This is a common problem among those who get arrested: they start blaming everything on others and trying to find a way to survive.
But in reality, from the moment he decided to collude with the bandits, he was doomed.
Moreover, judging from what he did to Qinglian, he was indeed not a good person.
They absolutely deserve to die!
But we can't kill him now; he's still useful.
"How many people in this city are still colluding with those people?"
He asked again.
The fat man closed his eyes, thinking that since he was going to die anyway, it wouldn't hurt to drag a few more people down with him. So he made up his mind and said, "I've all had drinks with the bandit leader."
This was actually within Lu Baichuan's expectations. After all, if anyone wasn't of one mind with them, they would probably have been killed already, otherwise there wouldn't have been no news reaching the capital for so long.
"Gag me and let's go."
Lu Baichuan pondered for a moment, then left with his men.
They climbed over the wall instead of using the main gate, so they can keep it a secret for a while.
"What should we do now?"
Qin Jian was very troubled. These were all their people. If things really got out of hand, they would definitely try to silence them. The guards they brought this time were only of average to above-average ability, not very powerful.
Therefore, it is really difficult to break through.
Lu Baichuan had already thought about this problem while sleeping on the lawn.
As things stand, no matter what they choose, they will be enemies, and the only people they can truly rely on are these few individuals.
He looked at the eighteen guards before him and asked in a deep voice, "Are you afraid of death?"
The guards hesitated, exchanged glances, and then answered loudly, "We're not afraid!"
"It is our honor to serve under the general!"
They had always envied those in the Fire Cloud Division who could work under Lu Baichuan and Qin Jian, whose promotion speed was unmatched by ordinary people.
Logically speaking, they shouldn't have been involved in this kind of thing. The main reason was that they thought it was just a performance and wouldn't be difficult, so they were asked to accompany the actors. Unexpectedly, they encountered this kind of opportunity.
They knew they were of average talent, and if they waited for promotion at the normal pace, it would take forever. But now it was different. If they could really quell these bandit scourges this time, they would rise to prominence overnight!
Furthermore, even if they were to lose their lives, their achievements would be considered a great accomplishment, and the Emperor would surely give them a grand funeral and make proper arrangements for their families, ensuring they would live a life free from want for the rest of their lives.
It's a great deal no matter how you look at it!
So they knelt down on one knee, clasped their hands in a fist and said, "We swear to follow the general to the death!"
Lu Baichuan took a deep breath, made up his mind, and said, "Okay!"
Qinglian watched from the side, deeply shocked. These people felt that the government was unreliable and were preparing to suppress the bandits themselves!
But there are only a few of them. Wouldn't it be suicide for them to go like this?
Qinglian panicked a little. Although she wanted to avenge her family, she couldn't let people die for no reason, otherwise she would definitely feel guilty.
She wanted to say something, but felt she had no right to speak, and even felt she was a burden among this group.
Lu Baichuan assigned tasks to everyone, expecting them to be dangerous missions, but it turned out they were all just staking out locations, and no one was in any danger.
"General, this..."
The crowd was puzzled. If they weren't allowed to take the risks, then who would go to the most dangerous den of thieves?
Two generals?
The group was incredulous. Their previous superiors always sent them into dangerous situations, so this was the first time they had ever encountered a superior who made them stay behind!
If it were someone else, they might be very happy; who wants to die when they can live?
But now it is Lu Baichuan and Qin Jian who are going to take the risk. There is a war on the border, and the two of them will soon be going to provide support. If something happens to them now, what will happen to the border?
They cannot stand idly by and watch something happen on the border. If they are defeated, it will be the ordinary people who suffer, including their families and loved ones.
In contrast, they were more willing to sacrifice themselves to save Lu Baichuan and Qin Jian's lives; they were the hope of this country!
"No need to say more," Lu Baichuan raised his hand to stop him. "I have my own plans, there's no need to make unnecessary sacrifices."
He had encountered similar situations before in Nantai. Killing the crown prince of Nantai was even more difficult than this, but he still succeeded.
Since returning, with his wife's guidance, his martial arts skills have improved considerably. Even without using the dangerous evil techniques he used to employ, he can now be about 50-60% confident in his abilities.
He was determined to bring all the brothers he had brought back safely!
Seeing that everyone was in low spirits, Qinglian stepped forward and asked, "What can I do for the general?"
She had assumed Lu Baichuan was just a high-ranking official in the capital, traveling with a few guards, but she was surprised to find out he was actually a general. He was calm, decisive, and responsible, which put her at ease. She wanted to do something to help them, just like the guard in the story.
Lu Baichuan looked at her and, without any politeness, said, "There is indeed something I need your help with, young lady, but it might damage your reputation..."
"I'm not afraid!" Qinglian hurriedly interrupted him. "My whole family was murdered, what do I care about my reputation? General, just say it!"
Although she was a little scared, it was okay, she would try her best to overcome it.
Lu Baichuan nodded and said, "Go back to the county office and keep watch over those people. Don't let outsiders notice anything amiss. You need to cover things up when it matters."
Lu Baichuan didn't spell it out, but Qinglian knew that he wanted her to pretend to be Zhao Pangzi's concubine to keep those people outside from leaking the news for the time being.
She nodded emphatically: "General, rest assured, I will definitely handle it well!"
These unrelated people are all doing their best, so what right does she have to do nothing?
Lu Baichuan nodded and said to one of the guards, "Send her back first. Be careful not to let anyone find out."
After the guards left, the other guards followed his method and went up the mountain to scout out the location and set traps. Soon, only he and Qin Jian remained.
Lu Baichuan wasn't in a hurry. He took out paper and pen from his pocket and wrote a letter to his wife.
His current position is sensitive, so he cannot write directly to the emperor and can only ask his wife to relay the message.
Therefore, he needed to explain the situation clearly so that the emperor could secretly send someone to investigate Fatty Zhao's background.
Luckily, I brought two pigeons with me when I went out, otherwise I wouldn't be able to write a letter right now.
Qin Jian looked at the pen in his hand. It was very thin and long, and he could write directly without dipping it in ink. The characters he wrote were very small, and the dense content could be written on a small piece of paper.
No need to guess, it must have been given to him by his younger brother and sister-in-law.
Qin Jian stood by, filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment. He thought, "They have something this good, yet they won't even give him one. Are they even good brothers?"
But now is not the time to talk about these things. Qin Jian asked seriously, "Can we hold out until the Emperor sends reinforcements?"
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