At dusk, Di Renjie rode his horse along a desolate official road.The day was cold and the wind was bitter. He shivered and wrapped his fox-fur robe tightly.On both sides of the official road are surging floods, and the leaden sky is like a tarnished mirror.The turbid flood stretched all the way to the horizon, and large chunks of dark clouds were driven by the new wind to flock to the gloomy mountain peaks far away. Di Gong alone believed in the horse and galloped, leaving his retinue far away by half a mile.Three days ago he was serving as governor of Beizhou on the edge of the desert, and two days later he was going to return to Chang'an, the capital, to serve as Minister of Dali Temple.At this moment, Di Gong's mood is complicated. The sudden promotion of the official position made him a little dizzy, and the legendary experience in Beizhou made him unforgettable.

For three days, Duke Di and his followers had been marching from north to south, and they were approaching the Yellow River.However, the unexpected flooding of the Yellow River caused a flood area with a radius of more than 1,000 miles. The Central Plains, which was densely populated and rich in products not long ago, has now become a vast ocean.Along the way, they saw groups of refugees, old and young, struggling to find their way and food.When Duke Di and the others were having lunch in a small official post, the captain of the subordinate came to report that they had entered the center of the flood zone—the North Dike. He suggested that Duke Di rest here and wait for the water coming from the North Dike. situation report.But Di Gong ordered to go on, saying that he would cross the Yellow River before dark today.Because he had to rush to the capital Xie En to take office within two days.

Di Gong held on to the rein tightly and was galloping triumphantly, when there was a big gap of about ten feet in front of the official road, and the muddy yellow muddy water rushed past.On the other side of the gap, the official road leads to a hill with dense forests.Over the gap was a narrow pontoon bridge, sloppily constructed of twine and logs.The pontoon bridge is half floating on the water, rising and falling with the churning waves. As soon as Di Gong rode his horse and got on the bridge, the leader of the guarding militia yelled loudly: "Master, this bridge is about to break down. The current is too fast. Your Excellency still has the right to wait."

Di Gong reined in the reins, facing the piercing north wind, he looked back anxiously at the followers who were far behind him, and then looked down at the pontoon bridge under his feet, which was shaking in the waves. He decided to try his luck and take a risk. cross the bridge. He knew that after turning over the hill on the opposite side, he would be on the north bank of the Yellow River within three to five miles, and there would be a ferry boat there that would take him across the Yellow River. Duke Dee stepped onto the bridge cautiously.The logs of the pontoon bridge were very slippery when immersed in the muddy water, and the water waves hit it, making a "creaking" sound.When he just walked into the middle of the pontoon bridge, a big tree swept by the rapids hit the side of the pontoon bridge, and the resulting huge waves rolled over the pontoon bridge and soaked the belly of Di Gong's horse, and the saddle and riding boots were all soaked.The pontoon swayed violently, almost knocking Di Gong off his horse.Di Gong patted the horse's neck, and boldly and calmly walked step by step.When he finished walking the pontoon bridge and just jumped onto the opposite bank, he heard a loud noise behind him.It turned out that a big uprooted tree arched the middle part of the pontoon bridge, like a dragon arching its back. Suddenly, the bridge body broke and the logs scattered.The waves rolled over the ten-foot gap, and sections of logs were quickly swept away by the rapids.

Mr. Di let out a long breath, looked at the rolling turbid waves behind him, raised his whip to the militia leader on the other side, and rode off on the road. Suddenly, there was a "rustling" sound in the woods ahead, and a robber riding on the road rushed out, shouting loudly: "Leave the road money!" Di Gong saw that the bandit had a red cloth wrapped around his head, a tiger skin around his broad shoulders, a golden knife with five rings on his back, and a long spear in his hand that was swirling so that the point almost touched The ear of Duke Dee's mount. Di Gong reined in his horse and couldn't help being furious.He snorted at the robber, drew out the sword at his waist with a "shua" and slashed at the robber.The robber hurriedly parried with his spear, turned around and stabbed at Duke Di with the tip of his spear.Di Gong raised his sword and slashed, hitting the gun shaft, it was cut in two instantly.The robber was frightened, dropped his gun, and ran into the woods with his horse's belly between his legs.Duke Di laughed "hehe", put the sword into the sheath, and complained that he shouldn't be so angry with a thief who cut the diameter.

Di Gong went all the way up to the top of the mountain behind the forest, without meeting anyone along the way.The wind roared on the head of the hill, and the mountain waves resounded in the woods. After turning over this hill and going down, it is the North Embankment of the Yellow River.The churning waves hit the rocky embankment extending westward, and the opposite bank of the Yellow River was hidden in a leaden gray fog.There is no ferry boat in the area around the North Embankment, only broken piles and steps are left at the ancient ferry head, and white foam rolls up and down.The Yellow River roared and surged from west to east, making a deep rumbling sound.

