"A few new men have arrived in Zeyuan. There are more than forty people in total. Two sedans came out of Zeyuan before noon today and went to Tongcheng. I don't know what is inside."
In the Tongcheng County government office, He Xianya whispered to Pang Yu and Jiao Guozha. While Pang Yu listened, he observed the lobby outside the window. The bustling hall in the past was deserted.
After the news of the evacuation of Chizhou soldiers came yesterday, Lahu Qingpi, who had been quiet, began to stir up trouble again, and more people tipped off Huang Wending and his group. After the rebellion became strong, there were fewer subordinate officials on duty at the Yamen.
Not only the ordinary yamen servants did not come, but also the clerks and squad leaders did not come. The squad leader of the third squad in Tongcheng had not been seen for more than ten days. Zhao Sili and Tang Weimin had not appeared since the chaos.
Pang Yu needed to inquire about official news at the yamen, so the three of them met in the household room every day to earn some performance. At least Yang Fangqian had to patrol the lobby every day. He was very concerned about Pang Yu, one of the few yamen servants who still insisted on going to work.
He expressed his appreciation.
Pang Yu grabbed a dried pea on the table and stuffed it into his mouth. While eating, he asked, "Maybe it's a sword or an instrument? It was brought in a sedan chair to hide it from others."
He Xianya thought for a while and replied, "It should be."
Pang Yu now confirmed the information about the Fang family. This Zeyuan was a study place specially built by Fang Kongzheng for Fang Yizhi's brothers. It was in a quiet place in Longmian Mountain, not far from the county seat.
The best place.
He Xianya and Pang Ding took turns staring at the yard. As long as they kept an eye on the movements of these actions, they could guess when the squire would take action.
Jiao Guozhao said in a deep voice, "There are gangsters in Wuwei Prefecture and Anqing, but the ones I heard about the most are Nanjing and Suzhou. I don't know where the Fang family found it."
Pang Yu looked at He Xianya and asked, "Look at the way the gangsters are fighting, can they deal with Huang Wending and his gang?"
"The gang are all strong men, but Huang Wending's group has more than a hundred people, and they also have weapons. I can't say, second brother, you know I don't understand this."
Instead, Jiao Guozhao replied, "There are also different types of beating shops. Some of them just help people fight. There are many beating shops in Suzhou like this. The year before last, someone hired a Suzhou beating shop to come to Tongcheng to collect debts. They looked strong and ferocious.
Others are seeking revenge and committing crimes. These are often called green hands. I have never seen them in Tongcheng. I heard that they look like ordinary people, but they often kill with a single blow."
Pang Yu tapped the table with his hand lightly, "No matter what kind of person he is, he is still a human being. In my opinion, thirty or forty dozen soldiers are not enough to attack Yunji Temple. Especially the Chizhou soldiers suddenly withdrew from Liantan yesterday. It is said that it was Lord Pi and
Thanks to Yang Zhixian's credit, the military disaster was averted, but now that Huang Wending and his gang have no scruples, they may come out to cause trouble again. The squires are not short of money, so they will definitely recruit new thugs and wait until they are fully confident before taking action.
We still have time to continue preparations. Brother, please prepare three waist knives today. We cannot live without sharp weapons. In addition to waist knives, we must also have short blades..."
Just as he was talking about this, Pang Yu saw Pang Ding running across the bridge in front of the hall and heading straight to the house.
Pang Ding hurriedly opened the door of the house, came to the three of them and whispered, "Master, the gangsters in Longmian Mountain are coming down the mountain! The three of them left in batches, and I only followed the last group.
By the time they entered the city through the northern arch."
Jiao Guozhao and He Xianya stood up at the same time, and the three of them looked at Pang Yu. In the short time since Pang Yu proposed this grand idea, Pang Ersha had become the core of the three of them.
Pang Yu sat where he was, looking at Pang Ding, and said calmly, "How many people came out of Zeyuan in total."
Pang Ding was stunned, raised his head and rolled his eyes for a long time, and finally said with a sad face, "I was so anxious that I forgot to count. There seemed to be more than ten, twenty... maybe thirty people, divided into many groups."
