The slightly salty, slightly damp, and slightly cold wind blew in from the surface of the sea, making Fan Xian's face feel icy. He looked coldly at the densely packed soldiers below the stage, but the depths of his heart gradually calmed.
In the matter of dealing with the navy, the most important and dangerous time was actually last night. By the day, the most dangerous time had passed, so he did not have much to worry about.
The generals and provincial officials who did not know the inside story all thought the imperial envoy was only praising first and then demoting him. He was about to carry out the most cruel and inhumane attack on Admiral Chang Kun and, under the bright sun, explain to the navy soldiers Chang Kun's madness and the court's opinion on how to deal with him. Thus, when they actually heard what Fan Xian said next, they couldn't help but be shocked that Sir Fan junior did not begin to flog the corpse.
Fan Xian's voice traveled far and wide on the expansive field. He only warmly and sorrowfully recalled the great achievements Admiral Chang Kun had made for the Qing Kingdom. He only praised the dead man with a pained expression and sincere gaze. He did not mention anything about the little island in the East Sea or the collusion between the navy and people inside and outside of Dongyi.
Wu Gefei and the third-ranked general of the old Qin family met each other's eyes and then slowly turned their heads. Last night, Fan Xian had already conveyed the Palace's intentions to these important figures, so they were not surprised.
Chang Kun was a first-level admiral. As for who the hand behind him was, there was no strong evidence. Although they knew that the Eldest Princess' Junshang Conference had played an important role, under the current circumstances, the court did not want to expose their own shortcomings. They were not willing to openly beat Chang Kun to the ground.
A first-level official, an important military official, colluded with pirates and colluded with foreign enemies. Once this fact spread throughout the world, where would the Qing court put its face? Where would the Emperor put his old face?
What they wanted was for Chang Kun to never again draw from the Jiaozhou Navy. As for the evaluation of his morals after his death, the Qing Emperor and Fan Xian actually did not care much. To be able to use the smallest price to complete this matter was the most important mission.
Of course, presumably, the Emperor would not be able to swallow this resentment. After a few more days, when the situation in Jingdou was settled and the Emperor swept clean the families that dared to play tricks behind his back, Chang Kun would still be dug out from his grave, his bones would be filed, and his reputation would be ruined.
After a round of praise, Fan Xian's face was as cold as a stone in the sea. His expression was ugly.
"Last night, when I first arrived in Jiaozhou, I wanted to have a secret conversation with the admiral to thoroughly investigate the matter of the navy colluding with the pirates. Who knew that before I saw your face, you had already left. Who was it that dared to be so deranged as to commit murder in the admiral's manor? Who was it that dared to use such a savage method to resist before the court could investigate the case? Who was it that tried to kill all the officials and generals in the admiral's manor after the incident in an attempt to silence them? Who was it that secretly mobilized the navy last night and stirred up the army's morale with the intention of stirring up trouble, taking over Jiaozhou, and swallowing all of this darkness in blood? "
"Who …?"
(Who is too tired, omitted)
…
…
Last night, there had indeed been strange movements in the navy camp. Furthermore, rumors had been circulating the entire time. It was not until the imperial envoy spoke in detail on the high platform that these navy soldiers learned that admiral Chang Kun was not forced to death by the court. Rather, he had been hired by someone to kill him. Yet, there were generals in the navy who dared to collude with pirates and secretly oppose the court.
Naturally, not everyone believed it, at least not Chang Kun and Dang Xiaobo's trusted aides. Thus, the soldiers below gradually began to clamor. Someone began to yell, "Where is General Dang? Where is General Dang? "
Another person yelled, "Where did the pirates come from?"
The crowd was angry, and the soldiers were easy to pick. The crowd gradually squeezed toward the front of the high platform.
Fan Xian's expression was calm and he smiled slightly.
Xu Maocai gave a meaningful glance to his trusted aides below the platform. The eyes of the officers mixed among the soldiers moved and they began to yell in a loud voice, "Avenge the admiral! Kill that son of a b * tch! "
The tens of thousands of soldiers did not know who the son of a b * tch was, but with such a yell, it perfectly matched the navy soldiers' depressed and sorrowful atmosphere. Thus, the yelling gradually became one, shaking the horizon by the sea. Intentionally or unintentionally, it suppressed the provocation of the generals who had ulterior motives and were unwilling to be tied up and die.