Looking at this desolate and desolate scene, Duke Di couldn't help sighing frequently, his brows were furrowed.At this time, he saw an old-style manor on a hill not far away. The manor was surrounded by high walls, and tall garrison towers stood on the east and west sides. The whole manor was like a fortified castle.Rows of tall eaves lined the walls, and the slowly rising smoke was quickly blown away by the strong north wind.Di Gong had no choice but to go to this manor to ask for a night.Only then did he realize that not only could he not send the letter to the military camps on both sides of the Yellow River, but he also lost contact with his followers and followers on the north bank of the Yellow River.

Duke Dee rode his horse towards the manor, and suddenly he found a bloody human head hanging on a big wooden post by the roadside.The long hair on the head covered the deformed face, and a pair of severed hands were nailed under the head.At a loss, Di Gong slowly rode his horse forward as if he had lost something. When Duke Di came to the gatehouse of the manor, he saw that the two gates were covered with a thick layer of iron, which seemed very strong.He was about to knock on the door, but the door opened first.An old farmer poked his head out, saw Di Gong in official attire, and hurriedly led him into a spacious and dark courtyard.As soon as Di Gong got off his horse, he heard the "cracking" sound of the heavy door being closed.

A thin man who looked like a housekeeper came forward and said out of breath, "I saw you in the garrison building a long time ago, and I immediately asked the farmer to open the door. Your lord obviously came to our village after a long journey, right? " Di Gong saw that the man was about forty years old, his appearance was not old, and his speech was elegant, so he knew that he was an educated person. "My surname is Di, and my name is Renjie. I am the governor of Beizhou. I was about to go to the capital on business at this moment. I was blocked by the flood and I couldn't do it. Therefore, I wanted to stay overnight in Guizhuang and pay for the rent. Mr. Yang Fan asked The owner of the villa will report, Wanwang will be considerate and convenient."

"It turned out to be Lord Inspector. Forgive the villain for being rude. The villain's name is Liao Long, and he is the steward here. I'll go and report to Yuanwai Min. Wait a moment in the master's hall." Liao Long turned around and walked towards the inner hall.Only then did Duke Di discover that the outbuildings on both sides of the courtyard were crowded with large groups of refugees.There is a stable behind the courtyard, and Duke Di hastily led his mount into the stable.There were five or six teenagers outside the stables busy flying kites, and Di Gong saw that most of the kites were new in shape and bright in color.The ropes of the few that had been released into the sky were very tight due to the strong wind, and the teenagers below pulled hard for fear that the ropes would break.Duke Dee looked at it curiously for a while, and asked a young man to wash and feed his mount.The boy took the copper wire that Duke Di gave him, and happily agreed.Duke Di hurried back to the steps of the outer hall to wait.

