Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3785 Those who commit many unrighteous acts will surely perish.
A continuous rumble of thunder echoed across the southern horizon!

No, it wasn't thunder!

This is the sound of a thousand horses galloping!
Shen Rong suddenly jolted awake, gripping the cold edge of the battlement, straining to see into the distance.

The other soldiers guarding Anyang City also became agitated, their faces turning pale.

The sound grew closer and clearer!
Dull yet rhythmic, carrying an invincible and terrifying power, it rolled in from afar!

Immediately afterwards, a black tide surged along the wide official road, with banners like a forest and soldiers' armor reflecting the pale light shining through the clouds, their chilling gleam illuminating all directions!

At the very forefront of this black torrent, a large banner fluttering in the wind is clearly visible!

Three-colored banner!

Even from this distance, one can feel its supreme majesty and immense pressure!
Anyone with eyes can see the difference between this flag and the three-colored flag that Wei Yan used before!

Is he really the General of the Cavalry?!

Why didn't they head directly north to Ye City, but instead...?

Instead, they headed straight for Anyang!

why? !

*Thump!*

Shen Rong's legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the city bricks, not even noticing the mud stains on his brocade robe. His face was ashen, and his lips trembled uncontrollably. The fact that he didn't urinate on the spot was a testament to his prostate functioning properly.

How could this be... how could this be...?

Shen Rong muttered to himself in a daze, his mind blank. All his luck, all his calculations, all his escape routes were crushed to dust by the boundless black army before him at this moment!
Utter collapse!
At that moment, Shen Rong seemed to already see the scene after the city fell...

The fierce and ruthless cavalry charged into the city and massacred the entire Shen family, leaving no one alive—men, women, children, or the elderly!
His head will be cut off and hung on the city wall...

No, it could be even worse!
All his previous "stubborn resistance" became the path to death for the Shen clan!

"No! I don't want to die! I can't die!"

A powerful will to survive erupted like a volcano from the depths of despair, instantly consuming Shen Rong's reason. He abruptly scrambled to his feet, appearing mad, his gaze frantically sweeping across the city walls.

The garrison in Anyang was in complete chaos, with screams of terror echoing everywhere. Some soldiers even lost their grip on their weapons and fell to the ground.

Surrounded by several guards, the county magistrate hurriedly climbed onto the city wall, seemingly trying to organize the defense and calm the crowd. However, his trembling voice and pale face betrayed the fear in the hearts of these Anyang officials.

The magistrate of Anyang County turned around and saw Shen Rong. He rushed over as if grasping at a straw, crying, "Lord Shen! Lord Shen! What...what are we going to do? The cavalry...this..."

Suddenly, a brilliant idea flashed into Shen Rong's mind!
A crazy and vicious idea slithered into Shen Rong's mind like a venomous snake!
To survive, you must perform a "great service"!
We must completely sever ties with the past!

Someone must take full responsibility for this!

And this panicked county magistrate is the perfect sacrifice!

Kill the magistrate and surrender the city!

Not only can it save you from death, but it might also...

And you can even get credit!
Shen Rong's eyes instantly turned bloodshot, all his fear transforming into a desperate, reckless madness. He drew his sword abruptly, and amidst the astonished gazes of those around him, unleashed astonishing power, charging towards the magistrate like a ravenous wolf, roaring like a wild beast: "You corrupt official! It's you! A coward who clings to life, mistreats the people, and even tried to coerce the entire city's soldiers and civilians to their deaths! Today, I, Shen Rong, will rid Baoyang of this scourge for the sake of all its inhabitants!"

"Public trial! You..."

The magistrate was terrified. Before he could utter a word, a flash of light appeared!
Blood splattered everywhere!

*Pfft!*

Warm blood spurted out, staining Shen Rong's hideous and twisted face, and also staining the wet city bricks.

The magistrate of Anyang County stared at Shen Rong in disbelief, reaching out as if to grab him, but a moment later, he collapsed limply to the ground.

The city walls were deathly silent!
Everyone stared in disbelief at the scene before them!
Shen Rong was panting heavily, his hand holding the knife trembling slightly, but he immediately forced himself to calm down. He pointed his blood-dripping sword at the magistrate's corpse and shouted hoarsely at the terrified guards and yamen runners around him, trying to whitewash this despicable murder as a righteous act.

