Chapter 109: The Cruelty of War
When Jinsui and Gu Changxiao arrived beside the still-burning border city, both their hearts were heavy with sorrow.
The soldiers’ corpses were laid out in rows. Relatives of the Tuntian Camp soldiers were by their side, weeping as they washed them, while the Black Feather Army soldiers were washed by their comrades.
Jinsui, leaning on her cane, looked at them one by one. Some were burned beyond recognition and covered with linen cloths over their faces. The soldiers beside them refused to lift the cloths for Jinsui to see.
They cried, “Your Highness, please don’t look.”
Jinsui’s tears flowed endlessly, “No, I must look. I knew every single one of them.”
She knew the youngest soldier in the Black Feather Camp, younger than Hao Duojin, only fourteen years old. He pretended to be sixteen, afraid of being kicked out of the Military Camp.
Jinsui assigned him to take care of horses. He washed the Li King’s Big Black Horse until its mane shone. Later, he requested to join the Scouts.
Jinsui promised him that after this battle, she would give him a Telescope like Captain Huang’s.
She clearly remembered the boy’s joyful smile. Now, his corpse lay before her.
Jinsui turned to Gu Changxiao and said, “His name was originally Er Gou. He once asked me to change it, so I changed it to ‘Zeyang’.”
“Shen Zeyang, his new dog tag hasn’t been made yet.”
The next corpse was the young soldier who carried messages between Jinsui and Han Xing. His face was still intact, but his chest had become a bloody, mangled hole.
Jinsui recognized this weapon; it was a meteor hammer with an Iron Chain. More than one soldier in the Tartar army used such a weapon.
When Jinsui heard a woman’s heart-wrenching cry, her heart suddenly tightened. She recognized that voice.
Turning her head, she saw Huo Zi’an kneeling on the ground. Beside him, three children were wailing, and a woman was crying so hard she was almost fainting.
But the woman’s hands didn’t stop. While crying, she carefully washed the corpse.
It was Niu Da’s corpse.
Our Crazy Dave would no longer be heard with his unique babbling voice, nor his planting secrets that always used his Wife as a metaphor.
Huo Zi’an’s expression tensed when he saw the Real and Fake Li King approaching together, but it quickly turned to resignation.
After experiencing this great battle, no matter what kind of judgment awaited him, he was no longer afraid.
The torment of Ten Thousand Ants Devouring the Heart was terrifying, but seeing Niu Da’s disfigured corpse made him suffer even more.
He said in a low voice to the two of them, “All my military merits go to Niu Da. He has three children to raise.”
Jinsui didn’t answer him and continued to look at the next corpse.
She asked Gu Changxiao, “When you were in Hexi, did you see battlefields like this?”
Gu Changxiao replied in a deep voice, “Frequently.”
Jinsui fell silent. War, truly cruel!
The Tartars’ corpses were piled up to one side. Cheng Yu led people to count them, preparing to move them back into the city for cremation later.
The weather was still hot, and the corpses could not be kept for long; they had to be disposed of quickly. Compared to burying them, cremation was the most secure method.
Qing Feng’s corpse was also there. After hearing Jinsui explain his identity, Gu Changxiao asked, “If he had truly survived, would you have spared his life?”
Huo Zi’an listened from the side, because in a sense, he had committed the same crime as Qing Feng.
Jinsui shook her head, “No! If he had only tried to assassinate me, I might have spared his life. But he also killed others, crossing my bottom line. There was absolutely no way he would live.”
He had lured Bandits and killed many Refugees and Herdsmen. How could Jinsui spare him!
The enemy’s corpses were stacked into a huge Heap of Corpses.
The soldiers’ corpses were to be buried with honors. Jinsui ordered a Martyrs’ Cemetery to be designated next to the border city, holding a living memorial for all fallen soldiers and burying them with honors!
She sent Wei Assistant Secretary to Yanzhou City to invite Li Heng and the Yanzhou Gentry to attend the funeral.
She wanted everyone to see with their own eyes how heroically their soldiers died, and that the border city had become a scorched earth ruin.
This action had several purposes. First, to honor the Spirits of the Fallen.
Second, to make Yanzhou fund the reconstruction of the border city, believing that this battle had made them realize the importance of the border city.
Third, to show them the Li King’s capabilities! The capabilities of the Fish Oil Firearm!
My previous words were not a threat, but a stark reality. I have the ability to attack Yanzhou City!
Today, I can turn the border city into a sea of fire and let two thousand Tartars die without a burial place, completely annihilated at the border city.
Tomorrow, I can break through Yanzhou City and severely break the arrogant Backbone of the Gentry! What are you so proud of? Might makes right.
So what if This King has few soldiers? I ask, in all of Yandi, is there an army more valiant than my Border Soldiers Army?
Fourth, she wanted to hold the Yanzhou Army accountable and completely eradicate the Zheng Family. She believed that after personally witnessing the battlefield of the border city, the Yanzhou Gentry would find it difficult to oppose the Li King’s actions.
She discussed it with Cheng Yu, Wei Assistant Secretary, and several captains. Gu Changxiao stood beside her and listened throughout.
Soon, a plan for the funeral was devised. Cheng Yu said that not only should the officials and gentry of Yanzhou be invited, but the common people from the borderlands should also be encouraged to witness the funeral.
This would let the people of the borderlands know who protected them when the Tartars came.
Jinsui approved this suggestion. Not only the people of the borderlands, but also the people of Yanzhou City could come if they wished.
Cheng Yu was responsible for the funeral arrangements, while Jinsui went to the Infirmary to treat the injured soldiers. The pain of burns was far greater than the pain of Swords.
Fortunately, she had never slacked in accumulating medicines in her Space. She had accumulated a large number of Antibiotics and anesthetics. Coupled with Chen Yunniang leading the women in caring for the wounded, the death rate in the Infirmary was greatly reduced.
Although Gu Changxiao told her to continue being the Li King, one should not be arrogant. Therefore, Jinsui would discuss any idea with Gu Changxiao beforehand.
Fortunately, Gu Changxiao was not a meddler and never disagreed with Jinsui. He even provided supplements for areas where Jinsui’s considerations were insufficient.
What she didn’t know at this moment was that the entire Yanzhou City was discussing the battle of the border city.
Zheng Yun was stunned. He never imagined that the Li King could turn defeat into victory under such circumstances!
And the victory was so brilliant, annihilating the Tartars without leaving a single one alive!
The weapon that caused that earth-shattering explosion, turning the entire city into a sea of fire, naturally spread.
It was then that the people of Yanzhou realized that the Li King possessed such a powerful weapon. No wonder he was so fearless, daring to fight the Tartars alone.
At the same time, the scene of the Li King Besieging the city to demand funds came to their minds. At that time, they had extremely underestimated the Li King and the Border Soldiers.
The Li King was below the city, and they were on the City Wall, throwing food and mocking the Li King as a beggar.
And a few days ago, when the Li King led his troops to demand Provisions and the Yanzhou Army, they had also mocked the Li King for overestimating his abilities, certain he would die at the hands of the Tartars.
Recalling it now, they couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat.
If the Li King had become enraged at that time and thrown that Firearm onto the Yanzhou City Wall, then they would have become scorched corpses like the Tartars!
Upon hearing that the Li King was going to hold a memorial service for the fallen soldiers, all the Gentry of Yanzhou, regardless of whether they had offended the Li King, prepared heavy gifts and sent people to the border city.
Only the Zheng Family fled overnight.
However, only Zheng Yun and his direct subordinates fled. The seriously ill Zheng Pengpeng was left behind for the Li King to vent his anger upon.