Pang Yu rolled her eyes at him and said, "In the future, you must remember to observe calmly."
Jiao Guozhao asked nervously, "Are they going to attack Yunji Temple soon? If they are defeated, the money will definitely be swallowed up by the attackers, and no one can get it."
"But if we go to Yunji Temple at this time and Huang Wending and his gang are still there, we won't get any money. We can't go when the two groups are fighting, otherwise both sides will get jealous and chop us off."
Pang Yu frowned and stared straight at the table, his eyes constantly changing. When the Chizhou soldiers were there, the squire did not move. As soon as the Chizhou soldiers retreated, the squire started to act instead, which seemed a bit unreasonable.
If these thugs really went directly to attack Yunji Temple, then Pang Yu and the others would really have no chance of fishing in troubled waters, but Pang Yu didn't think that Yunji Temple could be captured with forty thugs.
Before Pang Yu could think of the answer, there was a burst of noise outside Yimen. The county government office had not been so lively for a long time.
The four of them walked out of the Yimen together. They saw crowds of people in front of the splayed wall, and countless people gathered in a semicircle. A young scholar in white and two servants, the three of them arrested one of them and tied him up.
The man was kneeling on the ground. The man's back was to Pang Yu, and he didn't know who it was for the moment.
Several yamen clerks came out of the yamen, and the jailer in the south prison was also there, Zhang Daiwen, Wang Dazhuang's brother-in-law. He waved his hands to the scholar repeatedly, and refused to take the man on the ground into prison no matter what the scholar said.
"Those who cause trouble are thieves! If others send thieves to the yamen gate, and the yamen dare not take them away, how can the court lose face? If you don't take them in the jail, they will take them in the torture chamber!"
The one who spoke was Jiang Guoyong, who had offended the entire yamen. The yamen servant who was beaten the worst was the most serious person at work, even more serious than Pang Yu who showed his performance. Every day, he not only went to work on time as usual, but also worked extremely hard.
Don't leave early.
After Jiang Guoyong said this, he picked up the man on the ground and dragged him to the south prison. The man kicked his feet wildly and cursed loudly.
Pang Yu heard that the voice was somewhat familiar, and quickly turned her head to look at the face of the tied man. She couldn't help but softly said in surprise, "Zhang Ru!"
…
"The scholar who sent Zhang Ru to the county government is called Zhang Bingcheng, and he is the head of Zhang Ru's family." He Xianya said thoughtfully, "Zhang Ru is his slave. Everyone knows that Zhang Ru is one of the great thieves of the civil revolution. I'm afraid Zhang Bingcheng will lose his power.
Wonderful, I was worried about getting hurt by Zhang Ru, so I arrested Zhang Ru and sent him to an official position to redeem himself."
Pang Yu raised his hand and said, "Then why didn't you arrest him before, but why did you choose it when the Chizhou soldiers were withdrawing? This timing is unreasonable, and with such a big fanfare, lest others don't know, Zhang Bingcheng is not afraid of Huang Wending and his gang retaliating against him?"
"Second brother, do you think it's not easy for Zhang Bingcheng to catch Zhang Ru now?"
Pang Yu stared at the table, "I have been to Yunji Temple twice in the past few days. The mountain road there is narrow. Huang Wending and his group have prepared many rolling stones. It is not easy for Fang Kongzheng and the others to attack. Today, the gang quietly entered the city, and Zhang Bingcheng arrested them again.
Zhang Ru, who also caused an alarming amount of noise and is not afraid of being known by the rebels, means that Zhang Bingcheng believes that the rebels will be defeated, so he no longer needs to be afraid of them... Or is he deliberately trying to lure the rebels to rescue Zhang Ru?"
He Xianya looked at Jiao Guozha and said thoughtfully, "Fang Kongzhen's biological sister is married to Zhang Bingcheng's brother Zhang Bingwen, so Zhang Bingcheng's move is most likely done under Fang Kongzhen's instruction. Zhang Bingcheng did it because of Fang Kongzhen's
It’s for reinforcements, so I’m not afraid of Huang Wending, or even as my second brother said, I want to use Zhang Ru to lure Huang Wending down the mountain.”
