Chapter 50

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At this point, it was already close to evening, with a gloomy sky and a cold wind sweeping across the plain. Zhao Chen gazed from afar at the densely packed crowd outside the Lantian county town, his brows furrowing.

These people clearly were victims of the recent snow disaster, probably refugees from various villages who had come to Lantian. However, for some reason, they were refused entry into the county town.

Perhaps noticing Zhao Chen's group, especially the two hundred Tang soldiers, some of the more observant people in the crowd immediately began to cheer. Soon, everyone turned to look at Zhao Chen and his companions, erupting in thunderous applause.

Zhao Chen's anger grew bit by bit. Although he did not know why the Lantian county magistrate refused to let these people in, he saw that they were all dressed in thin clothing, and there were many elderly and children among them.

"Go and knock on the gate!" Suppressing his immense anger, Zhao Chen, with a darkened face, instructed Qin Ming beside him.

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming immediately rode forward and, from a distance, loudly called out to the guards on the city wall. The guards, upon hearing Qin Ming's call, did not dare to delay and immediately sent someone to inform the county magistrate.

Zhao Chen, with an iron-gray face, silently rode his horse, staring at the tightly closed city gate, his eyes flashing with a cold, icy light.

It was almost night, and once night fell, the temperature would be even colder than during the day. These people, dressed in thin clothing, had no shelter from the wind. If they were left to endure the night, some would likely freeze to death in the icy cold by the next morning.

Wei Hui had also dismounted from the sled, his face flushed, no longer looking half-dead from the cold.

"This Lantian county magistrate, in a way, is also your clansman!" Wei Hui came to Zhao Chen's horse, frowning as he looked at the closed city gate and said, "His name is Zhao Yuankai, originally the Prefect of Linyang in the previous dynasty. Later, he rose to the position of Prefect of Jiangdu by plundering the people's wealth and flattering Emperor Yang! After the fall of the Sui Dynasty, he transformed into the county magistrate of Lantian!"

Zhao Yuankai? Upon hearing this, Zhao Chen's expression involuntarily changed. According to historical records, this person, as Wei Hui said, had plundered the people's wealth and flattered Emperor Yang in the previous dynasty, rising step by step. In the Tang Dynasty, he still did not change his nature, and several dismissals from office were due to his flattery.

However, Zhao Chen remembered this person not because of his flattery, but because of his cruelty! It was said that when Zhao Yuankai surrendered to the Tang, he was attacked by bandits on the way, and his wife was taken captive and nearly lost her chastity.

Later, when Cui Shi was killed by the bandits' arrows, Zhao Yuankai, to avenge her, dismembered the bandits and offered their remains as a sacrifice at Cui Shi's grave.

"Your subordinate, the county magistrate of Lantian, Zhao Yuankai, does not know which high official has arrived outside the city?" As everyone waited silently outside the city, a group of people suddenly appeared on the broken city wall. The leader was a man in official robes, who bowed and asked Zhao Chen's group.

"County Magistrate Zhao, we are here on the emperor's orders to resolve the difficulties in Lantian!" Qin Ming, at the front of the crowd, upon hearing Zhao Yuankai's question, glanced at Zhao Chen and, seeing him nod, loudly replied to Zhao Yuankai on the city wall, "The two people behind are the Chief Secretary of the Inner Palace, Wei Hui, and the Director of the Institute of Practical Studies, Zhao Yuankai!"

Zhao Yuankai originally thought that someone important from Chang'an had come, but upon hearing that it was just a Chief Secretary of the Inner Palace and a Director of the Institute of Practical Studies, he was somewhat disappointed. The position of Chief Secretary was fine, but the Director of the Institute of Practical Studies sounded like a minor position.

His disappointment showed in his words, "The two lords have braved the cold to come here, and I should have gone out to welcome you, but as you can see, I dare not act rashly!"

"Do you mean you are unwilling to open the gate?" Upon hearing this, Zhao Chen's anger burst out. He spurred his horse forward, coldly staring at Zhao Yuankai on the city wall and asked in a chilly voice.

"Ha ha! I have already said that there are these unruly people outside the city. If we open the gate and let them in, any consequences would be too much for me to bear!" Zhao Yuankai, believing that the people outside were not high-ranking officials, became more brazen in his words and actions.

"Rubbish!" Upon hearing that this bastard called the refugees "unruly people," Zhao Chen was instantly furious and burst out in a rage, "These people are clearly victims of the snow disaster, seeking refuge in the city. As a county magistrate, you should be helping them, not treating them as unruly people. Your heart is truly despicable!"

