The Villain's Counterattack

Chapter 563: Let the 2nd Master 0 Star Return

"Master, master, it's bad, it's bad, the second young master has been captured by bandits!" The gate of Zheng's manor is always open. There are several guards holding sword handles on each side. Bows and crossbows are ready to be fired on the gate tower. Even in the dark night, there are guards patrolling all directions, and the lights are bright all night long.

A man in his twenties dressed like a servant staggered into the main house of the compound. The head of the Zheng family was admiring a painting and calligraphy that was "presented" by his servants. He stroked his beard with one hand and pointed with the other, his face full of satisfaction. Of course, what satisfied him was not the painting and calligraphy itself, but the beauty in the painting.

"A young girl's body is as soft as butter..." The Zheng family patriarch had barely finished his words when the sound of wailing outside interrupted his interest. His face darkened and he said in a cold voice, "Zheng Er? Why are you crying so hard? What's the big deal?"

The attendant, seeing no one in the main hall and hearing the master's scolding, turned and ran to the study, panting and crying as he ran, "Master, Master, go and save the Second Young Master! He's been kidnapped by bandits who came from nowhere. They're threatening to release him only when you pay them three thousand taels of silver, or else..."

The head of the Zheng family frowned slightly, and when he saw Zheng Er, whose anxious face had a clearly visible slap mark, his expression suddenly turned cold. Although he was only a branch of the Zheng family in Xingyang, he also had thousands of acres of fertile land, two manors, and nearly ten thousand tenants. Even the guards who protected the house and the yard numbered hundreds or even thousands. The manor was built like an iron wall, and ordinary thieves and bandits would never be able to break in even if they had eight or ten thousand of them.

In the surrounding area of ​​thousands of miles, no one dares to be so bold as to not give face to the Zheng family of Xingyang. Even the side branches have the confidence to do so. If it were the main family, even the imperial court would have to give in a little.

The head of the Zheng family has three sons and two daughters. The eldest son is studying away from home, the second son is not good at literature or martial arts, so he just hangs out at home, but he has some tricks to deal with tenants and common people, and the third son is still young and is preparing to be sent to the master's house for further studies next year.

The chief attendant told the whole story incoherently, saying that the second young master was out for an outing and saw a group of outsiders acting suspiciously and being rude to a woman. He felt righteous and went forward to argue with them, but he never expected that the group of outsiders were tough and defeated the seven or eight guards under the second young master in no time.

The second young master was beaten half to death, and all the guards were seriously injured. Only Zheng Er was a clever guy who bullied the weak and feared the strong, and he only received a slap (by the second young master of the Zheng family). His hands and feet were intact and he could run and jump, so he was released to pass on the message.

"That thief said that if we don't see three thousand taels of silver before nightfall, he will cut off the second young master's hands and feet and send him back to the manor. If we delay until tomorrow, they will seal the second young master's head and return the remaining torso in three days, which can be regarded as a partial return of the second young master." Zheng Er seemed to be imitating intentionally when he spoke, but it made the head of the Zheng family frown.

The gods and demons are returning sporadically. Do you think humans are puppets that can be disassembled and assembled at will?

It might be true that his second son was kidnapped, but the actual events could not be as Zheng Er said. He did not know his son's character very well. He snorted coldly and shouted, "Tell the truth!"

Zheng Er shuddered, then, with a mournful face, recounted the entire incident. The Zheng family patriarch nodded slightly, thinking this was typical of his son. He had simply spotted a pretty young farm girl on the roadside and decided to snatch her away. He'd been a bit rough in his actions, beating the girl's father to death, crippling her fiancé, and whipping the surrounding villagers. Unexpectedly, a passing group of soldiers, unable to bear the consequences, had seized his son.

The guards who took action had their hands and feet broken, and their own son was whipped all over his body. The leader was a young man in his twenties, and there were thirty or fifty cavalrymen around him. All of them were well-equipped with swords and guns, but they had no armor. It seemed that they were not soldiers or traitors, but rather looked like the sons of a noble family.

"Didn't you mention the Zheng family of Xingyang?" The Zheng family head pondered for a moment, and Zheng Er said in a mournful voice, "That young master claimed to be surnamed Li, and some people called him Young Master Fan. They said that it was because of the second young master's surname that he was able to save his life and compensate the farmers with three thousand taels. If it were anyone else, he would have been torn to pieces and turned to ashes. Master, you must save the second young master. Those people are so cruel. When I came back, I saw that they had already hanged the second young master at the entrance of the village. Those audacious farmers actually wanted the second young master to pay for his life."

"Li, Young Master Fan?" The Zheng family's head pondered for a moment with a gloomy expression, happily pondering this man's background. Li is a prominent surname, and it's rare to see someone called a Young Master, accompanied by thirty or fifty cavalry guards. Could he be from the Longyou Li family? If it were a branch, it wouldn't be so brazen as to dare offend the Xingyang Zheng family. If it were the main family, there would certainly be a young master in his twenties, but...

"They don't have any armor, but do they have bows and crossbows?" The head of the Zheng family asked carefully. Zheng Er racked his brains and gave a negative answer. The head of the Zheng family then heard him say that the horses were quite good and the guards were all young and strong, but they had no armor or shields, and no bows and crossbows. It seemed that there were also carriages accompanying them, which seemed to be transporting some heavy objects.

Perhaps the other party was not a legitimate son of a wealthy family, but a bastard's son who was in charge of miscellaneous chores, and what they were transporting was most likely a batch of extremely precious goods, which was why the family's elite guards were dispatched. The head of the Zheng family suddenly had an idea and couldn't help but feel tempted. How much is the value of the goods that are worth the careful escort of thirty or fifty elite cavalrymen?

"Take my business card and go invite Mr. Li to your home. I will personally apologize to Mr. Li." The head of the Zheng family's face brightened and he gave the order with a glance.

Zheng Er's expression was slightly bitter. "Master, Master Li and his entourage had excellent horses, but they didn't stop at all. They took the Second Young Master and his men and continued on their way. It was only because the cargo in the carriage slowed them down that they probably wouldn't come to the manor. I tried to invite them to be my guests before, but..."

The Zheng family patriarch's expression froze. He glanced deeply at Zheng Er, wondering if his brain was actually the same as this servant's. Was his IQ so low, or did this boy understand him so well? If so, he must not be allowed to stay!

"The master will give you three servants. Take some wine and meat and go entertain Mr. Li. Don't let them hurt the child. The master will go with silver to atone for his sins later." The head of the Zheng family clapped his hands and ordered someone to find the butler. He also selected three elite guards with good martial arts skills, and galloped out with some ready-made wine and meat.

The butler listened to the Zheng family master's story and narrowed his eyes slightly, "Master, what I mean is..."

The Zheng family head said with a smile, "I heard that the Wagang rebels are quite rampant and have already reached a hundred miles around Xingyang. I wonder if Zhang Tongshou, the most powerful general of the Sui Dynasty, is not worthy of his reputation. He was not able to wipe them out in one fell swoop. If they kill the sons of wealthy families, I am afraid it will attract a lot of criticism."

Upon hearing this, the butler nodded heavily and said, "What the master said makes sense. These thieves are so daring that we must be on guard against them. I will immediately organize people to strengthen the security of the manor to prevent those thieves from destroying the peace and tranquility of the manor." After saying this, he carefully took the token handed over by the master, turned around and left.

A moment later, a team of 300 people rushed out of the manor. On the city gate tower, the head of the Zheng family looked into the distance with a leisurely gaze, muttering to himself: "Li family, Master Fan, Li family, Master Fan, huh, now everyone dares to call himself a master? What a fool."