Pang Yu affirmed after a moment, "Huang Wending and his gang didn't know about the hidden gang in Zeyuan. As soon as the Chizhou soldiers left, they thought they could still run rampant in Tongcheng as before. Fang Kongzheng took advantage of their arrogance. I think
It is very possible that Huang Wending will go down the mountain."
Jiao Guozhao nodded and said, "As long as the rebels come down from the mountain, they will never be a match for the gangsters, especially in the streets and alleys, where the gangsters are skilled."
Pang Yu slapped the table, "It should be Prince Bi who threatened to bring troops into the county and forced the gentry to annihilate the rebels. In order to prevent the guest soldiers from entering the city, Fang Kongzheng and the others agreed to immediately annihilate the rebels on the condition that the Chizhou soldiers withdraw from Tongcheng County.
territory."
He Xianya clapped his hands and said, "Then it explains why the Chizhou soldiers suddenly evacuated. That must be the case. Fang Kongzheng and the others want to ambush Huang Wending in the county seat, so they started to enter the city today."
Jiao Guozhao said, "That means that in these two days, the squires and the rebels will decide the winner."
"What I'm going to do for the rest of my life depends on these two days." Pang Yu's eyes were firm, "Find me a horse on the express train. I'm going to Yunji Temple. You guys first prepare things as agreed.
.”
…
Yunji Temple is located at the mouth of the trailer river in Tongcheng, at the end of the Dabie Mountains. Although the peak is not tall and majestic, it is quite steep. From the foot of the mountain, in addition to the mountain path, there are hundreds of steps. Along the way, the peaks are surrounded by pines and cypresses.
, every time you have a wide view, you can overlook the undulating shallow hills in the southeast.
At this time, Pang Yu had no intention of admiring it. He rode for half an hour to Yunji Temple, sweating profusely as he walked along the mountain road. Huang Wending and his gang chopped down many trees along the mountain road, most of which were cypress trees because they had already been cut down.
After a few days, the branches and leaves were dry.
They were trying to create obstacles for the enemies attacking Yunji Temple. This move was very simple, and according to Pang Yu's intuitive experience, it was also very effective.
Pang Yu needed to constantly climb over big tree trunks, and sometimes encountered fallen branches with dense leaves. He also had to go down the mountain road and go around it. It took a lot of effort along the way. The zigzag mountain road spiraled up the southeast side of the mountain.
, the rioters on the top of the mountain saw Pang Yu from a distance. Two people recognized Pang Yu and kept throwing branches to harass him. They laughed every time they hit him.
Pang Yu had no time to pay attention and climbed to the top of the mountain in one breath. He was so tired that he was sweating profusely. When he reached the main hall, he took out the coconut gourd he was carrying and drank a gulp of water.
The mob in the main hall had received the news and they were all preparing to pack. Pang Yu said hello to Zhu Zong, who was familiar with him. Zhu Zong recognized Pang Yu and led Pang Yu to find Gu Xiaowu.
As soon as Pang Yu saw Gu Xiaowu, he said anxiously, "Brother Xiaowu, the eldest brother Zhang Ru was arrested and is being held in the county Yanan Prison..."
"Alliance Leader Huang has learned about it and has become angry. This time he will turn the Tongcheng County government office upside down. How dare he arrest Brother Zhang Ru." After Gu Xiaowu finished speaking, he saw Pang Yu's sweat-covered head and said gratefully.
, "Thank you to Brother Pang. You traveled more than ten miles on this hot day just to convey a message to me. It's not something that a brother can do."
Pang Yu said a few polite words, but when he saw Gu Xiaowu's face turned gloomy, he couldn't help but ask, "Brother Xiaowu, is he sick?"
Gu Xiaowu coughed twice and waved his hands and said, "I have been living in the side hall these nights. The door is not tightly closed, and the mountain wind is strong at night. Maybe I caught a cold. Alas, last night, I ran behind
Five trips to the toilet."
Pang Yu has been to the toilet, which is next to the layman's room. Yunji Temple is located in a remote area and the incense is not prosperous. The monks are lazy and never clean the cesspit. The toilet smells so bad that he can't help but frown when he thinks about it.
