At the foot of Dagu Mountain, beside an archway.
Ouyang Rong was about to rush to Zheyi Canal to take a boat, but he met Yan Liulang's group who led the people of Longcheng to take refuge.
Seeing the strange expressions on Yan Liulang and others' faces, Ouyang Rong became nervous and immediately asked questions.
"Ah Shan?"
Ouyang Rong looked stunned at first. After hearing this, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Fortunately, Ah Shan is here!"
But immediately, Ouyang Rong frowned slightly, "But why did Ah Shan come back so soon? Didn't he send people back to Nanlong for me?"
He whispered, his face looking worried and happy at the same time.
In any case, before Ouyang Rong comes back, it is good news among the many bad news at the moment that Liu Ashan can temporarily step in to stabilize the situation at the county government.
After explaining the details in detail, Yan Liulang looked ashamed and lowered his head:
"Mingfu, I'm useless. In the end, Brother Ah Shan has to step forward..."
"Nothing, just do your duty! Rokuro, do what you should do."
Ouyang Rong comforted him and turned his head to look at the green smoke in the mountains in the distance.
He lowered his eyes and murmured:
"I don't know if Ah Shan has received the letter from my junior sister. Knowing that I'm back, he should feel less stressed...
"Also, Liulang said that Ashan was preparing to rescue supplies for the sluice at Penglangdu, but this time, it was different from the past. There was a reason for the rising water in Yunmengze upstream, and it was right under his nose.
"The top priority should be to go to Xiaogushan to stop the Liu family from forging swords before the rising water approaches the threshold of Dickong Gate and collapses..."
Ouyang Rong nodded and looked away from the Butterfly Creek Xiaogushan in the distance.
Look around.
I saw that Yan Liulang was not the only first batch of people to arrive at Dagushan.
From all directions, there are groups of people migrating, gathering at the foot of Dagu Mountain.
It was Liu Ashan who should have issued the county magistrate's handwriting on behalf of Ouyang, and it was distributed to various places. People from villages and towns upstream and downstream, led by the elders of the rural sages, came here one after another to take refuge.
After the last evacuation experience in Yunmengze due to rising water not long ago, the people of Longcheng became relatively familiar with each other and had less resistance to evacuation.
The most important thing is the prestige accumulated by a certain Carrot County Magistrate in these days.
Ouyang Rong did not stay at the foot of Dagu Mountain for too long, waiting to clear his thoughts and comfort the fellow villagers who had gathered and enthusiastically supported him.
Ouyang Rong turned around and gave Yan Liulang some precautions about people's evacuation.
"Rokuro, hold on here, I'll go to Zheyi Canal to find a boat first!"
He took a fast horse from the catcher's hand, turned over lightly, whipped the horse, and disappeared.
…
Broken-wing canal, crossed by pine forest.
"Are you really so honest? This doesn't seem like this guy's style. Liu Fu, are you sure he didn't bring any officers and soldiers to ambush him?"
"Master, no, he just came over on horseback. Besides, we have the boat in our hands. If we take the water route later, there won't be any pursuers to intercept him."
"Yeah, that makes sense."
Liu Zian looked sideways, not expecting the hostage threat plan to succeed so smoothly.
But if you think about it carefully, sometimes the people and things in this world are not as twists and turns as written in the novels. How can there be so many children of destiny who can predict things like gods?
Under the bright morning sun.
Here, Liu Zian was discussing in a low voice with Liu Fu behind him.
Liu Zian, with the Liu family slaves and the private soldiers borrowed from Boss Li, has now boarded the bow of the ferry.
And on the river beach directly in front of them.
Liu Zilin was leading a group of subordinates to escort the hostages such as Diao County Prime Minister, officials, businessmen, and the people of Longcheng.
Confronted with Ouyang Rong who came forward alone.
At this moment, I saw Ouyang Rong looking at him.
Liu Zian was the first to tilt his head and nodded slightly towards his subordinates.
