The rainy weather lasted for a while, and the amount of water in Puqu was not small. In the river from Zizao to Yangqing Lake, Sudu water flows in through Baichigou, so the water is particularly turbulent and difficult for people and horses to swim across. Only in the eastern part of Yangqing Lake where lakes and swamps intersect, the amount of water dropped sharply due to the diversion of Qinshui and Dangshui. When it reaches the south of Changyuan Old City, the Pu Canal gathers the water from Huangze, and then it surges and flows southeast into Juye. In the past few days, the troops of the Central Plains bandits passed through the lake area in the east of Yangqing Lake and launched an attack on Wating. It was this area that Song He wanted to take advantage of. Maize Ming raised his troops and rushed to this place. When we set off, the sky was still dark with no stars or moon visible, but when we arrived it was already dawn. With the faint light filtering through the clouds in the eastern sky, one can vaguely see the continuous green and brown meadows and vast reeds. People and horses meandered along the flat road in the middle, and from time to time flocks of roosting birds were startled. It is said that the road is flat, but in fact it is also bumpy and muddy, making it very difficult to walk. All the soldiers hurriedly walked through the night, covered with mud, many of them were soaked to the skin, and almost exhausted; many others lost their way because they could not see at night. I don¡¯t know where they are scattered now. Such a situation was expected, so Maize Ming could only sigh, steel himself and command the soldiers to rest separately, and count the various combat supplies they carried. Fortunately, most of these supplies were carried on the backs of mules and horses, and the bows and crossbows were still dry. He breathed a sigh of relief and called several people by name: "Lin Yi, Wu Zicong, Wang Gang, you guys continue to move forward and observe the enemy's movements! Don't delay when you find the enemy's traces, report them immediately!" Lin Yi is a man with a resolute look. As a young man, he bowed and saluted without hesitation: "As you command!" Lin Yi was one of several craftsmen's children rescued by Lu Yao when he attacked Luochuan Dai Wangcheng. He joined the army when Lu Yao was recruiting troops in Daijun, and later participated in many wars in northern Xinjiang, and made great contributions. During this river-crossing battle of the Youzhou Army, the ten-man team led by Lin Yi suffered heavy casualties and was disbanded after the war. But he himself performed well in the war in Wating, and was accepted by Maizemin as his personal soldier. Wu Zicong and Wang Gang are also the capable subordinates that Mai Zeming has gathered these days. They are not only skilled in martial arts, but also very talented. If these people can survive until the end of this battle, they will probably be reused. However, if you want to truly grasp the benefits, you must tie your head to your belt and risk your life. After the three men were ordered, they continued to move toward the southeast. In order to stay hidden, the three of them did not go through the main road, but waded through the shallow marsh near the road. After walking for about half an hour, although the heavy fog mixed with the steaming water vapor in the swamp still obscured the sight, the sky was finally getting brighter. As they walked, the muddy water beneath their feet was stirred up, and the unique rotting smell of the swamp was suppressed between the mouth and nose like a quilt, making it difficult to breathe. Wang Gang, who was at the front, suddenly stopped. The two people following him quickly made a defensive posture, and then saw a small green snake swallowing snake information, twisting its body in the water and crossing it. "Haha" Wu Zicong was about to make a joke when Lin Yi and Wang Gang made silence gestures at the same time. A rustling sound gradually came from the airtight reed marsh opposite. The sound was getting closer and closer, and in the next moment, the trembling reeds were suddenly pushed away, and several bandit scouts appeared in front of them. Lin Yi and others immediately drew their swords and rushed forward. The sword flashed and blood splattered. The thieves at the front were killed by random knives before they had time to react. The one at the end immediately turned around and ran away. Wu Zicong didn't bother to pull out the long knife from the corpse of his previous enemy, jumped directly and knocked the man down, and reached out to cover his mouth from behind. The two of them rolled and struggled, overwhelming the patches of thatch, and then fell into a muddy pond. The bandit gained the upper hand, held down Wu Zicong's head and face, pressed him into the mud, then took out a short knife from his waist and stabbed Wu Zicong's body fiercely. Wu Zicong immediately grabbed the dagger and cut the thieves' throat with his backhand. Lin Yi and Wang Gang rushed over and dragged Wu Zicong out of the quagmire. When he anxiously inspected his body, he found that it was extremely lucky that the bandit stabbed him through the bow and quiver he was carrying several times, breaking a good bow. He only suffered flesh wounds, but he was not seriously injured. The three of them fell to the ground and panted for a long time. Lin Yi got up and surveyed around, then came back and laid his sword on the ground, and said to the other two: "The bandits are in large numbers, and there must be a lot of scouts sent out. We can't tell when we will go forward. We bumped into another group. Besides, it's really difficult to walk in the swamp. It would be bad if we delay." "What good idea do you have?" Wu Zicong's black and white eyes rolled in the mud on his head and face. Turned over. Lin Yi used the tip of his knife to pick up the bandit's discarded robe and showed it to his companions.Wang Gang clapped his hands and said, "That's it!" After a while, the three of them changed into the usual attire of thieves and bandits, held up a small green flag representing the identity of the scouts, and galloped along the flat road in a swaggering manner. "Compared to struggling forward in the quagmire, this speed was indeed much faster. After a while, I felt that the ground stepped by the horses' hooves gradually became dry and hard, and the reeds on both sides of the road became increasingly sparse. Finally, when they crossed a slightly raised slope, the wind blowing from the direction of the river dispersed the fog, and the bandits' marching team stretching for several miles or even longer appeared in front of them. Although we are well prepared, the distance right now is really too close. Lin Yi cursed in a low voice and reined in his horse calmly: "Be careful, don't panic." "Don't panic, don't panic." Wang Gang nodded repeatedly. Wu Zicong responded and said, "It's okay, why panic." When the army is dispatched, it is common for each army to send personnel to reconnaissance and explore the road, and they may not all recognize each other. Although no one recognized the appearance of these three people, they all dressed up as their own scouts and acted calmly, so thieves on the road would not be suspicious. The three of them stayed on the roadside and watched carefully the march of the bandits. I saw the bandits advancing in tight columns, with their spears held high like a forest, flags fluttering in the wind, and the majestic horse teams connected end to end. The number was unknown. If you watch such a marching scene from a distance, you will be in awe. However, since Lin Yi and others were so close, they had other feelings. Although there are many thieves and bandits, they rarely have the high spirited spirit of the Youzhou Army. During the march, they showed only lethargy and lethargy. Only the occasional scolding and whipping by the bandit leaders could make them speed up their pace slightly. ¡°Perhaps their minds, bodies, and characters have long been distorted by war and killing. They have no morals, no goals, and no hope. Only when they inflict various atrocities on others will the animal desires in their bones be aroused. Such people are more appropriately called beasts than humans. "Did you see that flag?" Wang Gang suddenly raised his hand and pointed to the distance: "That's the Flying Leopard Flag. Wang Mi is here." "Hiss" Wu Zicong gasped. He urged his horse forward, wanting to see it more clearly, and asked casually: "How do you know this is the Flying Leopard Flag? Have you seen it before?" Wang Gang nodded, the veins on his forehead twitching slightly: "I saw it when I was in Qingzhou. But, I know this flag even if it turned into ashes." Wu Zicong seemed to hear the hatred hidden in the plain words, but when he looked back, he only saw Wang Gang's expression as usual. This troubled world and this never-ending fighting have long since tempered his heart to a stone. Lin Yi had been silently estimating the number of enemy troops. At this time, he probably had the result, so he turned around and said, "Let's go."