Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3591: Blood-Erosion Xie Chapter

Life has its ups and downs.

It’s important to note that this isn’t up and down;

For some people, their peak is during their adolescence, when they debut they are at the peak. When they were teenagers, others were still rolling hoops on the street, but they were already able to sit on four hoops. However, as someone in their family went in for sex, they suddenly fell from the peak, and until they were in their thirties or forties they were still skipping meals and were in a daze.

Some people arrive later. They achieve nothing in the first twenty or thirty years, and then they catch the wind and soar to the top, instantly becoming the object of admiration of millions of people. After staying in the wind for too long, they think they can really fly, and they point fingers at the guys below, acting as if they are scolding them for their own good. But when the wind stops, they fall down with a crash.

Everyone is different. There are only a few opportunities in a lifetime, or even just a moment of passing by. Only when you look back many years later, will you realize that you were only one step away from making your dream come true.

This was the case with Wang Yun. He originally thought that following Cao Cao to attack Guanzhong without success was the worst time of his life, and that the situation would rebound somewhat. But what he didn't expect was that this was just a transit point in the decline, and the bottom seemed to be far away. His luck seemed to have run out in his youth.

When he was young, his family was well off, so they had extra money for him to learn martial arts and roam the countryside with a gun and a stick. However, during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, everything changed.

The happy home disappeared, the loving parents died, and all that was left was endless sorrow and regret.

What I regret is my ignorance when I was young. I often talked back to my parents and acted naughty and mischievous over trivial matters.

What he hated were the Yellow Turban bandits, whose greed and madness destroyed his hometown and also led to their own destruction.

So later on, Wang Yun joined the army as a good family boy, and fought under Cao Cao to suppress the Yellow Turban rebels...

When he followed Cao Cao to defeat the two Yuans, he thought that the world would definitely belong to Cao Cao. At that time, he was proud because he felt that he stood with the victor and would inevitably move towards victory.

But now he no longer feels that way.

Especially during the period of garrisoning in Luoyang City, he saw that the number of cavalry troops was increasing, while the situation on his side was getting worse and worse.

The situation in Heluo is getting worse day by day.

Man Chong’s previous arrangements at Yique Pass also briefly brought some hope to Wang Yun.

Water and fire are merciless. If Man Chong's arrangement at Yique could indeed use the Yi River to drown some of the cavalry, then the Cao army soldiers on the top of Luoyang City would certainly climb up the city walls to watch, rejoicing and jumping for joy, and their morale would naturally be greatly boosted.

such a pity……

Although Wang Yun knew that most strategies required the right time, place, and people to be realized, but seeing that Man Chong's strategy started off well but ended badly and there was no news, and the Cavalry Army appeared at the gate of Luoyang City almost unscathed, even if he didn't say it, he began to feel uneasy.

The situation had deteriorated to such an extent that even though Man Chong had commanded well on the city wall of Luoyang in the past few days and had repelled the attack of the Hussar Army, it was an indisputable fact that Heluo was bound to be defeated.

Wang Yun has had enough of it all.

He was tired of war.

The reason he joined the army was because he hated the Yellow Turbans, and it was obvious that he could not compete with the Yellow Turban bandits with his own strength, so he joined the army against the Yellow Turbans. After defeating the Yellow Turbans, he continued to fight the two Yuans. Perhaps this can be seen as his inertia on this route of war. It was not until the current ice in Guanzhong that he realized more clearly that this road was probably coming to an end.

The despair that evolved from hope made Wang Yun suddenly feel that everything had lost its meaning.

What will happen if we continue to defend it?

Just like Tangshan in Taigu Pass?

Obey orders and become a hero of the Hussars?

Even if we can defend Luoyang for a while, can we defend it for a lifetime?

Just surrender and live a peaceful and stable life from now on.

Wang Yun stared blankly at the setting sun, and it seemed as if the curtain had also fallen on the first half of his life in his heart.

"My Lord! Those thieves are here again!"

A soldier beside Wang Yun reminded him.

Wang Yun looked back and saw a team of police officers wearing snake-patterned cloaks slowly approaching from the other side of the city wall.

Wang Yun frowned.

"Damn it, we have to deal with the Hussars outside, and these guys inside... When will this day end..."