To show sincerity.
I saw that on the official boats docked at the river pier, the Liu family slaves and robbers and private soldiers who were armed and controlling the boatmen seemed to have received the order. They put away their weapons and jumped off the boat vigorously.
More than half of the official ships were liberated.
There were only three ships left, still in the hands of Liu Zian and others. The withdrawn Liu family slaves and bandit private soldiers also boarded these three ships.
Liu Zilin looked back and received Liu Zian's signal. He said coldly to Ouyang Rong, who was dusty and haggard in the distance:
"Unload the weapons and throw them on the ground. A man comes over. We let go of the hostages. We will do what we say. If you dare to make any small moves."
Liu Zilin glanced sideways at his subordinates.
The Liu family slaves guarding the hostages around opened the wooden barrels and poured the Burning Sky Dragon Oil inside onto the heads and tops of Diao County Cheng, A Qing, Liu Mu and others.
These Burning Sky Shark Oil were accidentally discovered by Liu Zian and others from the cabin of the official ship. They must have been the batch that was seized by Ouyang Lianghan and Longcheng County Government during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Just in time to borrow.
The private soldiers behind Liu Zilin held torches in their hands, loosened their shackles, pushed the frightened hostages forward after the oil was poured on them, and drove them away with whips.
When the officials, businessmen, and people of Longcheng saw this, they hurried forward.
In the distance, Ouyang Rong took off his long sword from his waist, took out something from his arms, and handed it to a government servant who ran back first.
His face looked tired and he moved forward alone.
Looking down from a high place, a rather strange scene appeared on this rather wide and empty river beach:
On the left half of the open space on the river beach, a group of people crowded and hurriedly fled, running towards the front, trying to stay away from the men in green holding torches behind them.
On the right half of the open space on the river beach, a slender figure, alone and empty-handed, walked against the current, silently walking toward the waterside where the gangsters in green with white blades gathered.
The atmosphere was surprisingly solemn.
Among the crowd of people who were fleeing in a hurry, some people couldn't help but look sideways.
"Ming...Ming Mansion."
Diao County Prime Minister and other officials staggered, slowed down a bit, and looked guilty.
"Master, don't go!" Ah Qing burst into tears and was held back by the servants of Meiluyuan who had quick eyes and quick hands.
But at this moment, an unexpected cry of grief suddenly sounded from behind Ah Qing:
"My son! Don't go, don't go! Come back, Dalang! Come back!"
A white-haired old woman rushed out of the fleeing crowd on the left side of the river beach.
He ran towards the figure of the young county magistrate in official uniform regardless of his own safety.
This sudden scene is particularly prominent on the relatively quiet river beach at this moment.
Ah Qing, who was originally full of tears, was stunned. Diao County Cheng and others behind him also looked confused. Wasn't the mother of Ming Mansion dead long ago?
Liu Zian, who was standing on the bow of the boat and watching with cold eyes, frowned and looked impatient.
Liu Zilin was holding a big sword and was about to lead his subordinates to arrest Ouyang Rong. When he saw this, he snatched a torch from his subordinates' hands and stepped forward with a sinister smile.
"Lighting a lamp in the toilet is seeking death!"
Ouyang Rong, who was advancing, suddenly turned around and pushed Liu Mu who rushed in front of him to the ground.
Don’t look back, keep moving forward.
Liu Zilin snorted coldly, threw away the torch, and stepped forward with his subordinates to tie up the helpless Ouyang Rong.
The group of people retreated to the three official ships left on the shore in an orderly manner.
The white-haired old woman was covered in fish oil. She fell down and stretched out her hand forward:
"My son, don't go, don't go! We can't afford to repay your kindness, come back, come back, oh oh oh..."
Liu's mother wanted to give chase, but was held back by Diao County Cheng and others.
