The Happy Life of Small Officials in Northern Song Dynasty

Qiu Dabao found the keys from the bandits and opened the cell door. The three of Su Jin were finally free. The prisoners in the other cells were also alarmed. Seeing the dead bodies of the bandits lying on the spot, they all gathered together in surprise and joy. Beside the railing, he looked at Su Jin and the others eagerly.

Su Jin walked over and said: "Be safe and don't be impatient, although I don't know why you were imprisoned by the bandits, but as long as you keep quiet and stay quietly, I promise to rescue you from the cage, but if anyone is disobedient Shouting and screaming, don't blame me for being ruthless."

The prisoners knelt down and kowtowed after hearing the words. Everyone's hope of escape was pinned on Su Jin and others. At this time, something happened. If Su Jin didn't need to take action, others would beat him to death.

Qiu Dabao crossed his hands and said, "What should we do now? Don't tell me that I haven't figured out a solution yet."

Su Jin said: "Don't worry, I have my own ideas, but I have to get rid of these corpses first, if someone comes, it won't be bad."

Su Jin ordered Chao Mahan to strip off the clothes of the three bandits, carried the corpses to his cell and stuffed them tightly under the quilt, and then changed the bandits' clothes with Chao Mahan, and used a knife After scraping off the blood on the ground and cleaning the blood mud to the corner, everything was done, and then he sat on the stool and took a breath.

"Brother Qiu, now let's talk about how to turn this cottage upside down."

Qiu Dabao sat down speechless. At this moment, he felt more and more afraid. This matter was simply too difficult, but Su Jin seemed to have a plan in mind. No matter what, he could only rely on the young man in front of him.

"Brother Qiu, do you have any good brothers in this cottage, the kind who treat you wholeheartedly, those who are polite on the surface can be excluded."

"Brothers on good terms? That's not much. Old Si Chen at the first checkpoint at the foot of the mountain is very kind to me. When he made a mistake in his affairs, I pleaded with him in front of the head of the family, which saved him from punishment. He has always respected me."

Su Jin frowned and said: "Brother Qiu, I'm not trying to guess riddles with you. If you can do it, you can do it. If you can't do it, don't count it in. Once you betray the water, you and I will die without a place to die."

Qiu Dabao thought carefully for a while and said: "Absolutely. This person once told me that he would go to another place to settle down together, but I discouraged him. It can be seen that he is confidant to me."

Su Jin said: "Okay, how many people can he mobilize under his command?"

Qiu Dabao said: "There are quite a lot of people at the first checkpoint, but apart from Chen Laosi, there is also a small boss who is also stationed there. Chen Laosi has only more than 40 people under him."

Su Jin said: "How many people are there?"

"About 120 people."

Su Jin asked again: "Do you have anyone on hand?"

Qiu Dabao said: "To tell you the truth, I only have seven or eight followers, Shen Yaozu has always been wary of me, I have no real power."

Su Jin nodded and said: "I guessed so, but the number is enough."

Qiu Dabao said in surprise: "Enough? You want to use dozens of us to fight against more than 800 people in the cottage?"

Su Jin smiled and said: "Don't worry, this is just part of the plan. My plan is to cooperate with the inside and the outside. In the early morning of tomorrow, you will go down the mountain and so-and-so, and then when the opportunity comes, we will be so-and-such." In this way, when it comes to that matter, we should work together to make dumplings for them."

Qiu Dabao pondered: "The strategy is good, but I'm afraid something will happen."

Su Jin laughed loudly and said: "At this time, why are you still afraid of wolves and tigers?"

Qiu Dabao suddenly said: "Okay, it's done, but I have a request."

Su Jin said: "Please tell me."

"I want you to hand over that gold medal to me for self-defense. I'm still worried that you will cross the river and tear down the bridge."

Su Jin said: "You can't take the gold medal. This gold medal is bestowed by the emperor. If I lose it, I will lose my head."

Qiu Dabao said: "I'm going to fight with you with my head up, and you have to take the risk, otherwise this matter will be dropped, you and I will die, why should I be a villain in vain, and leave a reputation as a traitor."

Su Jin said: "Why can't you trust me?"

Qiu Dabao said: "I believe in people, but I have never received good rewards. Zhu Shiyong, Tang Jiyuan, Shen Yaozu, although I can't say that I am loyal to them, but I have never had a second heart. What happened in the end? Everyone is suspicious of me. , and some even want to kill me to silence them, I have to guard against them."

Su Jin frowned, and finally gritted his teeth: "Okay, I will leave it to you for safekeeping, but you must not lose it, otherwise your head and mine will be moved."

Qiu Dabao said: "I can't lose it even if I lose my life. Once your promise is fulfilled, I will return it to you and kowtow to you as an apology."

Without saying a word, Su Jin handed the gold medal to Qiu Dabao, stretched out his hand to take a stack of yellow paper beside the table, dipped a pen in ink and wrote a few lines in Qiu Dabao's hand, saying: "I will go to work tomorrow. It's up to you for the time being, the three of us can't show up, we can only stay here and wait for your news."

