Chapter 112: Offering Sacrifices to the Spirits of the Fallen
The heads of the gentry families cursed inwardly. Li Heng was truly a fence-sitter, completely subservient to the Li King now!
They then looked at Yan Jiulang. The Yan Clan was the foremost among the Yanzhou gentry, and Yan Jiulang was the first among them to show favor to the Li King. The Yan Clan also had joint business ventures with the Li King.
Many Yan family members were in the Yan Prefecture Army. As long as Yan Jiulang opposed, they would immediately unite against the enemy.
Although you, Li King, are powerful and have that incendiary oil, can you really kill all of us?
We have already shown you enough respect by coming to mourn the fallen soldiers. Do you still want to hunt us down to the last man!
Yan Jiulang did not evade the burning gazes of the crowd and looked up at the Li King, asking frankly, “Among the deserters, how many are Yan family members?”
Jinsui glanced at Li Heng, who immediately understood. He stepped forward, took the registry, and quickly flipped through it, reading out thirteen names:
“Yan Family Head, these thirteen are Yan family deserters. Additionally, forty-eight Yan family members died in the border city.”
Yan Jiulang shouted, “Eleventh Young Master, you will immediately return to the city and bring these thirteen people to the border city to be dealt with by the King.”
“Since they chose to join the army, they must abide by the military regulations and discipline. My Yan family despises deserters the most!”
He then said to Jinsui, “Your Majesty, there is no need to wait three days. Yan Jiu will give you an explanation today, and an explanation to the spirits of the fallen soldiers!”
As soon as these words were spoken, the gentry families could no longer hide their anger, yet they dared not question. They all cursed Yan Jiu inwardly, wondering what kind of bewitching soup the Li King had fed him.
The dignified Yan Family Head, under such tyrannical rule by the Li King, dared not even utter a peep!
Jinsui raised the registry again and asked loudly, “Who among those present objects?”
The Head of the Zhou Family clenched and unclenched his fists. In such a solemn occasion, he ultimately did not dare to act presumptuously as Li Heng had done at the previous meeting.
This was the Li King’s territory. To oppose him publicly would bring about the destruction of their families!
Seeing that even the Head of the Zhou Family remained silent, no one dared to step forward. They all cupped their hands and said, “We will send the deserters back and let Your Majesty deal with them.”
In the end, the reason the gentry families so readily agreed was partly due to their fear of the Li King’s military might, and partly because they did not value the lives of those deserters.
If there were their direct descendants among the deserters, do you think they would have agreed so readily?
The lives of collateral branches were not important; preserving the family was the most crucial thing.
If the Yan family’s actions were considered not opposing the Li King, then Zheng Pengpeng was actively supporting the Li King.
This was because Zheng Pengpeng had already brought those deserters and cattle and horses!
The Zheng family’s bodyguards escorted over a hundred people, kneeling before the spirit hall. Zheng Pengpeng struggled to stay upright and cupped his hands, saying:
“Your Majesty, when Zheng Yun fled the Zheng family, she took some people with her. The rest are here. These people include deserters and those petty thieves who plundered supplies that night.”
“Please Your Majesty verify the registry and deal with them according to military regulations!”
The over a hundred people kowtowed and begged for mercy, claiming they were instigated by Zheng Yun to cause trouble during the war. They also said they fled because others fled, and they were not the ringleaders.
Jinsui instructed Li Heng and Cheng Yu to verify the registry and for Cheng Yu to check for impersonations.
Immediately, Jinsui ordered Wei Assistant Secretary to read out their crimes, all of whom were sentenced to beheading.
They were to be publicly beheaded outside the spirit hall to appease the spirits of the fallen.
When the bloody corpses of over a hundred people were presented before everyone, no head of a gentry family dared to harbor any further opposition.
The Li King was truly ruthless! He killed without hesitation, showing no mercy!
