The enemy came as expected.

Calculating the distance, the dead soldiers of the royal palace traveled normally. Gu Qing, Li Twelve Niang and others were one step ahead of them, so they arrived one day earlier than the dead soldiers.

Following the warning from the personal guards, everyone in the county government office suddenly became nervous, everyone looked on guard, and the air was inexplicably filled with an indescribable solemn aura.

Gu Qing asked calmly: "How far are the enemy traces from the city and how many people are there?"

The scout guard said: "There are about 200 people stationed thirty miles away from the city. They are all knights in black. They are holding swords, axes, halberds and other weapons. They are setting up for a meal at the moment."

Gu Qing looked at the sky and said, "It's afternoon now. They must be waiting for dark to launch a surprise attack. We should hurry up and prepare."

Li Twelve Niang frowned and said: "When the royal family's dead soldiers came out of Chang'an, there were only more than a hundred people. Why did they come to Qingcheng County and there were more than two hundred?"

Gu Qing twitched the corner of his mouth and said: "Perhaps I got an order from King Ji on the way to increase the number of people in order to win the battle."

Turning to look at Song Gensheng, Gu Qing was still in the mood to smile: "You have enough dignity. Two hundred people came from Chang'an to take your life for you. If you want to have a little conscience, just wipe your neck with a knife."

.”

Song Gensheng's face was pale. No matter how upright and righteous a person was, he would still feel fear when the knife was about to be put to his neck.

Facing everyone's joking eyes, Song Gensheng tried his best to smile: "Haha, it's so funny."

The guards and heroes around Gu Qingchao bowed to the ground and said solemnly: "Today we have received the help of all the righteous men. Gu and the magistrate of Song County are deeply impressed by the great virtues of all the kings. If they can survive, they will be rewarded in this life.

If Mr. Gu unfortunately dies in battle, this kindness will be repaid in the next life."

Song Gensheng pursed his lips and said: "It is all Song's fault that all the righteous men have been forced to fight for Song. This kindness is so deep that Gensheng should pay homage to me."

As he spoke, Song Gensheng knelt down on his knees in front of everyone and bowed to the ground solemnly.

Everyone hurriedly stepped aside, and Luo Fei stretched out his hand to help him up, saying: "There is no need for this, Magistrate Song. You are a good official who asked for life for the common people. If we fight for you, we will fight for the common people. This is righteousness, not for the common people."

As an individual, Magistrate Song can accept it calmly."

Song Gensheng stood up, bowed his head in salute, and said: "I will keep my kindness in mind and will not elaborate further. If you are unable to resist the thieves, please run away quickly to save your life. Just try your best. There is no need to risk your life."

Gu Qing patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile: "You go hide in the house and leave the other things to me."

Song Gensheng's eyes were red, and he choked up and said: "I shouldn't have hurt you. If there is a next time, I will never be so reckless. Gu Qing, you have to take care and save your life. Don't make any mistakes. You have a better future than me."

You are ambitious and more calm in life and work than me. Your aspirations cannot be lost in the world because of me."

Gu Qing smiled and said: "Don't worry, if you can't beat me, I will turn around and run away. Just do your best for your friends. There is no need to fight desperately."

An ugly smile appeared on Song Gensheng's lips, and he turned around and returned to the house.

Zhang Huaiyu stood aside and rolled his eyes at him, saying: "Your ability to tell lies is getting better and better. If you can't beat me, will you really be able to escape?"

Gu Qing said sternly: "Of course I will run away. What's the point of dying if you know you can't beat him? It's better to stay useful and wait until you have the strength to take revenge."

Zhang Huaiyu sneered: "Do you think I am a fool? You are fooling me with such nonsense."

Gu Qing sighed, this girl is not cute at all, not as easy to deceive as Zhang Huaijin.

"Gu Qing, Song Gensheng is right. Your ambition cannot be annihilated in the world because of him. If you really can't resist it, I will risk my life to protect you and escape."

