Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 892: Big Trouble Has Arrived!

His gaze swept over the intruding armed reconnaissance company members, finally settling on the faces of the leading captain and Wei Tong.

Outside the door, four team members disguised as guards stood frozen in place, not daring to move. In the shadows, several auras had already locked onto the area, followed by the sound of rifles being chambered.

"You dared to trespass into the Imperial Guard's logistics area, even when His Majesty was stationed there." Xia Lin slowly peeled the charred skin off a potato. "You bunch of little brats, you've really grown bold."

The captain's Adam's apple bobbed, and he forced a smile, clasping his hands in a fist salute: "Commander Xia, we..."

"You came out looking for food because you were hungry, right?" Xia Lin interrupted him, took a bite of potato, and hissed as it was too hot. "You even found your way to His Majesty's doorstep and took down four Imperial Guards. Not bad, your skills haven't been wasted."

Wei Tong took half a step forward, her face paint unable to conceal her resolute determination: "Commander Xia, I'm the one who got everyone here! If you're going to punish someone, punish me!"

"Oh, you're quite loyal, aren't you?" Xia Lin chuckled, turning his gaze to the doorway. "Jiuzhen, did you hear that?"

Sun Jiuzhen appeared silently at the kitchen door like a ghost, still wearing that inconspicuous gray clothes. He first nodded slightly to Xia Lin, then his cold gaze swept over the members of the Armed Investigation Company.

"Seven infiltration routes on the perimeter, three groups of sentries eliminated, the methods were acceptable. The core area defense identification was delayed by four breaths, failing grade." His calm voice sent chills down the spines of every member of the armed reconnaissance company: "According to the law, this should be treated as espionage."

The air in the kitchen condensed.

Spying on military secrets is a capital offense in wartime.

Just then, a series of hurried and orderly footsteps came from outside the courtyard. The torchlight illuminated the outside of the window, and a dignified and angry voice pierced the night: "Who dares to make a fuss here!"

The curtain was suddenly flung open, and Third Sister stood outside the door, her phoenix eyes filled with frost, her face ashen.

Behind her, General Wei and a group of Imperial Guards officers were all clad in armor, their faces ashen.

Clearly, the commotion here has alerted the entire camp.

Soon, Third Sister's gaze first fell on Xia Lin, who was squatting by the stove eating potatoes. Her brows furrowed, and then she swept her gaze over the subdued guards and the armed reconnaissance company crammed into the kitchen before finally settling on Sun Jiuzhen.

"Who can tell me?" Third Sister's voice wasn't loud, but her spiritual pressure was already about to burst forth: "In the dead of night, why are so many elite Wei troops gathered in my Imperial Guard camp? Xia Lin, shouldn't you give me an explanation?"

Xia Lin stuffed the last bite of potato into his mouth, clapped his hands, and stood up: "What's there to explain? Your soldiers were lax in their defenses, and my men sneaked into the kitchen. It's that simple."

"Looking for food?" Third Sister laughed angrily. "You've found my camp? And you've even injured my guards! Wei Dingfang!"

General Wei trembled and suddenly stepped forward, kneeling on one knee: "Your subject is here!"

"Is this the Northern Imperial Guard under your command? They had their commander's flag stolen by five hundred men in broad daylight, and their entire camp was wiped out without a sound at night! You, the Left General of the Martial Guard, are you being too complacent in your position!"

Third Sister's chest heaved, clearly furious. The anger that had been building up from the disastrous defeat in the daytime training was now completely ignited.

General Wei was covered in cold sweat and lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to speak. When he saw his daughter among the Wei soldiers, he was filled with anxiety, anger, shame, and indignation.

"And you too!" Third Sister's gaze pierced the entire Martial Investigation Company: "Wei soldiers, trespassing into the Tang camp is tantamount to provocation! Do you really think I dare not punish you?"

The captain and all the members of the armed reconnaissance company knelt on one knee, heads bowed and silent. Wei Tong bit her lip, her nails digging deep into her palms.

Xia Lin picked at his ear, walked over to Third Sister, and sighed, "Alright, calm down. It's just kids fooling around, it's not that serious. Blame it on my lax discipline and failure to keep their mouths shut."

"Nonsense?" Third Sister suddenly turned to him. "This is nonsense? Xia Lin, this is my military camp! Not your county office! If everyone uses this as an excuse to trespass, what about national laws and military regulations? What about my dignity!"