A chunky gentleman wearing a thick sable fur cap and a gray woolen robe hurried out from the inner hall and descended the steps. He held his hands firmly and asked Duke Di excitedly, "Lord Inspector, how did you get here?" Duke Di frowned, and replied, "I came here on horseback." "Have you met the Flying Tigers?" "What Flying Tigers?" Duke Di was puzzled. The short and fat gentleman was about to open his mouth to explain, when a tall and strong gentleman came in front of them.He asked very politely: "Lord Inspector, did you come here alone?" "No, I have more than sixty soldiers accompanying me, they..." "Ah, the sky has eyes!" Humpty Dumpty couldn't help exclaiming, "We're saved!" "Where are they at the moment?" The tall one asked urgently. "On the official road to the north of the hill. The flood broke a big gap there. I just passed the pontoon bridge on the gap, and the pontoon bridge broke. As soon as the pontoon bridge is repaired, they will come here soon." After hearing this, Humpty Humpty shrugged and spread his hands in disappointment. "May I ask who is the owner of this manor? I would like to borrow a night here tonight and pay the rent as usual." "Housing here?" Humpty Humpty smiled awkwardly. The tall man replied respectfully: "The owner of the estate is sick in bed, and I am far away. My name is Yan Yuan, and I am the manager of this manor. This is Mr. Min Guotai, the younger brother of the owner of the estate, Min Yuanwai. He just got married yesterday. Came here to take care of his brother's condition." While talking, Yan Yuan led Di Gong to the inner hall.Di Gong saw that there was a wing room on both sides of the inner hall, and the wing rooms on both sides were separated from the inner hall by a nine-fold screen.Yan Yuan said: "And please have tea in Mr. Governor's room." After saying that, the three of them entered the east wing room.Yan Yuan lit the candles on the table, the three of them sat down, and Yan Yuan was busy offering tea again.Qiugong took off his sword and put it on the table, and unbuttoned the fox-fur robe, leaned back on the chair, and secretly observed the two people in front of him. Manager Yan is fair-skinned and well-proportioned.But there is a look of uneasiness between his eyebrows, and his speech is unavoidably artificial.He is about twenty-five years old, but there are faint dark spots under the thick eyelids, and a few deep wrinkles spread out at the corners of the slack lips.Duke Dee knew at a glance that he belonged to the kind of idle, flirtatious and lecherous young man in the city.And yet he was steward of such a remote country estate. When Yan Yuan was offering tea, Di Gong asked, "Mr. Yan and Mr. Min are supposed to be relatives!" "I have a little relationship with Mrs. Min. My parents are in the state capital. I got a serious illness last year and nearly killed me. After recovering from the illness, my parents sent me here to recuperate and recuperate for a change of environment." "The Flying Tigers will completely eradicate your disease tonight!" Min Guotai couldn't help but interjected. Min Guotai spoke with a strong accent.A thick black beard surrounds the disk-like face, the jaw is broad and thick, and the head is full of fat.With a domineering and arrogant look, he looks like a top-notch merchant and shopkeeper in the city. "What disease is Brother Ling suffering from? Mr. Min." Di Gong asked. "Asthma, combined with heart disease, the wheezing is even worse." Min Guotai replied hastily, "If he could take care of himself earlier, he wouldn't be so sick. The doctor said that if he didn't lie flat on the bed, It doesn't take a year or so to lose my life. I had to entrust the tea shop in the city to those untrustworthy people, and come to this ghost place alone. The Flying Tigers are going to kill this manor tonight I'm extremely unlucky if I don't want to stay behind..." Di Gong said: "The Flying Tigers you are talking about are a group of grass bandits who cut the trails? I met one when I came here. They all had a piece of tiger skin on their shoulders, right? It didn't take me two swords to scare him away. You don’t have to be afraid, the pontoon bridge will be repaired and the soldiers you find will come here to rescue you.” "You put it lightly, Master Inspector, where do you get the wood for the floating bridge?" Min Guotai was anxious again. "When I came here, I saw an oak forest. Can't you send someone to cut it down?" Yan Yuan smiled wryly and replied: "The oak tree is certainly good, but the gang of robbers are lurking there. Didn't you see a human head hanging on a stake when you came? That poor man is our farmer. The Flying Tigers were afraid that we would send people to the gap to seek help from the officers and soldiers, so they set up ambushes around the village." As the manager spoke, he took out a chopstick from the tea tray, and put a teacup upside down on each side of the chopstick; "This chopstick is the Yellow River, the teacup here is the Miao Village of the South Bank army, and the teacup over there is The tea cup is our village." He dipped his index finger in some tea and drew a circle around the manor: "The hill where our village is located is the only highland on the north bank, and its surroundings have been submerged by floods. So we are now On a small isolated island, the ferry going to the south bank was swept away due to the swell of the river. The ferry was also submerged. Mr. Min just happened to be the last ferry that came from the south yesterday morning. God knows when the ferry will be repaired now. There is a floating sedan chair on the gap on the other side of the hill. The Flying Tiger Group threatened to start tonight, and they are rushing to build a cloud cart, and they are going to move the giant wood used to attack the gate." After hearing this, Duke Di couldn't help being filled with righteous indignation, and asked, "How many of them are there?" "About a hundred people," the manager replied, "although they are a mob, they are all outlaws. Many of them are soldiers who have experienced battles. There were more than three hundred of them before, but they were attacked by the officers and soldiers. After attacking and pursuing, the rest of them fled to us. Since the surrounding area was flooded, the officers and soldiers