Gu Xiaowu added, "It's all minor illnesses. It's been a hard trip for Brother Pang. Should we take a night off or go back in the afternoon?"
Pang Yu sighed and said, "Today someone in the government office said that I sent you a message, claiming that I would report to the gentry, and you will attack Nanjian again tomorrow. I am very afraid. I will go back to inquire about it in the afternoon. If there is no important news, today
In the evening, come to Yunji Temple first to avoid the limelight, and wait until the situation calms down for two or three days before going back."
Gu Xiaowu forced out a smile and said, "I never thought that Brother Pang would be afraid sometimes, so just come to Yunji Temple. We still have twenty or thirty brothers staying here, so they simply formed a stronghold with us.
I will definitely keep you safe, and you can drink and eat meat with everyone in the evening."
Pang Yu paid attention to the situation in the main hall from the corner of his eyes and asked casually, "Brother Xiao Wu, are you also going to save Zhang Ru?"
Gu Xiaowu's gray eyes were filled with sparkle, "Of course, there are many volunteers in Nancheng who want to support Alliance Leader Huang. I need this vanguard general to contact them."
Pang Yu saw that Gu Xiaowu's complexion was not good, so he hesitated for a moment and then advised, "Brother Xiaowu, since you are slightly ill, you should not go to Tongcheng. This temple is a bit crude. You can go south to Huaining to recuperate for a few days.
Sharpening a knife is a good job chopping wood, nothing is as important as your own body.”
Gu Xiaowu weakly patted Pang Yu on the shoulder, "Brother Yu is still worried about someone, but this minor illness really doesn't bother him."
"Brother Gu can go home and rest for a few days. Leader Huang will be in charge of the overall situation tomorrow, and there will be many brothers Gu, so you can be lazy for a while."
Gu Xiaowu laughed and said, "Brother, I am now a yamen servant, and I usually don't want to be lazy. Maybe after rescuing Brother Zhang Ru, I will be happy and feel better."
Pang Yu didn't dare to continue persuading, looking at Gu Xiaowu's gray face, he smiled and said, "The relationship is good, brother, let's not delay. Let's go back to Tongcheng to inquire about it first, and then come to Yunji Temple in the evening."
Gu Xiaowu clasped his hands and said, "I'm going to Tongcheng soon. If I don't meet you on the way, I'll see you tomorrow. I'll definitely get drunk with Brother Pang at Yunji Temple tomorrow night."
…
"There is an excellent opportunity to take action." Pang Yu's eyes lit up after he had just returned to Tongcheng. "Huang Wending and his group will go down the mountain in the afternoon, leaving only twenty or thirty people in Yunji Temple. After going down the mountain, each of them will gather their subordinates in the four villages. Tomorrow morning
They gathered at Wuyin Temple, held a memorial ceremony and performed incense, then went into the city to rescue Zhang Ru, then continued walking through the city to perform incense, luring the people to follow and cause chaos, and returned to Yunji Temple in the evening."
In the courtyard of Pang's house, He Xianya and Jiao Guozha listened carefully to Pang Yu's plan. Both of them looked solemn. They were both tempted by the silver. Although they had been preparing before, they did not expect that Pang Yu would actually pay for this great idea.
Various actions, and the three of them had to deal with twenty or thirty people.
Pang Yu continued, "The most likely possibility is that Huang Wending and his gang entered the city rashly and were raided by the Daxing without any precautions. The rebels were wiped out, and then the Daxing and various servants followed to attack Yunji Temple.
There is only one day between us and the fight, so our only chance to take action is tonight."
Jiao Guozhao frowned and said, "But we are not prepared properly. This is too hasty... If I wait to rob the silver coins in the evening, Huang Wending will not enter Tongcheng if he gets the news tomorrow morning. The thieves are still strong. If they seek revenge from us, they will
how."
"First of all, I won't let them know who took the money. Secondly, if they don't have the money, the tree will fall and the hozens will scatter. We don't have to be afraid of them."
