It was hard to tell whether Yuan Hong's fate was good or bad. His heart was tilted a little compared to normal people, and the arrow was stuck between his two ribs, so it didn't penetrate too deep. When he fell into the exit of the depression, although his injuries were serious, they were far from life-threatening.
But he had fainted from fright. The exit of the depression had been occupied by the barbarians who had broken through. He was like a sheep among a pack of wolves.
Two Pu soldiers caught the thin "corpse", lifted it above their heads to block the arrows, and rushed out.
Everyone thought he was dead, after all, the short arrow was still stuck in his left heart. But unexpectedly, when Pu Bing was about to throw him down after successfully breaking through, he suddenly grunted and moved.
Not dead yet?
If he's not dead, then he's not dead. Pu Bing was about to step forward and stab him again, but unexpectedly, Gahan, who was not far away, suddenly said, "Take him with you."
He narrowed his eyes. He remembered that this man was standing behind Pingtao's counselor. He was accompanied by many guards and was well protected. He might be useful later.
"Give him some medicine, don't kill him."
…
This scene was seen by the people Han Xi sent to confirm Yuan Hong's life or death. The man did not dare to act on his own, so he continued to follow and left a contact code so that he could report to his companions for instructions after they found him and provided reinforcements.
When Wei Jing learned about it, he frowned and immediately sent people to track him down. However, he did not expect that the first person to bring the news back to him was not one of his scouts.
But it was Mengmo, the leader of the Yi tribe.
That night, he came to meet Zhuang Yan.
…
After the two barbarians broke through, it was already evening. It gets dark early in the jungle in autumn, so Wei Jing ordered to choose a place to set up camp.
At the beginning of the evening, Zhuang Yan, who was using the toilet in a secluded place outside the camp, looked up inadvertently and found that a bush not far away moved slightly without wind.
His heart skipped a beat, and before he could react, a black figure pounced over in the cover of the night and covered his mouth.
This person is Meng Mo.
This daring Yi leader came alone. As agile as a monkey in the jungle, he took advantage of the cover of night and successfully avoided the nearby light and dark sentries and approached the outside of Pingtao camp.
It would not be possible to go any further, he needed someone to introduce him, and coincidentally, he remembered that Zhuang Yan was someone close to the magistrate of Pingtao County.
…
"My lord, the leader of the Yi tribe, Meng Mo, has come to surrender. He said he has important news to share with you."
His face was pale with fear, Zhuang Yan did not dare to delay for a moment, he went straight to the main tent to ask for a meeting.
"Oh? Call the people in."
Wei Jing raised his eyebrows. Compared to this like-minded Yi leader, he was more interested in the "important news".
…
In the darkness of night, a man from a foreign race was quietly led into the main tent. He was only half a head shorter than Wei Jing, with a colorful feather in his headscarf, and a round-necked short robe with a black background and colorful embroidery. He had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and was in his early thirties.
Wei Jing recognized the other man as one of the two barbarian leaders he had just fought against during the day.
He sat at the head of the group and looked at the other person calmly: "You want to join me? How can I trust you, and why should I accept your support?"
It was a very direct and realistic question, so Meng Mo answered straightforwardly, "I am entering your barracks alone, which is enough to show my sincerity."
That's right, he came here alone. If Wei Jing turned against him, he would be captured and killed immediately, and his death would be in vain.
Meng Mo said: "I don't know what the county lord wants to do, but I can fully cooperate. I only ask that if the county lord wants to punish the barbarians, please go to Pu Cunyi."
Since yesterday, Meng Mo has been skeptical and cautious, withdrawing his troops to the rear as much as possible and watching from the sidelines.
During the breakout in the afternoon, he did not think like Gahan that his tribesmen were brave and therefore successfully escaped. He felt that the young county magistrate deliberately let them go.
What is the other party trying to do by surrounding them without annihilating them? If the plan is so big, does one's own people need to fight to the death like the Pu people did?
The hatred between the Yi and Pingtao tribes was far less than that between the Pu tribes. The reason they agreed to join forces was simply that they were unwilling to see their interests violated. Now that you realize the risks on the other side are much greater, it is normal to feel like giving up.
Meng Mo looked at Wei Jing from afar. He was extremely afraid of this young man.
But it is difficult to get off the pirate ship once you are on it. After much deliberation, he decided to join Wei Jing, or to cooperate with him.
He intuitively felt that what he knew was what Wei Jing wanted.
"I am willing to swear an oath of blood with the county lord. From now on, my people will never go out of the mountains to rob merchants and travel, and we will live in peace with Pingtao! If the county lord helps me get rid of the Pu tribe, I will be willing to serve the county lord from now on!"
In the eyes of the southwestern barbarians, the blood oath is an extremely sacred thing, and once it is made, it must never be violated.
Wei Jing stood up and said, "If the news you bring really interests me, it's not a bad idea to accept your proposal."
…
Time goes back to the evening.
The defeated troops of the Pu and Yi tribes fled for dozens of miles, leaving the enemy completely out of sight. They were still in shock and stopped to rest.