could not find them. They settled down in the cave behind this hill, and hid for some days. They Knowing that the ferry was flooded yesterday and the ferry was swept away, I became more courageous. I don’t need to worry about the government troops from the south bank coming to arrest them, so I sent a few people to our manor and asked for two hundred taels of gold. , They are going to loot the manor and kill everyone. Member Min has no choice but to give them gold in order to save the people in our manor and those refugees from being tortured. He gave us the key to the silver cabinet. We When the silver cabinet was opened, it was empty. On the same day, Min Yuanwai's servant girl escaped from the manor. We concluded that she stole the two hundred taels of gold, and suspected that she had some connection with the robbers. Otherwise, how did the Flying Tigers know that there were exactly two hundred taels of gold hidden in my silver cabinet? We told the robber leader about the theft of the gold, and the leader was furious, saying that we were entertaining him and deliberately setting up a trap to delay the time. They limited The last time—tonight. If they don’t take away two hundred taels of gold, they will officially launch an attack. At the moment they are busy preparing the attack equipment. We secretly sent people to the gap to find the officers and soldiers, but they were all defeated caught, decapitated and hung up by the hands." Di Gong said: "There is an official and army camp on the south bank of the Yellow River. There are more than a thousand soldiers stationed there. If we light a fire, won't they come to rescue?" Min Guotai said angrily: "Even if there is a sea of ​​fire here, they are just watching the fire from the other side!" "Yes, Lord Inspector doesn't know something," Director Yan continued, "Now that the river is soaring and the water conditions in the river are complicated, they dare not take the risk of capsizing the boat. And they would never dream that the Flying Tigers are rampant here at the moment Rampant. Because the cunning Flying Tigers never interfered with the business travelers going back and forth between the two sides of the strait before the ferry was washed away." Di Gong gave a "hmm", nodded slightly, and said: "The situation is indeed urgent, but it is not irreparable. We can strengthen our defenses and defend firmly. For example, distribute some weapons to the dealers, mobilize refugees to fight together, patrol day and night, If you call the police, I’m afraid you won’t be able to stand still!” Min Guotai sneered, and said, "Do you know how many weapons we have? Two rusty spears, four or five bows, dozens of arrows, and three swords. There are four handles in total." The manager nodded and said, "It turns out that this manor maintains 20 brave regiments and always has a small armory. The world has been peaceful for so long, and these weapons have gradually become useless." At this time, Liao Long, the steward, came in to report that the rice porridge prepared for the refugees was ready. Min Guotai pursed his lips and said, "Look, there are another forty or fifty mouths that can eat!" The manager smiled faintly: "Let's arrange a room for Di Shijun to rest first." Min Guotai said: "This matter has to be arranged by my brother. Lord Inspector, forgive us for not being able to give you the courtesy of Inspector, this is really a last resort. The three of us are going to serve the refugees right now. Your lord is wronged and wait here for a while .” Duke Di hurriedly said: "Stop worrying about me, I'll just sleep on the bench against the wall for a night." "Let my brother arrange it later." Min Guotai repeated, and then left the room with Yan Yuan and Liao Long. Di Gong poured himself a cup of tea and sipped it slowly.He stood up again and folded his hands behind his back, looking up to admire a large landscape painting hanging on the wall.On both sides of the scroll are couplets in large characters with a cautious style of writing, which say: Ninth Five-Year Yizhao Leyewei is the foundation of the country Di Gong nodded approvingly, and his eyes fell on the inkstone, ink, paper and pen on the desk.He suddenly made up his mind, quickly poured some tea on the stone inkstone, picked out a column of Panlong painted gold and pine smoke ink from the lacquer box, and slowly ground it while thinking about the composition.He took out a stack of letter paper, and wrote a few lines on a page with full pen and ink.After finishing writing, he recited it again, and copied the content of that page on a dozen sheets of paper like a Mengtong learning calligraphy.Then carefully stamped his seal on each piece of paper, rolled up the stack of letter paper and put it in his sleeve. ——His seal is always hung around his waist with a blue silk thread. He leaned back against the bench, guessing the possibility of success.He has an urgent sense of responsibility, he must rescue the innocent people in this manor and those refugees who are waiting to be fed.He even wanted to reveal his surname in front of the robbers, and talk to the robbers as Zhengqing, the highest judicial official in the court, to do some persuasion and publicity work.This means that he will take an unpredictable risk as a hostage, and it is very likely that he will have his ears or fingers cut off by the mob, or even his head.But he is confident, he knows how to deal with those robbers.However, the plan that was brewing in his heart at this moment was probably the most successful shortcut. He stood up, shook the fur robe, and walked out of the hall into the courtyard.A large group of refugees in the courtyard were wolfing down porridge.He turned to the stable behind the courtyard and found the boy who was feeding his horse, and had a long chat with him.The boy kept nodding his head, so Di Gong took out the roll of letter paper from his sleeve and handed it to him. He patted the boy on the shoulder and said, "Don't delay!" The boy carefully hid the roll of letter paper and left. out of the stables.Duke Di also quickly returned to the hall. Min Guotai was waiting for him in the hall. Seeing him coming back from the courtyard, he immediately said, "Hugh is hanging out with those refugees and beggars! My brother told you to go see him now."