"I have seen many thieves, but they are rare." Li Qi smiled at the corner of his mouth: "Continue, I'll listen."

"Li Xiaowei, you know that many people in Jiaoshishan and Shuangheling are thieves, but I don't know that before we became thieves, we were all local civilians in Duanxi. We all migrated from the Central Plains during the Jianwu period, and at the latest it was around Yonghe. Most of them were the families of Han soldiers, and there were also scholars who were moved to the court case."

"oh?"

"Since ancient times, these civilians may have taken risks and bold people like me, and more of them are the people who are obedient. Before moving to Jiaozhou, they never left their homes and traveled far away. After coming to Jiaozhou, they also kept their duties and lived in the land they reclaimed, and never dared to cause trouble. Because Duanxi is located on the important water and land road between Guangxin and Panyu, while the people are reclaimed, they can also do some business with the merchants and get some benefits. After tens of hundred years of operation, although they dare not say that they are compared with the fertile land in the north, they can be called a wealthy county in Cangwu County."

"Then what?"

"During the Zhongping period, Zhu Fu, the governor of Jiaozhi, sent his minions to invade the people in Jiaozhou and force the people to join forces, and went north to attack the Zhonglang general Zhu Rong who was entrenched in Yuzhang, which caused resentment among the people here. So Zhu Fu sent the cavalry commander Liu Yan to lead the troops of the prefecture and county to sweep Duanxi. At this time, someone in Duanxi County colluded with Liu Yan. They acted with the prefecture and county soldiers to act as a spy, and even acted as the main force for killing and setting fire. As a result, all parts of Duanxi County were almost wiped out by the prefecture and county soldiers and local traitors. They burned, killed, looted, and did everything they could. Even the townships of more than a hundred households in the county were killed, and only a small number of underage boys and girls left their lives and sold them to Cangwu as slaves."

Speaking of this, Xue Ning was in a state of excitement and couldn't help but raise his voice:

"My Xue clan is among them! On that day, my tribe and I went to the south of Yushui to collect herbs. When we came back, we found that all the tribesmen were dead, their homes were destroyed, and fired. Dozens of people didn't even have any corpses. I killed several wolves that were eating corpses and snatched a few brains from their mouths, but I didn't know who it was!"

"I have no way to go, I can only go into the mountain." Xue Ning sneered: "The people who are called thieves in Jiaoshi Mountain, Shuangheling and other places are the remnants of the imperial government's army burned, killed, plundered and fled after the government. Since we are not tolerated by the court, we are naturally thieves, so there is nothing to say. What's ridiculous is that those who colluded with the soldiers of the prefectures and counties, killed and set fire in Duanxi, and finally plundered a manor, were not seen in the next Jiaozhou Governor Zhang Jin. They were treated harshly for several years, and they also fled to the mountains one after another and became abandoned people of the court."

Xue Ning glanced at Du Gou'er and said in a deep voice: "There is your father Du Ya'er among them!"

Du Gou'er scolded angrily: "Nonsense!"

"There are still a few old guys in Xiyuan Mountain who know the old things that happened back then. If you ask, you will know whether what I said is true or not. Du Yaer, an old dog, has liked to be a gentleman since he was an officer. Do you really believe it? You and I have been fighting in the mountains for more than ten years, and I don't know how many people have died... Do you really think that it is us thieves who have taken a fancy to your meager land? A joke!"

Du Gou'er yelled and scolded. If Huang Xiaoshi hadn't embraced him, he would have pounced on him and fought with Xue Ning.

Li Qi frowned, called a few guards to come and drag Du Gou'er outside.

The young man was shocked and angry, and said nothing. After being dragged away, he actually scolded Li Qi for colluding with the bandits. Huang Xiaoshi's face changed and he immediately accused Li Qi of guilt and chased him out for treatment.

Li Qi didn't mind this, but felt that he thought that it was because of the deliberate plan of some forces, but in fact he was involved in the old grudges, which was a little boring.

Li Qi himself was also a bandit, and he had long seen many grudges against such troubled times.

Back then, the Huainan Haoyou Alliance gathered tens of thousands of people near the Mount of Wan, and was like a separatist. Could it be that so many powerful and fierce people were all chivalrous thieves and righteous thieves?

The Lei family in Lujiang is considered to have a better reputation. However, when Lei Bo and Lei Xu were generals under Yuan Shu, they were slaughtering cities and plundering, and other things that were harmful to the world. The Lei family also raised a swordsman family like Anfeng Fan, which was specially used to eliminate dissidents.

If you want to struggle to survive in troubled times, the most difficult thing to do is to control yourself; and almost everyone who has risen in troubled times has the blood of innocent people on their hands.

