On the morning of the next day, Lin Jue arrived at the Ti Xing Si Yamen and announced that in order to track down clues to an unsolved case, he would have to leave the capital and go out for a period of secret investigation. All matters in the Yamen were temporarily handled by Yang Xiu.
Everyone did not doubt that he was there, but it was his hands-on attitude that inspired everyone. After everyone came down, they all commented privately that Master Lin was indeed a practical official and took the trouble to leave the capital to track down clues. What a spirit this showed.
Yang Xiu knew in her heart that Lin Jue left for personal reasons, because Lin Jue did not hide it from him. Lin Jue told Yang Xiu that he was going to Hangzhou to pick up his wife and come to Beijing. Because he had just taken office, if he took leave for many days,
Afraid that Zhu Zhirong would make things difficult, he simply used the excuse of investigating the case. Yang Xiu expressed understanding and told Lin Jue not to worry, as he would handle the affairs in the yamen properly, so that Lin Jue could go with peace of mind and have a safe journey.
Lin Jue went to the main office of Kaifeng Palace to explain the situation to Zhu Zhirong, and made up a clue that he had to leave the capital to pursue the case. Zhu Zhirong reasonable and asked Lin Jue to be careful, and said something to calm down and solve the case.
The case is not urgent at the moment, so you can take it step by step, peel off the cocoon and so on. Lin Jue naturally nodded in agreement, but said in his heart: What you said is very high-sounding, but I don’t know who threatened me that I must make achievements in six months. Give it to me in the Yamen
There are a lot of old, weak, sick and disabled people crammed in, but they say this kind of thing.
In the late afternoon, under the Bianhe River Pier, a awning boat had been docked for a long time. A carriage and several horses came slowly, and people, horses and carts quickly boarded the boat. The sails were raised, and with the slightest breeze,
With strong east wind, the awning boat sailed westward.
On the bow of the boat, Lin Jue waved goodbye to a few people on the shore. Lu Wu's eyes were red and he waved desperately, while Xie Yingying's eyes were wet and she wiped tears. After the boat passed the bend in the river, they left together.
Half an hour later, the awning boat left the city from Xishui Gate. Ma Bin, who guarded Xishui Gate, personally opened the gate to let it go. The journey was smooth and the boat left the capital with a favorable wind.
In the evening, at a small dock thirty miles away from Beijing, the awning boat docked. Several horses and a cart disembarked from here and traveled overland. The capital was only four or five days away from Funiu Mountain.
The journey, if you go by water, will take a detour and you will not be able to reach it.
Because he was worried about the situation in the mountains, Lin Jue was unwilling to delay any longer. He, Bai Bing, Sha Niu and Lin Hu walked to the zenith of the moon and then rested for a few hours in a small town called Akacang in the southwest of the capital. Early the next morning,
Then it started again.
Although I was very anxious, because the carriage was heavy and Lin Jue had ordered it not to be too bumpy, I could only move slowly when encountering rough roads, so the overall speed was not very fast. Fortunately, it happened to be the middle of the month, and it was night.
The moon was bright in the sky, and we could see things with our eyes, so we could travel some distance at night. Even so, after traveling for four full days, we finally arrived in Ruzhou on the east side of Funiu Mountain in the afternoon.
After arriving in Ruzhou, everyone became extra cautious. Ruzhou is close to Funiu Mountain, which is where the imperial troops and horses are concentrated and blocked. If you are not careful, you will be in trouble. In the evening, when you are passing the official road south of Ruzhou City, there is
The officers and soldiers blocked the road for interrogation. Fortunately, Lin Jue revealed his identity. The official documents from the Kaifeng Prefecture's Punishment Division and the identity of the Punishment Officer prevented the interrogating officers and soldiers from making any more difficulties. Several wooden boxes on the carriage were also saved when they were almost pried open.
The leader of the officers and soldiers at the checkpoint told Lin Jue not to go further east. He said that Funiu Mountain had been in chaos recently, and there were shouts of killing throughout the night. He did not know what had happened. Funiu Mountain was within thirty miles of the mountain.
