We agreed that you, a weak strategist, would fight against three heroes by yourself?

The kidnapper leader decided to open the letter and told Zhao Qiang that if he deceived him, he would bear the consequences.

Later, when I really opened it, I was shocked to see that the title of Prime Minister was at the beginning of the letter. Seeing him like this, Zhao Qiang confirmed his guess and sneered again.

The kidnappers looked at each other and had no idea for a moment.

Cold sweat broke out on the forehead of the kidnapper leader. If this matter was not handled properly, his group might be in trouble.

He gritted his teeth, glared at Zhao Qiang fiercely and said, "Even if it is a letter from the Prime Minister, it is in my hands now. What do you think I should do?"

Although there was fear in Zhao Qiang's heart, he still pretended to be calm and said: "If you return the letter now, I can plead for you in front of the Prime Minister. I will only say that you did not know the importance of the letter and robbed me by mistake. Maybe you can be given a lighter sentence. If you persist in your persistence, you will have no chance of survival once the Prime Minister investigates."

The coachman did not expect this scene.

The kidnappers began to discuss in low voices, knowing that they were in great trouble.

The kidnapper leader's eyes flickered. After a moment, he raised his head and said, "How do we know this letter was not forged by you to scare us?"

Hearing this, Zhao Qiang took a step forward and said calmly: "What courage and ability do I have to forge a letter from the Prime Minister? Furthermore, if you don't believe it, you can take the letter and go to the city to find a learned gentleman to identify the handwriting, or go directly to the Prime Minister Turn yourself in and see if it’s true or not!”

Zhao Qiang added that he didn't know that someone was coming to rob him, so could he get a fake letter in advance?

The kidnappers became even more panicked.

The kidnapper leader said they were wrong and should not offend the prime minister. Let them go and give the letter to Zhao Qiang.

Zhao Qiang took the letter, but his face was still gloomy.

He snorted coldly: "You think that just returning the letter to me so easily will solve the problem? How can such a good thing happen? Don't you deserve to pay the price for making such a big mistake?"

The kidnapper leader looked bitter.

"We were just confused for a moment, so please show your respect. We are senior and junior, and we really don't dare to offend the Prime Minister again."

Zhao Qiang glared angrily.

"When you were robbing, did you ever think about the plight of the people who were robbed? If this letter is delayed, affects the military situation, leads to the defeat, the lives of countless soldiers and the safety of the country will be destroyed in one day, what about your humble lives? Can you afford it?”

All the kidnappers knelt down and begged for mercy.

"Please give me a way to survive. We are willing to work as cows and horses to atone for our sins."

Zhao Qiang pondered for a moment and said slowly: "You can avoid the death penalty, but you cannot escape the living crime. You need to select half of the property you have gained from robbery over the years and send it to the Jimin Hall in the city to help the poor people. In the future, you will be in this mountain and forest. I will protect the way for passing merchants. If there is another evil act, I will tell the prime minister exactly what happened today. When the time comes, you can wait for everyone to be executed. "

The kidnappers nodded repeatedly.

"Thank you for your kindness, we will definitely do it."

After hearing what Zhao Qiang said, the leader of the kidnappers hurriedly said: "Sir, we are showing our sincerity. We robbed two passers-by today. All the money we got is here. We will return them all. I just ask for your forgiveness."

With that said, he motioned to his men to hand over a few cloth bags.

Zhao Qiang took the bag and took a quick look. There were several ingots of silver and some scattered copper plates inside.

He nodded slightly.

"Humph, this is your understanding. Remember your promise, if you dare to violate it, you will not be spared."

"Don't worry, sir, we will never dare to do it again." The kidnappers responded in unison, all of them relieved.

Zhao Qiang then turned around and said to the carriage driver: "Let's go."

The coachman responded, waved his whip, and the carriage started slowly and gradually disappeared at the end of the road.

The kidnappers looked at the carriage going away and breathed a long sigh of relief, secretly glad that they could escape today.

The coachman said with admiration: "Sir, your treatment was really appropriate. It not only gave them a chance to change, but also punished them."

