Chapter 139 [VIP]
What's the meaning?
Gu Zhizhuo suddenly stood up, a strange glint in her eyes. She grabbed the coarse cloth bundle at her feet and ran towards the city gate.
"Oh, young lady! Young lady! I haven't even looked after my little grandson yet..."
Just as the old woman was about to pull her back, she suddenly heard Kong Xiulan shout in surprise, "Tiger Girl, you're awake, Tiger Girl!"
"Mother," the little girl said weakly, "I'm hungry."
Hey, he's actually awake.
It can talk now!
Every family that fled took their children with them, and every family also had a sick child.
With so many children falling ill all at once, they suspected it might be an epidemic, but what could they do? They couldn't just abandon all their children. These past few days, children have been dying almost every day; sometimes one or two, sometimes four or five at once, piling up one small mound after another on the hillside.
Some families lost two or three children.
In some families, all the children are sick.
It usually starts with diarrhea, then fever, and then vomiting blood. The blood is so red it's frightening.
Until he fainted.
Once someone falls unconscious, no one can wake them up.
Tiger Girl has been unconscious for two days. Logically, she should be gone by nightfall, just like the other children, reduced to a small mound of earth.
But!
He actually woke up?
"Hungry."
Kong Xiulan snapped out of her daze and hurriedly picked up the rough porcelain bowl to feed her.
The rough porcelain bowl contained pieces of cake that had been soaking for a long time; they were almost dissolved into porridge.
Tiger Girl took a bite and immediately looked as if she had tasted some unparalleled delicacy. She held the bowl with both little hands and wolfed it down.
He doesn't look like someone who is on the verge of death at all.
Kong Xiulan tried to smile, but her stiff face made her expression look strange.
The old woman placed her rough, large hand on Tiger Girl's forehead and exclaimed, "It's not hot anymore, it's really not hot anymore! Come and see!"
If they had harbored some desperate thoughts before, now they truly believed it.
"Where did that little girl... that little fairy go?"
"I have to go find her to save my little grandson."
“My child is also dying, I have to beg her.”
The crowd scattered in a flurry, searching everywhere like headless flies, until a young girl suddenly called out, "There she is!"
She pointed in the direction of the city gate.
Someone immediately thought, "The little fairy said she came to find her relatives. Could it be that she has found her family?"
"Quick, go check it out, before they start fighting and get hurt."
"Girl, girl!" The old woman put her hands to her mouth and called out to her, "Don't go over there, we'll help you find whoever you're looking for."
Gu Zhizhuo vaguely heard someone calling her, but she didn't turn around. She said to Qingmei, "Have Qi Fu bring the person over."
Qingmei: "..."
Qin Chen and Chong Jiu are both not here. If I leave now, won't I be leaving the girl all alone?
"Go quickly."
"Chongjiu is just ahead; I'll go and meet him first."
Gu Zhizhuo emphasized his words, and Qingmei lowered her head in agreement.
She hesitated and looked towards the city gate. A huge, dark mass of people, almost all the able-bodied young refugees, were gathered in front of the county town gate.
There are at least a thousand people.
"Brother Nan."
Several young men helped a burly young man to his feet.
"Brother Nan, calm down."
"How can I stay calm? My daughter, my Tiger Girl, is dying."
Zhang Zinan collapsed to the ground, his body bearing several footprints, his face covered in blood, and his fingers twisted and twitching as if they were broken.
He stumbled to his feet.
Even though Zhang Zinan was over thirty years old and had gone hungry for several meals and was very thin, he still looked the strongest among the refugees.
They had been banging on the gate for two or three hours. Just now, the city gate finally opened, and a group of yamen runners rushed out, shouting at them. In addition to the yamen runners, some soldiers also came out, all of them armed.
Zhang Zinan resisted for a couple of minutes, but was punched to the ground by the officer in charge of the troops, who also broke his finger.
Zhang Zinan stood at the very front, surrounded by people flanking him.
