"I said, Lao Wang, don't look worried. You and Mr. Lu are here to see us off. Why do I feel like you are here to see me off?"
Xu Huai stopped his horse and said goodbye to Wang Zhen and Lu Xiong. He patted the broken-edged knife lying across the saddle, which was one foot longer than the ordinary straight-ridged long knife, and said,
"If something unexpected happens, with this razor-sharp blade, I can kill two people from Kelan City back and forth. Do you believe it?"
Four days have passed, and they have obviously stirred up some troubles in the dark, but on the surface everything is calm in Lanzhou, as if the final intensive preparations for the war against Yan have absorbed all the undercurrents.
However, the more this happened, the harder it was for Wang Zhen to feel at ease. However, as the superintendent of the quarry, he had nothing to do with the matter of receiving food, so he had no way to escape and go to Lanzhou together.
Xu Huai also didn't want Wang Zhen and Lu Xiong to follow him to Lanzhou. If Wang Zhen and Lu Xiong followed him, something would really happen, which would make it impossible for him to act according to his own temper.
Listening to Xu Huai's careless words, Wang Zhen couldn't help but smile bitterly and said mockingly: "You put it lightly. Whether my reputation, Wang Zhen, will be ruined and my body will be shattered depends on your trip. I can't feel relaxed. It's for myself."
Send a funeral!"
"Master Lu, come to have a laugh?" Xu Huai looked at Lu Xiong and asked.
Lu Xiong angrily slapped Xu Huai's horse and urged Xu Huai to catch up with the team that had walked out of the valley.
"Knowing that he is murdering every step of the way, but yet being so unscrupulous, you and I can't see through this kid after all." Wang Zhen stood in the morning with his hands behind his back, and sighed as he looked at Xu Huai riding his horse to catch up with the advancing team.
"Maybe not being able to see through is the turning point, otherwise Wang Xiang and I might not have a chance to get out of Tongbai Mountain, right?" Lu Xiong said with emotion.
"That's right. If it weren't for this kid, just Zheng Hui would have eaten us to death in Tongbai Mountain. We might not even be able to walk across Yingzizui Cliff alive. Well, let's not think about it. Is it a blessing?
The disaster will be known in two days!" Wang Zhen was about to turn around and walk towards the official residence of Shichang with Lu Xiong when he saw a group of Xiang troops coming out from the direction of Caocheng Village outside the valley entrance.
Caochengzhai controlled the western entrance of the post road across Guanchuan Mountain from Langu County to Kelan City. It was only two or three miles away from the Lanzhou Stone Field.
The large cart passed around the trees, and it could be seen that the leaders were Guo Junpan and Pan Chenghu, who were all dressed up. They looked like they were going to lead people to Kelan City to collect food in person.
"Are they so easily encouraged?"
On this day, the Caochengzhai Xiang army went to the grain yard to receive grain and meager military pay, salt and vegetable money. Normally, the grain transport team was about 20 people and the size of six or seven large vehicles.
As for Guo Junpan and Pan Chenghu, as the commander and deputy commander of the Xiang Army, it was very uncomfortable to stay in Caocheng Village. Taking the opportunity to supervise the transportation of grain, they rushed to Kelan City, which was much more prosperous in Langu County, and spent two days in a relaxed atmosphere.
Nothing more than normal.
In the Shichang prison camp, if it weren't for the special circumstances this time, Cheng Yanqing would never have given up the opportunity of supervising and transporting grain and grass for two happy days to his subordinates.
However, everyone knew in their hearts that the situation was special this time. Guo Junpan and Pan Chenghu had no reason not to know, so the two of them sent out the team to lead the team and rushed to Kelan City, which aroused people's suspicion.
It doesn't look like they were secretly ordered to monitor Xu Huai.
When Xu Huai broke into the stone quarry alone before, Pan Chenghu and seven or eight men were unable to block Xu Huai's path. Who expected Guo Junpan and Pan Chenghu to lead twenty Xiang troops to suppress Xu Huai?
