The sudden change left Bao Long at a loss for what to do and he was so scared that his mouth was choked with ashes.
When Zhao Fan saw Bao Long leading his troops in, his face suddenly changed and he shouted, "Bao Long, you are so bold, are you planning to rebel?"
Seeing that things had come to this, Bao Long simply rushed in and shouted, "Liu Qi wants to kill us and punish us. Brothers, together... Uh-ah-"
Before he could finish his words, he saw a dark figure flying close to him. His throat felt sore and sharp, so he quickly reached out to grab it, but it had already pierced his throat, and he couldn't speak.
Bao Long widened his eyes and looked in disbelief at the white-haired veteran who shot an arrow with his backhand. This move was much better than Chen Ying's flying fork.
Plop—
Bao Long's fat body fell at the foot of the threshold. The soldiers who rushed in from behind were in an uproar, holding their weapons, not knowing whether to charge in or retreat.
Zhao Fan was so frightened that he was shaking all over. He pointed at the soldiers and yelled, "Get out! Get out!"
Although those soldiers were Bao Long's confidants, they did not know that Bao Long had rebellious intentions. At this time, Bao Long was already dead. When they saw Zhao Fan's order, they hesitated for a moment and left the hall one after another. They still don't know the situation.
"Governor Zhao, is this your sincerity from Guiyang?" In panic, Liu Qi stood up and looked at Zhao Fan coldly.
"I am innocent!" Zhao Fan knelt on the ground and shouted, "This was all done by Chen Ying and Bao Long on their own initiative. I was not aware of this. Please investigate, General."
At this time, all the officials were completely terrified and knelt on the ground begging for mercy. No one could have imagined that these two people were so bold. If Liu Qi investigated the matter, all the officials in Guiyang, big and small, would probably be held accountable. Everyone cursed the two men as idiots in their hearts.
Liu Qi was silent for a moment, then slowly said: "The two generals of Guiyang are dead, and there is no one to lead the troops. I wonder if there is anyone to be the governor of Zhao?"
"This..." Zhao Fan knew that Liu Qi wanted him to hand over his military power. Once that happened, he would be at the mercy of others, and he felt a little uneasy.
"Report—" At this moment, a garrison soldier came in and reported, "Lingling garrison commander Liu Xian has brought his troops to the city and wants to see General Liu."
"Liu Xian?" Zhao Fan was surprised and looked up at Liu Qi. He thought that Liu Qi must have made arrangements in advance. The troops of Lingling were approaching the city, and with internal and external troubles, he had no choice.
Liu Qi ordered, "Zhao Taishou, why don't you send someone to take Liu Xian into the city?"
"As you command!" Zhao Fan sighed dejectedly and said, "Everything in Guiyang will be under the command of the general. Chen Ying and the other two deserved to be killed, so the troops will naturally be under the command of the general."
Liu Qi instructed Gan Ning, "Xingba immediately takes over the barracks and tells the Lingling troops not to enter the city but to wait outside the city."
Gan Ning took Zhao Fan's seal and led his troops to take over the camp. Zhao Fan sent people to open the city gate to welcome Liu Xian into the city.
Liu Qi also ordered his men to hang the heads of Chen Ying and Bao Long on the east and west gates, and posted a notice throughout the city that anyone who dared to disobey his orders would be killed without mercy!
The lobby had not been cleaned yet when Liu Xian came quickly with a team of guards, accompanied by Pang Tong. Zhao Fan stood aside, dejected, like a rooster bowing in the sky.
When Pang Tong saw Gan Ning leading the troops to patrol the city, he knew that Liu Qi had taken care of everything. He clasped his fists and said with a smile: "General, guard the city and deter the villains. From now on, Jingnan will be stable!"
Liu Xian also stepped forward to greet him: "Liu Xian, the commander of Lingling, greets the general!"
Liu Qi helped Liu Xian up. Seeing that he had an elegant appearance, sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, he was indeed a man of talent. He nodded and smiled, "I've often heard that the general is a scholar-general from southern Jing. Seeing him today, I can see that he is indeed extraordinary. He can understand the current situation and the general trend. This is what a hero does!"
