In the Governor's Office of Guangzhou, Guangzhou's Governor Huang Shishen sat at the head of the table with an ugly expression. "Lieutenant Wan, those vagrants have always been peaceful in Lingnan. After they were sent to Lingnan, they settled in a few designated places and never caused trouble. Lieutenant Wan came all the way from Luojing, you must have heard some rumors! "
"Governor Huang!"
Wan Guojun was smiling, but it was a horrifying smile. Even Governor Huang Shishen, a powerful man, couldn't help but feel a chill when he saw Wan Guojun's dignified smile.
"Does Governor Huang dare to give them this guarantee? Haha, as long as you say that they have no grudges against the court and will never rebel, then I will leave immediately and never mention this matter. How about it? "
Wan Guojun's words silenced Huang Shishen. He didn't dare to speak. Rebellion was a crime punishable by death. Who would dare make this guarantee? Why would he risk his life for the family of a group of criminal officials when he was still the Governor of the Empire?
Transportation was inconvenient in this era, so the local people wouldn't know the situation in the capital so quickly. Guangzhou was even more remote and knew even less. Moreover, rebellion was a sensitive topic. Even if Huang Shishen knew the power of the Censorate was not what it used to be, he wouldn't dare challenge Wan Guojun.
Wan Guojun sneered. "Substitute warrior Liu! This saying has been circulating in Lingnan for a long time. Governor Huang, as a high-ranking official, you have responsibilities. Haven't you heard of this? "
Of course Huang Shishen had heard of it, but this rumor was new. It had only spread among the people when Wan Guojun arrived at Lingnan. It hadn't been that long.
But what could Huang Shishen say? He could only remain silent.
Wan Guojun said coldly, "Liu means vagrant. It was obviously referring to these vagrants. Many members of the imperial family of the previous dynasty had wandered to Lingnan. Now that such a folk song was being spread in Lingnan, the intention was obvious. The imperial court attached great importance to this matter. This time, I, the Deputy Prime Minister, spared no effort to come to Lingnan to investigate this matter. I wonder who's so bold as to fabricate such bewitching words in order to incite the people of Lingnan to rebel. If something really goes wrong here, I'm afraid you, Governor Huang, will have a hard time absolve yourself from the blame! "
Huang Shishen's heart trembled, and he could only answer against his will, "Huang Shishen is loyal to the imperial court, and heaven and earth can bear witness to this! Since Middle Minister Wan has come to investigate this matter, I will do my best to cooperate with Middle Minister! "
Wan Guojun smiled contentedly and said: "Good! Governor Huang, please sign the warrant! The mountains and rivers of Lingnan are inhospitable. Bandits run amok and there are people with evil intentions. Whether I want to investigate the case or protect myself, I can't do without Governor Huang's help! "
Huang Shishen had no choice but to pick up a brush and write down an order to mobilize troops. After he was done, he took out his Marshal's Seal and solemnly stamped it. He said to Wan Guojun, "Now that there are no refugees causing trouble and no foreign enemies invading, although I am the Governor of a district, the number of troops I can mobilize is also very limited. Now I can only use a regiment of troops to listen to Lieutenant Wan's orders. Is that okay?"
Wan Guojun laughed, and the frost on his face disappeared. He said with a face full of joy, "A regiment of troops is enough! Since Governor Huang is so cooperative, when I return to the imperial court to report on my work, I will definitely report your loyalty to the Sage! "
He reached out to take the transfer order and looked at the bright red Governor's Marshal's Seal on it. The corner of his mouth revealed a trace of a ferocious smile, and that smile made people shudder …
…
Qujiang, Yushan County Government.
The county magistrate, Hu Xuyao, stood sideways to the side. Wan Guojun sat on the main seat with a gloomy expression.
The main hall and the open space outside the main hall were filled with people who were summoned to the county government. These people were dressed in rags, and there were men and women, old and young. There were even women holding babies in their arms. Looking at their behavior and complexion, they did not look like beggars, nor did they look like ordinary people.
These people were the descendants of Li Tang's imperial family and the families of the civil and military officials who had been exiled to Lingnan before and after Wu Zetian's ascension to the throne. There were not many direct descendants of Li Shimin left, but the imperial family of Li Tang still had many Princes, Princes, Dukes, and their families who had their titles reduced by one rank. It was still a large group.
Wan Guojun asked County Magistrate Hu coldly, "Is everyone here?"
County Magistrate Hu turned his head and whispered a few words to the registrar who was holding the name list. Then, he cupped his hands to Wan Guojun and said, "Reporting to Deputy Prime Minister, the total number of exiled people in the three villages at the foot of Yushan is three hundred and seventeen men and women, old and young. Not a single one is missing. They are all here!"
"Good!"
Wan Guojun slowly stood up and looked at the exiled people standing in the main hall. He raised his voice and shouted, "All of you were exiled to Lingnan because you rebelled against the imperial court and were not loyal to the Sage. Rebellion is a crime punishable by death. The Sage was lenient and wanted you to repent, but who knew that not only did you not repent, but you also secretly harbored evil intentions.
