Thousands of Mountains

Seeing that the Qiang people were dressed similarly to himself, Yin Cen was about to call out to his own people not to fight or kill, but the other party had already shouted, "Who are you?! How dare you pretend to be us, what are you trying to do?!"

Yin Cen thought to himself, this poor-quality cosplay is really not good, and it was seen through at a glance, but since the other party asked, it seemed that he could have a normal conversation, so he put away his posture and replied seriously, "I'm just passing by a businessman and I'm in a hurry, so I took advantage of your mountain to catch up." This time, please forgive me.”

The Qiang man who shouted seemed to be a leader, but he ignored Yin Cen's reply, "Everyone who came down the mountain said they were merchants. Look at your posture, you have no goods and no money. What kind of merchants are you doing? More guards, it looks like a dart runner! If you want to lie to me, there is no way!"

Yin Cen didn't know whether to laugh or cry, is there a difference between a businessman and an escort team?

Chen Ji and Yin Cen turned their heads to look at each other, and tried to speak nicely, "Your Excellency has good eyesight! We are indeed escorts, and we just want to be safe. If you are willing to let us go, we will reward you."

The leader seemed to be loose when he heard the words, but the person next to him covered his mouth and nose and whispered a few words to him. Yin Cen gathered his energy, and his ears followed suit. He told the leader, "Don't trust him! These people are kung fu. It looks like it must be the informant we received, and the village will be slaughtered after going down the mountain."

Yin Cen was shocked, this matter is really not simple, this is not an accidental break-in, but an ambush!

The leader made up his mind that even if he was killed by mistake, he would not let it go. If they were to go down the mountain and slaughter the village, there would be no peace in Jiuquan.

A man next to the leader took out a horn-like thing, stood up and blew it, and following the sound, the Qiang people from all directions jumped down from the tree shouting and slashed at them with their scimitars.

Hearing this strange and noisy sound, Yin Cen's head grew big, and a group of people had no choice but to stand up and resist. The Qiang people had a fierce posture, but their fighting power was really scumbag. But in the dense forest, they occupied Taking advantage of the terrain, various ambush tools were set up in advance, and several guards were injured in a short time.

After a scuffle, both sides were injured, until Yin Cen put the knife on the leader's neck, and the noisy shouts of the people did not stop.

Yin Cen let out a breath, and slapped the leader's face with his palm, "If you fight, you will fight. What are you shouting about? You're going deaf."

The leader was also very stubborn, "We're just like this, can't there be any one?"

Yin Cen had a headache, "Let me tell you again, we are not here to slaughter your village, or just passing by, do you understand?"

The leader nodded repeatedly, and Yin Cen said again, "Tell those people to put down their knives."

The leader shouted, "Put down the knife, tell you to put down the knife!"

The red-turban Qiang people threw their knives one after another.

Yin Cen asked again, "Who told you that someone is coming to slaughter the village?"

The leader replied, "Someone came to the stockade a few days ago, saying that some people will come down from the mountain in the next few days. These people are assassins invited by the Miao people on the opposite side. They will kill us all and burn the stockade. Let us get ready. Don't let them go down the mountain."

Yin Cen asked, "Who is the one who sent the news to you?"

The leader thought for a while, "I don't know why he came here." He patted his head again, "Oh...he speaks just like you, very polite."

Yin Cen, Chen Ji, and Wu Ye'er looked at each other, and most of them knew in their hearts that although they didn't know who it was, they must have been tampered with by "official" people, so they let go of the knife and said to the leader, "We won't leave after we go down the mountain." You can rest assured that we will stay, but you have lost all our horses, and you have to pay us for it.”

The leader nodded again and again, "There is no problem with horses, we have too many horses."

Yin Cen and his party followed the leader down the mountain, and went to the stockade to pick up horses. They found that their horses were of good quality, with strong physiques and oily coats. They asked curiously, "These horses don't look like local breeds?"

The leader looked proud, "You don't know that, you come from other places, our horses are all from the Tianshan and Xiahe areas."

It's no wonder that there are the best pastures in that area, which produce the best quality horses. When Yin Cen was a child, he often saw Tianshan caravans in Chaha Town. He asked again, "Then how did these horses end up in Yunnan?"

The leader said, "They are all exchanged with tea. We use tea to exchange their horses, but these horses are not their best. The best horses have been picked up by the government army. What we can exchange are relatively cheap horses." It’s not as good as it should be, but it’s good enough.”

Chen Ji said to Yin Cen, "This is the tea and horse trade along the border. I only heard about it before, but what I have seen now is indeed a good thing for the country and the people."