It was Li Qi's lord Lei Yuan... Li Qi still remembers that when he was young, Lei Yuan was sometimes confused and sometimes shocked. At that time, Lei Yuan was extremely weak. Not to mention killing people, he would be surprised even when he saw the corpse. But what happened later?

Li Qi was Lei Yuan's entourage. Knowing that Lei Yuan later became softer than ordinary people behind his back, he did not always be as decisive and resolute as he showed in the outside world.

But Lei Yuan slaughtered many clans who were his enemy in one breath in the mountains. How many lives would that be? He led tens of thousands of people across the mountains to go south. In order to replenish food and fodder, he continued to capture villages along the way. How many lives would there be in the process? Over the years, Lei Yuan has been rampant everywhere and siege cities and fighting, and how many lives would he have?

Human lives in troubled times are worthless at all. Resentment and hatred in troubled times are also jokes. If anyone thinks that he can be a local official who upholds justice in this troubled times, it is probably because he is stupid in his study.

Li Qi didn't care about these things at all. All he wanted was to complete the task assigned to him by Lei Yuan, and to have a solid Duanxi County that could be as strong as an arm to use his fingers from top to bottom.

So he asked, "Xue Ning, what do you mean is that you killed someone because of an old grudge?"

"With the clerk's clerk's clerk's clerk's clerk's clerk's clerks, I can guess what I think. The reason for killing people is both due to old grudges and my own selfishness."

"Speak and listen."

"The fugitives in the mountains in Duanxi are very wide, and each has its own leaders. Not everyone is as tactful as we are. And occasionally a few people who are tactful are like Du Yaer, and they will only fight with us. It is impossible to cooperate sincerely and serve the captain... so I removed them."

Xue Ning looked up at Li Qi with a bright look: "Captain, we are in Duanxi, Gaoyao, and even Fengyang, Sihui and other counties. We are willing to do our best to serve General Lei and serve Li! As long as the captain trusts us, let alone five thousand people, even the 10,000 households, Qimin, we can gather in Duanxi... As long as the captain trusts us!"

Li Qi smiled: "It seems that he has killed more than one Du Ya'er, right? Many of the people who should come today have died at your hands. You secretly ruined my affairs and said you would serve me? Is this coercion?"

Xue Ning and the rest of the people knelt down together: "I dare not!"

"I've done it all, why don't you dare?" Li Qi stood up and walked back and forth between the halls.

"Prince Li!" Xue Ning was not angry when he heard Li Qi's words, and hurriedly said: "I heard that Qu Jing, Yi Liao, Qian Bo and others can be used by General Lei. Although we are not talented, we have reputation in the local area, and we can also use it for General Lei!"

"So that's it..." Li Qi pondered for a while.

This is the sequelae of Lei Yuan’s reuse of Ju Jing and others.

Qu Jing, Yi Liao, Qian Bo and other people are all local tycoons. Even when facing Lei Yuan's powerful strength, they try their best to maintain their independence and do not easily subdue them. As a result, Lei Yuan gave extremely preferential conditions and appointed them as high-ranking officials in exchange for local stability.

So in the eyes of a small-scale dominant tyrant like Xue Ning, Qu Jing and others became role models. They felt that they could follow the example, first show their strength, and then discuss the conditions with the captain under Lei Yuan's subordinates.

These people themselves are really talented and courageous. If Lei Yuan is willing to give them a chance, they may not be unable to achieve something.

Unfortunately, they didn't understand that there were three or five people like Qu Jing. There was no place for them on the Jiaozhou map marked by Lei Yuan. Unfortunately, they sat in a crooked butt and thought too much, and there would be no good results.

In the expectant eyes of Xue Ning and others, Li Qi took a few steps outside the hall inadvertently and shouted in a deep voice: "Shoot the arrow."

With his orders, a low buzzing sound suddenly sounded on both sides of the hall, followed by a sharp sound of breaking the wind, and finally, the exclamations, screams, and dying moans of the people in the hall.

A archer opened the window frame, looked into the hall, and reported to Li Qi: "Captain, they are all dead."

When Li Qi found that the leader of the settlement who was supposed to come did not come, he began to prepare. The soldiers patrolling with helmets and armors around the hall were just covering up, and many archers were ready to go. They killed people outside the county town with their bows and arrows, and then were killed by bows and arrows in the county town, which was very appropriate.

A bloody smell came out in the hall, causing Li Qi to sneeze.

"Where are the subordinates of Xue Ning and others?" he asked.

If Xue Ning and others dare to do this, they will have something to rely on. It is natural for Li Qi to eliminate the roots.
Chapter completed!