Chapter 88
Lin Shuge was awakened from his sleep. When he opened his eyes, he saw a flash of cold light under the moonlight and a long knife against his neck. He could only see clearly in the darkness that the man in front of him was tall and he was definitely no match for him.
"Why did you break into the county government office so late at night?" Lin Shuge pointed at the knife in front of him. "This knife looks extremely sharp. I'm afraid it will hurt someone."
"County Magistrate Lin had better not act rashly. My knife can cut through iron like mud and it can really hurt people." He swung it lightly, and a strand of Lin Shuge's long hair was cut off and fell to the ground.
Lin Shuge looked at the fallen hair with some regret, "If you want to discuss something with me, just tell me. Why do you have to do this?"
The man chuckled, "What if I want to ask you to come over?"
Lin Shuge blinked at him. He had a handsome face, clear eyes, and disheveled hair. Under the hazy moonlight, he had a breathtaking beauty.
The man thought of the rumors he had heard, a trace of disgust flashed across his eyes, and he pushed the long sword in his hand forward a few inches. If Lin Shuge had not dodged subconsciously, a bloody mark would have been left.
"Is this your way of inviting people? Or is this the way of inviting people in Huyashan?" Lin Shuge's eyes were sharp, piercing straight at him.
"Since County Magistrate Lin knows that I am from Huya Mountain, I would like to advise you to come with me."
"What if I don't want to?" Lin Shuge asked.
"Even if County Magistrate Lin is unwilling, there are two young men and women in the courtyard. I believe they will be willing. We have to invite them to Huya Mountain to sit for a while."
Lin Shuge suppressed his anger and scanned his face with his eyes like a sharp sword.
Yang Yan slightly avoided his gaze and said, "Let's go, County Magistrate."
Lin Shuge said with a smile: "You just asked me to go to Huya Mountain, why bother to mobilize so many people, right, Second Master?"
Yang Yan was surprised and asked, "How did you know?"
"Let's go." Lin Shuge walked in front. "By the way, can you help me get the outer robe on the shelf on your right? It's not good to catch a cold late at night."
Lin Shuge saw the scene of him gritting his teeth as he wished, and walked out in a good mood.
I walked all the way from the inner house through the official residence and the lobby, and even passed the ceremonial gate, but I didn't see anyone coming out. It seems that this county government office has been infiltrated like a sieve.
The moonlight sprinkled on the ground, like a layer of silver frost, and the entire Qingquan County seemed to be enveloped in it.
After leaving the county government office, Lin Shuge saw a carriage parked in a hidden place, and someone hurriedly got out of the carriage and walked towards this side.
"Second Master," the man clasped his fists and said, then he saw Lin Shuge, "Is this a success?"
Yang Yan said "hmm" and said to Lin Shuge, "Lin County Magistrate, get in the car."
Lin Shuge raised his hand, and Yang Yan gritted his teeth and stuffed his outer robe into his hand. After seeing Lin Shuge put on his outer robe leisurely and got on the carriage, he said to his men, "Drive, and make sure you get to the mountain stronghold before dawn."
The subordinates were shocked by what they had just seen and asked, "Is this the attitude of a kidnapped person?" Even if he didn't cry bitterly and look as sad as a bereaved mother, he should at least be trembling with fear and treading on thin ice. How could he be so arrogant? The second in command even asked him to get clothes.
He was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped. Yang Yan looked back, then he adjusted his chin and started driving the carriage.
After Yang Yan got in the car, he looked at Lin Shuge who was resting with his eyes closed and said, "Lin County Magistrate doesn't seem surprised that we came to you?"
Lin Shuge opened his eyes slightly, "So what if I'm curious? If I ask you now, will you tell me?"
Yang Yan was silent for a moment, "No."
Lin Shuge rolled his eyes at him and continued to rest with his eyes closed.
The air suddenly fell silent, and Yang Yan continued, "I heard that you have made outstanding achievements in Ganzhou, and that everyone in Ganzhou can have enough food to eat?"