"Fellow villagers! Fellow soldiers! The mighty General of the Cavalry's army has arrived! Heaven has decreed our rule! How can we again be buried alive with the Cao family? All the previous crimes were committed by this scoundrel! All the crimes of this scoundrel! This scoundrel deceived us, attempting to drag the entire city's inhabitants to their deaths! Now I have slain this traitor! Those who surrender, follow me to open the city gates and welcome the royal army, to preserve your lives and protect our homes!"

As Shen Rong shouted, he scanned the crowd with a fierce gaze.

Should I choose the silent scapegoat on the ground, or the big bowl of cleaver noodles in my hand?

After a brief silence, the instinct for survival overcame the shock and fear.

It is unclear who threw down their weapon first, but soon after, a series of clanging sounds rang out. The Anyang garrison, along with the yamen runners and guards brought by the Anyang magistrate, all abandoned their weapons and knelt on the ground.

Seeing this, Shen Rong felt somewhat relieved. He immediately ordered several trusted guards: "Quickly! Take my token and go to the county treasury to retrieve all the household registers, grain registers, and weapon registers!"

The Shen family's private soldiers turned to leave, but Shen Rong grabbed them.

"Wait..." Shen Rong whispered in his confidant's ear, "Have all those people we arrested before... commit suicide in the prison! Suicide! Understand?!"

The term "trial and punishment" refers to those who were previously arrested on suspicion of "colluding with the enemy" or in connection with the Cui Yue case...

Releasing these people would undoubtedly "clarify" the "crimes" committed by Shen Rong in the past!
and so……

Let these people "commit suicide".

The confidant's gaze sharpened, then he trembled under Shen Rong's fiery stare. "Understood, I understand! I will definitely commit suicide, a complete and utter suicide!"

Shen Rongcai nodded, "Go quickly!"

Then, Shen Rong personally cut off the head of the magistrate of Anyang County, slapping his head twice as if he were slapping a dog's head, not caring that the blood stained his brocade robe, as if the person who had sung and danced with him and drunk wine with beautiful women the night before was someone else.

Watching the cavalry gradually gather beneath the walls of Anyang, Shen Rong took a deep breath and tightly embraced the Anyang magistrate's head. "Prepare white banners! Raise household registers! Prepare to open the city gates! Follow me out of the city to welcome the royal army!"

……

……

The heavy city gate was slowly pushed open, emitting a piercing creak.

Shen Rong forced himself to straighten his back, trying to force a complex expression of pity and helplessness onto his face.

Holding a white banner high in one hand and the county magistrate's head in the other, he gestured to his trembling subordinates behind him to hold up the household registers and other documents. He then led a group of bewildered officials and yamen runners step by step out of the city gate and towards the seemingly endless black military formation outside the city, which exuded a murderous aura.

With each step, Shen Rong's calves trembled, but he gritted his teeth and persevered.

This is his only chance to survive; he must play this charade to the very end!

As they drew closer to the army formation, they could clearly see the cold visor and sharp spearhead of the knight at the front.

Shen Rong could no longer control his trembling legs. He knelt down in the mud with a thud, raised the magistrate's head high, and with all his might, let out a tearful, exaggerated cry: "Shen Rong, the gentry of Anyang, along with all the elders of the city, respectfully welcomes the mighty army of the General of the Cavalry!"

"Great General, your wisdom shines upon all! We, the people and soldiers of Anyang, have long suffered under the tyranny of the Cao family, yearning day and night for the royal army like we yearn for rain! Yet the county magistrate… this corrupt official is obstinate and power-hungry, attempting to coerce the entire city into resistance, defying the heavenly army!"

"To save tens of thousands of lives in the city from utter devastation, Rong had no choice but to perform this righteous act and execute this scoundrel! We now present the head of this traitor, along with the household registers and grain records of Anyang, imploring the General to have mercy on the innocent people of Anyang and surrender the city! Rong and the people of Anyang are willing to forever serve under the banner of the General of Chariots and Cavalry, even unto death!"

Shen Rong knelt in the mud, his forehead pressed deeply against the cold ground, his posture extremely humble.

Mud splattered on his face, mixed with the blood that clung to him, making Shen Rong's current appearance seem somewhat 'tragic' and 'tragic'. The people behind him hurriedly knelt down as well, and there was no sound except for suppressed breathing and the sound of their hearts pounding.

The black military formation was silent, like a silent mountain.

Only occasionally did the warhorses snort and paw at each other.

