The soldiers responded in unison and rushed forward to subdue these people. No matter how much they struggled, they were dragged out.
In the next moment, the bugle horn sounded in all directions. Everyone in the camp knew that the higher-ups were going to execute them again.
Hundreds of people, more than ten colonels, generals and even a commander-in-chief were dragged out. The atmosphere in the camp turned cold. These generals did not expect Pei Zi Yun to be so decisive. Killing a single commander-in-chief was still acceptable, but killing so many generals and colonels without any hesitation made their hearts jump.
"True Sovereign, Sang Chengyi colluded with the rebels and had ill intentions. Killing him is only natural. However, these generals and colonels, although they are his subordinates, they might not know about it. If we kill them all, we might disappoint the soldiers." At this point, a general stepped forward and said.
"That's right, True Sovereign, we need manpower now. If we kill them all, it will damage morale. Why not let them atone for their crimes?"
The generals took turns to plead for mercy. These generals had interacted with each other before, and could not help but feel pity for them.
Pei Zi Yun stood in the main seat and looked at the generals. The generals and colonels who were dragged out were all begging loudly for mercy.
"True Sovereign, this has nothing to do with us. We did not know about it."
"True Sovereign, please spare our lives. We are willing to go to the frontlines and fight for the Imperial Court." These people were all begging loudly. Some generals were even shouting the names of their friends, trying to persuade them to beg for mercy.
Hearing these words, Pei Zi Yun laughed coldly and waved his hand, "There's no need to say more. Victory and defeat are common in war. I did not kill just for this. Besides, the Imperial Court has its own laws to punish and reward."
"But now is the time of war. These people are in the army and are paid by the Imperial Court. However, they harbor resentment. Not only did they shake the morale of the army, they even colluded with the rebels. If we do not kill them, we will not be able to enforce the military discipline."
"You can plead for mercy, as long as you write down a guarantee. If anything goes wrong, you will be executed together with them."
These words were cold. Pei Zi Yun looked at the generals and saw that they were terrified. They did not dare to persuade them anymore and retreated.
"Men, drag them out."
This time, no one dared to stop him. When the bugle horn was sounded, the army was summoned. After all, the country had just been established. There was not much time. Tens of thousands of soldiers were lined up in front of the stage.
There was some commotion among these officers and soldiers, they craned their necks to look, and saw that the ones being escorted were the zongbing, the general, and the captain; momentarily they looked at each other in dismay.
"The commander-in-chief is a Rank-3. Why are you bringing him here to be killed?"
Previously, there had been no rumors in the army. Now that they suddenly saw it, although no one dared to ask, they were all puzzled.
At this point, Pei Zi Yun gestured for Chen Yong to take out a book of charges and read it out, "Commander Sang Cheng Yi, colluded with King Lu and attempted to rebel. He secretly spread rumors and caused the morale of the army to waver. His crimes are unforgivable. Kill him."
Pei Zi Yun laughed coldly, "Since that's the case, send them up in batches!"
Everyone looked over and saw a group of armored soldiers escorting a group of soldiers up. Their expressions were filled with terror, and some of their pants were wet, giving off a foul smell. It was evident that they had peed themselves, and they were all crying and begging for mercy.
Pei Zi Yun ignored him, "Men, begin the execution."
Commands rang out, "Execute!"
A group of about twenty people came out and screamed, "I don't want to die, I don't want to die!"
No matter how much these people struggled and begged, it was useless. They were forced to kneel down in a row, and the expressionless armored soldiers behind them all raised their long swords.
"Kill!" As soon as the command was given, the swords flashed, and twenty heads rolled onto the ground. At that point, the entire battlefield was silent. Nobody dared to move an inch.
Before long, everyone heard the command, "Next batch!"
Another twenty men were brought forward, and their swords were chopped down relentlessly. Before long, a hundred men had been executed. The soldiers who were in charge of the decapitation retreated. Their swords were blunt, and their strength was drained.
Another batch of soldiers wielded their swords as they listened to the command, "Kill!"
