Lai Wubao showed Li Dan the hammer he picked up from the man in black. The word "Fan" was engraved under the hammer's head.
"You did a good job." Li Dan squeezed his arm tightly: "But don't let the third person know about this. Someone wants to play riddles, hehe, let's pretend we didn't see it. Maybe they will Keep making moves."
"Understood!" Lai Wubao replied simply with a salute.
Li Dan summoned Huang Qin and Mao Zaidi: "You two go last and check if there are any pursuers. If so, Amao avoids them to deliver the message. Cross Jiufeng (Huang Qin's nickname) and follow them and watch them carefully. Who to meet, where to rest, etc..."
Then he asked Yang Dayi to go to the front.
"Ajiu, the carriage is left to you! Brother Lu, you are solely responsible for protecting the princess, don't leave even an inch!"
"It's your job, sir, don't worry!" Lu Rui responded loudly. By this time, everyone already knew who they had spent the night with in a hotel, and everyone's eyes were bright.
King Ding noticed his arrangement and felt a little embarrassed: "Isn't it a bit exaggerated?" he said with a smile.
"Has your Highness offended anyone recently, causing others to actually want your life?" Li Dan half-joked, "Now, they must even want my life."
"Who can I offend? If Your Majesty hadn't allowed me to go on this trip, I would have had no choice but to wander around Shangjing and the palace. How could I have the chance to offend anyone? Could it be that my dear brother has offended someone? He came all the way from Nanchang to this place. Chase?" King Ding in turn made Li Dan happy.
"Oh, that would be great." Li Dan smiled bitterly: "I can hear the leader of the thieves naming you and wanting to kill you!"
"Really?" King Ding looked over in surprise.
Li Dan nodded: "They are not official soldiers, but they are well-trained. The first wave of attackers are almost all masters. If I hadn't arrived, I'm afraid even Zhou Yuanlu would be lying there."
Seeing that King Ding was even more surprised, Li Dan asked softly: "They knew it was you, but they still invested so much money. What do they want to do?"
"Do you have a clue?"
"Yes. But I don't believe it!"
"Why?"
"How could you know that such obvious evidence was not shown to us on purpose?"
King Ding nodded: "It makes sense. When there is an opportunity, we will know after interrogating the prisoner in the car behind." After a while, he shook his head again: "I'm afraid they won't give us time to breathe. What's San Lang's plan?"
"How many more people do we have?" Li Dan asked.
"Seven were killed in the battle and six were injured, two of whom were serious. There are still fourteen people left in my bodyguard." King Ding replied.
"No one on my side was killed, only one was slightly injured." Li Dan replied.
"Hey, why is this?"
"We set up an ambush after discovering the enemy's situation, so the first group of people who attacked the west wing were wiped out almost immediately. In addition, we used archers and crossbowmen to seal the gate..." Li Dan suddenly remembered a detail:
"By the way, I took a look at the two people who fought against Zhou Yuanlu. They had more than one scratch on their bodies, but they were wearing soft chain armor, so they were not injured. This may be the reason why Chitose's guards suffered a lot of casualties. one."
"They actually have armor?" King Ding asked in surprise: "You just said they were not officers and soldiers?"
"Yes, so this is very strange!" Li Dan shook his head: "We don't know the number of them yet, but there are only about twenty people who can fight, which is really not many. Why didn't you bring more guards?"
"I don't want to make any noise, but I didn't expect to encounter such a large group of gangsters!" King Ding looked around: "What should I do now? If they come after me, it will be difficult for these people to escape!"
"Yesterday we crossed the Jiao River, and going further down is the Dasha River. From that river to the southeast is Huaiqing County. How about I take you to Huaiqing, and then show your identity and call the guards to protect you? Otherwise, cross the Shahe. , the only choice is to go to Tongcheng.”
The guardsmen in this dynasty are equivalent to the armed police in the previous life, not the guards in the Ming Dynasty. What Li Dan said about transferring troops to Huaining actually refers to the troops of the "Lujiang Right Guards" stationed in Anqing Prefecture (which governs Huaining). It is estimated that it will take about four days for them to arrive.