His eyes were bloodshot, filled with intense hatred, and the corners of his eyes, bloodshot and seemingly about to drip blood.
The officer in charge was Fang Zhe, a personal guard captain of Xie Qiyun, the heir apparent of the Prince of Jin.
He returned to the capital with the Crown Prince, and they should have arrived in the capital by now, but they've been stuck here for four or five days. The Crown Prince is still ill and has ordered him to deal with the refugees by today.
Fang Zhe stood with his hands behind his back, his stern face full of contempt. He rebuked in an authoritative tone, "The Crown Prince has ordered that you leave this place and return to your hometown before nightfall today."
"Otherwise, kill without mercy."
The surrounding soldiers shouted defiantly, their voices deafening.
"You bunch of corrupt officials."
Outrage and curses erupted among the displaced people.
Fang Zhe snorted coldly and raised his left hand.
This seemed like a signal; the soldiers behind him nocked their arrows, the gleaming arrowheads radiating a chilling light, and aimed them at the refugees.
Some of the refugees were so frightened that they took a step back, but when they thought of their parents, wives, and children who were about to starve or die from disease, they took that small step back.
They haven't eaten for days; driving them away now is no different from sending them to their deaths.
"We're going to die anyway, Brother Nan, let's charge in."
"Yes. Brother Nan, kill these corrupt officials."
With the cover of the others, Zhang Zinan quietly took a machete from behind.
He has to go to the county town to see a doctor today; his little tiger girl can't wait any longer.
Zhang Zinan stepped forward, gritting his teeth and shouting, "We're starving to death! How are we going to get back to our hometown?!"
"We just need to get into the city and give us some food."
"We won't leave, even if it kills us, unless you agree!"
Fang Zhe's expression grew colder. He could also see that these refugees listened to Zhang Zinan, and that it was this man who was repeatedly inciting them.
He sneered, "A rabble, trying to turn the world upside down? What a joke."
The soldiers pulled the bowstrings tighter.
Zhang Zinan gripped the machete tightly, his arm muscles bulging.
He let the blood drip down his face, leaving several streaks on one side of his face.
He took one step forward, then another, silently calculating the distance in his mind. He had to take his opponent hostage in one strike for them to have any hope of survival.
"We want to go into the city."
"We need food."
"We must survive!"
The able-bodied men followed Zhang Zinan as he approached. They all had elderly parents and young children to support, and they were too weak to walk any further. If they left now, they would die on the road. At that moment, their desire to survive overwhelmed their natural fear of the government.
Fang Zhe cursed, "You're asking for it."
"Try taking another step?!"
Zhang Zinan took another step forward, and there were less than ten steps between him and Fang Zhe.
Zhang Zinan leaned forward slightly, placing his weight on his toes.
It seems they won't be afraid unless blood is spilled. Fang Zhe said angrily, "A bunch of unruly people!" It's already dark; if we delay any longer, the young master won't be able to leave today.
"kill!"
The trusted commander had drawn his bow to its fullest extent, and with a swift release, the arrow shot toward Zhang Zinan's head.
Once this instigator and ringleader dies, the refugees will know fear and that they shouldn't oppose the government! Hmph, troublemakers.
Zhang Zinan's face turned pale, and the arrow's light magnified in his pupils.
Whoosh!
An iron arrow, launched later, struck the feathered arrow with perfect accuracy and force. The feathered arrow was deflected and fell to the ground, while the iron arrow, still carrying momentum, slammed heavily into a large tree behind it, causing the tree's branches and leaves to tremble and fall to the ground.
Zhang Zinan was still shaken; the arrowhead had almost touched his forehead. At that moment, he truly thought he was going to die.
Who is it?
Fang Zhe: "Who is it?!"
All eyes turned toward where Tetsuya had come from.
Gu Zhizhuo stood in the crowd, holding a strangely shaped crossbow, with a piece of loose blue cloth at his feet.
