"Throw, throw, throw the handkerchief. Gently place it behind the child … Everyone, don't tell him …"
The crisp sound made it hard for Yan Zheng and the others to believe that this was a school that had been flooded for many days. They didn't feel any helplessness or confusion from the song, nor did they feel any fear or sadness. Of course, they didn't feel any strength, unyielding spirit, struggle, or faith from the song either.
The only feeling it gave them was happiness, a very simple happiness, unrestrained, brilliant, and innocent. It was as if the song was supposed to be like this and shouldn't be mixed with more emotions.
About half a li away from Yan Zheng's group, a few figures appeared. It was Wang Wei and the others who had tried to catch up last night.
They also heard the song, and Wang Wei's mood became very good. He even had the mood to talk to the yamen servant who had accompanied him.
"Did you hear that? Singing is power. The power of the Zhang Family and the Wang Family. True power shouldn't give people the feeling of being strong, but the warmth of a family. Zhang Xiaobei is here, so the child has become a real child. Your master doesn't understand that some power can't be resisted because the opponent of this power is the heavens and the earth. "
After saying this, Wang Wei recited with great interest, "The light is slanted and the water is green, the waves are floating and the clouds are white."
The servant looked up. The sky was still cloudy and the rain was still falling. He didn't understand where Wang Wei had seen the floating clouds. He was about to refute when he was suddenly shocked and asked, "How did you know Zhang Xiaobei was here?"
"I'm stupid. I don't know anything. You can lie to me however you want, right?" When Wang Wei saw the flag that had been forcibly unfurled on the school building, he was no longer worried that Yan Zheng's group would harm him.
On the large flag, there were nine rice seedlings holding hands around a bonfire. The stars in the sky were bigger than the moon, and each rice seedling's head was illuminated by a big star.
Wang Wei didn't need to say much about such a classic flag. He knew who it belonged to.
At this time, Yan Zheng and the others were standing at the place where Xiaobei had started to enter the water. The water that had gathered from all over didn't become smaller and was still swirling in the direction of the river.
Unlike Xiaobei, Yan Zheng didn't know how to swim. Looking at the first three floors that were flooded, he hesitated and didn't know how to get across.
"Sir, shall we have someone bring you across?" The person beside Yan Zheng spoke up and waved his hand. Two people came over from behind. From the looks of it, they were good swimmers.
"Fine." Yan Zheng clenched his teeth and decided.
However, as soon as he finished speaking, before the two men could bring him over, there was already a sound coming from the opposite building. It should be a simple loudspeaker.
"Yan Zheng, stand there and don't move. If you move, I'll beat you to death. There's a path to heaven but you don't want to take it. There's no door to hell but you barged in."
It was Zhang Xiaobei's voice. She had just been playing handkerchief with the children in the school. The person in charge of observing the surroundings discovered Yan Zheng's group. He found someone to confirm their identity through binoculars and quickly reported to Xiaobei.
Xiaobei hated Yan Zheng so much that he could not express it with words. He did not expect that before he could find the time to enter the city to capture Yan Zheng, Yan Zheng would personally come to the academy. Haha, if he did not teach him a lesson now, when would he?
After Yan Zheng heard the commotion, he couldn't help but shiver. He didn't dare to make any other movements. He stood there obediently, motionless. But in his heart, he kept thinking about how to deceive Zhang Xiaobei and the others.
He didn't want to come over. Wouldn't that be walking into a trap? However, there were many things in the county that had not been transported to the designated location. He couldn't afford to lose them. He planned to delay for a few days. He would first deceive Zhang Xiaobei and the others and then wait for an opportunity to leave.
Otherwise, even if he immediately fled from the county, he was worried that Xiaobei would catch him. He didn't think that he could escape Zhang Xiaobei's pursuit within a day. Yes, he was worried that Zhang Xiaobei would immediately send people to the county to capture him after hearing what others said when she arrived at the academy. He had to take the risk and make use of the time difference.
"Go, capture all of them for me. No, capture the few leaders. Tie up the rest and throw them there. Send someone to guard them. Humph, an eye for an eye, an eye for an eye, an eye for an eye."
Upstairs, Zhang Xiaobei waved her small hand. Immediately, thirty people jumped into the water and swam towards Yan Zheng.
