Chapter 451 - 452: Mercy?
Chapter 451: Chapter 452: Mercy?
But perhaps because the heavy snow had covered all traces, no matter how many men were sent out, none were ever heard from again.
The one in charge, Mountain Leader, was growing anxious. "What’s going on with these men? Did every single one of them get lost on the way back?"
They had been fighting the garrison commander of this border city for so many years. All the scouts he sent out knew how to best conceal themselves, so it never occurred to him that they had all been captured.
"Lord Shan, what should we do now? Should we keep sending men to scout?"
Mountain Leader replied, "Go. Tian Er, have your men circle around to the Prefecture City. The Prince was very pleased with the fortune we brought back last time. If you find a suitable target, we’ll strike it big before winter sets in completely."
Tian Er immediately jumped up in excitement. "I love this kind of work."
He had received a share of the loot from last time, enough to keep his family comfortable for a while.
The thought of another haul like the last one was enough to make him laugh out loud.
His eyes filled with greed. Tian Er immediately led his small squad to the side and began to put on their disguises.
This time, they didn’t disguise themselves as a merchant caravan like before. Instead, they dressed as simple farmers and hunters.
They checked each other’s disguises one last time to make sure there were no issues, then started their trek out of the mountains, one difficult step at a time.
Ancient Wen Heng took a stroll through the Prefecture City and found that only about half the shops were open. It seemed some people were still waiting to see how things would play out.
He wasn’t in a hurry, though. ’A journey is taken one step at a time,’ he thought. ’This is just the beginning.’
"Sir, have you sent the memorial to Shangjing yet?" Lu Shenggen had been holding the question in the entire way. Finally finding a moment when no one else was around, he rushed to ask.
Ancient Wen Heng had previously said he would report the situation here to Shangjing, and they were all waiting for news.
If they could be recalled to Shangjing, he had no desire to stay in this godforsaken place any longer.
It was cold and poor, with absolutely nothing to offer. He’d rather struggle through his days in Shangjing than wait to die here.
Ancient Wen Heng asked, "Mr. Lu, don’t you want to try and make something of this opportunity?"
He knew that He Gaofei and Wu Yichen were so busy all day they were practically invisible, all because they didn’t want to be outdone by Xiao Yuling’s old faction.
Having so many people under him competing to prove themselves was very satisfying for Ancient Wen Heng. It freed up a lot of his time to focus on other matters.
Lu Shenggen replied, "I would like to try, but the officials under the Tongzheng simply won’t listen to me.
"Rather than just wasting my time here, it’s better to get a final decision. Otherwise, it will all be for nothing in the end."
Ancient Wen Heng didn’t interfere much with personal choices. As long as someone was doing the work under his command, that was all that mattered.
"The memorial has already been tucked into a military report and sent to Shangjing. But you know how difficult our journey here was. The roads are probably even worse now, so it might take some time to get a response."
Lu Shenggen knew this was true, but he was anxious. He felt stuck in the middle—it felt wrong to act, but also wrong to do nothing. ’This is an impossible situation,’ he thought.
Ancient Wen Heng paid him no more mind. He had just been taking a walk after his meal to aid digestion. Now that he was done, it was time to get back to work.
Zhou Shixiong had just thrown another batch of prisoners onto the wasteland when Assistant General Li Ji below looked at him, hesitating to speak.
"If you have something to say, say it. I have no patience for this hesitation," Zhou Shixiong said, glancing over. He knew this man was a distant relative of Minister Chen and that he was the one who leaked many of the army’s affairs to Shangjing.
Their relationship was an open secret. As long as the man didn’t cause any real trouble here, Zhou Shixiong could tolerate his presence.
He was reluctant to make any changes, lest he be replaced by someone whose spying was even harder to detect.
Fortunately, although the man was on a different side, at least he didn’t stir up trouble for no reason.
"Great General, our dynasty has always treated prisoners leniently. Isn’t it a bit improper to just throw them onto the wasteland? If word gets out..."
Zhou Shixiong retorted, "Then how do you suggest I entertain them, Assistant General Li? Should I treat them as honored guests, shower them with gifts, and wait for them to run low on supplies so they can come back and plunder us again?
"Too bad this border city of ours has already been ravaged by them to the point that our people can’t even survive. Who knows, maybe their ambitions will grow. They might think your ’hospitality’ is lacking and decide to move on to the next city wall."
Li Ji said, "But at the very least, we shouldn’t treat them so harshly. Look at the first batch of prisoners left out there—they’re already just skin and bones from hunger. If this continues, it goes against our dynasty’s principles."
Zhou Shixiong scoffed, "So what? Have you forgotten the families they destroyed, the lives they took? The horrific sight of entire villages being slaughtered?
"The fact that I haven’t beaten them or killed them is already the greatest tolerance I can show these people.
"Why don’t you, Assistant General Li, in your great righteousness, invite them into your own residence and entertain them properly? Perhaps they’ll even erect a longevity tablet for you and burn three sticks of incense day and night to repay your kindness."
Li Ji was speechless.
Vice General Wang came over from the side and clapped Li Ji on the shoulder. "How much grain do we have in Lu City and in the army’s stores? I’m sure you know the numbers, Assistant General Li. Are you suggesting our own people should tighten their belts just to feed these animals?"
Li Ji was speechless.
"It doesn’t matter who you’re working for, but you’d better remember one thing: you eat from the Rong Dynasty’s bowl. Even if you’re filled with compassion for all of humanity, you need to consider who your kindness is directed at." After saying his piece, Vice General Wang walked away, leaving Li Ji to slowly ponder his words.
Li Ji remained silent. ’I just wanted to mention giving them a little something to eat,’ he thought. ’They won’t last long just by digging up roots in the wasteland and getting one meal of coarse grain gruel a day.’
He glanced back and saw a constable’s whip lashing out relentlessly, striking a bandit who must have been slacking off. Every strike landed squarely on the man’s body.
Zhou Shixiong made a deliberate tour around the wasteland. His words sent a chill down the spines of the bandits who were busy digging. "All this land, and so few people. The efficiency is too low. Pass down the order: capture them alive whenever possible.
"For every new captive a soldier brings in, they’ll get that captive’s entire first-year harvest.
"The Rong Dynasty is vast and abundant. Since they covet our land so much, let them spend the rest of their days in its company. And if their lives are cut short, they can serve as fertilizer for it."
Vice General Wang, however, looked disgusted. "Great General, that would soil our land.
"Besides, I’m sure they’d want their remains to return home. We should just dump them on the coastline and wait for their masters to come and collect them!"
Zhou Shixiong noticed the expressions on the bandits’ faces and knew they understood every word. "Well, that depends on what they’re worth. If they can’t repay their debts, I’ll have no problem grinding their bones to dust."
"You can’t do this to us! Your Emperor rules through benevolence! This is wrong!" one of them, self-righteous and feeling he had nothing to fear, shouted out.