Lin Shuge gave him a mischievous smile: "Look at how old I am this year. How can I have such a skill? It's just that the magistrate of Ganzhou County has the means."
Yang Yan looked at him half-believingly, uttered a few words vaguely, and then looked outside silently.
Lin Shuge pretended not to hear. After a while, he asked, "It wasn't your idea to kidnap me to Huya Mountain, was it?"
Yang Yan looked puzzled, "Why do you say that?"
Lin Shuge just smiled without saying anything, his eyes clear as he looked straight at Yang Yan, as if he wanted to see through his heart.
Yang Yan felt embarrassed for a moment as if he had been seen through, and said, "If you listen to my advice, you'd better not act so smart when you get to the mountain stronghold."
"Thank you very much for the reminder, Second In Command." Lin Shuge suppressed his smile and replied.
The carriage drove up a mountain and was now far away from the county town. The road was narrow, but the driver was very skilled. Lin Shuge looked at the very dangerous section of the road, and he flicked the whip and drove through smoothly.
It was getting light and the carriage stopped.
"Sir, you can get off the carriage now. The carriage cannot go up the rest of the way."
Lin Shuge followed him down and saw a long staircase with overgrown grass and trees all around. He raised his head and could only see what looked like human figures moving above.
"It's quite hidden."
Yang Yan said nothing and went up the long steps with him.
As soon as he came up, Lin Shuge saw a group of people holding swords and looking ferocious. The leader had a square face and looked no different from an ordinary farm boy, except for his fierce eyes. After seeing Lin Shuge, there was a hint of obsession in his eyes.
Yang Yan stepped forward and said, "Boss, the person has been brought here. This is Magistrate Lin."
Yao Dajiang was stunned. Yang Yan urged him again, and he woke up from his daze. He straightened his face and said, "Please ask County Magistrate Lin to come in."
A group of men behind him had fierce looks in their eyes. Lin Shuge glanced at them and showed a hint of cowardice on his face. A small leader saw it and burst into laughter.
Seeing that Lin Shuge was trying hard not to show any sign of it, a few people laughed knowingly. That was all.
Lin Shuge followed Yang Yan into the mountain stronghold. Unlike the bandit dens he had seen on TV before, this place was much more magnificent than the county government office. It looked like the houses of some wealthy families in Ganzhou in the past. Yao Dajiang came from a poor family, so he knew how to enjoy life.
Lin Shuge stood in the lobby, looking at Yao Dajiang who was sitting at the top with his big horse and golden sword, and then looked at the big men standing on both sides. Each of them had glared at him with one hand on the sword, as if they would cut off his head if he said anything that displeased them.
He suddenly had a sense of absurdity as if he was being interrogated in the lobby of a county government office. These people were acting very well to show their power.
"Arrange a position for County Magistrate Lin." Yao Dajiang said.
Immediately, a small thug brought a chair over and bowed to Yao Dajiang, but was kicked to the ground by Yao Dajiang. "Who is County Magistrate Lin? How can this chair be placed in such a position? Put it in place."
The lackey got up from the ground and bowed, "Please take a seat, County Magistrate Lin."
Lin Shuge sneered in his heart and strode forward to sit below Yao Dajiang.
"I asked County Magistrate Lin to come here today to discuss an important matter." Yao Dajiang looked at Lin Shuge from a close distance, and a lustful look flashed across his eyes.
"I don't know what important matter the boss has that requires me to come here in this way?" Anger appeared on his face at the right time, and he emphasized the word "please".
Yao Dajiang looked at his fair face, which was stained with a trace of anger, just like plum blossoms blooming in the winter snow. He felt a little itchy in his heart and looked at his subordinates, "Lin County Magistrate is an honored guest. Did you neglect him when you invited him?"
It seems that Yao Dajiang read a lot of books after becoming a bandit, and he learned a lot of literature.
