"Open the city gate." When E Huan saw the anxious look on the face of the young master Liu Qi, he felt that the matter was urgent and shouted to the gate tower with his hand. The guards had already hurriedly lowered the bridge and opened the city gate.
E Huan took out a piece of silk from his arms and handed it to an older soldier named Lao You in front of the door. He told Lao You to send the silk to the Cai Mansion when the sun reflected on the moat. E Huan handed it to the soldier's silk suitcase.
It was a resignation letter written by Chen Wendai. The letter was full of modest words such as thanking General Cai Mao for his support, saying goodbye without saying goodbye because his mother was critically ill, and expressing deep regret that he could not die in the service.
"Brothers, see you later." E Huan clasped his fists towards the gate tower, holding a square halberd in hand, and stepped onto Liu Qi's carriage.
Liu Qi handed E Huan a pair of armor that he had prepared and said: "General E, put it on."
E Huan took the armor, felt moved in his heart, and nodded heavily: "Thank you, Mr. Master." He took off his tiger coat and leopard skirt, threw it to the ground, and happily put on the armor.
Chen Wen shook the reins fiercely, shouted "drive", and galloped the horse. The four carriages quickly left the city and rode towards Jiangling under the starry night.
The older soldier Lao You, who received E Huan's letter of resignation, pulled up the bridge and closed the city gate. He watched Liu Qi's carriage leaving the city and gradually disappearing into the night. Lao You pinched the silk in his hand and smiled, secretly saying that he was promoted.
When the opportunity came, he clenched the silk in his hands, and without waiting for the sun to rise, he immediately turned around and ran to the Cai Mansion to report the matter.
…
When the lieutenant commanded General Cai Mao's mansion and Liu Qi left the city, Cai Hao was snoring loudly. The detective who was monitoring Liu Qi's mansion rushed to Cai's mansion at midnight and reported to the guards. The guards shouted several times in succession but did not wake him up and did not dare to come forward.
I was afraid that Cai Mao would be suspected of murder, and he would be scratching his head and scratching his head anxiously.
Tan Ma said that the military situation was urgent and there was no time to delay. The guard was anxious for a moment, and in his haste, he knocked hard on the door frame with the hilt of his sword at the door of Cai Mao's bed. There was a bang, and Cai Mao woke up. Lao Gao jumped from the bed.
, in a daze, he pulled out the sword placed on the pillow and yelled "Who?"
The guard blinked at Tan Ma, and saw Tan Ma crossing the threshold, kneeling on one knee, and said in a long voice: "Report——."
Cai Mao looked through the dim oil lamp and saw that it was Tan Ma. Although he was displeased, he was surprised. Tan Ma came to report late at night, and there must be important military information. He immediately put the sword on the bed, sat upright in front of the bed, and said with a serious face:
"speak."
"General, Master Liu Qi prepared four carriages, accompanied by eleven armored knights, and rushed to the west gate at midnight."
"Leaving the city at midnight? What's going on with the soldiers?"
"There are two hundred soldiers stationed in front of the Young Master's Mansion but there is no movement. There are no other abnormalities for the time being."
"Explore again."
"Yes." Tan Ma responded and left quickly. When Cai Mao heard Liu Qi's words, he felt resentful. Since he ordered people to monitor Liu Qi's house 24 hours a day, he has discovered that Liu Qi is acting strangely, and the guards in the house are murderous.
Zhang Hu and Chen Sheng were beheaded, and more than two hundred bandits who surrendered with Zhang Hu and Chen Sheng were killed at once. Although Zhang Hu and Chen Sheng's death could not be said to be heartbreaking, they had learned from Liu Qi's resourcefulness and
The ruthless Cai Hao no longer dares to look down on the sick young master Liu Qi. Now that Liu Qi is out of town at midnight, Cai Hao really can't figure out what Liu Qi is singing again?
"Quickly send a message to Pang Jilai." Cai Hao ordered the guards, hoping that Pang Ji would understand Liu Qi's intention of leaving the city at midnight.
The guards had to order their horses to invite Pang Ji. In just one stick of incense, Pang Ji came to see Cai Mao in disheveled clothes all night long.
