The fiercest soldier of the border army

Wang Xianghong fainted on the spot, and two armored soldiers dragged him toward the high platform, leaving long bloody marks on the ground from his robes.

The audience was silent.

Tang Shun and his party remained kneeling, their chains still in place.

Li Qingan waved his hand.

Several guards immediately stepped forward, their fingers deftly snapping the cold iron chains binding Tang Shun and his men's wrists and shoulders with a few crisp clicks.

The shackles fell to the ground, and the accumulated rust crumbled down.

Everyone looked up, glancing at Wang Xianghong, who was unconscious and limp, being forcibly dragged onto the execution platform, and at Wang Jinda, whose body was stiff and cold beside them, almost collapsing.

The wind blew Li Qing'an's cloak, making it flutter loudly.

When Wang Xianghong was dragged away, his body had already left a long mark on the ground, his robes were torn, and blood mixed with dust stuck in the cracks of the stone slabs.

The entire place was so quiet that even the wind had stopped; the only sounds were the heavy breathing of the armored soldiers and the distant clatter of horses' hooves.

"Commander, this...this is against the rules...He is a criminal, and the law enforcement officers should carry out his punishment...As the Commander-in-Chief, how can I—"

Shi Jinda's face turned pale instantly, and he explained incoherently.

"You are his uncle."

Li Qing'an interrupted him, his tone still calm, "As a nephew, he secretly deserted his post, stole the credits, framed the soldiers defending the city, and even dared to go on stage to receive a reward."

"You remained silent when the people were seeking justice, but now that I, the commander, have arrived, you finally cry out for justice."

"If you don't kill him, I'm afraid it will be difficult to convince the public."

Wang Jinda opened his mouth, met Li Qing'an's unwavering eyes, and knew that he couldn't escape this calamity!

If Wang Xianghong hadn't been killed, he probably wouldn't have escaped blame today!

Li Qing'an stepped forward. "Today's public execution is not for killing, but to uphold military discipline and establish authority."

"You are the commander of the troops. If you don't even have this much responsibility, how can you lead five thousand soldiers?"

He paused, staring into Wang Jinda's eyes, "Making a move is your last chance."

Wang Jinda lowered his head and supported himself with his hands on the ground.

Not taking action makes one an accomplice.

To take action would mean severing one's bloodline with one's own hands.

If he doesn't move, he will die today.

Wang Jinda closed his eyes.

He remembered that many years ago, he and his brother joined the army at the same time. During a major battle, his brother died under the sword of the Xiongnu in order to cover him, and his body has never been found.

Over the years, he had no children; his elder brother's son, Wang Xianghong, was the only bloodline of the Wang family.

Wang Jinda trembled, filled with remorse, regretting his past actions!

If only I hadn't coveted military merit, if only I had let it go so easily...

Wang Jinda slowly got up and drew his sword.

The knife was drawn half an inch from its sheath, its cold light reflecting the twitching on his face.

Regret, hatred, fear, heartache, and other emotions can all be expressed on one person's face at the same time.

Just then, a roar came from the high platform, "Uncle! Save me!"

Wang Xianghong was dragged up from the ground, forced to kneel, his face covered in tears and snot. Seeing Wang Jinda approaching with a knife, he struggled frantically.

"Uncle! I'm your own nephew!"

"My father died protecting you, he died!"

"My mother is giving you the last of the family's silver to make you a military officer!"

"You swore you would take care of me!"

Wang Xianghong was hysterical, and as Wang Jinda approached, the fear in his eyes grew stronger.

Li Qing'an coldly replied, "Before military law, there are no relatives or friends."

Wang Jinda walked up to him, his hand holding the knife trembling slightly.

Wang Xianghong's eyes widened:

"Uncle...you raised me from childhood...you said you would let me succeed you as commander-in-chief...you promised to avenge me...and now you want to kill me?!"

Wang Jinda gritted his teeth and closed his eyes.

"Xiang Hong, I'm sorry to you, and I'm sorry to your parents."

"But don't worry, I will take care of your wife and son."

