Chapter 6 Chapter 5 Action and Research

At the same time that "Li An" arrived in Xixiang, Xun Xu had already completed the layout of the Jing'an Department, and the emergency documents with the words "prevent thieves from sneaking in, strictly investigate famous assassins" had also been sent to the gates of various cities at the fastest speed. .The one that just passed by Li An was one of them. The counties and townships near Nanzheng were also required to re-count the registers and take strict precautions against strangers of unknown origin.As for the Jing'an Division itself, they have placed plainclothes undercover agents in various traffic arteries and important cities, and even sent a few capable "Taoist priests" to lurk in post houses and inns.However, the entire arrangement of the Jing'an Division clearly presents a situation where the north is dense and the south is sparse, because they feel that the enemy will come from the north.

After all the work was done, Xun Xu instructed a bodyguard to go to the Siwen Division to find Ma Xin from the Longxi Branch to obtain a letter. This letter will help promote the happy cooperation between the Jing'an Division and the military. Next, Xun Xu left the Taoist temple, went straight to the station of the guard camp in the city, and asked the guard at the gate to inform him.Soon a burly general in civilian clothes came out of the camp. When he saw Xun Xu, he laughed happily and said loudly, "Ha, Xiaohe, what brought you here?" "I heard that you were beaten by your wife yesterday, so come here to comfort you."

"I'm so old, are you planning to laugh at me?" "Don't worry, it's absolutely not. Where do the people in the internal affairs department have a sense of humor?" The two laughed and patted each other's arms.The general's name was Cheng Fan, he was forty years old, and he was in charge of the garrison work in Nanzheng.Cheng Fan is also quite well-known in Nanzheng, but not because of his loud voice, but because his wife is a famous shrew. Cheng Fan let Xun Xu into the tent, then unbuttoned the front of his clothes, and lay back on the wooden couch with his chest exposed, and asked sideways, "Xiaohe, why did you come to me all of a sudden?"

"Oh, that's right. I want to know who is easier to deal with in your military." Xun Xu has long been used to his style and doesn't care. "Who is easy to deal with? What are you doing? Are you going to change careers and become a soldier?" "I can't tell you, you know the nature of my job. Don't be wordy, just tell me." Cheng Fan pinched his short mustache and snorted coldly: "There are still people begging for help in this world." Xun Xu replied: "Then I have to go to my wife's wife to intercede." Cheng Fan hurriedly got up from the wooden couch Get up: "Hey, Xiaohe, gentleman benevolence, you can't be too extreme." Xun Xu patted him on the shoulder with a smile, and put on a narrow expression: "Speak."

Cheng Fan lay back on the wooden couch resentfully: "You also know that our military and your Si Wencao have always been difficult to deal with. If you want to ask them to do something, it will be very difficult." "So didn't I come here to ask you, which senior generals have real power and are easy to talk to?" "The first one is General Zhang Yi. Old General Zhang is very kind and polite to everyone. However, he has not been in good health recently and has gone back to Chengdu to recuperate. Then there is Wang Ping. He was promoted recently, so It's not likely to offend people... Oh, yes, he is a big bastard, but he is very polite to scholars. It seems that he will be on duty at the Sima Mansion tomorrow... No one can find Wei Yan. My boss, Yang Yi, ate them all together."

"I see." Xun Xu nodded and stood up, "Then I've made up my mind, I have something else to do, so I'm leaving first." Cheng Fan also knew that Jing'an Division worked day and night and had no rules, so he didn't force him to stay, but said, "Call me for a drink if you have time." "If Madam Sister-in-law doesn't mind..." Xun Xu replied with a smile, and left the tent before Cheng Fan could growl. The next day, that is, on February 25th, Xun Xu officially visited Sima Mansion, which was established by the military in Nanzheng City.

