It was dark, and the autumn rain was ticking. In the official office of Changshui County, it is crowded with people and very lively.

Chu Ping sat on the seat of the county lord of Changshui County, calmly took the documents handed by the master of Changshui County, and read them carefully.

Changshui County is divided into Zhong County, with 15 pavilions, more than 23,000 households, and 148,600 mouths. Most of the people in the county make a living from farming, but there are also some villages close to Yishan, where hunters go into the mountains to hunt, collect mountain treasures and sell them in the towns to supplement their families.

In the county government office, under the instruction of Master Chen, the county lieutenant in the county took the pavilion chief Li Zheng in the county pavilion and stood under the steps.

However, at this moment, there are only thirteen pavilion chiefs and pavilion chiefs in the official office, and the two pavilion chiefs who are close to Yishan in Changshui County have already died under the ravages of powerful ghosts.

Chu Ping put down the official document in his hand and asked in a deep voice: "Sima Xue, when can the army set off?" ”

After Xue Sima bowed his hand to a man who looked like a military general beside him, he said angrily: "Ming Mansion, Lin Duwei has already sent scouts to Yishan to investigate, and when the scouts return tomorrow, they will be able to understand the situation in Yishan in detail." ”

When Chu Ping heard this, he asked Master Chen, "Have the soldiers in the army settled down?"

Chen Lin said respectfully: "The student has already arranged the soldiers in several private houses, and they have already ordered someone to send wine and meat as a reward." ”

Chu Ping frowned slightly and said: "The army is dispatched, and it is ...... to live in the people's houses instead of camping." ”

Xue Sima heard this, and hurriedly gestured to Chu Ping with his eyes, Chu Ping saw that look, but the words behind him said: "Although this matter is inappropriate, but now it is expedient, but it has to be for." ”

Sure enough, as soon as these words came out, the slightly unhappy look in the eyes of Captain Lin Du, who was leading the troops below, subsided.

After Chu Ping explained a few words to the officials below and the crowd dispersed,

Chu Ping said with a calm face: "Xue Mu, my big cadres have always been so arrogant and disturbing the people when they go out to fight?"

That Xue Sima also ignored Chu Ping's anger at this time, and hurriedly said: "The Ming Mansion is cautious, this Lin Duwei was born in a family in Yangzhou, and when the former county guard was there, he didn't take it seriously. ”

Chu Ping knew that what Xue Mu said was right, but this Lin Duwei was a child of the Lin family in Yangzhou, if it weren't for the fact that he was still a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, this Lin Duwei might not give himself too much face.

However, there is still unhappiness in my heart, but I don't have a good temperament: "The other generation, the forces are intertwined, and those who mess with the world will also be this generation." ”

Xue Sima was tired at this time, but he didn't hear Chu Ping's words.

Shaking his head in his heart, he sighed: "The county guard is still a little angry. ”

In Yishan, a small group of about thirty or forty cavalry took advantage of the cover of night to pass through the bumpy mountain road of Yishan in the drizzle, led by a young man in his twenties, with a calm face and a steel knife in his hand.

A strong man in the back, the prancing horse, rushed to the young man's side, walked side with him, and suggested: "Linghu Zheng, we have gone too deep, why don't we get off the horse and let the brothers rest for a while and drink saliva." ”

The Linghu team was thinking for a moment and ordered: "The whole team dismounts and rests, and Jiashi guards the surroundings with bows and crossbows." ”

A group of cavalrymen turned over and dismounted one after another, except for the dozen or so people with crossbows who watched the wind and grass around them vigilantly, the rest of the people, including the team leader named Ling Huyi, all took the water bladder dry food from the saddle, and they were not too cold and hard, and ate it in large gulps.

At this time, the big man took a map, walked over in a few steps, spread out the map, pointed to a place, and said: "Linghu team is positive, this is where we are, five miles ahead is Qingmakan, where the terrain is dangerous, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and it is recommended to go forward to find a while, and then go back to the commander to return to his life." ”

A hint of coldness flashed on Ling Huyi's resolute face, and he said, "Let's go around here and enter the depths of Yishan at night, where it is said that there is a ghost town. ”

Ling Huyi pointed his finger heavily on one place on the map. The big man hurriedly said at this time: "Team Zheng, this place is the lair of the ghost king's forces, will it be too reckless, after all, we only have more than thirty horses." ”

Ling Huyi said in a deep voice: "Although our army is small, it is elite, and we are only probing, and we are not in direct conflict with them, even if they are discovered, we can calmly retreat." Don't forget that we brought this. ”

Saying that, Linghu Yi took out an arrow from the quiver that emitted a cold and faint light, and the arrow of the arrow clearly had a dense incantation, which was the armor-piercing arrow that the Great Cadre Army relied on to fight against the world's ghost cultivators, this arrow was not the handwriting of the Xianmen monks, but the Great Qian's military weapons supervisor developed it according to the ancient magic formation, and it had a restraining effect on the ghosts in the world.

Of course, the local soldiers are equipped with iron arrows, and the spells are relatively simple, which can play an effective role against minions such as ghost pawns and ghost generals, but it is not very effective for ghost handsome ghost kings.

Although the big man was still worried in his heart, it was not good for him to speak out against it.

Half an hour later, Ling Huyi gave an order, and all the cavalry crossed the war horses again, raised their whips, and disappeared into the night of Yishan with pine oil torches.