Tongcheng is closer to Luzhou Prefecture.
"Jiang Qianwei" area, it is difficult to say whether the other party can cross-regional reinforcements. If we also mobilize troops from Anqing, it will take seven or eight days.
But King Ding obviously doesn’t want to reveal his identity so early: “We will go to Tongcheng first, and I will select the best riders to go to Tongcheng first to inform them that they should prepare for the situation.”
"Then it's best to have one person and two horses," Li Dan suggested. "In addition, he can continue to move forward, all the way to Lujiang County, Shucheng, and Lujiang Fucheng. There is another way to ask Mr. Lu to accompany him."
"In that case...is there too much noise?" King Ding hesitated. He already knew Lu Rui's identity as a pterosaur guard, so he had some concerns.
"Chitose, Mr. Lu has to report this matter to His Majesty anyway, so it's better to borrow his help. The Tongcheng Winged Dragon Guard may be very weak, but Lujiang is different! Moreover,"
Li Dan smiled: "You don't know yet, right? My maternal grandfather's home is in Lujiang. As long as we reach Lujiang safely, the danger should be over."
"In that case, fine, I'll do as you say!" King Ding looked at his broken team and finally made up his mind.
When they were inquiring about the ferry and preparing to cross the Shahe River, Mao Zaidi caught up with them: "They are coming, just two miles behind me!" Everyone's expressions changed.
The people at the roadside tea stall dispersed in a hurry, but the old man selling tea did not leave. He grabbed Li Dan who had just put down his bowl and said softly:
"Go east, and when you get to Gudu, there is a big pier. There is a reception temple above it. The monks in it are all martial arts. The host is called Dingxin. He is the uncle of the head of the Hu family in Gudu...!"
Li Dan was overjoyed when he heard that, he cupped his fists and handed over his hands: "Thanks for the advice, old man, the bad guys are coming, you should hide quickly!" After that, he said to Mao Zaidi: "Reward!"
Mao Zaidi took out a bunch of money with a loud sound and slapped it on his stall. The bunch contained no less than forty copper coins.
"Gao Can protects the rear of the team, Zhang Nao and Zhang Bo protect the carriage, the whole team is heading to the ancient ferry, speed up!" Li Dan shouted as he ran.
King Ding also quickly picked up the stirrup and mounted his horse, "Zhou Yiwei, the whole team obeys Master Li's command and set off!" In fact, he didn't need to repeat it, everyone was already accustomed to obeying Li Dan's command.
The whole team galloped eastward. Princess Miyun and the two maids in the carriage all fastened their seat belts and turned pale with nervousness.
Miyun held tightly the short knife given to her by King Ding (he already had a short blunderbuss) in her hand. She glanced at it from time to time and prayed in her heart: It's best not to use it.
In front of the team, there is a vast plain, and even if there are streams and rivers, they are quite shallow and gentle. The dust rising from the pursuers behind them could already be seen clearly.
Li Dan suddenly left the team, and Mao Zidi, who was following him, blew the bamboo flute in his hand, which was a signal to gather.
After a while, people gathered around them one after another. In addition to Lu Jiu and Lu Rui, who had set off earlier, Yang Dayi and his three soldiers also returned.
"Put up the flag of the Green Shirt Team!" Li Dan ordered through gritted teeth. Soon, the green flag fluttered on Gao Can's iron spear.
"Li Sanlang, what are you going to do?" Prince Ding actually brought Zhou Yuanlu and two guards back.
"What are you doing here, Chitose? We are going to fight!" Li Dan drew out his knife: "Zhou Yuanlu, what is your responsibility? Take Chitose away quickly, or I will kill you first!"
Zhou Yuanlu had seen his sword before, so he and his guards had to fight hard to stop King Ding.
"What can you do with just ten of you? Isn't this a death sentence?"
"If Chitose doesn't leave, I will die!" Li Dan roared angrily.
King Ding knew that Li Dan was right, so he gritted his teeth and turned around to pursue the group with Zhou Yuanlu and the others.
