There are 300 garrisons in Xingyang County, all of which are local militia troops. The sons of Xingyang are the head lieutenant named Wang Xiaode. They are the nephew of the county magistrate Wang Xiong. He received a report from the yamen runners. A group of Wagang bandits occupied the county yamen. His uncle was taken hostage by the bandits. He was shocked and angry and immediately led 300 subordinates to surround the county yamen.

"Listen to the heroes inside, let the county magistrate come out and ask for money and food. I'll send you out of the city. Everyone can tell you how to disperse. If you don't know the truth, I'll kill you and chop you into meat sauce!" Wang Xiaode rode his horse with a gun and shouted loudly outside the county government.

The county yamen was in a different situation. In the official room, the county magistrate Wang Xiong was tied with his arms and feet and fell to the ground, while Cheng Yaojin sat in his seat, holding his favorite official kiln teacup and savoring the tea carefully.

The thief light at the corner of his eyes swept across the county magistrate and his two daughters from time to time. The county magistrate was crying quietly while holding his two daughters. In the corner, the elderly parents of Wang County magistrate sat on the ground with a dull expression and were escorted by a soldier with a knife.

Although the county magistrate Wang Xiong was not afraid of death, his parents, wife and daughter were his fatal keys. Every time Cheng Yaojin's eyes swept over his wife and daughter, he would be frightened. As for his elderly parents, the county magistrate Wang had completely surrendered. He kept begging: "King, if you want money and food, I can give it to you. Please don't hurt my parents, wife and daughter!"

After a while, Cheng Yaojin squinted his eyes and asked him, "Whose Hulao Pass is now?"

County Magistrate Wang was stunned for a moment. The Wagang bandits actually asked this question. Cheng Yaojin was impatient to wait for him and said viciously: "If you don't say it anymore, I will let your brothers drag your wife behind!"

County Magistrate Wang was frightened and said quickly: "There were originally ten thousand troops guarding Hulao Pass, and the Prince of Zheng Wang Xuanying personally led the troops to guard it. But just ten days ago, the main force of the Zheng army retreated to Luoyang. Now there are only a thousand defenders. The guard is Zhang Zhi, who was originally Wang Xuanying's general, and now we have been instigated to rebel."

As he said this, the county magistrate Wang felt a little suspicious. These people were not very similar to the Wagang bandits. As long as they were willing to give money and food, they would definitely ask for it impatiently, but in fact they did not take the money and food to heart. Who are they?

Outside the county government, the captain Wang Xiaode was anxious and wanted to rush in immediately, but he did not dare. His grandfather and his uncle's family were all in the hands of the bandits. He had to patiently waste time and wait for the group of bandits to leave on their own.

Outside the city, Luo Shixin led a thousand cavalry to kill. The city gate was closed and the suspension bridge was high, and there were only a few defenders on the city. The rest of the soldiers were all transferred to the besieged county governments.

At this moment, five Cheng Yaojin's subordinates rushed to the top of the city, drew their swords and rushed up. With a series of random swords, several defenders were killed. They then put down the suspension bridge and opened the city gate. Luo Shixin was overjoyed and led a thousand cavalry into the city with an order.

......

Wang Xiaode was still yelling loudly in front of the county government gate. The three hundred militia soldiers held spears and were wearing leather armor, and shouted with the captain. They had been in a stalemate for nearly an hour, and the soldiers were a little exhausted.

At this moment, they suddenly heard a muffled thunder sound coming from a distance, and the earth began to tremble. The soldiers looked at each other, with doubts and panic in their eyes, and they didn't know what had happened.

"Run!"

Someone ran and shouted, "There are cavalrymen coming!"

Before the soldiers could react, two cavalry suddenly rushed out of the streets on both sides of the county government. The horses galloped like surging crazes, waving swords and spears toward them. The three hundred soldiers suddenly shouted in horror, leaving their weapons and scattered around and ran towards them.

...........

Luo Shixin did not expect that Cheng Yaojin was so beautiful. In less than an hour, he took down Xingyang County without hurting a soldier. This made him admire that Cheng Yaojin was indeed a bad talent, and he was not as good as Cheng Yaojin when he was cheating and deceiving the city.

After a moment, the county magistrate Wang Xiong was taken into the room by several soldiers. Only then did he realize that these guys were not the Wagang bandits, but the Sui army. As long as they were officers and soldiers, his heart would be lost. At least the officers and soldiers were not as vicious as the bandits, and they would have some rules.

Wang Xiong walked into the room and bowed deeply to Luo Shixin, "Secretary of Xingyang County Magistrate Wang Xiong, see General Luo!"

Luo Shixin smiled slightly, "I'm scared to the county magistrate, please sit down!"

Luo Shixin's friendly attitude comforted Wang Xiong. He sat down and sighed: "I never thought it would be the Sui army. If it had been said that it was the Sui army, I would have cooperated, and there would not be so many misunderstandings. Your General Cheng is really... Alas! Hey, I really don't look like an officer or a soldier."

Luo Shixin recognized Cheng Yaojin's method. If it were said to be the Sui army, I was afraid that the magistrate of Wang County would immediately send someone to Hulao to report the letter. Although Cheng Yaojin's methods were not glorious, they were very effective. Only by taking his wife, daughter and parents hostages would he be honest in his work for the Sui army.