All the officers and soldiers' checkpoints have been evacuated and are on guard to prevent the bandits from jumping over the wall and rushing out of the mountain to attack the officers and soldiers. Therefore, there will be no officers and soldiers to protect them further east, and there will be no rescue if something goes wrong.
Lin felt that this information was not surprising but overjoyed. What he was most worried about was the checkpoints that had been inspected by the officers and soldiers for dozens of miles into the mountain. The officers and soldiers removed the checkpoints to gather precautions because of unknown changes in the mountains, but instead allowed himself and others to go in.
The convenience is tantamount to solving a big problem.
Lin Jue thanked them for their kind reminder and rewarded them with a hundred taels of silver. The enthusiastic officers and soldiers actually wanted to send people to escort Lin Jue and the others through the dangerous journey ahead to Qingtai Town in southeastern Shandong. Lin Jue quickly declined.
Intrigued by their good intentions, he told them that he would not approach Funiu Mountain and would immediately take a detour to the south. After several refusals, the enthusiastic officers and soldiers chief gave up.
After passing the county seat of Ye County, we entered the most tense area around Funiu Mountain. The officer and soldier leader did not lie. After passing the last checkpoint in the west of Ye County City, there was no trace of an officer or soldier checkpoint in front of him. In the evening,
, when dusk falls, the dark Funiu Mountains in the distance are like a giant python winding in the sky. The evening wind blows, and the surrounding fields are desolate, creating a chilling atmosphere.
Lin Jue, Sha Niu and others discussed for a while. Although it was almost dark, Funiu Mountain was only less than thirty miles away, so it was not worth delaying another night. Besides, everyone was eager to know what was going on in the mountains, so they decided
Go into the mountains overnight.
Of course, doing so also carries huge risks. Not to mention the danger of difficult travel into the mountains at night, the greater danger lies in the unknown situation in the mountains. If the Luoyan Valley Dazhai has been breached, then breaking in at night without knowing the situation,
It's like throwing yourself into a trap from which you can't escape.
But Lin Jue couldn't think about these things. With the dim light of the waning moon in the sky, a few people moved forward and arrived at the entrance of the valley in the middle of the night. After passing through the valley, they entered the control area of Luoyan Valley Dazhai.
When Lin Jue and others panted through the valley and came to the east peak of Luoyan Valley, the scene in front of them amazed Lin Jue and others.
On the hillside of the east peak of Luoyan Valley, there were dots of fires and they were densely packed. The fires on the hillside were obviously regular, and they were layers of ring-shaped fires. From top to bottom, there were as many as four or five. Seeing this scene, Lin Jue felt
A stone fell in my heart. This is exactly the three-dimensional defense structure of the fortifications and arrow towers built in Luoyan Valley. If the mountain stronghold was breached, the defense system would not still be so clear, it must have been in a mess. The fortifications are still bright.
The light of the fire indicates that the fortress has not been lost.
Several people approached the mountain trail under the East Peak. Sha Niu shouted loudly towards the mountain: "Don't shoot arrows, I am Sha Niu, the military advisor is back!"
Sha Niu screamed more than a dozen times with her sharp voice, and the whole valley seemed to echo her voice. Lin Jue smiled bitterly and was speechless. How could anyone call him Sha Niu? Sha Niu had a name, Deng Qi. But she also called herself Deng Qi.
I am a silly girl, and others may even forget her real name.
There seemed to be no response on the hillside. The fires all over the hillside were dazzling, but no one responded. This gave Lin Jue an ominous feeling.
Finally, a shout came from above: "Are you a silly girl? Are you saying that the military advisor is back?"
"Yes! The military advisor is back, who are you?" Silly Girl shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Great, great, the military advisor is back. I am Li Shitou. I will go and report to the leader of the village."
"Brother Shitou, hurry up and report to the leader of the village that the military advisor is back."
