Chapter 42

On the official road, grain carts and pack horses formed a long team, which could hardly see the end at a glance.

The guards in charge of escort walked on both sides, urging the men to drive the pack horses forward.

Su Lu lay on the front grain truck and looked at the gloomy sky with his eyebrows wrinkled into Sichuan characters.

The grain team is too long. In case of bandits, I'm afraid I'll be robbed half before these grain trucks shrink. I have only four battalions with 800 people. It's really a little difficult to take care of such a long team. I'd better send more scouts.

"Little mud"

Su Lu shouted.

After a while, a clever figure raised his head from the grain truck behind, stepped on the pack horse and grain truck, jumped several times, and landed steadily on the grain truck lying on Su Lu.

"Lieutenant."

Little mud looked down at Su Lu.

Su Lu pointed to the official road ahead and ordered:

"Go, find Su Ping and ask him to give you twenty good players to explore the way ahead. Whether it's bandits or Tule people, I want you to send a signal ten miles in advance to let me know there's an ambush."

Little mud is overjoyed. After practicing martial arts for so many days, he finally has a chance to show it. He jumped into the air quickly, turned over and got off, pulled a guard horse on it, and went to the back of the team to find Su Ping.

Without much effort, little mud took a team of scouts and rode to the front of Su road.

Su Lu looked at these boys. They were all very capable. At first glance, they were not easy to provoke. He threw out four level 2 scout cards and more than a dozen level 1 scout cards and divided them into teams to let them explore the way with the little mud.

When the scouts spilled out, Su Lu was calm and ordered the grain team to continue to move forward, try to cross Erlong mountain before dark and camp far away from Erlong mountain.

"Wow"

The sky finally began to rain, and the raindrops immediately wet Su Lu's whole body.

The folk men took action one after another, took out oil paper packages and drapes, and covered the ponies and grain with ponchos.

For a moment, people shouted and horses hissed, and there was a noisy scene in the rain curtain.

Su Lu put on his poncho and hat and began to inspect the grain team. He commanded the guard to help the civilian husband pack up his pack horse and cart, so as not to let the rain wet the grain and grass.

The rain became heavier and heavier, and the road under my feet began to become muddy. The cart walked on the road and began to pull out deep ruts.

The chief of the miscellaneous section assigned by county magistrate Tang to Su Lu caught up with Su Lu in the mud and shouted to Su Lu:

"My Lord, the rain is getting heavier and heavier. You can't go any further. People can stand it, but pack mark can't. If you lose the pack horse, the road behind will be difficult to go."

In the team, all the folk men who treasure their pack horses look at Su Lu and pray all over their faces.

For them, buying a pack horse will use up their hard-earned money for a year. The pack horse is the biggest thing in their family and is absolutely a good baby to serve.

Watching the pack horses in the rain, these folk men feel more distressed than their sons in the rain.

Su Lu took out the map and looked at it. His eyebrows almost wrinkled into a mess. It's not far from Erlong mountain. If Erlong mountain bandits really want to attack, his thousands of people may not be enough to plug the teeth of his blood lion.

However, looking at the muddy road, the almost drenched civilian men, although wrapped in raincoats, were still carried by the pack horses of drowned chickens in Lincheng. Su Lu scolded the plagued rain in his heart.

"When you leave the official road to camp, all the civilian men pay attention, unload the food and grass on the pack horse, and tie it into a tortoise shell array relying on the cart."

"Oh"

The folk men cheered, drove the pack horses down the official road, set up a shed at the place designated by the guards, drove the pack horses under the shed, unloaded grain and grass, and began to prepare grain, grass and water for the pack horses.

Su Lu kicked the ladle in Su Ping's hand and shouted at him:

"Didn't I say that you should drink cold boiled water on the military road instead of raw water? You turned a deaf ear to my words, didn't you?"

Su Lu smiled: "I was tired when I was driving a pack horse to unload the cart just now. I was about to smoke in my throat. I couldn't help taking a drink."

Su Lu untied his water gourd and handed it to Su Ping: "if you don't want your soldiers to lie on the cart tomorrow, just watch it for me. You can't drink raw water, wipe your clothes with a towel, and dry your clothes before rest."

Su Ping promised with a sad face: "I know, I know, I know all these contents, and I will take good care of them."

"Second brother, why do we have to dry our personal clothes? Are the people of Erlong mountain going to sneak attack? Do we have to fight at night?"

Referring to the war, Su Ping was immediately excited and couldn't wait.

Su Lu didn't want to pay attention to the boy. He asked him to check the clothes of camp B and the loss of food and grass. He was next to the side to check the camp of the guard and the situation of the civilian husband.

"My Lord, there are several pack horses who don't drink water or eat forage. The people don't know what to do. They are going to cry. Go and have a look."

A guard came and reported.

Su Lu's heart was cold. There were fallen pack horses so soon. It was less than half the distance. If this went on, these pack horses would be abandoned.

When they got to the center of the circle where the cart had been built, under the shed, several folk men looked at the pack horse lying on the ground with a sad face. The grass and water in front of the pack horse were good, and the pack horse didn't move at all.

Seeing Su Lu coming, several guards stepped aside one after another. When the men looked at Su Lu, their faces were full of hope that Su Lu could save these pack horses.

Su Lu looked at the appearance of the pack horse. He was too tired.

"Sir, please save my pack horse. Our whole family is counting on it to eat."

"My Lord, my pack horse suddenly became like this. Can I stop this trip? If the pack horse is gone, my family will be finished."

The civilian husband's face full of dust and wrinkles was full of anxiety. He rubbed his hands and looked at Su Lu with expectation.

Su Lu can't help it. I'm not a veterinarian. I don't know how to treat animals. I don't even know how to comfort. I'm afraid I'll make my husband more sad by saying something wrong.

I looked up at the rain curtain. It was raining harder and harder. I was afraid I couldn't stop for a while and a half.

Several civilian men gathered together and bowed their heads for a long time. Finally, the black faced civilian man said:

"Sir, we want to give up this delivery. We don't want any money. If the pack horse is gone, it's really gone at all.

"Even if you don't go, the pack horse is not good. There is no village in front of you and no store in the back. Your pack horse will be dragged to death sooner or later. You'd better follow the team. At least you won't starve to death."

The head of the miscellaneous section came and persuaded everyone to say.

"If the pack horse is really tired, I'll decide to go back to the county to compensate you and give you more than half of the pack horse money at the official price."

Several men bowed their heads and discussed for a long time. They all felt that the miscellaneous subject was right. Then they put out their mind to go and fed the pack horse at ease.

Su Lu looked at the head of the miscellaneous department with appreciation. This man was steady and had some means. He was a useful talent. He wanted to praise him. A scout came in the rain.

The horse's hoof stepped on a large mass of water droplets wrapped in plaster, turned over in front of the shed, rolled off the saddle, and rushed into the shed wrapped in rain and cold:

"Report, sir, there are traces of bandits ahead. The number is unknown."

Looking at the rain outside, Su Lu was full of unhappiness. These bandits are also crazy. What are you doing out in this rainy day?

The muddy road can't even move horses, let alone fight. These bandits are out of their minds.

In the rain, another scout came from the rear. The horse's hooves broke through the mud and the mud splashed everywhere. The guards who rolled off the saddle were soaked all over and reported with trembling:

"Report, sir, there is news from the rear that a team of bandits has been found. The target is directly at us."

Su Lu couldn't help scolding: "rob on a rainy day. These bandits are really crazy."