Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 297: The Gift of Liberation
The execution of Gao Huai was a crucial part of Xiong Tingbi's effort to win over the Liao army. However, even if he managed to win over the Liao army, it was still the Liao army that had the most to do with the foreign troops. Therefore, Xiong Tingbi didn't issue an order to the foreign army officers, as he did when welcoming the imperial envoy, demanding they send someone. Instead, he simply extended a soft invitation: come if you want, forget it if you don't.

However, the foreign soldiers obviously had no reason to refuse, so they all sent representatives into the city to watch the execution.

By the time Ding Baiying left the inn, the Youyang native soldiers, led by Lieutenant General Zhou Dunji and Chieftain Ran Jianlong, had already passed the inn with over a hundred Youyang soldiers. The Shiqu native soldiers were almost at their end as well. If she had gotten up just a quarter of an hour later, she wouldn't have been able to catch even this little tail.

Ding Baiying walked quickly along the drainage ditch beside the street to the front of the leading officers, then turned back to take a peek, but was disappointed to find that the two leading officers, one old and one young, had very obvious masculine features. Obviously, neither of them was the modern-day Mulan she had been thinking about.

But Hua Mulan didn't come, her son did. The young officer was none other than Ma Xianglin, the envoy of the Shiqu Xuanfu Division. The old man beside him was Tong Zhongkui, a veteran in his sixties, the commander-in-chief of the Sichuan Military Command.

When Xiong Tingbi petitioned Emperor Shenzong to dispatch Sichuan troops to aid Liaoning, Tong Zhongkui was actually serving as the Lieutenant General of Zunyi. After arriving in Liaodong, he was promoted to Deputy General-in-Chief of Aid to Liaodong and served as the commander of the Shiqu route among the two local troops.

In other words, he and Zhou Dunji each commanded a group of local soldiers and were both under the command of Chen Ce, the Sichuan general who aided Liao.

Tong Zhongkui, still a skilled swordsman with a sharp eye, could hardly fail to notice the female escort carrying two knives and a gun on the side of the road. However, Tong Zhongkui merely glanced at her and paid no more attention. Compared to this non-threatening woman, Tong Zhongkui was more concerned about Ma Xianglin beside him. Ever since he left home this morning, he had felt that something was amiss with the young man.

The execution site was still the busiest market entrance in the city. In front of the market was a large open space, housing a ten-foot-high scaffold. Once, several long-sipping, wind-dried corpses of spies had been hung on it. But now, the bodies, along with the racks they had been hung on, had been removed, leaving only an ordinary-looking wooden stake on the vast scaffold.

Even before the curfew was lifted, the heavily armed military governors had already used simple wooden barriers to cordon off a square area near the execution platform. At this point, they drew their spears to isolate the crowd and the growing clamor.

The crowds that came to witness the execution were simply too numerous. Just after noon, the crowds had completely blocked every intersection around the wooden barrier. As time went on, the human wall grew thicker. Even if the southern troops approached, the people were unwilling to risk losing their prime positions and making way.

There was no other way, so Governor Yuan Yingtai, who was commanding the standard-bearers to maintain order on the scene, had to send out two teams of fifty people to forcibly tear open the human wall blocking the intersection and open up a path for people to pass through.

Once the path was clear, Lieutenant General Zhou Dunji nodded to the leader of the standard-bearing troops, then gently flicked his reins and led his Youyang soldiers through the bustling, noisy, and crowded passage. Seeing the Youyang soldiers speed up, Tong Zhongkui also stepped on his horse's saddle and, along with Ma Xianglin, led the Shiqu soldiers into the open space at a similar pace.

Once all the local soldiers and foreign troops had entered, the team of standard bearers who had opened the way gradually retreated from the outside to the inside, and the passage they had cleared quickly closed back to its original shape. Moreover, the human wall seemed even more bloated than before. Ding Baiying stayed behind, but did not take this opportunity to join the front row.

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When the local soldiers from Youyang and Shiqu arrived at the open space outside the execution platform, their common commander, Chen Ce, the Sichuan General in Charge of the Liao Army, had already been waiting there for a long time, along with the two commanders of the Zhejiang troops, General Qi Jin and Lieutenant General Zhang Mingshi. The three of them gathered around Governor Yuan Yingtai, seemingly engaged in conversation.

Seeing the four people coming together, Yuan Yingtai immediately came over with Chen Ce, Qi Jin and Zhang Mingshi to greet them.

Compared to Xiong Tingbi, who had a stern face all day and was quick to call people in and scold them, Yuan Yingtai was clearly much more popular. Not only did he manage to secure the necessary rations and pay for the reinforcements, he also visited the various military camps from time to time to offer his condolences, smiling broadly whenever he saw anyone, acting like a gentleman.

