The fiercest soldier of the border army

Wang Xianghong's fingers trembled almost imperceptibly.

They bribed Shi Hanshan and captured Tang Shun and his party, but they never expected that the poorest people, who were barely scraping by, would dare to leave the remote Xiushui Town and run to Datong City to beat the drum!

Moreover, it was a reward ceremony for the troops, held in full view of everyone!

Wang Xianghong was shocked, angry, and uneasy. He tried to remain calm, but his eyes widened and he kept glancing at the commander for help.

Wang Jinda's face was grim. He lowered his head and whispered something to Chen Sili, the prefect of Datong, for a moment. Chen Sili nodded and walked towards the gate of the prefect's mansion.

He had no choice but to go; the grievance drum had been sounded, and as the prefect, he had to step forward.

As the people drew closer, their cries for justice grew louder and louder, like a tidal wave crashing down.

Public opinion is boiling!

Hearing the commotion, many people in the city stopped and watched from a distance.

Countless eyes were fixed on the entrance to the governor's mansion, and also on the governor of Datong, who was dressed in a red official robe and wore a black gauze hat.

A commotion broke out at the governor's mansion as many constables rushed over and quickly blocked the steps in front of the mansion to prevent the people from advancing any further.

"What do you intend to do?"

Chen Sili was shocked and furious. His eyes widened. "Are you gathering a crowd to surround the government office, intending to rebel?!"

The old farmer from Xiushui had already shouted loudly, his purpose needing no further explanation!

They came specifically for Tang Shun!

Chen Sili just wanted to resolve the matter as soon as possible; otherwise, he would find it difficult to back down.

The person closest to him was Su Shu.

Su Shu was dressed in coarse cloth, her face still beautiful, but she exuded a calmness that was incongruous with her age.

She sneered, "Your Excellency, you have quite the airs of an official. Our founding emperor taught that if the people have any great grievances, they can beat the drum in the government office to appeal for justice."

"If the injustice is serious, one can even go to the capital to appeal to the emperor."

"Your Excellency, without even distinguishing right from wrong, immediately accuses me of rebellion. Aren't you the one who's rebelling?"

Chen Sili's face darkened, but he was also startled.

Who is this woman?

Ordinary people are not afraid of officials; it is true that one should not fight against officials.

Moreover, most ordinary people are illiterate, so how would they know anything about the ancestral teachings of the founding emperor?

This woman not only knew, but she was also fearless and confronted him in return!

Su Shu raised her head, her voice clearly audible:

"Your Excellency, I have a complaint to file."

Chen Sili's face darkened, and he did not respond to her.

Su Shu took another step forward.

"We all know about the battle at Xiushui Town..."

Wang Xianghong's heart was racing; he could hear his own heart pounding.

He disregarded everything else and shouted, "Shut up! Shut up!"

Having said that, he ran towards the governor's mansion like a madman.

Su Shu remained unyielding, speaking rapidly, "Team Leader Tang is being persecuted by the town's supervisory office. Xiushui Town refuses to open its gates, leaving him no choice but to build a city!"

"He did not force the people; it was all done voluntarily by the people."

"In half a month, the people of Xiushui were of one mind and followed Captain Tang's orders to build a fortified city from the ground."

"The fortress was short of food, but the captain used his own salary to buy it, and not a single person starved to death."

"When the Xiongnu attacked, the captain took the lead and led the soldiers and local militia to defend the city to the death, so that the people of Xiushui could survive."

When the grain ran out, he cooked his own rations into porridge and shared it with the elderly and weak.

"The sandbags are almost piled up to the top of the wall. He had people sprinkle lime to blind the Xiongnu, causing chaos among them!"

"You say he killed his comrades? But we saw with our own eyes that he led the people, enduring three days and three nights on the city wall, without even a hot meal!"

Every time she spoke, the room fell silent.

"Shut up! Shut up! Be quiet!"

Wang Xianghong, acting like a madman, tried to rush towards Su Shu and force her to shut up.

