The fiercest soldier of the border army

The military governor of Beiting has arrived!

His powerful singing brought the entire audience to a standstill.

The horse-drawn carriage wheels made a dull thud as they rolled over the stone pavement.

The carriage approached from afar, its dark carriage framed by iron edges, pulled steadily by four gray horses, their hooves striking like hammers, each blow landing on one's heart.

Tang Shun remained kneeling on the high platform, the iron chains pressing into his wrist bones, his back soaked with cold sweat again and again.

Cheng Feng and his companions were thrilled. They knew that the military governor had arrived, and they could survive!

The drumbeats stopped, and the people's cries for justice ceased, like the last wave before the tide recedes, abruptly ending.

The entire venue was so quiet that you could hear the wind whistling past the corner of the flag.

Then came the soldiers' hurried footsteps.

Governor Chen Sili turned around abruptly, disregarding Su Shu and the common people, and not even glancing at Wang Jinda as he entered.

He lifted the hem of his coat and hurried out to greet them, then bent his knees and knelt down by the roadside with a thud.

"Chen Sili, Prefect of Datong, pays his respects to the Commander-in-Chief!"

The black car came to a steady stop, and the heavy curtain was lifted by a hand with distinct knuckles.

A pair of thick-soled, jet-black military boots stepped out first, landing steadily on the stone steps.

The newcomer was not particularly burly, but he had broad shoulders, a straight back, and a sturdy posture like a pine tree.

He was draped in a majestic cloak with dark red trim, and a sword hung silently at his waist, its blade still sheathed. Yet, his imposing aura pressed down heavily, causing the surrounding air to stagnate and hang low.

His cold, sharp eyes swept across the entire room. Wherever his gaze fell, no one dared to look up and meet his eyes; all lowered their heads and held their breath.

The person who arrived was Li Qing'an.

He held multiple positions, including Commissioner of the Northern Circuit, Transport Commissioner, Defense Commissioner, and Militia Commissioner, and wielded real power as the Prefect of Tingzhou.

In addition, he was responsible for observation, interviewing, handling affairs, and agricultural development.

He held supreme power over all military, political, civil, financial, and supervisory affairs in the five prefectures of Beiting, commanded tens of thousands of troops, and held the power of life and death over the people of the five prefectures.

Li Qing'an stepped out of the car, his gaze sweeping over the kneeling Chen Sili, over the stiff-standing knife-wielding men, over Tang Shun and the others tied up on the high platform, and finally landing on Wang Xianghong and his nephew.

Wang Xianghong, who had been struggling to stand, suddenly collapsed to the ground.

Wang Jinda stood half a step behind him, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead, his fingers clenching and unclenching.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that his back was completely soaked.

Li Qingan took a few steps forward, his boots landing on the stone steps, without helping Chen Sili.

"Datong City is quite lively today."

Li Qing'an spoke with a faint smile, "It seems I've arrived at an inopportune time. Governor Chen, tell me, what exactly is the purpose of this place?"

Wang Jinda and his nephew stared intently at Chen Sili, their hearts pounding in their throats.

They're afraid!

I'm afraid Chen Sili will say something inappropriate!

"Military Governor Rong Bing!"

Chen Sili prostrated himself on the ground, his voice trembling, daring not to conceal anything:

"The people beat the drums of grievance, accusing Wang Jinda and Wang Xianghong of embezzling military achievements, murdering loyal officials, and framing Captain Tang Shun..."

pat-

Wang Jinda took a half step back, seemingly stepping on something.

The uncle and nephew's anxiety finally subsided.

"Oh?" Li Qing'an's eyebrows twitched slightly, his gaze sharp as he stared directly at Wang Jinda. "You heard that? They said you were using your powers to harm people, is that true?"

Wang Jinda's throat bobbed, and he abruptly knelt on the ground, explaining in a trembling voice, "Your Excellency, this is utter nonsense!"

"Tang Shun refused to open the door, resulting in the deaths of his comrades. I will hold him accountable according to the law."

Li Qingan chuckled and glanced sideways at the group of people under the drum pavilion.

The girl was still kneeling on the spot, her forehead stained with blood.

Not a single person had left; everyone stared at the high platform, their eyes burning with anger.

Li Qing'an ignored Wang Jinda, strolled forward, walked to the edge of the platform, and looked up at Tang Shun.

For some reason, it gave Tang Shun and the others a feeling of looking down on them.

Tang Shun knelt, his back straight, his face covered in blood and dust, but his eyes were clear.

The two stared at each other for a moment, then the military governor suddenly asked, "Are you Tang Shun?"

"Yes."

