To survive, Zhou Ding resorted to his persuasive skills, ceaselessly urging Li Mao'er to make a decision.
"Damn it! Tell the brothers, we leave now. We'll head to Tangyin to lie low for a while!"
Regardless of his true willingness, Li Mao'er could no longer resist reality. He finally agreed.
"Yes!"
Zhou Ding was overjoyed, but he was also determined to find a way to leave Tangyin as quickly as possible once they arrived. Being a bandit was far too dangerous, especially the way those other bandits looked at him. He worried that he might wake up one morning with several naked strong men lying beside him.
Seeing that Li Mao'er had made up his mind, the bandits began to retreat rapidly. After all, the grim reapers chasing them were deadly. Any further delay might result in them being dealt a fatal blow.
"Sir, those bandits seem to be preparing to cross the Wei River and enter Tangyin territory!"
"Tangyin?"
Han Mo's brow furrowed as he looked at the map in his hand.
"We don't have the official authorization for cross-border operations, otherwise..."
Wu Lin was also quite frustrated. Although the imperial army was still assisting them, their orders were to help suppress bandits in Neihuang. If these bandits were allowed to enter Tangyin, it would truly be troublesome.
"Didn't we send them a request for assistance a few days ago? Send someone to deliver a letter there!" Han Mo said directly.
"The messenger returned yesterday, but… but they said they didn't receive any official dispatch from above!" Wu Lin said in a low voice.
Now it was Han Mo's turn to offer a wry smile. This was truly bureaucracy at play! However, it was understandable. As soon as troops were deployed, money would inevitably be spent. If they won, it would be Han Mo's credit; if they lost, it would be someone else's responsibility. Not being in a position to act meant not bearing the responsibility, and one couldn't really fault them for that.
"How many men do they have left?" Han Mo asked after a moment of thought.
"About eight to nine hundred at most, definitely not exceeding a thousand!"
"Since they are unwilling to help, let them busy themselves. Oh, and send a message to General Xin, telling him to do his best!"
Since they had less than a thousand men left and were about to escape his jurisdiction, Han Mo couldn't be bothered to pursue them further. After all, he was only a county magistrate for a year and didn't have that much time and energy to waste. He would rather spend his time figuring out how to grow mushrooms properly.
"So, we're not going to do anything?" Wu Lin seemed somewhat unwilling. This was the best opportunity to eliminate them!
"They are no longer a significant threat, and it won't be easy for them to recover their strength in a short period. Keeping them around as training partners isn't a bad idea!" Han Mo said casually with a smile.
"That's what you say, but I'm still a bit reluctant to just let them go…"
"There will be plenty of opportunities to eliminate them in the future. They are just a bunch of vagrants! Alright, go down and prepare. Oh, and hasn't the wanted poster from the Ministry of Justice been issued? Add another thousand strings of cash as a reward and post it everywhere!"
Zhou Ding was still nowhere to be found, which always made Han Mo feel uneasy. He had indeed overstepped his bounds in this matter. Although it was a desperate measure under urgent circumstances, if someone were to seize upon it, it could potentially become a troublesome issue. He didn't want to leave any loose ends. If he could get rid of that kid, it would be ideal.
"Yes!"
"By the way, after crossing the Wei River, where in Tangyin territory are they headed?"
"After crossing the river, their best place to stop would be here!" Wu Lin looked at the map and pointed to Yonghe Township.
Tangyin County, Yonghe Township! Han Mo suddenly smiled. It was now the summer of the second year of Xuanhe. If he remembered correctly, the other influential figure should have gotten married around this time, shouldn't he? He wondered if this unlucky fellow Li Mao'er would spark anything if he encountered him…
"Sir, what are you smiling about?" Wu Lin asked curiously.
"Send people to deliver three hundred copies of that wanted poster to Yonghe Township in Tangyin County. Make sure to post them everywhere!" Although he couldn't deploy troops there, wanted posters were not a problem.
"Sir, isn't this a bit against the rules?" Lu Ying quickly whispered. Normally, such documents, once issued by the Ministry of Justice, would be distributed nationwide immediately. Of course, if they were to add to the reward privately, there wouldn't be much of an issue, provided they were responsible for the bounty themselves. However, if they wanted to post them in another county, they should first notify the local yamen, otherwise, it would offend people.
"You handle the notification, but don't delay the posting of the documents by a single moment!" Han Mo added after Lu Ying's reminder.
Upon hearing Han Mo's words, Lu Ying felt like slapping himself twice. By the time you do something and then seek approval, it would be a miracle if they were happy about it. This Lord Han was clearly trying to make the horse run well without letting it eat grass!
"Alright, don't look so glum. Go to the accounting office, draw fifty strings of cash, and pick another cartload of valuables from the treasury. Send it all to that Magistrate Liao of Tangyin County, and tell him it's a small token of my regard!"
Wu Lin and Wu Jie's training intensity was gradually increasing, and the soldiers' quality was improving by leaps and bounds. He believed that it wouldn't be long before even if Li Mao'er dared to return, he would have to flee with his tail between his legs. Having caused someone so much trouble and about to capture a big fish, Han Mo felt a little embarrassed.
"Yes!"
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Although the Wei River was not particularly wide, by the time Li Mao'er and his men swam across it, the little food they had left was all washed away by the river. It could be said that apart from a broken saber, they were essentially penniless.
Looking at his disheartened subordinates, Li Mao'er felt a pang of distress.
"Damn it, why are you all hanging your heads like this? So what if we're out of food? Don't we still have our knives? If you want women and food, follow me to the town ahead and rob them!" Li Mao'er obviously had some exceptional qualities to have gathered so many followers.
"My Lord, look!" As soon as Li Mao'er finished speaking, a subordinate immediately spotted a young man, about eighteen or nineteen years old, driving an ox cart leisurely towards the town ahead.