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墨書 Inktalez
Liu Xiaoxiao also understood his meaning; it looked dangerous, but in reality, it was not that dangerous. The bandits would not attack for the time being.
Still, she felt scared. Those bandits were truly formidable, capable of killing even Soldiers. She had seen refugees who begged for a living, and they were really pitiful.
On the way here, she had seen many of them, but the Old Steward did not allow her to go out, fearing that those refugees might have ill intentions and could rob or kill her.
Having avoided those refugees, she encountered the Black Inn, where her loyal Old Steward of many years was killed. It truly pained her heart!
Tears welled up in her eyes as she slowly nibbled on the dry rations.
After half an hour, two Imperial Guards rushed over. They said, "Commander has issued an order; please get on the carriage quickly, Qin Sir. We need to hurry to Taiyuan to ensure the success of the Negotiation. If we delay, a greater disaster may occur."
Qin Feng was somewhat surprised that they were to set off so soon. The horse had not eaten enough, and he himself had not fully rested; it felt rather rushed.
However, the Negotiation was of utmost importance. If they delayed their journey and the Negotiation failed, he could very well lose his head. The Jin cavalry would also march southward, killing more common people!
Just thinking about it made her feel frightened. Why were there so many cruel people around? Could there not be some good ones?
She hurriedly brought Xiao Xiao onto the carriage. The Imperial Guards on the carriage had also finished their preparations; food supplies were packed, and they slowly moved forward.
Wang Xiang, Zhang Mu Liu Xian, and another person walked ahead. In front of them were more than twenty Imperial Guards responsible for observing the road conditions ahead and the surrounding bandits.
Behind the three of them were dozens of Imperial Guards armed with Long Swords, dressed in black armor and wearing black helmets, riding tall Warhorses.
They looked very imposing and certainly exuded an aura of menace; they had all undergone brutal training to be selected for the capital and were stronger than ordinary Soldiers.
However, they had been traveling for a long time and were already exhausted, their strength diminished significantly.
Qin Feng's large carriage was right behind them, driven by the palace's Groom. It was pulled by two tall Black Horses that still appeared quite spirited; these were the palace's Imperial Steeds, far superior to Warhorses.
The coachman, Guan Ping, was driving an old carriage from the estate, trailing behind and also feeling somewhat tired; the horse was indeed weary.
Behind them were hundreds of Imperial Guards, all clad in black armor and riding tall Warhorses.
It was a dark mass, resembling a long black giant python, exuding an air of authority and menace, stretching out for hundreds of meters.
After a couple of hours, several Imperial Guards in Black Armor approached, each wielding a Long Sword, herding two cowering men toward the three of them.
One man appeared to be less than 1.6 meters tall, extremely thin, resembling a monkey. His clothes were tattered, exposing large patches of yellow skin, and he trembled in the Cold Wind, possibly out of fear.
His face was dirty, suggesting he was a refugee. He carried a worn Bamboo Basket on his back.
The other man was taller, around 1.7 meters, and somewhat plump with a chubby face.
His clothing was also in tatters; his arms and legs were exposed, with yellow skin smeared with dirt and grime. His entire body was equally filthy.
He too trembled, holding a nearly two-meter-long Shoulder Pole in his right hand, which had several notches and looked quite old.
Under the watchful eyes of several Imperial Guards wielding Broadswords who were driving them forward, they slowly moved ahead, seemingly reluctant to proceed and appearing frightened.
Upon reaching the commander Zhang Mu and the other two men, one of the Imperial Guards spoke up; he did not sheath his Broadsword but merely lowered it.
"Report to Lord Zhang, we were scouting ahead to see if there were any bandits in the surroundings and encountered these two sneaky men! Their behavior is quite suspicious; they appear to be wandering refugees."
"They were initially walking slowly forward, but kept looking around as if searching for something. When they noticed us riding by, they immediately turned and ran, clearly feeling guilty about something."
"It's possible they are bandits scouting for travelers to rob, planning to commit theft and murder."
The two men, dressed in tattered clothes, immediately knelt down upon hearing the word 'bandit' and began to bow their heads in pleading.