There were more than 5,000 soldiers when they came, but now there are less than 4,000 left, a loss of one-third, and the majority of them are Pu people.
Almost half of the able-bodied men in the tribe were gone all of a sudden. Jiahan's face was grim: "I will tear that Yang guy into pieces! And the two thieves Bao and Dong from Gaoling!"
The words sound harsh, but putting them into practice is extremely difficult. They can never win the war; even now they are very afraid to go out and plunder.
There are not so many tribesmen left to continue sacrificing.
A man with colorful patterns on his face said sinisterly, "Gahan, I have a plan."
The patterned man glanced at Meng Mo and others who were sitting not far away, leaned over to Gahan's ear and whispered for a while.
Gahan's eyes immediately lit up: "Good! Good plan!"
He turned around and ordered, "Go, get a witch doctor to treat that man. Make sure he is saved!"
The man here refers to Yuan Hong who is currently in a coma.
Meng Mo, who had been keeping his eyes downcast and silent, suddenly had a flash of light in his eyes.
…
"Their conversation was very obscure, and I couldn't hear the specific plan, but Gahan was very sure that he wanted to kill two birds with one stone, putting Bao Zhongdong and Wusha in danger, and putting you in jail, losing your life, and implicating your whole family."
Meng Mo finished speaking very straightforwardly, and then said to Wei Jing with certainty: "This is definitely true. You killed so many Pu people. If Jiahan does not avenge them, he will not be able to sit on the position of leader."
"That man is also lucky. His heart meridian is normal, and the arrowhead is stuck between his ribs. The injury looks serious, but it is not serious. He will be fully recovered in ten days or half a month at most."
That's really a lucky person. I wonder what Kou Xuanruo, who is crying for his brother-in-law's "sacrifice", would feel if he knew about this?
"You want Bao Zhongdong to be in danger? You want me to be thrown into jail?"
Wei Jing did not take it too seriously that Yuan Hong did not die and fell into the hands of the Pu people. Although this person is a hidden danger, he actually knows very little. Although he knew that Wei Shao and the other man came from the river beach, he only linked this to Zhen Yangze's river beach murder case.
On the way to Pingtao, due to Kou Xuan's deliberate precautions, he didn't even realize that the people being hunted down on a large scale were those who landed on the Qianshui River.
There is no possibility that he could pose a threat now. On the contrary, he might very well play an unexpected role.
Wei Jing raised his lips, a gleam of satisfaction flashing in his black eyes. Very good, he had a feeling that the key turning point in the conquest of Gaoling was about to occur.
Han Xi and Chen Qi looked at each other and became more excited.
Wei Jing then asked: "You have lived next to the Pu people for many years. In your opinion, what does Jiahan rely on?"
"The Pu people are good at poison."
Meng Mo thought for a moment and added, "The man who offered the advice is an elder of the Pu people, who is in charge of poisons."
It was the same as Wei Jing guessed, but I wonder what tricks the Pu people can play with Yuan Hong?
"very good."
He accepted Meng Mo's offer of a blood alliance and ordered that the matter be kept secret.
After ordering Zhuang Yan to quietly send the people out, Wei Jing immediately ordered Han Xi: "Send more people to keep a close eye on the movements of the Pu and Yi tribes, especially the Pu people. Don't miss any of them."
"yes!"
Han Xi took the order and went out. Zhuang Yan, who had returned after sending the people away, was worried: "My lord, how can we prevent it?"
He believed that what Monmo said was highly credible.
As a native of Pingtao, Zhuang Yan has a much better impression of the Yi people than the Pu people. This ethnic group, led by a leader who was suspected to be of Han Chinese descent, also robbed people but almost never killed anyone. They only sought money and goods, not lives.
That was why Wei Jing accepted Meng Mo's idea and he did not try to dissuade him.
However, since he didn't know Wei Jing's true purpose, Zhuang Yan was like an ant on hot pot, unable to sit still.
"As long as we keep a close eye on the Pu people, we can adapt to the situation. Wengui, please be patient."
Wei Jing did not explain too much to Zhuang Yan. He changed the subject and asked, "Wen Gui, do you have any helpers in Gaoling?"
"have."
Gaoling is the seat of Anyang County. How could a family with a long history of merchants and many caravans not set up a base in Gaoling?
Zhuang Yan was still worried. He didn't know there was Qing Zhaiwei. But seeing Wei Jing's calm expression without any nervousness or worry, he felt relieved and said hurriedly, "All matters concerning Gaoling will be managed by my brother Zhuang Wei. He is a steady person and can be trusted."
Zhuang Yan has joined Wei Jing, which means that the entire Zhuang family has joined Wei Jing. If there is any assignment, they will naturally do their best to get it done.
"very good."
Wei Jing said: "I will send a few people to Gaoling first, you can call your brother and ask him to cooperate."
A turning point is about to appear, so Gao Ling naturally has to make some arrangements in advance. It would be best if he had people on his side.
"Send the order, break camp at 5am tomorrow and return to Pingtao at full speed."