Fan Xian raised his hands horizontally and pressed them down slightly. With a dark expression, he said, "The heavens have no eyes, but the heavens have a heart. Those deranged criminals have already been captured last night. After the case is closed, they will be punished openly to honor the admiral's spirit in heaven."
"Who was it?" The navy soldiers looked at each other in surprise. They were all guessing which person in the military had such daring. Seeing that there were fewer generals than usual on the high platform, some of the smarter people gradually guessed a few things.
As expected, the next few names Fan Xian read were all generals who had previously held respected positions in the navy. Dang Xiaobo's name was surprisingly at the top.
The voice on the high platform clearly told these 10,000 people that it was these generals of the navy who had played the role of rat poop.
…
…
As they spoke, five blood-covered generals were brought up from the right rear of the platform. These were the people who had made things difficult for Fan Xian in the admiral's manor last night. At this moment, their faces were deathly pale and their spirits were dispirited. After being tortured, they couldn't even stand steadily and knelt directly in front of Fan Xian. No one knew what the Overwatch Council had done, but although these people had sinister and discontent expressions, they could not open their mouths to cry out their grievances.
The tens of thousands of soldiers below the platform quieted at the same time. Using complicated gazes, they looked at the scene on the stage. They looked at the generals, who were usually high above, kneeling in front of them with their heads down, messy hair, and blood not flying. It was incomparably wretched.
It was deathly silent. Fan Xian looked at this scene with his hands behind his back and made a gesture of preparing to make a fist.
As expected, a sharp cry suddenly rang out from among the silent soldiers, "The admiral was killed by those people on the stage! Treacherous officials and the army! General Dang has been wronged! "
Dang Xiaobo had his own confidants. The troops heading toward the East Sea, from top to bottom, all had their own thoughts. They all understood what this scene was aimed at, so they were not willing to watch the matter continue according to the imperial envoy's plans. Following this cry, a few more cries immediately rang out. They were filled with anger and hatred, pointing their spearheads at Fan Xian and the other generals and officials on the stage.
These people were all Chang Kun and Dang Xiaobo's direct subordinates. Middle-level and lower-level officers were always able to influence the soldiers under them. With such a cry, the crowd below the stage immediately became chaotic. The navy soldiers, who had been shaken by the rumors, didn't know who to believe. Thousands of soldiers began to push forward.
Fan Xian narrowed his eyes and stared in that direction. He only stared at the people who were leading the cries. He then tightened the hands behind his back and clenched them into fists.
The expression of the third-ranked general standing behind him darkened. He had been forced to make a decision by Fan Xian. He knew that if there truly was a mutiny and he stood on the stage, he would only be torn to pieces.
Thus, he stood by Fan Xian's side. A light shot out of his eyes as he roared angrily, "Son of a b * tch, are you rebelling? You don't even believe the words of the imperial envoy and us! "
Although this person had not been in the navy for long, his position was still there. With his cry, the situation below improved slightly, but there was still a hidden danger. Dang Xiaobo's confidants were still hidden in the shadows, inciting and cursing endlessly in loud voices.
At this moment, Xu Maocai followed Fan Xian's hand gesture and used his eyes to give a second order.
A different voice immediately rose among the soldiers below the stage.
"Kill Dang Xiaobo! Avenge the admiral! "
…
…
It was only one cry. It did not create a thunderous sound, but Fan Xian had already smiled warmly. Very amiably listening to the will of the people, he nodded his head toward the people beside him.
Hong Changqing and a few navy generals with unusually ugly expressions walked to Fan Xian's side. Pulling out the straight knives at their sides, they stepped on the backs of Chang Kun's trusted generals, pushing them to the ground. Then, they chopped down with a knife.
With four kaka sounds, the sharp blades cut into those sturdy necks, breaking open the skin and flesh, causing blood to flow and bones to break. Their heads were separated from their bodies, rolling on the high platform as they spat out a large pool of blood.
The headless bodies of the navy generals twitched on the high platform for a moment before returning to silence and death.
The people below the stage once again sank into silence. The navy soldiers below stared dumbstruck at this scene. They thought to themselves, They died just like this? The case hadn't even been tried yet, and the imperial envoy just killed these generals like this?
Fan Xian furrowed his brows and looked at the fresh blood not far from his feet and Dang Xiaobo, who was breathing heavily and had a deathly expression. Shortly after, he raised his head and said with a slight smile, "I'll fulfill your wishes. However, Dang Xiaobo is the main culprit. To be escorted to Jingdou … I'm afraid we'll have to send him to death by a thousand cuts before the admiral can rest in peace."
