There is a small market in the southeast corner of Weizhou City, which was originally a trade place set up on the border between the Song and Xia countries, called 'Rongchang', and there are more than ten places like this 'Rongchang' at the junction of Song and Xia, and there are also in Xixia and Liao.

When the war between the two countries did not start, the field flourished for a while, and the Western Xia supplied livestock, leather goods, medicinal materials, pearls and jade, and green and white salt to the southern Song Dynasty, while the Song Dynasty exported tea, silk, cloth, rice and other materials from the south to the Western Xia; Of course, there are also forbidden commodities, the Xia State explicitly banned the trade of war horses, and the Song Dynasty strictly prohibited the export of military materials such as copper and iron, sulfur, flame nitrate, and arrows.

As a result of the war, such a field could only be abandoned, and apart from the people of the two countries trading here, there was no longer a scene of merchants from the two countries trading goods.

This field in the southeast corner has been abandoned at the beginning of the war between the two countries, but in the past six months, it is the place where the people of Weizhou want to go and are most afraid to go, because the place where the government distributes relief materials and alms porridge sheds is here, and the reason why they are also afraid of coming here is that a black market for grain has been formed here in recent months, and the people with empty stomachs can see the food hoarded like a hill when they come here, and let the rats and ants eat it, but they can't get even a handful of rice, and the despair in their hearts can be imagined.

There are also people who take risks and come in groups to steal in the middle of the night, but unfortunately, there is a gang of fierce men who guard day and night, because of stealing food, dozens of people have died here.

In the afternoon, there are still many people on the black market, everyone comes to the black market to buy food at night, and the people use their wives and daughters to do some transactions for food, of course, it is also at night, and it looks too eye-catching during the day; At this time, it is the most leisurely time for you, several men with open clothes and muscular abdomen lazily leaning against the mouth of the alley blowing the wind, and there is a crackling sound of abacus beads in a room behind him, which is the accounting master Cui Dabao is taking inventory, and using a lamb's hair to rustle on thick yellow paper and present it to some people.

As for who to hand it over, everyone knows it, but they are all warned to shut up, so no one says more, after all, it is lucky to be able to mix in this gang guarding the black market, compared with the other tens of thousands of other people in the city, it is a lucky thing, there is no need to worry about food and clothing here, and there can be a reward, and at this moment in Weizhou City, it can be regarded as a human being.

The sound of horses' hooves broke the silence of the afternoon, and a man who led the team opened his bloodshot bull's eye to look around, only to see dust rising from the main street, and a group of horse soldiers in bright armor rushing towards this side.

The man who led the team was a little puzzled, but he didn't take this matter to heart, the most feared thing in this place was the officers and soldiers, which team of officers and soldiers would make trouble here, unless they were blind.

But the situation suddenly made him feel bad, the cavalry was four or five hundred people, without blinking an eye, rushed straight into the mouth of the alley, in the head were four fierce and vicious military masters dressed in all the head clothes, one of them had a purple and black face, thick eyebrows and big eyes, and pointed at the man standing at the entrance of the alley with the horsewhip in his hand and said: "You are the residents here?" ”

The leading man hurriedly stepped forward and arched his hand: "Little Huang Xiaoqi see the military master, why don't the military masters rest in the barracks on a hot day and come here?" ”

A man with nostrils facing the sky and a hideous face stepped forward with a whip, which made Huang Xiaoqi hug his head and scream, and the head of the capital scolded: "Thief bird, I'm asking you about it, you asked us first, looking for a fight." ”

Huang Xiaoqi hurriedly hid to the side, and said with a sad face: "We are the companions of the caretaker here, what are the military masters doing here?" Did it run away or something? There's not a single person here. ”

The thick-eyed man said loudly: "We are the guards of the Weizhou Mansion, and we are the guards of the Weizhou Mansion, and I have been ordered by my lord to inspect the whole city, and I have been reported by the people that there is black market rice here. ”

"Check ...... Examine...... Close down? Huang Xiaoqi was shocked and hurriedly said: "It's ...... here." Someone around him hurriedly coughed and reminded him not to talk nonsense, Huang Xiaoqi quickly swallowed the second half of the sentence back into his stomach, almost flashing his tongue.

"Get out of the way, stand here honestly and wait for interrogation, look at your sneaky appearance, you must be the main messenger of this black market, you are not allowed to leave." The thick-eyed man shouted.

Before Huang Xiaoqi could speak, more than a dozen horse soldiers rushed up and controlled several men at the entrance of the alley, and the man with thick eyebrows and big eyes waved his hand and shouted: "Brothers, go in and seal up this black market, all the personnel will be brought to the government for trial, and all the stolen goods seized will be sealed. ”

The crowd shouted: "Order!" Then they rode their horses into the black market, and suddenly there was a sound of chickens flying and dogs jumping, and many men on duty at night were hiding in the pergola behind and were sleeping by themselves, and they were tied up in a hazy sleepy eye.