The exchanges from up to down the mountain resounded throughout the valley, and soon there was movement on the hillside. Soon there was a commotion of torches below the top of the mountain, mixed with people's shouts.
"The military advisor is back, the military advisor is back."
Lin Jue and others at the bottom of the mountain heard it very clearly, and the long queue of torches also poured down the hillside.
Lin Jue was excited and his eyes were a little sour. Bai Bing looked at Lin Jue with a smile and said, "Mr. Lang is quite prestigious here."
Lin Jue rubbed his eyes and said, "It seems a little bit. Get ready to meet people. You put this thing on."
Lin Jue handed a mask to Bai Bing, turned around and put the mask on his face, instantly becoming an expressionless middle-aged man with a sallow face.
Bai Bing frowned and said, "Why are you wearing this?"
Sha Niu also said: "That's right, the military teachers and students are so good-looking, why do they wear such ugly masks?"
Lin Hu said in a deep voice from the side: "Uncle is a member of the imperial court, so I have to guard against him."
Bai Bing suddenly realized, and Sha Niu also understood. There are hundreds of people of all kinds, and the good and the bad in the village are mixed. If his true appearance is revealed, he is recognized by others, and if the court finds out, then Lin Jue will be exterminated and his whole family will be executed.
Without saying a word, Bai Bing obediently put on the mask, instantly transforming from a beautiful girl into a freckled-faced woman.
"They are here, let's go." Lin Jue smiled and pointed at the long line of torches and the noisy crowd that had reached the mountainside.
Lin Jue and his party had only gone up for a short time, and were on a small piece of flat land. Dozens of people in front of them rushed down the slope holding torches and rushed towards them.
Lin Jue stood still and looked at the person running forward with a smile. It was Gao Muqing whom he cared about so much. Gao Muqing was wearing black armor, without a helmet on his head, and had long hair.
As she ran, the wind blew in the air, with an eager and expectant look on her face. She seemed to be about to cry, but she was smiling at the same time.
Lin Jue stood there with his arms open, making a gesture of welcoming a hug, waiting for her. Gao Muqing's expression seemed a little hesitant, but this hesitation disappeared without a trace after a moment, and he swooped over, rushing in front of everyone.
He entered Lin Jue's arms. He hugged Lin Jue tightly and never let go.
Everyone around coughed and turned around, a little embarrassed to watch. When the military advisor was on the mountain, there were rumors that the military advisor and the leader of the village were already in love and getting together, but in the end they were just rumors and speculations. At this moment, all these rumors were confirmed.
, the military advisor and the village leader are really a couple.
Gao Muqing hugged Lin Jue's waist tightly and laid her head in Lin Jue's arms. Hot tears burst out, sobbing and not knowing what to say. Lin Jue gently stroked his back and comforted him softly: "Mu Qing, you are suffering.
, I’m coming. Don’t be afraid, don’t worry, I’m coming.”
Gao Muqing nodded violently with tears on her face and hugged Lin Jue without letting go.
Lin Jue whispered: "You are the leader of the stronghold. You cannot be so weak in front of your brothers."
Hearing this, Gao Muqing hurriedly raised her hands to wipe away her tears, and turned around shyly. Seeing that everyone around her could turn around, and knowing that they were deliberately avoiding taboos, she felt a little more at ease. But suddenly, her eyes met those of Lin Jue behind her.
Looking at each other with clear eyes, Gao Muqing instinctively sensed a hint of hostility and frowned.
Lin Jue noticed this and felt a little embarrassed. He quickly whispered: "Mu Qing, this is Senior Bai's disciple, his name is..."
"Are you sister Bai Bing?" Gao Muqing shouted.
Bai Bing was stunned for a moment, then saluted and said, "Hello, Master Gao, you are so polite to Bai Bing."
Lin Jue looked at Gao Muqing in surprise, but Gao Muqing smiled and said, "Senior Bai told me about you, I know who you are."