She spoke not only to Xia Lin, but also to all the Li Tang generals behind her. The defeat during the day had already caused the military to lose face; if tonight's events were to be let off lightly, the emperor's prestige and the military law of Li Tang would be completely destroyed.

Xia Lin's nonchalant expression vanished, replaced by a serious tone: "Then proceed according to military law. Trespassing on military grounds and assaulting guards deserve the appropriate punishment. The entire armed reconnaissance company of the guard battalion will receive thirty strokes of the cane and be confined for three days. The captain will be dismissed and demoted to a common soldier."

He then pointed to the Tang soldiers who were dazed and confused after the attack: "They were negligent in their duties and should be punished. But considering that they were ambushed, their punishment will be reduced. What do you say?"

This punishment was undeniably severe, especially for the guard battalion that had just made a great contribution. The members of the armed reconnaissance company did not look too good, but no one spoke up to argue.

Third Sister stared at Xia Lin with a complicated expression.

But her anger was hard to quell. Her gaze swept over Wei Tong, who was kneeling on the ground, and then looked at General Wei, whose face was pale. She said coldly, "Wei Dingfang, you have done a good job of raising your daughter!"

General Wei kowtowed, crying out, "I have failed to properly educate my daughter and deserve to die! I beg Your Majesty to punish me severely!"

Wei Tong suddenly looked up: "Your Majesty! This matter was caused by me alone, and has nothing to do with my father! Please punish me alone!"

"Punish you?" Third Sister sneered. "Do you think you can bear it? If it weren't for your special status, tonight's events would have warranted even your head being chopped off!"

These words were extremely harsh, and Wei Tong's face turned deathly pale instantly. She understood that His Majesty was truly enraged and might even use this opportunity to reprimand the entire Wei family, and even all the Imperial Guard generals.

The atmosphere had reached a breaking point. Xia Lin rubbed his temples; he really had a headache.

He understood Third Sister; he knew she was establishing her authority and using this as an excuse to make a fuss. But this was no small matter. Infiltrating a military camp at night was a serious crime. Even though it was an allied camp, it was something that could be said however one wanted.

He stepped forward, blocking Wei Tong and San Niang: "That's enough. Making such a fuss over a few potatoes in the middle of the night, aren't you afraid of being laughed at if word gets out? Disperse quickly, go to sleep, and those who should be punished should go and receive their punishment."

Third Sister glared at him fiercely, knowing that he was trying to smooth things over, but the stalemate was indeed difficult to resolve if it continued. She took a deep breath, suppressed her anger, and turned away with a flick of her sleeve.

"Wei Dingfang, keep your men in check! If they make another mistake, you will be punished for both crimes!" "Your subject obeys!" General Wei kowtowed heavily.

"As for you," Third Sister said coldly, her back to the Armed Reconnaissance Company, "go back to your camp and receive your punishment! If you dare to set foot in Tang Camp again, you will be treated as spies and killed without exception."

"Yes!" the members of the Armed Reconnaissance Company responded in unison, as if they had been granted a pardon.

Without another word, Third Sister quickly left, surrounded by a group of generals. Before getting up, General Wei glanced at his daughter with a complex expression, his eyes filled with reproach and worry, which ultimately turned into a silent sigh before he hurriedly followed.

Inside the kitchen, only Xia Lin, Sun Jiuzhen, and the rest of the armed reconnaissance company remained.

Xia Lin kicked the captain's boot: "What are you all standing there for? Waiting for them to make you a midnight snack? Get back here, you're getting thirty lashes, not a single one less."

"Yes, Commander Xia!" The captain quickly stood up and led his team to retreat.

Sun Jiuzhen looked at Xia Lin, who waved his hand at her: "It's alright, you should go and rest too."

Sun Jiuzhen nodded, her figure disappearing back into the shadows.

In the blink of an eye, only Xia Lin remained in the noisy kitchen. He bent down and pulled two more potatoes from the ashes in the stove, blew off the ash, and stuffed them into his pocket, muttering, "Damn it, I can't even roast a potato in peace..."

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, news of the punishment spread.

The entire armed reconnaissance company of the Great Wei Guard Battalion was punished with thirty strokes of the military rod for trespassing into the Li Tang Imperial Guard camp last night, and the captain was dismissed.

