The fiercest soldier of the border army

Tang Shun and his four companions were escorted by soldiers and taken to a high platform.

A soldier behind them kicked several men in the back of the knees, forcing them to kneel on the ground.

Tang Shun had his wrists bound with iron chains and his hands tied behind his back, looking every bit like a criminal.

Cheng Feng was on his left, his eyes bloodshot, his jaw clenched, and veins bulging on his forehead, as if he were about to break free of his ropes and pounce on him at any moment!

Wei Zong and the others were either frustrated or resigned to their fate.

The soldiers below the stage erupted in uproar.

Someone recognized Tang Shun.

A soldier with a stubble-covered face squeezed to the front, pointed at the platform, and whispered, "Isn't that the captain guarding the pass? He's the one who cut off the head of the Right Commander!"

Someone next to him pulled him back and whispered, "Shut up! Are you out of your mind?"

The man didn't back down. "I saw him charge out of the city walls with my own eyes, killing countless enemies. Now you're saying he's a spy? Bullshit!"

Someone recognized Tang Shun and privately pleaded for justice.

But most people didn't recognize the people on stage.

A soldier shouted, "What heinous crime have they committed?"

"Yes, what crime did you commit?"

Wang Xianghong stood in front of Tang Shun, the hem of his robe fluttering gently in the night breeze.

He raised his hand and pressed his palm down.

The audience gradually quieted down.

"Gentlemen," Wang Xianghong said forcefully, drawing his breath from his dantian, "those who have rendered meritorious service will be honored, and those who have committed wrongdoings will be punished. Military law is as solid as a mountain, and no one can be spared."

"Now I will tell you what crime they committed!"

Wang Xianghong paused, his gaze sweeping over every face in the audience.

"Tang Shun was originally a junior soldier in our school, but he was promoted to squad leader for his meritorious service in covering the rear."

"However, this man was still not satisfied. Considering that he was newly promoted to squad leader and did not understand military affairs, the school assigned him to guard the fortress and did not need to fight in the field."

The soldiers whispered among themselves.

Everyone knows that there are countless ways to fight, and compared to fighting the Huns in the wild, defending a city is undoubtedly a relatively easy task.

The Xiongnu were skilled in archery and horsemanship, but were not adept at attacking cities.

Wang Xianghong continued:

"But he harbored treacherous intentions. When the Xiongnu pressed in, and our troops led our men into the pass, he refused to open the gate with these few men, resulting in the annihilation of our soldiers in the field!"

With each sentence Wang Xianghong spoke, he took a step forward.

Finally, he stood directly in front of Tang Shun, looking down at him.

Tang Shun sneered.

What a clever way of avoiding the main issue!

The soldiers were wiped out in the field; those who didn't know better might have thought that hundreds or thousands had died!

"What?! It's such a heartless beast?"

"You bastard, you bastard!"

"Kill them! Kill them!"

The soldiers below the stage were confused, but they believed that Wang Xianghong was the number one hero of the great victory, and that his words were the truth!

So they all started shouting for war and killing.

In an instant, Tang Shun and his companions were cursed and scorned by the crowd, who wished they could kill them.

With his back to the soldiers and facing Tang Shun, Wang Xianghong's lips curled into a smug smile that almost overflowed.

He closed his eyes, seemingly thoroughly enjoying the spotlight.

Then, he turned around abruptly and shouted:

"These scoundrels are unforgivable! Guards—"

Five swordsmen emerged from the side curtain, clad in armor and wielding axes, their steps steady.

They walked behind Tang Shun and his group of five, stood still, raised their axes, and pointed the blades diagonally towards the sky.

The audience fell into a deathly silence.

The soldiers stood on tiptoe, staring intently at the stage.

Some looked on with pity, while others were filled with anticipation.

Cheng Feng suddenly looked up, the veins in his neck seemed about to burst, and he struggled desperately, but several armored soldiers held him down by the shoulders, making him unable to move.

Wei Zong closed his eyes, his lips moved slightly, as if he were silently reciting something.

Liang Enyi straightened his back, his eye twitched slightly, but he ultimately did not bow his head.

Zhu Hang nodded his head to the ground, seemingly resigned to his fate.

Wang Xianghong took a deep breath and raised his right hand.

