Chapter 246 Lian Family Highlights
Feng Er narrowed her eyes and smiled slightly, as if she had completely seen through Qi Er's thoughts. "What do you mean by traitors? If we are traitors, then what will become of Miss Qi Er who cooperates with us?"
Feng'er leaned over and called a few strong women to the house. She then pulled Qi Er's sleeve to a secluded side and said in a low voice, "Miss Qi Er, there is a misunderstanding here. Let me explain."
Qi Er crossed his arms, his face cold, "Alright, I want to hear why you girls choose to serve thieves!"
Feng Er came closer with a smile, and then suddenly covered Qi Er's mouth with a handkerchief. Qi Er was about to scream, but Feng Er blocked her in the corner, "What are you standing there for? Qi Er is going to inform the government. Quick, tie her up with a rope!"
The women didn't understand the situation at first, but after hearing Feng'er's explanation, they didn't care about anything else. Two of them held her down while one went to find a rope.
"If you don't have a rope, use a belt!"
Several people held Qi Er down, tied her up and threw her into the woodshed.
Feng'er looked at the struggling Second Miss Qi on the ground, crossed her arms and said with a smile, "Second Miss Qi, considering your friendship with our City Lord, I won't hurt you. Don't worry, I'll be very busy these few days, and you shouldn't cause me any trouble. You won't be short of food every day, and I won't let anyone bully you. As long as you behave yourself, I will ask the City Lord for your contribution after we capture Xingyuan Prefecture."
After saying that, Feng'er carefully checked again to see if Qi Er's rope was strong. Qi Er kept cursing "Wuwuaah" throughout the whole process, but Feng'er turned a deaf ear to him.
After doing all this, she sent two cautious maids to watch over the matter, and then announced to everyone that the second Miss Qi had returned to Xingyuan Mansion to find a way to resolve the issue, so that everyone could go back to work with peace of mind.
And Qi Er finally tasted what it felt like to shoot himself in the foot.
At this moment, if she still doesn't understand that Xu Zhenying is the city lord they are talking about, then she will have lived in vain!
Oh my God!
She Qi Er was wronged!
Could that damn Feng'er please just listen to her finish her words?
Working for someone else and being your own boss are two completely different things. If she had known that Xu Zhenying was not a traitor but the real anti-thief king, she would have defected to him long ago!
Qi Er and she have so many people at her disposal. Wouldn't it be great if they could join forces to capture Xingyuan Prefecture?
No, do they think that she, Qi Er, is a gentleman?
What decent person would cooperate with them in exiling criminals?!
Who thought that Qi Er would have such a righteous aura?
Qi Er was filled with hatred and anger. He was angry at that damn Feng'er for acting on her own and not listening to anyone, and he also hated himself for missing out on this incredible wealth. He felt so sick that he felt upset.
No, she had to think of a way. Qi Er couldn't just sit there and wait for death. She had to take this huge fortune!
While Feng'er was taking action, the situation on Lian's side was not optimistic.
This was the second time Lian was imprisoned in his life.
The first time was in the city of Bianjing, when she was still a family member of a fifth-rank official in the Zhou Dynasty. Later, she was sentenced to exile in Qianzhou while in prison.
This time it was in Xingyuan Prefecture, and her husband, on whom she depended for survival, had been killed by her own hands, and she was captured as one of the rebel leaders.
Perhaps because of the experience from last time, Lian was much calmer this time.
At first she was also panicked for a while, but after working with Xu Zhenying and gaining experience, Lian only allowed herself to panic for a quarter of an hour, and then immediately analyzed the situation.
Twenty-six of them were arrested this time.
Those arrested were all women who talked a lot on weekdays.
It is obvious that there is a traitor among the working women, otherwise the court would not have caught him so easily.
It doesn't matter who the traitor is.
The people are all afraid of rebels, and there are rewards for reporting them, so it is not surprising that they would sell them out for a few taels of silver.
What needs to be determined now is how much the officials of Xingyuan Prefecture knew about them, whether they had a thorough understanding of the situation, whether they were simply accusing them of crimes and arresting traitors, or whether they had sufficient evidence.
As soon as Lian was put into the cell, she was immediately separated from the other women, which gave her a headache.
If the officials of Xingyuan Prefecture really interrogated them, the inconsistent testimonies of the twenty or so people would definitely expose the truth! Who knows, everything about Jinzhou Prefecture might be spilled out like a tumble of beans.
But what should she do if they torture her?
Lian thought about it over and over again, feeling extremely confused. She never expected that before she could think clearly, Xingyuan Prefecture came to bring someone in for interrogation.
The prison was cold and damp, lit only by a few soybean oil lamps. It was pitch black, and nothing could be seen clearly. The rotten smell that only belonged to prisons hit Lian's face directly, reminding her of the terrifying days in the Bianjing prison.
