"Tell me, what's your intention in pretending to be bandits? Is the person behind this Xu Yaowen, or someone else?"
Jiang Zhaorong's face was as gloomy as water, and every word he spoke seemed to carry a chilling chill.
It is impossible for the bandits to collude with Xu Yaowen. The only explanation is that someone from Xu Yaowen's house disguised himself as a bandit.
I really didn't expect that the simplest person in the Xu family could force him into a desperate situation!
No, it must be Jiang Zhiyu's idea!
Xu Yaowen alone would never be able to come up with such a method. It must be Jiang Zhiyu who is giving him advice!
Jiang Zhaorong thought about this and became increasingly angry.
No matter what, he is still Jiang Zhiyu's biological father. Does she really think he is so cruel as to help her uncle and kill him, her biological father?
Time didn't pass quickly as his thoughts raced through his mind. The eldest brother snorted, "Who is Xu Yaowen? We don't know him, but seeing how lavishly you're dressed, I think you're an official. So, if you hand over a hundred taels of gold to us, we'll spare your life. How about that?"
He raised his thick eyebrows slightly, his eyes filled with contempt: "Don't tell the brothers that a high-ranking official like you can't afford the hundred taels of gold."
Jiang Zhaorong paused after hearing this and looked at them with scrutiny:
They were all strong men, eight feet tall, except for one who was short and thin. Some of the short knives they held were already rusted. Each of them had obvious patches on their clothes, sewn crookedly. There was a hint of hostility between their eyebrows, and their eyes...
That wasn't the look of someone who had killed many people.
Jiang Zhaorong's mind moved slightly.
Could it be that they were really bandits and not arranged by Xu Yaowen?
He asked tentatively, "As long as I take the gold, you will let me go?"
"Of course!" The big man behind him couldn't wait to speak, but was stopped by the eldest brother with a look.
"That depends on our mood. We're in a good mood today, so we're letting you go. But if you have any bad intentions, don't blame us. We'll kill you without mercy."
He held a short knife and pointed it at Jiang Zhaorong's neck from a distance, his eyes full of ferocity.
Jiang Zhaorong understood and agreed with them: "Two ounces of gold is not a small amount. Since you are watching me, you must have inquired about it before. I came from Shengjing. The journey has been bumpy, so I naturally won't bring that much..."
After hearing this, before Jiang Zhaorong could finish speaking, the bandits began to commotion.
"Don't listen to these officials' nonsense! There's not a single word of truth coming from their mouths!"
"That's right, big brother, listen to me. Kill this man, take his head, and go to the prefect to ask for money!"
"Are you crazy? Why do you want money after killing someone? The way I see it, big brother, let's do this. First, tie up this old guy. After that, we can send someone to deliver a letter to the prefect's house. As long as we have the old man in our hands, are we afraid that they won't give us the money?"
This statement gained a lot of approval. The bandits nodded frequently and urged their boss to kidnap Jiang Zhaorong.
The eldest brother turned a deaf ear and stared at Jiang Zhaorong.
Jiang Zhaorong looked at him calmly and said soothingly, "Since you are in this mountain, you must be aware of the previous situation in Jinzhou. The epidemic was rampant. I came here on the orders of the emperor to provide disaster relief, so it is impossible for me to take so much money. Besides, where would I spend so much money?"
"...So," seeing their eyes wavering, Jiang Zhaorong continued, "I don't have a hundred taels of gold, but I do have twenty or thirty."
He untied the purse from his waist and threw it to his eldest brother: "It contains three taels of gold and some small change. This will prove my sincerity. If you only spare my life, I will hand over all the remaining money in the mansion. How about it?"
It sounds like there is no problem, and the money has been obtained. Some of the bandits have shown expressions of approval, but some still have doubts.
The eldest brother was the one who had doubts.
He weighed the purse in his hand, opened it and took a look, took out a piece of gold and bit it, confirming that it was real gold, and frowned even deeper.
How can I put it? This is too smooth. This official admitted his mistake so quickly. And didn't the spy report it before? Wasn't there a guard beside him?
Why isn't that person here?
The eldest brother stretched out his hand, and the bandits who were discussing heatedly suddenly fell silent.
"Where are the guards around you?"
Jiang Zhaorong was stunned for a moment, then said, "They are on the road on the other side."
"You clearly saw us, why didn't you go with them?"
The eldest brother's eyes were full of confusion and vigilance.
Officials all value their lives. It makes no sense that when they see bandits, they would separate from their guards and go all alone without any guards.
Could it be some kind of plan?
The eldest brother's heart tightened and he quickly glanced around. Seeing that no officers or soldiers suddenly appeared, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Jiang Zhaorong didn't expect that he would ask about the guards, and pursed his lips slightly.
How do you explain this? Could it be that he suspected that someone among the guards had tipped off you, so they left separately?
...Wait, this does seem to explain it!
"Just like I asked you earlier if there was anyone behind you, I suspected someone among the guards had tipped you off. At that moment, it was hard for me to tell who was behind you, so I planned to separate them from me, thinking that maybe you wouldn't follow me. Who would have thought... I'd run into them headfirst."
A bitter smile appeared on his face, which made the bandits stunned.
If it's acting, then it's so realistic!
Three parts helplessness, five parts grievance, and two parts forbearance, all expressed vividly!
Jiang Zhiyu, who was on the roof just above them, marveled in admiration.
[As expected, sincerity is the ultimate weapon! ]
[This lie, which is 70% true and 30% false, must have left them stunned, right?]
He Yanting beside her: "..."
really.
"Then... then you are quite unlucky."
The eldest brother laughed dryly, and this time, they did not receive any signal, but on the road, they saw an arrow marked by someone.
I think there must be a traitor among his guards who wants to kill him.
It should be the one he mentioned, Xu Yao, who did it.
The eldest brother sighed softly.
The struggle among officials is even more complicated.
Looking at Jiang Zhaorong, who he had already defined as an unlucky guy, the eldest brother's tone was filled with pity: "No matter where you are, I won't tie you up. Write a letter in blood and return it to you. Have your servant send the money. Then you can leave. We won't make things difficult for you."
Jiang Zhaorong's eyes narrowed, and he tore off the cloth between his legs and was about to bite his fingers.
Seeing him so decisive, a hint of admiration flashed in the eldest brother's eyes.
Seeing that things were about to develop peacefully, Jiang Zhiyu blew a whistle. Suddenly, the guards who were supposed to be on the left path emerged like mushrooms after rain, shouting, "Where did these thieves come from? How dare they hold the Prime Minister hostage?!"
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