"County Magistrate Zhao, I still advise you to open the gate early! Otherwise, if anything happens to these people outside, neither of us can bear the responsibility!" Wei Hui, now with a green face from anger, was calmer than Zhao Chen and tried to reason with Zhao Yuankai on the city wall.

"Sorry!" However, Zhao Yuankai seemed to have made up his mind. No matter what was said, he stubbornly refused, "As the county magistrate of Lantian, I am responsible for the safety of the people in the city. I dare not act rashly! But as for the two officials, I will find a way to let you into the city!"

Upon hearing this, the crowd outside immediately became restless, all of them anxiously looking at Zhao Chen and Wei Hui, fearing that they would agree to Zhao Yuankai's terms and leave them outside.

Zhao Chen clenched his fists, his eyes filled with killing intent as he stared at the stubborn Zhao Yuankai on the city wall, and said word by word, "I will ask you one more time, will you open the gate or not?"

"Sorry, I cannot comply!" Zhao Yuankai's face also darkened. He could see that Zhao Chen was just a young man who had not yet reached adulthood, and although he did not know Zhao Chen's identity, being forced by a young man in front of so many people made him furious.

"Attack the city!" Zhao Chen, already enraged, suddenly waved his hand and shouted in a fit of anger.

"Director Zhao, you must not, you must not!" Wei Hui, upon hearing this, was immediately terrified, grabbing Zhao Chen's sleeve and urgently劝道: "We need to think carefully about this and cannot act rashly!"

"Lord Wei, this has nothing to do with you. I will take full responsibility for the consequences!" Zhao Chen, already blinded by anger, immediately shook off Wei Hui's hand and said coldly.

"You insolent brat!" Upon hearing that Zhao Chen wanted to attack the city, Zhao Yuankai on the city wall was also frightened and shouted in a fit of anger.

"Damn it, do you think I dare or not!" Zhao Chen gritted his teeth and shouted, turning his head to Qin Ming and the others, "What are you waiting for? Attack the city! Drag that bastard on the city wall down and let him taste the feeling of hunger and cold!"

"Little Lord, are we really going to attack the city?" Qin Ming looked at Zhao Chen, a bit uncertain.

"Are you afraid? If you are, go hide somewhere!" Zhao Chen looked at Qin Ming coldly, his words tinged with contempt.

"Attack, I have never been afraid!" Upon seeing Zhao Chen's contemptuous look, Qin Ming's temper flared, and the last bit of reason in his head vanished.

With a 'clang,' he drew his saber, waving it vigorously, and shouted to the two hundred soldiers sent by Li Er, "Who will join me in attacking the city?"

"I will go!"

"I will go!"

"I will go!"

"..."

After Qin Ming's shout, the scene fell into a dead silence for a moment, then a loud voice echoed, followed by more and more voices joining in, creating a deafening roar, and the scene was filled with a solemn and fierce atmosphere.

Everyone had heard Zhao Yuankai's words clearly, that he would only find a way to let the two officials into the city, leaving the rest of them, who had braved the snow and wind, to endure the night outside with the people. This could not help but make them indignant.

The densely packed crowd at the city gate, upon seeing the young lord from Chang'an order an attack, were shocked and quickly moved away, leaving a large open space at the city gate.

"Zhao Yuankai, I will ask you one more time, will you open the gate or not?" Zhao Chen, on his horse, coldly stared at Zhao Yuankai on the city wall and asked for the last time.

"You are rebelling, you are rebelling!" Zhao Yuankai's face was ashen, whether from anger or fear, his whole body was trembling. Despite Zhao Chen's words, he still refused to open the gate.

"Stupid as a pig, truly stupid as a pig!" Wei Hui, upon hearing that Zhao Yuankai was still stubborn, stomped his feet in anger and cursed incessantly.

"Attack the city!" At this point, Zhao Chen was no longer willing to waste any more words. This bastard was determined not to open the gate and did not care about the lives of others. Instead of wasting time here, it was better to force the city open.

Qin Ming and his men were all veterans of the battlefield, experienced in attacking cities. For a small, dilapidated county like Lantian, they did not take it seriously. Upon hearing Zhao Chen's order to attack, they immediately began to command the attack.

No ladders, no siege equipment, what for!

A dilapidated Lantian county town, the two hundred men were immediately divided into four groups, attacking from four different directions at the front.

"Crazy! Crazy!" Zhao Yuankai's face turned ashen. At this point, he realized that Zhao Chen was not just bluffing. This young man, who had not yet reached adulthood, actually dared to lead troops to attack the city.

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