But there are always two sides to the coin: some people liked him, while others disliked him. For example, Tong Zhongkui was not very fond of Yuan Yingtai, believing the governor to be too lenient, especially toward the Tatar and Jurchen surrendered soldiers gathered near Liaoyang. He believed he was simply too trusting.

After being scolded by Xiong Tingbi in Shenyang, Yuan Yingtai actually dared to publicly propose at a military meeting chaired by Xiong Tingbi that he should recruit these surrendered barbarians, arm them, and use them to fight against the Jiannu. Upon hearing this proposal, Tong Zhongkui's eyes almost popped out of his head. How could the surrendered barbarians be used just by picking them up?
Tong Zhongkui, having spent years tending to the indigenous peoples of Sichuan and Guizhou, knew that while barbarians could be educated, it took time, and trust and loyalty were never built overnight. In Tong's view, forcing the barbarians to surrender without a lengthy process of persuasion would undoubtedly add further instability to the already volatile situation in Liaodong.

Fortunately, Xiong Tingbi remained steadfast as ever. Not only did he not believe such erroneous arguments, he also sent troops to confiscate all the cattle, horses, and weapons from the Liaoyang resettlement camp. This was a harsh rebuke to Governor Yuan.

After some basic greetings, the atmosphere began to grow awkward. After all, the Zhejiang and local soldiers had just clashed. Even though Chen Ce and Qi Jin mediated and cleared up some misunderstandings, it would still take time for the two sides to truly warm up and become as close as family.

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At noon, the procession of Liaodong Governor Xiong Tingbi appeared before the crowd. Following them came a cavalry unit led by Lieutenant General Zhang Shenwu, commander of the Central Army Battalion under the Governor's command. Next came Xiong Tingbi, clad in full armor, and alongside him rode Cui Zhongqing, the Director of the Eastern Depot. Preparing for this momentous occasion, Cui Zhongqing had diligently practiced horsemanship. Xiong Tingbi, pleased to accommodate his preferences, found him a tall, docile packhorse for a slow ride. Next came the prisoner cart, escorted by infantrymen from the Camp.

"Gao Huai! Gao Huai is here!"

The sight of the prisoner van immediately triggered an unquenchable uproar and commotion. The crowd, separated by the procession, erupted in furious curses and hurled all sorts of nonsense at the occupants. Rotten vegetable leaves and small stones flew everywhere, even hitting the infantry escorting the prisoner van. Fortunately, they were fully armored, so the small objects were ineffective.

Not to mention injuring the infantry escorting the cart, the Liao people's chaotic attack could hardly even penetrate the wooden cage and injure Gao Huai, who was curled up in the prison cart. But they still tried their best to vent their anger.

The Liao people, especially those over 30 years old, have deep resentment towards Gao Huai.

In March of the 27th year of the Wanli reign, Emperor Shenzong Wanli sent eunuch Gao Huai to "open mines and collect taxes in Liaodong." Only one month after arriving in Liaodong, Gao Huai could not wait to plunder the wealth of officials and civilians, and directly interfered in the political situation in Liaodong.

Ma Lin, then the Liaodong general, refused to submit to Gao Huai's harsh demands and fought back. Gao Huai then submitted a memorial to Emperor Shenzong impeaching Ma Lin, who was subsequently dismissed. Hou Xianchun, a member of the Imperial Censorate, intervened on Ma Lin's behalf, leading Emperor Shenzong to dismiss and exile both Ma Lin and Hou Xianchun.

Gao Huai's arrogance grew even stronger. He treated Liaodong officials, whether hereditary or appointed, with contempt, "like dirt and weeds, cutting them down like grass." He even beat the military commander Zhang Ruli to death in the street simply because Commander Zhang "did not avoid being seen" and blocked "his presence."

Gao Huai was in Liao for ten years, and the people cried out to him:
The collection of mining taxes, the levying of house numbers, the use of ox carts, the seizure of the wealthy, the mobilization of laborers and artisans, the construction of memorial archways, the impersonation of military rations, the expropriation of military service, the impersonation of officials, the use of unwarranted punishments, the torture of property, and the rape of women were all carried out by officials appointed by the Ministry of Finance. Local soldiers and civilians abandoned their property and surrendered to the captives, some willingly submitted to beatings, some had their hands and feet amputated, and some even committed suicide by jumping into the river. Their suffering was inexhaustible, and they only hoped for help.

At that time, He Erjian, the Imperial Censor of Liaodong, said of Gao Huai: "Even if all the bamboos in the Nanshan Mountains were exhausted, they could not write all his filth; even if all the water in the East China Sea was drained, it could not wash away all his filth." And a folk song in Liaodong goes: "The Liao people have no brains, so Huai gouges them out; the Liao people have no marrow, so Huai sucks it out."

Gao Huai's rebellion against Liao lasted ten years, sweeping through every fortress, large and small, and plundering every household worth a hundred taels of gold. He severely harmed the people of Liaodong, exploiting both the military and civilians, levying heavy taxes and engaging in rampant fraud, committing a wide range of crimes.