Sure enough, as Cheng Fan said, Wang Ping, who joined the army, was in charge of receiving today.He is tall but ordinary in appearance. At first glance, he looks more like a gentle uncle in a wine shop.However, Xun Xu knew that this person could not be neglected. Wang Ping is now a very popular figure in the army. He was Ma Di's lieutenant general in the Battle of Jieting last year, and he became famous for opposing Ma Di's tactics.While all the generals who participated in the war, including Prime Minister Zhuge, were demoted and punished, Wang Ping was promoted. When the two met, they greeted each other politely.Then Xun Xu explained Chen Gong's report to him, and proposed that the Jing'an Department should investigate the military workshops under the management of the military.Of course, Xun Xu didn't say it so bluntly. He replaced the tough "investigation" with "inspection".

After Wang Ping heard this, he showed a troubled expression; he walked around the room twice with his hands behind his back, then turned around and said to Xun Xu, "Wei Guo really wants to steal our army's crossbows?" "It's absolutely true." "I didn't expect them to resort to such despicable means!" Wang Ping cursed in a low voice.Seeing that the other party agrees, Xun Xu immediately hit the nail on the head: "So we must take measures quickly to avoid serious consequences." "Well, what you said is very reasonable, but..." Wang Ping stretched out his hand to Xun Xu, "Can you show me the report of the 'Black Emperor' first. The matter is very important, and I must be cautious. "

"...Uh... this report is classified now, and all transcripts have been destroyed. At present, it is probably from Prime Minister Zhuge. I think it will be forwarded to General Wei Yan at the latest in the afternoon." "Oh...then we have to wait for General Wei to review it himself. I don't have permission to enter the military workshop." Wang Ping was embarrassed. "However, the matter is very urgent. Wei Guo's spies have entered our country, and they may have arrived in Nanzheng by now." "I know, but the military has military rules, and I can't do anything about it," Wang Ping said.He saw that Xun Xu's face was not very good-looking, so he quickly said in a relieved tone: "Xun Zong, you also know that the relationship between General Wei and you Yang Canjun..."

Xun Xu moved his foot and smiled helplessly. It was obvious that Wang Ping was afraid of being involved in the struggle between Wei and Yang, so he did not dare to act without authorization.At this time Wang Ping said again: "You'd better submit an investigation direction and specific investigation project now. I will pass it on to General Wei. As long as General Wei gives a reply, you can start immediately." "That's really troublesome for you." Xun Xu took out a survey outline that he had written long ago from his arms.Wang Ping took a look and saw that the main targets were the Military Technology Division responsible for researching and developing weapons and the Weapon Workshop responsible for manufacturing weapons.Xun Xu's intentions are obvious, and everyone who has contact with the crossbow machine must be checked.

"I understand, then please wait here, and I will send it to General Wei." After Wang Ping finished speaking, he turned and left.Xun Xu waited in the living room of Sima Mansion for about an hour and a half before a messenger rushed to the hall and said to Xun Xu, "General Wang Ping wants to see you." Xun Xu stood up, followed the messengers to Wang Ping's room, and saw that Wang Ping looked very good.As soon as he saw Xun Xu, he said loudly: "Xun Xu, you are lucky, General Wei has approved your application to enter those two departments for investigation." "Of course, even if it's a factional struggle, we can't delay important events regardless of the severity..." Xun Xu thought to himself, but thanked him repeatedly.Presumably Wei Yan was pressured by Prime Minister Zhuge himself to agree so quickly. "However, when you investigate, you must be accompanied by people from our military." Wang Ping said, and Xun Xu nodded, which was expected. "Also, the investigation must be based on the premise that it does not interfere with normal work. I think you also know that our army is preparing for a new campaign, and all aspects are very busy. If an unconfirmed espionage incident delays the entire campaign, That's a big crime." Xun Xu believed that the last sentence was said by Wei Yan himself, and that Wang Ping just relayed it in a more gentle way.Wei Yan has stated more than once on different occasions: Jing'an Division and even the entire Si Wencao are monkeys who like to make a fuss and only hide in a safe place to slander others and drag others down. "Can you invite General Ma Dai to accompany you?" Xun Xu asked bluntly. If it was General Pingbei Ma Dai, he shouldn't be too embarrassing for the investigators.Wang