……

……

Sometimes, the more you hope for something, the less you have; the more you don’t want something, the more it happens.

On the horse-faced wall of Luoyang East City, Wang Yun pressed hard on the blue bricks at the parapet, repeatedly reminding himself not to get angry and not to have any conflicts with these evil officials, but...

"Wang Junhou!"

The bronze talisman of the magistrate clanged against the breastplate.

The bronze talisman shone brightly in the setting sun.

This made Wang Yun a little dazed for a moment. He remembered the dogs raised in the courtyards of those wealthy families. It seemed that they also had a sign hanging on them. However, that sign was at least worth a month's food money for ordinary people, or even more.

The leading officer frowned when he saw Wang Yun was silent, and threw the half bag of millet in front of Wang Yun, "Will you explain yourself, sir?"

Millet grains dripped out from the gap and mixed into the dark brown blood mud in the cracks between the broken blue bricks on the city wall.

The sergeant who was being held to his knees by two guards suddenly started to struggle, "That's for the wounded..."

Before he could finish his words, an official kicked the chief in the face.

Blood mixed with half a broken tooth splattered out, fell on the millet grains, and mixed with the old blood.

Wang Yun recognized this sergeant. He was originally under Tang Shan. Later, he and some other soldiers fled to Luoyang City and were assigned to Wang Yun's command.

"The military advisor has repeatedly warned that hoarding of food and grass is strictly prohibited! Those who violate this order..." The green-faced official's boots rolled over his long fingers. He paused deliberately and looked around so that the soldiers around him could hear the second half of his sentence, "They shall be beheaded and hung on the parapet."

Wang Yun’s Adam’s apple moved.

He caught a glimpse of the arrow wound on the back of Shichang's neck oozing pus.

The squad leader was a wounded soldier, and so were some other soldiers.

Wang Yun knew very well the purpose of controlling military rations.

The Han Dynasty today is not like the peaceful times, where you can buy a bowl of rice with just five zhu coins. Food and fodder are life, and they are distributed per person every day. If they are alive, they can eat a bite, and if they die, they can save it.

That small half bag of millet grains was saved and hidden away before the strict control of military rations was implemented...

Although this small half bag of millet grains was hidden before, it does not mean that he can be acquitted now.

Wang Yun told the squad leader to hide well, but for some reason he was found by the police.

"The criminal is caught red-handed." It's too late to say anything.

"Captain Xu, wait a minute."

Wang Yun held down the man's hand that was about to draw his knife, "This...these millets were given to him by someone..."

Wang Yun took off the seal from his waist and said, "I am willing to tie myself up and come to see Envoy Man."

Xu Xili stared at Wang Yun intently, like a poisonous snake staring at its prey. After a while, he suddenly grinned and said, "Are you trying to threaten the envoy? Or are you planning to protect the termite?"

The sneering laughter of the official surnamed Xu echoed from the top of the city wall, like the cry of a soul-destroying crow. "The bad reputation belongs to Envoy Man, but you are known for caring for the soldiers and taking responsibility? You know why you have to control the military rations, but you choose to do this! Are you treating military law as a joke?!"

Wang Yun's temple was throbbing.

He recalled that last year in the Chenliu camp, it was this group of ruthless officials from Yingchuan who beat to death seven soldiers who had privately divided up horse feed without showing any mercy...

He recalled that before, at the ditch in Luoyang, it was these same officials who tortured and killed the soldiers who tried to flee the battlefield one by one. Their heads were still stuck in the ditch...

"Execution!"

The roar of the scofflaw Xu Duwei tore through the twilight.

Instantly the captain was dragged to the edge of the battlement.

The ring-handled sword was raised high, and the blade shone with the light of the setting sun.

Wang Yun stepped forward, held up the arm that raised the knife, and said earnestly, "Captain! As a military officer, I will protect him for three days! And let him make up for his crime! In Luoyang... no one can be sure who will live or die in the next moment..."

Xu Xili narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean? Are you planning to rebel?"

Wang Yun frowned, "How can you call it rebellion? Isn't it just this small bag of military rations?"

Xu Xianli's eyebrows stood up, and he suddenly stretched out his hand and ripped open the long crotch armor, revealing the plain silk used for bandaging wounds underneath. "Where did this silk come from? This is the silk used by the cavalry to bandage wounds! Now the two crimes are combined into one, and you should be executed immediately!"

