novelraw Chapter 373: Youre Threatening This Official
Chapter 373: Youre Threatening This Official
Zheng Daniu indeed had self-awareness and said cheerfully, “I’m a fool;
what girl would fall for a fool?”
Zao Ying replied, “A fool isn’t cunning and doesn’t lie through his teeth like clever people—what’s wrong with that?”
Zheng Daniu chuckled cheerfully, gnawing on the lamb.
Zao Ying reached out and hooked her arm around his neck, pulling him closer until their heads were very near. She whispered softly, “I know a girl who doesn’t hate fools. Want to talk to her and try things out? Maybe you two have a chance.”
Zheng Daniu asked, “Ah? Instructor Zao actually knows a girl who likes fools?”
Zao Ying answered, “She’s far yet near—just look before your eyes.”
Zheng Daniu scanned around the room;
there were only eight people besides himself: five grenadiers, Zao Ying, and the innkeeper. His eyes locked onto the innkeeper, and he cried out in shock, “Oh! Is the innkeeper a woman disguised as a man?”
“Hmph!”
The five grenadiers choked on their lamb at the same time and frantically thumped their chests.
Zao Ying groaned softly and toppled over with a thud.The innkeeper, sweating profusely, hid far away and never dared to approach again.
Zheng Daniu pointed at the innkeeper who had “escaped” and said, “See, she doesn’t like fools;
we can’t make a couple.”
Li Daoxuan, who had been secretly watching from outside the box, also covered his face with his hands in silent mourning.
…
At Qiachuan Port.
The Gaojia Village Militia and the cavalry camp had fought and then withdrawn immediately, lingering not at all.
But the Heyang County militia couldn’t leave in a rush;
they still needed to clean up the battlefield, gather the corpses of the bandits left on the shore, strip them of their clothes, confiscate their weapons, and then dig a pit to bury the naked bodies.
Feng Jun also had to call back the escaped laborers, give them yellow hats, and have them continue building the cement fortress by the port.
This pile of tasks was exhausting to handle.
After finishing, they had to arrange for the militia to station themselves long-term at this port to prevent the bandits from secretly sending another fleet to land. Though everyone knew it was unlikely, they couldn’t take chances.
It was mentally draining!
Wang Er and the Wangjia Villagers didn’t immediately follow the militia and cavalry camp in withdrawing;
they also helped at the port, assisting the Heyang County militia in burying the bandits’ corpses. They felt they had this responsibility.
Wang Er sighed regretfully and pointed to a corpse, saying to Bai Yuan, “That man just a few days ago was calling me brother and sharing life with me, yet here he fought bitterly today.”
Bai Yuan snapped open his fan, revealing the word “Gentleman,” about to say something, then suddenly sighed, snapped his fan shut with a clatter, and remained silent.
Wang Er watched as the Wangjia Villagers helped bury all the bandits’ corpses, then he waved his hand, gathered his people, and headed toward the northwest direction.
Bai Yuan shouted to his back, “Keep your men in line;
on the way home, no burning, killing, or plundering.”
Wang Er raised his hand and said, “What kind of man do you think Wang Er is? If anyone burns, kills, or plunders, even if it’s my own blood brother, I’ll chop off his damned head.” After speaking, he strode off without looking back, and the Wangjia Villagers followed him away.
Bai Yuan stood quietly, not leaving;
he knew Feng Jun must have a lot to say to him.
Sure enough, not long after, Feng Jun sneaked over to his side.
“Mr. Bai, the combat power of the Gaojia Village Militia really took this official a bit by surprise,” Feng Jun said with a strange tone. “So many firearms, so much armor, cannons and weird bombs—what exactly are you all up to?”
Bai Yuan grinned mischievously and snapped open his fan. “We’re just defending ourselves, of course.”
Feng Jun replied, “But such self-defense…
isn’t it a bit…
a bit excessive?”
Bai Yuan spread his hands and said, “Lord Feng, in your view, if we don’t arm ourselves like this and Wang Jiayin really leads fifty thousand troops to attack, what should we do? Can conventional militia gear genuinely hold off fifty thousand bandits?”
Feng Jun’s expression turned solemn. “It can’t hold! But…
we can’t resist using nearly rebellious means either.”
Bai Yuan patted his shoulder gently and spoke earnestly. “Lord Feng, if we can’t resist Wang Jiayin, are you planning to martyr yourself for your country?”
“Exactly!” Feng Jun’s face bore a trace of determination, and this time he surprisingly didn’t have a nosebleed. Clearly, his emotions were not excited at all—completely flat, as if stating the obvious. “Martyrdom for my country;
this official wouldn’t hesitate in the slightest.”
Bai Yuan chuckled a couple of times. “Lord Feng is a fine, patriotic official who loves his people. But what you can do doesn’t mean others can. There are always some people who don’t want to die pointlessly—like myself, for example. The villagers of Gaojia Village don’t want to either. We don’t want to die, so of course, we resist. And if conventional resistance isn’t enough, we won’t shy from using some unconventional methods.”
Feng Jun’s expression turned severe. “That’s rebellion and warrants execute along with their families.”
Bai Yuan retorted, “Well, if the bandits come, they’ll massacre us anyway, and if the court also executes our families, we’ll have to treat the court and the bandits as birds of a feather.”
Upon hearing this, Feng Jun was immensely startled.
This was truly a great traitor-like statement;
to hear it from a refined gentleman like Bai Yuan was utterly terrifying.
Bai Yuan shifted gears. “If the court doesn’t see us as rebels and doesn’t execute our families, then we’ll still be lawful, decent citizens.”
Feng Jun understood—Bai Yuan meant that if this official reported Gaojia Village’s activities to the court, Gaojia Village would rebel. But if he didn’t report it, they’d remain good citizens. Whether Gaojia Village rebelled or not now depended entirely on Feng Jun’s stance.
Wow, what a shocking remark.
His eyes narrowed slightly. “Mr. Bai, you’re threatening this official.”
Bai Yuan laughed heartily and snapped his fan shut with a clatter. “In such turbulent times, if we don’t want to throw our lives away needlessly, even a gentleman must resort to extreme measures. Lord Feng, you decide.”
After speaking, he turned around. A family servant behind him led over a fine horse. Bai Yuan mounted it elegantly, his white robes billowing—dashing beyond words. Pressing his legs against the horse’s flanks, the warhorse dashed off instantly, vanishing in the distance in a flash.
The Bai family servants shouted and hurried close behind.
Feng Jun watched their receding figures for a long time without uttering a word.
Some time later, his trusted family servant sidled up beside him and whispered, “Master, your nosebleed…
”
Feng Jun wiped;
the nosebleed was gone clean, leaving no trace on his face.
The servant whispered softly, “He was too arrogant just now;
we should have ordered to detain him. Capture the rebel leader, and the other ruffians won’t dare act up.”
Feng Jun shook his head. “Haven’t you realized? The real rebel leader in Gaojia Village isn’t him. That Madam Li, Thirty-Two, Instructor Zao, Instructor He—each is a leader. Who’s the worst? Detaining Bai Yuan would only force Gaojia Village into rebellion. Sigh, what should this official do about Gaojia Village?”