These words were somewhat shameless, but the navy soldiers below the stage did not think so. They only looked at the young man on the stage wearing luxurious official robes and felt a chill rise from the depths of their hearts.
In reality, the navy soldiers were not idiots. They would not believe that Deputy General Dang would kill Admiral Chang. First, there was no reason. Second, everyone knew the close relationship between the two of them. However, at this moment, four heads were placed on the stage. Everyone knew that the imperial envoy dared to kill and was willing to kill. Admiral Chang was already dead, and Dang Xiaobo had been captured. Even if the court was carrying out a purge, they, as small soldiers, had not benefited much from following these two people. What could they do?
Were they really going to swarm up and kill the imperial envoy on the high stage, then become bandits and become enemies with the entire world?
Being hot-blooded did not mean they were beasts and did not know how to use their brains to think. Thus, the tens of thousands of soldiers below the stage were silent, including the officers who had tried to incite a riot earlier. They lowered their bodies and thought about how they could secretly escape the navy.
…
…
Killing people to establish power, Fan Xian looked below the stage with satisfaction. He knew that Xu Maocai's words were indeed correct.
However, the matter was not over yet. There were still Dang Xiaobo's trusted aides on the stage and Chang Kun's best friends. If he didn't drag these people out, how could the Jiaozhou Navy be called peaceful?
Fan Xian stood on the high stage and said, "Last night, someone in the navy received Dang Xiaobo's secret order and intended to lead an army to attack the city. This kind of deranged and rebellious action cannot be easily forgiven."
As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of horse hooves came from outside the camp like the wind and clouds. Everyone turned their bodies and looked nervously in that direction.
A group of black-armored riders galloped down from the small slope. They had hard crossbows on their saddles and sharp knives at their waists. With one hand controlling the reins and the other holding a sack, they came to the navy camp with rarely seen driving skills. They brought with them a cloud of dust and a sense of the netherworld.
The Black Knights!
It was the first time the navy soldiers had seen one of the most powerful riders in the Qing Kingdom, who were said to kill people like flies and move like ghosts. They all cried out in surprise and didn't understand what these people were doing here. If they were here to kill people, the number of riders was too little.
The 100 Black Knights rode to the bottom of the high stage and bowed to Fan Xian from their horses. They then threw the sack in their hands onto the ground. Together with their horses' bellies, they moved in two semicircles along the high stage, separating to the two sides of the stage.
At the same time, on the small slope to the left of the navy camp, two rows of riders appeared silently. They were like two hard black lines deeply embedded into the mountain ridge, preparing to attack the navy soldiers below.
The navy soldiers were in an uproar.
…
…
Inside the sack were all human heads. Some had faces covered in blood, some were missing noses and ears, and some had a large crack in their foreheads. Hundreds of heads rolled out of the sack and piled up below the high stage. Such a bloody and terrifying scene had not appeared in the Jiaozhou Navy, which had been peaceful for a long time. The navy soldiers retreated a few steps in fright and opened up a large space, allowing these human heads to decorate the scene of a massacre in broad daylight.
Fan Xian took a step forward on the stage. His luxurious clothes fluttered in the wind. His face was handsome. Standing proudly on the pile of heads, he said, "These are the rebel soldiers who tried to bathe Jiaozhou in blood last night. Soldiers, do not panic. The rebel soldiers have already been ambushed. I am not someone who likes to take revenge."
The navy soldiers were terrified and didn't dare to speak.
"But …" Fan Xian slowly said, "I will definitely find out who is secretly managing this matter. Those who dare to oppose the court and conspire against the rebellion must be mentally prepared to have their entire families executed."
"I have already found out who it is," he looked at the people below the stage. He looked at the people below the stage and said, "A total of 17 people, no, 17 dogs, 17 dogs who have used the Dai imperial court's Dai Lu to raise their wild ambitions!"
17 people. The range of the purge was not large, including the navy generals on the stage. The soldiers below the stage all let out a breath. At this moment, the sudden appearance of the 400 Black Knights and so many heads on and below the stage had already successfully intimidated the navy soldiers' spirits. Since no one dared to rebel, they could only wait and see how the court would deal with it. Only capturing 17 people had nothing to do with the majority of people.