But this time, she seemed calmer than last time.
Lian's interrogation took place directly in the prison, and it was even a minor official. Judging from his official uniform, he should be only a seventh-rank military officer. When she heard the jailers call him Lord Zhou, Lian felt relieved.
Only a seventh-rank official was sent to try her as a traitor. Presumably, the Lord of Xingyuan Prefecture was not sure whether they were really traitors. He just randomly arrested some people first. Of course, it would be better if he could find out the result after trial.
In this case, we cannot rule out the possibility that Lord Zhou was forced to confess in order to steal the credit.
Lian's mind was racing. She didn't know what Feng'er's plan was, nor did she know whether Xu Zhenying would speed up the siege plan because of her, an insignificant aunt. She only knew that she had to get out as soon as possible.
Then it can only be a mixture of truth and falsehood.
Therefore, without waiting for the man to torture her, Lian imitated Huang Cui'e, cried out "Ouch" and sat on the ground like a shrew, then shouted at the top of her lungs, "My Lord, I am innocent... I came out to work for no reason, why am I labeled a traitor?"
I have to say that if people who follow Xu Zhenying don’t have some skills and acting skills, they really won’t be able to make a name for themselves.
"You still dare to cry out for injustice!" Lord Zhou sat on his chair, looking down at Lian. "Your accomplices have confessed, saying you're the mastermind behind this! You're highly respected in Jinzhou Prefecture, and they all call you Minister. And you still dare to say you're not a traitor!"
"Oh my God! How could a pure and innocent woman like me be considered a traitor? I just brought the women out to work, and they gave me face by calling me minister. How could a minister be considered a traitor?"
"Nonsense! Stop talking nonsense and tell me! What exactly are you doing in my Xingyuan Mansion? Are you planning to attack us?" Lord Zhou said as he swung the whip, which splashed onto the ground with a crisp sound. "Don't wait until I torture you before you tell the truth! I tell you, I've tried all these torture instruments, and I don't believe you won't tell the truth! If you cooperate now, I'll let you atone for your sins!"
Lian was so frightened that she trembled, secretly pinching herself several times, and then tears fell, with a look of horror, "I really don't know what you are talking about!"
"You still dare to quibble? You won't cry until you see the coffin!" The man clapped his hands heavily, a murderous look in his eyes. "The women next door have already confessed, saying that you are the aunt of the traitor Xu Zhenying. You were originally prisoners exiled to Qianzhou, but you led the refugees to forcibly occupy Lan County and even Jinzhou Prefecture! Tell me, what is your real purpose in coming to Xingyuan Prefecture?!"
Lian's heart skipped a beat, thinking that it would be difficult to escape by pretending to be crazy this time, so he had to change his strategy.
She stopped crying, tidied her hair, and stood up.
The fear on her face was gone, and instead she looked frighteningly calm.
Only in this way can she look like a lady of the fifth rank in the past.
"Since Master Zhou knows everything, I will not hide anything. I am afraid of pain, so I am willing to confess."
Lord Zhou raised his eyebrows, but he was happy in his heart.
Rumors have been rife in Xingyuan Prefecture these past few days, with the common people privately saying that Jinzhou Prefecture is like a paradise on earth, with land and grain being distributed, causing panic among the people.
The Lord of the Mansion ordered him to investigate the matter, but unexpectedly he followed the clues and found the cotton farm of Miss Qi Er.
He originally thought that it was just a group of women from Jinzhou Prefecture talking nonsense, but after interrogation, he found out that they had caught a big fish!
The aunt of the traitor Xu Zhenying holds a high position. She brought so many women here, she must be here to gather information!
Lord Zhou was so overjoyed that he suppressed his voice and said, "Tell me word by word!"
"Master Zhou, if you had interrogated the women who came with me, you would have known that Xu Zhenying is Xu Zhenying, and I am just an aunt of the Second Wife. She, Xu Zhenying, is a traitor, while my Second Wife has always been loyal to the emperor and patriotic!"
Lord Zhou sneered, "You think I'll believe your lies when death is imminent? It seems torture is not an option."
"Wait a minute." Lian smiled faintly, but without any panic. "Master Zhou, please listen to me first. Since you know we are exiled prisoners, how come you don't know that my late husband was a fifth-rank imperial doctor? If he hadn't been implicated in the timber case and exiled last year, I'm afraid you wouldn't even be able to see me."
Lord Zhou looked surprised, but he knew that what she said was true.