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At two o'clock in the afternoon, several experienced executioners sent by the East Factory opened the door of the prison van and forcibly dragged Gao Huai, who was pale and trembling like a sieve, to the center of the execution platform.

After stripping Gao Huai completely naked, the executioners removed the shackles and chains that bound his hands and feet, tied him behind his back to a wooden stake, and covered his entire body with a fine-meshed fishing net. Finally, they tightened the net with a short wooden stick, causing his flesh to protrude through the mesh. Thus, the preparations for the ultimate punishment, lingchi, were complete.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, Cui Zhongqing, holding a bright yellow scroll, walked straight to the edge of the execution platform and stood still. He gently shook the scroll open, and before he began to read the decree, the governor Xiong Tingbi took the lead and knelt down, shouting, "Long live the emperor!"

A single stone stirred up a thousand waves. From officials to soldiers and the tens of thousands of civilians who had come to witness the execution, they all knelt in the direction of the scroll. "Long live!" For a moment, the crowd surged like a tide, the shouts like a mountain.

The scene of tens of thousands of people bowing together was even more grand than the previous reception, which made Cui Zhongqing, who was standing alone, extremely excited. He took several deep breaths before reciting in a nearly broken voice: "The Emperor, by the Mandate of Heaven, decrees this."

"Gao Huai has been abusive and lawless, undermining the Emperor's holy name and acting recklessly under the pretext of the Emperor's orders. For over a decade, he has exploited and plundered Liao, treating our people like grass and mustard. In the 250 years since our ancestors founded the country, there has never been anyone as cruel, detrimental to the nation, and disastrous to the people, as unscrupulous and unscrupulous as Gao Huai. Gao Huai's crimes cannot be atoned for by death; only lingchi (death by slicing) can alleviate my regret."

Zhu Changluo, who was far away in the Forbidden City, knew very well that the person primarily responsible for the "Gao Huai Liao Rebellion" was not Gao Huai, but the late emperor Zhu Yijun, who sent Gao Huai to Liaodong and did not impose any restrictions on him. However, "as" the son of the late emperor and the emperor of the Ming Dynasty who succeeded to the throne in accordance with the will, this imperial edict could only be written in this way.

"Appreciate this!"

After he finished reading it, Cui Zhongqing was already shaking and his face flushed red. He was obviously crying out for air.

"Long live!" When the decree spread, the voices of people inside and outside Liaoyang were like thunder and roared in shock.

"Ha! Ah! Please." Gao Huai, who had been stunned all the way, finally couldn't help but screamed.

However, the executioners did not intend to let him keep shouting like that. As soon as Gao Huai opened his mouth to roar twice, a ball of linen cloth that was so smelly that it could make people faint was stuffed into his mouth.

After reading the imperial edict, Cui Zhongqing left the execution platform holding the imperial edict. He came to Xiong Tingbi, put the imperial edict away, and asked, "Zuo Tang, is it time to start the operation?"

"Just do as the emperor orders." Even if the emperor sentenced Gao Huai to death, it would not be Xiong Tingbi's turn to shout the word "surgery".

Cui Zhongqing wasn't trying to be witty or brainstorm with Xiong Tingbi. He asked this question out of basic respect. Since Xiong Tingbi had nodded, Cui Zhongqing waved to the executioner from the East Factory. "Start the operation."

The executioner received the order and immediately took out an extremely sharp knife from the bag he was carrying. Then he casually stabbed Gao Huai's chest twice. Due to the congestion caused by the fishing net, Gao Huai's chest immediately bleeds profusely.

The cold and excessive adrenaline blurred Gao Huai's sense of pain, and he only felt a warm feeling flowing through his chest.

Gao Huai looked at the executioner with pleading eyes. If he had a mirror before him, he would surely see the reflections of those who had begged him for mercy. Back then, he had refused to spare those people, so the executioner, on his mission, would certainly not spare him either.

However, there is still grace and liberation.

The rule of lingchi was to rest after every ten cuts, and to shout after each rest. After the executioner with the knife shouted, he shook his right hand, and an extremely sharp knife replaced the small knife used to cut the flesh.

The executioner faced Gao Huai, grinned slightly, and then thrust the sharp knife into Gao Huai's pounding heart.

Gao Huai's pupils suddenly condensed, but soon they dispersed.

When the vibrations from the blade ceased, the executioner withdrew the knife and continued the execution, but by then, the person he had cut was already dead.

Xiong Tingbi had sharp eyes and was close to the scene. The moment the executioner took out the sharp knife, he noticed the flash of cold light.

"Did you see it?" Xiong Tingbi's surprise was fleeting, but it was still caught by Cui Zhongqing.

"What did you see?" Xiong Tingbi asked back.

"Haha." Cui Zhongqing shook his head and laughed, "Nothing."

(End of this chapter)