In the afternoon of early August, the sun was hot, and the ground was roasted and the hot wind blew across the endless wasteland, making strange and low screams.

Li Xiao, Chen Houzi, and Wang Yishou rode forward. The heat waves evaporated, and the people and horses were sweating like slurry. Looking around, there were a few dead trees on the entire wasteland. From a distance, you could see several ruins of villages that were burned and left with only remnants. It made people feel desolate and desolate.

Li Xiao pulled his horse back and looked back. There was only a blurry outline left in Jinzhou City to the south, standing silently between the sky and the earth.

"Chen Houzi, where are we?" Li Xiao wiped his face full of sweat and asked a lean but energetic whistle rider beside him.

"Deputy Team, we have passed the boundary of Zuotun Station in Guangning. Not far ahead is the junction of Xiaoling River and Daughter River. After crossing the river, we will walk dozens of miles to the abandoned Xiaoling River Post. From Xiaoling River Post to the north, there are vast wilderness, and it will take a few more hours to reach the Daling River. Deputy Team, I have read the Wenjun Order, we will draw the terrain of the area on the other side of the Daling River, and the task will be completed smoothly." Chen Houzi replied quickly.

Li Xiao was happy, but he didn't expect that this guy who looked thin and inconspicuous was extremely layered and organized when speaking, which made Li Xiao look at him with admiration.

"Chen Houzi, why did your mother give you such a name?" Li Xiao wanted to adjust the atmosphere and asked with a smile.

Chen Houzi heard Li Xiao’s question, but he felt enlightened: “You don’t know that I actually have a big name, which was chosen by a private school teacher in the village, named Chen Shunfu. It’s a pity that I lived so big, but I had nothing to do with the word Shunfu. I lost my father at the age of three, and my mother remarried, and lived with my stepfather. My stepfather is even more poor and has a large family, so I have not had enough food or warm clothes since I was a child, and I am as thin as a monkey, so I got this nickname. As for my name, few people have learned it.”

After hearing this, Li Xiao asked with a smile: "Chen Houzi, how did you become the chief executive in this way?"

Unexpectedly, Li Xiaogang asked, Wang Yishou laughed loudly. He wiped his sweat all over his face and said in front of Chen Houzi: "Director team, you don't know that when Chen Houzi came to join the army, Gao Bashang was still the 100th general. Seeing that he came to join the army, he thought he was too thin and wanted to send him home. Chen Houzi was anxious and hurriedly said, "Master 100, how can you use people to look at the appearance? I, Chen Houzi, are very capable. Gao Bashang scolded, "You thin monkey have a big skill." Chen Houzi shouted, "I can eat noodles! Gao Bashang and his subordinates almost laughed out loud. Those who are flirting will bring him a dish of bread for him to eat. Chen Houzi ate twenty noodles in one breath, and almost choked to death. Fortunately, he was rescued by the medical officer. Later, Gao Bashang saw that his ambition to join the army was quite strong, so his subordinates showed mercy and finally agreed to join the army."

After Wang Yishou finished speaking, he couldn't help laughing. Chen Houzi looked shy and said quickly, "Wang Yishou, you are just a month earlier than me, so I came to expose my ugly things! Deputy team, Chen Houzi, I, is not just a simple meal. After I joined the army, I was very quick to fight in the martial arts. I was also very careful in drawing good pictures, so I was valued by Gao Ba. And because I and I went through the battle of Daling River, I became the brother of the general. If I only know how to eat and drink, wouldn't it be the same as a bucket of rice?"

After Chen Houzi finished speaking, the three of them laughed again, and for a moment they felt that the distance between them was much closer.

More than two minutes later, the sun was already west. The three of them rode horses to the Xiaoling River, and quickly got off their horses, took off their armor, jumped into the river, and washed them happily. Then they led the horses across the river, found a wild tree, tied the horses, and then ate dry food and bread under the shade of the tree.

"Chen Houzi, Wang Yishou, let's wait for a while and try to rush to Xiaolingheyi in the evening and rest there for a night." Li Xiao said while gnawing on the dough cake.

