The Three Kingdoms: I asked you to save Guan Yu, not to destroy Sun Quan.

Guan Xing led several hundred men, escorting Gu Mu, Gu Qi, and others, to Luoshi Village.

Besides the criminals, Guan Xing also hauled several cartloads of grain. As soon as he left the manor, he called Shen Yi and instructed him, "Old Shen, go to Luoshi Village and the nearby villages and tell the villagers that General Guan has sent people to distribute grain to them and that they should go to the village entrance to collect it."

Shen Yi asked in surprise, "Why? Why are you distributing food all of a sudden?"

Guan Xing said speechlessly, "You've been working in the yamen for so many years, how come you don't even understand this? The people's ability to cope with disasters is limited, and they always follow the principle of 'it's better to do less trouble than more trouble.' If you directly say that Gu Mu, Gu Qi, and others will be publicly tried, they probably won't dare to come. But if you say that grain will be distributed, they will definitely flock to it."

This is similar to the later practice of giving away eggs. If old men and women knew there were eggs to give away, they would run faster than young people.

Shen Yi gave a thumbs-up and praised, "The captain is wise. I'll go right away."

Watching Shen Yi leave, Gu Mu, who was tied up with ropes and strung together with Gu Qi and the others, finally couldn't help but shout, "Guan Anguo, a scholar can be killed but not humiliated. If you want to kill me, just do it quickly. Why humiliate me like this?"

Guan Xing did not answer, but instead ordered his men, "Find something to gag him. I don't want to hear him talk."

"Waaah..." Gu Mu quickly lost the ability to speak, and could only glare fiercely at Guan Xing with his eyes.

The manor was more than 30 li away from Luoshi Village, where the old woman lived. Guan Xing was carrying grain and could not walk fast at all. It took him two whole hours to reach the village entrance.

From a distance, the village entrance was already crowded with villagers holding sacks and winnowing baskets, ready to receive their grain. Guan Xing stood on the vehicle, looking around and instructing his subordinates: "See? When doing work among the masses, you not only need to use your heart, but also your brain. Remember to use your brain more when you encounter similar tasks in the future."

Xie Chong, Ning Huan, and others echoed their agreement, expressing that they had learned something.

At the same time, seeing that grain carts were indeed arriving, the people excitedly gathered around, afraid that if they were too slow, the grain would be taken by someone else.

Guan Xing ordered Xie Chong to lead the troops to maintain order. At the same time, he stood up, put his hands in front of his lips like a megaphone, and shouted to the crowd: "Fellow villagers, don't push, listen to me."

The villagers, intimidated by the soldiers' imposing presence, remained rooted to the spot and dared not move. Guan Xing walked up to the crowd and said, "Let me introduce myself first. I am Guan Xing, a colonel under the command of the King of Hanzhong. I have come to Luoshi Village on the orders of General Guan Yu for two matters."

"First, we will deal with the bullies who oppressed the villagers and seek justice for the villagers who have been persecuted. Second, we are here on the orders of the King of Hanzhong and General Guan Yu to bring some grain to comfort everyone on behalf of the King of Hanzhong. There is not much grain, so please don't mind. Men, bring that villain Gu Qi to me."

Gu Qi was quickly brought before the villagers and forcibly pressed to the ground. The villagers all showed expressions of gritted teeth when they saw Gu Qi, but dared not speak out in anger.

The villagers of Luoshi Village have suffered greatly at the hands of Gu Qi in recent years. Every year when it's time to pay rent, they not only have to pay the rent stipulated by the Gu family, but also give Gu Qi benefits.

If anyone refuses to pay, Gu Qi will find all sorts of ways to obstruct the collection of rent, and may even threaten or intimidate them.

Moreover, this villain was extremely lecherous, and countless girls from nearby villages had been harmed by him. As a result, now whenever they hear that he is coming, the women in the village run to the mountains to hide, and only dare to go home after he leaves.

Guan Xing shouted, "I have caught this thief. Fellow villagers, if you have any grievances, please tell me, and I will uphold justice for you."

The villagers looked at each other and instinctively backed away. Although they hated Gu Qi, they dared not report him. The reason was simple: what if Gu Qi escaped and came back to take revenge on them?

