The rooms in the inn are much more comfortable and luxurious than Ye Sanniang's house.
The soft bed and dry quilt were all scented. Zhao Rang fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. When he opened his eyes again, it was already bright and clear.
After touching the three heavy silver ingots in his pocket, Zhao Rang got up, opened the window, took a deep breath of the cool air outside, cheered up, and prepared to go out.
"Are you up?"
Ye Sanniang's charming voice came from outside the door.
Zhao Rang didn't answer, just opened the door and walked out.
People who get up early are always particularly energetic. Ye Sanniang looked at Zhao Rang several times, and then said with admiration:
"When you go out, turn right and keep walking along the street, you can see them."
Zhao Rang nodded and replied with only three words:
"knew."
Then he walked out of the inn under Ye Sanniang's gaze.
People in the northwest get up late, especially now that it is the off-season in Yangguan. The streets are empty except for Zhao Rang, who is walking alone.
He followed the direction given by Ye Sanniang, and within less than a cup of tea, he saw several carriages parked on the street, with several lazy Taoist priests in Taoist robes beside them. There was a tall pole on the carriage.
There is an apricot-yellow chess piece hanging on the top of the wooden pole, with the word "Golden Bell" on it facing the wind, which is extremely powerful.
For a moment, Zhao Rang didn't know what he thought of, and he was fascinated by what he was watching. It wasn't until a Taoist priest came forward to ask very vigilantly that he was pulled out of his thoughts.
"I was introduced by Ye Sanniang."
Zhao Rang said.
The Taoist priest frowned slightly, looked at Zhao Rang, and then walked to a room behind the carriage.
When he came out again, there was a tall, muscular man beside him, with a broad-faced scimitar slung around his waist.
This man did not look at Zhao Rang with a critical eye. Instead, he held his fists in a very free and easy manner and said:
"I'm the deputy chief escort of the Jinzhong Escort Bureau, Jin Sanliang!"
Zhao Rang also clasped his fists in return and replied calmly:
"Zhao Rang."
Jin Sanliang smiled, not caring about Zhao Rang's indifferent attitude.
There are no simple people in Yangguan, everyone has their own story, not to mention that Zhao Rang was introduced by Ye Sanniang.
The name of the middleman can largely explain Zhao Rang's ability, so Jin Sanliang was very polite and did not dare to look down on him at all.
"Since my brother has accepted this job, let's make some things clear first!"
"Mr. Jin, head escort, please speak!"
Seeing that Jin Sanliang was not a arrogant and arrogant person, Zhao Rang also slightly corrected his attitude.
No one doesn't like to deal with open-minded people. Even though open-minded people sometimes seem a little silly, such people have an innate charm.
"Our escort this time is to escort these Taoist masters from Baihe Mountain to the Western Regions to buy goods. As long as the money we bring is not lost and the Taoist masters are fine, it will be successful. Everything else has nothing to do with us!"
Zhao Rang nodded in agreement and said:
"In the final analysis, I took this job just for the money, and then I could go to the Western Regions to see the scene. Everything is at the command of the chief escort."
When Jin Sanliang heard what Zhao Rang said, he felt relieved.
In his eyes, Jianghu people like Zhao Rang have some bad habits. Some are lustful, some are good at drinking, and some like to meddle in injustices.
These problems are nothing in normal times. Even Jin Sanliang likes to hug the girl and drink a few drinks when he has nothing to do. But if he still doesn't restrain himself during escorting, it may turn into a secret.
A thorn pulls a hair and moves the whole body.
After handing Zhao Rang an apricot-yellow vest, Jin Sanliang began to make the final preparations before departure.
As usual, the word "Golden Bell" is written on the waistcoat, but the font is different from the one on the flag. It is standard block letters. There is also a big clock painted directly below, which looks very majestic.
In the green forest, the two characters "Golden Bell" are the best crossing signs. Those who are literate can recognize them by looking at the characters and those who are illiterate by looking at the paintings.
What's more, other escort agencies use gongs to open the way, while the golden bell rings a bell. Although it is a bit unlucky, over the years, it has become a unique exception and is highly recognizable.
Those mountain bandits and horse bandits, when they hear the bell from afar, they know that the escorts from the Admiralty Escort Bureau have arrived, so they don't think anything of it.
After putting the vest on, Zhao Rang saw Jin Sanliang opening the box one by one, counting the silver coins inside, then closing the lid and affixing two seals from the Admiralty Escort Bureau.
This was an extremely time-consuming job. It took Jin Sanliang and the two Taoist priests half an hour to completely count the silver on the carriage.
"Master Dao, we can set off!"
Jin Sanliang said to a dignified middle-aged Taoist priest.
The Taoist priest's eyes were slightly closed and he was meditating. When he heard the words, he just nodded slightly and answered.
When Jin Sanliang saw this, he immediately turned around and punched the golden bell carried by the two men.
"Buzz..."
The long tolling of the bell resounded throughout Yangguan.
With Jin Sanliang's powerful voice "dart", the entire team began to move forward slowly.
Although Zhao Rang wore the vest of the Admiralty Escort Agency, he was not from the Escort Agency after all, so he was placed at the front, second only to the people who opened the way.
You can look at the scenery from this position, with a large group of people whirring behind you, but in fact it is the most dangerous.