I have now found out that you have secretly colluded with each other and bewitched the villagers, intending to raise a flag and rebel against the Emperor of Yue Gu Shengshen of the Ci Clan. Now that I am here, how can I let you traitors go? I will leave you with a whole body, all of you can commit suicide here! "
Wan Guojun's words made County Magistrate Hu, County Magistrate, County Lieutenant, and other local officials and bailiffs dumbfounded. More than three hundred people were the family members of the exiled people. They had already been killed by the Emperor once. The young and strong people in their families and relatives who were officials had all been killed. Now, more than half of the survivors were old and weak, women and children. Now, they were actually going to be killed?
These exiled people, who were inexplicably summoned from the small villages, were feeling uneasy. When they heard the words, they were also shocked. After a moment, they came to their senses. The whole main hall suddenly fell into chaos. Some were shouting and cursing, some were rushing up, some were kneeling on the ground and begging for mercy, some were crying out loud. Especially those women and children, when they heard that this official was going to force them to commit suicide, they were so frightened that they could not stop crying.
"Deputy Prime Minister Wan! Deputy Prime Minister Wan! Please be careful with your punishment, be careful with your punishment! "
The magistrate of Yushan District, Hu Xuyao, was trembling all over, his scalp shivering with cold air. In a trembling voice, he advised, "These people … these people are all old and weak, women and children. How could they possibly think of rebelling? Even if there are people who are dissatisfied with the Imperial Court, it is still the actions of individual people. We should investigate the details and then punish them severely. This … this is the lives of several hundred people! Deputy Minister Wan, please have mercy! "
As County Magistrate Hu spoke, he lifted the sleeves of his robe and knelt in the main hall. Seeing this, the county magistrate, the registrar, the county lieutenant, and the other officials also knelt along with the county magistrate. Wan Guojun glared angrily and yelled, "Bastards! You dare plead for the lives of the traitors? Aren't you afraid of bringing disaster upon yourselves? "
At this moment, the incomparably shocked and furious family members of the exiled people had already charged towards the official table. The bailiffs of Yushan District were in no mood to resist and retreated step by step. Seeing this, the group of soldiers that Wan Guojun had brought with him replaced them in blocking the way.
These people were all the elite soldiers of the Manor of Subjugation. Each and every one of them was a strong and sturdy man. They were dressed in armor and carried sabers and spears. How could the old, weak, women, and children be a match for them?
County Magistrate Hu's entire body trembled in fear. More than three hundred corpses were strewn across his main hall? Just the thought of it made him shudder. These people were either the sons and grandsons of aristocrats or the descendants of officials. If any one of them died here, he would not be able to sit still. More than three hundred people … just the thought of it made him dizzy.
County Magistrate Hu's tears and snot flowed freely. He repeatedly kowtowed and said, "Deputy Minister Wan, you can't do this, you can't do this! There are so many old, weak, orphans, and widows here. They are old people over seventy years old. How can we increase the punishment? How innocent are the infants in swaddling clothes? Deputy Minister Wan, this lowly official begs Deputy Minister Wan to be magnanimous. You must not kill them! "
Wan Guojun frowned. Hearing the cries and curses from inside and outside the hall, and seeing the attitude of Yushan District Magistrate and his subordinates, he felt that it would not be good to start a massacre here. He rolled his eyes and said in a gentler tone, "Since that's the case, then this official will investigate further. The mastermind cannot be let off."
County Magistrate Hu let out a sigh of relief. Overjoyed, he said, "Thank you, Deputy Minister, for your mercy. Thank you, Deputy Minister, for your mercy."
Wan Guojun said, "However, although we won't kill them, we can't let them go back. Once they return to the village, those with ulterior motives will certainly take the opportunity to escape, and it will be difficult to track them down again. Take them all away and choose a place to settle them. We'll talk after this official gets to the bottom of this! "
Hu Xuyao only begged for him not to kill them. He did not dare to say anything more and hurriedly agreed. The bailiffs of Yushan District shouted for comfort. Hearing that Deputy Minister Wan was no longer forcing them to commit suicide and was instead going to gather them for supervision and investigation, the families of the exiled people gradually calmed down.
Wan Guojun escorted the more than three hundred old, weak, women, and children out of Yushan District Magistrate's office, saying that they would be gathered for supervision. The officers and soldiers escorted these people out of Yushan District. When they reached the outskirts of Yushan District, they turned around a forest and continued walking deeper into the jungle. Some exiled people saw that they were walking further and further away and could not help but become suspicious.
They didn't want to go any further. They pushed out a few highly respected elders and negotiated with Wan Guojun, "Where is Wan Guojun taking us? We have no intention of rebelling, so we're willing to accept the investigation to prove our innocence. However, Deputy Minister Wan, please tell us clearly where you're going to place us! "
Wan Guojun saw that this place was hidden behind a forest and there was a large river next to it. Since there was no one watching, and he did not have to worry about these exiled people's families escaping, his expression immediately changed. He pulled on the reins of his horse and slowly turned it around. In a stern voice, he shouted, "The exiled people of Lingnan are plotting treason. They deserve to be executed! Li Piaoling, behead them all! Leave no one alive! "
When the exiled people heard this, they realized that they had fallen into his trap. Immediately, sounds of begging, crying, complaining, and cursing could be heard. A few elders were shocked and angry at the same time. They rushed to the front of Wan Guojun's horse. Wan Guojun waved his hand and shouted, "What are you waiting for? Kill them!"
