Early in the morning of the second day, the four of them crossed the Baishui River and came to the outside of Nanyang City.

The security of Nanyang City is obviously more strict than before, the number of officers and soldiers stationed on the city wall has doubled, and the past inventory at the city gate is also more rigorous. Fu Qingyun and the others dealt with it carefully, passed the city gate, and entered Nanyang City.

Several people returned to their hometowns, all looking excited. Lin Zhengjun led the way, and Liu Jiu observed the situation of the military and civilians in Nanyang while walking, and walked all the way to the old house.

There were many foreign accents in the city, including ordinary people, wealthy gentry and wealthy merchants who had fled from the areas occupied by the Red Mei Army, and border people who had fled from the northern border, with different colors and local accents.

Although the boundary of Nanyang is not very peaceful, the surrounding rebels are chaotic and the people are in turmoil, and many small cities have been occupied by the Green Forest Army, but Nanyang has always been a north-south traffic fortress, and the imperial court has sent heavy troops to garrison, and the rebel army has not been able to shake the Nanyang Mang Army for the time being.

Groups of soldiers patrolling the city with spears in hand, stopping suspicious pedestrians from time to time for questioning, and tension was pervasive.

When the four of them came to the old mansion, they saw that the two houses were dilapidated, the gate had been pierced by thieves, and the cobwebs in the courtyard were dusty, and it was a desolate scene.

Fu Qingyun and Lin Zhengjun stopped outside the house, the past came to mind, and their eyes couldn't help but burst into tears.

"Let's go!" Liu Xuan sighed, "Let's go and fill my stomach first." ”

The four of them came to a three-story wooden building restaurant, and a vermilion lacquer plaque was hung on the door, with the words "Siyuan Restaurant" written on it, looking at the sense of vicissitudes.

"This restaurant was originally our Liu family's property, and it was later sold to the Chen family in Chengdong. Liu Xuan said as he walked. A few people went up to the third floor, and saw that the upstairs was empty, and only two people were sitting opposite each other drinking, so they chose a quiet position by the window, asked for a few meals, and sat down.

Looking out of the window, Nanyang City is still prosperous. In the county, but the major cloth shops, rice shops, restaurants, teahouses, etc. are still operating as usual, and the shouting and shouting of the running hall are coming and going, all of which are working hard to survive in the troubled times.

On the small table next to the window, there were two people sitting opposite, one was a middle-aged man with a fat head and big ears, and the other was a thin old man.

Fu Qingyun and the four of them were extremely hungry, gobbling up, smacking in their mouths, and the thin old man glanced over in surprise, his face even more sad.

These two people are well-known big families in Nanyang County, the old man's surname is Lai, and the middle-aged man's surname is Chen, who is the current boss of Siyuan Restaurant, each with hundreds of hectares of fertile land and several business names, and his strength is not inferior to the Nanyang gentry Feiwang family. Liu Xuan is a celebrity in Nanyang, of course everyone recognizes each other, but after Liu Xuan deliberately dressed up, he couldn't see his original appearance, and he didn't have to worry about the two of them recognizing him.

Boss Chen poured a glass of wine for Lai's family and whispered: "Uncle, have you heard that several small cities around Nanyang County have been captured by the rebels, and the Green Forest Army has become a climate, and it may soon be fought in Nanyang." ”

"Well, I've heard that, too. Lai Shi said gloomily: "Virtuous nephew, what are you going to do next?"

Boss Chen looked out the window and sighed: "Now the world is in chaos, what can I do, I can keep my family from eating Amitabha." ”

Lai said: "During this period of time, the Nanyang government has been more tyrannical, arresting strong men everywhere, collecting grain and grass to prepare for the attack on the Green Forest Army, and many people have fled outside the city with their family assets. ”

Boss Chen said: "What can I do if I escape, it's not that I have been cleaned up by the rebels, and I can't even give my life if I can't say it." In my opinion, it is better to wait for Liu Zhuo to come to the door, offer some grain and grass materials, and seek protection from the Han army. ”

Lai shook his head and said: "These rebels, called the Righteous Army, are actually grass cowards, but they are all murderous without blinking, I think it is better to escape as soon as possible." ”

Boss Chen said mysteriously: "Uncle, you don't have good news." I heard that the Han army led by Liu Xuan in the Green Forest Army was strictly disciplined, not only did not move the local gentry and wealthy to the slightest, but also took a clear stand to pacify, and together with the local leaders, they resettled refugees, opened up wasteland, and won the support of the people. ”

"Is there such a thing?" asked Lai, incredulous.

