Without Xu Mu's intervention, about a day or two later, all the old officials in Weicheng and the fat official Qian Mu were demoted and sent to Muyun Prefecture as prison officials.
Xu Mu knew that the Marquis with the surname Guo would be watching him and waiting for his decision. Therefore, if it hits the muzzle of the gun at this time, it can be easily pulled out.
Xu Mu thought about whether to join the four major households, but finally gave up. It's not that they are kind, but people like the four major families must have a background. If they go hard, they may have to fight back and forth for more than a dozen times.
"Master, the horses have been delivered." In the early morning, Zhou Zun and Zhou Luo, together with more than a dozen warriors, hurried back from the path outside Zhuangzi.
A total of twenty good horses were purchased, which was considered a big deal.
"Chen Sheng, go ask the heroes in the village and see how many of them know how to ride horses."
This round of entering the border pass, the road was so long that it would be too cumbersome to use a carriage, so we could only attack on horseback.
"I've chosen someone, and I'll practice riding in the next few days."
"Also, don't forget the formations taught."
"Where are you going, Master?"
"A trip to Changyang."
Instead of riding in the carriage again, after choosing a horse from the horse gallery, Xu Mu took a deep breath, then took Si Hu, picked up the horse's belly with some unfamiliarity, and rushed towards the official road outside Mati Lake.
The sky was turning dusk, and as soon as they reached the official road, Xu Mu looked from a distance, and at some point, a carriage was already blocking the road.
A big man with an aquiline nose raised his head and looked at Xu Mu with burning eyes. Thinking it was a road cut, Si Hu angrily took out his splitting saber and was about to hit his horse and charge forward.
"Si Hu, stop the horse." Xu Mu tightened the reins and frowned slightly.
He had seen this man before, he seemed to be the personal guard of the Marquis named Guo.
"Gu Ying, I've told you before that you have quite a murderous aura."
Yuan Tao coughed twice, slowly got out of the carriage, and glanced at Si Hu first with interest.
"My little boss, how about you give me this tiger warrior?"
"My younger brother and I will live and die together, so we can't let it go. On the other hand, the Marquis is still guarding the official road outside Ma Ti Lake at such a late hour. Could it be that he is waiting for me?"
"I heard that you deceived the people in Weicheng Guanfang, and I knew that you were determined. It's too far to go to Changyang, and I can't wait any longer."
Yuan Tao raised his head and his eyes became expectant.
"Then, tell me whether you want to go to the border this round or not."
Xu Mu smiled.
"I just want to ask Lord Hou, in this round, should I be considered a member of the official family, or a righteous man?"
"Righteous soldier." Yuan Tao spat out the word, then covered his mouth and coughed. Guard Gu Ying was so shocked that he hurriedly put on a big cloak for him.
After his face turned pale, Yuan Taocai continued to speak.
"My three thousand old soldiers have lost their status as officials, so you can only serve as a soldier as a righteous soldier."
"Three thousand old soldiers, Lord Marquis is really willing to give up."
"I know what you want. Don't ask, I'll give it to you." Yuan Tao coughed a few more times before turning back to the carriage and holding out a notarization.
"The country was in disarray. If we had put it in the late emperor's years, no matter where the wealthy family was, they would not be able to raise private soldiers. I also often write memorandums in the court to ask your majesty to abandon such evil principles, but it is a pity that there are too many old foxes. I can’t explain it.”
"Just pretend that I am showing favoritism. This private soldier's notarization is recorded in the Ministry of War's records and there are no problems."
"Speaking of which, in this huge inner city, no wine shop has ever been notarized by private soldiers."
Not to mention the wine shop, even a small family like the Four Big Houses only has one or two hundred private security guards.
"Notarization of several private soldiers."
"There are exactly a thousand people, and they can have standard weapons, robes and armor."
Xu Mu took the private soldier's notarization and read it carefully several times, "Now when we go to the border, the Marquis's old soldiers will number three thousand, which is not the right number."
"That's different. You went to the border, the situation is in danger, and no one will check you. You only need this notarization when you return to the inner city. In other words, you have the ability to bring a thousand people back to the village, and they are willing to follow you Yes, I won’t ask."
"Seriously?" Xu Mu's expression was tense.
"Seriously, it will be considered your reward. However, I have a condition. You must kill at least one prince to inspire the country."
"Duhou?"
The Duhou of Di people is equivalent to the general of Daji. The smaller ones can lead an army of thousands, while the larger ones can number tens of thousands, depending on the tribe's population.
"In addition, you will not receive any military honors in this round."
"But if the horses and weapons you obtained are returned to the inner city, I will find a way to help you merge them into Zhuangzi."
"Where's the treasure?"
"How much you can take is yours."
Xu Mu nodded slightly, "Master Marquis, are you really not afraid that I will lead 3,000 old soldiers to kill people and set fires?"
"Xiao Haitang is very accurate in seeing people, but I am even more accurate than him. I believe in you, and I believe in my own vision."
"This is my secret card. You take him to Tuotou Mountain at the border and find a man named Feng Qiu."
Xu Mu reached out his hand again and took the dark card hesitantly.
Not far away, there were hurried and howling border refugees, crying and wailing all the way. They all looked sallow and thin, and there were about hundreds of them.
At the right time, an old man fell to the ground, vomited a few mouthfuls of dirty blood, and never got up again, leaving an acquaintance to kneel down beside him, his eyes swollen from crying.
"Master Marquis, let me ask one more question. When Wangzhou City was destroyed, there were clearly eight Dingbian camps."
"Three battalions surrendered to the enemy, three battalions were beaten to pieces, and the other two abandoned their robes and armor and fled back to the inner city disguised as refugees."
After saying this, Yuan Tao covered his mouth in pain and coughed harder in the night wind.
"If you go to the border this round, it is very likely that you will encounter three battalions that have surrendered to the enemy. If so, please kill one more wave to clear the name of the seven million Dajierlang."
"Understood." Xu Mu lowered his head and his voice was deep.
"Master Hou, where is Yongguan?"
"Li Poshan, General of the Northern Campaign?" Yuan Tao paused and cried for no reason, "The death of the last famous general in our era... is indeed unreasonable."
Not only Yuan Tao, but also the guard Gu Ying sitting on the carriage, his eyes burst into tears, and he hurriedly turned his head to prevent others from seeing him.
After a long time, the master and servant in front of them calmed down.
"Whether it's to save the country or save the people, you have to go this round. Go ahead, little boss. You are like a crouching dragon emerging from the pond, and like a crouching tiger descending from the mountain."
Xu Mu looked far away, looking at the people fleeing on the official road, helping each other. In the sunset, the scenery is as small as an invisible ant.
He made a fist.
Yuan Tao stood in front of the carriage, holding his hands and bowing.
"If I die at the border, please help me to take care of my village."
"No questions asked."
Xu Mu nodded solemnly, reined in the reins, and prepared to return to Horseshoe Lake.
At this time.
In the dark dusk, another carriage drove over slowly, stirring up sand and dust.
The driver was an old acquaintance, Chang Wei, who was holding the knife nervously with one hand and holding the reins carefully with the other hand.
Needless to say, the person in the carriage is the young champion Tsuneshiro.