"Wang Xianghong said you disobeyed military orders and refused to help your comrades?"

"The stone gate was difficult to open, and before he could open it, he tried to escape by running around the wall, but was captured by the Xiongnu with ropes."

"But—given the circumstances back then, if I had opened the door, none of these people would be alive today."

The military governor nodded and then asked, "Was the construction of the city with cement your doing?"

"I supervised its construction, and it was completed in half a month. It can withstand rain and snow."

"You're the one who distributes porridge and rice to the people?"

"A hungry man cannot defend a city wall."

The military governor was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled and turned to Chen Sili, saying:

"Prefect Chen, you did a great job in organizing the army's reward ceremony."

"Meritous officials are imprisoned and awaiting execution, while treacherous villains reap the rewards and enjoy boundless glory."

"Under your rule of Datong, you've truly put on a wonderful show."

Chen Sili trembled all over and lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to raise his head.

The military governor turned around again, his gaze falling back on Wang Jinda's face:

"I'll ask you one last time—Wang Xianghong falsely claimed credit, deceived his superiors, and framed Zhongyong. Were you aware of this? Did you condone it? Were you an accomplice?"

Wang Jinda opened his mouth, wanting to argue, but then he saw Shi Hanshan walk out from the crowd and stand beside the military governor.

His pupils contracted, and his heart sank again, plummeting to the bottom.

He finally understood—Shi Hanshan wasn't tempted by the ten thousand taels of silver at all; instead, he rushed to Tingzhou overnight to invite this gentleman over!

They're finished!

Wang Jinda glared at Shi Hanshan with hatred.

Human greed is insatiable; like a snake trying to swallow an elephant!

He had already promised him the position of Commander-in-Chief, but this man was not satisfied and set his sights on him as the Commander-in-Chief!

"Commander Shi informed me of what happened here on the way here."

Li Qing'an didn't wait for his answer. Instead, he walked towards the sea of ​​people kneeling on the ground and asked, "You all want to plead for Tang Shun, don't you?"

"We implore the governor to uphold justice!"

An elderly man spoke up, and the people behind him shouted in unison, "We beg the governor to uphold justice!"

"Right and wrong are judged by the hearts of the people," Li Qing'an said softly, then looked at Wang Jinda, "Commander Wang, what do you have to say?"

Wang Jinda was about to explain when he looked up and met Li Qingan's ambiguous smile.

His scalp tingled, and he suddenly realized something.

This is Li Qing'an! He is the military governor of Beiting!

One word could take his life!

Wang Jinda's face was ashen, and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, sliding down his neck and into his collar.

His lips trembled slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out.

Li Qing'an spoke again, "Your nephew has falsely claimed credit, deceived his superiors, framed loyal and brave men, and undermined the morale of the army and the people. According to the law, he should be executed."

Wang Xianghong's face turned deathly pale as he struggled and screamed, "No—!"

"I am a captain! I have earned my rank! You cannot—"

Li Qing'an's eyes turned cold, and immediately a personal guard stepped forward and punched Wang Xianghong hard in the stomach.

He curled up in a ball, curled up like a shrimp.

Li Qing'an continued, "And you, as the Commander-in-Chief, have shielded your relatives and colluded with them; you too deserve to be executed!"

Wang Jinda's throat tightened, and he nodded his head to the ground, saying, "The military governor is wise!"

"This humble general...this humble general was unaware of the matter! Although we are uncle and nephew, military law is absolute, and I dare not show favoritism!"

Wang Jinda was terrified; he feared that he would die under military law at any moment.

He spoke rapidly, as if saying a few more words could absolve him of his guilt, "If I had known he had committed such a heinous act, I would have personally apprehended him and handed him over to the judicial authorities! I implore the Commander to investigate thoroughly!"

The military governor looked at him without saying a word.

After a moment, he said calmly, "I was unaware of the situation, so I cannot allow you to be punished."

"In this battle, you led the troops to defend against the enemy and killed thousands of Xiongnu, which is a real achievement."

A surge of wild joy instantly flashed in Wang Jinda's eyes. He secretly rejoiced that with such a great achievement before him, he could indeed escape unscathed.

But the next second, Li Qing'an's casual pronouncement, like a thunderclap, shattered all his hopes:

"Wang Xianghong deserves to die a thousand deaths. You are here to carry out his execution yourself."

boom!

Wang Jinda trembled violently, as if struck by lightning. He knelt on the spot, his eyes wide open, filled with extreme horror and disbelief, staring intently at the commander before him, his blood almost frozen.

Uncle and nephew turned against each other, personally killing their own relatives!

This order is a thousand times more ruthless than executing him!