As soon as he closed his eyes, a gust of wind brushed past his sweaty neck, which made him feel somewhat refreshed.
He squinted his eyes comfortably and was about to turn over and scratch his butt when a piece of thin paper was suddenly stuck to his forehead with a snapping sound.
Zhao Youshan suddenly opened his eyes and shouted loudly.
"who?!"
A man in black armor had stood in front of him without him noticing.
Zhao Youshan had a bad feeling and immediately drew his sword. The soldiers stationed in the camp also rushed over quickly upon hearing the noise and surrounded the uninvited guest.
Zhao Youshan drew his sword in a hurry, but only realized after a moment that the paper was still stuck on his forehead, and he quickly tore it off.
On the paper was a portrait of a wanted criminal named Shika Matsudaira.
He had been looking at it day and night for these days and had long been tired of it, but when his eyes swept across the man's face in front of him, he almost uncontrollably shifted his gaze back to the paper.
After looking at the paper, I looked at the person. After looking at the person, I looked at the paper again.
Seeing Zhao Youshan's forehead sweating and his silence, the surrounding soldiers grew even more nervous. They looked at each other, unsure whether to attack the man in the middle.
After a long time, Lu Songping finally stretched out two fingers and took the paper from Zhao Youshan's hand.
"Don't you think so? Maybe the charm is a little off."
Zhao Youshan came to his senses, and the forty-four strict military rules flashed through his mind. He finally remembered his duties and found his voice.
"Catch him! Catch him for me!"
Everyone finally got the order and rushed forward in an instant.
After a cup of tea, the entire Dingzi Sixth Battalion gathered neatly under the catalpa tree. Some were holding their arms, some were rubbing their thighs, and it was a scene of chaos.
Lu Songping put away his sword, took off the badge from his waist and threw it at Zhao Youshan's face.
"This is an emergency. I ask you questions and you answer them. If someone holds you accountable later, you can say that military orders are unavoidable."
Zhao Youshan nodded. He could only nod.
"Has there ever been a carriage carrying a coffin passing through the east of Jifu, with only one driver?"
Zhao Youshan was a man who had been in the army for many years and was a bit slick. Seeing that Lu Songping had a somewhat feminine face and had no intention of hurting anyone's life, those vague words came out of his mouth subconsciously.
"Perhaps I have, but I rotate through the various checkpoints every day, and I don't know how many carriages and horsemen I've seen. Not to mention a coffin puller, I've even seen so many high-ranking officials that I can't remember them all. It's common."
"You've seen quite a few dignitaries before." Lu Songping's tone changed. Although he still spoke softly, there was an indescribable chill in his voice. "I wonder if those dignitaries would find some way to exonerate you if they knew that you were the one who brought the wanted criminal into the capital."
This sentence hit Zhao Youshan's sore spot. With his background and ability, it was not easy for him to get his current position in the army. If he could hold on for a few more years, he would be able to receive money and go home to retire. But if something went wrong at this critical juncture, all the hard days he had endured in vain, such as licking blood on the edge of a knife and searching for water in the sand, would be in vain.
"I remember now! I have some impression of it. That night..." Zhao Youshan struggled to recall the sleepy night two days ago, trying to connect his fragmented memories. "Shortly before dawn that night, a skinny old man drove by. He said he was from Jiaosong, going to Dawei Town to seek refuge with relatives. The car was carrying his son's body. The stench around the car was terrible. Several of my subordinates confirmed that he was not a wanted criminal..."
When Zhao Youshan said this, he suddenly stuttered.
He timidly glanced at the expression of the person in front of him, and seeing that the other party was not annoyed, he finished his words in a low voice.
"...then let him pass."
"But you didn't look carefully to see who was in that wooden coffin."
Lu Songping's voice was cool, and it was even more refreshing than the breeze just now.
Zhao Youshan clenched his fists and suddenly knelt down to salute.
"It was my negligence, but I am willing to do my best to remedy the situation and make up for it."
He hadn't enjoyed such a grand ceremony for a long time, and the belt tightened around his belly, making it hard for him to breathe.
However, Lu Songping seemed to want him to kneel like that, and it was unknown how long it was before he spoke.
"He's not entirely stupid. He knows my position, doesn't back down, and has some courage. Get up and do something."
Zhao Youshan breathed a sigh of relief and stood up, holding his waist.
"What are your orders, Lieutenant Lu?"
"Choose a few of your most cunning men and fastest horses, and split them into two groups to deliver the message. One group will head west to find General Su Yuanxiu, the commander of Guangyao Camp, and ask him to deliver the message to An Daoyuan. I will personally report the details. The other group will head north to find the northern pass of Yanchi Camp, present my badge to General Yan Guang, and ask him to immediately lead his troops to blockade the area from Douchen Ridge to the foothills of Yulin Villa."
Zhao Youshan agreed to all the requests and quickly made arrangements. When he turned around, Lu Songping was already counting the horses.
A feeling of uneasiness arose in Zhao Youshan's heart.
The next moment, the opponent threw his sword back to him.
"Take the rest of the people with you and follow me to Yulin Villa."
Isn't Yulin Villa in Yu'an? Yu'an is not a good place. There was trouble there more than ten years ago, and there was trouble again a few months ago.
Zhao Youshan didn't want to leave, but he knew in his heart that he had to leave this time.
"I have a seventy-year-old mother and two young children at home. Lieutenant, is this trip dangerous? If your life is in danger, I will leave a letter home for my wife and children so that I won't be unable to speak later."
Lu Songping led out a black horse, unsheathed the silver sling, and instantly picked up the wine bag hanging next to the saddle.
"You should know that this day will come from the moment you put on this skin. Instead of leaving a letter, why not cheer me up? Once you get over this hurdle, peace and wealth will be yours."
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