At the bow of the ship, Ouyang Rong was escorted and brought to Liu Zian. Liu Zi seemed to squint his eyes and say something. He had been silent and did not answer. Suddenly he turned around and shouted loudly to the people on the river beach below:
“Diao County Cheng, take the official ship to Penglangdu!
"You also run quickly, go to Dagushan, don't look back, don't come to save me! Go to Dagushan, there's someone waiting for you there..."
Liu Zian's eyes suddenly turned cold.
Ouyang Rong's mouth was immediately blocked.
After receiving the signal from his second brother, Liu Zilin walked forward calmly.
He stood on the bow deck, condescending, looking down, and spoke to the audience:
"Oh, do you really think he is a hero who sacrifices himself for others? Childish, he deserves this!
“The flood gates that collapsed several times in Longcheng County, including today’s rising water, are all thanks to him!
"Ouyang Lianghan offended the Dragon King under the water!"
Liu Zilin spoke righteously and said in a seductive voice:
"Have you forgotten that when this son took office, he fell into a river and drowned? The Dragon King was kind-hearted, and he just warned and spared his life. Who would have thought that after he recovered, he would not only not repent, but also control the water indiscriminately, offending the Dragon King! The result was disaster. Everyone in Longcheng County became victims.
"If you don't believe me, look at today. It's such a hot day, and the water in Yunmengze upstream is still rising. This is the Dragon King's wrath! This son has committed a heinous crime and has offended the gods!"
Big brother said it.
Killing people is nothing, heart-killing is the top-notch operation.
Let Ouyang Lianghan be ruined and covered with dirty water, which is the real happy revenge.
“We, the Liu family, are just acting on behalf of the Dragon King, we, the Liu family, are the ones who save you!
"The Liu family didn't want to hurt anyone when they came today. Look, aren't you unscathed?
"We just want to find out the culprit so that the underwater dragon king will not anger us, so this is the retribution Ouyang Lianghan deserves, why should you feel guilty?
"And if you think about it, if he didn't have a guilty conscience, why would he stand up? Is there really such a selfless person in this world despite his great future, glory and wealth? How willing to risk his life?"
Liu Zilin's voice echoed in the silent audience.
Ouyang Rong's mouth was stuffed with cloth, but he held his head high and seemed to be grinning.
The French order on Liu Zilin's face twitched and twitched, and his body calmly blocked the disdainful figure in official uniform behind him.
He suppressed his anger and said to the silent crowd on the river beach, calmly waving his hands and saying:
"Okay, let's all disperse."
Liu Zilin turned around and snorted coldly.
Liu Zian, who was sitting next to him, nodded towards him, as if he was definitely praising him.
"Let's go, quickly sail the boat and return to the sword shop."
The sacrifice was in hand, and Liu Zian didn't want to linger for a moment. He couldn't suppress the excitement on his face and returned home with a full load.
The three hijacked boats on the river beach slowly drove away, and after a while, they disappeared from Butterfly Creek.
On the river beach, the abandoned crowd fell into silence, seeming to be in some kind of confusion.
Mother Liu's heart-wrenching sobs made the atmosphere in the whole place seem even more silent.
"Mom..." Ah Qing walked away blankly, seemingly puzzled.
But at this time, a government servant approached dejectedly and handed out two things.
"Miss Ah Qing, this is what Mr. Mingfu has just left, and he entrusted his humble position to you and Aunt Liu."
Ah Qing stretched out his hand in confusion and took a long sword and a small packet of oil paper.
Put down the sword and open the oil paper.
On the paper, lying quietly were two pieces of cool sesame cakes.
The pretty girl trembled.
…
Ouyang Rong was halfway between Dagushan and Songling Ferry when he encountered this large group of troops returning from Zheyi Canal with a strange atmosphere.
"Master Diao, what are you doing?"
Ouyang Rong was stunned for a moment and looked at the disgraced Diao Xiancheng in front of the crowd.
