In the cell, Yang Xiong was tied to a rack, and his body was covered in bruises.
There were footsteps approaching gradually.
Lu Fengtai's majestic voice sounded.
"How is he today? Has he been recruited?"
"I'm sorry, but he still doesn't speak."
Lu Fengtai added: "This is Li Xia. He can come over at any time to interrogate the prisoner. You cooperate with him."
"yes……"
Yang Xiong weakly raised his head and looked with drooped eyes, only to see an extraordinary and handsome young man standing next to Lu Fengtai.
This man had a long sword on his waist and was staring at him with great interest.
After looking at each other, Yang Xiong lowered his head again, too lazy to pay attention.
Li Xia picked up the long sword, touched the wound on Yang Xiong's body, and talked casually with Lu Fengtai.
"It seems that after a lot of torture, he refuses to confess, right?"
The pain came, but Yang Xiong didn't even hum.
"Yes, how can you interrogate him?" Lu Fengtai said.
"I heard that if you put people in a small dark room and don't let them see the light or see other people, their will will break down very quickly."
"I don't really believe it."
"How about giving it a try?"
Yang Xiong listened to the conversation and noticed that the young man named Li Xia did not have a Huaiyou accent, but rather sounded like someone from Jiangnan.
He was quite disdainful of Li Xia, thinking that maybe it was a government official who took the assignment relying on his father's authority and came here to cause trouble... But it was fine, it was better to be locked up in a small dark room than to be tortured here.
"Then let's try it." Lu Fengtai said: "You two, follow Li Xia's instructions."
…
When Yang Xiong was taken away, Lu Fengtai and Li Xia looked at each other and smiled.
"When are you going to take action?"
"Just these two days."
"It won't arouse his suspicion so soon, right?"
"No." Li Xia said, looking around, familiar with the environment here.
Lu Fengtai didn't ask any more questions and said, "Okay, then just look at the arrangements. By the way, do you have a word for it?"
"no."
"After finishing this matter, I will take you to see the envoy and give you a letter."
"Thank you, Dutou."
Li Xia's tone seemed a little careless, and he subconsciously tapped a chair, seeming to be more concerned about the material of the chair.
His little move caught Lu Fengtai's eyes, and Lu Fengtai felt it was a little funny. It was obvious that Li Xia didn't like those imaginary things, and he cared about the benefits that could be implemented on the ground...
~~
Yang Xiong didn't know how long he stayed in the dark room, and he gradually collapsed.
He originally thought that this was not punishment but recuperation. However, here, all he could see was darkness, and no quiet sound could be heard, as if he was isolated from the world.
His hands and feet were tied, and he wanted to sleep but couldn't. He couldn't find anything to do. He felt terribly bored, and indescribable loneliness and fear forced into his heart.
During the endless waiting and waiting, just when Yang Xiong felt that he was going crazy, the door opened.
No one else came but Li Xia.
Yang Xiong squinted his eyes and watched Li Xia walk in with a torch, inexplicably unwilling to take his eyes away from this young man.
He had a vague feeling of being reincarnated.
Li Xia asked: "Are you willing to recruit? Where are your companions?"
Yang Xiong shook his head. Even though he was afraid of being locked up like this, he still refused to speak.
He was also afraid that he would cry when he opened his mouth, and begged the young man to take him back to the torture chamber.
Li Xia squatted down, thought for a moment, and said, "Okay, you are a tough guy."
He took something out of his sleeve and gave Yang Xiong a look.
Yang Xiong was stunned, his eyes suddenly sore, and tears burst out of his eyes.
"Who are you……"
"Silence." Li Xia whispered: "You know who I am. Lieutenant Lu asked me to come. Let me ask you, what information can you tell me about the north?"
Yang Xiong finally spoke. His voice was hoarse, but he could speak Chinese very well, because Dali also spoke Chinese.
"Are you...really Lieutenant Lu's person?"
"Yes, I don't have much time, please give me the information quickly."
Yang Xiong shook his head and said, "No."
"Why?"
"You Song people are going to sell us out... If the information is given to you, you will leave us alone."
Li Xia said: "I won't ignore you. You give me the information first, and I will try to rescue you."
"No...you lied to me...save me out first. I have to ask the young master if I can trust you."
Li Xia frowned and said displeased: "How can I rescue you? I have gone through a lot of trouble to sneak in."
Yang Xiong said: "I don't care, don't think I'm a fool and easy to deceive."
The two looked at each other for a while.
"Okay, I'll try my best."
Li Xia finally sighed and stood up.
He left the small dark room and walked to the end of the corridor, where he saw Lu Fengtai standing there with his hands behind his back.
"how?"
Li Xia said: "I have gained his trust and can start tonight."
"That's true." Lu Fengtai smiled and said, "If you really tell him sincerely, he will become suspicious. It is precisely because you show your unwillingness to save him that he will force you to take him out."
"This is the fastest. I'm too lazy to talk to him."
"Let's go, I'll take you to see something."
"What?"
"Don't you want a house?"
…
This is a small courtyard, adjacent to the Chenghuang Temple to the west, Xiaoyaojin to the north, and a busy city not far to the south, but it is quiet in the midst of the bustle.