Yin Cen also nodded. He had only heard about the Ancient Tea Horse Road before, but now it was right in front of him.

They picked up their horses, thanked them, and continued on their way south.

After leaving the Qiang village, Yin Cen said to Chen Ji, "It seems that someone is determined to attack us, but I don't know whether it is Beijing or Yunnan this time."

Chen Ji nodded, "If you and I have an accident on this road, you can find any reason to prevaricate it. Even if the father is angry, there is nothing he can do."

Yin Cen smiled, "I'm so tired for them, if you really want to touch us, why not plan carefully, and then make a painful move, it seems that this kind of useless effort just now is really giving someone's head for nothing."

Chen Ji said, "Maybe it's just a test, let's see how far you and I can resist."

Yin Cen thought for a while, "Although I won't be afraid of them, there's no need to jump into it knowing it's a pit." He looked at Chen Ji, "Let's go another way, abandon the official road and take a small road."

Chen Ji and Wu Ye'er immediately agreed to let the guards become hidden guards again, they could only follow from a distance, and they must not show up for nothing.

So far, all the way to Zhaoyang Mansion is safe and sound, nothing unusual.

After entering the territory of Zhaoyang Prefecture, Yin Cen still refused to take the official route, nor did he go to the magistrate's office, but said to Chen Ji, "Since it is Qin Nianqin who wrote the memorial, how about we go to Cangyuan County to visit him first?"

Chen Ji also said, "Alright, he must know more, it just depends on whether he is willing to tell us."

Yin Cen smiled at him, "His Royal Highness is here in person, are you afraid that people won't tell you the truth?"

Chen Ji looked embarrassed, "I said you don't need to call me His Royal Highness when there are no outsiders..."

Yin Cen deliberately looked around, "Is there no outsider?"

Wu Ye'er looked up at the sky, you all took me for a fool all the way, hum!

It was already dark in Cangyuan County. Counting the days, it was just over twenty days away from Beijing. It is reasonable to say that autumn is more intense, but starting from the middle of Guizhou, the day is like midsummer, and the night is like cold winter. But after the four seasons, the three of them take off and put on and take off their clothes every day, which is very troublesome.

At this time in Cangyuan County in the night, the cold wind was blowing everywhere, the three of them stood shivering in front of the county government office, and the dead leaves fluttered and fell in front of the door, looking really pitiful.

Wu Ye'er knocked on the door, but no one answered.

He looked at the door for a long time, then turned around and said, "Brother Pingshan, there is a light inside, why don't you open the door?"

"Knock again!" Yin Cen sneezed from the cold, and Chen Ji quickly hugged him into his arms, thinking that if the magistrate didn't open the door, he would step forward and kick him.

The door creaked open, and a fat face appeared behind the crack. He glanced at the three of them, stayed on Yin Cen's knife for half a second, and then froze slightly. He said without asking, "Master Zhixian has already rested, come back tomorrow if you have anything to do."

As he was about to close the door, Wu Ye'er was in a hurry. With a little force, he opened the door with a bang, and the fat man was exposed, and he shouted in panic, "Are you guys robbers?! Do you know where this place is?" Son, all rushing, rushing...here it is!"

Wu Ye'er went up and tied his hands two or three times, covering his mouth, "Who the hell wants to rob you? I don't even see what you have to rob."

The fat man couldn't move, but his eyes wandered around. Yin Cen and Chen Ji also looked around. This county government office is really clear, and even if the door is open every night, no robbers will come.

While they were in a stalemate, a thin figure hurried over from the backyard, shouting, "Fatty Luo! Who is so noisy?"

Fatty Luo, who was held down by Wu Ye'er, saw someone, desperately broke Wu Ye'er's hand, and shouted, "Master Qin Qinqin, run! They have knives!"

Master Qin?This is Qin Nianqin?Yin Cen turned his head and looked at the visitor with interest.

The figure is quite thin, and the light is so dim, but the eyebrows and eyes are very delicate. At this time, he is not wearing an official uniform, only dressed as a scholar, and he is not panic when he sees a yard of strangers.

Qin Nianqin, more courageous than his body, actually stepped forward and yelled at Wu Ye'er, "Don't let Master go!"

Wu Ye'er was yelled at by him, and for some reason, she immediately let go of her hand, sent Fatty Luo forward, and said to Qin Nianqin, "I didn't intend to hurt him, he was yelling and shouting, we are not robbers, What is he afraid of..."

Yin Cen swept his eyes, what the hell?Wu Ye'er blushed?

