The bandit leader, Tu Zhenshan, was the first to wake up. After recovering from the drug, he found himself surrounded by soldiers. His hands and feet were bound, and even his henchmen were not spared.

Good heavens, they've been wiped out in one fell swoop!

Upon waking up, Tu Zhenshan immediately said, "Summon your elders to see me!"

He neither begged for mercy nor showed any fear; on the contrary, he was even more arrogant than before.

Sun Miao'er hadn't had time to change her clothes when she heard Tu Zhenshan's voice and followed Shan Qiu into the backyard.

Upon seeing Sun Miao'er dressed as a bandit, Tu Zhenshan spat on the ground and cursed, "So, there's a traitor among us. Don't let me catch you, or I won't let you get away with this!"

Sun Miao'er circled Tu Zhenshan once, and said slowly, "I'm not from your village. On the contrary, it's you who led people into our village to burn, kill, and loot. Do you have any sense of justice?"

"Hmph, what a dog world! If we can't survive, nobody else will either!" Tu Zhenshan said disdainfully, raising his head.

Dan Qiu brandished his knife and stood imposingly in front of Tu Zhenshan, asking, "Did you bring all these bandits?"

"So what if I am? Where is the magistrate of Pingnan City? Summon him to see me!" Tu Zhenshan didn't take Shan Qiu seriously at all. "What right do you, a mere constable, have to speak to me!"

Tu Zhenshan's provocation had no effect on Shan Qiu. Shan Qiu remained calm and said in a deep voice, "When we take you back to the yamen in Pingnan City, our magistrate will see you in court."

"What utter bullshit!" Since he was doomed anyway, Tu Zhenshan was seething with anger and said all sorts of nasty things. "The corrupt officials of the court are all beasts who spout benevolence and morality. If it weren't for their inaction, my wife and children wouldn't have starved to death!"

Danqiu was too lazy to listen to his nonsense anymore. He ordered a few constables to keep watch, planning to spend a day in Fushui Village to reorganize the village and appease the villagers before returning the next day.

That night, Sun Miao'er sneaked into the ancestral hall through a secret passage in the back mountain. She did not tell the government that there was a secret passage in the ancestral hall. She found the room where Tu Zhenshan was imprisoned and climbed in through the window.

Tu Zhenshan was not asleep. When he saw Sun Miao'er enter through the window, he was not alarmed, but asked warily, "Who goes there?"

By the moonlight, Tu Zhenshan could see Sun Miao'er's face clearly. "Are you the little girl from earlier in the day?"

He paused, then said, "Aren't you in cahoots with the authorities? How come you're doing such petty theft? Are you trying to release me without my consent?"

Sun Miao'er didn't answer his question directly, but squatted down by the window and said, "I'm here to negotiate with the boss."

Tu Zhenshan must have a lot of things he wants, such as grain.

With war about to break out, everyone—officials, civilians, and even bandits—hoped to have as much food as possible.

As grain prices soared, she never considered profiting from the national crisis, but she also knew the importance of having leverage.

As long as she has enough food, she will have enough leverage to negotiate with either the imperial court or the rebels in the future.

"Negotiate terms?" Tu Zhenshan smiled coldly. "If I raise my voice even a few degrees, you won't be in a position to negotiate with me."

Sun Miao'er dusted off the ground, sat down on the floor, her eyes shining, "If the chief's life isn't important, then doesn't the chief care about Master Shen's life either?"

Tu Zhenshan's body trembled, his pupils shrank, and his body stiffened. "Master Shen? Which Master Shen? I don't recognize him!"

"That's naturally the second-in-command of your village, the chief's good brother!"

Actually, Sun Miao'er felt that the name sounded familiar when the myna bird mentioned that the second-in-command's surname was Shen.

The surname Shen is not common. When she heard the name Shen Chu at the Wang family's banquet, she paid special attention to it.

That night, Shen Chu sat with his master at Xianwei Restaurant, surrounded by a group of scholars, engaging in lively discussions. This gave a glimpse into Shen Chu's attitude towards the imperial court.

Anyone who knows the surrounding counties of Pingnan City so well is definitely not an outsider. Moreover, the fact that they can gain the trust of the villagers so easily suggests that they have some connection with the government.

Everyone else thought Shen Chu was just a frustrated advisor, but who knew he could also be the powerful second-in-command of the mountain stronghold!

Tu Zhenshan had to re-evaluate the young girl in front of him. At first, he thought she was just a cunning little girl who had taken advantage of his relaxed state of mind during his celebration banquet to use some underhanded tricks.

But now, he feels that this little girl is very dangerous.

If it were in the past, if he had known about this person earlier, he would have either recruited him or eliminated him as soon as possible.

In short, this girl would be a sharp weapon whether she fell into the hands of the imperial court or the King of Wei.

"What conditions do you want to discuss with me?" Tu Zhenshan wanted to hear what she had to say next.

The wind howled outside the window, and a cool breeze rushed in through the dilapidated north-facing window.

Sun Miao'er didn't feel cold at all; on the contrary, her whole body felt as if it were on fire.

Chaotic times breed heroes, so why not take a gamble? "I'll use the lives of the chief and the brothers in the village to exchange for the grain in the chief's hands."

"Grain?" Tu Zhenshan didn't expect her to make such a request. "What do you need grain for? You have done a great service for the government now. You shouldn't have any problem having enough to eat in the future."

Yes, she can feed herself without any problem, but what about those who are homeless and ignored? Can they even get enough to eat?

Or, if her master needs her, will she be able to step forward?

"If we give you the grain, what will the brothers eat from now on?" Tu Zhenshan's voice suddenly deepened. "You probably don't know why the brothers embarked on this path, do you?"

“If people don’t have enough to eat, they’ll be driven to desperation.” Sun Miao’er said calmly, “As long as the chief gives me the food, I guarantee that these people will have enough to eat from now on.”

Tu Zhenshan scoffed, "If I can't even guarantee it, what makes you think you can?"

"Without losing a single soldier, I captured the chief and all the bandits in the stronghold."

Sun Miao'er's answer left Tu Zhenshan speechless. Indeed, it was true that Sun Miao'er had taken advantage of his weakness.

Judging success or failure by results, he has lost.

"The head of the household will hand over the grain to me, and I will have Master Shen, no, I should say your second-in-command Shen Chu, respectfully accompany Magistrate Zhang to take you to live in Pingnan City, and then find you a job to support your families."

Tu Zhenshan was silent for a moment, then raised his head and said, "What if you lied to me? I'll soon have nothing left?"

"Even if you don't agree now, the result will be the same. Why don't you take a gamble, Chief? What if I'm someone you can trust?"

Sun Miao'er was making this deal for her own benefit, so she didn't reveal it to anyone beforehand. She even needed to gain Shen Chu's trust and persuade Magistrate Zhang within a limited timeframe.