Another twenty heads rolled onto the ground. Corpses piled up like a mountain, and fresh blood permeated the air. All the soldiers couldn't help but tremble in fear. Their faces were pale, and their legs were weak.
Some of them asked, "They've all been through the battlefield, what's the meaning of this?" They didn't know that on the battlefield, one could fight with their lives on the line, and that there was no resistance at all. Every time a group of soldiers was beheaded, tens of thousands of soldiers would tremble in fear.
"Bring them up." Commands rang out continuously, as the last batch of soldiers who were below the rank of Lieutenant were brought forward. They were ordered to kneel in front of the pile of corpses and heads. Their bodies were trembling, and none of them were able to stand up straight. Their faces were calm as they shouted out the heroic words of 'another hero in twenty years'.
"Kill!"
As the command was given, the last twenty heads rolled onto the ground. Pei Zi Yun looked around and saw that Duke Cheng Shun's face was pale, and yet he had not fainted or vomited. He couldn't help but think to himself, 'Although the Founding Father of the dynasty wasn't a legitimate son, all three of his sons are of the royal bloodline.'
It must be known that in the previous dynasty, when a prince saw his head being beheaded, he immediately fainted. Some of them even covered their faces, not daring to look. In the previous dynasty, there were records of two Lieutenants being killed. It was written in the report that the Three Armies were responsible for the execution of the Commanderies. Even in the army, such a scene was not common.
Now, tens of thousands of soldiers were silent. The Three Armies were responsible for the execution of the Commanderies. They shouted, "Bring more people up!"
The next people to be brought up were the Lieutenants and Generals. These people were all seventh ranked officers and above. When they were brought in, they were covered in blood and were staggering. It was obvious that they had been beaten up. Tens of thousands of pairs of eyes watched as they were brought in. Pei Zi Yun looked at them and said coldly, "You are all Lieutenants of the imperial army. You are supposed to restrain your soldiers and abide by the laws of the army. However, you have gone against the laws of the army. Today, you shall be executed!"
The soldiers were like wolves and tigers as they pulled them down. These people struggled and shouted, "Pei Zi Yun, you are taking revenge on us. We will not accept this, we will not accept this."
However, they had only managed to shout out a few words when a blade flashed and a head rolled down. Pei Zi Yun licked his lips and laughed, "The foreplay has been completed. Now, it's time for the main course. Kill the Commanderies Sang Cheng Yi."
Killing the Commanderies was different. The deafening sound of drums could be heard as Sang Cheng Yi was dragged up. He knew that he would not be able to escape and shouted, "Pei Zi Yun, you cannot kill me. I am a third ranked officer. Other than the Emperor, no one can kill me. No one can kill me."
Pei Zi Yun waved his hands, "Kill!"
Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Sang Cheng Yi, who was the Commanderies Sang Cheng Yi, struggled and shouted, "Pei Zi Yun, you are just a Daoist. You are taking revenge on us and killing an important official of the Imperial Court. You will not have a good ending. You will not have a good ending."
Between life and death, the Commanderies Sang Cheng Yi's face turned red as he struggled and shouted, "Pei Zi Yun, you are just a Daoist. You are taking revenge on us and killing an important official of the Imperial Court. You will not have a good ending. You will not have a good ending."
Sang Cheng Yi's eyes turned red as he shouted, "No!"
Before he could finish his sentence, the blade flashed and the Commanderies Sang Cheng Yi's head rolled on the ground. His eyes were still wide open, as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard. As the screams died down, the Commanderies Sang Cheng Yi's entire army was dumbfounded like wooden puppets. Not a single sound could be heard. Those who had stretched out their necks were all shrunk back and didn't dare to move an inch.
"Once the military law has been carried out, order all the battalions to retreat. We shall then clean up the corpses." Pei Zi Yun sighed. Actually, Sang Cheng Yi was right. Although he had the title and the Emperor's Sword, he didn't follow the imperial order to kill a third ranked general. According to common sense, although the Imperial Court would have praised him, the consequences would not be light.
