After eating Sun Erniang's buns and resting in Yucheng for another day, Wu Haogu did not have a fever again, and the cold was already half cured. So the next day, I packed my bags and set out on the journey east.

This time, when he continued to the east and left Yucheng County, Zhang Du Baozheng had already organized a large business group. In addition to Wu Haogu and Ximen Qing and others, there were two other caravans and more than ten travelers to join. The two newly joined caravans also had seventeen or eighteen guards each, plus twenty-two people from Ximenqing (not including Ximenqing himself), eight people from Wu Haogu (including Guo Jing and Panjia guards), and thirty people from Liu Du Baozheng, a total of ninety-five guards, almost the same number as one of the forbidden army.

However, there was some heaviness in everyone's hearts, and there was a solemn expression on their faces. There are heroes from Liangshan ahead, and I don't know if this time, I can spend a few money to buy the road and pass safely.

Before the merchant group set off, Zhang Du Baozheng told everyone that he had sent his nephew Zhang Xizai to Daze Township with gifts to visit the leader of the heroes of Liangshan.

If the other party's asking price is reasonable, you can pay some money to buy the road. If the price of the Liangshan heroes is too high, they can only fight.

Because the business group had not yet heard back when they set off, everyone's faces showed nervousness.

After leaving Yucheng, the group first traveled northward, crossed the ancient Bianqu (and the old road of the Bianhe River), and then traveled eastward along the north bank of the Gubian Canal, and arrived at the soaking water at night.

Bubble water is a tributary of Surabaya, connecting Surabaya and the ancient Bian Canal, the ancient Bian Canal can lead directly to Kaifeng Province, and Surabaya is connected to Weishan Lake, Lu Canal and Zhong Canal (all part of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal), Lu Canal all the way north into the Yellow River, the Middle Canal into the Huai River to the south, and the main water channel to the east of Kaifeng Province, the Bianhe River (also part of the Grand Canal) into the Huai River. In the Haizhou area of Huaibei, there are a series of waterways such as the Yunyan River, the Rose River, the Xinmu River, and the Xinyi River, which are also connected to the Huai River, the Bianhe River, and the Middle Canal. The result is a vast and well-connected network of water transport and irrigation.

With the support of this huge water system, at this time, between the Huanghuai and Huai, the economy is developed, the population is dense, and the industry and commerce are prosperous, surpassing Huainan and Jiangnan, and it is the economic and cultural center of the Great Song Dynasty.

It is the height of summer, and on both sides of the soaking water, there are endless rice fields and wheat fields, and the green crops are connected together, fluctuating with the wind, as if you are in a green ocean.

However, the distribution of villages on both sides of the water is a bit sparse, and at sunset, the merchant group is in the area where there is no village in front and no store in the back.

"Today's walk is a little slow, dare not rush into Zhuangzi to rest, it seems that I am going to sleep in the wilderness......"

Ximen Qing rode a horse and walked side by side with Wu Haogu.

Walking slowly is actually because of Wu Haogu, his cold has not yet healed, his body is weak, and he is not good at riding a horse, so he can't walk fast at all. And Ximen Qing will also take care of people, deliberately slowing down his speed and slowing down all the way. When others saw that he had more than 20 guards, all of whom were strong, and four or five of them were prepared armor (paper armor), they naturally did not dare to urge. He can only accompany Wu Haogu all the way leisurely and slowly.

"Camping in the wild, you won't be taken advantage of by the Liangshan bandits, right?" Looking at the wilderness around him, Wu Haogu couldn't help but worry that he had been robbed by the heroes of Liangshan.

"Don't worry." Ximen Qing smiled, "We have a lot of big cars in our line, and we will form a car formation in a while, camping in the water." You have three good hands who can shoot arrows, four more on my side, and three more under Zhang Dubaozheng, with ten good bows, even hundreds of thieves are not afraid. ”

Ten dozen hundred...... Ximen Qing is not bragging, but a true portrayal of war in the era of cold weapons. According to the art of war, it means that the military is not too good.

However, elite soldiers are very difficult to train, just Lin Chong, Lu Qian, Wu Song, and these people have the ability to boil since childhood.

