In the famine, others ate Guanyin soil, but he had space to build a farm.

Chapter 144 Coercion and inducement

The corners of the four soldiers' mouths were like dead leaves hanging on dead branches in late autumn, with a bit of disdain and ridicule. One of them even raised his eyebrows and sneered, "Mr. Li, do you think that a few words of yours can shake us rough people? Look at these two servants, their blood hasn't even dried yet, and you are thinking of using us as a scapegoat. It is precisely because you are a Jinshi that we can't let you go. If you file a complaint with the court, we will have enough heads to chop off!"

Li Wei, the once glorious Jinshi, now looked pale, with anger and unwillingness flashing in his eyes. He roared: "Aren't you afraid of Dakun's law? Even if it's just a scholar, the court will investigate it to the end, let alone me!"

The leading soldier sneered and said, "Mr. Li, you are so naive. If we kill you now, who will know? Then, we will say that we encountered rebels on the road. Although we fought hard, we still failed to save you. The court? They will only think that it was the rebels who did it. What does it have to do with us? Why should we be afraid of this false reputation?"

Li Wei was stunned by these cruel words, he never thought that he would end up in such a situation. He was filled with fear and unwillingness, but he could do nothing about it.

"But if you fail to protect us properly, you will also be held accountable by the court!" Li Wei tried to use this last threat to save his own life.

However, the leading soldier laughed as if he had heard a joke. He said, "Mr. Li, do you still not see the situation clearly? Do you think we are afraid of those punishments? Let me tell you, the power behind us is beyond your imagination. So naturally someone will settle this matter for us."

Li Wei's heart sank to the bottom. He knew that he really couldn't escape this time. He asked fearfully, "What do you want?"

The soldier looked at him coldly and said, "I'll send you on your way! Then I'll bring your body back for report." After saying that, he raised the knife in his hand.

Li Wei was anxious when he saw this, and hurriedly said, "Wait! I can agree to your conditions! I have many friends in the city, and as long as you bring me to the city, I can give you a lot of money. With this money, you can live a better life and don't have to work for others anymore. Think about it, if you really kill me, will Lord Liu let you go? Isn't he afraid that you will reveal the secret? I'm afraid that when you go back, he will find a way to harm you."

The soldier frowned slightly when he heard this, as if he was thinking about what Li Wei said. The other three looked at each other with some hesitation in their eyes.

Deep in the dense forest under the moonlight, the four soldiers' eyes flashed with complex emotions. They held the shining blades in their hands, but hesitated at this moment. Li Wei's words were like a cold wind, blowing away the original determination in their hearts and making them start to think about the pros and cons behind it.

The leading soldier, named Zhang Tiezhu, was a veteran who had experienced many battles. The knife in his hand had drunk the blood of countless enemies, but at this moment it seemed a little heavy. He glanced at the other three people, and saw that they also had confusion and uncertainty in their eyes.

"Brother Zhang, what the scholar said is right. If we really kill him, we will not be able to escape death when we return." A young soldier muttered in a low voice.

Zhang Tiezhu was silent for a moment, took a deep breath, and looked at Li Wei again. He saw the desire to survive and the unyielding determination in Li Wei's eyes. He knew that although this Jinshi was in a miserable state at the moment, he was definitely not an ordinary person.

"Mr. Li, what you said does make some sense." Zhang Tiezhu said slowly, "But how can you guarantee that you will fulfill your promise and give us money when we arrive in the city?"

Li Wei's eyes flashed with joy when he heard this. He quickly said, "I can sign a document and even let my friends guarantee me. As long as you can escort me to the capital, I promise you will get a generous reward."

Zhang Tiezhu exchanged glances with the other three and finally nodded. They knew that this was an adventure, but perhaps also an opportunity to change their fate.

"Okay! We'll trust you this time!" Zhang Tiezhu put away the knife in his hand and said to the other three, "Let's escort Li Jinshi to the city and see if he will really fulfill his promise."

Li Wei couldn't help but feel relieved when he saw this. He knew that he had escaped from danger for the time being, but there was still a long way to go, and he had to be careful to ensure his safety.

So, under the moonlight, the four soldiers and Li Wei set out on the road to the city. So the five men and seven horses took advantage of the moonlight to advance at night.

At this time, General Liu and Chen Ping were waiting for news from here.

"General Liu! Why is there still no news so late?" Chen Ping asked anxiously. You know, if I don't take advantage of this opportunity, I will take a step further and become the county magistrate! I am afraid that when the higher-ups react, I will have no chance. And if Li Wei escapes, he will definitely not let me go.

"Why are you in such a hurry? The four men I sent out are all the elite among my men! Killing Li Wei is no better than killing a dog! I guess his information was exposed, so they deliberately traveled a longer distance! They should have succeeded by now and are on their way back!" General Liu was very confident in the men he sent out.

"But if you want to use this to get promoted, you still have to spend some money! I can help you take care of those people in the city!" General Liu said this, and his eyes shone with gold, as if he saw a lot of money.

General Liu's words made Chen Ping's heart tighten. He knew that if he wanted to seek a higher position in this chaotic world, he must have sufficient capital and connections. He nodded and said in a deep voice: "General Liu, as long as I can sit in the position of county magistrate, I am willing to pay the price. However, we still need to make sure that Li Wei is really dead, otherwise it will be difficult for me to sit firmly in the position of county magistrate."

General Liu patted Chen Ping on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Don't worry, the people I sent out will not fail. When they come back, we will be able to confirm Li Wei's death. By then, you can prepare to take over the position of county magistrate with peace of mind."

"Our County Magistrate Li Wei led the charge to defeat the rebels but was eventually killed by them! I will commend him for his achievements!" General Liu said with a smile.

The two smiled at each other, their eyes flashing with expectations and ambitions for the future. However, they did not realize that at this moment, Li Wei and the four soldiers were already on their way to the capital city, and their fate was quietly changing.