Lu Fengtai took Li Xia and looked around and said, "How about it? You can practice martial arts in this courtyard. The big bathtub can be placed in that room. There are some chickens laying eggs there. It happens to be the outlet of the wind. The chicken smell is not good.
Will come into the house."
Li Xia took a look and saw that although the house was not big, Lu Fengtai had really put his heart into it.
"Very satisfied, thanks Dutou."
Lu Fengtai said: "My brother, there is no need to see anyone outside. Once you are satisfied, I will start to process the house deed. Once this errand is completed, you can move in... What is the saying? Those who have permanent property have perseverance. From now on,
How can you stay in Huaiyou and work without a place to stay?"
He patted Li Xia's arm and said something more sincerely.
"But... you are pragmatic, which is a good thing, but you must know that these are just external things. When a man is in this world, he should still put his achievements first, do you understand?"
Li Xia looked sideways and saw Lu Fengtai's sincere eyes. The last reminder was obviously sincere.
He then cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Dutou, for reminding me."
"I told you that you don't need to see anyone outside. I'm much older than you and I can serve as your elder brother..."
When Li Xia left the small house, he looked back and saw an osmanthus tree beside the house. The scenery was quite beautiful.
He secretly smiled in his heart.
"It is said that the Huaiyou army owes one year's salary, and the Luzhou city defense has not been repaired for three years, but it seems that it is still very rich..."
~~
That night, the door to the dark room was opened again.
Yang Xiong looked up and saw Li Xia coming in again, and couldn't help but feel extremely happy.
When Li Xia quickly untied the rope from Yang Xiong's body, Yang Xiong actually cried: "My benefactor, such a great kindness..."
"Shut up and put on these clothes." Li Xia handed over a package.
Maybe it was because he had stayed in this dark room for a long time, or maybe it was because of the impressive courage in Li Xia's tone. Yang Xiong was very obedient and quickly changed his clothes.
"You should add some sugar and carbohydrates first."
Li Xia tossed another small package and opened it. There were steamed buns and sweet cakes inside.
Yang Xiongxin said: "Hey, you said it so elegantly that people can't understand it. It turns out you want me to eat."
He was eager to fight out, but now he couldn't help but feel that his benefactor was really meticulous in his work. He was really hungry, so he picked up the steamed bun and ate it.
While he was chewing the food, Li Xia dragged an unconscious guard in from outside, tied him up with a rope, and stuffed the guard's mouth with a bun wrapper.
"Listen, follow me outside. Don't panic or scream on the way."
Yang Xiong nodded honestly.
He originally thought that Li Xiajie would fight and kill people on his way out, but he didn't expect that things turned out to be so simple, but he had to be convinced.
These Song people are quick-thinking and meticulous in their work...
~~
Lu Fengtai stood on the high building and watched Li Xia take Yang Xiong away and disappear into the night.
"Du Tou, don't you really need to send someone to follow you?" Fan San asked in a low voice.
"No need." Lu Fengtai said: "If the trap is exposed, it will only make Yang Xiong doubt Li Xia."
"But, don't you think there might be something wrong with Li Xia?"
"They can't escape. To escape, they must have the cooperation of Nie Zhongyou, and Nie Zhongyou has our informant beside him."
"yes."
Lu Fengtai sighed slightly and added: "Li Xia is a smart man. I really hope he can make smart choices..."
After a long time, Li Xia came back and walked up to the tall building.
"I placed Yang Xiong in my home."
Lu Fengtai knew that the home Li Xia was talking about was the house he gave to him today, so he smiled and asked, "Did he say that? Where is Gao Changshou?"
"said."
Lu Fengtai turned his head, his eyes flashing with light.
"They have a contact method." Li Xia said: "There is an archway in front of the City God's Temple. Carve this mark on the pillar on the west side of the archway. The next night, Gao Changshou will meet him at Zangzhoupu on the outskirts of the city... I have no chance to ask first.
You just took Yang Xiong to make a mark. Tomorrow, as long as you pretend to search for fugitives in the city, Gao Changshou will know that Yang Xiong has escaped and will go to the appointment at night. "
"There are many people at the Chenghuang Temple, and there are many places where you can see the archway. It seems that it will be difficult to catch Gao Changshou when he is looking at the mark?"
"Yes, if you catch people at the Chenghuang Temple, you may only be able to catch one who is looking for the mark. It is better to start at Zangzhoupu."
Lu Fengtai asked again: "Is there any information?"
"The four people on the run are Gao Changshou, who is around 20 years old and slender; Gao Mingyue is Gao Changshou's sister, sixteen years old. These two siblings have outstanding looks. They should be easy to recognize when they show up. They must have been hiding.
.
The other two are both retainers of the Gao family, one is named Baicangshan, a scholar in his forties, and the other is named Erzi, a short and muscular man in his thirties."
Lu Fengtai finally got the news and nodded with satisfaction, saying: "These barbarians are not particular about naming them either Changshou or Mingyue, Cangshan or Erhai."
He thought for a while and then said: "Then we will start tomorrow night. Then you will take Yang Xiong to Zangzhoupu. When Gao Changshou and others come out, we will capture them in one fell swoop..."