Zhao Qiang sighed slightly: "Although they are robbers, they are also pitiful people. If they can change their ways, it would be a good thing. I just hope there will be no more twists and turns along the way and the letter can be delivered smoothly."

The coachman waved his whip and said to Zhao Qiang with admiration: "Sir, I didn't expect you and the Prime Minister to have such a relationship. You really hide it."

Zhao Qiang smiled slightly and said: "Brother Coachman, don't praise me like this. I was just entrusted to deliver the letter by chance, and I never thought that I would encounter such a disaster. I just hope that this letter can be delivered smoothly, and don't miss the important event."

The coachman nodded repeatedly.

"That's natural. With you here, this letter will definitely reach the Prime Minister's hands safely. Maybe the Prime Minister will reward you. When the time comes, don't forget to accompany you today."

Zhao Qiang smiled and said: "If we are so lucky, I will never forget my brother's help today."

After saying that, they both looked at each other and smiled, and the carriage sped along the road, carrying mission and hope towards the distance.

Zhao Qiang looked at the receding scenery outside the car window, his heart filled with pride.

He has been wandering in the shadows of life, doing things that are not visible to the public, and his status is low and not respected by others.

However, at this moment, he successfully saved the Prime Minister's letter despite the threat of robbers.

He understood that the weight of this letter might be related to the victory or defeat of the frontier, the peace of the people, and the fate of the country.

Compared with his past experience of hiding his head and acting in secret, this is a huge difference.

Now, he truly feels that he is no longer the little person who can only live in the shadows, but has completed a noble thing that is of great significance to the country and the people.

This sense of glory and accomplishment, like the dawn of dawn, dispelled the long-standing gloom in his heart and paved a new path for him, full of hope and sense of mission.

He suddenly began to reflect, should he do something else legitimate in the future?

Zhao Qiang's thoughts fluctuated with the bumps of the carriage.

The experience of protecting the Prime Minister's documents seemed to open a door to a whole new world for him.

In this world, he can rely on wisdom and courage to walk openly and participate in things that are beneficial to society and others.

On this day, Wenxuan came to visit Xiyu.

As soon as they met, Wenxuan said with a smile on his face: "Xi Yu, your move to establish the female official system is very commendable. Although it has not yet been fully implemented, this is already a great start. "

Upon hearing this, Xi Yu quickly responded humbly: "Don't praise me like this. All of this is based on your opinions and arrangements. I'm just implementing it."

After hearing this, Wenxuan couldn't help but smile even more heartily, waved his hand and said: "It is very rare that you have such determination and action. If this system can be gradually improved in the future, it will definitely have a profound impact on the court situation."

Night fell again, and Shi Dami and Chen Shou came to the inn as usual.

Shi Dami looked solemn, and after thinking for a long time, he decided to immediately compile a letter and submit it to King Hesheli.

He laid out the paper, picked up the pen, and wrote slowly: "Your Majesty, I have honored my mission and have now found the whereabouts of the princess. Although this process has gone through twists and turns, it has finally paid off."

Then, he paused, as if considering his words, and continued writing.

"In addition, in order to ensure that your majesty's great cause goes smoothly, I plan to try to obtain Xi Yu's birth date. This may provide assistance for subsequent matters. I hope your majesty will know about it and wait for good news."

After writing, Shi Dami folded the letter carefully, sealed it, and waited for someone to rush to the palace tomorrow.

Shi Dami carefully put the letter into the envelope, with a look of satisfaction on his face.

He turned to look at Chen Shou and found that Chen Shou was looking at him with a puzzled expression.

Chen Shou was puzzled, but he couldn't ask directly, so he just observed silently from the side.

After Chen Shou secretly pondered for a while, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that Shi Dami's letter must have been written to King Hesheli of Parthia, and it must be reporting on the progress of matters related to him. But when he thought of the person who sent the message, he couldn't help but frown, and worry came to his mind.

That thief has such a special identity and despicable behavior. Can such a person really take on such an important task?