She was dressed in a coarse cloth skirt, and her face and body were covered in mud, making her look dirty. At first glance, Fang Zhe assumed she was also a refugee, perhaps a hunter or something.
However, his next glance caught his eye of the crossbow in her hand. It was jet black, its material indistinguishable from any particular wood, and its carvings were exquisitely detailed—clearly not something a rural hunter would possess. He also noticed a black finger ring on her right hand, which held the crossbow.
Thumb rings were worn to prevent injury from bowstrings, and only true noble families would pay such attention to this.
Who is this person?
"Who exactly are you?" Fang Zhe asked warily once again.
Gu Zhizhuo walked out of the crowd with a leisurely gait, and even the most ordinary clothes could not conceal her calm and composed demeanor.
Instead of answering, she asked, "Did you give the order?"
The voice was soft, but every word struck like a heavy hammer, hitting everyone's heart.
Gu Zhizhuo continued to question: "The imperial court has ordered that local officials should do their utmost to provide food and medicine to the refugees in Qingzhou, and should not make any excuses to shirk their responsibilities."
“There were no troops stationed in Yihe County, but they mobilized troops without authorization and shot and killed innocent people in Daqi.”
Migrants are simply people who have left their hometowns and wander from place to place.
However, they were still the people of Daqi.
"According to military law, his crime deserves death!"
Gu Zhizhuo raised his hand, his five fingers together, and pointed at him.
Fang Zhe, enraged, retorted, "Where did this little brat come from, spouting nonsense? You're asking for it!"
Gu Zhizhuo wasn't afraid at all. She curled her lips and said, "You're not worthy to speak to me."
Fang Zhe originally wanted someone to take her down, but Gu Zhizhuo's attitude was too domineering, and he couldn't figure out what she was up to.
He couldn't figure it out, and neither could the refugees. They all stared intently at Gu Zhizhuo, and no one spoke.
Fang Zhe gathered his courage and tentatively asked, "Young lady, who are you...?"
"Where is the magistrate of Yihe County? Get out here!"
Gu Zhizhuo snapped open the official document in his hand and raised his head, saying, "Gu Zhizhuo of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion has come here on the orders of Prince Chen to investigate the crime of failing to govern the people of Yihe County."
Wow.
After a brief silence, a commotion suddenly broke out all around.
The refugees were both surprised and delighted, and also fearful.
To their delight, someone actually came to help them.
They seemed to see hope in her, a hope that was almost completely obscured by despair.
What I fear is that it might be another scam, just a way to appease them.
"Brother Nan, what should we do now?"
Zhang Zinan shook his head, indicating that he would take a look first.
The refugees at least had some joy, but Fang Zhe only felt shock.
I never expected it to be the Gu family! Even if the Gu family has few descendants, there's no reason for them to send a young woman out to do errands.
“There are no troops stationed in Yihe County. I order you to disarm immediately.”
Gu Zhizhu stared intently at the soldiers: "I will count to three, then you can either take off your armor or die."
Her lips curved into a smile, and you could almost see the dimples on her cheeks, but her words brooked no refusal.
She raised her right hand, held up three fingers, and counted.
"One, two."
"Ah, is this Miss Gu? I have heard of Miss Gu's reputation."
"Miss Gu may not know, but I am a servant of the Prince of Jin's heir."
"Miss Gu, please don't act recklessly, think it over carefully..."
"three!"
*Smack*
Gu Zhizhuo pulled the trigger.
An iron arrow flew from the crossbow at a speed too fast for the naked eye to perceive.
An arrow pierced through Fang Zhe's shoulder.
In less than a breath, Fang Zhe didn't even have time to dodge.
The crossbow had a long range and great force; this arrow struck Fang Zhe so hard that he fell to the ground with a thud.
The next moment, all the soldiers' arrows were aimed at Gu Zhizhuo, the arrow light radiating a chilling aura.
