Cao Peng was keenly aware that Zhou Cang's expression seemed to change slightly.
It was a look of surprise. Although it was fleeting, it was noticed by Cao Peng. Instinctively, Cao Peng immediately realized something...
"What does this Lei Xu have to do with your horse theft?"
Deng Ji asked in a deep voice.
Hu Ban hesitated for a moment and said softly: "Lei Xuyuan is not a local. He came here probably last year. The villain didn't know him at first. Just because of a chance, the villain had a conflict with them. This
Only then did I get to know Lei Xu. Lei Xu was very skilled, and the villain was no match for him... but he did not embarrass the villain, and he was also very forthright. The villain gradually became friends with him, and often helped him inquire.
Some news. Lei Xu rarely leads his people to harass the surrounding neighbors, so...
Around the end of last year, Lei Xu suddenly asked the villain if he could get horses.
The villain didn't know what was going on, so he told Lei Xu that my father was the chief of Gaoyang Pavilion, and people often passed by on horseback or stayed at the pavilion. Lei Xu said, let me help him get some horses, and promised the villain
Get him a horse and he will always give the villain a lot of money.
The villain usually idles around, watching his father grow old day by day, but he still has to stay here and work, and he doesn't even have a field.
Although the villain is unfilial, he is not an unfilial son. So I thought about it and agreed to the matter. However, I did not steal the horse at first. It was just that when merchants on horseback came to Tingyi, I would try to tell Lei Xu... Later
He became more and more courageous, so he joined forces with a few of his good friends to set traps and rob horses on the way. Everything was normal at first, but unexpectedly, Lei Xu suddenly found the villain some time ago and asked the villain to help him as soon as possible.
He wanted fifty horses. He also said that if he could get them, he would give me five hundred guan."
Deng Ji's heart moved and he glanced at Puyang Kai.
Pu Yangkai also looked thoughtful, took a step forward and said, "Uncle-Sun, there seems to be something unusual here."
Deng Ji nodded and continued to ask: "What happened next?"
Hu Ban had a bitter look on his face, "The villain is also obsessed. He thought that five hundred strings would be enough for me and my father to spend money, and we could also find a wife to make my father feel relieved, so I agreed. But in the past six months,
Come, because the passing merchants have been robbed one after another, there are fewer of them than before. Even if the guest passes by, he always brings a large group of retinues... No matter how courageous the villain is, he will not dare to run to die...
Originally, the villain wanted to discuss the matter with Lei Xu.
Unexpectedly, Lei Xu changed his face. He said that if the villain didn't solve the problem as soon as possible, he would go to the government to expose the villain, and would also implicate his father. The villain was also riding a tiger and couldn't escape. The day was getting closer and closer.
, Lei Xu pressed harder and harder. In the evening, when the villain saw a few adults living in Tingyi, he had a crooked idea and passed the news to Lei Xu. Lei Xu sent his brother Lei Cheng over.
, helping the villain steal horses. I thought that the adults had rested after a long day's journey... But I didn't expect that they were discovered as soon as they started."
"I'll beat you to death, you beast!"
Hu Hua was furious when he heard this. He rushed over with a bamboo stick and beat Hu Ban violently.
No wonder people often say that the area near Gaoyang Pavilion is not very safe recently. Many customers who often pass by here suddenly no longer show up.
It turns out that my precious son has done a good job.
For an honest man who had worked as a pavilion chief all his life, what Hu Ban did made Hu Hua extremely sad.
Hu Ban knelt on the ground, not daring to move.
The thumb-thick bamboo stick struck his body, leaving streaks of blood behind.
"Old man, please calm down!"
Seeing that Hu Ban was about to be beaten to death, Deng Ji quickly stepped in to stop him.
You say this family is pitiful? They really are!
But aren't those passers-by robbed by Hu Ban pitiful? No wonder Ah Fu just said that pitiful people must be hateful.
One can imagine what the consequences would be for passers-by who were robbed by Hu Ban.
"Mr. Puyang, what do you think?"
Pu Yangkai looked thoughtful and asked, "Hu Ban, how many horses did you get for this Lei Xu?"
"Back and forth, almost twenty horses."
Hu Ban replied pitifully: "The situation is not stable now, and there are not many single customers. At first, there were a few large groups of customers. I just tipped off the news, and I don't know whether Lei Xu took action. But Xiao
People have been to Lutaigang and noticed some conditions on the mountain. There should be a hundred or ten horses under Lei Xu's hands. He must have done something with them, otherwise he would not have gotten these many horses."