The knife fell.

The head rolled on the ground, hit the stone steps, bounced, and came to a stop.

Blood gushed out, splashing a dark red color in the sunlight.

The audience was silent.

Wang Jinda stood motionless, gripping the dripping blood knife, his body hunched over, as if he had aged more than ten years.

After a long while, he slowly released his grip, and the knife clattered to the ground.

Two armored soldiers stepped forward and carried him down from the platform.

His steps were unsteady, and he didn't turn his head.

"Wang Xianghong's crimes are unforgivable; he shall be beheaded and his head displayed at the North Gate for three days to comfort his loyal soul!"

"Wang Jinda shows favoritism towards his relatives and acts in a biased manner; he is hereby fined three years' salary!"

Li Qing'an then stepped onto the high platform, treading through the bloodstains. Facing his generals, he put his hands behind his back and said:

"What happened today should serve as a warning to all generals."

"Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war."

"Rewards and punishments, merits and demerits, will be determined by military law."

"Anyone who tries to cover up military achievements or frame loyal and virtuous individuals will face the same fate—their heads will roll!"

A strong wind suddenly arose, causing the flags to flutter loudly.

It seems that God has eyes.

"Everyone's gone."

Li Qing'an waved his hand, ordering all the soldiers to retreat.

After saying this, he turned around and walked towards the people.

As Li Qing'an approached, the people who were already kneeling on the ground shouted in unison, "The military governor is righteous!"

"The military governor's righteousness!"

Li Qing'an personally helped the leading old man to his feet and asked, "Are there any other grievances?"

The people looked at each other, and the old man replied, "Reporting to the commander, we only asked for justice. Now that Wang Xianghong has been brought to justice and Captain Tang has been exonerated, there is no longer any injustice."

"Yes," someone in the crowd responded. "We trust Captain Tang! He defended the city!"

"The military governor is just!" more people shouted. "The military governor is discerning and insightful!"

The military governor nodded: "It's not too late yet, let's go back as soon as possible."

"Take some dry food before you go, don't travel at night on an empty stomach."

The people readily agreed and gradually dispersed.

The crowd dispersed, leaving the square empty except for blood-stained stone slabs and a few broken flagpoles.

Tang Shun rubbed his wrists and moved his slightly numb legs.

He didn't look at anyone else, only at the slender figure in front of the governor's mansion.

The girl's figure was exceptionally slender, and she looked at Tang Shun from afar with a slight smile.

"You guys rest first, I'll go check on things." Tang Shun told Wei Zong and the others, then headed straight for Su Shu.

However, several armored soldiers surrounded Su Shu and said something to her. Su Shu hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement and entered the governor's mansion.

Tang Shun quickly caught up, but was blocked by armored soldiers. "Captain Tang, the military governor is waiting for you in the main hall. He wants you to go see him now."

Inside the governor's mansion, the furnishings were neat and tidy, and incense burners emitted pine smoke with a calming aroma.

Li Qing'an took the seat of honor, removed his cloak, and hung his waist knife beside the chair.

Shi Hanshan sat at the lower end of the table, a smile playing on his lips.

On the other side, Chen Sili was also sitting upright.

Tang Shun strode into the main hall, cupped his hands, and said, "Greetings, Military Governor."

Li Qingan nodded slightly.

He didn't let Tang Shun sit down, nor did he mention merits or demerits, rewards or punishments; he just stared at him for a moment.

Tang Shun stood below the hall, his back straight, his face still covered in blood, his clothes tattered, but his eyes were clear.

He took a deep breath.

The person before me is the local tyrant of Beiting.

A single word can elevate him to the heavens or bury him in the earth.

His life and his future depend entirely on this person's single thought.

With Wang Xianghong dead, the story of Xiushui Town came to an end.

But the new challenges have only just begun.

Tang Shun didn't know why he wanted to see him, but he figured that the difference in their status was too great, and it couldn't be as simple as praise and encouragement.

Just as Tang Shun was pondering.

Li Qing'an suddenly spoke up: "Are the Xiongnu people difficult to kill?"