"These five men are disloyal and unjust, abandoning their comrades to their deaths and violating military regulations invisibly. Today, they will be beheaded and their heads displayed as a warning to others!"

"Gentlemen, let us all see—killing was not my intention, but it is an offense unacceptable under military law!"

He swung his arm down.

"Execute!"

The swordsman stepped forward in response, his left foot on the ground, his right arm raised high with his battle axe. With a flash of cold light, the axe blade pressed down.

At that very moment—

Boom!

A deep, resonant drumbeat, heavy and lingering, pierced through everything.

Boom!Boom!Boom!

Then, one sound after another followed.

Everyone was taken aback and looked in unison at the gate of the governor's mansion.

That's the grievance drum.

The drum, silent for a century, was struck at this moment.

Wang Xianghong's hand froze in mid-air, and the knife-wielder also stopped moving. The axe blade hovered three inches above Tang Shun's head, not falling.

The crowd below the stage turned their heads in unison, looking towards the drum pavilion in front of the governor's mansion.

A woman was standing in front of the drum.

She was only seventeen or eighteen years old, wearing a coarse cloth dress, her hair loose, her face covered in dust, and she was holding a drumstick in her hand.

Her shoulders were sharp and narrow, and her chest heaved violently, as if she had run a long way.

dong dong dong-

The old drum was struck, and dust was shaken off.

Boom!

Another sound.

Immediately afterwards, footsteps could be heard in the distance.

As they approached, they became increasingly dense.

One after another, crowds of people surged along the main road.

Thousands of people, dressed in rags, including men, women, and children, were survivors of the Battle of Xiushui.

They came all the way from Xiushui; some were on crutches, some were carrying children, and some had scars on their faces.

They walked to the governor's mansion and stopped.

The leader was an old man with white hair and beard, leaning on a wooden stick.

He stepped forward, his voice hoarse yet powerful: "Innocent!"

The crowd shouted in unison:

"injustice--!"

"injustice--!"

"injustice--!"

The sound waves crashed against the high platform.

Wang Xianghong's expression changed drastically, and he turned around sharply to look at the commander's seat.

Chen Sili, the prefect of Datong, and Wang Jinda, the commander-in-chief, suddenly stood up.

Chen Sili originally came to show off and reward the troops, and then to witness a proper interrogation and an execution to shock the morale of the army. But now the situation has completely spiraled out of control.

His gaze swept over the drum pavilion, then looked at the people rushing towards him in the distance, his brows furrowed.

The soldiers below the stage began to stir.

Wang Xianghong forced himself to remain calm, raised his hand and shouted, "Who are you? How dare you trespass on this important military and political area! Men, stop them!"

Several armored soldiers rushed forward, brandishing their spears to block their way.

The old man stepped forward, leaning on his cane, and stared directly at the armored soldiers: "You're stopping me? What? Is the grievance drum set up by the Great Qian Emperor useless now?"

The soldier opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word.

"The people of Xiushui Town bear witness! Captain Tang is a good official!" the old man roared. "If you want to arrest, arrest us too! If you want to kill, kill us all!"

The people shouted in unison, "Kill them all! Kill them all!"

Each face was etched with anger and sorrow.

Sweat beaded on Wang Xianghong's forehead, and he dared not give any more orders.

He turned to look at Chen Sili, his eyes pleading for help.

Chen Sili sat in a high position, his expression shifting between light and dark.

He knew that if this strike were to be delivered, the entire city of Datong would be in an uproar the next day.

These people were not a mob; they were witnesses to the Battle of Xiushui and the people who witnessed Tang Shun's survival.

Killing Tang Shun is easy, but once the news gets out, there will be no turning back!

Tang Shun remained kneeling in the center of the platform, his wrists bleeding from the iron chains, and his clothes soaked with cold sweat.

He heard the drums, the shouts, and the girl's trembling voice.

The wind blew from afar, carrying the scent of sand and dust.

He suddenly remembered what Su Shu had said last night: "As long as someone remembers, we haven't lost."

At that moment, he heard it.

The footsteps of the people grew closer, and their shouts grew louder and louder.

"injustice--!"

"injustice--!"

"injustice--!"

Standing on the stage, Wang Xianghong's face turned from red to white, then from white to green, and finally he couldn't help but take a half step back...