However, he was not the only one who was surprised at this moment. What was even more surprising than his expression was that Diao County Prime Minister and everyone else looked at him who was intact with wide eyes.
Ouyang Rong also reacted. Thinking of the performance of Yan Liulang and others just now, he was not surprised and said vaguely:
"The person who is greeting the county government at the county seat is Ashan. He is temporarily acting..."
Ouyang Rong suddenly found that the expressions of Diao Xiancheng and others did not soften, but instead became even more stunned.
However, his confusion did not last long.
The crowd parted.
Ah Qing and Liu Mu came slowly.
Ouyang Rong saw the mother and daughter with bloodshot eyes, especially the latter, who was swaying like a zombie. A Qing also cried dry tears, leaving only hiccups and twitching shoulders.
When the mother and daughter saw Ouyang Rong, their expressions were not surprised at all, and they even looked a little blank.
He turned his head instantly and looked around at the embarrassed and distracted crowd.
Ouyang Rong's face changed, his teeth chattered, he gritted his teeth and asked calmly:
"Ah...where's Ah Shan?"
Ah Qing holds a moonlight sword and a small packet of oil paper in his hand.
He slowly walked up to Ouyang Rong, who staggered off his horse, and handed him his sword and two sesame cakes.
Her little face was blank and she said:
"Master, please save my brother. Please, go and save my brother."
Diao Xian Cheng, who was on the side, also reacted at this moment. He stepped forward and cautiously interjected:
"Ming Mansion, in order to save us, and to save those official ships controlling the floods, Brother Ashan was kidnapped by Liu Zian and Liu Zilin on your behalf."
Ouyang Rong stood there with a dazed expression on his face, looking down at the familiar moonlight sword.
Before boarding the ship that day, he personally handed the sword to Liu Ashan.
Ouyang Rong's whole body trembled uncontrollably.
Everyone saw that Ouyang Rong suddenly raised his palm, as if he was about to slap himself hard in the face.
But then his trembling hand stopped in the air, and the direction suddenly changed. He swung down suddenly and snatched the moonlight sword from Ah Qing's hand.
Ouyang Rong turned his head, nodded towards Liu Mu and Ah Qing, who looked dull and hopeless, and said:
"I am the one who deserves revenge from the Liu family. I failed to fulfill my duties and should not have left carelessly. It is I, Ouyang Lianghan, who is sorry for you. I will bring your son and your brother back. Otherwise, I will never do it again." I can’t even see you, the folks in Longcheng.”
Liu Mu and Ah Qing, who looked numb, heard this and looked up at Ouyang Rong, whose eyes were red. After a while, the mother and daughter hugged each other and finally cried out:
"Woooooooo..."
In the midst of crying, Ouyang Rong rushed out like an angry wolf without looking back. He staggered onto the horse's back and tried twice before he could get on the horse, but was immediately held back by Diao Xian Cheng.
"The Ming government can't do it, it can't be done! Go to danger now!"
Ah Qing held the sesame cake on her chest with her little hand. She reacted when she heard the words and ran to grab Ouyang Rong's clothes. Her little face was miserable: "Master... there are many bad guys... be careful."
Diao County Cheng immediately answered:
"That's right, Mingfu, don't be impulsive, be calm! Of course Brother Ah Shan needs to be rescued, but now is a critical moment. I don't know when the Di Gong Gate will collapse. It's important to move the people to Dagushan first. Mingfu, don't Forget your duties!”
He lowered his voice again:
"Moreover, Liu Zilin just made some monstrous words to confuse the people, and now the team is distracted... There are still many private soldiers in the Liu family, and I don't know where they were recruited from. Just take a few people and run over. If you don't surrender, we will wait. Wait, it’s never too late for a gentleman to take revenge… Ouch!”
Ah Qing, who was disappointed to stop his horse, was fine, but the old county magistrate's body flew two meters away as expected.
"..."
Are you just going to kick me?
(End of chapter)