With this sentence, there was no need to say more. After Bai Yushuang came to the village to recuperate, Gao Muqing respected her very much. Bai Yushuang did not hide anything from her and told Gao Muqing about the dispute between Bai Bing and Lin Jue.
Therefore, Gao Muqing naturally knew the relationship between Bai Bing and Lin Jue.
Bai Bing blushed a little. When he saw Gao Muqing throwing herself into Lin Jue's arms, he was indeed jealous. But thinking about it, it shouldn't be so. Lin Jue told Bai Bing what he and Gao Muqing had experienced. Bai Bing
I know what kind of woman Gao Muqing is, and I also know her position in Lin Jue's heart. However, jealousy is just instinct.
"Military advisor, you miss us so much. You're here." A loud voice sounded beside him. Lin Jue turned around and saw Liang Qi standing not far away, smiling at him.
Lin Jue walked quickly and laughed and said: "Brother Liang, haha, we meet again."
Liang Qi wanted to salute, but Lin Jue hugged his arm and wanted to give him a hug. Liang Qi frowned and yelled, sucking in the air in his mouth. Lin Jue was startled and said: "What's wrong?"
Liang Qi smiled bitterly and didn't answer. Qin Chuncao, the leader of the fifth village standing next to him, said softly: "He was seriously injured. I told him to rest, but he refused to live or die. Hearing that the military advisor had arrived, he desperately wanted to come down to greet him. I guess
The wounds are all open."
Liang Qi frowned and said, "What are you talking about? Why are you telling the military advisor this? Women are just talkative."
Qin Chuncao's eyebrows stood up, and he was about to have an attack. Liang Qi glanced at him repeatedly, but Qin Chuncao held back and only gave Liang Qi a hard look. That meant: I'll take care of you later.
Lin Jue laughed and said, "Miss Qin is doing this for your own good. Brother Liang, don't be ignorant of praise."
Liang Qiniupi said coaxingly: "Young women don't understand anything. When the military advisor arrives, I'm afraid I have to climb down. Besides, are my injuries that serious? Can I lie down with just this small injury? It's a joke."
"
Qin Chuncao was so angry that she was about to get angry again, so Liang Qi quickly winked again.
Lin Jue laughed and said: "Oh, I can see it. Brother Liang is a hero now and a bear when he goes home?"
Liang Qi said in a low voice: "A smart military advisor, why bother to say it out loud?"
Everyone around burst into laughter, and Lin Jue said: "Brother Liang, don't be embarrassed. As a man, it is natural for you to act like a bear in front of your own woman. Don't you know that 'if you give in three points, the world will be at peace'?"
Everyone burst out laughing. Gao Muqing laughed and scolded. Qin Chuncao's face was red and he couldn't help laughing. Liang Qi said with a smile: "What the military advisor said is a wise saying, and the military advisor is wise. Hey, if I had known that the military advisor was coming,
We will get married a few days later. It would be great if the military advisor could be the officiant."
Lin Jue smiled and said: "You are married? Congratulations, then I have to ask for a wedding drink."
Liang Qidao: "Yes, I wanted to do it more grandly, but that old dog Qin Donghe wouldn't let us live in peace. The situation was critical, and I didn't know if we could survive, so I told Chuncao that it didn't matter if I died, even my wife It would be really boring to die without even having one. So as soon as we put it all together, we moved the bedrolls and slept together. The brothers all drank the wedding wine, and naturally I kept the military advisor’s cup.”
Lin Jue nodded slowly when he heard the words. He understood what Liang Qi meant. The village was in danger, and the war would be extremely fierce. I didn't know if they could survive this disaster. So Liang Qi and Qin Chuncao simply got married, so as not to be unable to become husband and wife even if they died. .This is called a battlefield wedding, forced by the situation.
Mentioning the war situation, the joyful atmosphere suddenly dropped a lot. Lin Jue looked at the crowd and found that they were all haggard and decadent, with stains all over their faces and messy buns. Some of them had scars on their faces. The armor on their bodies They were all filthy and damaged in many places. Many people still had cloth straps wrapped around their bodies, with their arms hanging on their chests, obviously injured.