…………

Night came soon, and under the night curtain of the county town, there seemed to be a suffocating atmosphere, even the air was stagnant, and the heavy and oppressive atmosphere made people breathless.

Gu Qing arranged for everyone to have a feast very early and ordered all the lights inside and outside the county government office to be extinguished.

Everyone took their positions, hiding in the dark night, quietly waiting for the enemy to arrive.

Gu Qing was sitting on the steps in the backyard of the county government office. He was silently reviewing all the mechanisms he had arranged with half-closed eyes, seizing the last moment to check for omissions and sighing secretly in his heart.

It would be great if you had an army of personal guards who obeyed your orders. The number does not need to be too large. There should be only one or two hundred people. All of them are elite soldiers. Their skills are equivalent to the standards of later generations of special forces. Just two hundred people.

Enemies can be easily destroyed while waiting for work.

After returning to Chang'an, I still need to look for some personal guards around me. Fu Chong, who I met during the last robbery of Wannian County Prison, seems to be a good person. I hope to get this person from Yang Guozhong. Seeing that Yang Guozhong will soon become the prime minister, he will.

Prime Minister Yang Guozhong probably doesn't like Gu Qing very much. The friendship between the two is almost coming to an end. It would be best to get Fu Chong over while they still have friendship.

Thinking about some random things in his mind, this is Gu Qing's habit before any big event. Only by thinking randomly can he relax and not appear too nervous.

Li Twelve Niang sat next to Gu Qing, gently wiping her sword with a white silk scarf. The cold light of the waning moon was reflected on the sword blade, trembling like a stream of autumn water.

"The time is coming. When the faith fire is raised, it is the time to fight for your life. Gu Qing, I regret very much at this moment. I shouldn't have let you come here." Li Twelve Niang said calmly, staring at the sword in her hand.

Gu Qing smiled and said: "Song Gensheng's business is my business, how could I not come?"

Li Twelve Niang stared at the snow-white sword blade and said softly: "I think of your parents, Gu Qing. Ten years ago, your parents died in the battle to protect Zhongliang. Ten years later, their only son was doing the same thing.

He also risked his life to protect Zhongliang. To be honest, I am very scared. I am afraid that tonight will be another night that I will hate for the rest of my life. Gu Qing, you have to take care of yourself and don't let my aunt hate you for the rest of your life."

"Don't worry, Auntie, I will do it. Auntie, you should also take care of yourself, and don't let tonight become the thing I hate most in my life."

Li Twelve Niang sighed quietly: "Life is really a circle, it goes round and round. At this moment, I am still like a dream. Why have I returned to the starting point? Has the fate of the Gu family been cursed by God? They are destined to become stone steps one generation after another.

, following Zhongliang’s footsteps..."

Gu Qing said in a deep voice: "History has never favored anyone. Every step I take is my own path and has nothing to do with my parents."

In the dark night sky, a loud arrow dragged dazzling firelight, screamed and soared up, exploding under the night sky.

Gu Qing and Li Twelve Niang's pupils shrank to pinpoints.

"The fire of faith has been raised, and the enemy is coming."

"Prepare for war!"

…………

A cavalry team of more than 200 people in black slowly entered the city under the moonlight. The horses snorted restlessly and kicked up and down the straight street in the county town.

The shops on both sides of the street have long been closed, and the street is dark, as if by appointment. There are no lanterns hung in front of any shops. More than 200 people are riding horses walking on the invisible street, as if they have crawled out of hell.

Ghostly.

The surroundings were a bit unusually quiet, with no sound, no light, and not even a bark of a dog. The leading knight's face was covered with a black cloth, and there was a trace of hesitation in his eyes.

Something's wrong! It's too quiet. It's a bit weird.

Looking up and looking forward, directly in front of the end of the street is their target tonight, the Qingcheng County Government Office.

