Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 45 Self-rescue
"Brother Taozi, I have checked everything clearly."

"Gao Su usually lives in the backyard. There are three roads leading to the backyard."

"All three roads are guarded by a large number of soldiers with crossbows, making it difficult to sneak in."

"We can pretend to have something to report and meet him alone. Then we can hold him hostage and issue an order in his name to recapture the soldiers in the city."

Tian Zili expressed his thoughts.

Liu Taozi shook his head and handed the book back to Tian Zili, "Keep it well."

"It's not yet time."

He didn't say anything more, just lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.

Tian Zili fumbled with the fragment in his hand. He was not too disappointed. There was a gleam in his eyes and he murmured softly.

A night of silence.

The next day, Zhang Li got up on time and arrived at Cao Gong's residence in advance.

"come in!"

Cao Gong called Zhang Li in and explained a lot of things to him.

Zhang Li took note of his words carefully.

After explaining these things, Cao Gong waved his hand and let him leave.

Zhang Li had just stood up when Cao Gong suddenly called him.

"Oh, right. A few people came yesterday. Um, four people. You take care of these four people."

"I thought you were new to the position of Chief Official and didn't know the rules, so I forgave you. But if this happens again, I won't forgive you."

Before Zhang Li could say anything more, Cao Gong waved his hand and drove him out.

After walking out of the mansion, Zhang Li's expression was a little dazed, and he returned to the Sanliyuan in a stiff manner.

The scattered officials had already gathered in the courtyard, waiting for his arrival.

Yao Xiong and Tian Zilie stood on Liu Taozi's left and right respectively, and the other officials did not dare to look in this direction for even a second.

Zhang Li came here, looked at everyone, but did not speak.

Those petty officials looked at each other, gloating over the other's misfortune.

"This guy must have been reprimanded by Lord Cao. He won't be able to do this job for a few days."

Zhang Li forced himself to cheer up and delegated the tasks that needed to be done today.

Today, the household registration issue is still the most important thing, but I am also responsible for reception matters.

Zhang Li divided everyone into two groups.

Everyone took the order and prepared to set off after eating.

Zhang Li, however, sat among the crowd, looking worried and saying nothing.

"Mr. Zhang, is there an important person coming? Who should we go to greet?"

Tian Zili appeared beside Zhang Li at some point and asked with a smile.

Zhang Li shook his head, "I don't know."

Tian Zili looked at Zhang Li, who had a worried look on his face, and asked suspiciously, "What happened?"

Zhang Li opened his mouth, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

He suddenly stood up and glanced at Taozi, "Brother Liu, please follow me into the house. I have something to tell you."

Liu Taozi actually stood up, and the two of them walked into the house together. Tian Zilie stood up, hurried to the door, and sat down blocking the door.

"Brother Liu!! I really don't know what to do!"

"Cao Gong wants me to get rid of four people, but I don't know who they are, let alone how to get rid of them. I have never done such a thing before!"

"You want me to help kill these four people?"

"No! How can I kill someone if it's not like that?"

"Then what do you want to do?"

"I do not know."

Zhang Li murmured, "I have always just been doing my own thing, never offending anyone, and never even chatting with anyone. I am not suitable to be the head of the clerk."

"I'll talk to Cao Gong and recommend you to be the chief official. Is that ok?"

Liu Taozi looked at him calmly and asked, "Recommendation?"

Zhang Li paused, then quickly shook his head, "No, no, this will anger Cao Gong."

"In fact, Zhang Jun still hopes that I can kill these people."

Liu Taozi said, "It's just that you don't want to say it."

"Zhang Jun knows who these four people are. Zhang Jun knows everything, but you thought that I would sympathize with you, an old man with white hair, or be moved by your promise, and kill those four people without you saying anything and knowing nothing."

Zhang Li's face turned pale, "Not like that"

"If a man doesn't save himself, then who will?!"

"God bless you!"

Liu Taozi said this seriously, and then turned and left. Tian Zili hurriedly made way, and Liu Taozi returned to where he was and continued to eat the cake.

Zhang Li also came out soon. He lowered his head and stood there, motionless.

No one in the courtyard paid any attention to him. A few people gathered together, whispering something and laughing from time to time.

After dinner, some people started to leave.

"stop!!"