Liu Xian smiled and said, "General, you are too kind. My father and I have received great kindness from Liu Mu, so we should repay him with loyalty. If we do something unjust, God will not tolerate it and the people will also resent us. Now the general is in charge of Jingzhou and fighting against the traitors. As the general said, the rise and fall of the country is the responsibility of every man, let alone those who eat the salary of the Han Dynasty. We are willing to do our best to contribute to the Han Dynasty, and we will go through fire and water and die without hesitation."
Liu Xian's impassioned speech made Zhao Fan blush. The comparison between the two made him feel so ashamed that he wished he could find a hole to crawl into.
The government office still needed to be rectified, so when everyone returned to the inn, Zhao Fan knelt on the ground and cried loudly. The shock and shame made him completely collapse.
Liu Qi helped Zhao Fan up and said with emotion: "I am inspecting Jingnan this time only to appease the people and rectify the territory to ensure the stability of Jingzhou. I have no intention of resorting to war. Seeing that Chen Ying and the other two acted on their own, you don't have to do the same. Let's forget about this matter and don't mention it again."
What makes Liu Qi feel at ease now is that Liu Du and his son from Lingling have no ulterior motives. Guiyang has been handed over smoothly and this trip was a complete success. He doesn't take these two idiots seriously at all.
Zhao Fan shed tears and said, "Yesterday Chen Ying had the intention to harm me, and I reprimanded him. I didn't expect the two of them to be so bold and reckless."
Pang Tong stroked his beard and sighed, "A fool is always a fool. He does not know how high the sky is, how deep the earth is, nor does he know the heroes of the world. He has brought disaster upon himself. The governor does not need to blame himself."
Zhao Fan looked at Liu Qi, hesitated for a moment, and finally said: "This humble official has another secret to report."
Liu Qi's eyes were slightly stern. What he had just done was just a test. If Zhao Fan was still hiding the matter of Cao Cao, it meant that this man could not be reused. Now that he took the initiative to confess, it showed that he was truly surrendering.
Everything was settled, but Liu Qi was not in a hurry to ask questions. He laughed and said, "As long as the country is stable, everything else can be discussed later. General Liu has come from afar, and it would be rude if the governor did not entertain him."
Zhao Fan was startled, wiped away his tears and nodded repeatedly, saying: "Please wait a moment, I will go home and prepare the feast. You must come to my humble home at noon to show your hospitality."
Liu Qi received Liu Xian and asked about the affairs of Lingling. The territory seemed to be stable. It was a pity that he did not meet Lingling General Xing Daorong, which was quite regrettable.
After noon, Zhao Fan sent his family to invite everyone to his mansion. They saw carved beams and painted buildings, and a dazzling array of jade and gemstones displayed so blatantly in the hall. There was even a blood coral the size of a washbasin that looked extremely precious.
Even Pang Tong, who had seen a lot of things, couldn't help but sigh: "I never thought that Zhao Fan's family would have such a treasure. How much is it worth?"
Liu Xian's eyes flickered and he seemed to be hesitant to speak. He had no evidence to prove whether Zhao Fan had embezzled or accepted bribes, so it was difficult for him to make a rash judgment. He dared to expose it so blatantly, so it might not be that simple.
The butler led everyone to the back hall, where they saw a special reception room. It was magnificent and had a bit of Indian style. Although it was broad daylight, the candlelight and the glass lamps emitted a hazy light, and the scene suddenly became somewhat charming.
Zhao Fan received everyone and asked them to take a seat. Liu Qi sat in the main seat and soon the banquet was served. It was full of delicacies from land and sea. There were many foods that Liu Qi had never seen before, especially the dish of chopped pepper fish head, which made Liu Qi's eyes light up.
Ever since he traveled through time, he has been complaining about the food of this era. Especially for someone like him who loves spicy food, the days without chili peppers and cooking are like years. He never expected to see chili peppers here.