Red Mansion: Seizing Jiangdong, starting with pirates

Chapter 297, Princess Imin

Tian Tianrui's Guardian Army set off from Kaifeng, choosing the flat official road as their route. The entire journey was about 600 li, and they traveled 60 li a day, so they would arrive in Handan in about ten days.

This speed wasn't too fast, but it was definitely not slow either, especially for Tian Tianrui's 270,000 troops who hadn't received much training; it was practically a forced march.

Of course, Tian Tianrui's army also had an advantage that no other army could replicate.

That means the load is extremely small.

Without armor, swords, or even rations, the soldiers traveled light, which naturally increased their marching speed compared to other armies.

Tiegen followed the group, taking firm steps.

Before the march, Tian Tianrui slaughtered pigs and cattle to reward the soldiers. The soldiers had a good meal and were therefore very strong. Tie Gen even got a piece of meat!
On the first day, the army was in high spirits, the soldiers had the most energy, and marched the fastest, covering 65 li (approximately 32.5 kilometers).

However, even after a period of intense marching, the generals did not stop embezzling military rations.

Dinner consisted of a large bowl of porridge that was neither too thin nor too thick, containing mashed sweet potatoes, corn stubble, a little bran, and a little sawdust, served with a soup made from wild vegetables.

The food was so lacking in oil and fat that even three bowls wouldn't be enough, let alone one. Tie Gen, who had been marching all day, was not full at all, and his stomach was growling with hunger at night. The other soldiers were basically in the same boat.

By the next day, the soldiers had lost all their energy and morale had plummeted.

The marching speed visibly slowed down.

Tian Tianrui ignored this situation.

He knew absolutely nothing about military campaigns.

Therefore, matters such as marching and setting up camp along the way were entrusted to several generals.

As for the generals, they never considered victory or defeat.

As long as I've made enough money, winning or losing doesn't matter.

Could he really be so loyal to His Majesty the Emperor?
how is this possible.

The group discussed privately whether to lead their troops to attack first and see how it goes.

It would be best if we could capture one or two cities.

They can make a fortune again.

If things go wrong, just surrender and use the lives of those common people to secure your future!
And so, the Holy Guardians marched slowly.

Before the Holy Guard Army arrived in Handan, Xu Shaobao was already being escorted to the capital.

Fang Yong personally interrogated him.

To be honest, Fang Yong had never even met Xu Shaobao before.

After meeting him, Fang Yong discovered that Xu Shaobao was very different from the image he had imagined.

I originally thought that judging from his name, Xu Shaobao should be of medium build and not very burly.

The reality is quite the opposite: this person is very tall and strong, with a broad frame, a wide forehead, and large eyes, which, upon closer inspection, reveal a sinister nature.

Why have you betrayed me?

Fang Yong asked the question that had been puzzling him for a long time.

When Xu Shaobao broke with the White Lotus Sect and established his own sect, he was not in a favorable position.

It was he who provided Xu Shaobao with weapons and money, helping Xu Shaobao to develop his business.

However, Xu Shaobao betrayed him without any reason and launched a surprise attack on his Huzhou and Jiaxing.

Xu Shaobao looked at Fang Yong, who was wearing a royal robe with dragon patterns, and said, word by word:
"He can be replaced!"

Fang Yong laughed and said, "Good, you have guts. Kill them!"

His men stepped forward and dragged Xu Shaobao outside.

Xu Shaobao was stunned; he hadn't expected to die so soon.

No, does the interrogation only involve asking one question?
Xu Shaobao hurriedly begged for mercy.

Fang Yong didn't even glance at him and walked straight to the back.

Xu Shaobao panicked and blurted out whatever he wanted to get Fang Yong's attention:
"Fang, you thief, you'll die a horrible death! Fang! You villain! You and the Lin family slewd..."

Fang Yongmeng turned his head sharply.

"Cut out his tongue!"

With a swift movement of his knife, a tongue fell out, and Xu Shaobao's voice was reduced to nothing more than mumbled wailing.

Fang Yongdao: "Skin them and hang them to dry in the sun at the east gate!"

The subordinate replied, "Yes!"