Could he have evil intentions along the way and keep the letters privately or resell them to others? Or was it because of his habit of stealing that he accidentally lost the letter?

There are too many variables, and any situation may lead to the inability to accurately convey the message, thus affecting the advancement of the entire plan.

Early the next morning, the sun shone on the street outside the inn. Smith went out early and went to the messenger office. He found a messenger who seemed to be reliable, gave him some money, and after repeated instructions, he sent the messenger. That crucial letter was delivered to RIP.

The two packed up and continued on their journey.

Along the way, Shi Dami paid attention to the surrounding road conditions and turned to ask Chen Shou: "Brother Chen, please estimate, we should have reached Youzhou by this time, right?"

Chen Shou looked up at the road ahead, thought for a moment, and responded: "In my opinion, we are almost there. We will reach Youzhou in about two days' journey."

Shi Dami nodded slightly after hearing this.

On this day, an ancient bridge appeared in front of them.

The stones of the bridge are covered with moss and traces of time, as if they are quietly telling stories of the past.

As soon as Chen Shou saw the bridge, he immediately reined in the reins and stopped, with a thoughtful look on his face.

Seeing this, Shi Dami asked doubtfully: "Brother Chen, what's going on? Why did you stop suddenly?"

Chen Shou locked his eyes tightly on the bridge and said slowly: "Brother Shi, look at this bridge. Its structure and style are extremely ancient and rare. I must stay and observe and study it. This has meant a lot to me in ancient times. The exploration of architecture is of great significance and may solve many doubts in my mind.”

Shi Dami was a little anxious and advised: "Brother Chen, we still have a schedule to catch up on, so we can't delay here too much."

However, Chen Shou was extremely determined. He straightened his back and said: "Brother Shi, I have made up my mind. This bridge is like a rare treasure to me. If I can't explore it carefully, I would rather stay here, even if it ends up poisoning me." I will never regret it even if I die.”

Seeing how persistent he was, Shi Dami sighed helplessly and said, "That's all. Since Brother Chen insists so much, I will accompany you. But we must try our best to seize the time and not let this matter delay for too long."

Upon hearing this, Chen Shou showed a trace of gratitude on his face, then dismounted his horse and slowly walked towards the ancient bridge, preparing to start his journey of exploration.

And Shi Dami could only follow behind, looking around anxiously, hoping nothing would happen to his stay.

Chen Shou observed the ancient bridge carefully for a while, and suddenly a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes, as if he had been inspired.

He rubbed his hands excitedly, turned to Smith and said, "Brother Shi, I'm so inspired right now that I have to write an article to record it. I'm going to find a place nearby to buy some pen and paper so I can write it down." What’s in my heart is put into words.”

After hearing this, Shi Dami was helpless, but he couldn't stop it.

Shi Dami secretly cursed in his heart: "These literati are just too bitter. For the sake of an article, they can temporarily forget about something as important as traveling. It's really unpredictable."

Not long after, Shi Dami and Chen Shou returned from the town buying paper and pens.

Chen Shou couldn't wait to find a flat stone, spread out the paper, splashed ink, and the pen was written quickly, and an article was already taking shape.

"Brother Shi, take a look." Chen Shou handed the written article to Shi Dami, with a hint of expectation and pride in his eyes.

Smith had little interest in these literati affairs. In his opinion, these were just sour word games. However, when his eyes touched the writing on the paper, he couldn't help but be attracted.

The article uses exquisite words, describes the ancient bridge in detail, and the insights caused by the bridge are profound and unique. The writing is smooth and natural, and is quite popular.

Shi Dami secretly marveled. Although he still felt that the literati style was a bit sour, he had to admit that Chen Shou did have extraordinary literary talent.

"Brother Chen, this article is really good. I, Shi, admire the effort you put into it." Shi Dami admired sincerely.

When Chen Shou heard this, he showed a happy smile on his face and carefully put away the article.

"Brother Shi, I'm sorry. It's just something I felt and wrote casually."

At this moment, the slight unhappiness between the two of them due to the rush disappeared. They packed up their mood and prepared to embark on the journey again.

