At nearly noon, several officers from the Gangfeng Battalion were sitting on the ground under the shade of a tree. In front of them were incomplete sauced pork knuckles, roasted lamb legs and other messy meals - all leftovers from yesterday's meal. I have my order.

, not allowed to drink alcohol, everyone drank the clear mountain spring water, tore off small pieces of food and threw them into their mouths, chatting without any interest.

Several team officers were not very happy.

Originally, my direct commander was getting married. Such a good thing, but he missed it! It was all because Gangfeng Camp was too good at fighting. As a result, he was sent to this hellish place to stare at the forest and play with the leaves all day long! With entering the city

It’s just that I missed the opportunity to make a fortune through robbery. I didn’t even catch up with such a big event as the general’s wedding. I don’t know when I will have the opportunity to listen to Qiang Gen again. Don’t you think I’m angry!

Unlike several team officers who were in a super depressed mood, the soldiers were all smiling. General Gu's wedding was certainly not the soldiers' turn to join in the fun, and there was no place for them under the wall of the wedding room's bedroom, but... there was delicious food

Yes! Yesterday, the old camp sent an auxiliary force of two hundred people. The snow-white meat buns were piled to the top in the food picks, and dozens of pigs and sheep were also rushed over! Everyone ate better than during the Chinese New Year - there were

A few guys, after eating until they couldn't eat anymore, started to clean up the camp: fetching water, sharpening knives, chopping wood, washing horses... and then... after the food in their stomachs was digested, they ran back to continue eating!

Everyone immediately followed suit. In less than an hour, Camp Nuo was completely new and tidy. Even the firewood was piled high, and the soldiers couldn't burn it all in two months!

Logically speaking, in those days, it was not easy to hide the whereabouts of large groups of people - there were no ready-to-eat foods such as canned food, and the smoke from cooking fires every day would greatly increase the risk of exposure. A two- or three-day army ambush could be easily accomplished.

Eat some cold food, but not for too long. Without modern preservation technology, the food will go bad soon, soldiers will fall ill in droves, and the combat effectiveness of the army will drop off a cliff.

Fortunately, the leader of this group of guys is Gu Baihua, who has been a horse thief, and has rich experience in this area that is unmatched by regular generals.

Xia Shiguan, as the name suggests, is a line between two mountains, and the official road winds through the valley with continuous peaks on both sides. Gu Baihua placed a group of soldiers in a hidden position on the east side, close to Mianchi. Their station

On the mountainside on both sides of the road, I usually stay there as a cat, and I won’t show up to stop anyone when I see someone passing by...

The other three troops camped on the same road, taking turns on duty, blocking a turning point on the mountain road less than two miles to the west. In other words, when pedestrians saw the troops blocking the road, they would come closer! If they could stop them all

Of course, it is best if a few slip through the net and run back. A few cannon shots will be fired here, and the ambush team in the east will just go down the mountain to intercept them after hearing the police. A few days ago, several policemen in Luoyang Prefecture were killed even if they had horses.

So all of them were intercepted.

If a large army of officers and soldiers attacked, the ambush personnel would still be unable to hide. However, Gu Baihua taught them a very practical method of communication: the message tree.

In advance, on the back of the mountain top near Mianchi, in the blind spot of the visitor's sight, clear a piece of mountain land, and then bury a tree shallowly. If a large group of officers and soldiers are observed to come, the tree will be brought down. Everyone behind

There is such a message tree on every hilltop. In a short time, the main force will receive the warning. The three troops have enough time to complete armor preparations, arrays, and roadblocks. Archers will also be on the mountainside on both sides.

Seize advantageous terrain... Under such terrain conditions, no matter how many people come, they will not be able to deploy. With only two or three troops who dare to fight, it is enough to block tens of thousands of troops for ten days and a half, making it impossible to move! There are ambushes behind enemy lines in the east.

That team can take the opportunity to sneak attack, set fire, and create chaos...

With the message tree as an early warning tool, the soldiers could kill pigs and roast sheep without fear of revealing their location.

Another person came to the official road.

There were three groups in total. The first group consisted of four or five guys dressed as policemen, walking loosely carrying or carrying water and fire sticks.