"Give me a short blunderbuss." Li Dan said.
"I'll give it to you. I can't hit this thing accurately anyway." Zhang Bo handed over one, and Zhang Nao also handed over one.
Li Dan tilted his head and looked at Zhang Nao. Seeing that he only had a single sword in his hand, he smiled and said: "Tong Operator, are you used to that thing?" Then he called Lai Wubao: "Give the hammer you picked up to our big accountant first. Use it!" Zhang Nao took it and weighed it, and was very satisfied.
The pursuers on the other side of the conversation stopped two hundred steps away from them. Li Dan looked through a telescope:
"Well, I counted forty-seven people, and the gray beard in the middle
He must be the leader. This guy seems to be very dissatisfied with us blocking the way. Look at his look! "
"He won't look like this when we catch him." Zhang Bo said, and everyone laughed softly.
"We have to try to hold them off for a while." Li Dan put away the telescope: "What good ideas do you have?"
"I'll go shout." Gao Can suddenly said. Li Dan nodded.
So Gao Can jumped out of his horse, walked thirty steps forward, and shouted loudly: "Across the river, there are no unnamed heroes in the world. If you are an upright person, please state your name!"
No one answered on the other side, so he sneered: "Why, we beat us to a pulp last night, and today more than forty people have been chasing us for a whole day, and we don't even dare to tell our names? Ridiculous!"
There was a slight commotion in the team on the opposite side, and then a young man jumped out: "Who are you, and why do you ask me who I am? If you are wise, get out of the way. You will not be able to bear the consequences of delaying my important event!"
"What's buzzing? Which door wasn't closed to let you out?" Gao Can burst into laughter as soon as he spoke. "Boy, have you never read a book or have you never learned to read? Don't you understand the three words written on our flag?"
"I've never heard of someone like you in the world."
"Have you not heard that you are too short-sighted? I am walking in and out among Shangrao's tens of thousands of troops. It is like entering a deserted land. If you are wise, you should quickly dismount your horse and apologize verbally. Then go back and tell your leader to go back. Otherwise, I will only be afraid of you." I can’t leave today even if I want to!”
The man opposite was furious, and he made a fool of himself with a pair of short halberds on his horse, shouting, "I don't care whether you are green or white, I'll take your dog's head first!" As he said that, he galloped forward on his horse.
A cruel smile appeared on the corner of Gao Can's mouth, and he waited for him to arrive with admiration.
At the moment when the two horses stood up against each other in the stirrups and the two short halberds were raised, Gao Can suddenly leaned on his horse and sent the iron spear forward in his hand, and a bloody light flashed.
The horse with an empty saddle stopped in front of Li Dan's team, looked at everyone in surprise, shook his head and ran away.
Gao Can shook his hand and threw the enemy corpse to the ground, then rubbed the blood from the spearhead on his clothes, and still set up the blood-stained flag in place. There was a burst of cheers and applause from behind.
At this time, the "leader" moved forward. He reined in the horse and held his hand: "Dare I ask the guy opposite, is it Li Sanlang?"
"My young master doesn't have time to accept your tricks, Gao is enough!"
The leader smiled slightly: "I heard folklore that there are thirty-six stars in the Green Shirt Team, among which the Tianying Star is called Gao Can. He once conquered three cities in three days with one man, one horse and one spear. I guess he is the one he is talking about." ?」
"Oh, there is such a saying? I don't even know!" Gao Can laughed.
"Mr. Gao Lang, we are not in conflict with each other. I am neither the Lou family nor the Yang family. Why should you embarrass me and others?"
"The problem is that you are chasing us, and you are chasing us so fast!"
"That's because there is someone among you that I want."
"That's why I can't give it to you!"
The leader's expression changed: "I don't have the patience to joke with you. That man is a big thief, and my master must kill him!"
"Big thief?" Gao Can sneered: "The Green Shirt Team protects the royal blood and the Han people, and has never interacted with any big thief. In that case, your Excellency is chasing the wrong one, so why not quickly go back and investigate the main point in detail? Find it."