Qin Nianqin reached out to catch Fatty Luo, and angrily said to Wu Ye'er, "Who cares about you, this is in my house, my county government office! You yellow-haired boy, ignorant and lawless!"

Wu Ye'er was dumbfounded by the scolding, you, you, why did you point at me and scold me?Why don't you care about the two people behind?

He stared at Qin Nianqin and began to shiver, not knowing whether it was the cold or being scolded.

Qin Nianqin then turned around, glared at Yin Cen and Chen Ji, and said coldly with his hands behind his back, "Who are you? Where are you from? What are you going to do in Cangyuan County?"

Chen Ji stood aside coldly, silent, while Yin Cen arched his hands and was about to answer, only to hear Fatty Luo say "Oh!" "My lord! The kitchen stove is still stewing..."

Yin Cen and Chen Ji were both taken aback, Qin Nianqin slapped his thigh, not caring about the three of them at all, grinning and running back, shouting, "My fire—pot—"

The remaining three people in the courtyard looked at each other, hot pot?

Chen Ji was furious, hot pot is actually more important than me, the prince? !

This county magistrate, don't do it from tomorrow!

The three of them also came to the backyard, and saw the two of them rushing into the kitchen, there was a buzzing sound, and then Fatty Luo said, "It's okay, the soup didn't come out, it's best to go in with hot vegetables at this time." .”

Qin Nianqin also said, "I'm really starving to death, Qingshan, hurry up, throw all those potatoes and radishes in."

The three of them were even more unbelievable, so, did you eat it?They are still standing in the yard.

Chen Ji was so angry that he stepped forward and kicked the door open. He saw the two people in the kitchen startled, and then stared at him blankly.

Thousands of calculations, it is impossible to calculate that Lord Qin who caused chaos in the court actually looks like this.

For a memorial for you, I came here day and night, but you have the heart to be hot here!fire!pot!

Chen Ji was so angry that he was about to explode. He pointed at Qin Nianqin's nose and was speechless, but Qin Nianqin said in a daze, "Huh? Why haven't you left yet?"

Seeing that Chen Ji was about to explode, Yin Cen went to comfort him, and said to Qin Nianqin who was still in a daze, "Lord magistrate, I am Yin Cen, the censor who was ordered to inspect the tea tax case of Zhaoyang Prefecture. This is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince who came together to assist in the investigation."

With a "bang", the bowl in Luo Fatty's hand fell to the ground, Qin Nianqin immediately stood up, calmed down and said, "But I just received a report from the magistrate yesterday, saying that His Royal Highness and the Yushi lord have arrived in Yunnan There is no trace in the territory, and it is estimated that it will take three to five days to arrive."

Then he asked suspiciously, "Even if we arrive, shouldn't we go to the magistrate's office first? Why did we arrive at Cangyuan County first?"

Chen Ji still didn't let go of his anger, and said with lingering anger, "It's here! Is there still a fake one?"

Qin Nianqin cupped his hands and said, "I don't dare to do so, I'm just worried that someone will pretend to be His Highness and Lord Yushi, and I was suspicious just for safety's sake."

Only then did Chen Ji calm down. This person is indeed very difficult to deal with.

Fatty Luo, who had regained his senses, also knelt down, "County clerk Luo Qingshan, I have seen His Highness the Crown Prince and Lord Yushi, I offended you just now, please forgive me, Your Highness and Lord Haihan."

Chen Ji hummed, and Yin Cen got the two of them up.

At this time, the hot pot stewed on the stove behind made a gurgling sound. Luo Qingshan looked back, swallowed his saliva and then turned back with difficulty. Yin Cen looked funny and said, "The hot pot is hot, you still don't sit down." Eat?"

"Hey!" Luo Qingshan's chubby face smiled like a flower, and she sat down happily to eat, but Wu Ye'er stared at Qin Nianqin and said, "That's all for now, we also... eat."

As soon as these words came out, both Yin Cen and Chen Ji blushed with embarrassment, this silly boy!

Qin Nianqin was also taken aback, and in a blink of an eye made an invitation, "Why don't we come together? It's just that in this mountainous village, there are only vegetables, no meat..."

Wu Ye'er dragged three chairs happily, and the five of them gathered around the charcoal stove and started eating like this.

The wind outside the house made ghosts cry and wolves howled, and the house was steaming hot, Wu Ye'er thought to herself, it's thanks to me that I opened my mouth, otherwise, I can't just drink the wind outside?

What about the memorial?What about the tea tax?How much is a year?

It's a cold day, let's talk about eating when we are full.