He Xianya swallowed a sip of saliva, "Why do it at night? It would be inconvenient. Most of Huang Wending's rebels will not be in Yunji Temple tomorrow day. Wouldn't it be more convenient for us to wait until tomorrow day to do it?"
"Darkness is more beneficial to the prepared party." Pang Yu said calmly, "There are still twenty or thirty people in the temple. How can the three of us deal with it in broad daylight? Now imagine that if we succeed, forty thousand taels of silver will be more than three thousand kilograms.
, I roughly counted the silver boxes, and there were about twenty or thirty boxes. The box was boxy and difficult to carry, so only two people could carry it, and the remaining one had to guard the silver box at the bottom of the mountain. Yunji Temple 310
It takes at least a quarter of an hour to carry a box back and forth on the second level of stairs. This does not include the impact of trees on the road. Twenty boxes will take five hours. People come and go on the official road during the day, making transportation even more inconvenient. In addition, during the day
There will always be contact between the troubled people, and once we are discovered within these five hours, all our efforts will be in vain."
He Xianya and Jiao Guozhao were silent after hearing this. Pang Yu looked at them and said firmly, "So it's only at night when thieves are less alert. No one walks on the official road, and no one disturbs the wilderness of Yunji Temple. From the sky
Counting on, we have five hours."
Jiao Guozhao said in a deep voice, "There are three of us, two are carrying it, and one is guarding the mountain. Then there will be no one to guard the mountain. Should we call Pang Ding together?"
Pang Yu shook his head and said, "There is no way to think about this matter. Pang Ding is too timid. I'm afraid things will go wrong if he goes there... I think we can just stay on the mountain and put the silver box down the mountain in a place with thick grass and trees. It's also dark at night."
Good thing. You two will set off to the estuary of the trailer river in a moment, make sure that the house you selected to hide the silver is unoccupied, and then prepare the ox cart in the town of the trailer river, and hide in the location you visited last time. Before dawn tomorrow, we will
Transport the silver to that place and hide it, be sure not to neglect it."
"Don't worry, the second brother of that house. I know the head of the household and have been in Anqing for three years. This house is outside the market at the mouth of the trailer river. The transportation will not pass by anyone's house at night, and it is hidden by trees. If you don't know it during the day,
It won’t attract anyone’s attention when passing by.”
"If it doesn't work, let's carry a hundred catties each. That's more than a thousand taels. It's enough to buy land and a house, hahaha." Jiao Guozha gritted his teeth, and his eyes radiated a strange light, just like the more than a thousand taels.
Two are already available.
"Opportunities are rare. If you can take more, you must take more. A little effort at this time will be the wealth that others can earn with a lifetime of hard work." Pang Yu pointed to the ground seriously, "There are usually two people at the bottom of the steps at Yunji Temple.
, there are two people at the top of the steps, and the rest are usually in the temple. They drink in the main hall every night, and the silver box is in the adjacent Samantabhadra Hall."
Pang Yu used a branch to draw a position on the dirt, and said to He Xianya and Jiao Guozhao, "The two people at the foot of the mountain are generally thin people, just green-skinned and weak. Brother will have no problem dealing with them."
The muscles on Jiao Guozhao's face trembled and he nodded silently,
He Xianya's forehead was sweating. He looked up at Pang Yu and said, "But after talking for a long time, how will the three of us deal with the twenty or thirty people in the temple on the mountain?"
Jiao Guozha also crossed his arms and looked at Pang Yu. Those twenty or thirty people were the biggest obstacle to the plan. One of the difficulties for them to make money from the fire was that no one knew that the money fell into their hands, otherwise no matter which side wins
, once he learns the truth, he will force the three of them to spit it out. He still doesn’t know how to solve this problem, and he also wants to know the answer.
Pang Yu looked at the two of them for a long while, then pointed at himself and said, "It's not the three of us, it's me who can deal with them alone."
"You are alone." He Xianya licked his dry lips, his voice trembling a little.
Pang Yu stared at the two of them and said in a calm voice, "You two took the bullock cart and hid at the foot of the mountain. You didn't take action until you saw my signal. If you don't wait for the signal at the last moment, you will probably be exposed and killed. Don't do it anymore."