After those officers fled, Jin Ling’er had been terribly anxious.
She was very worried they would return to retaliate.
She cautiously sidled up to Li Ergou’s wife and reminded her in a low voice.
"Sister-in-law, those officials didn’t look like people to be trifled with."
"As the saying goes, ’commoners don’t fight with officials.’ We’ve offended them, so they definitely won’t let us go."
"We should get out of here before they co back for blood."
Hua Manman saw that Prince Zhao had no intention of leaving and knew he was preparing to reveal his identity.
So she offered a comforting smile.
"Don’t be afraid. Nothing will happen."
Jin Ling’er didn’t understand where Li Ergou’s wife got her confidence, but she could tell that the couple, Li Ergou and his wife, were very assertive and wouldn’t change their minds over a few words from her.
So, she tactfully shut her mouth and pulled her younger brother aside.
Just as Jin Ling’er’s heart was pounding with anxiety, County Magistrate Gao strode in with a swagger that disowned his own kin.
He imdiately saw the man lying on the ground, covered in blood and barely breathing. He was so startled that he stopped in his tracks, and his prepared grand entrance line instantly turned into a cry of alarm.
"What the hell is this?!"
Hearing County Magistrate Gao’s voice, the arrest officer struggled to lift his head and let out a weak cry for help.
"County Magistrate Gao, save ... They’re torturing to death..."
The constable who followed him in was also badly frightened.
Before he left, the arrest officer had only suffered leg injuries. But in such a short ti, several new wounds had appeared on his body.
None of the wounds were fatal, but each was enough to make a person wish for death from the pain.
It was clear how ruthless the attacker was.
County Magistrate Gao steadied himself and looked at the handso man standing not far away, questioning him sharply.
"You’re Li Ergou, the one who openly assaulted an official?!"
Instead of answering, Li Ji retorted, "And you’re County Magistrate Gao, the one who runs this town with an iron fist?"
County Magistrate Gao’s expression changed at his words, and he rebuked him in a low, stern voice.
"Don’t you spout such nonsense!"
"Don’t think you can do whatever you want just because your martial arts are superior."
"Today, I will bring you to justice! Then I will hang your corpse in the city square as a warning to others!"
Li Ji gave a light, nonchalant laugh. "Then by all ans, try. Let’s see who ends up hanging in the city square for all to see."
Seeing that the man had absolutely no regard for him, the County Magistrate, County Magistrate Gao gritted his teeth in fury, his murderous intent intensifying.
Originally, he had only wanted to teach Li Ergou and his group a lesson to vent Mr. Gao’s anger and, at the sa ti, intimidate the other people in the city.
But now, he truly wanted him dead.
"Fine! Truly unrepentant even with death at your doorstep!"
"In that case, I’ll waste no more words on you! General Bian, I’ll leave the rest to you!"
After speaking, County Magistrate Gao turned and cupped his hands in a salute toward Bian Ziming, who was standing stock-still at the door.
However, Bian Ziming didn’t even spare County Magistrate Gao a glance.
From the mont he had entered and gotten a clear look at the "bandit’s" true face, he had been completely stunned.
The man was actually Prince Zhao, who had gone missing and was presud dead!
When County Magistrate Gao didn’t get the response he expected, he couldn’t help but look up at Bian Ziming and ask again, his tone more forceful.
"General Bian, why haven’t you made a move?"
Bian Ziming raised his right hand.
County Magistrate Gao thought he was about to draw his saber and couldn’t help but smile.
But the smile lasted for only a second before Bian Ziming shoved him aside.
County Magistrate Gao: ???
Bian Ziming shot forward in a single bound, slid to his knees before Prince Zhao, grabbed the hem of his robe, and began to wail.
"Prince Zhao! So this is where you were! This humble general has had such a hard ti looking for you!"
Hua Manman was shocked.
’This man’s acting is even more over-the-top than mine!’
Li Ji obviously already knew what kind of person Bian Ziming was.
He ruthlessly kicked Bian Ziming away.
"Don’t touch ."
After being kicked away, Bian Ziming quickly knelt properly again. "Prince Zhao, please forgive ! This humble general did not expect to see you here. I was simply too excited and acted rashly..."
His words caught in his throat before he could finish.
His eyes widened bit by bit, a look of utter disbelief on his face.
He stared at Prince Zhao standing tall and graceful before him, so shocked that he began to stamr.
"Y-y-y-you... you can stand?!"
A mont ago, his attention had been completely captivated by the fact that "Prince Zhao wasn’t dead." He hadn’t noticed at all that the prince was standing, no longer needing a wheelchair to move around as he had in the past.
Instead of answering, Li Ji retorted, "What, am I not allowed to stand?"
Bian Ziming hurriedly explained.
"No, no! This humble general just didn’t expect your leg injury to have healed! This... this is truly wonderful news!"
"If the Crown Prince learns of this, he will surely be overjoyed!"
Li Ji gave a aningful smile.
"Yes. He’ll surely be so happy he’ll go mad."
County Magistrate Gao was completely dumbfounded.
’Did I hear that right?’
’General Bian actually knelt to this fellow nad Li Ergou and repeatedly called him Prince Zhao!’
’Isn’t he just so broke vagrant who had to extort Mr. Gao just to afford a room at an inn?’
’How could he possibly be the notoriously fearso Prince Zhao?!’
The arrest officer lying on the floor was even more terrified and hopeless.
’If Li Ergou is Prince Zhao, then isn’t my fate sealed?!’
County Magistrate Gao began to back away slowly.
He wanted to slip away quietly while no one was paying attention.
However, he had barely taken a step when Li Ji called out to him.
"Where are you going, County Magistrate Gao? You see this prince, yet you do not bow?"
County Magistrate Gao had no choice but to retract his foot, brace himself, and kneel, performing a deep, respectful bow.
"This subordinate pays his respects to Prince Zhao."
Li Ji watched him with a half-smile, his gaze so intense that the magistrate broke out in a cold sweat.
By now, Bian Ziming had snapped out of his daze and realized that County Magistrate Gao had mistaken their identities, treating Prince Zhao as a common bandit.
He imdiately whipped his head around to glare fiercely at County Magistrate Gao and roared.
"Are your eyes on the soles of your feet? How dare you mistake the dignified Prince Zhao for a bandit?"
"Fortunately, I know Prince Zhao and recognized his noble figure at a glance."
"Otherwise, you would have gotten us all killed today!"
County Magistrate Gao was cursing his miserable luck.
’How was I supposed to know Prince Zhao would be hiding in a tiny inn like this?!’
He kowtowed frantically, begging for rcy.
"This subordinate was blind! I failed to recognize jade inlaid with gold! I beg you to spare my life, Prince Zhao!"
Li Ji pointed to the arrest officer prone on the floor and asked leisurely.
"Did you send this man to arrest people?"
County Magistrate Gao hastily denied it. "No!"
Li Ji: "Then why did they rush in and try to arrest soone? They even nad specifically. There must be a reasonable explanation for that, wouldn’t you say?"
County Magistrate Gao stamred, unable to answer.
Li Ji looked at his shifty eyes and smiled faintly.
"Since you can’t answer, I’ll answer for you."
"It’s because I offended Mr. Gao, so Mr. Gao ordered you to have these constables arrest , thereby using public office to settle a private score."
"Am I right?"
...
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