Chapter 9: The First Trial of the Bull Knife

Oh, I did not expect that my nephew would not only remain calm in the face of a thief but also have the presence of mind to drive the thief away, which greatly surprises me. Well, whatever you wish me to do, just say it

Liu Jun stood on the road, feeling anxious and restless. After waiting for a long time, the sound of hooves was heard again. The small leader returned, staring at Liu Jun for a few moments, then waved his hand to his subordinates, "The chief has issued an order, retreat!" A group of bandits came quickly and left just as swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, they had vanished, leaving only Liu Jun and a group of terrified trembling merchants and common people.

At this moment, Liu Jun truly realized that his scheme had succeeded. Although he had spent one hundred taels of silver, he had successfully led the raiding bandits to believe that the county had already discovered their plan, which caused the bandits to retreat in the face of difficulty

At this moment, Liu Jun turned to the old man and said, "Esteemed uncle, if my guess is correct, the attendant who just left must have gone to report the news of the bandits to the county town"

Indeed, we cannot outrun the thieves, nor can we fight them off. However, my nephew has a plan that might help us repel the enemy. Nevertheless, we will need the assistance and cooperation of our esteemed uncle.

After gaining the support of the elder, Liu Jun quickly set up according to the plan. Just as the arrangements were completed, the sound of galloping hooves was already approaching.

Is it really that cheap in Macheng

After finishing his speech, Liu Jun took out the bundle he had prepared as a gift for Old Master Liu's birthday and had one of the old man's attendants deliver it.

"They have left, they have finally left." Someone cheered

Not far behind, the minor leader returned to the main group, which consisted of several hundred people, including nearly one hundred on horseback, with the remaining two to three hundred being young and strong men. Additionally, there were several hundred young men and women who had been captured by them.

Regardless of whether he is prepared or not, how many soldiers can there be in Macheng? With so many brothers among us, since we have come, it is unreasonable to leave without accomplishing anything. Let us charge forward; even if we do not attack the county town, with so many wealthy gentry and merchants in Macheng, we can easily raid a village and seize tens of thousands.

Stop! A notorious thief leader commanded his subordinates.

The common people, both men and women, young and old, were in a state of panic, crying out with expressions of despair and terror. Meanwhile, the bandits seemed to revel in this cat-and-mouse game, continuously racing behind them, driving these people away from the path, yet they did not immediately kill those they captured.

"It is like this, soon, I hope so..." Liu Jun whispered to the old man, and the more the old man listened, the happier his expression became. "Not bad, not bad, I must praise you, truly bold and resourceful at such a young age. This plan has great potential. I will cooperate with you; everything will be according to your wishes"

The minor leader snorted, but did not act on his own accord. He exchanged a few words with several companions beside him, then rode back while carrying the bundle.

As long as the green mountains remain, there is no fear of lacking firewood; as long as we have troops at hand, there is no place where we cannot prosper. If the east does not shine, then the west will shine. Let’s go! The green-faced leader was very decisive and immediately ordered a turnabout.

Who are you

The green-faced man addressed the subordinate leader who was shouting about not leaving empty-handed, "Mocheng is not like other places. Just considering the Mei, Zhou, Li, and Liu families, which of their servants and subordinates does not number in the thousands? After Mei Zhihuan retired and returned home, he was so bored that he established a local militia and even brought in dozens of red-coated cannons from South Gan. The military strength of his militia is even a bit stronger than that of the Huangzhou Guard. Although the other families may not be as formidable as Mei Zhihuan and the militia of *Tu* *Shu*, they also have numerous servants and deep courtyards. We originally intended to catch them off guard, but now that the news has leaked, this deal cannot be completed. Issue the order, retreat!

Use your brain

"What is this?" the little leader asked, squinting his eyes

The bandits who were shouting angrily were quite strange; this group of people seemed to be stunned, standing there like wooden stakes, blocking the road.

"A moment of luck, a moment of luck!" Liu Jun quickly clasped his hands together.

Liu Jun was still tense, but the old man had already stepped forward with a hearty laugh, "Nephew, you truly are remarkable. With just a small strategy, you managed to outsmart the bandits. This empty city ruse was executed splendidly"

Indeed, there are only six individuals on the opposing side, yet I observe that they appear quite composed. The young man claims to be a county clerk, but I notice that the elderly man behind him possesses an even more distinguished demeanor; I suspect that the elder is the true authority in this matter. Furthermore, the young man and the three robust middle-aged men all exude an air of menace, clearly having been through the throes of death. In particular, the three strong men have undoubtedly taken lives, and likely many, suggesting they may have previously served in the imperial army, possibly as retainers to the generals.

Some people are familiar with the personnel in the county www.hetushu.com and are unaware that there is a clerk named Liu Ye, who is surprisingly young. They secretly wonder where this suddenly appearing clerk Liu Ye came from

At present, I maintain my composure, clasp my hands into a fist, and loudly declare, "I am Liu Ye, the county clerk of Macheng. Upon hearing that troops have arrived, my parents, the Lu family, have gathered the able-bodied men of the county and dispatched soldiers to the garrison to mobilize forces. We should have eradicated you all in one fell swoop; however, my parents cannot bear to see bloodshed, which would only increase casualties. Considering this, I have been specially sent here to advise you all to leave at once."

The official Liu Dianli is formidable! Someone expressed their gratitude to Liu Jun loudly

Liu Jun called for the bandit to stop, feeling a sense of relief at last; the first step of the plan could be considered a success

They stood there on the road

The old man remained quite calm, stating, "I actually think what the young man said makes a lot of sense. It's too late for us to run now, and we can't fight them. Since we don't want to wait to be captured, we must find a way to save ourselves. Although the young man is young, his words are not without merit."

It seems that Macheng is well-informed, having known our whereabouts in advance and made preparations accordingly

The scholar beside him, upon hearing this, became greatly anxious, "My lord, do not recklessly engage in dangerous schemes. This young man is still quite young; he claims to have a strategy to repel the enemy, but who can tell if it is true or false? How can one trust others so easily and put oneself in peril?"

The group of common people who had been relentlessly pursued, upon witnessing this, hurriedly cried out and ran behind Liu Jun and the others

"Did the other party really say that?" asked a robust middle-aged man with a blue birthmark on his left cheek.

The small leader, dressed in a leather armor, held a large gun in his hand while riding on horseback. With high cheekbones and a cold gaze, he halted his subordinates and then looked at Liu Jun, who stood at the front.

Liu Jun replied with a smile, "This is a small severance payment from the county for all of you. Take it back and divide it for travel expenses, each returning to your own home, and honestly be subjects of our Great Ming."

To the west, a thick cloud of smoke and dust was rising increasingly larger. Following this, a series of beast-like roars and cries echoed through the air. Amidst the smoke and dust, several mounted bandits suddenly appeared before the crowd, and in front of them, a group of terrified commoners and merchants were desperately fleeing.

Indeed," the old man nodded. "However, I did not expect the thief to arrive so quickly just now

In front of the roadside tea shop, Liu Jun wore a blank expression, though he was quite nervous inside. Beside him stood an old man, a scholar, and three of his subordinates.