He pointed to Ji Wenxuan behind him!
"My lords, this is my master!"
"My master is the county magistrate! He's come all this way just to see the prefect!"
"Tell him about the situation outside so he can prepare accordingly!"
Only then did everyone realize that Ji Wenxuan was actually a county magistrate!
Even Hei Meng and others, who were usually in crowds, were quite surprised!
I only knew he was from the officers' group, probably a low-ranking soldier, but I never expected he would have an official position!
Upon hearing that it was the county magistrate, the guards opposite him exchanged bewildered glances.
However, they remained vigilant until Ji Wenxuan produced his waist token and imperial edict!
His name, position, and some physical characteristics were clearly engraved on it!
The guards looked down at the waist badge, carefully examining his features, and finally confirmed that the person in front of them was indeed the county magistrate!
They opened the imperial edict again, which clearly stated when the emperor appointed Ji Wenxuan as the magistrate of Huiwu County!
And there's a bright red jade seal at the end!
This can't be faked!
Although the emperor is no longer here and Huiwu County no longer exists, his status as the county magistrate cannot be denied!
If the identity of this county magistrate is denied, it is tantamount to denying all the officials previously appointed by the emperor!
Although they didn't want the other party to go in, they had no reason to stop them!
They quickly returned the waist token and imperial edict to the other party with both hands!
"Your Excellency, what brings you here?"
"We heard that Huiwu County no longer exists!"
"Everyone says you perished along with Huiwu County, so how did you end up here?"
Ji Wenxuan didn't put on airs like a county magistrate; he just smiled wryly.
And Bai Jian was naturally his mouthpiece!
"Stop asking about this and let us in! Our magistrate can't stand any news from Huiwu County these days!"
"He feels he's just barely surviving. If he hadn't come to deliver a message, he would have already drowned himself. If you keep talking like this, he'll commit suicide again!"
"The adults have died countless times along the way!"
"Fortunately, he met some kind-hearted people on the road who rescued him!"
Upon hearing this, the guards noticed that the official in front of them indeed had a pale face and dark circles under his eyes, as did the commoners beside him. It was clear that they hadn't slept well the night before and had been watching the official closely, hoping he might commit suicide in the blink of an eye!
However, the higher-ups have all given instructions not to let any shady characters in, and I don't know if this county magistrate counts as a shady character!
And the dozen or so people following the magistrate will definitely go in together, which puts them in a dilemma!
When they were in trouble, Ma Minghao stepped forward!
"Brother, I don't think this official is lying. Look at the dark circles under his eyes; he hasn't had a good night's sleep in a long time. Why don't we let him in and see what he has to say to the prefect!"
"If we delay military operations, it's not something a small fry like us can afford to do!"
"Besides, the magistrate's identity has been verified, so he's not the shady character the prefect described. Let them in!"
"If there is any criticism from above, I will take full responsibility!"
The guards looked at each other.
In the end, he nodded in agreement!
"Alright, let's go in then!"
They were genuinely afraid of missing some military mission, and this identity had indeed been verified!
However, the refugees behind him couldn't go in together!
"Your Excellency! You may go in, but the people behind you should not be allowed to enter!"
Upon hearing this, Ji Wenxuan took a few steps back in disbelief!
"Why are you making things so difficult for me? If they hadn't saved me, I would never have survived until now!"
"You actually want to turn away my savior? I'm all alone now, isn't it enough that I have a few guards with me?"
"If that's the case, then I won't go in!"
"I was originally planning to share my understanding of Prince Shun and my experience fighting him with the Prefect!"
"It seems pointless now. Do whatever you want! I don't want to live anymore!"
After saying that, he was about to rush into the river next to him!
Bai Jian quickly stopped him!
This sudden turn of events terrified the guards at the door!
They never imagined that just by saying a few words, the magistrate would be executed!
That's way too fragile!
There was no need for such a strong reaction!
The commotion quickly attracted the attention of the refugees nearby!
Ma Minghao quickly advised from the side, "Let them go in, I'll lead them in!"
"How could a county magistrate not have some servants and guards around him?"
"That's normal, especially since these people are his saviors. Look at them, only one of them is big and strong! The rest are as thin as sticks!"
"Besides, there are women and children here, so even if they go in, they won't cause any trouble!"
"There's no need to get scolded because of these people!"
"What if something happens to the magistrate at our doorstep?"
"Then you'll be held accountable!"
"And look at those refugees, they're all eyeing the place like hawks, just waiting for something to happen at the entrance so they can take the opportunity to go in and loot, smash, beat, and kill!"
"Let them in quickly!"
"Don't let things escalate!"
The guards found this very reasonable, and they quickly stepped forward to pull Ji Wenxuan away!
"Your Excellency, may you all go in together?"
"We were wrong just now, please don't do the same thing as us!"
"Sir, please go inside quickly!"
Ji Wenxuan still looked very unwilling, but in the end he was pushed and dragged inside by these people!
Lin Ru and the others naturally entered openly and honestly!
After watching them all go inside, Ma Minghao led the strong men behind him inside. Once everyone was inside, the guards outside quickly closed the city gate!
The heavy city gates quickly blocked the refugees' sight from exploring!
Once Lin Ru entered, she was filled with amazement. This place was far more prosperous than any county she had ever seen before, and it was also incredibly large!
There are many tall buildings!
Most importantly, this city actually has an inner moat!
The river water was crystal clear, and many people were drawing water from the riverbank!
And they seemed to be peeking around furtively!
They saw Lin Ru and the others walk in! They looked like they'd seen a ghost!
Terrified, he grabbed a bucket and ran home without even checking if there was water in it!
Some even lost their shoes while running!
Lin Ru was a little dumbfounded by this scene! They weren't some kind of monster, so why did they have to act like this?
Ma Minghao, however, frowned deeply!
In the past, although these people disliked and were somewhat afraid of the government soldiers, it was only limited to Pang Da's gang!
He's only been gone a few days, and now the whole population is running away at the sight of him, not knowing what happened!
As they drew closer, the interior became increasingly bustling!
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