Logically speaking, the border city was in dire need of people. Wouldn’t it be better to keep these individuals for forced labor or as military slaves?
Alternatively, they could have demanded gold and silver from the Zheng family, extorting a large sum from them and thus completely controlling the Zheng family from then on.
Unexpectedly, this Li King wanted neither people nor money. He truly dealt with them according to military regulations, demanding their lives!
In the past, they all thought the Li King acted without method, without understanding rules, and was completely inflexible. Now, they realized he was truly implementing Xia Law to the letter, acting according to the law.
“Burn these corpses along with the Tartars’ corpses, and offer them to the spirits of the fallen!”
Oil was poured onto the Heap of Corpses, and the raging flames reddened half the sky.
Amidst the flames burning the sky, as the soldiers’ corpses were buried and the military horns sounded, the common people gathered from all directions, spontaneously seeing off the soldiers.
Born as heroes, they died as national martyrs. Return, souls, loyal bones return home…
Wei Assistant Secretary tearfully read the eulogy. Jinsui and Gu Changxiao personally erected the hero monument, inscribed with the registry of fallen soldiers, in the cemetery.
The wind blew, yellow paper fluttered, and amidst the cries of grief, the spirits of the soldiers reluctantly departed, forever protecting this land…
This grand funeral officially made the Black Feather Camp and the Tuntian Soldiers the first army of Yandi.
Gu Changxiao said that the Li King’s protection of the soldiers, both in life and death, would earn the respect of the Yandi populace for the border army, and young men would aspire to join the military.
Jinsui said solemnly, “I didn’t think that far. I just wanted to give the soldiers justice.”
Justice for the fallen soldiers was given, along with a grand funeral, bounties, official positions for their descendants, and compensation for their families. Jinsui considered all these the most important matters.
As for justice for the living, a portion of what she promised had been fulfilled, and there were also the rewards the Imperial Court was to bestow.
She left Li Heng to draft a memorial to the Imperial Court. She asked several generals one by one; none wished to leave the borderlands using this military merit.
Cheng Yu did not even want to use this opportunity to contact the Cheng family. Han Xing and Hei Hu were indifferent to the Imperial Court’s rewards, repeatedly stating they only wished to serve under the King.
Only Wei Assistant Secretary was granted what Jinsui had promised him: “Based on this military merit, Master Wei can return to Chang’an to take up an official post.”
Wei Assistant Secretary was not as happy as he had imagined. Returning to Chang’an had always been his dream, but he never expected it to be realized in this manner.
He said with great reluctance, “Your Majesty, the border city is in urgent need of people. How can I leave at this critical juncture?”
Jinsui looked at him quietly. Suddenly, two streams of hot tears rolled down his round, plump face. He seemed to be talking to himself, or perhaps explaining to Jinsui:
“But my wife and daughters have been waiting for me in Chang’an for six years! When I was exiled, my youngest daughter was only two years old, babbling and toddling, clinging to my leg and crying ‘Daddy’.”
“My wife refused to divorce, even at the cost of her life, and took our children to live with her parents, enduring the harsh treatment of her brother and sister-in-law.”
“They are all waiting for me to return.”
“Your Majesty, please forgive my selfishness. I am not unwilling to endure hardship at the border, but I have wronged my wife and daughters too much. I cannot give up this opportunity.”
Jinsui quickly handed him a handkerchief. “This King understands your feelings. I have already told Cheng Assistant Secretary that we have all seen your years of hard work and dedication at the border, Wei Assistant Secretary.”
“The border indeed needs people, but your wife and daughters need you more.
Rest assured, with this military merit, this King will request a good official position for you from the Imperial Court, so you can spend quality time with your family and make up for these years.”
This was something Jinsui had discussed with Gu Changxiao. Although the Li King had been exiled to the borderlands, he still had some connections in the Imperial Court. With the Ministry of Personnel’s care, Wei Assistant Secretary could secure a good position in Chang’an with his military merit.