The thief Zhao Qiang and the carriage driver finally arrived at the Youzhou border crossing after a bumpy journey.

But before they could move forward, they were stopped by the soldiers guarding the place.

Seeing this, Zhao Qiang hurriedly stepped forward and explained: "Master, we can't delay here. I'm here to deliver a message to the Prime Minister. This matter is extremely urgent."

The soldiers looked at each other with suspicion in their eyes.

Zhao Qiang looked at it and said hurriedly: "This letter was given to me by a person. The situation was special at that time. He told me many times to deliver the letter to the Prime Minister as soon as possible. I did not dare to slack off at all along the way. , I’m afraid we’ll miss something big, and I hope the military master will be accommodating and let us go.”

The soldiers were unmoved. The leader frowned and said, "How can we believe it when you say this in vain? Who knows what you wrote in this letter. If there is anything wrong, we will I can't bear this responsibility. Let's just leave the letter and wait for the news. Once we verify it, we will arrange the follow-up matters. "

When Zhao Qiang heard this, he immediately became anxious. This letter was of great importance and could not be handed over easily. However, the soldiers in front of him were resolute and he had no idea for a moment. He could only look at the coachman anxiously, hoping he could help. A kind word, so that the soldiers could change their minds and let them cross the border smoothly to see the prime minister.

The soldier looked serious and said in an unquestionable tone: "This is our system here. No matter who you are, you have to follow the rules, but you can't change it at will. Besides, you gave the letter to us and not to others. What are you afraid of?" ?”

After hearing this, Zhao Qiang was reluctant, but he knew he couldn't resist, so he gritted his teeth and agreed.

He had been looking forward to it all the way, thinking that with the opportunity of sending this letter, he would finally be lucky enough to meet the majestic and powerful Prime Minister. Maybe he would be appreciated by the Prime Minister and change his life as a thief. Touch the trajectory of life.

But now that the letter has been handed over, it is unknown whether it can be successfully delivered to the Prime Minister. My desire to see the Prime Minister is very likely to come to nothing.

Zhao Qiang could only wait eagerly at the border crossing with the carriage driver, praying silently in his heart that everything would go smoothly and that nothing would go wrong with the letter.

The soldiers did not dare to delay at all, and rushed all the way to deliver the letter to the Prime Minister's Mansion.

When I arrived at the mansion, I looked around, but I couldn't find Prime Minister Xi Yu. I had no choice but to follow the procedure and temporarily put the letter on the desk in the Prime Minister's study, and then hurried back to the border crossing.

As soon as Zhao Qiang saw the soldiers coming back, he hurried forward to greet him and asked eagerly: "Master, has the letter been delivered to the prime minister? What was the prime minister's reaction after reading it?"

The soldier shook his head and responded: "The Prime Minister is not in the mansion right now, and there is nothing we can do about it. You two have to continue waiting here. We will not know until the Prime Minister returns to the mansion and reads the letter and has instructions." How to arrange your steps."

When Zhao Qiang heard this, he felt like a deflated rubber ball. His full expectation that things would be settled, he had no idea that he would have to keep waiting.

He sighed helplessly and turned to look at the coachman. The two looked at each other and saw helplessness in each other's eyes. They could only continue to wait patiently at the border crossing, hoping that the Prime Minister would return home soon to deal with this letter. thing.

Gradually, it gets dark.

The soldier told Zhao Qiang.

"You should find a place to rest, and don't wait any longer. I guess there won't be any news today."

The carriage driver said to Zhao Qiang: "Let's find an inn."

Zhao Qiang felt a little uncomfortable at the thought of spending money again.

But now it seems that this is all that can be done.

Fortunately, there were many inns nearby, so they had no choice but to enter.

Zhao Qiang complained.

"I never thought it would be so troublesome."

"How can it be so easy to see the prime minister? Don't complain." The coachman kept comforting and enlightening.

"That's true."

After a while, Zhao Qiang stopped complaining.

No matter what, there might still be a chance to see the prime minister's mansion.

This is still a great thing after all. (End of this chapter)