"It's true!" Lai nodded and said: "I heard that Liu Xuan recently subdued Jianyang City, and he did not commit any offense to the people in the city, and also sent a righteous army to help the local wasteland, and the common people all sang Liu Xuan's merits. ”

Lai's face turned happy, and he looked at Fu Qingyun and the others, and saw that several of them were eating by themselves, and they didn't pay attention to the two of them at all, so he lowered his voice and said: "Since this is the case, then quietly send a message to your brother, let him pay more attention, and leave a way back for my Lai family and Chen family." ”

Although the old man's voice was small, Liu Xuan and the others were all practitioners, and they were deaf and clear-sighted, and they listened to the old man's words word for word.

Liu Xuan was overjoyed in his heart, but his face did not change, and he still gobbled up dry rice. He knew that this fat middle-aged brother was General Nanyang Mangjun, with heavy troops in his hands, if he could get the Lai family and the Chen family, and the Nanyang army and people had the intention of supporting the Han army, then Nanyang City would be at his fingertips.

Liu Xuan glanced up at Fu Qingyun, Fu Qingyun also happened to look over, the two looked at each other and smiled faintly, and continued to eat.

Fu Qingyun's heart can't make waves, but Liu Jiu's heart is full of feelings. If it weren't for Fu Qingyun's strategy to pacify the locality, how could these wealthy gentry secretly support the Han army. Although the Han army is now at a disadvantage, if the local squires and ordinary people secretly support the Han army, over time, the Han army will be able to make further progress and have a more prestige.

Just as he was happy, suddenly a noise came from the street, and pedestrians and merchants avoided it.

The four of them turned their heads to look out, only to see a group of Nanyang officers and soldiers with spears in their hands rushing from the street, the leader riding a high-headed horse, the appearance of an officer, followed by a carriage, and all the pedestrians and passengers on the street stretched their necks and pointed at the carriage.

The officers and soldiers walked past Fu Qingyun, and Fu Qingyun saw that there were more than a dozen bloody human heads neatly placed on the carriage.

"Liu Hongwen of the Eastern Capital, as a lieutenant commander of the imperial court, vainly discussed the government and politics, and was very disrespectful to the new ancestor, and the whole family of sixteen people has been corrected on the spot, and today he was ordered to hang it at the city gate to show the public, in order to set an example!" the officer shouted.

"It's over, it's a step too late!" Chu Wenjing was shocked and angry, looking depressed.

"What now?" Fu Qingyun asked.

Liu Xuan said fiercely: "Fei Wang, this animal, betrayed his friends, damn it!"

"Then the new hatred and the old hatred will be counted together!" Fu Qingyun said: "Let's go and step on it first." ”

Several people turned to Nanyang Back Street, walked along the high wall of the Fei family's mansion compound, and walked until they reached the main gate of the Fei family's compound on Nanyang Zheng Street. I saw that the Fei family's house was tall, on the vermilion lacquer door, two large copper rings were shining, and the door was a black lacquer plaque, printed with two gilded characters of "Fei Fu". There are two large stone lions squatting at the door, and four strong men holding knives stand on both sides of the gate, their eyes sharp.

"Big brother, what should I do?" Fu Qingyun asked in a low voice.

"Wait until it's dark. Liu Xuan said: "It is not difficult to kill people, but if you alarm the officers and soldiers, it will be difficult to get out." ”

The four of them circled around the high wall again, and Lin Zhengjun said: "Although the wall is high, it shouldn't be a problem to cross it while it's dark." ”

Liu Xuan thought for a while, shook his head and said: "No, you must enter from the main gate, hold the gate, and don't let people go out to report the news." ”

Chu Wen nodded and said: "Before the officers and soldiers are alarmed, they must retreat with their whole bodies, otherwise as soon as the city gate is closed, they will catch turtles in the urn." ”

Lin Zhengjun said hatefully: "Break in after dark, all the old and young will be slaughtered, see who can go out alive to report the news." ”

Fu Qingyun's heart froze, and he said: "Zhengjun, there is a debtor who has been wronged, and it is enough to punish the culprit, and you can't kill innocents indiscriminately." ”

Lin Zhengjun rolled his eyes and turned his head to look elsewhere.