"You!" The leader gritted his teeth: "You don't know how to appreciate me!"
"Hey, you don't even dare to claim your name, and I don't want to praise you!"
"Then I'll let you see blood, and then you can clear your mind!" After the leader said this, he turned his horse and returned.
Huang Qin asked in a low voice: "Sir, that guy is a hundred and twenty steps away from us, I can shoot him!"
"Wait, he belongs to you anyway. Call Gao Can back first." After speaking, Li Dan ordered everyone to check the ammunition and make preparations. When they came out, everyone was equipped with short muskets, except for Yang Dayi and the three lancers who were only officers.
"Looking at their posture, they are preparing to charge at us." Li Dan said, "After firing two cannons later, the enemy will hesitate.
Mr. Yang, please come from the flanks
We rush over and sweep their tails, and then we shoot the third gun and rush from the front. Huang Qin is responsible for killing the leader, if he is still alive! "
At this time, the group of people on the opposite side shouted, and then the leader rushed out first, followed closely by the others. Sure enough, it was like a sharp arrow, rushing straight towards Li Dan.
"Get ready." The enemy rushed to where their leader was standing just now.
"First round, let's go!" The gunfire was fired, and three horses fell. In the second burst of gunfire, another four or five horses fell. Sure enough, the one behind held the reins.
The horses, which had never seen firearms, screamed in fright and dared not move forward without their masters controlling them. At this time, Yang Dayi and others emerged from the smoke of gunpowder, and the rear of the team immediately let out exclamations and screams.
"They are behind!" someone shouted. Before the others could turn their horses' heads, the third row of self-generated cannons fired. Huang Qin took aim at the leader and shot an arrow, hitting the horse that was jumping in the chaos. , throwing the leader off his horse.
"Charge!" Li Dan took the lead, fired the last musket ball, inserted the short musket into his waist, pulled out the steel knife and rushed into the enemy group. The enemy soon couldn't stand the defeat and retreated.
Amidst the sound of bamboo flutes, Li Dan and others fought through the enemy ranks again and gathered under the green flag. Only Zhang Nao and Lai Wubao were slightly injured, and the others were unharmed.
The enemy retreated back to the starting point in a chaotic manner, with more than a dozen corpses or groaning wounded lying strewn on the ground.
"I'm so sorry, I couldn't shoot him to death, but he escaped!" Huang Qin was very angry.
"It's okay, I see your arrow pot is full again?" Li Dan pointed behind him in surprise.
"There is a guy who is an archer, but he is not as fast as me." Huang Qin said with a smile on his face: "I have captured more than thirty arrows, now I feel at ease!"
"Sir, there are cavalry coming from behind!" Mao Zaidi shouted.
Everyone looked back and sure enough, dozens of riders were heading this way. Looking at the other side, they were a little panicked when they saw this situation, and they immediately got on their horses and turned around to go back to the road.
"Okay, they retreated!" Yang said carelessly, taking out his binoculars to look at the team behind him: "Zhou Yiwei is taking the lead, so he should be one of our own!"
After a while, the group behind them was approaching. Zhou Yuanlu first urged his horse to come forward, raised his hands and said, "Sir, the monks from the temple are here to help in the battle. The master ordered me to bring them to meet the master."
Then he introduced the monk following him: "This is Master Daxing, the leader of the monk soldiers."
Li Dan met Daxing and liked him very much when he saw his strong body, thick hands and feet, and his electric eyes.
Immediately, he thanked him for his help. Since the enemy had retreated, he summoned everyone to follow Zhou Yuan back to the temple. The monks were responsible for burying the dead, treating the wounded, and performing the good deeds of Buddhist disciples.
He was not interested in the dead Li Dan. After seeing and hearing what the leader said just now, he seemed to be even more eager to know who was behind the scenes.
He was rushing to the temple now. In fact, the main purpose was to interrogate a prisoner Lu Jiu captured last night. Maybe he could pry out some useful information from this guy's teeth?
"I'm finally feeling better. It seems that prayer sometimes works."