Then he pulled the struggling Xu Shaobao out.

Skinning and exposing the skin to the sun is a cruel form of punishment. It was first invented by Emperor Kangning, who launched many purges during his reign, resulting in the execution of many people. At that time, the most cruel form of punishment was slow slicing, also known as death by a thousand cuts.

However, this form of punishment requires considerable skill to execute; most people simply cannot make a thousand cuts, and even a hundred cuts would be difficult.

Emperor Kangning's purges always involved too many people, and there simply weren't enough executioners to carry out the necessary punishments.

Therefore, he invented an advanced version of the thousand cuts method.

The person is hung in the sun, and their skin and flesh are cut open piece by piece, usually starting with the chest, but not completely cut open, leaving a small part connected.

Then let the sun slowly dry the cut skin until it oozes pus, swells, and peels off.

Cut another piece the next day.

The prisoners remained alive throughout the entire process...

Xu Shaobao persisted for five days.

He went from cursing to begging for mercy, and then back to cursing, but unfortunately, with his tongue cut out, he couldn't speak at all and could only make the same whimpering sounds.

At that moment, he deeply regretted the words he had uttered.

I just want to die quickly.

By the sixth day, Xu Shaobao was no longer recognizable as a human.

He was stabbed six times.

Chest, face, waist, legs, arms, back.

The skin on his face was torn open, and a knife wound cut diagonally down from his eye socket. His eye had long since popped out, and pus was flowing out, with a swarm of flies crawling around inside.

"Kill him."

On the sixth day, Fang Yong gave the order. It wasn't because he was suddenly kind-hearted, but because the envoy for the grassland marriage alliance was coming, and it would be too unlucky to have this guy hanging on the city gate any longer.

Xu Shaobao is finally free.

The next day, the grassland envoy arrived.

Princess Imin rode a small red horse at the head of the procession.

Behind the procession was a carriage with a cage on it, inside which was a disheveled and filthy boy.

The young man was none other than Zhuo Erkang.

Meanwhile, Tuolei was defeated and fled with his men.

He originally intended to escape with his younger siblings, but his mother appeared and stopped him.

On the other hand, Tuolei's younger siblings are also Dorei's younger siblings. Tuolei thought that it might be better for them to stay here rather than wander with him.

Therefore, Tuolei left alone with his men.

Afterwards, Dore took up residence in the Kah Palace and, with Fang Yong's support, became the new Khan.

The first thing Dore did upon assuming the Khanate was to fulfill the alliance by sending his sister Imin to marry into the Khanate.

However, Yimin already had someone she liked and was unwilling to go through with the marriage alliance.

Dore didn't tolerate his sister's behavior and locked Emin up immediately.

And then, just like in a fairy tale.

Zhuo Erkang went to rescue his sister Yimin at night. Yimin was deeply moved, and the two confessed their feelings to each other through the door and window, pledged their lives to each other, and decided to escape the tribe and wander the world.

Then he was discovered by the guards and Zhuo Erkang was arrested on the spot.

Such a disgraceful incident cannot be tolerated.

Bazan stated that although Zhuo Erkang is his son, he is willing to put aside family ties for the greater good!
Dore then ordered the execution of Zhuo Erkang to quell Fang Yong's anger.

However, Yimin threatened to kill herself, saying that if Zhuo Erkang was killed, she would not live either.

Dore didn't care about Emin's life; she was just a younger sister, not important to him.

But the key point is that he currently only has this one suitable sister who can marry Fang Yong, and he still needs Yi Min to maintain relations between the two countries.

In this situation, Emin becomes very important.

Left with no other option, Dorrey wrote to Fang Yong to ask how to handle the situation.

He didn't intend to hide it, because everyone around him was Fang Yong's man, and it was impossible to keep such a thing a secret.

In his letter, Dore wrote that if all else failed, he could start trying now to have more daughters, since Fang Yong was still young after all…

Fang Yong was shocked by Dorei's bottom line. He stopped Dorei's idea and said that it would be fine to just send Yimin and Zhuo Erkang over together, and he would have a way to handle it.

(End of this chapter)