The entire Gongchang Mansion was shrouded in a tense and mysterious atmosphere.
Du Shaoqin led more than 200 prison guards to conduct a blanket search starting from Gongchang City.
Xiao Chen and Duan Tianming, with three hundred Dongchang's most powerful Shenji soldiers, headed east towards the caravan station east of Qingshui County and the Shanmen Town deep in the Qinling Mountains.
The team galloped along the four to five hundred mile journey.
To avoid alerting others, they gave up the spacious official road and chose a remote path. At dusk the next day, they finally arrived at Qingshui County.
Seeing that Xiao Chen's horse gradually slowed down and seemed to be heading straight towards Qingshui County, Duan Tianming actively rushed over.
"Are you planning to let everyone rest in Qingshui County and then surround and suppress the caravan station tomorrow?"
"Brothers are running all the way. The men are not sleepy, but the army and horses are also very tired. Let the brothers find a place with rich water and grass to set up camp outside Qingshui County. The army and horses eat some grass, and the men also take a rest and eat some dry food. You follow me into Qingshui
Go to the county."
Looking at the city wall of Qingshui County not far away, Xiao Chen said slowly.
"Okay." Duan Tianming turned around and shouted to the captains behind him: "Find a place with water and green grass, set up a tent and rest for the night."
With Dongchang's Plum Blossom Order in hand, the two of them entered the city smoothly and arrived at the Qingshui County Government Gate with familiarity.
It's approaching dusk and the weather is hot again.
The county government officials were already packing things at the door, preparing to close the door early and find a cool place to drink and cool off.
Two steady sounds of horse hooves reached the ears of the yamen servant. The yamen servant couldn't help but stop what he was doing and looked away from the sound.
I saw Xiao Chen and his two men riding fat and strong military horses towards the county government gate.
Both of them were wearing the uniforms of officers and soldiers, so they hurriedly put smiles on their faces and went up to them.
"Where did the two officials come from? Are they at the county government for business?"
"Your eyes are really clumsy. The last time we came to the county government office, you were on duty, and you forgot so quickly? Is the county magistrate here? Go in and let me know that Dongchang is visiting."
Before Xiao Chen opened his mouth, Duan Tianming on the other side stared at the dull-minded yamen servant and said angrily.
"It turns out to be Mr. Dongchang. The county magistrate is inside. I will go in and report it now."
With that said, he ran in quickly regardless of whether the county government door was open.
In the back hall of the county government office, Magistrate Qingshui held a small bowl with several caterpillars in it, facing his bird cage, feeding the thrush inside.
The county magistrate also squatted nearby, looking at the birds in the cage, and said: "When I went to the village in the east of the city to check the crops, I heard a large group of thrushes singing in the forest behind the village. If I let
If one hangs a net in that forest, he will certainly be able to catch a lot of thrushes."
"Really?" Qingshui County Magistrate turned his head, "Then let someone hang up a net. Our Lord Zhizhou of Qinzhou likes this thrush very much. I gave this thrush to Lord Zhizhou last time, and he
I didn’t take my fancy at all. The wild thrush has not yet been tamed. It is very active in a cage and likes to sing. Master Zhizhou must like it."
"Okay, I will find someone to hang the net now." The county government official stood up and prepared to leave.
"My lord, my lord." The Yamen servant hurriedly ran in.
"Are you in a hurry to reincarnate? Didn't you see the county magistrate waiting for the thrush? If you scare it, go to the mountain and catch one." The county magistrate opened his mouth and scolded.
"Yes, yes, I know my mistake." The Yamen servant bowed his body, looked at the bird cage on the ground, and hurriedly admitted his mistake.
Qingshui County Magistrate straightened up, turned around, and looked at the government officials with a kind face: "What's wrong? It's already dusk. Is it possible that someone else comes to the county government office to complain? Tell them to come back tomorrow."
As he said that, he turned around again, picked up a caterpillar with the small resin in his hand, and threw it into the bird cage.
"Sir, it's not that the common people are complaining, but people from Dongchang are here."
"What, people from Dongchang?"
"Yes, they are the people from Dongchang who borrowed eight military horses from us last time and have not yet returned them," said the Yamen servant.
"where are they?"
"Just outside the county government gate."
"You are really short-sighted. When the people from Dongchang are here, why don't you just invite them to the county government lobby and let them stand outside the door?"
As he spoke, he thrust the small bowl in his hand into the hands of the county magistrate beside him: "Put away these insects and the birdcage."
Immediately, he waved to the yamen servant: "Let's go to the door."
At the gate, Xiao Chen and his two men were running around for two consecutive days and were exhausted.
I simply sat down on the steps in front of the county government office, and for a while, I actually dozed off a little.
The magistrate of Qingshui County walked out of the gate accompanied by the government officials.
At the door, two military horses stood quietly on the street, the reins around their necks casually thrown to the ground.
