhou's strategy!

Li Qiang was a little surprised, and hurriedly smashed the stone under him, with a little more force, and the stone the size of the cutting board burst open.

......

The jade-faced wyvern blinked and asked, "Do you have any questions?"

In this world, it is really the biggest reason. As long as you talk to him well, even the bandits can be influenced.

"Are you from Weinan County?"

"I am a native of Weinan County, and I have lived in the county for more than ten generations. ”

Li Qiang continued to ask: "In the past three months, the imperial court has cut off contact with Weinan County, do you know what happened there?"

The jade-faced flying dragon's eyes suddenly opened: "What, you are from the imperial court?"

Li Qiang didn't answer and acquiesced to this.

The jade-faced flying dragon looked Li Qiang up and down before he dared to believe his conclusion. He had read for a few years, and although he was now a bandit, he was in awe of the court. After knowing that Li Qiang was a member of the imperial court, he became a lot more serious: "What position do you hold, what are you doing in Weinan County?"

For a long time, the jade-faced flying dragon has dreamed of studying, being an official, and becoming a member of the court. I didn't expect to become a bandit, but I became the one who robbed the people in the court!

"I am the general of the Tang Yi Mansion, and I was ordered by the emperor to come to Weinan County to investigate. Li Qiang said, and gave the jade-faced flying dragon a flash.

Still a big official!

Yifu Zhonglang General, of course the jade-faced flying dragon knows. The high-level martial arts of the Tang Dynasty, the commander of the Inner Guard, and the emperor's order, no matter which one of them is enough to shock a bandit who has not walked out of the county for dozens of miles in his life for half a life, not to mention that this thief has studied for a few years.

The jade-faced flying dragon said: "That is, you, if the person who fought with me just now asked me, I didn't want to pay attention to him, the routine was too dirty." ”

After pretending to be stubborn, the jade-faced flying dragon began to answer Li Qiang's questions.

He is indeed a citizen who has lived in Weinan County for generations, and even when he was a child, his family was quite wealthy, so his family was able to provide him with a private school for a few years. Back then, in order to tie up the master in the county school, his parents gritted their teeth and sold a few acres of land.

The earth is the life of the harvesters!

But his parents thought that their family would not be able to farm for the rest of their lives. Now that the Tang Emperor has opened the imperial examination, even the children of the poor family have the opportunity to become officials based on their talents, what a good thing.

In case you can be admitted to a Ming Jing and Jinshi in the future, the fate of several generations of the whole family will change.

Heaven did not fulfill people's wishes, and within a few years, both parents died of violent illness. The burden of the family fell on him, and although he was only a teenager at that time, he had to give up his studies and return home to work as a farmer.

But he was the only one left in the family, and everyone came to bully. The elders of the clan and the rich landlord of the neighborhoods forcibly occupied dozens of acres of paddy fields in his family, and he sued the county magistrate and was beaten out by a group of random sticks.

Later, he learned that this yamen was really open to the south. has no money and can't even get in the door.

The so-called heavenly principles and fairness are just tricks written in books to coax ghosts, and the blood kinship in the clan is not as real as that of dozens of acres of paddy fields.

So he had no livelihood and no food in the county where his ancestors had lived for generations. Finally, a few years ago, he went out of the city and fell into the grass, gathered a group of hard-working people, and became the leader of the Axe Gang.

In the past few years, there have been many travelers and caravans coming and going from Chang'an, Weinan, Huazhou, and Guanwai, and their business without capital can be regarded as smooth. Until a few months ago, the situation had changed, the caravans were almost extinct, and the number of travelers was more than half.

The Axe Gang lost its income, and it became the virtue it is today.

"When did the caravan start to break, let's talk about the details. Li Qiang asked.

"It seems that more than three months ago, the last few caravans came from the direction of Chang'an and went to Weinan County, and they never came back. The jade-faced wyvern replied.

For more than three months, the time is right, maybe these groups of caravans have disappeared in the county town of Weinan like the scouts of the imperial court.

"Is there anything strange about Weinan County?"

"Strange thing? There is one thing, there is a custom of sacrificing to the river god in Weinan County. Every year on the day of the Double Ninth Festival, a pair of boys and girls are offered to the river god of the Wei River, and I heard that this year, the number of boys and girls will be increased to two. ”

Sacrifice of living people! In this prosperous Tang Dynasty, at the feet of the Son of Heaven, there is still such a terrifying custom!?

Li Qiang's eyebrows were twisted into a Sichuan character, and he scolded: "Which custom of dog things has been handed down, and no one cares?"

The jade-faced flying dragon explains the origin of this custom.

The Wei River has been flooded since ancient times. Once the water is gone, the crops are completely flooded and most of the houses are washed away. Decades ago, the river god sent a decree to Weinan County, saying that as long as a pair of boys and girls are sacrificed every year, the wind and rain in Weinan County will be guaranteed.

After the county magistrate discussed with the village elders, on the day of the Double Ninth Festival, a pair of virgins and boys were offered to the river god, and the next day there was no flood, and this custom has been passed down.

Since offering a pair of virgins to the river god, Weinan County has really not had a big flood. It's just that this year is a little strange, a few days ago I learned from a common person from Weinan County that this year, the number of boys and girls wanted by the river god has increased to two. Originally, the candidates for this year's sacrifice to the river god have been determined, and now another pair has been added, and the county officials and township elders have been drawing lots again in the past two days.

This is a blood lottery, those who have school-age children in the family, once they win the lottery, they have to hand over the children to sacrifice to the river god!