"It's a bit strange." Jia Lianwang, the officer of Team B of Gangfeng Battalion, pondered: If it was delivering official documents, a postman would be sent instead of an official; if it was handling a case, Mianchi belongs to the Shaanxi Prefecture, and two policemen would go together to report the case.

Of course, arresting people is a matter for the Shaanzhou government office - arresting people by yourself under the eyes of superiors? Do you still have a superior in your eyes?

But why did four or five of them come out together?

Before Jia Lianwang could figure it out, the second group of people appeared in his sight again. A few miles away from the first group, Jia Lianwang had good eyesight and could vaguely make out five or six of them. Some of them were riding horses, and their clothing and other items were just like that.

It was hard to see clearly. No matter what, Jia Lianwang took out his bamboo whistle and blew two short whistles to inform his companions guarding the mountainside on the opposite side: If someone is passing by, don't pay attention.

Soon, there was a reply from the other side, so Jia Lianwang knew that Fugen, the deputy team manager, had received the order.

When the servants reached the foot, Jia Lianwang was surprised to see that behind the second group of people, there was a third group of pedestrians in the distance! This group of people was much larger than the first two groups, a dozen or so.

, and even rode horses!

It’s really strange! Jia Lianwang, a former bandit, scratched his head and couldn’t figure it out.

People who walk long distances at that time tend to spontaneously travel in groups - more people make them bolder, beasts and bandits, if they see many people together, they will usually avoid them. Especially if they are traveling together for business, the safety factor will be higher...

...These groups of people are only about a mile apart from each other, so why do they have to go their own way? Especially for a few businessmen, the leather they wear is the best safety guarantee!

As the saying goes, the official and bandit family always have inextricable connections and tacit understanding between the local bandits and the yamen. For example, you can usually hide in the mountains, but you have to spend the New Year, right? The Chinese people attach great importance to this

, even if you are a bandit, you must have New Year’s Eve dinner on New Year’s Eve! You can’t dig out candles in the mountains, and there is no oil and salt on the trees. There are no paper horse incense candles for worshiping ancestors on the first day of the new year. You have to go to the city to buy them. So, on New Year’s Eve,

In the past, there would always be people of unknown origin sneaking in when the city gates opened before dawn. Some stayed in inns, some stayed in escort agencies, and some even broke into the house of a certain headman. When buying new year's goods,

They are very generous with their actions, while the bad guys will stay close to you intentionally or unintentionally - this is a kind of gray silent protection.

When these people leave safely, everyone will breathe a sigh of relief: peace in the coming year is almost guaranteed. On the contrary, if the visitors are trapped in the city due to various unexpected reasons, the county magistrate should not sleep well: the bandits are not

I don’t know who can be robbed and who cannot be robbed. For example, officials who retired from retirement or went home for funerals, as well as their relatives, friends, family members, children and nephews. They seemed like free sheep, but in the end they caused a big disaster and attracted a large number of officers and soldiers.

Encirclement and suppression would be more than worth the loss. Everyone is just stuttering and eating, and it’s not worth losing their lives, right? Therefore, occasionally when encountering an uncertain master, the mountain kings will serve them well for a few days. If the county

He handed over the news that the other party had a good background. In addition to leaving with respectful gifts, he also wanted to express some "feelings." Sometimes, the county magistrate would also pretend to personally command the yamen and soldiers from Baihu Station.

In a "suppression", a few heads of new entrants, or those whom the king dislikes, may be moved and become part of the deal under the table between the two parties.

This kind of thing is relative, and it is a kind of balance in the sense of unspoken rules. For example, if the person who bought New Year's goods is really recognized by the owner, the government has no choice but to take it, and will quietly let it go in the middle of the night. I am afraid that I am a newbie in Taiye.

A stupid young man who has no experience in officialdom, without saying a word, slaps someone to death with a slap on the spot - that's the end of it! In the future, as long as there is a chance, the kings will specifically pick out past guests who are likely to cause trouble.

The men were chopped into pieces, and the women took turns to waste them and throw them on the official road. I sincerely disgusted you to death, and then went to the top of the mountain to relax - the grandfather who was full of enthusiasm for cultivating Qi Zhiping was waiting to be punished to death by the superiors!