"Esteemed officials, we are merely wandering refugees. Our families have starved to death. We come from a mountain village in Henan Prefecture, where there has been a severe drought, yet the government still demands high taxes. We had no choice but to flee."
"When we saw several soldiers on black horses, we thought they were coming to capture us and demand land tax, so we ran away. We truly are not bandits; we don't even look like one!"
They did indeed resemble refugees, carrying very little with them; perhaps they really had nothing to steal.
One of the Imperial Guards immediately raised his long sword and pointed it at one of the men.
"This monkey-like man is quite cunning. When he encountered us, he acted similarly. However, I sense he is somewhat clever; he doesn't seem like just a refugee. He has been looking around too much; it's clear he's not a good person."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Mu and the others felt something was off. Why would a refugee be looking around so much? Could they really be bandits?
The skinny man, resembling a monkey, heard this and lifted his head from kneeling, smiling slightly.
"In these remote areas, it's inevitable to encounter a few bandits, so one must be vigilant. If there are indeed bandits around, it's easier to run away!"
This truly surprised them; it seemed reasonable that one should be cautious of potential bandits.
The commander Zhang Mu was somewhat at a loss; it seemed that they were just refugees, but their behavior was a bit sneaky, as they ran away upon seeing the Soldiers.
He had managed to smooth things over, having owed a lot of Land Tax, and the Soldiers were there to take them back.
Wang Xiang took a look at the two men; they indeed looked like refugees, though slightly better off than typical ones. He said, "What are your names? Be honest!"
The two men knelt on the ground, their bodies shaking violently from fear as they looked at him in terror.
The Thin Man introduced himself as Zhang San, while the fat man was Li Si. He thought that Wang Xiang already knew their identities and urged himself to confess quickly.
He thought that without severe torture, he would be fine; after all, he was just a scout for bandits. There was only one way out for him—death. The Soldiers would show no mercy!
Wang Xiang burst into laughter, stroking his black beard, lost in thought. He said, "Zhang San and Li Si are really rustic names; you must be from a mountain village. You're just refugees. Hurry up and leave! Don't hinder our journey; we won't bother you again!"
Upon hearing this, the two men were immediately overjoyed. This person was too easy to deceive. They quickly bowed their heads twice and ran away.
Zhang Mu Liu Xian was somewhat confused; he hadn't clarified the situation yet, and the general had let the people go.
"General Wang, we haven't confirmed whether those two are bandits or not. Why did you let them go? They could become a threat!"
He appeared unconcerned; even if they were bandits, what could they do? Just a rabble!
"Our main mission is to go to Taiyuan for Negotiation, not to fight with these bandits. You need to understand that those two are definitely refugees and not bandits. We need to continue our journey quickly; otherwise, we'll waste more time."
Zhang Mu Liu Xian exchanged glances with others; it seemed they tacitly agreed that the primary goal was indeed to reach Taiyuan for Negotiation, not to deal with these rabble bandits. However, they might take the opportunity to rob them.
He could only accept it; after all, the words of the General were worth listening to, far more than his own understanding.
He ordered the people in front to continue moving forward, ignoring the two refugees, and whipped the Black Warhorses beneath him vigorously, venting his frustration. The horses quickly surged ahead.
Before long, the tall and short refugees reached the carriage and gazed at the exquisite vehicle. What a beautiful woman!
A tall and slender beauty leaned out, revealing a flawless Oval Face. She was draped in a Crimson Cloak, exuding nobility and grace, gentle and virtuous.
Having lived in the village for so many years, it was the first time he had seen such a Great Beauty; she must be the Consort of the Grand Official.
Wealthy High Official merchants certainly enjoyed themselves; even their concubines were Stunningly Beautiful. How comfortable could their nights be!
He would never spare these Corrupt Officials and Crooked Merchants, who only knew how to exploit farmers; he would not let these people go unpunished!
The Thin Man pulled along the somewhat Fat Man, still staring at Liu Xiaoxiao above. Drool had already dripped onto his clothes as he was dragged forward; if he slowed down, he might truly lose his life.
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