All of them were able to shoot twenty arrows in one breath in a very short period of time with a foot bow with a pull of eight buckets and nine buckets, and they were not too accurate!

And ten hard hands that can shoot arrows can shoot 200 sharp arrows at a time, and if the enemy is not armored, hundreds of people will have to lie down. In fact, you don't need to shoot so much, shooting down dozens at a time is enough for hundreds of thieves to collapse and escape.

Therefore, in the opinion of Ximen Qing, who has read some ancestral military books and often walks around, with ten good men in the merchant group, it is enough to repel two or three hundred Liangshan heroes.

Those Liangshan heroes are just seeking money, and they won't really work hard.

……

The sky is dark, and the moon is like a hook.

The bright moonlight sprinkled on Daze Lake, sparkling. In a sparse grove by the lake, another bonfire was lit. There are more than 20 bonfires, and most of them are surrounded by Liangshan heroes wearing ordinary people's clothes and carrying various weapons, drinking wine and eating dry food.

Chao Gai, Wu Yong, and Zhao Tieniu sat alone around a bonfire.

Zhao Tieniu took the good wine sent by Liu Er before, gave it to Chao Gai and Wu Yong, and said with a smile: "The three brothers are really benevolent and righteous, they only take the life of Wu Haogu Na alone, and do not affect others, and I think tomorrow will be the death date of the surname Wu."

It's just that...... Then after Liu Er went back to report the news, would Wu Haogu flee back to Yucheng overnight? ”

"What I want is for him to flee back overnight," Chao Gai said with a smile, "The Song leader has already taken more than a hundred heroes around the north bank of the Gubian Canal, and if the surnamed Wu wants to return to Yucheng, he will be ambushed." ”

"What if he doesn't run away?"

Wu Yong laughed loudly: "If you don't escape, how can those caravans with him agree?" We, Liangshan, are willing to accept their purchase of road money, but we just want Wu Haogu's life, how can they have the same heart as Wu Haogu? ”

This is all the strategy used by the military advisor Wu, this Zhiduoxing of Liangshan, there is still a little bad water in his stomach, and he can also figure out people's hearts and know the truth of attacking the heart.

"Great!" Zhao Tieniu gritted his teeth and said hatefully, "The surname Wu is dead now!" ”

In fact, the contradiction between him and Wu Haogu is not very big, but he and Chen Youwen are too close, and Wu Haogu wants to take the position of Chen Youwen's head of calligraphy and painting. This is a courtier, and Wu Haogu will definitely try to replace the ploppy leader on Panlou Street after he ascends to the throne.

The relationship between Wu Haogu and Pan Daguan and Wang Juma is not a matter of one sentence?

If he loses the "foundation" of Panlou Street, he Zhao Tieniu will be miserable......

"Brother Tie Niu," Chao Gai also laughed, "When did we do things in Liangshan?"

It's just that our Liangshan brothers don't know how to play calligraphy, painting and literature, and they robbed the treasure in their hands, and I hope that Brother Tie Niu and that Chen Zhizhao can give a good price. ”

The heroes of Liangshan dispatched so many people this time, and they also ran to the vicinity of Xuzhou to commit crimes, which was a big risk. Chen Youwen's 10,000 yuan alone is not enough to pay for it, and the calligraphy and painting in the hands of Wu Haogu are also the entry of the heroes of Liangshan.

And if these paintings and calligraphy want to be sold, Chen Youwen naturally needs to take over.

"Definitely, definitely." Zhao Tieniu hurriedly took pictures of his chest and packed the ticket.

"That's it." Chao Gai smiled, "Strategist! When the brothers run out of wine and meat, they will start tonight, and early tomorrow morning, they can intercept the caravan from Yucheng.

Straight sies and thieves, these are also fat, you can't run away! ”

Although the goal of the Liangshan heroes on this trip was Wu Haogu, in line with the principle of beating rabbits with grass, they did not let go of those caravans - not to rob them, but to pay a toll fee.

Naturally, they can't be allowed to run back to Yucheng without paying the money for the road...... After all, the heroes of Liangshan are not the cowards here in Daze Township, and after killing Wu Haogu, they still have to go back to Liangshan, the old nest, to have a good time.