Chapter 75 fourth quarter

It was Feng Qi, the officer of the Ten Swords Slashing Team, who spoke.The ten of them felt as if they were facing a formidable enemy, Qi Qifei got off their horses, drew their swords and looked at the side of the road.Chu Xiuhong caught up with the horse and chased after him, "What's the matter?" Feng Qi said: "General Chu, there is a suspicious person." As soon as he finished speaking, he heard someone shout: "General, we are just hunters, not suspicious people." Then, two people emerged from the bushes by the roadside.These two people were dressed in animal skin clothes and held iron forks in their hands. They were dressed as hunters. One was older, in his forties, and the other was only in his twenties.Chu Xiuhong looked at them and said, "What are you doing here?"

One of the older ones stepped forward, put the iron fork on the ground, knelt down and kowtowed and said, "General, the villain's name is Huang Man, and this is my nephew Huang Yan. We were about to go home when we heard a horseshoe He hid on the side of the road because of the sound. Huang Yan, come here and kowtow to the general." There were some pheasants and hares hanging on them, and the young man named Huang Yan also knelt down in front of Chu Xiuhong and kowtowed reluctantly.Chu Xiuhong sized them up and said, "Get up, where do you live?" Huang Man said: "Back to the general, our home is in the depression of Pingfeng Mountain over there. There used to be a Huang's manor there, but because of several years of fighting, all the people in the manor escaped, and I dared not because my mother was in the hall." If you go outside, you have to hang around here."

This Huang Man has a weathered face and thick hands and feet, just like an ordinary Orion.Chu Xiuhong said: "Since you live on the other side of the mountain, why do you go over the mountain to come here to hunt?" There are few people here, and there are birds and animals everywhere. If you want to hunt, you really don't have to go so far.Huang Man hesitated for a moment, hesitant to speak, Cao Wendao shouted: "Ask you, why did you come here?" Huang Man was frightened and kowtowed again, and said: "Returning to the general, it's not that villains are willing to travel so far, but because a group of bandits occupied Pingfeng Mountain two years ago, we dare not go there to ask for trouble, so we have to go Madang Mountain came to get some game."

Bandits?Cao Wendao looked at Chu Xiuhong, who was thoughtful, and said, "Get up. How many bandits are there?" Huang Man said: "We don't know, anyway, the cottage is quite big, and there are always two or three thousand people." Two or three thousand people!Cao Wendao almost screamed.That is no longer a force that can be underestimated. If it is what Huang Man said, I am afraid that this army is a remnant soldier who retreated from nowhere.A well-trained army is waiting for work at leisure, and when Meng Xiong was ambushed, I am afraid that they are indeed not their opponents.

Chu Xiuhong fell into deep thought, Feng Qi waited for a while, saw that he stopped talking, and said, "General Chu, what should these two do?" Chu Xiuhong said: "Brother Huang, is this the only way to the river?" Huang Man said: "Yes." As soon as he finished speaking, Huang Yan suddenly interjected: "Uncle Man, can't you still leave Dusi Dao?" Huang Man said: "That road has been abandoned for almost ten years, who dares to go." Chu Xiuhong said: "Dusi Road?" When he came, he had seen the map of this area, and knew that Dusi was just a small town on the way, but the map did not say that there was a road here.Huang Man nodded and said: "That's where the caravan came out. At that time, the river was flooded in spring and the boats could not pass, so they went from Dusi Road. It's just that there have been no caravans for many years, and no one dared to go this way again. .It is very dangerous and narrow, and it is difficult for large vehicles to pass through.”

Chu Xiuhong said: "Then the only way to go?" Huang Man said: "That's right. Is the general going to the riverside? If you can wipe out those bandits, it will be a merit." Chu Xiuhong said: "Are you willing to lead the way?" Huang Man showed joy, kowtowed his head again and said, "The general really has this intention? I'm willing to lead the way." He always had a sad face, and only now did he show a smile. Chu Xiuhong smiled and said: "It is the responsibility of soldiers to protect the land and the people. Brother Huang doesn't have to do this. Let's come here today, Feng Qi, take Brother Huang, uncle and nephew back, settle down properly, and we will set off at dawn."