"Then do you know what Lei Xu wants with so many horses?"
Horses are very precious to the Central Plains.
It's like when Zhou Cang returned to the mountains with only a few dozen horses under his command.
Lei Xu suddenly wanted so many horses, so he must have some agenda. Otherwise, if he did this, it would easily attract the attention of the government.
Hu Ban said: "This villain really doesn't know."
"Now that things have happened, you are still not honest. Do you want to tell me or not?"
Hu Hua rushed over, raised his bamboo stick and wanted to hit again.
Hu Ban hugged Hu Hua's legs and cried: "Dad, I really don't know. I just want you to live a better life, I don't think so much."
It seems that Hu Ban really doesn't know.
"Big head!" Deng Ji said suddenly.
Xu Yi stepped forward quickly, intervened and said, "Here!"
"Are you familiar with General Xiahou?"
Xu Yi nodded and said, "Uncle Xiahou has a good relationship with my father. I have met him several times."
"You set out overnight and went to Chenliu. Report what happened here to General Xiahou... just say that Lei Xu is a fierce bandit."
"Here!"
Xu Yi hurriedly walked into the house, and within a short time, she was fully dressed.
He put on two of his entourages, explained to Cao Peng, handed over the rest of his entourages to Cao Peng's command, and then hurried away under the cover of night.
"Mr. Puyang, what should we do with these people?"
Pu Yangkai glanced at Hu Ban and the others, sighed, and said to Hu Hua: "Hu Hua, is there a gentleman around here who can heal injuries?"
"Uh...yes!"
"Ah Fu, send two men on horseback with Hu Hua to pick up the gentleman."
Cao Peng agreed and entrusted the matter to Deng Fan.
Deng Fan called two of his attendants and left with Hu Hua. Looking at the wounds all over the yard, Cao Peng also sighed. Even if Hu Ban told the truth, according to Xiaodu's rules, this guy would definitely get stabbed.
Thinking of this, Cao Peng shook his head and turned around to find Zhou Cang.
As everyone knows, Hu Ban has been paying attention.
When he saw Cao Peng shaking his head, he immediately knew something was wrong.
He also knew that what he had done was so big that even he did not believe that he could be spared.
However, he had another hope. Cao Peng's previous words gave him a little light. If even Cao Peng didn't help him, he would be dead!
"Young Master, young Master, please stay."
Hu Ban knelt down and walked a few steps, shouting on his face.
Cao Peng stopped and looked towards Hu Ban.
"Young Master, I just remembered something."
"Um?"
"Two months ago, I gave Lei Xu a horse. Lei Xu seemed to be in a good mood that day, and he even invited Xiao Xiao and Xiao Wu to have a drink."
Xiaowu?
Cao Peng has a very good memory.
He remembered that the young man who used the rake seemed to be named Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu was quite awake at this time. He was injured internally by Cao Peng, which made his face look devoid of any color.
Seeing Cao Peng looking at him, Xiao Wu nodded repeatedly.
"This is indeed true. I can prove it."
Cao Peng looked at Hu Ban again, "Go on."
"While eating wine, Lei Xu once asked the villain about the situation in Yongqiu. He also asked me about the rich households in Yongqiu and how the guards were on weekdays. The young master also knows that the villain is usually an idle man.
Wandering around, whether it is Yongqiu or Yu County, the villain is quite familiar with it. So the villain told Lei Xu everything he knew, and Lei Xu rewarded the villain with a lot of money."
Cao Peng raised his head and stared at Deng Ji.
Deng Jize stepped forward and asked, "Has Lei Xu done anything unusual lately?"
"If I tell you, sir, I just helped Lei Xu to do things and get money... Actually, I don't know him very well, so I didn't pay attention to him."
"Think carefully and think clearly.
Did those people like Lei Xu say anything strange or behave in any strange way?"
Hu Ban frowned and shook his head after a while.
"Sir, I do know one thing."
Xiao Wu suddenly interrupted.
"explain!"
"About ten days ago, Lei Cheng went down the mountain to have a drink with Brother Hu Ban. Brother Hu Ban happened to be away that day, so the villain accompanied Lei Cheng... He ate too much wine at the time and told the villain that Chen Liuren was too poor.
, there is really no profit or success. He also said that if the villain stays here, he will have no future.
The villain just asked him under the influence of wine, where is his future?
