The group immediately stopped, lit torches, and shone them on Li Zixin's face. The second-in-command stepped forward and shouted to the other side, "Your county magistrate is in our hands. If you don't want his head to roll, let us out of the city."
Seeing that this matter was beyond his responsibility, the gatekeeper quickly went to find the general. Soon, a gatekeeper rode a horse and galloped towards the county magistrate's mansion.
Before long, the county magistrate arrived, his clothes disheveled. As soon as the second-in-command saw him, he immediately had Wu Lian'er brought forward and said flippantly, "Oh, isn't this our county magistrate? Your niece and nephew-in-law are in our hands. Be sensible and let us out quickly."
The county magistrate's heart skipped a beat. The messenger had only mentioned Li Zixin and hadn't expected Wu Lian'er to be in their hands as well. He really wanted to be defiant and not let them out, to trap them and eliminate them, but he knew that if he did that, a certain group would sneak into the city the next day and make his life miserable.
After hesitating for a moment, he made up his mind, waved his hand, and ordered the city gate to be opened.
Under the menacing gazes of the archers, the group slowly walked out of the city. After they had exited, they showed no intention of releasing the two hostages. They immediately shouted, "The city gate is open, and you've come out. Can you let them go now?"
The second-in-command said with a half-smile, "How do we know the county magistrate won't go back on his word? For safety, we'll naturally take them with us the whole way."
The county magistrate's face turned grim, his beard twitching with anger, but he was powerless against them.
After they had gone a considerable distance, the second-in-command turned around and shouted loudly, "Our leader said that if you want them back safely, you must go up the mountain and negotiate with him personally. After all, you've traveled that road countless times, and you've cooperated with us more than once or twice. There's no need to be so distant. Who doesn't know that your position here was secured with our help?"
The county magistrate felt a surge of anger and wished he could shut the man's mouth. This was probably something he would never want to mention, as associating with bandits was taboo in official circles. With so many people present today, it was inevitable that the news would leak. If anyone were to impeach him, he would be in serious trouble, and losing his head would be a light punishment.
When he turned around, he saw the surprised and uneasy expressions of everyone present. He quickly explained, "Do you believe the words of bandits? We likely have an informant here. Knowing that we were going to deal with them, they struck first. Don't fall for their trick."
Some of the younger, less informed people breathed a sigh of relief and nodded quickly. However, some who were aware of the situation tacitly recalled something. The county magistrate had indeed faced opposition when he first arrived here. But not long after, some wealthy families suffered from bandit attacks. Although those people were not good people, everyone had assumed that the bandits were acting on behalf of heaven. Now, with the bandits saying this, it was hard not to be suspicious.
The second-in-command and his group returned to the mountain smoothly. Looking at the gold and silver treasures, everyone fell silent. They hadn't expected that Li Zixin, a mere county magistrate, had secretly amassed so much wealth.
The next morning, Wu Lian'er and Li Zixin slowly woke up, intending to rub their throbbing heads. However, they found themselves unable to move and immediately startled. They looked around and their eyes widened with fear. They were tied to a pillar, with piles of firewood around them. It was clearly a wood shed.
Wu Lian'er had never encountered such a situation in her life. Although she was spoiled and arrogant in the Li family, it was because she knew the county magistrate was her uncle and she had his backing. But when faced with real danger, she was more terrified than anyone. She stammered, "My lord, where is this? Have you offended anyone recently?"
Li Zixin fell silent. He couldn't say for sure. There had been many incidents in the county recently. The enemy was in the dark, and they were in the light. He didn't know who had kidnapped them and brought them here.
Seeing his silence, Wu Lian'er couldn't help but complain, "Why were you so careless? We are both weak and defenseless. If we are kidnapped here, can we have a good end?"
Li Zixin was also worried. He was already somewhat impatient with Wu Lian'er, and now that she was still blaming him, he was even more speechless and ignored her.
The more he remained silent, the more Wu Lian'er felt she was in the right. She used nagging to alleviate her worries and anxiety.
Seeing the woman becoming more and more unreasonable, Li Zixin shouted, "Woman, why are you so insensitive? What's the use of saying these things now? Think about how to escape."
Although she knew he was right, Wu Lian'er couldn't swallow her pride. Angrily, she said, "Why are you angry? Didn't you bring this trouble upon us?"
Although she spoke defiantly, she fell silent after saying this. After all, he was right. She snorted and stopped talking.
Li Zixin felt that his ears had finally quieted down, and his inner irritation had somewhat subsided.
After a while, someone escorted them to the main hall. Looking at the dark mass of people, their legs began to weaken. Wu Lian'er was bewildered, but Li Zixin had already guessed where they were. It was precisely because he had guessed it that he felt despair.
They stood in the hall for a long time before the leader finally came to his senses and looked at them with surprise, saying, "Oh, isn't this our county magistrate? Who was so insensitive as to have you kidnapped?"
As he spoke, he walked up to Li Zixin, took out a knife, and cut the ropes binding him. With a look of guilt, he said, "My subordinates are incompetent and didn't recognize you. Please forgive our negligence."
The freed pair quickly moved their limbs, as their bodies had been numb from being tied up all night.
Although the other party spoke politely, neither of them was foolish. They knew the man was putting on an act and stood there motionless.
"Quick, to the main seat! And serve the two honored guests some good tea to calm their nerves."
Then he continued, "Bringing you both to the mountain today was unintentional. However, I do have a question for the county magistrate. I heard that you were preparing to gather a group of horsemen to attack my stronghold. Is this true or false?"
Li Zixin's body stiffened. It was as he had imagined; they knew.
He chuckled awkwardly and said, "How is that possible? Who doesn't know that you act on behalf of heaven, and the common people secretly support you? You haven't bothered us."
"Could the news I received be false? The county magistrate should arrive soon. We can confront each other then."
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Zixin nodded frantically. Although he usually resented being under his uncle's control, he had to admit that his uncle was truly capable. As long as he was here, he felt safe.
After a night of deliberation, the county magistrate arrived alone. It wasn't that he fully trusted them and believed he could escape unharmed by entering the bandit's den by himself. It was to prevent them from revealing their past relationship in front of others and causing unnecessary trouble.