The commander that Guangzhou Governor Huang Shishen sent to Wan Guojun was a brigade commander named Li Piaoling. There were many barbarian tribes in Lingnan, and their people were tough. Every time there was a conflict, Governor Huang would often send this person to clean up and suppress them. This person was cruel and merciless, and he was one of Huang Shishen's generals.
Huang Shishen did not dare to be perfunctory with Wan Guojun, so he specially sent this person to listen to Wan Guojun's orders. When Li Piaoling saw Wan Guojun's ruthless expression, he also felt a chill in his heart. He immediately pulled out his saber and shouted, "Kill!"
Li Piaoling chopped down with his saber, and a grey-haired old man who rushed forward was cut in half. Blood splashed on his head and face, and the smell of blood filled Li Piaoling's chest. He shouted ferociously, "Kill them!"
Three hundred soldiers pulled out their sabers and spears, and the old and weak people were no match for them. For a moment, an inhumane massacre began in broad daylight.
A mother hugged her daughter and used her body to block him. The soldier, who was in a killing frenzy, swung his saber and chopped off her head and half of her shoulder. The saber flashed again, and the girl's head also flew up. Before it fell to the ground, it was kicked far away by the soldier.
A grey-haired old man opened his arms in vain to protect his only grandson. A red tasseled spear as thick as a goose's egg fiercely stabbed at him. The spear pierced through his belly, and the sharp tip penetrated the child's neck, stringing the grandfather and grandson together.
A young woman, with a baby in her arms, was crying and running away. When she had nowhere to run, she fell to her knees and kowtowed to the approaching soldiers, begging for mercy. When the soldier saw that she was a pretty girl, an evil thought arose in his mind.
He snatched the baby from the woman's arms, and heavily stepped on the baby's head with a leather boot that was three times bigger than the baby's head. The little head was stepped into the ground, and the brain and blood flowed out. Then, with a ferocious smile, he pounced on the woman and tore off her clothes.
The rags flew up like butterflies, and the crying woman was soon stripped naked like a white sheep. The soldier pounced on her, and under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he began to shake his body in an ugly manner ….
The bloody massacre evoked the cruelest animal nature in the soldiers' hearts. In this environment where there was no discipline or legal sanction, the ugliness in their hearts was magnified infinitely. These soldiers supported by the people had become a group of beasts, and they bullied the old and weak, women and children at will. They killed and raped them, and there was nothing they wouldn't do.
When Yushan County Magistrate Hu Xuyao heard the news and rushed over, it was almost dusk. He rode a fast horse, and as soon as he circled the forest, he saw the hellish scene in front of him. His body went limp, and he slid off his horse.
"Duke Ming, be careful …"
Seeing this, the Yushan County Lieutenant hurriedly slid off his horse and reached out to help him.
County Magistrate Hu didn't raise his head. He stared fixedly at a five-leaf grass in front of him. There were a few sparkling and translucent beads of blood on the grass. Under the setting sun, they looked like sparkling and translucent amber. Because of the gentle breeze, they flowed gently on the grass. Suddenly, one of the leaves sank, and a bead of blood slid down, landing right on his face. County Magistrate Hu screamed in fright.
The Yushan County Lieutenant was in charge of arresting thieves, so he was braver than County Magistrate Hu. He sighed and didn't continue to help the frightened county magistrate. He just narrowed his eyes and looked at the scene of the massacre in front of him.
The ground was covered with corpses and blood. None of the corpses were complete. There were only a few naked corpses of women. They were probably for the soldiers to satisfy their bestial desires, so they hadn't been chopped into pieces. They had only been stabbed in the heart and died.
They lay there facing the sky. Even though they were completely naked and their private parts were exposed to the setting sun, none of them felt ashamed to cover themselves. Only their eyes, which couldn't be closed, stared fixedly at the sky as if they were complaining to the heavens about something.
The County Lieutenant's hands were stained with human lives when he arrested criminals. But when he saw the scene in front of him, his legs couldn't help but tremble, and he almost fell to his knees. The Yushan County Magistrate, whose face was as pale as a ghost, came over and said timidly, "Duke Ming, Duke Ming …"
County Magistrate Hu lay on the ground as if he hadn't heard him at all. In the grass two feet in front of him, the head of a young girl lay there quietly. There seemed to be a trace of fear and doubt in her eyes, but there was no longer any life in them.
Looking at the head, County Magistrate Hu pounded the ground as if he were crying. "Why? Why? They're just harmless old, weak, women, and children. They've long lost their original honor and status. They've been sent here as criminals to do the heaviest work and have the lowest status. They lack clothes and food. It's already a blessing that they're still alive. Why … must they die? "
…
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