Wang Yun was stunned for a moment.

collaborating with the enemy?

How can it be?

But the silk on the chief seemed like "confirmed" evidence, leaving Wang Yun speechless. The wounded soldiers of Cao's army had no decent medical kits or bandages. The medicine and silk in the city had been used up ten days ago, and the wounded soldiers even tore up their shrouds to use as bandages. How could they have any silk?

This plain silk cloth, which obviously did not fit in with Cao's army, seemed to be evidence of "collaboration with the enemy"...

The sergeant whose face was kicked to pieces shook his head frantically, as if he wanted to say something, but the policeman stepped on his head so hard that he could only utter unclear and hesitant sounds.

Because he didn't know what to say, Wang Yun's hands subconsciously loosened a little...

Xu Xianli pushed Wang Yun away and shouted, "Execute!"

The moment the ghost-head knife fell, Wang Yun closed his eyes and sighed. He heard the dull sound of the blade cutting into flesh and bones, as if it was cutting into his heart.

The blood of the sergeant splattered on Captain Xu's Xiezhi crown, as if adding eyes to the ferocious beast.

"Hang up the head!"

Xu Xinli licked the blood that splashed on the corner of his mouth, and there seemed to be a hint of satisfaction in his pupils.

The pleasure of deciding the life and death of a fellow man with his own hands filled Xu Xili's internal organs, making him feel as if he was well fed and satisfied. He knew that he was a pampered hawk, so he should do what hawks do. And the most important point is that by doing this, he could feel happy!

Especially when he looked at those soldiers who were caught making mistakes and were punished and beheaded according to military law, those miserable wails and the boiling blood made him feel the sublimation of life and the upliftment of spirit!

How could he not know that the war was not going well and the situation was deteriorating?

But what does that have to do with him?

That is what Prime Minister Cao and Envoy Man need to worry about. As for him, who is just a small official, shouldn't he use his power as it comes?

Xu Xili's Xiezhi crown was always a little taller than others, but not much, just half an inch.

This would make him look taller and more powerful.

Of course, Xu Xili also knew that there were height-increasing insoles...oh, height-increasing clogs, but it would be difficult to move after wearing height-increasing clogs, so he still chose to increase the height of his Xiezhi crown.

After all, this Xiezhi crown represents all his dignity from being a clerk in the Supreme Court to being the commander of the Luoyang Xianli Commandery. It also represents all his authority and is the halo surrounding him.

Just as he could use the halo of the Xiezhi crown to lift up the skirt of a woman to check if she had hidden any food under her skirt, he could also kick open the door of a house and claim that someone had reported that a spy had been seen sneaking into the yard.

He is a law enforcer, he is the Xiezhi who represents justice.

As long as he wears this Xiezhi crown.

"Military law clearly states—"

"According to military law—"

He enjoyed drawing out the words for emphasis, and watching the dignity of those being punished being crushed under the soles of his boots.

Twenty years ago, when Xu Tingli was still called Xu Ergou, he didn't even dare to look directly at the carvings on the threshold of the county government office.

That year, his father was sentenced to be stripped of his trousers and paraded through the streets in shackles under a plaque that read "A Clear Mirror Hanging High" at the county government because he could not pay the tax.

The thick saliva and phlegm spat out by those petty clerks in the government office flowed down his father's face, body, and along his father's naked, thin ribs and back.

The envoy in the upper hall obviously would not let these petty officials do such a thing, but his father did not give these petty officials any benefits, so these petty officials would certainly not let his father have an easy time.

The thick saliva and phlegm flowing down his father's back, mixed with the laughter of the people watching on the street, penetrated into Xu Ergou's bones.

It also made him realize a truth: the great man's majesty was not in the Chongde Hall where the emperor was, but in the three-foot iron ruler in the hands of the yamen official.

Those untouchables, when facing the people of the same status, had no mercy or sympathy at all, only ruthless ridicule and sarcasm. Those joyful expressions were also imprinted in Xu Ergou's heart, so that now when he faces other ordinary people and ordinary soldiers, when he sees them begging, he would curse in his heart that they deserve it!