Feng Qi said: "I obey." He took Huang Man and Huang Ni and left first, and Chu Xiuhong and Cao Wendao walked behind.Seeing that Feng Qi and those two people walked far away, Cao Wendao whispered: "Control, do you really believe what they say?" Chu Xiuhong blinked, with an inscrutable smile on his face, and said, "This is not the place to talk, go back and talk." Cao Wendao knew that this young general was quite subtle, and seeing that he seemed to be convinced just now, he couldn't help but feel doubts in his heart, so he was relieved at this time.Once back in the camp, Chu Xiuhong asked Feng Qi to pack up a small tent for Huang Man and his nephew to live in, and returned to his own tent, and asked Cao Wendao to call Qian Wenyi, Lian Baice, Chen Zhong and Yang Yi over.Cao Wendao came back with a few people, and before he sat down, he said, "Tongzhi, I always feel that I can't trust these two people surnamed Huang too much."

Chu Xiuhong said: "Sit down and talk, keep your voice down." He took out a roll of maps from his arms, spread them out on the table, and said, "Generals, General Cao and I went out to explore the road just now. The two hunters said that there is a group of bandits entrenched in the Pingfeng Mountain in front of them, there are about two or three thousand people, I want to hear what you think." Among the five, Qian Wenyi and Cao Wendao were the two commanders, Chen Zhong and Lian Baice were divided into the Ax Camp and the Arrow Camp, and Yang Yi was temporarily a guest general.They looked at each other, and Qian Wenyi said: "Just now I heard General Cao's brief talk, and I also feel that we should not trust these two too much."

Chu Xiuhong said: "Although these two people look like hunters, there is no flaw in their appearance, but Huang Manruo is really timid as he said, and he is in a hurry to go home. How could he not agree when I asked him to lead the way? Furthermore He said that there is a Dusi road that can lead to the big river, but the road is very dangerous and can't pass large vehicles. But he has never seen our army, how could he know that we have large vehicles? There is a lot of doubt in this. " Cao Wendao suddenly said: "Yes, but what is he talking about that road for?" Chu Xiuhong said: "I think he deliberately mentioned this road because he wanted us to walk on the Dusi Road. I'm afraid that this uncle and nephew Huang Man came to explore the road. Seeing that we are so crowded, don't you?" Dare to confront the enemy head-on and want to lead us into their ambush."

Qian Wenyi nodded, and said: "General Chu is right. When you bring these two back, is it just a plan?" Chu Xiuhong smiled and said: "Exactly. The generals are invited to come here, so that everyone is ready to set off tomorrow, and don't let them see the flaws." Cao Wendao suddenly sighed: "Good man." He blurted out, and Chen Zhong said: "General Cao, who do you think is a good man?" Cao Wendao smiled and said, "I said that Huang Man and Huang Ni are really good. You man, you dare to come to our camp without changing your face." He suddenly seemed to have thought of something, and said, "General Chu, do you want to surrender these people?"