"However, I am not a mortal. A mortal is Sang Cheng Yi. Even if you are a third ranked general, I can kill you just like that." Pei Zi Yun thought to himself. It wasn't that he didn't understand. In fact, he understood it too well. Hence, he didn't care at all. At this point, Chen Yong wanted to say something, but when he saw Pei Zi Yun's expression, he bowed and retreated to clean up the mess.
At this point, a Daoist official rushed over and bowed. Everyone knew that he had received news. Pei Zi Yun laughed and acted as if nothing had happened, "Your Highness, please enter the tent to rest."
When he entered the tent, some traces of the battle had been removed and tea had been served. The Prefecture Prince didn't speak and neither did Pei Zi Yun. He asked the Daoist official to wait.
Strangely enough, after the massacre, a gust of wind blew past and a few drops of rain fell. The Daoist official in the tent shivered when he saw the cold raindrops. Prefecture Prince Cheng Shun ignored them and looked at Pei Zi Yun and asked, "True Sovereign, the generals said that killing too many people would lower the morale of the army. But why do I feel that killing these people will affect the peace of the army?"
When Pei Zi Yun heard this, he laughed, "The morale and prestige of the army are determined by who can win. Whoever can win will have higher morale and prestige."
"However, using military law to kill people is the fastest and most effective method. Look, when I came here, I was an outsider in the army and an outsider to the government. Although I have the imperial edict and Prince Cheng Shun's presence, the generals only obey on the surface but disobey on the inside. When I want to give orders, there are many restrictions."
"However, if I were to use military law to kill people, there would be a lot of resistance and it would be easy for something to go wrong."
"That's why I first used Chen Yong to manage the daily affairs of the army. As time passed, I became the commander-in-chief of the army. This is the principle of not changing a father's ways."
"I then commanded the cavalry to gallop for a few hundred miles and won many battles. Every time I won, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of the army."
"Now that I've won so many battles, I've struck like a thunderbolt. Not only have I gotten rid of the hidden dangers within the army, I've also been able to carry out my orders. Nobody dares to disobey me."
These words struck deep into Prefecture Prince Cheng Shun's heart. He didn't wish for his every move to be logical. After some time, he finally spoke, "I've learned a lot."
Seeing that he had learned a lot, Pei Zi Yun smiled and called for the Daoist official to enter.
"True Sovereign, I've gathered all the information I've received."
"Imperial Envoy and Consort Yun, the garrison at Huzhou is already in place. We've readied our troops and are preparing for war. King Lu's army has provoked us many times, but we've ignored them. We've managed to subdue twenty thousand of them. Although the enemy is enraged, they've only managed to take down two counties. They're exhausted and haven't advanced any further."
"Imperial Envoy, Li Pan, has stationed himself at Chuzhou. Although King Lu's troops have attacked many times, they've remained unmoved. They've managed to subdue ten thousand of King Lu's troops."
"Imperial Envoy, Huang Yuan Zhen, has overseen the army at Northern Yuan Prefecture. He's managed to organize the army and defend the area. King Lu's troops have only lost one county and have managed to subdue twenty five thousand of King Lu's troops."
Hearing the report, Pei Zi Yun nodded his head, "Prince Cheng, look. The three routes mentioned above have restricted the enemy's movements. They're unable to move at all, and are now in a predicament."
"Even if there are some small defeats, it doesn't affect the overall situation. King Lu's main force is now without a source of support. He's now an isolated army."
"As for my army, they've managed to maintain order and discipline. They're strong enough to defend, and strong enough to attack."
"This is the strategy they've set up. They're upright and upright, and yet unbreakable."
Chen Yong entered and listened to the report before he understood.
King Lu's territory had expanded, and there were more directions for him to attack. Now that there were imperial envoys everywhere, King Lu's troops had no choice but to disperse.
If they retreated and regrouped, the Imperial Army would have to march forward.
No matter how much King Lu tried to provoke them, the Imperial Army wouldn't budge.
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