The next thing was easy. Yan Zheng and a few important people were brought to the academy. The others took off their belts and shoes and asked the protection team to tie them up. Then, they threw them on the ground and didn't dare to move.
As soon as the protection team finished tying up the people, Wang Wei had already left his team and ran towards the academy. He shouted as he ran, "Hey, here. Catch them. Catch them all. None of them are good."
The person who led Wang Wei here was dumbfounded. What happened in front of him was different from what he had expected. It should be that when he and the others arrived, the county magistrate and Zhang Xiaobei were talking and laughing. Zhang Xiaobei listened to the county magistrate's report on how to deal with the disaster in time and looked happy.
Why did they catch people as soon as they arrived? No, there was also the damn Wang Wei. They should really throw him into the water and drown him on the way. What was he shouting for?
The person who led Wang Wei here complained in his heart, but he didn't dare to move his feet. He admitted that he couldn't run faster than a bullet. He also didn't think that he was better in the water than the protection team. He jumped into the turbulence next to him and escaped.
Soon, he and the people around him were also caught.
Yan Zheng was already drenched from head to toe as he faced Zhang Xiaobei. He was coughing non-stop. While he was being swam over, he was pushed into the water several times and choked half to death. He realized that the murky water was not tasty at all.
"I … I greet … greet Inspector Zhang." Yan Zheng coughed hard and felt much better. He then said to Zhang Xiaobei.
Zhang Xiaobei put his hands behind his back and paced in front of Yan Zheng. He walked over and over and suddenly stopped. He stared at Yan Zheng's eyes and said, "You have guts. I admire you. I really admire you. Tell me, in the Tang Empire where the communication is so advanced, in a place so close to Luoyang and the capital, what were you thinking when you gave the order to put thousands of people in the water?"
Originally, it was very strange for a child to talk to an adult in a condescending tone. However, Yan Zheng and the people around him didn't feel that there was anything wrong with it. It seemed that everything should be like this.
The water on Yan Zheng's forehead hadn't finished flowing. When he heard Zhang Xiaobei's words, he began to sweat again. He felt his throat go dry and forcefully swallowed two mouthfuls of saliva before opening his mouth to explain.
"Inspector Zhang, please listen to this official's explanation. This official has never forgotten the people under my rule. This official came today because I heard that Milord was here and had an important matter to discuss. I hope that Milord can extend a helping hand and transfer supplies to this county. This official will immediately return to the county to direct the disaster relief. Milord, please give this official half a month … no, no, no, ten days. As long as you give this official ten days, this official will be able to complete the disaster relief."
Zhang Xiaobei didn't immediately respond. Instead, she silently looked out the window at the flowing water. This surprised Xiao Yuan. When did Zhang Xiaobei know how to pretend to be deep and profound?
Yan Zheng's eyes didn't leave Zhang Xiaobei for even a moment. He was trying to figure out the thoughts of this little girl in front of him. He was still sweating. Not only was his mind uneasy, but the people who had been caught were also extremely nervous.
After a long while, Zhang Xiaobei looked away and raised her head to look at Yan Zheng. She felt uncomfortable and stepped on the stool to stand on the table. Only when she was a head taller than Yan Zheng was she satisfied.
She said, "Ten days? Is ten days enough? "
Yan Zheng nodded. Before he could make a promise, Xiaobei continued, "Do you think you can escape from my family's pursuit in ten days? I don't understand. Where can you run to in ten days? Or change your face and hide your surname? "
"Change your face and hide your surname." Xiao Yuan corrected him.
"Understand, Lord Yan. Tell me, where can you run to in ten days?" Xiaobei glared at Xiao Yuan and then turned to Yan Zheng.
Yan Zheng cursed in his heart. Why is this little brat so smart? How does she know that I'm going to run?
However, he said, "Lord Zhang, this official will not run. This official will face the flood together with the people of Hong Nong. I swear that I will not retreat even if I die."
"Oh?" Xiaobei looked surprised. She maintained her balance and moved her face closer to Yan Zheng. She asked as if she was asking, "Then, Lord Yan, can you explain to this official? Why … are you digging the river bank? "
"I … this official … Lord, please listen to this official's explanation." Yan Zheng took a deep breath and calmed his mind.
