The 1841 British edition omitted the subject pronoun they in the conjoined clause “and they said unto the king”. The 1849 LDS edition restored the they to the LDS text. Either reading is, of course, possible; as explained under Mosiah 11:27, the subject pronoun can be repeated in constructions involving say, as in “they received him with joy and they said unto him …” (Alma 55:9). The critical text will, of course, maintain the they here in Alma 27:4.
Summary: Retain in Alma 27:4 the repeated subject pronoun they in the conjoined clause “and they said unto the king” (the reading of the original text).