"Get lost. Your father is my uncle. Do you think I don't know whether he's sick or not?" Zhang Ci glanced at him and sneered.
The moment Chief Zhang Yihua stuck out his butt, he knew what kind of shit this guy was up to. He was clearly scared and wanted to run away, but he was pretending to be so filial. It was utter nonsense.
You want to run away, but I want to run away too.
Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but twitch at the corner of their mouths.
No wonder the prefect usually spoils his chief clerk; it turns out these two are cousins. But how did they end up in the same government office?
Cough cough!
Seeing the strange looks from the crowd, Zhang Ci said in a deep voice, " Zhang Yihua was not promoted by me, but applied for the position himself. He was originally the registrar of Wuning Commandery!"
"You can apply yourself like this?" Upon hearing this, the Commandant's eyes lit up. He could apply to leave Youning Commandery.
As if reading his mind, Zhang Ci said in a deep voice, " Zhang Yihua was transferred away because he blocked someone's path to wealth in Wuning Commandery. The other party offered him a deal out of consideration for the Zhang Clan."
Holy crap!
Everyone understood immediately.
Wuning Commandery is located on the banks of the Great Ning River, a place where ships usually pass through. The docks and ports there are incredibly lucrative. It's likely that Zhang Yihua, as the registrar, has ruined their path to wealth.
If it were anyone else, they would probably have been wiped out. Zhang Yihua is still alive, probably because of the Zhang Clan. After all, the Zhang Clan has considerable influence in the north, ranking third among the aristocratic families, and should not be underestimated.
"This officialdom is so corrupt!" The county commandant swallowed hard, making no mention of changing units.
His family wasn't that powerful; the most likely explanation is that he was murdered to silence him.
Zhang Ci glared at him and said in a deep voice, " Hao Datong, stop thinking about these things. Although Tuoba Yu has retreated, it doesn't mean they won't come back. You must keep a close watch on them and not be careless in the slightest."
"I know, I know!" Commandant Hao Datong sighed, sounding annoyed.
Just as Zhang Ci was about to continue speaking, she suddenly saw Lin Yi glance in their direction, and her expression changed drastically.
Have we been discovered?
This is Lin Yi's secret; surely he wouldn't kill someone to cover it up?
Looking over there, he clearly saw his own reflection. Did Lin Yi have the ability to see a thousand miles? That would be terrifying!
The county commandant shook his head and said with certainty, "At this distance, Lin Yi definitely couldn't see us. However, he must have sensed something, since we've been fighting right next to us for so long; there's no way we wouldn't have made a sound."
"That makes sense!" Zhang Ci nodded; what he said made sense.
He pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Regardless of the circumstances, I've decided to go and meet this Heir of Northern Liang!"
"What? You're crazy?"
Upon hearing his words, his cousin Zhang Yihua's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed in disbelief.
Others might not know what was going on, but how could he not?
The imperial edict had already been issued, ordering them to closely monitor Lin Yi's every move; the meaning behind this was quite clear.
If my cousin were to go see Lin Yi now, he would definitely be targeted by the Emperor.
Zhang Ci sighed and said with a wry smile, " Lin Yi's strength is now extraordinary. If we don't cultivate a good relationship with him, we might be next in Youning Commandery!"
If I don't go, I, as the prefect, will surely die if Lin Yi causes trouble in the future.
But if I go, I'll have another opportunity and another path, and the small risk is completely bearable.
Besides, if Tuoba Yu attacks again, with Lin Yi as their backer, they'll be Mount Tai!
"Phew, we finally escaped!"
On the other side, once Tuoba Qingsong and the others were out of Lin Yi's sight, they couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief; this time, they had almost met with dire consequences.
Tuoba Qingsong looked at his cousin and said irritably, "Cousin, you almost got me killed this time. Remember you owe me a favor."
This isn't a rescue mission; they're clearly here to die.
Forehead!
Upon hearing this, Tuoba Yu was speechless. How could he be blamed? Who knew Lin Yi was so powerful?
He suffered considerable losses this time as well. Not only did the Evil Bodhisattva perish, but Xiao Shan also committed suicide, effectively breaking two of his arms.
Xiao Shan didn't think it was a big problem, after all, he was the king's man, but Evil Bodhisattva was his direct subordinate, so it was a pity that he died.
"This is very strange; there must be something wrong behind it," Yelü Dashan said, frowning.
He summoned nearly 150,000 troops in one go. Even Tuoba Yu and Tuoba Qingsong dared not say they had such strength. How could Lin Yi, a prince who had just arrived in Xiliang Commandery, have such strength?
This is somewhat outrageous.
Moreover, when Lin Yi attacked Dayu County earlier, he only sent 30,000 men. If he had that many men, why would he have taken the risk in the first place?
He smiled wryly and said, "To be honest, his 150,000-strong army makes no sense. My men investigated before he even finished clearing out his forces, and even if you include Bai Zizai's Asura Army, it's only 50,000 men."
Who would have thought that this number would suddenly surge to 150,000, and there was no trace of the Asura Army among them, meaning it was a mysterious legion.
"There's something strange about this. It's probably the work of Lin Rusong, the Prince of Northern Liang!" Tuoba Qingsong frowned. He knew that Tuoba Yu wouldn't lie; there must be something wrong.
What's even more absurd is that over 30,000 people suddenly appeared; it turns out they're locals who admire Lin Yi and came to help.
Are there any locals there?
Yelü Dashan frowned and said, "Nonsense! This is only the Youning Commandery with people; there are no people anywhere else here."
The crowd exchanged bewildered glances; this person had appeared out of nowhere—it was utterly absurd.
Just then, the surroundings suddenly shook, and the three of them sprang to their feet. Someone else had arrived—was it the enemy?
Upon closer inspection, they were immediately relieved; it turned out to be their own people.
Upon seeing the leader, Tuoba Qingsong's pupils constricted, and he exclaimed, "Father, what brings you here?"
Indeed, the visitor was none other than Tuoba Wanli, the ruler of the Northern Barbarians.
He glanced at his son and said in a deep voice, "Hmph, if I hadn't come, you probably wouldn't have made it back!"
He had received the news earlier and rushed over without stopping, because he knew that the relationship between Northern Liang and Northern Barbarians was not good, and what if Lin Yi went crazy?
Tuoba Qingsong nodded and explained the situation.
After hearing this, Tuoba Wanli's pupils shrank, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "What a Lin Yi! I never expected him to become such a force to be reckoned with. This Xiliang is no simple place!"
This confidence doesn't come from the Prince of Northern Liang; he must have real strength, otherwise he wouldn't dare to be so arrogant.
At that moment, he suddenly felt the pressure.