He said, "At first, this official did not want to destroy the river bank to release the flood. However, there are many shops in Hong Nong City and countless valuable items. Also, there are few people and sparse houses in Hong Nong City. I was afraid that the flood would destroy the county. Therefore, I endured the pain of digging the river bank to protect the county. This was a helpless action."
"What nonsense is this? Be more straightforward. It's hard for me to listen." Xiaobei put her hands on her waist.
When Yan Zheng saw that there was hope, he coughed lightly and said, "When the flood came, I thought of the Emperor's heavy responsibility and grace. I thought of my mother's earnest exhortations when I took up the post. I thought of the people's longing gazes and the trust of my colleagues.
Therefore, this official did not retreat. According to the flood relief plan of the county, I strictly requested the people in the yamen to cooperate. First, find the disaster in time and report it to the relevant departments in the yamen. It was accurate, timely, and rigorous.
Second, combined with the geographical advantage of the county, we took measures such as leakage, dredging, guidance, and assisting in the defense. A series of defense work was completed in the shortest time.
Third, we started the emergency disaster response system. We made a comprehensive layout, focused on control, reasonably allocated manpower, material resources, and other resources. We faced the difficulties and were not afraid of difficulties and risks. This showed the organizational ability of the yamen.
Fourthly, he called on all officials with official positions to show their own qualities at the moment of disaster. This played a very good role in leading the people in the county to gather around the officials and fight the flood with one heart. Not only did the officials in the yamen do not disappoint the Emperor, but even the village heads in the villages also guarded the front line of fighting the flood.
Fifth, we arranged for experienced people to observe the weather. After knowing that there will be rain in a short period of time, they showed their subjective initiative … "
"You f * cking shut up." Before Yan Zheng continued, Xiaobei scolded and even said the word 'mother'.
Yan Zheng was startled. He didn't know what words had offended Xiaobei, but he obediently stopped talking.
Xiao Bei took a few deep breaths, then pursed his lips and glared at Yan Zheng. He bared his teeth and said angrily, "I've seen shameless people, but I've never seen someone so shameless to the point of being arrogant. According to what you said, I should praise you, shouldn't I?"
"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. What this official did was what a county head should do. If there are some shortcomings, I should be criticized." Yan Zheng quickly followed up. Weiwei's lips curled up as if he was accepting a compliment.
Xiaoyuan couldn't stand it anymore. He nudged Xiaobei's leg and said, "Why are you talking nonsense with him? Kill him and be done with it. "
Yan Zheng's pupils shrank. Just as he was about to defend himself, Xiaobei laughed and waved his hand at Xiaoyuan. He said, "Am I the kind of person who kills without teaching?"
When Yan Zheng breathed a sigh of relief, Xiaobei continued, "Death is a kind of relief for him. If you kill him, can the people who drowned in the flood come back to life? If you kill him, who will bear the loss of the people of Hongnong County? A person who has a cow at home doesn't feel happy about killing someone, but sad about losing the cow.
He went easy on the flood to wash the cow away. If I kill him, will that be considered as giving them an explanation? What about the cow? They don't care if he lives or dies. They only want the cow. If I kill him to bear the loss of the people, then it's our incompetence.
I want him to live. I want him to know that sometimes, death is also a blessing. Tie him up tightly and knock out his teeth. Set up a platform at the south gate of Hongnong County and cover it with a canopy. Tie him up there and let the hospital inject him with glucose. I won't allow him to die.
I want to torture him bit by bit. I want him to be exposed to the sun. I want him to be spurned by thousands of people. I want ants to bite him and leeches to sting him. I want him to freeze in the winter. I want a medical team to ensure that he doesn't die. In the future, when a local official is appointed, he will be the first to 'admire' him. "
As soon as Xiao Bei finished speaking, the members of the protection team took action. First, one of them removed Yan Zheng's chin. Then, someone took out a pair of pliers from his backpack and stuck them into Yan Zheng's mouth. Then, they started to pull out his teeth one by one.
Yan Zheng was already dumbfounded when Xiao Bei spoke. He didn't expect this cute and well-behaved girl in front of him to come up with such a ruthless method. At first, he thought that she was joking. It wasn't until his first tooth was pulled out and the pain that spread throughout his head that he understood that she was serious.
"Ah!" Yan Zheng shook his head vigorously and let out an inhuman scream from his throat. Tears, snot, saliva, and blood flowed down together.