Ping thought about it and agreed. Xun Xu had dealt with Ma Dai once before.That was nine years ago, when Xun Xu was just a deacon of Jing'an Division.Liu Bei was still in power at that time.Peng Yi, the prefect of Jiangyang, lobbied the hussar general Ma Chao to rebel, and was secretly reported to Liu Bei by Ma Chao.Liu Bei immediately arrested Peng Yi, and at the same time secretly ordered the Department of Jing'an to investigate whether Ma Chao and his younger brother Ma Dai had any signs of rebellion.Xun Xu participated in the investigation of the two brothers, and concluded that the Ma brothers knew very well that they were not trusted, so they had been cautious and in a state of restless fear; It is impossible to rebel. When Xun Xu saw Ma Dai again, he couldn't help feeling emotional.In the past nine years, Ma Dai looks like he has aged by more than ten years. The temples of a man in his forties are already gray, and the layers of wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and forehead reflect the man's worries, and his eyes are exhausted. , it can be seen that he still hasn't gotten out of that psychological shadow. "General Ma, I am Xun Xu from Jing'an Division." Xun Xu introduced himself. He found that when Ma Dai heard the word Jing'ansi, his body couldn't help taking a step back, and there was some inexplicable fear in his eyes.He hastened to add another sentence: "This time, I will thank you for accompanying the investigation." "It's easy to say, easy to say." Ma Dai replied, his voice was very soft, and there was even a flattering tone in it. "Oh, by the way, this is the letter Ma trusted me to bring you." Xun Xu took out the envelope from his arms and handed it to him. Ma Dai immediately opened the letter and read it deliberately so that Xun Xu could hear it. Then he folded it again, put it in his arms, and said to Xun Xu: "Xun Xun, let's go." A ochre-colored carriage had already been parked outside the gate of Sima Mansion, which was the color exclusively for the military.Ma Dai and Xun Xu boarded the carriage, the coachman yelled, and the carriage sped away. Ma Dai asked politely, "I don't know where Xun Zong is going to find out?" Xun Xu thought for a while, and said, "Military Technician, you must first find out which type of crossbow machine the enemy is coveting. It’s better to focus on protection.” "Okay." Ma Dai nodded and instructed the coachman to drive towards the military technical department.The carriage quickly left the city from the east gate, and after traveling about fifteen miles, it suddenly left the official road and drove down a certain hillside from a field with no trace of road. The surrounding area was desolate, not even a bird or a wolf can not see. "The position of the Military Technician is very secretive." "Well, the road between here and the official road has been covered up and planted with flowers and plants. Outsiders can't find it no matter what." Soon the carriage came to a mountain ridge, which is a typical landform in Hanzhong. Looking at the past, it is a rock field exposed on the surface. The gray rocks are of different sizes and shapes. Only in the cracks of the rocks are some tenacious growths green plants.The carriage stopped here. "We're here." Ma Dai said to Xun Xu.Xun Xu looked around in bewilderment, and suddenly found a black entrance to a cave a dozen steps away to the right. The entrance happened to be under a protruding rock, forming an acute angle with the entire hillside. When Xun Xu and Ma Dai walked to the entrance of the cave, Xun Xu noticed that the nearby rock surfaces were all sandy. Only the rock surface beside the cave was unusually smooth, and it seemed that people often came in and out from here. While he was observing, two armored soldiers crawled out of the cave holding ring-headed knives and said to them, "My lords, please show your seals." Ma Dai took out a half of the Tiger Talisman from his bosom, and the soldier took it and handed it to a soldier under the cave, and soon a message came from the people below: "The Tiger Talisman is matched, and the inspection is correct." He gestured to the two of them to come in.Xun Xu secretly admired it, it seems that the security work here is very solid. Once entering the cave, it is a gentle downhill, and two rows of shallow steps have been chiseled out of it, extending into a narrow path.There are rocks on both sides of the path, and there are two rows of small sunken pits chiselled on it, and candles are lit in them.Xun Xu didn't feel stuffy, but felt that there was a cold wind blowing in front of him. This cave must have vents through the cracks in the rocks. There are several turns along the way, and at each turn, a soldier checks the tiger charms of the two people and rings a copper bell to notify the guard at the next station.When passing through a slightly wider corridor, Ma Dai and Xun Xu