......

The sun had completely set, a few cold stars hung in the sky, the moon was dim, and a layer of darkness and gloom was enveloped everywhere. The chill of early spring is still not over, the west wind is fierce, and there are almost no pedestrians on the streets.

The courtyard of the Fei family in Nanyang back street, with bursts of silk and bamboo, sheng songs, and the smell of wine wafting out, is coveted.

A cold wind blew, and several house slaves guarding the door shuddered, sniffed, stretched out their tongues and licked their lips, with a helpless look.

Fu Qingyun and Lin Zhengjun turned out of the corner of the wall and walked towards the gate of the Fei family's compound as if they were strolling leisurely.

"Stop!" shouted a house slave.

"Excuse me, is this Old Man Fei's mansion?" Fu Qingyun asked with his fists clenched.

"Who are you?" "Ah!" Several people had a flower in front of them, and they were quickly restrained by Fu Qingyun and Lin Zhengjun.

Liu Xuan and Chu Wenjing quickly turned out of the corner, and together they dragged several people to a dark place, pulled out their clothes and changed them.

Liu Xuan said: "Brother Wenjing and I are guarding at the door, you go and come back quickly." ”

Fu Qingyun nodded and said, "Hard two brothers, let's go in and kill the culprit and come out immediately." ”

Fu Qingyun and Lin Zhengjun each picked a long knife and quickly transferred into the Fei family's compound.

Although the lanterns are hung high, the courtyard is not very bright. The two of them turned the marble interstitial screen of the red sandalwood shelf by the light, passed through the hall, and just walked up to the zigzag verandah, a house slave hummed a little song and walked over.

Fu Qingyun and Lin Zhengjun both changed into the clothes of the house slave, and the lights were dim, Fu Qingyun pretended to know each other and nodded, staggered and continued to walk forward, suddenly heard the wind behind him, and then howled in pain, the house slave had been killed by Lin Zhengjun.

"Ah!" said a cry from the side of the verandah, a woman dressed as a girl.

Lin Zhengjun rushed forward with an arrow step, about to cut off the girl, but was stopped by Fu Qingyun with a dodge, and shouted: "Zhengjun, you ......!"

"I'll avenge my father, what are you doing!" Lin Zhengjun glared at Fu Qingyun angrily, turned around and swept towards the backyard.

"Zhengjun ......!" Fu Qingyun was angry, and was about to rush to stop Lin Zhengjun, when he suddenly saw more than a dozen house slaves rushing out of the backyard with sticks and steel knives, taking the lead with a fierce face, it was the Fei family slave Zhao who took the house slave to kill Uncle Lin that day.

"That villain, cut me down!" Commander Zhao shouted.

When the enemies saw each other, their eyes were extremely red, Fu Qingyun pushed through his toes, went up with an arrow, grabbed Zhao Commander's neck without much effort, and shouted: "Do you still recognize me!"

Before Commander Zhao could react, he was lifted up by Fu Qingyun like a chicken, trembling with fright, and his mouth was cold. Seeing that the commander was arrested, all the slaves shouted and greeted Fu Qingyun with steel knives and sticks. Fu Qingyun held Zhao Commander's neck in one hand and waved his stick in the other hand to meet him, and in an instant, he beat all the house slaves to the point that they were on their backs, moaning all over the ground.

Fu Qingyun threw Commander Zhao to the ground and asked, "Raise your dog eyes and see who I am!"

Commander Zhao knelt on the ground and trembled: "Hero, the little one is clumsy, I don't know where to offend the hero, please spare my life!"

"Spare your life!" Fu Qingyun pointed a stick at his chest and said sharply: "That day, my uncle and I smashed one of your vases, and you beat them to death." One of your poisoned arrows has tormented me to death. Today, the time of your death has come!"

"Ah......h

Seeing this, the slaves of the Fei family who were lying on the ground and moaning around were all frightened and frightened, and they were all supported by their knees or hands, and hurriedly crawled out.

Fu Qingyun no longer paid attention to those house slaves, and went to look for the first murderer Fei Wang with a knife.