"And my late husband was killed by Xu Zhenying! After Xu Zhenying rebelled, my late husband, Xu Deyuan, had always been against her. He even helped the magistrate of Lan County to deliver a letter in blood to General Bai on the front line, asking for help. Unfortunately, he was intercepted by Xu Zhenying on the way. Xu Zhenying was furious and sent someone to secretly execute my husband. I have a grudge against her for killing my husband, so how could I possibly join her in rebellion? Moreover, a few rabble-rousers wanted to overthrow the three-hundred-year-old Great Zhou court. It was simply a foolish dream!"
Lord Zhou was a little stunned, and for a moment he was not sure whether what Lian said was true or false.
Lian continued, "My father is a third-rank official in the imperial court. I'm the descendant of a loyal and capable general. How could I possibly ruin my own future? Now I'm pretending to be nice to her, just hoping to find an opportunity to wipe out this nest of traitors!"
Lord Zhou frowned. "Nonsense! They clearly said your daughter is also an official under Xu Zhenying! She's the traitor's second-in-command!"
"My daughter only joined the rebels out of necessity to protect our second branch. She also wanted to help the imperial court attack the rebels in the future, and to achieve merit and redeem her father's wrongs."
Lian sneered, "Since you're talking about my daughter, why doesn't Lord Zhou mention my other daughter? My second daughter has been imprisoned at home with iron chains by her for half a year. Not to mention that except for my eldest daughter, no one else in our second branch has been reused? Why is that?! It's because Xu Zhenying resented our second branch for bullying their third branch in Bianjing City back then, and she has always held a grudge against us. How could I possibly follow someone like her in a rebellion with such a deep hatred for me? Lord Zhou, I want to ask you, would you follow such a person?"
Mr. Zhou was speechless after being asked this question, and even a little skeptical.
Lian had unknowingly taken the initiative.
"I came to Jinzhou Prefecture this time because, firstly, I sincerely wanted to bring these women out to work and earn some money, and secondly, I wanted to gather information and see if there was any way to request support."
Lord Zhou asked, "Since you wanted to surrender to the imperial court, why did you refuse to acknowledge it at the beginning?"
Lian sneered, "Xu Zhenying's ability to deceive people is very strong. She's only been in Lan County for half a year, and the people in Lan County now only know Xu Zhenying, but not the Emperor of Zhou. And Lord Zhou thinks that your Xingyuan Prefecture is really an ironclad force? If I cried out for justice and begged for support to everyone I met, I'd probably be killed several times!"
Lord Zhou was shocked: "You mean to say that there is a traitor in our Xingyuan Mansion?!"
"Then, Lord Zhou, why do you think the news about Jinzhou Prefecture spread so quickly once these women entered the city? If I say there's no one behind this, would you believe it?"
Mr. Zhou's face changed drastically, "Do you know who that person is?!"
Lian shook her head regretfully. "It's a shame. Xu Zhenying doesn't trust me. I can only guess at many things and don't know the specifics. But Xingyuan Prefecture and Jinzhou Prefecture are only separated by a small area. If Xu Zhenying were to lead his troops to take it, wouldn't that be inevitable?"
Lord Zhou sat back in his chair somewhat dejectedly.
The enemy is about to attack, but they only know that there are rebels in Jinzhou Prefecture. They have no idea how many people there are, how strong they are, or who is leading the team!
Zhou Cangwu was a little anxious. "Tell me, what is the combat capability of Jinzhou Prefecture?"
Lian snorted, "Xu Zhenying claims to have 30,000 soldiers, but in reality he only has 5,000, and they're all just a mob!"
"Five thousand?" Zhou Cangwu was startled. Five thousand was not too many, but not too few either. It was exactly the same as the number of troops in Xingyuan Prefecture. However, when he thought that Xu Zhenying was a traitor, and those five thousand must be old, weak, and sick, he felt a little relieved. "But I heard rumors in Jinzhou Prefecture that the soldiers there are paid one or two taels of silver a month, and they are all tall and strong."
Lian chuckled. "Lord Zhou actually believed the words of the foolish people? That was just a rumor spread by Xu Zhenying. If it weren't for these things like dividing land and grain to lure the people, why would anyone be willing to abandon their homes and run to Jinzhou Prefecture? Besides, soldiers in the Great Zhou Dynasty only earn half a penny a month. How could a rebel like her be so generous? Do the math. Five thousand soldiers, that's sixty thousand taels of silver a year. Where would Xu Zhenying get so much money? Is it possible that money just falls from the sky in Jinzhou Prefecture?"
Zhou Cangwu thought about it, then completely calmed down. He also had a rough idea of Xu Zhenying's military strength. "That's true. If the soldiers under her command really received only one tael of silver per month, Xu Zhenying would have become a pauper long ago! It's really abominable that these rumors have spread to my Xingyuan Prefecture, and some of her subordinates believe them. I guess this is her trick to shake the morale of the army!"
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