were also searched. The guards who searched explained that this was a rule. Everyone who came here except Prime Minister Zhuge must be searched, even Wei Yan was no exception. . "Except for Prime Minister Zhuge?" Xun Xu blurted out, "What if it's His Majesty the Emperor?" The soldier didn't expect him to ask such a question, and was so embarrassed that he didn't know how to answer it.Ma Dai, who was standing by the side, was startled when he heard it, and his face turned pale from the joke. After walking about two hundred steps, after turning a corner at the end of the path, Xun Xu's vision suddenly brightened.Inside is a huge irregular space, big enough to hold three or four "Taoist temples".The granite dome has light shining from the cracks in the rocks, so that there is no darkness inside; there are many small recessed caves around this hall, which seem to be natural small rooms made of granite. What's even more rare is that this cave with no windows at all is not stuffy at all, and walking in it doesn't feel aggrieved at all. "Is there a hidden vent?" Xun Xu asked curiously.Ma Dai didn't answer, he seemed to have not recovered from the joke just now. This hall is quite lively, and there are many machines with strange shapes, some wooden and some copper ones, and many people in black robes walk around among these things, stopping from time to time to look down. Some people are copying something with brushes and paper.In the cave farther away, there was a red light and the sound of knocking, which should be the exclusive smelting room of the Military Technician. While the two were observing around, a short old man in a black robe came over, he handed a part in his hand to the person beside him, and then looked at Xun Xu suspiciously, as if he was a thief who came to steal secrets Same. "This person is Xun Zong from the Jing'an Division. This visit has been approved. This is the permission document." Ma Dai handed the tiger talisman and the document to the old man. The old man took it and looked at it carefully, but couldn't find any flaws, so he had to hand it back to Ma Dai, not very happy. "I declare first that I will record all of today's conversation and submit it to General Wei." The old man said with a frown. "As long as you don't sell to Wei and Wu, you will not be within the scope of my authority." Xun Xu knew that as a member of the Jing'an Department, a sense of humor is the most important thing, but he still couldn't help making a joke . It was obvious that the old man didn't appreciate the humor in it, he just took off the deerskin gloves on his hand and hung them on the hook, then waved his hand: "This way." The two followed him to a cave next to the hall. This cave was as tall as a person, and the inside area was about twenty steps by thirty steps. Except for a simple wooden couch and a copper candlestick, other places were scattered. There are all kinds of drawings and materials. The old man drew up the curtain to cover the opening of the cave, then turned around and said hoarsely: "I'm Qiao Jun, the director of the Military Technology Division. What can you do with me?" "It's like this..." Ma Dai explained the cause and effect again, "...we are specially instructed by General Wei to assist Xun in the investigation." "Well, I see." Qiao Jun didn't seem to care about this kind of thing at all, he turned his eyes to Xun Xu, "What do you want to know?" "What are the crossbows that our army is currently equipped with?" Qiao Jun glanced sideways at Xun Xu, and said in a mocking tone, "I thought your Jing'an Division knew all these things well." "We want to hear from experts." Qiao Jun snorted coldly, obviously the compliment didn't work, he said: "Xun Zong, you asked a big question. Since the establishment of our military technical department in Jianxing four years ago, a total of more than thirty models have been developed. Crossbows, among which there are more than a dozen kinds that were finally equipped into the army. If you don’t delineate the scope, it’s hard for me to answer.” "So, what types of crossbows are there in active service?" "At present, there are about five or six types of standard equipment for our army's crossbowmen, most of which are arm-stretched crossbows for individual soldiers, and some troops are equipped with kick-stretch crossbows to enhance attack power; there are also some single-machine crossbows, but generally they are only equipped with near Guard troops; oh, by the way, there are also commercial side bamboo crossbows specially exported to Soochow..." Qiao Jun was very proud of this, "Soochow's army would rather import our side bamboo crossbows than Use their own Wu and Yue crossbows." "At the end of last year, what was the specific model of the crossbow used by the ambush Wang Shuangjun?" "Oh, you said that time. Was Jiang Wei's army responsible for the ambush that time?" Qiao Jun confirmed