As expected, the bandits indeed escaped from the magistrate’s hands in Jiangzhou. After gaining their freedom, they retraced their steps to pursue Zhang Fang. When they appeared, they were still wielding the knives used by the officials.
Zhang Fang lazily closed his eyes, lying back to rest. Upon seeing him, the bandits’ eyes lit up with excitement, eager to rush over and tie him up.
However, one of the bandits remained cautious and blocked his companions, saying, “Why are there only three of them? Where are the others?”
“Who cares about them! Our target is this fat sheep right in front of us! Brothers, why aren’t we rushing in?”
His words stirred the bandits into a frenzy, and they immediately charged towards Zhang Fang.
The commotion alerted Hao Zhuang and Shi Houde, who saw Zhang Fang resting with his eyes closed. They hurriedly pulled him up, trying to take him away.
Zhang Fang was being dragged by the two, his feet leaving the ground against his will.
Seeing them flee, the bandits became bolder and chased after them.
Unexpectedly, they suddenly fell into a pit.
This pit had been hastily dug and was not deep. However, it contained sharpened wooden stakes, and falling into it caused injuries and bloodshed.
Mu Qing, Yuan Juan, and Chang Bao immediately rushed out, using a net to capture the group of bandits from above.
The Lin family, hidden in the shadows, watched the whole spectacle unfold and finally felt relieved! Especially Lin Zheng, who had offended the bandits with his previous words and had been threatened by them. He was filled with anxiety and fear. Now upon seeing the bandits captured, Lin Zheng felt a sense of satisfaction. Emerging from the bushes, he jogged over and began throwing stones at the bandits in the pit, yelling, “You bunch of scoundrels! Let’s see how arrogant you are now!”
Controlling the net in his hands, Mu Qing couldn’t free himself to respond and kicked Lin Zheng with his foot, scolding, “Get out of the way! If you keep yelling, I’ll kick you down to join them!”
Knocked to the ground, eating a mouthful of dirt, Lin Zheng did not dare to get angry. After all, he felt powerless against them! Moreover, he really feared Mu Qing might follow through on his threat and actually kick him down. If he fell, wouldn’t the bandits tear him apart alive?
Zhang Fang had managed to escape a fair distance with Hao Zhuang and Shi Houde, but upon seeing that the bandits had been captured, he turned back.
Yuan Juan’s expression was serious as he informed Zhang Fang, “Young Master Zhang, three people are missing from their group.”
Hearing this, Zhang Fang’s eyes became solemn as he glanced over at the bandits in the pit and counted; indeed, three were missing.
Chang Bao had one of the bandits by the neck, demanding, “Where did the missing three go?”
The bandit instinctively retorted with threats, intimidating Zhang Fang and the others, “Of course, they went back to the base! If you let us go now, maybe we can spare you all! Otherwise, when the brothers from the camp arrive, you won’t be able to escape!”
Everyone turned to Zhang Fang with serious expressions.
Zhang Fang pointed at the man and told Chang Bao, “Drag him out and give him a beating. We need to clarify all the details about their camp.”
Chang Bao immediately complied, pulling the bandit from the pit and dragging him a short distance away to start questioning him with fists and kicks.
Hao Zhuang and Shi Houde pulled Zhang Fang aside, advising, “Young Master Zhang, we cannot wipe out this group of bandits entirely; it will bring them revenge. We must retreat to the city and seek protection from the local authorities. Then we can detour to other counties, avoiding Jiangzhou and continue north.”
This was indeed the safest plan; however, the opportunity to eradicate the bandits was right in front of them. Zhang Fang had already captured some of them, and to give up on exterminating the others would be a failure! Before leaving the capital, he had promised the prime minister to achieve merit through his actions! Right now, dealing with the bandits was a good opportunity to gain recognition!
“Young Master Zhang?” Hao Zhuang urged him for a response.
Zhang Fang turned and walked towards Chang Bao.
After Chang Bao had given the bandit a serious beating, the man still refused to cooperate.
“Let me try,” Zhang Fang motioned for Chang Bao to step back, glaring coldly at the bandit, saying, “You’re afraid that if you disclose the situation at the camp, you’ll end up with nowhere to go. I promise that after we eradicate this group of bandits, I’ll grant you a way out, and you can follow me into exile at the borders. Let me make it clear: my father is the current prime minister. I will certainly return to the capital. Follow me, and you won’t die. You’ll be well-fed and clothed, and in the future, you can rise to prominence.”
The bandit, Ah Biao, had fiercely resisted disclosing information due to this very concern. Now that Zhang Fang had offered him a promise, his resolve began to waver. In truth, he had initially joined the bandits at the urging of others from his village, but once he became a bandit, it was a path with no return. Now that Zhang Fang was giving him a choice, Ah Biao hesitated briefly before clearly disclosing the situation of the camp.
There were a total of fifty-three people in the bandit camp. Seventeen had been captured, and after escaping from the magistrate, fourteen had returned together to confront Zhang Fang while the other three went back to warn the camp. The camp’s location was still a dozen miles away and was extremely hidden. Without a bandit as a guide, outsiders would not be able to find the camp at all.
With a clear understanding of the camp’s situation now, Zhang Fang felt confident.
Chapter 15: The Prodigal Son of the Prime Minister’s Family
With the intel provided by Ah Biao, Zhang Fang quickly devised a plan to deal with the bandits.
Both Hao Zhuang and Shi Houde opposed Zhang Fang’s desire to provoke the bandits, urging him with concerned expressions, “Young Master Zhang, among us, there are at most ten people capable of fighting, while that group has several dozen fighters, all of whom are capable. We can’t defeat them!”
Zhang Fang, with a serious expression, promised, “As long as we follow my strategy, we can certainly eliminate all the bandits. Everyone will share in the credit for this accomplishment.”
In comparison to gaining merit, Hao Zhuang and Shi Houde were more concerned about safely escorting Zhang Fang to the borders, thus completing their task and retaining their posts. So neither of them wanted Zhang Fang to take risks. Hao Zhuang, abandoning his previous courtesy, spoke sternly to Zhang Fang, “Young Master Zhang, our task is to escort you to the borders. Other matters are not our concern. If you insist on pursuing this reckless path, we will not show you any courtesy.”
Seeing that these two could not communicate sensibly, Zhang Fang shouted to the others, “Will any of you follow me to deal with the bandits? If we succeed, everyone will share the credit! I, Zhang Fang, guarantee that you will not be harmed in the fight against the bandits! You only need to put in some effort!”
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