The escort agency is even more the same. A small flag is placed on the escort car, and the escort shouts: "Zhen...yuan..." as he walks, and the gong clangs loudly, lest others can't hear it. This is also the case. The kings who are in ambush hear it.

, Haha, Zhenyuan’s friend? Forget it, he won’t come out; or, to save face, come out and make two gestures, clasp your fists and say: “It’s awesome, Zhenyuan Escort Agency is well-deserved, I admire you” and then turn around and leave, that is to let him go.

You know: It’s not that we haven’t encountered each other, we are here to give you face! If word spreads, can the business of the escort agency be bad? On the contrary, as long as it is your escort, you will be in trouble after leaving the city gate, and you will be stopped once after crossing a hill.

Who will dare to look for you in the future? Just wait until you close the door and drink the northwest wind! It is said in the world that escorts in the world rely on friendship, not kung fu. This is the truth.

Therefore, it is safest for pedestrians to follow Tolerance. Unless there are extreme circumstances, no matter how powerful the bandit king is, he will generally not touch Tolerance even if he is alone. Tolerance who travels far away is also willing to team up with ordinary merchants: there will be delicious food and drink along the way!

Although he didn't understand it, Jia Lianwang couldn't blow the whistle anymore to contact him - just now they were hundreds of feet away, so these people couldn't hear him, but now they were right in front of him, so they could only watch Fulgen's reaction.

The first few businessmen disappeared from sight, and the second group of pedestrians also passed by.

Although they are all in casual clothes, who is Jia Lianwang? Everyone knows about Jia Wanzi, who was famous in Yulin, northern Shaanxi Province at that time! He has good eyes, nimble feet, and a legendary figure who has escaped from the eyes of officials many times.

The leader among the beggar bandits! Otherwise, how could he be the leader of the main battalion in a team with frontier generals as the backbone? When the group of people came closer, Captain Jia saw the problem at a glance: These are also people who take advantage of the public.

They are good at eating, and they are all good at it! Look at their age, look in their eyes, and look at their gait. You don’t have to ask, you can’t go wrong! Everyone has something hidden in their waist and back!

Looking further east, we can also see the clues about the last group of people on horseback: half a mile away, you can feel that the few people caught in the group have a strong momentum, which is something ordinary businessmen cannot pretend!

These are the officials!

I bet you were the one who stood in front of them during the two incidents just now!

But, how come it is so far apart?

Before Jia Lianwang could stop wondering, there was a faint noise from the west, and immediately after, the second group of people who had just walked past began to run back, shouting in confusion: "We are in ambush", "There are thieves"

"...

Although he did not hear the containment signal conveyed by the sound of the gun, the situation at that time did not allow Jia Lianwang to think too much, so he shouted "shoulder to block" and rushed down the hillside first.

A long, sharp sound of "squeak..." sounded behind Captain Jia. This was the sound of an arrow from Butang conveying a containment order to Deputy Guan Fugen. Almost at the same time, the trees on the opposite mountainside shook violently: Morning

The deputy in charge of the team, who has a tacit understanding, has already brought people down!

The guys in the second group were all intercepted.

Including the one riding a horse.

Discovering that something was wrong with the first few people, the guy turned his horse's head and wanted to run back, but the distance was neither too far nor too close: for the horse, the distance was too close, and he had just changed from a slow stroll to a small step, and faced him.

Then they bumped into several spears, and they could only stop and spin in place to release the little kinetic energy they had just accumulated. For Jia, Guan and others, the distance was just right, and the horses had not accelerated enough to lose their temper.

Stop, the brothers' spears are just flat!

The officials seventy or eighty feet away saw all this, and since they were mentally prepared, they all turned their horses around without any hesitation and fled in the direction of Mianchi.

There was a sound of horse hooves from the west: the large army also discovered the problem. This was the horse pond they sent out to investigate.

Jia Lianwang waved his hand: "Don't bother, you can't catch up." The distance of a few dozen feet is enough for the horses of those guys to run at full speed - they don't need to consider the horsepower, they will be safe all the way back to the county; if the scouts rush

If the horse runs out of strength, it may not be able to come back!
Chapter completed!