to Ma Dai, and Ma Dai nodded. "I think, in that battle they should have been equipped with fifteen 'Shudu' level ballista crossbows and two hundred 'Yuan Rong' level arm stretchers. These two models are the latest achievements of the Military Technician Division. , the design direction is to increase the salvo density and frequency without increasing the weight. From the actual combat point of view, the effect is very good." After speaking, Qiao Jun took out two wooden boxes and handed them to Xun Xu. Xun Xu picked up one of them and wrote: "Shudu-level refined copper crossbow machine, numbered 'Yihan Lujiu II'. It has a projectile power of 15 stones, and can fire ten medium-sized iron cluster crossbow arrows in one volley, with a range of a thousand steps. During the shooting range test, 'Shudu' once used a crossbow arrow to shoot through four horseshoe targets with a distance of two feet at a distance of 800 paces." Qiao Jun proudly nodded this passage with his finger, and said emphatically, "Did you see that? There are four horseshoe targets and one arrow. We use an all-copper skeleton structure, which can withstand five stone more than previous crossbows." The left and right strength; and the shape has been changed to a backward inclined trapezoid, and eight movable wheels are installed on the base, which improves the ability to move and adapt to the terrain; there is an additional twist rudder between Wangshan and buckle, which can Improve the shooting accuracy by 50%... In short, this is completely different from the traditional crossbow, and its power is not an order of magnitude." Qiao Jun immediately became talkative when he mentioned weapons. "So powerful?" Xun Xu said in surprise. "Of course, the previous generations of our army's crossbow machines, such as 'Tongchuan', 'Cancong' and the main force in active service, the 'Bayue' class, only had an advantage in individual statistics compared with Cao Wei's equipment, while the current 'Shudu' ’ completely surpassed the enemy.” "What about 'Yuan Rong'?" "'Yuan Rong' was originally designed to replace the single-armed crossbow currently used in the military. In the past, the crossbow emphasized continuous firing rate. This is not wrong, but the destructive power is not satisfactory. Because actual combat Not only requires the continuous launch of the crossbow, but also emphasizes the instantaneous destructive power and destructive range, so that the enemy can be suppressed in the first time. Therefore, in response to the special request of the military, we designed the "Yuanrong" that can make up for this defect It is the same as 'Shudu', it can fire ten crossbow arrows at a time - of course, Yuan Rong used eight-inch iron rod crossbow arrows - this can produce considerable lethality in an instant. As for the shooting frequency, although it is lower than before A few, but that can be made up for with three-row bursts." "In other words, if there is a weapon that Cao Wei is tempted to obtain at all costs, then it can only be 'Yuanrong' and 'Shudu'?" "Yes, this is currently the most superior weapon of its kind." Qiao Jun repeatedly emphasized this point, "Oh, by the way, Yuan Rong was developed under the personal guidance of Prime Minister Zhuge. He is really a genius." Xun Xu remained silent, thinking that he couldn't be wrong, Wei Guo's goal must be these two models of crossbows. "Are the design drawings of these two weapons stored here?" "There are three blueprints in total, one in the Military Technology Division, one in the General Affairs Department of the Weapon Workshop, and one in the Prime Minister's Mansion." Xun Xu was almost moved by the military's open and honest attitude today. He touched his nose and made a request to make progress: "Can I see the real thing?" "Is this necessary?" Qiao Jun asked hesitantly. "After seeing the real thing, it will help to deepen the impression of these two weapons. Anyway, they are already equipped with troops, so there is no secret at all, right?" Qiao Jun nodded reluctantly, and led them to another cave.There are several machines here, all of which are covered with mulberry tarpaulins.Qiao Jun lifted one of the tarpaulins, and inside was a polished bronze ballista. The body of the ballista was flat, and the levers in the middle were interlaced but not messy at all, showing how sophisticated it was made. There is a signboard with the word "Shudu" written on it.Xun Xu walked around the ballista, stretched out his arms and pressed hard on the two pillars of the ballista, and found that the ballista moved only a little and then stopped. "It's useless. This ballista needs at least three people to move it. If it has animal power, it needs two people to hold both sides." Xun Xu retracted his arms resentfully, and put them on his waist: "Then can this thing be disassembled?" "Disassembly? Don't be kidding, people who haven't received