When they came to the small hall outside Cai Mao's bedroom, Pang Ji was still bleary-eyed and obviously lacked sleep. When he saw Cai Mao, he gave a long salute in fear: "Meet the general."
"Sit down." Cai Mao looked at Pang Ji and said coldly, "I have come to report to you. Liu Qi brought more than a dozen guards, packed four carriages, and hurried to the west gate at midnight. There were two hundred soldiers in Liu Qi's mansion.
It hasn’t moved, why is that?”
"Leave the city at midnight? To the west gate?" Pang Ji murmured to himself, as if he was thinking about Cai Hao's question, but he felt very unhappy. Liu Qi must have something going on when he left the city overnight. As for what it is, you, Cai Hao, don't know, but I, Pang Ji,
How do you know? I'm not the roundworm in Liu Qi's belly. If you ask me, don't ask.
Although Pang Ji was unhappy in his heart, he had to keep calm on his face. After thinking for a moment, he compiled a few reasons and replied in a low voice: "E Huan is stationed at the west city gate. Although this man is not handsome in appearance, his actions are dull.
, without the general’s command, I’m afraid I won’t be able to get out of the city.”
Cai Mao was very helpless: "What more commands do you need now? Liu Qi has to stop driving in Jingzhou. Because E Huan behaves rigidly, there is no obstacle for Liu Qi to leave the city at any time. Liu Qi is a few ranks higher, so E Huan will let him go. Could it be that there is a bandit in Longshan?
Liu Qi took advantage of the night to nest with bandits?"
Pang Ji shook his head: "How is it possible to suppress the bandits with four carriages without using two hundred soldiers? Liu Qi is not stupid."
Cai Mao said: "That's right. Liu Qi's actions are becoming more and more confusing. I wonder what he is doing?"
"Oh..." Pang Ji said, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he said: "If Liu Qi hadn't taken advantage of the night to suppress the bandits, he would have passed through Longshan. If Liu Qi had left the city and passed through Longshan at night, he would have been dead."
"Pang Gong means to mobilize the five hundred defenders outside the city to set up an ambush on the Longshan road, and kill him with random arrows in the night while he is weak?" Cai Mao heard that Liu Qi could be killed. He lost all sleep and became energetic again.
"The defenders outside the city are stationed at Hutou Mountain opposite the main city gate. It is too late to mobilize troops to Longshan to set up an ambush. Besides, even if Liu Qi can be surrounded and suppressed in Longshan, the defenders may suffer casualties. If Liu Qi dies in Longshan outside Xiangyang City, my Lord
If the blame is laid, the general may not be able to escape his involvement."
"Then there is no way to deal with Liu Qi? Do we have to let Liu Qi, a young man, run rampant?" Cai Hao was discouraged again. This Liu Qi is really annoying and hateful. He can't be chased, beaten, or killed. He is so angry that he can't be chased.
Cai Mao's heart was irritable and his blood pressure increased.
"No." Pang Ji stood up, took a few steps forward, and said in a flattering manner: "General, think about it, although I don't understand Liu Qi's purpose of leaving the city to cross Longshan at midnight, but there is only a road in the northwest of Longshan, and Nanyang and Nanyang are in the northwest of Longshan.
Nanjun governs the territory, and Nanyang is garrisoned by General Wenpin. If Liu Qi goes to Nanyang, how can General Wen let Liu Qi go, who killed dozens of people in Wenjiazhuang? It is like throwing himself into a trap and sending his flesh to the chopping block, right?"
"Yeah, that makes sense." Cai Hao gradually smiled, and the scene of Wen hired thousands of troops to trample Liu Qi into a pulp came to mind.
Seeing that Cai Mao's face turned happy, Pang Ji felt much relieved, and continued: "If Liu Qi doesn't go to Nanyang, he will definitely go to Nanjun. The general is also the prefect of Nanjun, and Liu Qi went to Nanjun alone in danger. The general wanted to arrest and take more than a dozen guards with him.
, Liu Qi, who only rode four carriages, couldn’t hold a snail between three fingers and be sure of it?”
"Haha, Mr. Pang is still very resourceful." Cai Mao smiled arrogantly and drew out a command arrow, "Pang Gong, hurry up and pass the order."