This time Xu Huai was accompanied by Tang Pan, Xu Xin'an, Zheng Tu, Tang Qing, Yin Peng and others, as well as sixty healthy prisoners such as Wang Kong, Yan Xiaoyi, Shen Zhene, Zhu Chengjun and the prison camp Xiang Junjie. Twenty Xiang troops led by Xu Zhong.
Wang Zhen, who knew more about the inside story, saw this scene and was more inclined to believe that Guo Junfan and Pan Chenghu went to Kelan City together to cause trouble this time.
Although Wang Zhen did not agree with many of Xu Huai's actions, he also knew that Xu Huai secretly asked Zheng Tu to get close to Guo Junpan and Pan Chenghu. In addition to keeping an eye on them and preventing them from making small moves, he also had the intention of making them uneasy. divided thoughts.
Zheng Hui and Dong Qifeng were completely wiped out at Maomaoer Ridge, which meant that even if Chen Zixiao, Guo Junpan, Pan Chenghu and others accepted recruitment, it would be impossible to win the trust of the Cai clan. Chen Zixiao, Guo Junpan, Pan Chenghu, Zhong Changqing, Gao Xiangzhong and other thieves will be completely dispersed and relocated, and the assignments they receive will be insignificant idle officials and cold positions, which is clear evidence.
Based on the nature of Guo Junpan, Pan Chenghu and others who gathered in the mountains and forests to act recklessly, it would be like seeing a ghost if they could feel at ease and receive such neglect after being recruited.
However, after they arrived in Lanzhou, Chen Zixiao, Guo Junpan, and Pan Chenghu were quickly transferred to Caochengzhai to serve.
Regardless of whether the people who secretly facilitated this incident simply used Chen Zixiao, Guo Junpan, and Pan Chenghu to deal with them, but logically speaking, Chen Zixiao, Guo Junpan, and Pan Chenghu should have dealt with this matter. The incident was regarded as a rare turning point.
They should suppress their inner restlessness a little and not be so easily instigated and noisy by others.
Seeing that Xu Huai was already riding his horse carelessly towards Guo Junpan, and Pan Chenghu came to meet him, with a face full of excitement as if the rain had come after a long drought, Wang Chen was full of doubts: Guo Junpan, Pan Chenghu was instigated by Zheng Tu for several days, Is it really that easy to get irritable, or do they have some ulterior motive in following Kelan City?
Lu Xiong shook his head and said: "Schemes come and go, and when the end comes, it's just a matter of adapting to circumstances based on strength..."
…………
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Chen Zixiao stood silently on the wall of Caocheng Village, watching Guo Junpan, Pan Chenghu led the team to join Xu Huai and the others, and also saw Wang Zhen and Lu Xiong standing hesitantly in the distance, staring at Go to Guo Junpan and Pan Chenghu's side.
He had not expected that the situation on the northern line of Dayan would be so serious. He thought that he was secretly adding fuel to the flames. As long as he could successfully delay the Yueting's large-scale invasion of the north, it would help relieve the pressure on the Xijing Road.
Therefore, when he encouraged Guo Junpan, Pan Chenghu and others, he did not worry about the possibility that he might arouse the suspicion of Yue Hailou and others; he even thought that once an incident was provoked, he would eventually make the best of the situation and finally led Guo Junpan, Pan Chenghu and others to lead The rebel soldiers went to join Dayan.
After meeting Master Lin Shi, he realized that even if he could successfully delay the Yueting's massive northern invasion, it would not relieve the pressure on Xijing Road, and it might even make the Yueting more prepared for the northern invasion. The possibility of Xijing Road turning defeat into victory became even slimmer, which made him feel entangled and painful.
However, he is still not afraid of the possibility of being exposed.
