After rebirth, I joined forces with my mortal enemy to seek revenge.

Pei Jiaoran looked confused when she heard this, but she immediately figured out what Li Xiujing wanted to do. It was impossible for Gao Bin to let them return to Guazhou City smoothly, so he must have let the news out at this moment. For a while, thieves pretended to be the governor and broke into the camp to steal military secrets.

It’s not that easy to go back to Guazhou now. He could only go back to Xuanquan Town and use the dark method to temporarily deceive Gao Bin. They were waiting for the opportunity.

Pei Jiaoran touched his chin, his eyes showing appreciation.

"Provincial Governor, please come with me." The man stood up hurriedly and said.

Everyone got on their horses. Pei Jiaoran squinted at Li Xiujing who reached out to her, and reluctantly reached out to hold it. With a strong pull on his shoulder, she jumped onto the horse's back lightly.

"Walk."

Everyone galloped back to Xuanquan Town.

At this time, all the lights in Xuanquan Town went out.

Li Xiujing looked around and ordered He Liang to lead someone to wrap the horse's hooves with cloth. In order to prevent the military households in the town from discovering their return.

The man who just spoke took Li Xiujing and his party to a dilapidated temple in Xuanquan Town.

Looking at the temple in front of him, Pei Jiaoran took a deep breath. It looked like she had to sleep in the open again.

A group of people entered the ruined temple. Li Xiujing stood in front of the main hall and looked at the hanging spring guards in front of him.

"Provincial Governor, I feel sorry for you to stay here for now." The man bowed his head and said respectfully: "Young man, go back first and resume your duties with the general?"

Li Xiujing lowered his eyes and said nothing.

Even though the other party's intention to surrender was obvious, he still couldn't completely trust them.

After thinking for a while, Li Xiujing said: "He Liang, you go with them."

"Here!"

After saying this, He Liang exchanged clothes with one of them. Li Xiujing looked him up and down, and then let him leave with the group after confirming everything was correct.

"Everyone, go and rest. Pei Mingfu and I will keep watch." Li Xiujing looked at the guards and said.

"General, please go and rest." Someone among the guards said.

"It doesn't matter. I happen to have something to discuss with the Pei Ming Mansion." Li Xiujing shook his head. He looked back at Pei Jiaoran, who was sitting cross-legged on the shrine, with a smile in his eyes, "Just have a good rest."

Hearing the footsteps gradually, Pei Jiaoran opened his eyes. He made a flower-shaped hand with his hands and said in a deep voice: "You ordinary people are so bold. How dare you trespass on my territory."

Hearing the cold scolding, Li Xiujing stopped and raised his head to give her a blank look. There was a clear smile in the phoenix eyes.

"Can God give me a dream?" Li Xiujing's voice was low.

"You don't have to pay for the incense, but you still want to ask God to do something?" Pei Jiaoran squeaked, took out a stack of letter paper from his sleeve and handed it over, "Take it and read it. This is the letter between Gao Bin and Dugu Chen. Another detailed writer in the army. , I tied him up and hid him somewhere. How about we go interrogate him while it’s still early?”

He looked at Pei Jiaoran with deep eyes, and Li Xiujing agreed. After arranging guards, he climbed over the wall and left the ruined temple.

The two walked through the town and stopped in front of a dry well.

Pointing to the dry well, Pei Jiaoran smiled and said: "The governor can pull the person up himself. I'm very dizzy and my feet are sprained."

"You really sprained your foot? How about I take a look for you? I'm quite good at treating ordinary bruises." Li Xiujing approached Pei Jiaoran and smiled.

He was obsessed with her in the Shouduo camp.

After giving Li Xiujing a blank look, Pei Jiaoran stepped back. He leaned against the stone wall with his arms folded, looking quite leisurely.

Seeing Pei Jiaoran's appearance, Li Xiujing snorted coldly. He walked towards the dry well and pulled the rope. After confirming that the person was tied to the rope, he pulled the person up with all his strength.