In the midst of the noise, Master Cui Dabao was pushed and shoved and brought to Wang Dynasty Ma Han and others, Wang Chao held a handful of white rice in his hand and asked lightly: "You are the owner of this black market?" ”

Cui Dabao rolled his eyes, his expression was not panicked, and he arched his hand and said: "This military master, you are mistaken, this is not a black market, this is just a granary of our Weizhou military rations, the military master is from the capital with the new prefect, no wonder you don't know." ”

Wang Chao sneered: "If there is no evidence, how can I come here to seize it?" Don't quibble, if you have anything to say, go and tell Master Su. ”

Cui Dabao said viciously: "Gentlemen, don't blame the old man for not reminding you, it's better to hurry up and go back, what should be done, don't have nothing to do; You've already poked the basket, I'm afraid that even the adults in your family may not be able to afford it. ”

Wang Chao was stunned, and just about to speak, Ma Han on the side couldn't help it, stepped forward and gave Cui Dabao two big mouths, and scolded: "You came to threaten our masters, you are still worried about yourself, take it to the prefect's yamen and beat you forty boards without saying a word, and you are still so arrogant when your ass blooms." ”

Cui Dabao covered his face and said angrily: "How do you beat people? Are there any rules? ”

Mahan scolded angrily: "Beat you? It's still light, brothers, take off this old guy's clothes, who doesn't like to be dirty and pick up horse manure to coat him, let's drag him to the streets, it's quite horizontal to open a black market before the old killing. ”

Several soldiers pounced like wolves, stretched out their hands and touched Cui Dabao's body, Cui Dabao jumped and dodged, and shouted: "Don't come nonsense, don't do this." ”

Cui Dabao hurriedly covered the vital place, bowed his body and cursed, causing the horse army to punch and kick, and finally was coated with horse manure and horse urine, tied up with ropes and dragged behind the horse.

Ma Han said loudly: "Take him to the streets and tell the people that this is the consequence of opening a black market and harming people." ”

Cui Dabao was ashamed to death, and muttered: "You will regret it, you are simply lawless." ”

Wang Chao laughed and said: "The way of the world has changed, now the thief shouts to catch the thief, and the one who opens the black market actually scolds the officers and soldiers for being lawless. ”

Cui Dabao raised his hand and pointed at Wang Dynasty excitedly: "I'm just helping, this is not my place." When he raised his hand, he revealed his black lower body, and quickly covered it again after realizing it.

Wang Chao said: "Okay, who is the main messenger of this black market?" You say it and you'll get out of it. ”

Cui Dabao said: "You are not worthy, I will scare you to death if I say it, and the acquaintance quickly let Lao Tzu go, and quickly lead people to get out." ”

Wang Chaoyi waved his hand and said: "Pull the guy who goes to the street, and doesn't shed tears when he doesn't see the coffin, walk a hundred steps and whip a whip, don't be polite to him." ”

Cui Dabao yelled and scolded, and was dragged by several Ma soldiers on a rope and paraded through the streets. Dynasty Ma Han, Zhang Long, Zhao Hu and others seized all the materials in the black market, tied up all the personnel, arrested more than 70 people, tied them into a slip, like a string of toads that were strung together, pulled through the market, and brought back to the yamen.

Along the way, the people who heard the news rushed to watch, and after a while, both sides of the street were full of people who were bustling with hungry chests and backs, Cui Dabao was pulled behind the horse's buttocks with his bare buttocks, and a horse soldier behind him followed up from time to time to draw a whip, and walked out of several alleys, Cui Dabao was already covered with whip marks.

The people are relieved in their hearts, this Cui Dabao is the most unfortunate thing, the people smash the pot and sell iron to exchange for some food, and they are often deducted by this old thing, and this old thing also spoils the wives and daughters of more than a dozen people in exchange for food, and everyone has long hated him; Someone picked up the stones on the side of the road and smashed him, some children were naughty, and shot small pebbles at Cui Dabao's vital point with a slingshot, although the small pebbles were not very powerful, but the vital point was the most fragile, and after being hit several times, they suddenly swollen with black purple, and the people who watched laughed.

These dozens of people were escorted to the hall of the government office, kneeling all over the ground, Wu Hengxin, the head of the government servant, beat the drumstick on the big drum in the hall, and after a while, Su Jin stretched his waist with a yawn, and a watermelon seed was still stained in his mouth, and walked out step by step.