He just stood quietly on the wall of Caocheng Village, secretly feeling that if Dayan could not be saved after all, it would be a lucky fate for him to consecrate Dayan to the mountains and not have to witness Dayan's disintegration after becoming terminally ill. .
Xu Huai squinted his eyes and glanced at Chen Zixiao on the wall in the distance. He didn't expect that this unexpected move would actually fish out Chen Zixiao's tail that was hidden so deeply.
However, it is not surprising if you think about it seriously. The Khitan people are tight on the northern front, and the Yan Kingdom's defense on the Xijing Road is empty. More and more signs indicate that Dai Viet is very likely to gather elite forbidden troops from Linfu and other places to Lanzhou to restore the state.
He went north to attack Shuozhou and Datong Prefecture.
If Lanzhou really wants to stir up trouble, even if the imperial court does not change its ambition of the Northern Expedition, it will at least delay it for three to five months before it can actually send troops to march north - is this the purpose of Chen Zixiao's sudden move at this time?
Chen Zixiao, Xiao Zhichen?
Are you so arbitrary in choosing a pseudonym?
However, it is somewhat ridiculous. Xu Huaixin wondered if the memory that appeared in his mind hadn't been so alert that he had been secretly paying attention to Chen Zixiao's every move. Not to mention that he had discovered his true face at this time.
It's not easy.
Think about how willful the Khitan people are. Such a wise and courageous person was just thrown into Tongbai Mountain like a chess piece and became a bandit for two or three years. Under normal circumstances, who the hell would be able to spot something fishy?
Riding with Xu Huai to Guo Junpan, Pan Chenghu greeted him. Zheng Tu noticed that Xu Huai raised his head and looked in the direction of Caocheng Village, and asked in a low voice: "Is there really something wrong with this Chen Zixiao? Miss Liu insisted on sending someone to keep an eye on her.
Chen Zixiao spent the night in Kelan City the day before yesterday, but the spy sent by Miss Liu was distracted for a while and did not keep an eye on this guy. For a while, he didn’t know where he ran. His behavior was a bit suspicious, but Mr. Xu
Are you sure he didn't sneak into some prostitute's village to live happily?"
"Just think that he sneaked into a prostitute's village to have a good time. There should be no problem - how could there be any problem with him?" Xu Huai whispered to Zheng Tu.
Although they secretly deployed forty or fifty people in the villa and Kelan City, as well as Xu Wukun and Su Laochang who were personally in charge, Xu Huai finally left the secret deployment, intelligence collection and other matters to Liu Qiong'er.
On the one hand, Su Laochang is better at handling tedious practical affairs, Xu Wukun is better at leading a small team to carry out specific tasks; and Liu Qiong'er is delicate and feminine, and is familiar with the meaning of classics and history.
They currently have limited manpower and have collected a lot of intelligence, especially analyzing the situation of Yan Yue and the Red Husbands. It is impossible for so many elites to sneak into such a vast area and scurry around like headless flies.
At present, we can only start from the existing documents and collect more data for analysis. This is what Liu Qiong'er is good at.
On the other hand, Su Laochang, Xu Wukun and others were skeptical about the catastrophic disaster that would come in the first year of Jianhe. If they really wanted to arrange for them or others to do secret deployment and intelligence collection, many things would be perfunctory.
, it will not be done thoroughly or deeply.
This has nothing to do with people being unreliable, and no one would put much enthusiasm and focus into something that they have deep doubts about!
If not for Liu Qiong'er's almost obsessive trust in everything Xu Huai said, how could it be possible to spare two people to keep an eye on Chen Zixiao's every move when manpower was so tight and there were so many things to do?
Even so, Chen Zixiao was lost among them.
Of course, there are currently many clues that are enough for Xu Huai to judge Chen Zixiao's identity, but at this moment, he doesn't see the point of telling Zheng Tu and others about Chen Zixiao's identity. After all, Dayue and Yan are under the watchful eye of fishermen.