After the night, the sky was bright, and in the early morning after the rain, the air was exceptionally fresh, Su Jing got up and played a few sets of Tai Chi, only feeling refreshed and energetic.

Su Jing finished breakfast, took out the books in the study, and read them slowly. Less than half a month before the test of the autumn season, although Su Jing had a strong memory due to the fusion of two souls, he still didn't dare to take it lightly. In the past few days, I have taken out the strength of the university in my previous life and prepared for the final exam.

Just as he said with Nayun Mengkuang before, although the exam questions are written by the new Pingyang County Guard, they are mainly the sages and scriptures in the moral articles, but if you can put more effort into the decoration of the words, you must have a better chance of being admitted.

And just when Su Jing was thinking about how to write an essay to cater to the preferences of the Pingyang County Keeper in the autumn of this year, the county keeper of Pingyang County, the first Pingchu Lord, was awakened by Xue Sima's panicked voice.

"Mingfu, something is wrong. Xue Muru's elegant face was full of panic.

"Sima Xue, why are you so flustered?" Chu Ping asked as he stared at Xue Mu.

"Ming Mansion, the news that just came this morning that the cavalry sent by Lin Duwei entered the lair of the Yishan Ghost King under the leadership of the team leader Ling Huyi. Although Xue Mu was anxious at this time, he was still in a clear manner.

Chu Ping heard this at this time, and asked: "Since that cavalry has entered the deep mountains, who came to report the letter to Lin Duwei?"

Xue Mu said at this time: "Ming Mansion Rongyu, it is the deputy team of Ling Huyi's team that is quietly breaking away from Ling Huyi's team and returning to the city to report to Captain Lin. ”

"Bastard, fleeing from the battle, regardless of the lives of his soldiers. Chu Ping heard Xue Mu's words, and said angrily.

Xue Sima sighed and said: "Ming Mansion, this is not the time to investigate this matter, let's think about how to deal with the ghosts of this Yishan, Linghuyi's men and horses are more than lucky." ”

Chu Ping was still angry and said: "Order Captain Lin to call the person who escaped, and the official will personally interrogate." ”

Xue Sima heard this, and hurriedly summoned Lin Duwei and the others.

At this time, the anger on Chu Ping's face was long gone, only a pair of deep eyes, looking in the direction of Yishan, not knowing what he was thinking.

Not long after, Lin Duwei appeared in front of Chu Ping with the big man, and saluted together: "See Lord County Guard." ”

Chu Ping shouted angrily: "Captain Lin, if someone escapes from the battle and delays the fighter, what should he be guilty of?"

Lin Duwei said with a look of indifference at this time: "The Ming Mansion is angry, and the humble position is reciprocated." ”

Chu Ping suppressed his anger and said, "You wait to talk about it." ”

Lin Duwei defended: "That made the fox ignore the overall situation and put himself in danger, which was also unexpected by his subordinates. However, his deputy team also left the team and came back to report to his subordinates after many attempts to dissuade him to no avail. ”

Chu Ping said angrily: "According to what you say, this person is not only innocent, but also meritorious. ”

Lin Duwei was just about to answer, but Chu Ping said again: "If such a person who is greedy for life and dies is meritorious, then where is the law of the great cadres and the imperial court!"

What he said was murderous, and when Captain Lin heard this, he was also very worried and didn't dare to say it again.

"Although Chu doesn't know much about the military affairs, he also knows that the military order is like a mountain, and since Ling Huyi has received an order to explore the power of the ghost king of Yishan, even if there is a great danger ahead, he will go all out. On the contrary, it was the meritorious man in Lin Duwei's mouth, who was greedy for life and afraid of death, although he came back to report the news, but after all, he refused to obey the orders of the officials. ”

At this time, Chu Ping no longer looked at the silent Lin Duwei and the deputy team who was already trembling with fear, and said coldly to the Lin Duwei: "Deal with it by military law, Lin Duwei." ”

After saying this, he brushed his sleeves away.

In the backyard, Xue Sima said helplessly: "How can the Ming Mansion be so unwise, how can this Lin Duwei scold at will." ”

Chu Ping heard Xue Sima's words at this time, and said with no joy or anger on his face: "Are you teaching this mansion to do things?"

Xue Sima's expression was pale, he knew that he was speechless, and hurriedly apologized: "Mingfu, students don't dare." ”

Chu Ping knew that although Xue Mu was talented, he was too taken for granted.

Pointing fingers at Shangguan is a taboo in officialdom. And again and again, again and again, I have the intention of cherishing talents and saving some face for them. But it seems that it is better to knock one or two from time to time.

Chu Ping's words changed, and he said again: "Sima Xue, put aside the matter of Linghu Yi first, you have a good relationship with Nalin Duwei, and probe his tone for the mansion." ”

Xue Sima bowed down and said, "The student obeys." With that, he withdrew.

As soon as Xue Sima left, Chu Ping took out a note from a scroll, on which a clear handwriting faintly appeared,

"The humble Linghu Yi has gone deep into the ghost king's lair, watching his defense lax, and people's hearts are panicking, as if something has happened. ”

Chu Ping looked at it word by word for a moment, and found that there was nothing missing, so he put it on the candlestick and lightly lit it, and burned it.