The leading knight suddenly reined in his horse and stopped. The more than 200 people behind him did not make any sound, and followed suit in a uniform manner.

"Forward in formation!" the leading knight ordered in a cold tone.

More than two hundred people quickly moved their horses' heads without saying a word, and instantly formed a circular formation of twenty people. Under the order of the leader, the circular formation slowly moved forward.

Halfway through the street, the windows in the attics of the shops on both sides suddenly opened, and rows of cold arrows and crossbows were pointed at them. The knights were shocked but did not panic at all. In the blink of an eye, they flew up from their horses, and their bodies

The moment he left the saddle, rows of arrows and crossbows shot down. However, the dead soldiers reacted too quickly, and most of the rows of arrows and crossbows missed. Only four or five dead soldiers did not have time to dodge, and were shot right in the face.

He screamed and rolled off his horse to the ground.

"There is an ambush, get rid of them!" the leading knight pointed at the attic windows on both sides and shouted.

More than twenty figures flew toward the attic and jumped in through the window.

Only screams were heard in the attic. A dozen heroes and personal guards flew out of the window and fell heavily to the ground. Bloodstains were all over their bodies. The fight between lightning and flint just now, and the ambush on the left and right sides of the street had been destroyed.

Unplug.

After the screams, silence returned to the middle of the dark street.

"Form up and keep advancing!" the leading knight ordered.

The knights returned to the team without saying a word and were adjusting their positions. In the dark corner of the street ahead, they suddenly heard a string vibration. The leading knight was shocked and shouted: "Get up!"

The knights who reacted quickly immediately jumped from their horses into the air again, but those who reacted slowly only heard a scream. When the knights fell back on their horses, they suddenly discovered that more than a dozen of the dead soldiers who were accompanying them were dead.

Bamboo branches that were sharpened to the thickness of a little finger were stuck in all directions. Even the horse he was riding was not spared. It was covered with bamboo branches and fell to the ground dying. It looked like it was dead.

The eyelids of the leading knight twitched violently several times.

King Ji had been raising the dead men for many days, and today he used it for a while. He originally thought it was just a very simple task, trekking thousands of miles, storming the county government office, killing the county magistrate and then quietly escaping, that's all.

However, reality gave him a loud slap in the face.

When they first entered the county town, they didn't even touch the edge of the county government office. Just on this inconspicuous street, they lost nearly twenty people and one-tenth of their casualties.

The leading knight finally realized that today's mission was not simple, it was extremely dangerous.

Mechanism. I didn’t expect that this street was actually equipped with a mechanism. This is only the peripheral part. Who knows what kind of murderous plot is going on inside the county government.

"Cheer up, leave twenty people on horseback to form a cone formation, let your horses rush over, and the rest of the people will dismount, form a formation on foot, draw your swords from their sheaths, and be on guard." The leading knight shouted coldly.

The dead soldiers, who numbered less than 200, once again formed a round formation. This time no one dared to look down upon the enemy. Everyone mustered up their spirits, holding their swords tightly and moving forward with solemn expressions, as if they were facing a formidable enemy.

The cavalry team of twenty people quickly formed a formation and then charged towards the county government office directly in front of the street. They kicked the horse hard in the belly and the horse galloped with all its strength.

Less than a hundred feet away, I saw figures shaking in the darkness on the street. The knight on horseback flashed a fierce light in his eyes, and stabbed out the halberd in his hand. After several screams, four more heroes died under the halberd.

.

At the same time, Song Gensheng was sitting in the room in the backyard of the county government office. His body was straight and the pen in his hand was hovering over the paper. After a long time, he finally started writing slowly.

"My lord, Song Gensheng, the commander of Qingcheng in Shuzhou, is ignorant of his words."

"I have heard that 'people cannot stand without soil, and cannot eat without grain.' Therefore, the sages call 'she' the soil and 'ji' the grain, and together they are called 'sheji'. This means that the emperor controls the soil and stands, sows the grain and eats it.
To be continued...