"Boss, please be frank. I'm new here, but have I broken the rules of Qingquan County?" Lin Shuge's face was sincere, as if he would agree to anything if Yao Dajiang just said it.
"Humph, not only did you capture our Third Master, you also killed so many of our brothers, and you still dare to say that you broke the rules?"
"Boss, since we have captured him, let him pay for his brothers' lives first."
"Yes, pay with your life."
"Shut up." Yao Dajiang slammed the table, and the tabletop cracked. Immediately, some minions came up, took the cracked table away, and brought in a new one.
"Please don't be surprised, County Magistrate Lin. It's because you have captured Meng Hu, the third in command of our stronghold, and Meng Hu is respected by the brothers in the stronghold, so we have to invite County Magistrate Lin to come to the stronghold for a visit."
Lin Shuge looked solemn, but his eyes revealed a hint of panic, "I just came here and encountered a group of people who robbed and killed people. My men were a little quick, and I didn't know they were brothers in the village. I hope the boss will forgive me."
Yao Dajiang saw him lower his brows and his eyelashes tremble slightly, and he knew that although he looked brave, he was actually very scared. The intimidation had been effective, and it was time to talk about other things.
"Since they are so blind that they want to hurt Lord Lin, well, as long as Magistrate Lin releases Meng Hu, I will forgive them and even say something good to him." Yao Dajiang sounded gentle, as if afraid of scaring him, which made Lin Shuge feel sick.
"Boss." The confidant who had been standing silently beside reminded him, wondering if the boss's old problem had come back. He almost lost his soul after seeing such a beauty.
He looked at Lin Shuge critically again, cursing in his heart: "You are an official, and you look like this. If you don't know, you will think that the village has robbed someone's beauty."
Lin Shuge's eyes widened slightly, "I wonder what the boss wants to talk to me about?"
Yao Dajiang looked at Lin Shuge's simple and plain attire with pity. Other officials were all dressed in silk and satin, so why were you doing this?
"Lin County Magistrate has just arrived, so he naturally doesn't know the hardships of Qingquan County. Not to mention us, even the former County Magistrate Zhang had a hard time. Fortunately, he cooperated with the mountain stronghold, which is why he is so rich."
Lin Shuge cursed in his heart, the officials and bandits were in cahoots with each other and even dared to call it cooperation.
But he didn't show it on his face, and said with an innocent look, "I don't know what kind of cooperation it is? To be honest with you, Boss, I am also from a humble background, and I have brothers and sisters to support at home. If I hadn't offended someone, I wouldn't have come here."
Yang Yan stared at him in amazement as he kept talking nonsense. He then glanced at Yao Dajiang who had a loving expression on his face, and closed his eyes, thinking that if he didn't see it, he wouldn't be bothered.
"You... Oh, you should have said this earlier, I..." Seeing that he looked embarrassed, Yao Dajiang stood up directly. If his confidant next to him had not coughed violently, he would have come over to comfort him.
"Magister Lin, most of the people in the mountain stronghold have come here because they could not survive. In order to survive, the brothers have to ask for some money. It's just that this is neither difficult nor easy. We still need Magistrate Lin's help." The confidant said directly.
"Then how can I help?" Lin Shuge raised the corner of his lips and looked at him.
The confidant was a little confused, not knowing whether he was pretending to be stupid or really stupid. "Of course we need your help to cover up when we are doing things, and you will definitely benefit from it after the success."
"But this is a matter of death, how much benefit can you give me?"
Yao Dajiang said, "We gave 20% to County Magistrate Zhang, and 30% to County Magistrate Lin."
"Boss." The confidant disagreed.
"This 30% is a bit too little."
"You...you are refusing to accept my toast and then drinking the wine for punishment." The confidant said angrily.
"Hey, don't scare Magistrate Lin. Magistrate Lin, tell me, how much do you want?" Yao Dajiang had a smile on his face, but his eyes were a little cold.
Sure enough, this man could do such a thing as colluding with government officials to rob the people. How could he be just a person blinded by lust?
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