Chapter 410: Compromise
Chapter 410: Compromise
September 25, 2017
As soon as Xin Ping spoke, the atmosphere in the room froze. Even the hands of the young eunuch kneeling beside Zhang Rang, massaging his legs, stopped in that instant.
Zhang Rang was completely stunned, but surprisingly, he didn't get angry. Instead, he felt a tingling sensation on his scalp.
To be precise, ever since the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, and especially after Feng Xu and Xu Feng, the two eunuchs, were executed by dismemberment, Zhang Rang had been living in constant fear.
Now, with Xin Ping's words, his inner fears were completely triggered.
Xin Ping noticed that Zhang Rang's already pale face turned even whiter, and a smile involuntarily tugged at the corners of his mouth.
He paced a few steps in the hall, his face carrying a hint of coldness as he spoke, "My master always says, 'Take as much money as you want, and do as much work as you can.' You've taken tens of millions of gold from my master, and all you want is a county magistrate? Do you really think my master's money is so easy to obtain?"
"Former Inspector Zhang Yi took a million, and he's already dead. Current Inspector Ding Yuan of Bingzhou has taken my master's business, and he's about to die too. What about you? Have you considered the consequences of taking my master's money and not fulfilling his wishes?" Xin Ping's tone was cold, and his scholarly face carried an air of banditry that shouldn't have existed.
Zhang Rang remained silent, his mouth tightly shut, as he stared intently at Xin Ping.
If looks could kill, Xin Ping would have died countless times by now.
However, he was unafraid of Zhang Rang's gaze and continued, "You're right about one thing. My master is a bandit, a thorough bandit. Even after being an official for half a year, his temper hasn't changed. Before coming here, my master said that he must get what he wants. If you, the Inspector of Bingzhou, don't give it to him, he'll take it by force."
"Once my master takes it by force, what do you think will happen to a eunuch who has close ties with rebels and takes tens of millions of gold from others in less than a year? You won't forget the fate of Feng Xu and Xu Feng, will you?" Xin Ping's words made Zhang Rang break into a cold sweat.
It was clear that at this moment, Zhang Rang was being seen through by Xi Zhi Cai, who was lying on the slightly pig-like body of Yin Yue, whom he had been raising.
As an eunuch, Zhang Rang relied most on the Emperor's favor, but this favor was actually very fickle.
Recently, Feng Xu and Xu Feng, the two eunuchs, were directly executed by dismemberment due to their involvement in the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Zhang Rang witnessed this, and although they weren't as favored by the Emperor as he was, if he, Zhang Rang, were to be associated with the rebels, his fate would be the same as theirs.
Although Emperor Ling was a foolish ruler, any ruler would be extremely sensitive to any provocation of their authority.
Therefore, Zhang Rang had been worried all this time that if Lu HaiKong suddenly lost his mind and joined the Yellow Turban Rebellion, his life would essentially be over.
It was precisely because of this worry that Xin Ping was able to request a meeting with him, and Zhang Rang immediately put down his work to meet with him.
What Zhang Rang didn't know was that as soon as he rushed out to meet with Xin Ping, he had already been at a disadvantage in this meeting.
If he had delayed meeting with Xin Ping for a while, Xin Ping's words would not have been as sharp and merciless as they were now.
Xin Ping watched as Zhang Rang fell into deep thought, a slight smile appearing at the corners of his mouth. He added a bit more pressure, "Of course, this matter is a bit too much for Minister Zhang. However, it's no big deal since Heaven General is also negotiating with my master, saying that he wants to hand over Bingzhou to my master."
"What did you say?" Zhang Rang couldn't sit still any longer and stood up immediately.
Xin Ping looked at Zhang Rang with a smile but said nothing.
After a while, Zhang Rang sat down dejectedly, his mouth twitched a few times before he finally spoke, "I need some time, at least until I receive news from Bingzhou before I can take action."
At the top of the list of the Ten Eunuchs, the famous eunuch Zhang Ran, was ultimately forced to compromise with Lu HaiKong.
"Thank you, Minister Zhang, on behalf of the students!"
...
In Bingzhou, Jinyang, a rainy day.
In a dilapidated courtyard, two disheveled figures hid in a corner.
They seemed to have come from the rain, drenched from head to toe, but in the corner, neither of them showed any intention of starting a fire to warm up.
"Hehe..."
In the darkness, one of them suddenly laughed.
"What are you laughing at? Are you so scared of being chased that you've lost your mind?" The other person retorted impatiently.
"I was just thinking, it's been a year or two since I last saw you looking so disheveled. Indeed, compared to that Zhang Daoyi who always pretends to be a literary youth, I still prefer Zhang Beggar." Taishi Ling laughed as he spoke.
"Get lost! You just can't stand to see me being carefree!" Zhang Daoyi fell silent for a moment before responding.
In the darkness, Taishi Ling didn't notice that Zhang Daoyi's eyes had become slightly moist.
He understood why Taishi Ling had said that. For over half a month, Zhang Daoyi had been filled with guilt, especially every time they hid in the darkest corner, afraid to even light a fire. This guilt only deepened.
If not for his mistake, Taishi Ling wouldn't have ended up in such a predicament.
Go and see the 1619 version!
After spending so much time together, Taishi Ling could sense Zhang Daoyi's guilt. So, every time they reached this point, he would try to cheer Zhang Daoyi up, but his methods were rather crude, always resorting to the same few tricks. Strangely, Zhang Daoyi always fell for them.
"I never thought the court would send that guy to hunt us down. Plus, those Outsiders can now take on the task of hunting us down. The situation is dire." Zhang Daoyi's mood had improved, and he furrowed his brows in thought.
"Let's run. If we're caught, we still have our lives. If we die, we die." Taishi Ling said nonchalantly.
Zhang Daoyi paused, then his tone suddenly became spirited. "What are you talking about? Following me, Zhang Daoyi, will not let you die. Put your mind at ease."
"Do you have a plan?" Taishi Ling asked, hearing Zhang Daoyi's voice suddenly becoming spirited, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.
"I don't have a plan, but I've thought of a place to hide. If we're lucky, our escape might come to an end."
In the darkness, Zhang Daoyi's face carried a confident smile.
"A hiding place? Where?"
"Qiangyin!"
Taishi Ling was confused. "Qiangyin? What's that?"
"You, do you remember that Outsider who recently overpowered Lu Bu and almost killed him? That Outsider is now the County Magistrate of Qiangyin." Zhang Daoyi explained.
"Oh, you mean that guy? I recall he had a very powerful warrior under him." Suddenly, as if remembering something, Taishi Ling exclaimed, "Wait, hold on. Old Zhang, are you tired of living and looking for a quick end? That guy even overpowered Lu Bu. If we go to him, aren't we just delivering ourselves to our deaths?"
"No, no, no. You're wrong. I've been quite interested in him recently and have done a lot of research on him."
"I have some understanding of his strength. For this period, he's been suppressed by Ding Yuan, and I assume he's having a hard time. Now, with the Yellow Turban Rebellion breaking out and foreign invaders in Wuyuan Prefecture, this is the perfect opportunity for him to rise.
He definitely won't have time to bother with us. Let's hide in his territory. I estimate that the Outsiders and the NPCs hunting us won't dare to be too arrogant there, and he certainly won't allow anyone to intrude on his turf." Zhang Daoyi said with a smile.
After listening, Taishi Ling didn't think much and directly responded, "Alright, you're the boss. Anyway, I'll follow you..."
(End of Chapter)
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