The people of Xiushui Town hated him so much that they spontaneously stepped forward and hugged him tightly, making him unable to move.

Filled with boundless hatred, Wang Xianghong shouted, "Prefect Chen, seize her! Seize her! She's lying!"

Commander-in-Chief Wang Jinda also shouted, "Prefect!"

Chen Sili's lips moved, but he ultimately made no move.

He dares not!

Under the spotlight, if Su Shu is not allowed to finish speaking before being hastily taken down, rumors will likely spread like wildfire within a few days, enough to devour him alive.

To the south of Datong lies Tingzhou, the seat of Beiting!

Tingzhou is not only governed by a military governor, but also by the crown prince!

Su Shu not only didn't flinch, but instead stepped forward. "Captain Wang, didn't you say all your men were killed?"

"That night, we all heard the sound of horses' hooves. It was clear that the stone gates of the city wall were difficult to open, but you were afraid of the Xiongnu and tried to escape around the wall. As a result, the Xiongnu caught up with you, put a rope around your neck, and dragged you away!"

"You're lucky to have come back alive, and now you're called a hero? The biggest hero?"

As she finished speaking, Su Shu's voice trembled slightly, but remained firm.

"If you want to kill Captain Tang and the others... fine."

"But you can't let them die without knowing the truth! If he's truly guilty, produce the evidence!"

"If not... then you are framing loyal and virtuous officials!"

"Captain Tang, you spared the lives of three thousand people from Xiushui, who fought valiantly. What wrong have you done?"

After Su Shu finished speaking, she threw the drumsticks to the ground, knelt down with a thud, and slammed her forehead heavily against the stone slab.

Boom!

"Your Excellency, this is the grievance of three thousand people in Xiushui. We implore you... to investigate thoroughly!"

dong dong dong-

Another muffled thud could be heard from the scene.

This time, it wasn't the sound of drums.

It was the sound of ragged people kneeling down in unison.

A comical scene is unfolding in front of the governor's mansion.

On one side, there was a ceremony to reward the troops, with red decorations and colorful banners adorning the stage and the troops lined up.

On the other side, thousands of people knelt down, shouting their grievances and pleading for justice.

In the distance, the people of Datong were watching.

It can't be suppressed! It can't be suppressed!

The soldiers below the stage began to stir.

People were whispering among themselves.

"What's going on? Is this really true?"

"Are those mutinous soldiers on the stage, with rags stuffed in their mouths and about to be executed, the real heroes?"

"Captain Wang, did you steal someone else's military merits?"

Someone asked in a low voice.

One of Shi Hanshan's personal guards, who had witnessed Tang Shun kill the Xiongnu's Right Chieftain, roared, "Damn it, I can't stand it anymore!"

"What this girl said is true!"

"The city was built by Tang's team, and the Xiongnu were able to escape unscathed because Tang's team suffered over a thousand casualties!"

"The Right Commander of the Xiongnu was also killed by the Tang team!"

"Captain Wang, you have stolen military merits and framed loyal officials! This is an outrage against Heaven!"

These words immediately elicited a thunderous uproar from the audience, which quickly spread.

"What? Is that really true?"

"Did we... wrongly accuse an innocent person?"

"Is this what a hero is?"

Tang Shun turned his head and looked at the stubborn and strong Su Shu. For some reason, his eyes became a little moist.

Cheng Feng and his companions went completely mad, laughing hysterically with tears streaming down their faces.

They weren't afraid; they were moved and grateful.

Wang Jinda and his nephew Wang Xianghong looked ashen-faced.

At this moment, on the official road leading to the South Gate, gongs and drums cleared the way, and heavy cavalry escorted the way.

A procession was marching toward the governor's mansion.

In the center, there was a blue carriage.

The carriage wasn't luxurious; it was simple and unadorned, yet it exuded an indescribable aura.

Someone shouted:

"Make way for those who came before!"

"The military governor of Beiting has arrived!"