"Where are the people?" Magistrate Qingshui looked puzzled.
Turning his head, he suddenly found two people sitting on the steps to the left of the door, their eyelids already tightly closed.
"Two adults." The magistrate greeted in a low voice.
"Master Magistrate." Xiao Chen suddenly woke up, poked Duan Tianming next to him with his hand, stood up hurriedly, and patted the dust on his butt, "I have been driving for two days in a row, and I am a little sleepy, which makes the adults laugh. .”
"You two have worked hard, please come and sit in the lobby of the county government office." The magistrate hurriedly extended his hand to invite.
Walking into the lobby, the county government official had already made a pot of hot tea.
He picked up the tea bowl, placed it in front of the two of them, and poured a full bowl. Then he walked to the magistrate and poured a bowl of hot tea as well.
"My lords, this is the end of the disaster relief work of Gongchang Mansion. Are you ready to return to Beijing to resume your duties?" the magistrate asked with a smile.
"The disaster relief work is basically over. However, we are not returning to Beijing to resume our duties, but are preparing to uproot the caravans that have committed serious crimes."
"Eradicate the caravan?" The magistrate was a little surprised.
Although Dongchang kidnapped the caravan leader from his station some time ago, it would probably be impractical for two people to wipe out the entire caravan.
"The Marquis of Dingxi has been convicted of treason by the court, and the caravan is secretly controlled by the Marquis of Dingxi. Therefore, no one from this caravan can be retained," Xiao Chen explained.
"Sir, the entire caravan should number more than 2,000 people. Even if most of them are not in the gang's headquarters, there will still be hundreds of caravan members staying behind. The two adults are single-handed, and it will be difficult to wipe them out." Magistrate No. 1 He said with a worried face.
"So, the reason why I came to Qingshui County today is to use the Qingshui Guards to destroy the caravans and return them immediately."
"If you want to use it, you can use the resources of the entire Qingshui County at your disposal. However, the entire Qingshui County guard army is less than 300 people. Moreover, these guards usually just stand guard and look out. If we talk about going into battle with real swords and guns, Killing the enemy, I am worried that I may not be a match for the caravan."
On normal days, the magistrate would never admit that his guards had no fighting capacity.
But it's different now. Dongchang is planning to take his own guards to wipe out the caravan.
If you don't report truthfully, your efforts will be ruined. You cannot bear this responsibility.
"Sir, are you worried that your guard army will suffer losses?" Xiao Chen raised his eyebrows and asked calmly.
"No, no, that's not what I mean." The magistrate stood up hurriedly, "These guards usually just stand guard and look out. They only face the bosses who come in and out of the city gate, and they have no fighting power at all. I am afraid that I will be mistaken.
It’s an adult’s business.”
"As long as you know how to stand guard, this is the opportunity that the Imperial Envoy gives you to perform meritorious service in Qingshui County. How can you be such a mother-in-law? Outside the city, our Dongchang's magic machine soldiers are on standby at any time. What are you worried about? If the Imperial Envoy hadn't remembered
If you had personally delivered the troops and horses overnight, we would have already gone directly to Shanmen Town. Why are we hanging around in Qingshui County?"
Seeing the magistrate's refusal back and forth, Duan Tianming on the other side suddenly felt a little proud.
With Dongchang's Plum Blossom Order, it would be easy to go to any health center in the imperial court and temporarily borrow hundreds of people to help handle the case.
Why are you pushing and blocking me like this when I get here?
Believe it or not, a person who disobeys Dongchang will never be able to stand up if he wears a big hat?
After hearing Duan Tianming's words, the magistrate knelt on the ground with a "pop" sound.
"I dare not push back. I am really just worried about the safety of the two adults. Since there is a team from Dongchang waiting outside the city, I will arrange the manpower to go to Shanmen Town with you to wipe out the caravan."
"Okay, it's getting late, and the team outside the city is also running all the way. They need to rest. Sir, please get up." Xiao Chen waved his hand, "These days in Gongchang, I can't even eat vegetables. If it's convenient, sir,
Get some food and send it to the brothers outside the city."
"It's easy to say, that's easy to say." Qingshui County Magistrate stood up, "You two adults must be hungry too. How about I take you two to eat first, and then arrange for someone to deliver the food to the brothers outside the city?"
I am really stupid.
They came all the way to let me participate in the extermination of the caravan. To put it bluntly, they really wanted to give me credit.
It is already very wrong to refuse on your own.
This meal must be served well no matter what.
"Two adults, what kind of food do you want to eat? As long as Qingshui County has it, I will get it for you immediately," the magistrate of Qingshui County continued.
Duan Tianming grinned and swallowed a few mouthfuls of saliva.
"What's the matter with vegetables? Just make a few pots of meat." After thinking about it, "And make a few jars of soju. We have to start work tomorrow morning. Without wine, there will be no energy."