…
The purpose of this trip has been achieved, and Wei Jing ordered to break camp early the next morning and return quickly.
He was quite concerned about Shao Qing. Was she doing well? I wonder what she is doing now?
…
So what is Shao Qing doing? She is still busy with official duties.
The moonlight on the sixteenth was bright but yellow. She pushed open the partition window of the west wing study, lit the lamp in the moonlight, and was writing furiously at her desk. Little girl Chunxi was sent back by her to rest. Besides Wang Jing and others who were silently guarding, she was also accompanied by Kou Yue who was sitting quietly in the corridor sewing clothes.
When Wei Jing first went out to fight, Shao Qing was a little nervous, but she quickly adjusted herself. After all, he was a famous god of war, so she should not worry too much and should just do what was necessary.
These past few nights, she had been working on the military budget for Qing Zhaiwei.
Of course, people have to be properly accommodated when they arrive. However, Qing Zhaiwei is different from the county barracks. The county barracks uses public accounts and all expenses are legal and there is no need to worry about them. But this is not the case with Qing Zhaiwei.
Maintaining private soldiers is a very expensive thing, but fortunately for Wei Jing today, three thousand people are not a problem.
The county magistrate has the power to handle the finances of a county and reports to the superior prefecture once a year, which gives him a lot of room for maneuver. Moreover, after Shao Qing accepted the job of Shaofu, he discovered that the county barracks had seriously underreported military expenses, with the expenditures on the books being almost twice the actual amount.
The county barracks expansion doubled the budget on paper. After careful calculation, Shao Qing found that she didn't have to hustle to shift the money left and right. She could just cut off the over-reported military expenditure, which was more than enough to support Qing Zhaiwei.
It saved her a lot of effort.
Shao Qing was cautious and never did this kind of work in the front yamen, but he managed to finish it after a few busy nights. He put down his pen and handed the newly created account book to Wang Jing, and the task was completed.
"Ma'am, are you done with your work?"
Seeing Shao Qing standing up and stretching his arms and legs, Kou Yue quickly came over and said a few words. She frowned and said, "Alas, I wonder where Yuan Lang and the others are?"
This is Kou Yue’s main purpose, she wants to find someone to talk to. The ladies of the Zhang and Chen families get along well with each other, but they are not familiar with each other, and there are some things that cannot be said to the sister-in-law. There is no doubt that the candidate is Shao Qing, with whom she has always gotten along well.
Shao Qing paused and said, "I don't know, maybe he will be back soon."
It is difficult to travel in the mountains and forests, and military reports are slow to arrive, but the latest news says that traces of the two barbarians joining forces were discovered yesterday. If we act quickly, the battle can be resolved today.
The purpose of this battle was not to eliminate the two barbarians, and I wonder if they achieved their intended goal?
However, Yuan Hong might not be able to come back safely.
Kou Xuan has been waiting for a long time and must be well prepared.
Looking at Kou Yue who was worried and looking forward to something, she couldn't say anything else, so she could only comfort him, "You should get some rest early. Who knows, they may be able to return victorious tomorrow."
Alas, Shao Qing knew that Kou Yue was too kind and naive, but what to say? If you really get to know such a person, you will find it quite rare. She herself does not have it, and if the environment allows, she would really like to see the other party continue.
Unfortunately...
Shao Qing sighed: "Don't you have to go to the shop tomorrow? Go back and have a rest."
Kou Yue Wang Mi was good at needlework. After settling down, she opened a clothing shop in Pingtao. Although there was a shopkeeper in charge, Wang Mi and Kou Yue were very serious about doing business for the first time, especially Kou Yue, who would go there almost every day.
After listening to Kou Yue's inner thoughts for a while, Shao Qing urged her to go back to bed. The topic kept revolving around Yuan Hong and it was difficult for her to respond. It was inappropriate to send her blessings, and it was even more impossible to comfort her in advance.
"Then I'm going back!"
Kou Yue picked up the basket with a smile, and without asking anyone to see her off, she waved and walked away happily.
Shao Qing's smile fell and he exchanged a glance with Wang Jing and the others. The latter also knew the inside story, so he also had a complicated expression on his face.
"Oh, never mind."
I want to intervene but I don't know how. Yuan Hong seems innocent but he is indeed a hidden danger. Although Kou Xuan is a bit cruel, he is not aimless. Shao Qing is not a saint. Yuan Hong has sold her and Wei Jing once. Although he rescued them in time and no impact was caused, it can be seen that this person is too cowardly and afraid of death. Once the time is right, he will definitely sell them again.
So she never expressed any opinion about Kou Xuan's actions.
As for Kou Yue, time can heal all wounds. This girl is very good, and Kou Xuan will definitely find a good match for her.
Shao Qing didn't think any more about it and went back to his room to rest.
She washed, undressed, and rolled around on the bed with the quilt. Wei Jing was away for the past few days, so she was the only one sleeping on the big bed. It felt great to have the bed all to herself.
Shao Qing found the thought a little funny and shook his head. Forget it and just go to sleep.
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