Countless cold gazes shot out from behind the visor, landing on Shen Rong and the others kneeling in the mud, as if scrutinizing an utterly absurd farce. Shen Rong lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to move, his heart pounding in his chest.

He could feel the suffocating pressure.

He was gambling—gambling that the cavalry needed to stabilize the region quickly, gambling that his performance of "sacrificing family for the greater good" and "pleading for the people" would move the enemy, or at least…

It could save my own life.

If I can survive, I can protect the Shen family.

As for what the real "common people of Anyang" behind him thought, and how wronged Cui Yue and others he slaughtered were, none of that mattered at this moment.

The important thing is to survive, to seize every opportunity, and to paint a political protective layer on oneself with a veneer of 'helplessness' and 'righteousness', so as to do one's best to protect the Shen family and one's own power and wealth in this earth-shaking torrent.

When the black torrent of blood and iron solidifies, it brings an even more suffocating pressure than when it was surging.

The tricolor flags stood out vividly amidst this torrent of steel.

Spears and halberds stood like a forest, and armor gleamed in the air. At the very front, beneath the tall banner of the General of the Flying Cavalry, a four-horse chariot stood silently. On the chariot, a man clad in black armor stood tall and straight, his face hidden in the shadow of his helmet. Only his gaze, like a deep pool, swept over the low city walls of Anyang, devoid of joy or anger, as if he were examining an insignificant object.

This person did not utter a sound or make any movement; he simply existed quietly, yet he was the absolute core of the entire world, causing all those who looked at him to feel involuntarily awe and trembling.

Shen Rong only glanced at it briefly before trembling and lowering his head, not daring to look any longer.

General of the Cavalry!
Such majesty!

Shen Rong pressed his forehead firmly against the cold ground, his posture so humble it was almost invisible.

He repeated his plea for mercy with all his might, expressing his loyalty...

His words echoed across the battlefield, then were swallowed by boundless silence, receiving no response.

This silence made Shen Rong even more uneasy than scolding or cursing.

Sweat mixed with blood and mud dripped from his forehead. His arms, held high above his head for so long, began to ache and tremble, but he dared not move. He even let the half-congealed blood from Anyang County drip onto his head and face, like crawling insects, without daring to wipe it away...

Time seems to have frozen.

Every breath felt like a year.

Shen Rong's heart was pounding wildly in his chest, almost as if it would explode.

He prayed frantically in his heart, praying that his performance would move that high and mighty general, at least...

At least it would earn them a "pardon".

Didn't this General of the Cavalry say before that there are three levels of surrender?
He may not be top-tier now, but he can be considered average, right?

Finally, the deathly silence was broken.

But it didn't come from Fei Qian...

The General of the Cavalry turned his head slightly and whispered something to a scholar beside him who was unremarkable in appearance and even somewhat ugly.

The stout, dark-skinned scholar nodded, a sly, enigmatic smile playing on his lips. He then spurred his warhorse forward, slowly emerging from the crowd and, escorted by a squad of elite knights, arriving before the kneeling Anyang people.

Shen Rong's heart tightened, but then a glimmer of hope arose within him.

The general has sent his trusted strategist to make contact, which is a good thing!
This means the other party is willing to talk!
Shen Rong immediately lowered his head even further and shouted in an even more obsequious tone: "This sinner, Shen Rong, respectfully welcomes the strategist! The strategist's wisdom is boundless..."

Pang Tong, however, seemed not to hear Shen Rong's flattery at all, and instead focused his gaze on the bloody head.

Pang Tong's face showed an exaggerated expression of shock. "Ahhhhhh! What...what is this?!"

Pang Tong pointed at the severed head, his body even leaning back slightly, as if he had been greatly shocked. "This...this could be...the magistrate of Anyang County?! You...you actually killed a high-ranking official of the imperial court, the head of a county?!"

This exclamation, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, instantly stunned everyone.

Shen Rong was caught completely off guard and was utterly stunned. He instinctively looked up at Pang Tong, only to see the horrified expression on the other's face, and for a moment, his head felt like it was buzzing...

What on earth is going on?!
How come you're a better actor than me?!

Shen Rong's mind went blank for a moment. He thought to himself, "What's going on? Could it be that they're deliberately setting me up so I can claim my 'merits'?"

People always like to hear what they want to hear and see what they want to see...

