Chapter 185 Rescue Plan
The rain pattered softly and incessantly.
The dark sky pressed down, as if it would swallow the entire world.
An old horse-drawn carriage stopped in front of the Yunhe County government office. The gray curtain was lifted, revealing a handsome face.
Wan Ziyan jumped off the carriage, and Alai immediately came over with an umbrella to shield his master from the rain.
The other person did not refuse and lowered their head to straighten their clothes.
Once the hem of his robe was neatly arranged and not a single wrinkle could be seen, he raised his head, put one hand behind his back, and stepped onto the stone steps.
The Yunhe County government office was not unfamiliar to Wan Ziyan, but the yamen runners guarding the office were strangers to him and used their canes to keep him out of the door.
After Alai handed over Wan Ziyan's identification documents, the yamen runner immediately changed his attitude, smiling as he said, "Master Wan, the magistrate is busy in the main hall and may not be able to come for a while. You see..."
He dared not turn Wan Ziyan away, after all, Wan was a successful candidate in the imperial examinations and was registered with the Ministry of Personnel. He would inevitably become a high-ranking official if he passed the imperial examinations in the future, but he also dared not bring him in on his own.
Wan Ziyan was not annoyed by his words, but he also showed no intention of backing down. "Is Lord Fang gathering the families who were kidnapped by the bandits to discuss countermeasures?"
The constable was taken aback for a moment, almost blurting out how he knew, but fortunately he was usually tight-lipped and composed, and quickly regained his composure, saying, "Master Wan, I don't know anything about your affairs."
The two sides are deadlocked; one side is unwilling to leave, while the other is not allowing entry.
Knowing that Master Cao was passing by, Wan Ziyan saw him as a savior, greeted him familiarly, and then led his men into the county government office.
Over the years, although he served as the county magistrate's advisor, offering suggestions and advice, he was never as thorough in any aspect as Wan Ziyan.
Whenever there was a thorny issue in the county that he couldn't resolve, he would seek guidance from Wan Ziyan.
As a result, even though Wan Ziyan did not hold an official position, he was still aware of all the affairs in the county.
Half of the achievements in governing Yunhe County over the years can be attributed to Wan Ziyan.
If he hadn't been so indifferent to achievements, he would have been promoted long ago!
In the hall, the discussion among the group reached a deadlock.
If it were just a daughter who had been captured, we would naturally be willing to fight the bandits first. But there are also families whose only sons have been kidnapped by bandits. How can we just ignore them?
Everyone held their own opinion and refused to compromise.
Fang Ziming was also extremely troubled.
His daughter was among them, but he couldn't say a word in her defense, nor could he, like any ordinary parent, demand that his children be saved.
Because he was the magistrate of Yunhe County, everything he did had to be for the benefit of the people. Magistrate Yu was keeping a close eye on him, not allowing him to make the slightest mistake.
Under this double pressure, he no longer knew how to cope!
He always felt that the bandits of Lianshan seemed to know the government's next move in advance, and always managed to escape unscathed during the encirclement and suppression.
When Master Cao returned, he was accompanied by a man in a blue robe.
The people surrounding the hall immediately recognized Wan Ziyan, their faces showing some shock. How could he be here?
Could it be that Wan Yuan went out of town and is planning to leave Yunhe County to pursue an official career?
Wan Ziyan raised his hand and bowed to Fang Ziming, "Lord Fang."
Fang Ziming nodded, a smile playing on his lips. "What brings Ziyan to the county office today?"
Wan Ziyan glanced at the surrounding wealthy man, lowered his head and said, "I heard that many families in the county have been robbed by bandits, so I wanted to do my part."
Everyone was delighted to hear this.
Wan Ziyan is a renowned scholar in the county; if he helps, he will surely be able to come up with a solution.
County Magistrate Yu stood to the side, his expression slightly changing. He hadn't expected Wan Ziyan to be involved in this matter.
If he truly wanted to help Jiao Ai, he wouldn't have waited until today to come.
Fang Ziming knew that Wan Ziyan wouldn't suddenly help, but now that he was willing to lend a hand, it couldn't be better.
Thus, Master Cao recounted the details of the bandit incident.
After Fang Luxue was abducted, eight families in the county were also abducted, all of whom had some stored grain.
The bandits seemed to have already found out how much grain and money each family had left, and they wanted just enough to use up their grain and money.
In addition, we received an ultimatum today.
If no one delivers grain within five days, they kill one person a day and hang their head outside the county for people to see.
This matter is no longer as simple as kidnapping people to exchange for grain; it has threatened the security of the county.
If the bandits really did this, the people of Yunhe County would be filled with fear and unrest. If the imperial court were to blame them, the first to be dismissed and investigated would be the local officials who handled these matters.
Wan Ziyan's mind had already calmed down. He found the key point in Cao Shiye's words: "Five days. The grain on Lianshan Mountain can only last them for five days at most, or two or three days later."
He put down his teacup, looked up and said, "We must save them, but we can't just send them food for nothing. Everyone should wait until the last day to send the food."
Magistrate Yu angrily retorted, "Isn't this just trying to exchange grain for people?"
"If their provisions are only enough to last five days, they will be excited when they see the provisions and will become complacent. We will replace the people delivering the provisions with government soldiers, follow them into Lianshan, find the place where they are being held, protect them, and the rest of our men will infiltrate from the outside to launch a coordinated attack and wipe out the bandits in one fell swoop!"
After Wan Ziyan finished speaking, everyone agreed that he made sense and nodded in agreement.
As soon as Magistrate Yu's face darkened, he expressed his strong disagreement, "How do you know someone can sneak in? What if the bandits find out beforehand and move the person, or what if the person who goes in fails to protect their family and is surrounded and killed by the bandits?"
"In that case, let's see how you make the necessary preparations!" Wan Ziyan was naturally aware of the dangers involved, but he knew that there was one person inside who would not sit idly by and wait for death.
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