The execution was carried out openly at the guard camp's location. The cracking of the military batons and the suppressed groans made the faces of the soldiers from both armies who were watching solemn.

Meanwhile, the officers and soldiers of the Northern Garrison of the Li Tang Dynasty who were on duty in the logistics area last night were also punished to varying degrees for their lax defense, with some being fined, some demoted, and some flogged.

General Wei Dingfang of the Left Guard was punished for failing to manage his subordinates strictly. He was fined half a year's salary and ordered to rectify military discipline within a specified period.

A night raid triggered by hunger ultimately ended with both sides bearing equal blame. On the surface, His Majesty the Emperor appeared fair and impartial. But in reality, it was the Tang Dynasty that had utterly lost face.

If this wasn't Xia Lin's person, and if it was an assassin from another country, then the outcome is self-evident. Whether it's Xia Lin or San Niang, if either of them were to be assassinated, the world would descend into chaos, and blood would flow like rivers.

However, the Li Tang military, especially the veteran noble generals, had many complaints about this result.

They believed that His Majesty's punishment of the Wei army was too lenient. Thirty strokes of the cane were nothing more than a tickle to those tough and tough elites, while their own generals were severely punished, which was clearly a sign of favoritism.

General Wei became the unfortunate man in everyone's eyes because of his daughter, and his reputation was greatly damaged.

On the Wei army's side, the general of the expeditionary force, along with the "political commissar," pulled the entire battalion out for ideological criticism, giving them a thorough and scathing dressing-down.

Wei Tong lay on the hard bed in the tent, the bruises on her buttocks and legs burning with pain, but the torment in her heart was far greater than the physical suffering. She had not only caused all the brothers in her company to be punished, but she had also made her father lose face in front of his colleagues at court.

The thought of her father's eyes when he left made her wish she could turn back time.

"Don't think about it anymore." Her sister in the same tent handed her a bowl of water: "Commander Xia has already done his best to negotiate. Otherwise, according to the law, we wouldn't be able to get away with just thirty lashes."

Wei Tong buried her face in her arms, her voice muffled: "My father..."

"General Wei is a sensible man; he won't really blame you. If anyone is to blame, it's our bad luck to have run into His Majesty in the camp."

At this moment, the tent flap was lifted, and the former captain, who had been relieved of his duties, now wore only an ordinary soldier's uniform and carried medicine for his wounds as he walked in.

"Medicine." His tone remained calm, as if he weren't the one who had been dismissed.

Wei Tong propped herself up, her eyes slightly red: "Captain, I'm sorry..."

"It has nothing to do with you." The former captain put the ointment aside and smiled helplessly. "It was my misjudgment. As the commander, the responsibility lies with me."

He paused, then looked at Wei Tong: "As for you, what are your thoughts after this incident?"

Wei Tong shook her head blankly.

"Why are we being punished? Not for stealing food, but for breaking the rules and crossing the line." The former captain's voice was low: "Tang and Wei are now allies, not enemies, but they are still two countries. There are some lines that cannot be crossed. No matter how brave an individual is or how sophisticated a team's tactics are, without a sense of the big picture and the ability to distinguish between what is important and what is not, it will eventually lead to disaster. This time it's thirty lashes, next time it could be losing your head. This is what I just said in my speech, and I've given it to you."

His words struck Wei Tong like a hammer blow. She had always thought that as long as she was highly skilled, she could act without restraint, but she forgot that she was in a complex vortex of politics and diplomacy.

At the same time, in the study of the Eastern Palace.

Li Zhi frowned slightly as he listened to Zhang Jianzhi's report on the turmoil of the previous night and its aftermath.

“Father’s actions may seem like he’s punishing everyone equally, but in reality, he’s shifting the main pressure onto himself,” Li Zhi said softly. “The Tang army will feel the punishment is unfair.”

Xiao Wu, who was organizing documents, looked up when he heard this and said, "Sister Wei has really run into a trap this time. She's such a troublesome little girl."

"Such a big commotion caused by hunger, I have to say that Master's training corps really has no one in their eyes." Zhang Jianzhi shook his head and laughed, "They don't take the Imperial Guards seriously at all."

“They certainly have the right to be arrogant,” Li Zhi sighed. “The imperial guards of my Great Tang are indeed incompetent. Sigh…it’s a headache.”

(End of this chapter)