Cai Mao shouted excitedly to the guard at the door, thinking that if Liu Qi didn't come to Nanjun, Cai Mao would lay a trap for Liu Qi to get through.
"Report." Before Cai Mao could send the order, another guard in front of the gate of Cai Mansion came quickly to report.
"speak."
"A guard at the West City Gate who calls himself Lao You said that he has important military information that needs to be reported to the general urgently."
"Oh... the guards at the West City Gate?" The West City Gate was where Liu Qi left the city. Cai Hao was stunned for a moment, then straightened his figure and said excitedly: "Please come here quickly."
"Yes." The guard was ordered to leave, and a moment later he saw the guard bringing a year-old soldier over. The soldier was Lao You, the city gate guard whom E Huan trusted in his trust.
"The little man Lao You meets General Cai." The guard Lao You, who was out of breath from running, pinched the silk in his hands and did not dare to look directly at Cai Mao. He suppressed his excitement and feared that he would kneel down to pay homage. He called him Lao You in order to deepen his understanding.
Cai Mao's impression is that Lao You is not an unknown person.
"Oh, Lao You...what's the matter?" Cai Hao saw the sweaty guard, slowly and put on airs.
"The military situation is really urgent, so I came here late at night. I hope General Cai will forgive me." Lao You handed E Huan his resignation letter. "General E left a letter and has left the city with his son Liu Qi, heading for Longshan in four carriages.
Before General E left, he asked me to hand the letter to the general three days later at sunrise. I was afraid of causing trouble and did not dare to delay, so I reported it all night."
"Oh..." After hearing what the guard said, Cai Mao took E Huan's resignation letter, read it briefly, threw the silk to the ground angrily, and immediately became cold-faced. Unexpectedly, Liu Qi would take in a person with an unattractive appearance.
No, because it was the ugly E Huan who followed him out of the city.
Cai Mao is so angry. Liu Qi is really not a good bird. He killed Zhang Hu and Chen Sheng, the subordinates of the noble general, and today he kidnapped the city gate guard E Huan. It is really a shame and a great humiliation.
The guard Lao You sensed Cai Mao's anger and knew that the message was delivered in time. He was very happy in his heart. E Huan had left the city, and he was afraid that E Huan would have to take over his post as governor.
"Who is Lao You?" Cai Mao was filled with anger and asked as he looked at the guard who was kneeling humbly.
"Exactly." Guard Lao You secretly suppressed his excitement, raised his head, and waited for Cai Mao to reward him.
"From now on, you don't have to guard the city gate anymore. Just take two taels of silver and go home to farm." Cai Hao glanced at the guard with disgust, waved his hand, wishing that the guard would disappear immediately, and didn't want to take another look.
A city gate guard who seeks rewards for informing.
"Yes." Guard Lao You responded reluctantly, stood up slowly, and was shaky. The guard was shocked by Cai Mao's cruel decision. Not only did this whistleblower not get promoted, but he even got himself laid off. What a world and what kind of person this is.
Well.
When the gate guard who called himself Laoyou left, Pang Ji asked in confusion: "Why did the general not reward the soldier named Laoyou but punish him instead?"
Cai Mao sighed: "Oh, what's the use of keeping such a person who is untrustworthy and unjust, betraying his friends for glory? What's the point of rewarding him? Slanderous words and flattery - this trend cannot last long."
"The general is enlightened." Pang Ji felt his face heat up when he heard this, and he carefully complimented him, secretly praising Cai Hao for knowing how to recognize and employ people, and he had the bearing of a general.
Cai Mao smiled calmly, handed the command arrow in his hand to Pang Ji, and said solemnly: "Pang Gong quickly went to make arrangements. Before Liu Qi, he quickly sent orders to seven counties in the Ten Kingdoms. He deployed heavy troops to guard the passes along the way and laid a dragnet. If Liu Qi arrives at Denan County,
We must ensure that he never returns."
Pang Ji took the order arrow and responded loudly: "Yes."
"The order has been sent to kill Liu Qi. If he encounters resistance, he will be killed without mercy." Cai Mao added uneasy.
"Yes." Pang Ji responded loudly again and received the order from the Jianji Infantry Battalion. He thought it was time to avenge the deaths of Zhang Hu and Chen Sheng.