Everyone knows that Chu Xiuhong is not easy to kill.Chu Xiuhong said: "I have this idea. However, I still doubt that if it is really a bandit, two or three thousand people can eat Shi Mengxiong?" Cao Wen said "ah", but Lian Baice's eyes lit up, and he said, "General Chu, do you mean that you suspect there is another mystery?" A look of worry flashed across Chu Xiuhong's face, and he said, "Yes. Shi Mengxiong's two thousand people disappeared so inexplicably, even if this group of bandits were a defeated army, it would not be easy to eat Shi Mengxiong. Come and see." Pointing to the map, he said, "We are here now, and we still have five or six days to go to the main camp of the fire and water armies. If there are few people on this road, caravans are rare to see. Wouldn't it be strange for bandits to camp here?" Lian Baice said: "Yes, unless they are tired of fighting and want to live a peaceful life in hiding. But in this way, it is impossible to explain why they attacked Shimeng Xiong." He raised his head and said: "General Chu, do you mean that these people are not bandits, but... snake people?" Cao Wendao cried out in surprise, and said, "Huang Man and the others are two-legged people, even if I were killed, I wouldn't believe they were snake people." Lian Baice said: "At the beginning, the Lord of Wuyang City and the Snake Man also had a secret agreement not to attack each other. It may not be impossible for one or two people to seek refuge with the Snake Man." Chu Xiuhong said: "I also have this suspicion. The bandits may really be a group of defeated soldiers, or they may be a surprise attack team of snake people. There is another possibility." He paused, and whispered: "It is from Came out here." His finger points to the city of Futun in the west.Qian Wenyi frowned, and said, "Fu Dun City is nearly a thousand miles away, and if Tao Shouzhuo does this, what good will it do?" Chu Xiuhong said: "We will let the Huang family's uncle and nephew tell us about it. We will catch them all tomorrow, and he will never stop talking about it no matter how hard he is." Cao Wendao said with a smile: "Haha, you are really far-sighted." Seeing Yang Yi with a serious face, he poked him and said, "Old Yang, don't you think so?" Yang Yi was called to a meeting and kept silent.Chu Xiuhong also said: "Yes, brother Yang, do you think this plan will work?" Yang Yi raised his head and said in a deep voice: "General Chu, I think, don't treat others as fools, and end up being negligent, and fall into other people's trap instead." He spoke very dryly, Cao Wendao was a little displeased, and said, "Lao Yang, don't think others are too smart." Yang Yi sneered, and said: "Although I have never seen this Huang's uncle and nephew, but you also said just now that these two people dare to risk their lives to do death, there must be something extraordinary, how could they show flaws in their words? I'm afraid that this flaw was deliberately exposed by them, and I knew that you would not believe it, so I retreated to advance and did not hesitate to die to lure you into the bait." His words were faintly sarcastic, Cao Wendao was very displeased, what he was saying, but Chu Xiuhong was moved: "Brother Yang, you are right." He lowered his head and pondered, Cao Wendao wanted to refute Yang Yi with a few words, But seeing that Chu Xiuhong didn't take Yang Yi's words seriously, she stopped talking.Chu Xiuhong thought for a while, then raised her head suddenly, and said to Lian Baice: "General Lian, what do you think?" Lian Baice's lips moved, and he said, "Is this? I think General Yang's words are not unreasonable, but your words, General Chu, are also correct..." Chu Xiuhong smiled slightly, and said: "You don't have to worry about my thoughts. Brainstorming, as the former battalion commander, if I make a wrong decision, it will cost our lives. If you have anything to say, just say it." Lian Baice thought for a while, gritted his teeth, and said, "I also think that your strategy, General Chu, is a bit wishful thinking, and you think the enemy is too weak. If Shi Mengxiong was really dealt with by them, then these people are definitely not Yi Yu. The old man will not send two people who can see the flaws at a glance to lure us into ambush. I agree with what Brother Yang said, they are probably two dead men, deliberately making us feel that we have seen through their schemes, so that we fall into them trap." Lian Baice's seniority is also relatively low. At the beginning, he was subordinate to Shao Fengguan, the current leader of the Feng Corps. Later, Shao Fengguan was demoted. Because he was greedy for the official position, he refused to retire with Shao Fengguan. Instead, he was demoted because of consecutive defeats. Chu Xiuhong When using him, Shao Fengguan once said bad things about Lian Baice.Lian Baice was alert and smart, so he didn't know that after this incident, he was cautious in everything, so he was very careful in his speech after arriving in the front camp, and he didn't dare to be too ostentatious. At this time, he heard Chu Xiuhong's blunt confession, so he spoke frankly.He was still a little apprehensive when he said it, for fear that Chu Xiuhong would be annoyed.At this time, after hearing what Yang Yi said, he just said it. As soon as he said it, he saw Chu Xiu's red face was serious, and he couldn't help feeling a little regretful, thinking: "Does General Chu think I'm talking nonsense?" While thinking about it, Chu Xiuhong said: "That's right, what you two said is very reasonable, I never thought it through." Cao Wendao said with a smile: "You think too much, even if what they say is not the truth, if the whip is whipped down hard, forgive them and they will forget how to tell lies." If tortured, these two people would probably tell the truth.Although Cao Wendao said it crudely, everyone felt that this method was the simple and straightforward truth.Chu Xiuhong thought for a while, but said: "Don't use torture indiscriminately, you might as well question it. If they really came to trap us, let them kill themselves." He paused, then said: "Qian Wen Yi, you, Cao Wendao and Lian Baice will interrogate the young man, and Brother Yang and I will interrogate Huang Man, and we will have a look at their statements later."