Lei Cheng mentioned some personal names, but because the villain also ate too much, he couldn't remember too many. He only vaguely remembered something like Lu Mei, something like Cheng, and someone called Xue Zhou."
"Xuezhou?"
Deng Ji and Zhou Cang exclaimed almost at the same time.
Cao Peng looked at the two of them doubtfully, "What's wrong with Xuezhou?"
"Xue Zhou is the leader of the largest group of thieves in Guangling."
"Ah?" Cao Peng was shocked, "Xuezhou, are you the Guangling thief?"
Zhou Cang said at this time: "Xue Zhou was originally Qingzhou Qushuai. I have heard of his name. However, he is not very public about his work, so his reputation is not very prominent. After the failure of Taiping Road, He Yi
The He Man brothers gradually replaced Xue Zhou, and many people thought he was dead. However, He Yi and He Man were killed by Cao Gong, and his troops were merged into the Qingzhou soldiers. Unexpectedly, Xue Zhou was still alive."
"Xuezhou, is it Taiping Road?"
Cao Peng looked at Zhou Cang in surprise.
He had never heard of such a person, but he knew something about He Yi He Man.
"Uncle Zhou, do you also know Lei Xu?"
"……kindness!"
"Who is he? Is he also a Taoist priest?"
Zhou Cang scratched his head and gave a wry smile, "Young Master is really right... Lei Xu was originally a young commander under Bo Cai's account, and he was very cunning. That Bo Cai was also a powerful general under Zhang Mancheng's account at the beginning, and later he was in Yingchuan
He was killed by Huangfu Song. Lei Xu's whereabouts are unknown."
Later generations often say that the Yellow Turban Uprising was the key to shaking the foundation of the Han Dynasty.
Now it seems that it is not unreasonable.
How many years has it been since the Yellow Turban Uprising? The Yellow Turban Uprising broke out in the first year of Zhongping, and it is now the second year of Jian'an, a full thirteen years.
During this period, the Han Dynasty went through twists and turns.
The Shichang servants caused chaos, Dong Zhuo disrupted the government, and the princes rose up together.
But this Yellow Turban Rebellion is like weeds, burning endlessly...
Cao Peng looked at Deng Ji, then at Puyang Kai, and the three of them couldn't help but smile bitterly.
what to do?
Such a question appeared in the minds of the three people at the same time.
Deng Ji knew about the chaos in Haixi, and in the files Xun Yu gave him, he repeatedly mentioned a tough bandit named Xue Zhou. At first, Deng Ji thought that this Xue Zhou was just an ordinary bandit, with great strength and tyranny.
Some. But since he dares to recruit Lei Xu, it means that this person has a big plan. He has experienced the Taiping Rebellion, and he is also a handsome man. This person is probably not simple.
If Deng Ji was confident before, then now he started to feel a little nervous.
But Puyang Kai had more considerations: Guangling County was the territory of the Chen family in Guangling. And the Chen family had a very high prestige in the local area. Xuezhou was wreaking havoc in Guangling and even wanted to recruit troops? What does this mean?
This shows that Xuezhou has a deep foundation in Guangling County. It is a strange thing for a Taiping thief to take root in Guangling County. Xuzhou people have a very strong sense of xenophobia, and Xuezhou is not only
A foreigner, a rebel, and a thief in Guangling... there is something weird inside!
If Xue Zhou didn't have a backer, he might not be able to gain a foothold in Guangling.
But who in Guangling County can make Mr. Chen bow his head?
Even the tigers like Lu Bu, who have elite soldiers and generals, have to respect the Chen family very much. This answer is about to be revealed!
Is it possible that when we go to Haixi, Deng Ji's opponent will be Chen Deng?
Puyang Kai couldn't help but feel a little uneasy! The difference in strength between a foreign county magistrate and a local wealthy governor must be too big.
Do you still want to swim in this muddy water?
Pu Yangkai thought of this and suddenly glanced at Cao Peng subconsciously.
He originally thought that Cao Peng would look nervous, but Puyang Kai found that Cao Peng looked very calm.
Is it possible that I am really old? I can’t even compare to a little baby?
Where benevolence comes, righteousness will follow!
Since I'm not even afraid of a little baby, what do I have to be afraid of?
That's all, eating the emperor's salary and being loyal to the emperor. Since I agreed to Xun Wenruo, I will accompany Deng Shusun through this journey of swords and fire.
Thinking of this, Puyang Kai immediately showed a calm expression.