Lin Jue stepped forward and greeted everyone one by one, and said in a deep voice: "Brothers, you are all good. I couldn't resist the powerful enemy with you, and I feel very ashamed. But fortunately, I didn't come too late. Still. I have the confidence to defend my stronghold in Luoyan Valley and defeat powerful enemies. Do you have the confidence?"
"The military advisor is here, how can we not be confident that the Luoyan Army will win!" Liang Qi shouted loudly.
"The Luoyan Army will win!" Everyone roared in unison.
Lin Jue laughed and said: "There is no guarantee of victory in the world. But against Qin Donghe, victory is guaranteed but it is not bragging. I will teach Qin Donghe how powerful we are."
Everyone was overjoyed when they heard the words, and they all thought: The military advisor must have a plan to meet the enemy, otherwise how could the military advisor say such a thing. For a time, the crowd was excited and happy.
"Let's go into Dazhai to talk. What's the point of standing here? Let's go up the mountain." Lin Jue shouted.
Everyone laughed and said: "Let's go, let's go, we are so happy that we don't even know that we are welcoming the military advisor up the mountain."
The crowd gathered around Lin Jue and was about to leave. Lin Jue turned around and said to Gao Muqing, who was following closely: "I brought some things down in the valley, but I can't come up. Find some brothers to carry them up and transport them to the stronghold. Remember, Don’t collide violently and be careful.”
Gao Muqing nodded in agreement and asked Qin Chuncao, the leader of the fifth village, to take charge and lead dozens of brothers to move several large wooden boxes up from below to follow the team. Lin Jue specifically asked Qin Chuncao to find a safe place to place them and not to approach fireworks or other objects. , Qin Chuncao nodded in agreement. Lin Jue then walked along the mountain road to the stronghold surrounded by everyone.
Walking up the mountain road, Lin Jue carefully observed the surrounding fortifications and terrain. The eastern slope was originally covered with lush trees, but now it was mottled and desolate. Burnt trees stood sparsely, and many hillside rocks The cliff collapsed and it was a mess.
Seeing Lin Jue looking at the surrounding scene, Gao Muqing explained in a low voice: "The people in Heifeng Village intended to set fire to the mountain. The dense forest on the east slope was burned like this by a fire. The rocks collapsed in many places due to the fire. Fortunately, You asked us to cut down the fire zone, so Dazhai was not threatened. Most of the fortifications on the hillside were also preserved. If not, the consequences would be disastrous."
Lin Jue frowned and nodded, pointing to the circular fortifications on the hillside lit by bonfires and said: "Why are there no manpower here? I only saw people on the arrow tower, but not a few people in the fortifications."
Gao Muqing sighed softly and did not answer.
Lin Jue said: "Is it because there are not enough manpower? So Dongpo used an empty city strategy to confuse the enemy with bonfires?"
Liang Qi smiled bitterly and said: "The military advisor really saw through our thoughts at a glance. It seems that this method cannot deceive people."
Gao Muqing said softly: "The battle on the front battlefield of Luoyan Valley is tight, we are short of troops, and there is no danger of defense on the Dongpo side, so we only left more than a hundred people on the arrow tower to observe the enemy's situation and use bonfires to confuse the enemy soldiers in Heifeng Village.
There is nothing we can do about it.”
Lin Jue nodded, pursed his lips and said no more. He understood that since Gao Muqing said this, the Luoyan Army's casualties must be huge, and the frontal battlefield was already extremely tight, so he had to take this strategy. In fact, this kind of trick can only fool people.
Enemy. Just like me and others touched the slope of Dongshan Mountain just now, no one noticed it. If they didn't shout loudly, no one might know that they touched the mountainside. This is a huge hidden danger. Gao Muqing and others may not be aware of it, but maybe their strength
We were stretched thin, but we had to take the risk.