The man was still unconscious. Li Xiujing leaned over to look at him under the moonlight. His nose was bruised and his face was swollen, it was obvious that he had been beaten severely.

I took the talisman from that person and looked at it.

This man's name is Zheng Tong, a native of Panghan County, Hezhou. Li Xiujing closed her eyes and recalled. Before coming, he had already read through the military status files of everyone in the Xuanquan Shouqing camp, as well as other information. This person still has an old mother to support him at home, a wife and a weak son. I also have an older sister who married early in life, and I have no contact with many of them. His ancestors were all farmers in Baohan, and he was drafted into the army by the imperial court ten years ago and participated in the Battle of Beacon Fort. The family's daily expenses depend entirely on his military salary.

It seems that the details are indeed clean and extremely ordinary.

Li Xiujing patted Zheng Tong on the shoulder, "Wake up."

"Fairy, have mercy on me. I was short-sighted and offended you." Zheng Tong jumped up and kowtowed as if he was pounding garlic.

Zheng Tong was beaten by Pei Jiaoran and hung upside down in the well for a long time. I was already dizzy and couldn't recognize Li Xiujing in front of me in the dark night. He looked confused and frightened.

Li Xiujing continued to ask: "Zheng Tong, a native of Wuhan County, Hezhou, was drafted into the army in the third year of Xianqing. He participated in the Battle of Fengsuibao under Dugu Chen, and later became the fire chief under Gao Bin. Your family is poor. , and the imperial court’s recruitment of soldiers can provide food and clothing, and exempt you from taxes and levies. Is it right for you to enlist in the army because of your family’s livelihood?”

Although the fourth-grade governor is far less noble than the imperial officials, the blessing of his family status is beyond the reach of the lower-level sergeants. Zheng Tong recognized Li Xiujing at this moment. Although he didn't know what he was doing, it was Li Xiujing who happened to pass by and saved his life. Already regarded him as a lifesaver.

"Forgive me, the governor, but I can't help it. As you know, taxes are strict." Zheng Tong wiped away his tears and cried, "It was only after I joined the army that I found out that there were some border generals who were greedy for military merit and pretended to be false. I should have known this. , why should I join the army? It’s better to be at home farming.”

It is a bad habit in the army for generals to be greedy for merit and pretend to be the military merit of lower-level sergeants. It has been practiced in all dynasties. Taizong of this dynasty once strictly prohibited this matter, but it became more serious in the later period and was banned repeatedly. Originally, this dynasty still followed the military system of the previous dynasty, but because the border generals were greedy for merit, gradually no one was willing to join the army. The late emperor had no choice but to change the government soldiers to recruited soldiers, and provided them with food and clothing, and exempted them from corvee service. Only then did things improve.

But the sky is high and the emperor is far away. Even if the imperial court would arrange for the censor to come down for inspection, it could not completely prohibit this matter.

Li Xiujing frowned and said, "Don't talk about anything else. I just want to ask you, what did Dugu Chen promise you?" Although he had already guessed what means Dugu Chen used, he still asked again.

"Little one..." Zheng Tong's eyes were truly frightened.

He knew that the matter had been exposed. If you want to survive, you have to tell the truth.

"Commander Jie gave a certain sum of money to a certain person. I asked Xiao Xiao to spread rumors in the city for him." Zheng Tong swallowed, "I said that the governor, you pretended to be sick to avoid war. It was Xiao Xiao who was obsessed with money for a while. in this way."

As he guessed, Li Xiujing continued: "Then do you know who revealed the time when the sergeants of Guazhou City changed defenses."

Zheng Tong's eyes flickered and he lowered his head, not daring to look at Li Xiujing. He answered vaguely, "How can I have access to the secrets here? Maybe there is someone else."

"Ha." Li Xiujing sneered, "Selling out his comrades for his own benefit and luring the enemy into the country. Let me ask you again how much you know about Gao Bin."

Zheng Tong pursed his lips and teeth, "This... I don't dare to say that."