Zhang Li suddenly spoke.

The noisy front yard suddenly became quiet, and everyone raised their heads and looked at him.

Zhang Li raised his head and pointed at the four people. "You four flattered He and Nu in the beginning, were not diligent in your duties, did not do your job well, replaced many of them with substitutes, humiliated and beat them, and withheld the food distributed to the substitutes. You still don't repent to this day!!"

"Fifty lashes!! Demoted to reserve!!"

Everyone's eyes widened.

Old man Zhang is crazy? ?
Yao Xiong, biting a piece of cake in his mouth, looked at the scene in astonishment, watching the show seriously.

"Snapped!"

Suddenly, he felt a headache and the cake in his mouth almost fell to the ground. He covered his head and looked at Taozi beside him.

Liu Taozi put away her palm and said, "Why are you just standing there? Why don't you just do what the Chief Li said?"

Yao Xiong reacted, he quickly jumped up and rushed towards those people.

"How dare you! I want to find Cao."

Before the man could finish his words, Yao Xiong kicked him in the forehead. The man fell to the ground. Yao Xiong then pinned down another man, untied his belt and was about to tie his hands behind his back.

Tian Zili also reacted and hurried forward. The other two had already stood up and started running. Tian Zili caught up with one of them, knocked him down, and began to tie him up.

"catch him!"

Tian Zili pointed at the last person and someone pushed him down immediately.

Tian Zili and Yao Xiong tied up the four guys, and Yao Xiong asked Zhang Li for a whip and stripped them of their clothes.

"Oh shit!!"

"Snapped!!!"

Yao Xiong was often bullied by these people on a daily basis. He seemed to have poured all his anger and grievances into the whip in his hand. When the long whip hit the backs of those people, their skin and flesh were torn apart, and blood was blurred. They began to scream loudly.

Yao Xiong lined them up neatly in a row and angrily waved the long whip in his hand at the four naked buttocks.

Screams and pleas for mercy were heard one after another.

Zhang Li was standing not far away, his forehead was covered with blue veins. At this moment, it seemed as if something was beating his temple, rising and falling continuously, and roaring in his ears.

His face was red, his whole body was hot and stiff, and his thighs were trembling slightly.

Yao Xiong and Tian Zilie took turns whipping the horse. When they were both tired, they let the others take over.

These scattered officials no longer dared to say anything more, and the look in their eyes when they looked at Zhang Li became a little strange.

They worked even harder than Yao Xiong and showed no mercy.

The four men were already unconscious and were beaten so hard that they could not move.

Yao Xiong dragged two people, Tian Zili dragged two people, and they appeared in the outer courtyard one after another.

The substitute officials had already gathered here. They had all eaten. They heard the screams clearly, but they didn't know what had happened.

When Yao Xiong came out, everyone was shocked again.

Damn it! The one who came out today was Yao Xiong? !

Yao Xiong and Tian Zilie threw the four people into the reserve officials, and Zhang Li followed closely behind. He walked out and looked at everyone.

"You, you and you, you, the four of you, follow me."

Zhang Li selected four people from the crowd.

The substitute officials had no idea what was happening in the past few days. Some of them had been here for almost a year but had never had a chance to fill a position.

But in the past few days, seven people were killed in a fit of anger.

You know, there are only twenty-six places available.

Among the four new people, three are from the Law School.

Now, there were suddenly six people from the Law School among the scattered officials, and Tian Zili's eyes were shining.

These people can definitely form a force in the Sanliyuan. If they can go one step further, it is possible that all the officials in the county will be their people.
"Okay, it's done. Everyone, go ahead and do your work. Don't delay."

As Zhang Li spoke, everyone bowed and said yes, then turned around and left.

Zhang Li then looked at Taozi, and a smile appeared on his stiff old face again, although it was still awkward and weird.

Zhang Li called Taozi and Tian Zili, and also called seven substitute officials, and the ten of them went out of the city together.

As they walked along the road, Zhang Li kept reminding them, "I heard that the county magistrate is coming. When you get here, be obedient and do your job. Don't say a word or even look at him. Some nobles have strange personalities, and even a glance at them can cause trouble."

Everyone said yes.

The ten people arrived at the west city gate, where several officials were already waiting.

(End of this chapter)