special training can't disassemble anyway." Xun Xu looked at this big guy and nodded, at least the plan to steal the "Shu Capital" was impossible. "Could you please show me 'Yuan Rong' again?" Qiao Jun picked up a long cloth bag from the side, and took off the cover. Inside was a delicate broad-headed crossbow.Qiao Jun handed it to Xun Xu, and Xun Xu weighed it after taking it, and found that it was not very heavy, and an ordinary person could take it away with one hand. "What about this, can it be disassembled?" "Of course, the focus was on convenience when designing. This repeater can be disassembled into twelve parts, which is very suitable for individual soldiers to carry." After listening to Qiao Jun's introduction, Xun Xu frowned and looked at the crossbow in his hand repeatedly, Qiao Jun seemed to have read his mind, and said hoarsely dissatisfied: "Are you worried that someone will steal this thing? Don't worry, the security measures here are the most reliable." "The working premise of our Jing'an Department is to assume that all security measures are unreliable." Xun Xu replied calmly, and casually put the crossbow back on the cloth bag. After coming out of the military technical department's cave, it was getting late, Xun Xu and Ma Dai returned to Nanzheng in the carriage they had come from.On the way, Ma Dai suddenly asked: "Is Xun Zong worried that the spy of Wei State will aim to steal the actual Yuan Rong crossbow?" "Ah, that's right. Blueprints, real objects, and craftsmen... Even if you only get one of these three, it will be successfully copied by a talented technician like Ma Jun." Xun Xu tilted his head back, closed his eyes, It vibrates up and down with the bumps of the carriage. "Xun Zong is a little overwhelmed." Ma Dai patted the crossbar of the carriage, "Technical weapons like this are strictly numbered in the army and checked every day. I can't guarantee it during the war, but as long as it is in Shu Kingdom In the territory, once a crossbow is missing, it will be found immediately." "Oh." "The blueprints are also kept very strictly. No matter where the blueprints are stored, they need the joint signatures of General Wei Yan, General Zhang Yi, and Prime Minister Zhuge to read them, and the three of them must also be in the order to read them. It has its own secret mark. It is impossible to forge such a document." "Well……" "As for craftsmen, let alone. You should also know in your heart how difficult it is to bring a crossbow machine craftsman back to Longxi." Xun Xu changed into a more comfortable position and put his hands behind his head: "General Ma, you know a lot about military affairs." "Of course, I am also a soldier." "As the saying goes, there are chancellors from the Kanto region, and generals from the Kanxi region. The general is worthy of being born in Yongliang." Xun Xu asked casually, originally he wanted to flatter Ma Dai and win him over.Unexpectedly, when Ma Dai heard this, his face changed suddenly, and he said with a flick of his sleeves: "Although I was born in Yongliang, I am also a big Han general who is incompatible with Cao thief." "There's no need to express your determination in such a hurry..." Xun Xu felt that he was bored, so he had to straighten his crown to cover up his embarrassment.Probably Ma Dai thought that when an official of the Jing'an Department said such words, he obviously suspected that a general who was born in Yongliang and held a lot of military secrets might defect to Cao Wei. Ma Dai is very clear that the actions and remarks of officials at all levels are also under the supervision of the Jing'an Department. The Liao Li incident that year was a masterpiece of the Jing'an Department. The carriage continued to drive forward, and the four wheels rolled against the uneven ground and made a rattling sound; it was getting late at this time, the stars and the moon were already faintly visible, and the sunset glow in the distance had not yet faded from the horizon.The semi-dark rocks and mountains on both sides continued to retreat, and the two people in the car fell into silence. Suddenly, Xun Xu thought of an interesting thing: Why is Ma Dai so sensitive?When he and his clan brother Ma Chao came to join Liu Bei, due to their special status, the two brothers were always afraid of being suspected of treason, so they were afraid, which is understandable; now more than ten years have passed, and Emperor Zhaolie is dead. , Zhuge Cheng is quite political.Although Prime Minister Zhuge did not promote Ma Dai much, he still gave him full trust as a competent senior commander—it can be seen from the fact that Ma Dai was able to go to such a secret place as the Military Technical Division—then why did he still Do you always worry about being suspected of your loyalty? "It's really worth pondering." Xun Xu squinted at Ma Dai, who looked forward without saying a word, his face