Xiao Bei was so scared that she stepped back and waved her hands repeatedly. "Take him away. Take him away. Don't let him die from the pain. If it really doesn't work, pull out two teeth today and two more tomorrow. Feed him porridge first. If he doesn't eat, then inject him with glucose."
The members of the protection team immediately dragged Yan Zheng away like they were dragging a dead dog. They didn't know which room to carry out the torture.
The classroom suddenly became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Xiao Bei patted her chest, let out a long breath, and said, "The world is quiet now."
Wang Wei, who had just been sent to the window, happened to hear Xiao Bei's last words. When he saw such a scene, he trembled in fear and let go of his hand. With a splash, he fell into the water again. He was pulled up again and flipped into the classroom. However, he didn't say a word. He just stared at Xiao Bei with a pale face.
In an instant, he understood why so many officials were afraid of being caught by Xiao Bei. She was really ruthless. It seemed that she had inherited Devilish Cuckoo's personality and even went one step further. She was green and she was water. She took it from blue and turned it into blue. She was colder than water.
Wang Wei took a few deep breaths before he felt better. He muttered, "Killing someone is just a matter of time. Why don't we just give him a quick death? We haven't even sentenced him yet. Why do we have to act first?"
Although his voice was soft, it couldn't beat the silence in the room. Xiao Bei heard him clearly. She turned her head and looked at Wang Wei with dissatisfaction. "What sentence? What law? What joint trial? There's no need for any of that. Just because … I'm here. Uncle Emperor asked me to be a knife, so I cut him piece by piece.
I gave him a quick death. Who gives a quick death to a drowned person who can't breathe and suffocate to death? Who gives a quick death to a sick person who can't be treated? Isn't it? Support me. "
Xiao Bei's last words were directed at the other eight people.
The eight children nodded immediately. Xiao Yuan praised, "That's right. Death is not the goal. The goal is to intimidate other officials and not let the people under their rule die easily. Buddha is merciful. There are still 16 Arhats and Second Venerables. Who are you?"
After Xiao Yuan supported Xiao Bei, she asked Wang Wei.
Wang Wei was blocked and couldn't say anything else. He wrung the water from his clothes and said, "I was temporarily transferred to the Ministry of Works. This time, I was patrolling Hongnong with Li Bai and Li Taibai of the Ministry of Revenue. I was collecting evidence. I didn't expect the county magistrate of Hongnong to be arrested for no reason and lynched by you."
"What are you talking about? What do you mean by no reason? We are here for no reason. Are you … going to exonerate the sinner Yan Zheng? "
Xiao Yuan questioned Wang Wei in a righteous manner.
Wang Wei was just about to reiterate his reasoning when he suddenly realized something. He couldn't help but shake his head and say, "No, I'm saying that if his crime is confirmed, it will be a crime worthy of the extermination of his family. I hope that you can quickly go to the county and arrest his family."
Wang Wei suddenly thought of why Zhang Xiaobei and the other eight people had come at such a timely time. He didn't think that the Emperor was worried about him and Li Bai, but he guessed that the matter of Hongnong was so serious that it was not something he should care about. Moreover, it was very urgent. Otherwise, why would the Emperor send the nine children when there were so many officials in the imperial court and this place was so close to Luoyang?
The nine children didn't just represent the children themselves. They represented the Zhang Family and the Wang Family. If the matter was small, why would they be sent?
In addition, they were sometimes unreasonable. He couldn't be unlucky.
Xiao Bei jumped from the table into the arms of a member of the protection team. His little face fell. He sighed like an adult and said, "No need to catch them. They ran away. They all ran away. Hongnong County has a roast duck restaurant opened by my family. Yesterday, I found an opportunity to sneak out and send a telegram to my brother. My brother just called.
He said that he will come in person and is already on the way. He wants us to meet Yan Zheng. No matter how he quibbles, we have to catch him first. Yan Zheng just told me that he would be given ten days. Do you think I'm stupid enough to give him time to run away? "
"How does your family's farmer know?" When Wang Wei heard that even Zhang Xiaobao had come, he didn't dare to stop Xiao Bei from dealing with Yan Zheng. However, he couldn't understand how a farmer could know the news.
"Do you want to share my family's information system?" Xiao Hai stared at him.
"No, no, what should we do now?" Wang Wei repeatedly denied.
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