These days, officials protect each other; who knows if Guan Xing is just putting on a show or setting a trap?

No one spoke for a long time, so Guan Xing kicked Gu Qi in the shoulder and cursed, "I didn't realize you were so powerful. Everyone's afraid of you."

Upon hearing this, Gu Qi lowered his head again, so low that he wished he could bury it in his crotch. He had already been on the verge of death, so how could he dare to be as arrogant as before?

Guan Xing continued, "Since no one has reported this, we won't conduct a trial. Just execute him directly. You murdered the old woman's grandson-in-law and raped her granddaughter. According to the laws of the Han Dynasty, that's enough to warrant execution."

Upon hearing this, Gu Qi was so frightened that he wet himself on the spot. He said in terror, "General, you can't kill me! You said you would let me go if we reported each other. You can't go back on your word."

Guan Xing sneered, "I only told you to report each other. When did I ever say I'd let you off the hook after you reported me?"

"Oh, right, let me remind you before I die: Heaven is watching what people do. You've bullied so many girls, have you ever thought about how you also have a daughter? What will happen to her when you die? What will she do if she meets a scumbag like you when she grows up?"

"It's terrible for a girl to not have a father to protect her."

Gu Qi's face changed, and she struggled violently, saying, "Let me go! I don't want to die! I can't die! I still have a daughter to raise! I can't..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ning Huan raised his knife and brought it down, giving him a quick death.

The moment the body was severed, a jet of blood gushed out, staining the ground red and splashing onto the villagers in the front row.

The villagers were stunned by this sudden scene and stood there dumbfounded for a short while before they came to their senses. Someone knelt down and wailed, "That damned Gu Qi is finally dead! Madam, you saw it, right? This villain is finally dead. You can rest in peace now."

The one crying was a middle-aged man. Last year, Gu Qi came to the village to collect rent and used various pretexts to overcharge his family by 10%, which resulted in a lack of food at home and caused his wife to starve.

The villagers' food supplies were barely enough to survive; losing even a pound could mean certain death. Gu Qi's act of collecting more grain wasn't about taking money or food from the villagers, but about taking their lives.

The middle-aged man's cries startled the others, and many villagers knelt down and wailed. Some villagers pointed at Gu Ba and others who were also kneeling and shouted, "This bastard stole my chickens. They were meant to nourish my wife during her postpartum period."

"And then there's Gu Jiu. That bastard always kicks the buckets full when he collects grain, making sure they're completely full. He's taken way too much grain from us, which was our family's lifeline."

Seeing the indignant crowd, Guan Xing decisively ordered his troops to retreat, making room for them.

The middle-aged man who was the first to cry out, seeing that he was no longer restrained, stepped forward and kicked Gu Ba in the head. He felt that one kick was not enough, so he kicked him again.

Seeing this, the other villagers also rushed forward, surrounding Gu Qi and the others and punching and kicking them.

They were indeed afraid of the Gu family's power and dared not report them before, but now that Gu Qi is dead, what are they afraid of?

Humans are creatures of blind obedience. Even if they don't want to be the first to stick their neck out, if someone does, they will follow closely behind, as is the case now.

With their hands and feet bound, Gu Ba and the others were unable to escape or resist the enraged villagers, and could only scream and beg for mercy.

But their voices were no match for the villagers' wails, and were quickly drowned out by the vast sea of ​​people.

Guan Xing, Xie Chong, and the others, who had retreated more than ten meters away, watched in horror, their teeth clenched and their breaths catching in their mouths. Gu Mu, however, was sweating profusely and said indignantly, "Guan Xing, killing someone is just a matter of beheading them. What you've done is too much."

"Is it excessive? Not necessarily," Guan Xing sneered. "You didn't think it was excessive when you were bullying others, but now that the knife is cutting you, do you feel the pain?"

"So you're saying you only allow officials to set fires while forbidding ordinary people to light lamps? We're all human beings, what makes you think you're superior?"

Gu Mu had no way to refute it and had no interest in refusing it. He pleaded in a low voice, "Guan Anguo, for the sake of our past grudges, just give me a quick death."