Back then, when his father was shackled and paraded through the streets like a dog, why didn't any of these guys step forward to say a word of justice, or plead for his father?

Although the majority were silent, the expressions of those who stood in the front row, laughing and watching the fun with distorted faces, left deep scars in Xu Ergou's heart that will never heal.

So, now that these ordinary people and ordinary soldiers have fallen into his hands, they want to beg for mercy?

what!

Please, my humble servant!

When passing through the city wall, Xu Xianli suddenly saw a soldier guarding the fortress and hurriedly stuffed half a wheat cake into his quiver...

The action of the soldiers guarding the battlement made Xu Tingli tremble all over, like a hungry dog ​​smelling meat.

"Secretly hiding military rations!"

The iron bar hit the soldier's knee hard.

"Kneel down!" 』

He enjoyed the sound of the other person's knees hitting the bricks when he knelt down, which reminded him of the cool touch of the blue bricks when he knelt down to serve tea in the corridor of the Supreme Court ten years ago.

"Staff!"

When the wooden stick hit down, he deliberately adjusted the angle so that the spurting blood could stain his body and splash onto his bronze talisman. After the bronze swallowing beast was dyed red with blood, it finally had some of the charm of the real Xiezhi.

As dusk fell, Lieutenant Xu was checking the list of today's punishments. Some were circled with cinnabar pen, while others were just written with black ink.

These were the "worms" that he had found out today and had executed on them.

He respectfully held the list above his head and handed it to Man Chong.

Man Chong took the list and glanced at it. He saw three red circles and more than ten black names.

Within normal range.

All soldiers have casualties, and as long as they are within the normal range, they are just numbers.

Will the Han government remember the names of all the people?

No, it's just a number.

And I can write briefly.

"Well done." Man Chong said calmly, "Thank you for your hard work. Go down now."

Xu Ergou lay down, shook his Xiezhi crown, and said in a gentle and calm tone, "This is what I should do..."

……

……

Amid the sound of gongs and drums at midnight, Wang Yun sneaked into the corpse shed.

In the dim moonlight, cold corpses were arranged and piled up in all directions, emitting blood and a foul stench.

He found the body of the chief.

The headless corpse, without even a straw mat to wrap it, was piled directly among the civilians who died in the battle yesterday.

He tore open the armor on the captain's body and looked carefully at the silk cloth underneath.

The originally plain silk cloth was now stained with blood, turning purple and black...

Wang Yun pulled out the silk cloth with great effort, then looked at it in the moonlight outside the shed and discovered that the silk cloth was not a whole piece at all, but had been torn for a long time.

"This..." Wang Yun suddenly remembered that this was not evidence of "collaboration with the enemy", but merely items collected from the bodies of the hussar soldiers who died in battle!

Because the Hussars had better logistical support than Cao's army, Cao's soldiers would subconsciously touch the corpses of these Hussars during the intervals between battles and pick up useful items...

Of course, these things must be turned over according to the law.

But most of the time, they would not hand it over. After all, the items they found on the corpses of these hussars, whether it was armor, medical kits, or half a piece of wheat cake, were all scarce for Cao's soldiers...

"Why……"

Wang Yun sighed deeply.

His sighs echoed in the charnel house, and seemed to be faintly echoed by the souls of the wronged.

"Jun Hou...are you really going to take this step?"

Outside the corpse shed, the voice of the cook floated out from the shadows, with a ceramic bowl filled with half a bowl of water in his hand, "Xu, I killed three "collaborators" today... If those bastards find out..."

Without wine, water can only be used as a substitute for the offering.

Wang Yun dug his nails into his palms.

He recalled that during his morning patrol, he saw Captain Xu's men dismantling door panels from civilians to use as firewood.

Those door panels that were once labeled with words like "Peace and Prosperity for the Country and the People" and "Good Fortune to the Whole Family" eventually became bonfires for Cao's senior officials and military schools to keep warm.

"You are...?"

The cook's voice seemed to be cut off suddenly. He saw Wang Yun using the long coagulated blood to draw the defense map of Luoyang City on the half piece of plain silk.

More than ten years of military life enabled Wang Yun to draw the general layout of Luoyang City even with his eyes closed.

And the smelly purple-black blood seemed to be a wound on the defense map that would never heal.