These people, their faces contorted with anger, were herded like livestock to Anping County.
Mu Zian had excellent eyesight, and his face instantly darkened the moment these people appeared.
These ragged people are not ordinary citizens; they are all wearing official robes, and these people must be local officials from Luzhou.
The gaunt bandit leader on horseback spoke with a mocking smile.
"Look who these people are!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a laborer who had fled from a neighboring county and was standing on the city wall exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes...it's the magistrate!"
Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look, and what they saw revealed that everyone's eyes were bloodshot.
These people were local officials in Luzhou, and they were all well-known and rare examples of honest officials.
That's why the people on the city wall were immediately excited when they saw them.
The withered bandit general laughed and pointed at Mu Zian on the city wall, shouting.
"Look closely, these are all officials of your Great Li. If you open the city gates today and are willing to leave, we will release these people. How about it? Isn't that a good deal?"
The bandit general glanced at a gaunt old man with a face covered in mud and said.
"See that? That's your so-called Duke Zhenguo on the city wall. If he nods and agrees to retreat now, you can all live!"
The group of dozens of men exchanged glances upon hearing this, and naturally understood what the bandit general meant.
They were simply using their lives to coerce the imperial court into withdrawing its troops.
Led by the gaunt old man, dozens of people stepped forward and knelt down in front of Mu Zian on the city wall of Anping County.
"Zhang Qian, a disgraced official of Ningling County, pays his respects to the Duke of Zhenguo!"
"Liu Zhidong, a disgraced official from Fuping County, pays his respects to the Duke of Zhenguo!"
........
The sounds that rang out sent a shiver down the spines of everyone on the city wall.
How tragic it is that officials who once served the country and its people have now become pawns in the blackmail of bandits.
The bandit general on horseback smiled upon hearing this.
"You officials are spineless; you can't bear to give up your wealth and status, can you? Hahaha!"
However, just as his laughter subsided, Zhang Qian suddenly looked up and shouted.
"Duke Zhenguo! We, your guilty subjects, are incompetent, causing the loss of our territory. We are ashamed before the court and the people. Today, the court's troops have marched here to punish the rebels and treacherous officials. How can they stop because of us!"
"We have long been prepared to die for our country and offer our lives to comfort the people who have perished! We beg the Duke of Zhenguo not to let these treacherous bandits succeed because of our lives!"
"Death is death! What is there to fear!"
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