Little did Cao Peng know that Puyang Kai had turned around thousands of times in this flash of lightning.
He was excited in his heart!
Because vaguely, he felt a long-lost excitement.
Maybe going with my brother-in-law this time will really be a worthwhile trip...
In his previous life, the detective's blood was boiling again. The more complicated the case, the more excited Cao Peng felt.
Haixi may not be as boring as he imagined. At least for now, he has found a way to entertain himself!
However, at this moment they are still in Chenliu.
"What should I do about Lei Xu?"
Deng Ji suddenly asked.
Logically speaking, this has nothing to do with him. He is the Haixi Ling, not the chief of Yu, nor the Yongqiu Ling. Even if Lei Xu rebels, it is not Deng Ji's turn to come forward. But the problem is, since they have already encountered
, it is not easy for Deng Ji to escape now.
Cao Peng saw Deng Ji's thoughts and said softly: "Brother-in-law, if we get out at this time, Hu Ban, Xiao Wu... and even Hu Hua will not be spared. We just agreed to help them
Shutong. To be a good person, you need to keep your word."
Pu Yangkai not only looked at Cao Peng with admiration, but the curves on his face became softer.
"Uncle and Sun, what you said is not bad. To be a good person, you need to be true to your word."
"Then how can we help them escape?"
At this moment, Deng Fan and Hu Hua arrived with a doctor.
The doctor looked disheveled, with a bit of tiredness on his face. He was obviously woken up by Hu Hua from his sleep. However, judging from his expression, he did not seem to be dissatisfied. To a certain extent, this
It also shows that Hu Hua is quite prestigious locally...
"Old man, could you please greet me here and treat the injured?"
"This is my duty, little old man."
"Hu Ban, come with us."
Cao Peng took Deng Ji and Puyang Kai to the room.
Hu Ban was behind them, following uneasily...
"Old man, just don't worry, Ah Fu is a good man and will definitely help you and your son."
Deng Fan saw that Hu Hua was very nervous, so he softly comforted him.
"This evil boy... deserves it!"
Hu Hua cursed and looked over worriedly.
I saw Cao Peng and others walking down the corridor and said to Hu Ban: "Wait here. When I call you, come in again, otherwise don't move around."
"Here!"
Hu Ban trembled and bowed to agree.
Xia Houlan and Wang Mai were waiting outside the door.
Zhou Cang entered the house with the three of them, and then sat down separately.
"Afu, what did you say?"
Deng Ji picked up a clay pot filled with water, poured a bowl for Puyang Kai, poured another bowl for himself, and drank it all in one gulp.
"General Xiahou will arrive at Gaoyang Pavilion as early as tomorrow evening," Cao Peng said.
Counting the time, it's almost the same.
"If Lei Xu can't wait for Hu Ban and the others after dawn, they will definitely be aware of it, right?"
"That's right!"
"In that case, it will alert the snake...Uncle Zhou also said that this Lei Xu is very cunning. The fact that he can hide for so long without being noticed shows that he is very alert. If he notices something bad, he might
Escape...his brother died in the hands of Uncle Zhou. If Lei Xu escaped, Gaoyang Pavilion would definitely face the fate of being sacked. General Xiahou could not keep his troops in Gaoyang Pavilion forever. He led his troops away,
If Lei Xu comes back, wouldn't the folks here suffer? That would be our fault."
With these words, Deng Ji and Puyang Kailian claimed that they were.
Puyang Kai himself is from Chenliu County. Although he is not from Gaoyangting, he is still a fellow villager.
"Does Yuxue have any ideas?"
"Hold Lei Xu!"
Cao Peng said it categorically.
"How to hold him back?"
"This, I'm afraid I'm going to have to deal with Lao Huban."
Deng Ji was startled, and then he seemed to suddenly realize it. He pointed at Cao Peng and said, "You mean, use time?"
"Yes, just use the room!"
"But if this happens, Hu Banke will be in danger."
"If he is not willing to take the risk, then there is only death."
Cao Peng's answer was even simpler. He stood up and said: "Hu Ban has only two paths now, one is a narrow escape, and the other is no life. If he is willing to take this risk, then there is still a glimmer of hope. If he is not willing...
Phew! Then we don’t have to worry about it anymore.”
Deng Ji and Pu Yangkai looked at each other and nodded in unison.
"In that case, call Hu Ban in. Make the pros and cons clear and let him make his own choice!"