was quite pale under the moonlight. Soon the carriage turned onto the official road, and the flat road made the carriage run faster.Xun Xu couldn't see the scenery on both sides clearly, so he simply closed his eyes and thought about his next move.Just as he was closing his eyes, the coachman flicked his whip, and the carriage passed by a group of traders with a swish, causing a donkey in the group to startle. "How did you drive the car in front! Da Heitian is still running so fast, he is not afraid of falling into the cliff and falling to his death!" One of the merchants pointed at the passing carriage and cursed, and his companion quickly covered his mouth: "Hey, keep your voice down, do you see clearly? It's an ocher carriage, it's a military vehicle, you're looking for death." A few people nearby were busy trying to appease the restless donkey, but the donkey snorted and refused to obey. It jumped up and down, and the two loads on its back were about to fall apart.At this time, a man in a brown silk shirt came up to the donkey, put his right hand on the donkey's neck, his left hand on the donkey's buttocks, exerted strength with both hands, and the donkey was immediately pinned down.Someone next to him stuffed a handful of ears of wheat, and the donkey chewed it in one bite, and stopped making noise. "Thanks to Mr. Mi Chong, thank you very much." The businessman thanked him a thousand times.The man named Mi Chong smiled, patted his hands, and said, "You're welcome, everyone must take care of each other on the road together. We will soon arrive at Nanzheng, so don't make any mistakes on the last section of the road." "Yes, yes." The businessman nodded hastily. So the caravan went back on the road again, and nothing happened for the next dozen miles.They were lucky enough to enter the city before the gates closed.The team stopped for a while in the inner city square, and the businessman asked kindly, "Mr. Mi, won't you stay with us at the inn? I know the innkeeper here, so I can give you a cheaper price." "No, a friend is here to pick me up." Mi Chong politely declined the businessman's invitation, so the two said goodbye.After the caravan left, Mi Chong turned to the street on the right by himself, passed through three intersections and then turned left. He seemed to be quite familiar with the environment of Nanzheng City.Several patrols passed him without noticing him. Mi Chong didn't stop until he walked in front of a shop that said Hengde Rice Store. He walked to the door and patted on the door.A rice store clerk opened the window angrily and shouted: "Didn't you see that the door has been closed here? Come back tomorrow." "Can you help me, I only need to buy five buckets of rice." Mi Chong showed a pleading expression. "How many buckets?" asked the man, squinting his eyes. "Five buckets, no more and no less, you can get some more points, and you can add some points if you have less." The clerk scratched his ears and said impatiently: "Okay, wait a minute, this man is really troublesome, and you have to buy five buckets of rice today." After a while, there was a sound of unloading the door panel inside the door, and then the door opened. up. "Come in." The man urged.Mi Chong stepped in, and the door closed behind him.Then the guy looked around the situation outside, turned his head to look at Mi Chong, changed his expression and said, "He's from the north?" "Exactly." "Master, are you okay?" "Everything is safe." After Mi Chong finished speaking, he took out the yellow talisman paper with strange patterns on it from his pocket, and handed it to the assistant.The buddy took it with trembling hands and opened the talisman paper, his expression suddenly became very excited, he knelt on the ground with a plop, and couldn't help but mutter something. At this time, three naked men with soap towels on their heads came out from the back room, and two long-haired women without hairpins, one old and one young.As soon as they entered the room, they knelt down on the ground together with the buddy, kowtowing to the talisman paper, and the two women even began to cry.Mi Chong stood aside without saying a word. Finally, the man stood up and put away the yellow talisman respectfully, helped the other crying people up, and then said to Mi Chong: "I am Huang Yu from Wu Dou Mi Dao. I haven't heard of Shijun's training for a long time in Hanzhong. Thank you for sending a letter here today, and told me to listen to Shijun's holy words again." "Well, Langzhonghou hopes that you can help me as much as possible, so that he will be very happy." Mi Chong found a seat and sat down. "The envoy's order, we naturally obey everything." Huang Yu clasped his fists and said loudly, "There are now thousands of Hanzhong Midao ghost soldiers, and hundreds of people offering wine, all of them are under the envoy's order." A smile appeared on Mi Chong's fair face.