"General Cheng was originally from Wagang Village. If he was rude, I apologize to the county magistrate. This time we were ordered to seize Hulao Pass. I would like to ask Wang County Magistrate for help in all the things. Only Wang County Magistrate does his best to do things for us, we will never hurt your parents, wife and daughter."

Although Luo Shixin was kind-hearted, he still took Wang Xiong's parents, wife and daughter hostages like Cheng Yaojin. Wang Xiong sighed for a while. General Luo was still the same for a long time. He had to say helplessly: "Okay! I wonder what your army needs me to do?"

...........

There are only more than 30 miles from Xingyang County to Hulao Pass. The terrain is full of hills and mountains, covered with dense forests. There is a river called Sishui among the rolling hills. From Xingyang to Hulao Pass, the official road follows Sishui. Although there are also low hills and undulating along the way, in general, the terrain is relatively flat, suitable for vehicles and horse teams Tongguan.

A few miles away from Hulao Pass is Sishui Town, so Hulao Pass is also called Sishui Pass. Every year, wars and chaos have long become an empty town with ruins and houses. The town is in a desolate and dilapidated scene. In the afternoon, a grain transport team composed of more than a thousand horse and ox carriages passed by Sishui Town.

This is a grain transport team from Xingyang. The vehicles were collected from Xingyang County and Township. In addition to bags of grain, there were also some bundles of pigs and sheep on the carriage, which totaled 2,000 stones of grain.

The drivers who drove the car were basically Xingyang farmers. On both sides of the team, they rode horses and followed 300 militia soldiers. However, they were changed by the Sui army. At the front of the team was General Luo Shixin. He was worried that Cheng Yaojin would seize the city, so he asked Cheng Yaojin to lead 700 cavalrymen to follow far behind.

"Mr. Wang County, why did Sishui Town become so dilapidated?"

Luo Shixin looked at the town without any trace and frowned. He remembered that two years ago, the town was quite popular, with prosperous business and constant exchanges of merchants. The streets of the town were shouting hawking sounds one after another, but now it has become a dead town.

Wang Xiong sighed, "At the beginning of the year, the town was still quite lively. Wang Shichong and Li Mi fought for Hulao Pass for nearly a month. Sishui Town suffered repeated military disasters, those who died and those who fled. No one could stay, and the town was destroyed. It was miserable!"

At this time, Luo Shixin suddenly saw a red shadow flashing behind a abandoned house dozens of steps ahead. He was stunned. Isn’t there anyone else? Why are there still figures? His eyes are sharp and different from ordinary people. No one except him sees them.

Luo Shixin urged him to come forward. This was a house that had been burned for most of the time, leaving only a broken wall about a meter high. Just now, the red shadow flashed behind the broken wall. Luo Shixin walked around behind the broken wall. The wall was covered with weeds and there was no one figure. Behind the house was a dense forest, and the forest was dark and the light could not be shone in.

"General Luo, what did you see?" Wang Xiong urged him to come forward and asked.

"I feel like a red shadow ran past here just now!"

Wang Xiong laughed, "That's a mountain fox, with brown-red fur. He went down the mountain to find food. He was alarmed by us and was scared back. There are many such foxes in this area."

Luo Shixin felt that he didn't look like a fox. He saw a tall figure, but it looked like a human. If it were a ghost, it was impossible. He thought to himself: "It's really strange, what would it be?"

"General Luo, let's go!"

Wang Xiong urged, Luo Shixin had to turn his horse's head and continue moving forward, but in the depths of the dense forest, an extremely bright pair of eyes stared at Luo Shixin's figure, his eyes full of tenderness.

.........

Hulao Pass is still majestic and stands between two steep hills, breaking the road to the west. A few months ago, a fierce battle broke out between Li Mijun and Wang Shichong's army in front of Hulao Pass. Tens of thousands of people were killed on both sides, bones accumulated, and unjust souls gathered.

Several months have passed since the war, and the bodies have been buried deep. Apart from the broken trees and a rusty sword that appears from time to time in the weeds, the traces of that war can no longer be seen.

The chief general of Hulao Pass was Zhang Zhi. At this time, he was still the general of Zheng State's crown prince Wang Xuanying. The thousand defenders under him were still the Zheng army. But in fact, Zhang Zhi had secretly surrendered to the Tang Dynasty and was guarding the Central Plains Pass for the Tang Dynasty.

Zhang Zhi has sent his men to contact King Li Shimin of Qin. He hopes to clarify his identity as soon as possible, be able to make contributions and receive a good future.

In the afternoon, Zhang Zhi inspected the pass as usual. In front of the pass was an open land covering hundreds of acres. The three heroes fought against Lu Bu in this open land. In the distance were continuous ridges, and an official road from Xingyang extended from the hills.

Not far from the north is the Sishui River Valley, but the mountain stream is steep and the water flows fast. You can no longer walk by the river, you can only walk on the official road.

At this time, a soldier suddenly pointed to the distance and shouted: "General, a grain team came from the official road!"

Zhang Zhi also saw a grain transport team winding out from the official road, driving horse and ox carts, full of grain, and some militia soldiers were wearing yellow flags with words printed on them.

Zhang Zhi was a little stunned. Why didn’t he have any news? Where did the grain team come from? Could it be that it was from Guancheng County? The prefect Wei Lu told him that a large number of civilians would pass the customs and go to Luoyang recently.

"General, he is the grain team of Xingyang County!"

Zhang Zhi also saw the three words on the yellow flag clearly, it was "Xingyang County".
Chapter completed!