It had nothing to do with them, so they hung it high.
In order to protect themselves, they could even betray the superiors they were usually incomparably afraid of.
…
…
Thus, following the sound of the third general on the high platform calling out names, the navy soldiers below the platform gradually moved in fear, wishing to be as far away from the officer who was called out as possible. Suddenly, 17 small circles appeared on the field. In the small empty space, there stood a navy officer with an ashen face.
These were the culprits who had incited the camp to make trouble last night and had a portion of navy soldiers fight a great battle with the Black Knights outside Jiaozhou.
The Black Knights led their horses and slowly walked into the crowd of 10,000 people. The knights' expressions were cold. They did not look to the side and were not nervous. Although there were 10,000 people by their side, it was as if they had entered an uninhabited place.
The navy's courage had already been lost. They all moved out of the way and allowed these Black Knights who had come to capture people to enter.
Three riders captured one person. Although there were officers who rose up bravely to resist in a hopeless situation, they were already trapped beasts. With a few slaps, they were chopped to the ground. It only added another round of pain before they died.
… …
Another 17 bloody and cruel sounds rang out. The 17 heads returned to the encirclement of their brothers' heads. Blood stained the high stage. A stench attracted countless flies.
Fan Xian was in the middle, but his expression did not change. Narrowing his eyes, he watched the sun gradually move above his head. He knew that the Jiaozhou matter could be considered finished.
Only then did he begin to announce the edict.
Fan Xian waved his hand. He didn't care about the court's etiquette and rules. He had the Overwatch Council subordinates handle this matter while he sat back in his chair and rested for a moment.
…
…
"By the will of heaven, the Emperor has decreed …"
Fan Xian didn't listen closely to what the Emperor said. He only looked at the navy soldiers kneeling on the ground like ants on and below the stage. He was deep in thought. In the end, he heard an earth-shaking cry of joy as well as a mountain cry of "Long live the Emperor".
Did the navy soldiers get a raise again?
… …
By the time the news of the Jiaozhou Navy reached Jingdou, it was already half a month later. Jingdou was inland and did not have the nourishment of the sea breeze, so it was a bit more dry and stuffy than Jiaozhou. The climate was not very comfortable. On the contrary, it was those with weaker bodies who began to feel uncomfortable.
These few days, Hong Zhu's temper had been rather bad. It was anger, not anger. He rubbed his nose, thinking that if he still had a nosebleed tonight, he would have to ask the imperial doctors to take a look. The standard of the people in the Imperial Academy of Medicine was not very good. If Miss Fan was still studying in the Imperial Academy of Medicine, how good would that be?
He jogged to the front of the Palace and respectfully pushed open the door. Leaning close to the empress' ear, he said a few words.
Having been in the Eastern Palace for a while, he had successfully gained the empress' trust. However, the Crown Prince always felt uncomfortable when he looked at this little eunuch. A little eunuch with acne on his face and a nosebleed from his anger did not look at all sinister.
Hearing Hong Zhu's words, the empress furrowed her brows tightly and asked, "It is natural for Admiral Chang to be given a posthumous title … but, such a shocking case, how come it is not being investigated by three departments, but by one Overwatch Council?"
It seemed that the empress did not know the inside story of the Jiaozhou Navy, but she faintly guessed that this matter definitely had something to do with the Eldest Princess. She smiled coldly and said, "Let's see when that Princess will come knocking."
If things were really as she imagined and Fan Xian went to the Jiaozhou Navy, it was the same as breaking another of Li Yunrui's arms. This Eldest Princess would certainly go crazy.
However, the Jiaozhou case was a bit unclear. A deputy general dared to collude with bandits to assassinate an admiral? Furthermore, it just so happened to be the night Fan Xian arrived in Jiaozhou? The Jiaozhou Navy was actually colluding with the pirates of the East Sea? Did Chang Kun not know before?
All of the officials in court were suspicious. The military also had some intention of rebelling. No matter what Chang Kun was, he was still an important official in the military.
However, no one dared to say anything. Although the Emperor expressed his condolences for Chang Kun's death with a face full of pain, handled the funeral affairs very grandly, and gave the Chang manor a lot of rewards, everyone could see that the Emperor was actually in a very happy mood.
…
…
Give me some monthly votes … Sixth Prince is very nervous.
If you want to know what happened after, please log on to WWW. CMFU. com. More chapters. Support the author. Support original reading!)
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