Qiu Dabao took it with his hand, stuffed it in his pocket, and went out.

……

In the early hours of the morning, the sky has just turned pale and white. On a winter morning, the cold air hits the bone marrow, and people who are cold just want to scold their mothers.

The pass was densely packed with bandits, and they were woken up by the noise down the mountain early in the morning. Looking around, people in the camp of officers and soldiers under the mountain were neighing and preparing for battle.

The bandits cursed fiercely at these unsafe officers and soldiers. They knew how to shoot at random with arrows every day, and they didn't dare to attack, but they couldn't ignore it, because once they relaxed their vigilance, their cavalry team could break through the mountain Although there are still several checkpoints on it, the horses can't go up at all, but once the pass is broken through, even if you escape for your life, you may not be able to escape. The mountain road is crowded, and it is not easy to withdraw to the checkpoint in the first place.

In view of this, Shen Yaozu ordered to guard the pass. On the mountain ridges on both sides of the pass, the bandits on several arrow towers shrunk their necks and stared down the mountain in the cold wind, not daring to slack off.

The rising sun dissipated the mist, and the officers and soldiers came to stand [-] paces away from the pass as in the past two days, shouting and cursing, and shooting randomly at the pass with scattered arrows. The officers and soldiers were well-equipped. They are also strong bows with strong tendons, the number of which is much larger than that of the bandits. Such strong bows can be shot three hundred to four hundred paces away. Fortunately, the officers and soldiers are in an unfavorable position, and the slightly upward angle of the shot greatly reduces the shooting range. Otherwise, the bandits are afraid that they are all within the envelope of bows and arrows.

However, the officers and soldiers did not dare to approach too much. Although there are not many strong bows among the bandits, even ordinary bows and arrows can reach a range of more than 300 steps with a condescending shot, and there are dozens of strong bows that can directly shoot arrows. Shooting into the formation of officers and soldiers, so occasionally officers and soldiers were shot by arrows, causing the bandits to make a fuss.

Qiu Dabao stood on the top of an arrow tower in front, holding a Zhe wood longbow and twisting a bamboo arrow in his hand, and the two bandits beside him said excitedly: "Second leader, open your eyes for us. Hearing that Erdang's archery skills are exquisite, he shot an officer and soldier pig for us to see."

Qiu Dabao smiled and said, "Want to see it?"

The bandits nodded like garlic, Qiu Dabao put on the arrow and drew the bowstring to the full, only to hear the sound of Weng, the arrow flew through the air, drew a perfect arc, and hit the chest of an enemy general on horseback, The bandits on the top and bottom of the arrow tower saw it clearly, and shouted happily, but to their surprise, the general did not fall off the horse in response, but just coughed twice while covering his chest, stretched out his hand and pulled out the arrow, breaking his hands and throwing them on the ground. side.

"Damn it, bamboo heads can't pierce armor, go down and get me a bundle of iron-tipped arrows." Qiu Dabao cursed.

One bandit promised to climb down the ladder quickly, while the other bandit remained motionless, Qiu Dabao said: "You also go to help, the iron-headed arrow is very heavy, he can't lift a bundle by himself."

The bandit had no choice but to turn around and go down the arrow tower along the bamboo ladder; Qiu Dabao looked around, shrunk his body so that the bandits below could not see him, reached out and took an arrow, snapped the arrow, and quickly He took out a piece of yellow paper from his bosom, wrapped it around the shaft of the arrow, and tied it tightly with thin threads. Just after doing this, he felt the arrow tower shaking, and the two bandits were already climbing the bamboo ladder holding the arrow.

Qiu Dabao didn't hesitate anymore, he bent his bow and set up an arrow, and shot out with all his strength; the arrow whimpered and hit the belly of a war horse, the horse hissed sadly, the man stood up, and killed the man on the horse. Lifted off.

The bandits applauded again and again, Shen Yaozu, who was standing in the distance, nodded secretly, and said with a smile: "The second master's mind is aura, he knows that the armor can't go in, so he shoots the horse instead, isn't it just like catching the thief before the king, and the person first shooting the horse what?"

The bandits around shouted: "Good poems, good poems. The all-round talent in civil and military affairs of the master can be called the brightest of Zhuge and the best of Guan Yun."

Shen Yaozu scolded with a smile: "A bunch of bumpkins return their schoolbags, how can there be such a saying as Zhuge Zhiliang and Guan Yun?"

While talking, I saw the horse fell to the ground with a bang, struggling to get up, and several officers and soldiers surrounded it, but they didn't know what the hell was going on. Soon after, the officers and soldiers suddenly rang the gong to close the team, and all returned to the camp. Shen Yaozu and others rolled their eyes.

On the arrow tower, Qiu Dabao, who was aiming left and right with an iron arrow, spat and said, "Unlucky, what are you doing?"

"I must be afraid of the second master's magic arrow." A bandit said.

"That must be the case, count them as acquaintances, otherwise it would be strange if the second master didn't kill two birds with one stone." Another bandit also said.