"It is...it is this very scoundrel!" Shen Rong quickly followed up, trying to make his tone sound both indignant and righteous. "Reporting to the strategist! This corrupt official is stubborn and incorrigible, wholeheartedly loyal to the traitor Cao, and has even attempted to coerce the entire city's soldiers and civilians into resisting the imperial army! To protect the lives of all the city's inhabitants from devastation, the people of this city had no choice but to perform this righteous act to rid the people of this scourge! This is..."

"Shut up!" Pang Tong shouted abruptly, interrupting Shen Rong's boasting.

Pang Tong's exaggerated shock instantly transformed into a grim, judge-like expression, his gaze sharp as a knife, fixed on Shen Rong's face. "Shen Rong! I ask you! According to the Han law, what is the punishment for murdering a local official appointed by the court?! Hmm?!"

Han Dynasty Law?
What crime?

Like ice water poured over his head, Pang Tong's words instantly extinguished any lingering hope and smugness in Shen Rong's heart!
The color drained from Shen Rong's face in an instant, and his pupils contracted sharply due to extreme fear!
Is this fat, dark-skinned guy trying to get me to show off?!

He's questioning me!

It was only at this moment that Shen Rong suddenly realized that the other party was not appreciating his "surrender" or affirming his "righteousness" at all, but was pursuing his death sentence for "unauthorized killing of an official of the imperial court"!

"Military... Strategist... I... I'm doing this..." Shen Rong panicked completely, his tongue tied in knots, trying to explain incoherently, "I did this to welcome the royal army... for the people of Anyang... this scoundrel deserves his fate... he..."

Shen Rong tried in vain to straighten the head of the Anyang County Magistrate, as if trying to prove the 'correctness' of his words and actions.

However, in Pang Tong's eyes, all of Shen Rong's performance and sophistry seemed so pale and laughable. Shen Rong's self-righteous "cleverness" and meticulously planned "gift" were nothing but a clumsy farce in Pang Tong's eyes.

Pang Tong, utterly disregarding his nonsense, retorted sharply: "The Han law clearly states: murdering a superior is tantamount to treason, an unforgivable crime! It is one of the ten heinous crimes! Shen Rong, you are merely a local tyrant; who gave you the authority to kill a court official without authorization?!"

"No! No! Strategist, spare me! General, spare me!" Shen Rong completely broke down. The white banner slipped from his grasp, and his head rolled into the mud. Tears streamed down his face as he crawled forward like a mangy dog, trying to grab Pang Tong's horse's legs and beg for mercy. "This sinner knows his mistake! This sinner was confused for a moment! Please, Strategist, have mercy! Please, General..."

Pang Tong didn't even glance at Shen Rong again, as if looking at him would defile him. He abruptly waved his hand, his voice as cold as iron, "Shen Rong murdered a high-ranking official of the court; the evidence is irrefutable, and according to the law, he should be executed! Guards! Execute him immediately!! To uphold the law of the land!!"

At the command, fierce cavalrymen immediately strode forward and, without a word, trampled Shen Rong, who was wailing and begging for mercy, to the ground.

Clang!

The sword was drawn, its cold light flashing.

"No—! You can't kill me! I've rendered service to Anyang! I've rid the people of a scourge! I want to see the General! I want to see…"

Shen Rong let out a desperate and unwilling roar, his limbs struggling wildly.

But all the struggles were in vain.

A flash of cold light!
*Click!*

Shen Rong's roar came to an abrupt halt.

A head flew off, spraying blood several feet away. The headless corpse was carelessly thrown into the mud by the soldiers, where it rolled right next to the head of the Anyang County Magistrate.

The "righteous man" who was just shouting and praising his merits was now dead and beheaded.

The entire scene was deathly silent.

All the officials and gentry from Anyang who followed Shen Rong in surrendering were terrified. They prostrated themselves on the ground, trembling like leaves, not daring to breathe, for fear that they would be next.

Pang Tong didn't even glance at Shen Rong's corpse. His gaze swept over the trembling surrendered soldiers, and he coldly ordered: "From this moment forward, the cavalry will take over the defense of Anyang! The Shen family is suspected of treason, framing colleagues, embezzling public property, and resisting the royal army. Their crimes are grave. Their property is to be confiscated immediately, and the chief members of the family will be imprisoned and severely interrogated! The rest will be spared for now. Everyone should remain in their positions, assist the army in maintaining order, and open the granaries to provide relief to the poor people in the city! Anyone who takes advantage of the chaos to cause trouble or commit evil deeds will be killed without exception!"