Chongjiu had already drawn the short sword from his waist, and he touched the ground with his toes, like a tiger poised to pounce.
"Put it down!" Gu Zhizhuo sneered. "Are you plotting a rebellion?"
"Killing an imperial envoy is tantamount to treason, punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family."
When the words "treason" and "extermination of nine generations of relatives" were mentioned, the soldiers hesitated. They were just following orders and had never thought of rebelling.
Gu Zhizhuo smiled lightly, her coarse clothes and simple skirt giving her an aggressive aura: "Do you want to exterminate your entire family, or do you want to die by my arrows?"
The name of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion was known to everyone in the Great Qi Dynasty.
The Gu family's formidable reputation was so widespread that, faced with Gu Zhizhuo's arrogant and disdainful demeanor, they couldn't help but feel a little intimidated and loosened their grip on the bowstring.
Gu Zhizhuo: "Did you think it was just the two of us who came after I took this assignment?"
"Taking your lives would be as easy as turning my hand. Believe it or not?"
That's right! The soldiers looked at each other in disbelief. The eldest daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion knew that thousands of refugees were causing trouble here. She couldn't possibly have come out on official business with just the two of them. She probably had thousands of troops lying in ambush nearby.
Gu Zhizhuo walked forward calmly and fearlessly, with Chong Jiu half a step behind her, holding a short knife in her hand. He was expressionless, but when he looked up, his eyes were sharp as swords.
Thump.
Someone's hand loosened, and the longbow fell to the ground.
"Remove your armor."
Gu Zhizhu shouted loudly, and the others put down their longbows and hurriedly took off their armor and threw it on the ground.
"Our soldiers of the Great Qi don their armor to protect our people and our land, not to point their arrows at the people of Great Qi." Gu Zhizhuo's steps were firm, each step carrying a powerful pressure, and the soldiers and constables naturally made way for him.
Gu Zhizhuo walked to Fang Zhe's side and stepped on his bleeding shoulder.
"ah!"
Fang Zhe let out a scream, the pain causing even the soldiers to hunch their shoulders.
"Open the city gates."
Gu Zhizhuo said to the head constable, "Go and tell the magistrate to come out here."
The shopkeeper paused for a moment, then quickly clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, accepting the order: "Yes."
Xie Qiyun ordered the expulsion of the refugees and planned to kill them. The county magistrate dared not hide peacefully in the county office and was now waiting behind the city gate. He vaguely sensed that things were not going well, and without needing anyone to invite him, he wiped his sweat and came out timidly.
"Girl, mother?...Sir?"
He didn't know what to address her, as there was no precedent for a woman to be an imperial envoy in the Great Qi Dynasty.
Gu Zhizhuo: "Call him General." A slight smile appeared on her lips, revealing a hint of smugness.
Having lived two lives, no one has ever called her a general yet~
"Yes, yes, General!"
"The Prince of Chen has ordered the granaries to be opened and grain distributed. You should have received the official document."
The magistrate moved his lips, almost bursting into tears. He wanted to distribute the grain, but the Prince of Jin's heir was preventing it.
He felt he was doomed to lose his official position, and didn't even know if he could keep his head.
Yes, yes.
Sweating profusely, the magistrate cupped his hands and said, "This humble official will go immediately."
"Requisition restaurants and eateries in the county town and order them to cook porridge and steamed buns as quickly as possible."
"yes."
The magistrate readily agreed.
He couldn't afford to offend either the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion or the Prince of Jin's heir.
He glanced at Fang Zhe, who was being trampled under Gu Zhizhuo's feet, wondering how he would explain this to the Prince of Jin later.
"General Gu... General Gu. The heir of the Prince of Jin..."
Gu Zhizhuo's eyes were like knives: "Tell Xie Qiyun to come out and say what he has to say. If he keeps pointing fingers, I'll chop off his hands and stomp his feet."
The King of Jin and his son are allies with Changfeng; what good could they possibly be?
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