"Everything will be followed by the arrangements of the deputy team." The two agreed in unison.

While eating the cake, Chen Houzi suddenly sighed: "Partner, after passing Xiaolingheyi, there may be Tartar whistle cavalry appearing, but you need to be more careful."

Wang Yishou also began to show a look of worry on his face: "I hope this trip will go smoothly, otherwise, just by the three of us, I am afraid that it will not be enough for the brigade of the Tartar whistle to get stuck in the teeth."

After listening to the two of them, Li Xiao's face began to show a calm and determined look on his face.

"Deputy team, what if we really meet the Tartars?" Chen Houzi asked hesitantly.

"What else can you do? Of course, you have fought to the death with the Tartars. Can you still surrender to the Tartars?" Wang Yishou glanced at him dissatisfiedly.

"Yishou is right. If we really meet a large group of Tartars, we will fight to the end. If anyone dares to surrender to the Tartars, I, Li Xiaoding, will kill him on the spot."

Li Xiao's voice was loud and loud, causing Chen Houzi and Wang Yishou to be shocked.

"If you are really surrounded, Li will try your best to ensure that you escape, and then I will fight with the Tartars to die together!" Li Xiao, who had eaten the noodles, said this in a muffled manner, then patted the remaining dough residue in his hand, got up and went to take off the horse.

Chen Houzi and Wang Yishou looked at each other silently, but did not say anything. They just quickly finished eating the bread in their hands, got up and untied their horses, and set off again with Li Xiao.

As the sun sets in the west, Li Xiao and the other two finally arrived at Xiaolingheyi.

This is a small post station built on a very steep slope. The Ming army was originally stationed here. Since the Ming army was defeated in the Battle of Daling River two years ago, the post station has been abandoned due to insufficient troops and no nearby forts.

Li Xiao and the other two rode their horses up from an abandoned path covered with weeds and got into it.

At this time, Xiaolinghe Post was dilapidated, leaving only a pile of residual bricks and tiles covered with moss. In the quiet moonlight, the night wind whistles and crickets chirping lightly adds to the scent of desolation.

Li Xiao and others found a fairly complete broken wall and sat down. There was no fire raising. The three of them rested quietly against the wall, eating cakes and drinking water. At the same time, they dispersed the horses and let them eat some grass on the spot.

"Person team, for me, we will rest here for two hours tonight, and then take advantage of the moonlight to travel north and meet the dawn to reach the south bank of Daling River. We then quietly crossed the river, seized the time to measure the terrain on the north bank of Daling River and then returned. This task can be successfully transferred." Chen Houzi said to Li Xiao in a low voice.

"The monkey's opinion is acceptable. If we seize the time, we can return from the north bank of the Daling River in just over an hour. If there are no pursuers attacking, we will definitely be safe when we return." Wang Yishou added from the side.

"Well, you two are worthy of being old whistleblowers, just do that." Li Xiao nodded.

Li Xiao suddenly remembered a question, and he asked curiously: "But I don't know, have you ever arrested the Tartars back in the past?"

Chen Houzi smiled bitterly and shook his head repeatedly: "Deputy Team, let me tell the truth. After experiencing the disastrous defeat of Daling River two years ago and the fall of Jinzhou this year, the current Liaoxi generals have been scared by the Tartars. Not to mention killing the Tartars and beheading the heads, it is very difficult to detect the enemy's situation! Alas, I think it makes people feel ashamed."

Wang Yishou sighed and said, "Part 1: Deputy Li, the whistle cavalry teams of all battalions and stations in western Liaoning have now returned quickly and reported the movements of the Tartars to the top. Even so, there are still whistle cavalry who are not able to escape at night and are chased and killed by the Tartars because they cannot escape. Last month, the whistle cavalry team of the Zuotun Guard of Guangning was surrounded by the whistle cavalry. Among twenty whistle cavalry, fifteen were killed, and only five were left fled in a hurry. I dare to say that in the entire western Liaoning area, only Deputy Li dared to take risks like this. With only three cavalry, they could go to the Daling River where the Tartars whistle cavalry appeared to explore the enemy situation. Others really don't have the courage."
Chapter completed!