The Great Qin Dynasty: The egg of the Black Bird was revered as a national guardian beast.

A layer of clouds flew high in the sky.

Liu Ji led his followers, traveling day and night.

In just a few days, they arrived at Pei County, where they could see the city nestled in the distance.

"Phew, we're almost there."

Liu Ji exhaled and closed his eyes.

He had never missed his hometown so much in months, and thought he would never see it again in this life. Who would have thought it would end like this?

He turned around and looked at the hundreds of followers behind him.

A smile appeared on his face as he raised his head and walked at the very front, exuding an imposing aura.

"Tap tap tap".

A series of hurried footsteps echoed in the quiet room.

A minor official, looking flustered and with his head down, walked in from outside and stood in front of the county magistrate.

He bent down slightly and raised his hands.

"Magistrate, several hundred people have arrived outside the city. I fear they may be rebels. I do not know what to do."

"Oh?"

He raised an eyebrow.

The magistrate then stood up from behind his desk.

He walked around the room a few steps with his hands behind his back, and then stopped, as if he had thought of something.

He waved his hand and said, "In that case, you may leave now."

"Yes." The clerk nodded, then turned around, walked out of the room, and quickly left.

After the minor official left.

The magistrate stood alone in the room for a very long time.

Finally, he left the room and headed towards the top of the city wall.

Standing atop the city wall, one is surrounded by county soldiers.

The magistrate leaned against the city wall and looked down, and saw hundreds of people standing below the city, looking up at him.

One of them was Xiao He, whom he had sent out.

Seeing the magistrate peek out from the city wall, Xiao He waved from below, "Magistrate, quickly order the city gates to be opened."

"I have brought Liu Ji back; the great mission is accomplished."

Withdrawing his gaze, the magistrate stood atop the city wall, hands behind his back, then turned to look at the county soldiers beside him.

"They're not rebels, open the city gates."

"Yes." The county soldier clasped his hands in a fist salute, then took his long spear and walked down from the city wall to deliver the order to open the city gate.

Not long after, a cloud of dust rose up.

The massive city gate slowly opened.

But at that moment, a minor official ran up to the magistrate and presented him with the bamboo slips in his hand.

The magistrate raised his hand to take it.

He spread out the bamboo slips and looked down at them.

His eyes scanned the simplified Chinese text until he reached the very end, and the magistrate's expression changed drastically.

Zhang Chu was defeated and killed, and the rebel leader Chen Sheng has been executed!

Without thinking twice, he ran straight down from the city wall.

"Quickly, close the city gates!"

...............

Standing below the city gates, watching them slowly open...

Liu Ji breathed a sigh of relief and chatted and laughed with the others, his face full of smiles, and he had never felt so relaxed.

Now, it seems the county magistrate is really about to start an uprising.

If he led hundreds of followers to serve the county magistrate, then no matter what, he wouldn't be allowed to continue as a village head, right?

Soon, the gate in front was fully opened.

Liu Ji put his hand on Xiao He's shoulder, humming a song, and led his men toward the city gate.

But they had only walked a short distance from the city gate.

The door that had been open closed again.

"What's going on?" Liu Ji frowned and looked at Xiao He standing next to him, but Xiao He was also completely confused.

Immediately, chaos erupted among the surrounding people.

Leading his men back to the city walls, Xiao He looked up and shouted into the city, "Magistrate, why are the gates closed?!"

At this moment, the county magistrate had also climbed back onto the city wall.

Raising his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, the magistrate was panting heavily and didn't recover for a long time.

That was close!

If the bamboo slips had arrived even a moment later...

Perhaps he has already let Liu Ji and the others into the city.

By then, there will be no room for maneuver.

Thank goodness! With a sigh of relief, the magistrate looked at the people below the city walls, his expression changed, and he became righteous and indignant.

"How dare you! Liu Ji has released criminals without authorization; according to the law, he deserves to die!"

"Now, they're leading convicts to attack Pei County again. Are they planning a rebellion? Retreat at once!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Ji, who was standing below the city, immediately changed his expression.

Looking at Xiao He, who also had a bitter expression, he shook his head, unable to express his suffering.

Who would have thought that the magistrate would go back on his word?

But now it is not advisable for them to stay here. Although they number several hundred, they are no match for the county soldiers.

Then he raised his hand to look at Liu Ji.

"Liu Ji, please step down for now. We will discuss this later."

Despite his grim expression and resentment, Liu Ji understood that there was no point in staying any longer.

He closed his eyes, nodded, and led his men away.

.............

at night.

In the mountains and forests not far from Pei County.

The campfire was burning, and people sat around it, but no one spoke; they all lowered their heads.

"Splash!"

Suddenly, a sound came from behind.

The people by the campfire quickly got up, exchanged glances, picked up wooden spears from the ground, and pointed them behind them.

"Who is it?"

One person swallowed hard and mustered his courage to speak loudly.

Soon, in the flickering firelight, the grass in front of them rustled, and then a person emerged.

He looked around at the wooden spears aimed at him.

The person was startled and quickly backed away.

But soon, he stepped forward and waved his hand.

He said, "Put down the wooden spear. Are Liu Ji and Xiao He here? I know them."

Hearing the sound, Xiao He and Liu Ji came over.

But when they saw the person before them, a hint of surprise crossed their eyes, and they asked, "Cao Shen?"

"It's me," he said, nodding.

Leading Cao Shen to a campfire, Xiao He finally looked up at him and asked, "Why are you here?"

"Ugh, don't even mention it."

Cao Can sighed: "I don't know why, but the magistrate changed his mind at the last minute and closed the city gates to refuse entry."

"After driving you away, he turned around and tried to kill me!"

"Fortunately, I had once helped a minor official. He came to inform me, and upon hearing the news, I fled the city overnight."

"Knowing you wouldn't go far, I came to seek your company."

After Cao Shen said these words, the room fell silent.

After a long time,

Liu Ji raised his hand and patted Cao Can and Xiao He on the shoulder.

He chuckled and said, "You can't blame yourself for this. It's all because that magistrate was untrustworthy and went back on his word."

But then, his eyes turned cold.

Looking around, he said, "If the magistrate won't open the door, are we really powerless to do anything about it?"

No one speaks.

But Liu Ji continued speaking.

"Since the magistrate refuses to open the gates, we will breach the city tomorrow."

"Once the city gates open, we will enter Pei County and offer sacrifices to the county magistrate's head in response to the uprising!"

Startled, Xiao He raised his eyes and looked at Liu Ji.

He then asked, "Liu Ji, have you come up with a plan to breach the city?"

But Liu Ji just smiled and didn't answer.