Once the gangsters come to rob the escort, Zhao Rang will be the first to bear the brunt.
No wonder Jin Sanliang did this deliberately, because temporarily hired Jianghu people like Zhao Rang are meant to work hard, otherwise wouldn't the money be wasted?
Fortunately, Zhao Rang was very satisfied with this position, because he could sit on the carriage and wander around without having to walk hard.
He leaned back, folded his hands behind his head, and stared directly at the escort flag fluttering in the wind above.
The weather today was clear and clear, with only a slight breeze. It was indeed a rare good weather. The sun shone on Zhao Rang's face, and he soon felt sleepy.
Anyway, it only takes three days to reach the destination, and with the deputy chief of the Admiralty Escort Bureau sitting behind him, there will be no trouble, so Zhao Rang was extremely relaxed, closed his eyes and began to take a nap.
Near noon, Jin Sanliang stopped the team and ordered the accompanying cook to bury the pot and make rice.
Zhao Rang stretched out and jumped down from the carriage.
The wooden box placed in the car made his back hurt a little. It was okay when he fell asleep, but when he woke up he felt a little unbearable.
Taking advantage of the cooking stall, Jin Sanliang walked up to Zhao Rang and said:
"Brother, after dinner, we have completely left the boundary of Yangguan. There is a hilly area stretching for dozens of miles in front of us. It has been very chaotic. You have to cheer up!"
After hearing this, Zhao Rang asked:
"Does anyone still dare to rob the escorts from the Admiralty Escort Agency?"
Jin Sanliang smiled bitterly and shook his head and said:
"It's hard to live up to the reputation... To tell you the truth, not long ago, a branch of the Admiralty Escort Bureau in the north was wiped out by horse bandits, and three of the escorts were killed."
If this matter happened elsewhere, it would make sense, but the North is the birthplace of the Admiralty Escort Agency. Someone has washed a semicolon under his nose. No matter how much money he has, the loss of his name alone is enough.
It makes people vomit blood...
Zhao Rang did not expect that such a thing would happen to the most popular Admiralty Escort Agency. It was really beyond his expectation.
"So, no matter where you are, you still have to be careful!"
Jin Sanliang sighed.
While chatting, the meal was ready.
Two dishes, one meat and one vegetarian.
Everyone lined up with bowls and walked to the pot one by one to let the cook prepare the food.
Zhao Rang looked at the minced pork and eggplant in the pot and found it very appetizing, so he asked the cook to prepare more for him. Unexpectedly, the cook seemed not to hear.
Seeing this, Zhao Rang curled his lips, cursed secretly, then walked aside, found a shady place, and started eating.
Just as he lowered his head to take two bites of rice, a long-handled spoon was suddenly stretched out in front of him, which contained a full spoonful of minced pork and eggplant.
"Eat more so you will have more strength in the afternoon!"
As soon as Zhao Rang raised his head, Jin Sanliang dropped the spoon into his bowl.
"Thank you, Chief Escort!"
Zhao Rang said politely.
Jin Sanliang waved his hand:
"It's fate that we can be escorts together. You don't have to call me the chief escort. I'm a few years older than you, so you can call me big brother."
Although this was said naturally, it made Zhao Rang feel a little strange.
It is true that Jin Sanliang is free and easy-going, but he is also the deputy chief escort of the Admiralty Escort Agency.
He was so polite to him, even a little bit flattering. Could it be that Ye Sanniang said something to him?
Before Zhao Rang could think about it, Jin Sanliang had already left his side and walked towards the group of Taoist priests.
After talking to the majestic middle-aged Taoist priest for a while, Jin Sanliang urged everyone to set off quickly and make sure to pass through the hilly area before sunset.
Zhao Rang straightened his clothes, took out the unsheathed knife that had been hidden in his blouse, held it in his hand, and got back on the carriage.
A gust of breeze blew across his face, and Zhao Rang just felt that it was quiet all around, and Jin Sanliang's worries were unnecessary. As expected, people who have been beaten in the world will become less courageous as they get older.
After walking for more than an hour, it was still peaceful and peaceful. Seeing that he would be able to cross the hills in a short time, Zhao Rang stretched his legs and prepared to put the knife back into his blouse.
At this moment, he suddenly heard a chaotic sound of horse hooves not far ahead.
Just by listening to the noise, I'm afraid there were forty or fifty people.
Zhao Rang looked back at Jin Sanliang
Of course he also heard the noise, and immediately raised his arms and clenched his fists.
The waiter at the front saw the gesture of the chief escort, and immediately struck the golden bell three times, and then stopped.
The sound of the bell is melodious, but it cannot cover up the rapid sound of horse hooves.
Soon, Zhao Rang saw the dust flying to the west in front of him, and it turned out that there was a real person who was short-sighted and came to rob the escort!
All the bodyguards grasped the swords in their hands and quickly surrounded the carriage containing silver coins and a group of Taoist priests in the center, ready to prepare.
Jin Sanliang also dismounted, walked forward and stood side by side with Zhao Rang, looking towards the smoke with solemn eyes.
"Don't rush to do it for a while."
"Um"
Zhao Rang responded.
Anyone who is a dart agent knows a saying, which is to destroy wealth and eliminate disaster.
No matter how big the formation is and no matter how many people there are, they are all here for money. If they can be sent away with a few coins, there is no need to resort to bloodshed.