General Qi glanced at the sunlight outside the window, then suddenly interrupted Ye Wenxue and asked:
"You want me to spare the bandits? Do you know how many people have suffered because of them? How many people have been robbed of their silver and food and are now unable to survive?"
Ye Wenxue shrugged: "When the imperial court doesn't send people to provide disaster relief, it never thinks about the people who are struggling to survive."
"Besides," Ye Wenxue leaned back on the chaise longue, half-lifted her veil, picked up a piece of tea snack, ate it, and continued.
"Young General, where were you last summer, autumn and winter when the people couldn't survive? Where were the people sent by the imperial court?"
She scoffed and pierced the last fig leaf of the imperial court:
"I don't want to defend the bandits; they did make mistakes in the past. To survive, they plundered other people's silver and food, which was indeed inappropriate."
But, young general, you don't actually think the imperial court is on the side of justice, do you?
If it weren't for concerns about this year's taxes, the fear of people fleeing to Qiongzhou, and the need to maintain public morale, when do you think the imperial court would ever think of providing disaster relief?
General Qi's face was grim.
"What nonsense are you spouting?! During last year's drought, the imperial court allocated silver and relief grain from the national treasury and dispatched hundreds of officials of all ranks to various places to provide disaster relief. Every day, porridge distribution teams could be seen around the capital!"
Ye Wenxue stared at him for a while, making sure he wasn't talking nonsense, and calmly said:
"I don't know about other places, but in the Tanzhou area, there has only been one disaster relief effort, and it was only within the city of Tanzhou that the surrounding people were on the verge of starvation."
Otherwise, why do you think the people would flee famine? Where do you think so many refugees with nowhere to go came from outside Longxing Prefecture?
General Qi suddenly fell silent. He stopped struggling and hung his head without uttering a sound.
It's obvious at a glance that he knows the ins and outs.
Ye Wenxue wasn't there to discuss the government's disaster relief efforts; she cut to the chase once again:
"Tell me, what will it take for you to let Zhixing and the other two go?"
General Qi closed his eyes briefly: "They are mountain bandits."
Ye Wenxue sat up straight: "But they didn't kill anyone, set fires, or oppress the people, so they shouldn't have ended up being beheaded."
You want to use them to lure in bandits? Let me tell you the truth, among the bandits in this area, those who have killed, been killed, or driven away are all innocent. Those who remain in the stronghold have never had blood on their hands.
Besides... they've already gone down the mountain, so no matter how much you try to seduce them, it won't work."
General Qi glanced at her and smiled knowingly: "How do you know it's useless?"
Ye Wenxue instantly realized: "You had someone guarding the mountain pass? No wonder I was able to enter your house so easily."
The advance force numbered only a little over five hundred men. With two men guarding each mountain pass, at least three or four hundred men would be needed.
In addition to those guarding the town entrance and those watching over the prisons, there were only a few dozen vanguard soldiers available to fight.
No wonder the young general didn't call for anyone to come in and arrest her.
Knowing that he was being held hostage, dozens of advance troops couldn't stop her at all.
Ye Wenxue was worried about the children hurrying down the mountain, but she didn't show it on her face: "Judging from the young general's words, he probably won't kill anyone. Since that's the case... I'm relieved."
She turned to jump out the window to escape, but the bound General Qi seized the opportunity to bang on the table, and the guards outside immediately broke down the door.
"General!"
"Young General Qi!"
A group of guards glanced at the bound General Qi, then at the woman who was about to leave through the window. After a moment's hesitation, they turned to leave.
Seeing the young general's expression, as if he were enjoying himself, they should refrain from disturbing him too much.
Lu Fang glanced at her cautiously and keenly sensed that the woman's origins were unknown.
"superior!"
As soon as Ye Wenxue opened the window, she saw several guards standing by the window. When she turned around, she saw two familiar, silly boys who had rushed into the room in a daze and were now huddled in a corner, eager to try.
She didn't need to think too much to know what the two of them were plotting.
Saving lives, offering help, and then using that as a pretext to make demands...
In a short time, Ye Wenxue thought of Dazhuang, Xu Lin, and Su Jiu.
With them around, escaping the soldiers and escaping down the mountain shouldn't be a problem, let alone getting rid of them.
What if I'm unlucky and get caught instead of escaping...
Ye Wenxue decisively stopped running, leaped forward, fought off several guards, and precisely grabbed General Qi by the throat: "If you don't want him to die, all of you, get out of here!"
General Qi, who was easily defeated once again: "...Retreat!"
The guards looked at each other, and finally focused their attention on Lu Fang.
The county magistrate, Lu Fang, said: "...As long as you don't hurt General Qi, everything is negotiable."
He made a gesture to the guards behind him.
The guards quickly retreated and stood guard outside the door, leaving only two of the general's trusted confidants.
Ye Wenxue glanced at Zhiwen and Zhiwang, who were whispering to each other, and shook her head helplessly.
Ignoring the unusually tense soldiers, she retied General Qi and teased him by lifting his chin:
"Oh, your surname is Qi? What's your full name?"
The onlookers inside the room, as well as the person attempting a sneak attack by the window, all slightly opened their pupils.
Wait... how come... it looks like I saw General Qi being harassed?
General Qi turned his face away, inwardly regretting that he had just called someone in:
"Didn't you want me to release them? Lord Lu, please bring Zhang Zhixing and the other two who are to be executed today."
Lu Fang frowned, his gaze piercing Zhi Wen and Zhi Wang like lightning.
The people who kidnapped General Qi were actually in cahoots with Zhiwen and his group!
Thanks to his tireless efforts over the past few days, he has spoken highly of Zhiwen and Zhiwang in front of General Qi!
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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