Chapter 705: Godslayer |
Sticking branches and tangles (idiom: meaning hindrances, unexpected complications, problems; to create obstacles, to put spokes in someone's wheel, to hinder)
"Grand Commander, may I have a word?" Wen You rode up to Luo Zhao and said along the way.
Luo Zhao turned his head and looked at him. Seeing the sealed letter in Wen You's hands, he had a premonition.
Luo Zhao turned his horse and rode towards him. Su Yuan Bai and the others exchanged glances and followed. Meanwhile, the main army continued its advance.
As soon as they had ridden more than ten zhang away from the road, Wen You handed over the letter. Luo Zhao said, "In this situation, good news or bad, it matters not. I am already well-prepared. Wen You, do not worry."
Su Yuan Bai and the others, who had ridden closer, frowned. Judging by Wen You's expression, the news was not good.
Wen You handed the letter to Luo Zhao and, with a sigh, said, "Grand Commander previously sent a precious gift. Meng Shan Min remembers it well. He has responded to the gift with cruelty. They cut off the ears of the captives and loaded them into over a hundred boxes. The patrols in the rear have already discovered the boxes. The scene was so horrific that we decided not to bring the boxes here. We only delivered Meng Shan Min's letter!"
The severed ears of six hundred thousand captives? Su Yuan Bai and the others' expressions changed drastically.
Luo Zhao shuddered. To have the ears of six hundred thousand captives returned to him? Was this not a great humiliation for him? For the Song Kingdom?
The implication of the letter was clear. Meng Shan Min was alluding to mass slaughter. Luo Zhao closed his eyes, unable to bear it, and looked around. He wished to seize someone from the Yan Kingdom and slay them.
However, no one from the Yan Kingdom was left nearby. The common people had long since scattered at the approach of the Song Kingdom's forces. Besides, he could not afford to create complications that would impede him now. He had little time. He needed to conquer the capital as quickly as possible and head back. He could not allow Meng Shan Min to run rampant in the Song Kingdom.
After reading this letter, he also realized that Meng Shan Min was taunting him, specifically regarding Meng Shan Min's need for provisions.
Luo Zhao was enraged. These were not just any men, but his own well-trained warriors. He could not bear it and shouted, "Meng Shan Min, you old rascal! Don't you fall into my hands. Otherwise, you will beg for death!"
Su Yuan Bai and the others looked at the letter and also grew furious. Just then, a Bird King flew in: "Urgent report. His Majesty's Decree!"
"Are they rushing us to withdraw the troops again?" Luo Zhao thought to himself. But after reading the decree, he angrily cried out, "You old scoundrel, we can no longer coexist under the same sky!"
"What else could have happened?" Su Yuan Bai and the others also looked at the Emperor's decree, and were terrified. It turned out Meng Shan Min had not only severed the captives' ears but had also buried them alive!
The decree ordered Luo Zhao to conquer the Yan capital, and to leave not even a chicken alive!
However, it was also stipulated that Luo Zhao was given a specific timeframe for this. If Luo Zhao failed to breach the capital's defenses within that time, he was to withdraw his troops. A detachment had been organized in the Song Kingdom to delay Meng Shan Min and buy time for Luo Zhao's return.
Waving the decree, Dong Ying Lai exclaimed, "Meng Shan Min, that son of a dog! Has he gone mad? Does he not fear divine retribution?"
Chang Fei: "To dare to bury six hundred thousand people alive! Such a cruel man cannot live long!"
Just then, disciples of the Ascension Palace arrived again. They handed Su Yuan Bai a letter.
Su Yuan Bai read it, frowned, and passed it for others to read. The others read it and also frowned.
Rumors spread throughout the capital that Meng Shan Min had killed the captives because the Song Kingdom's forces had no sincere intention of negotiating and instead marched on the Yan Kingdom's capital. They also said that the Song Kingdom's forces, disregarding the six hundred thousand captive warriors, advanced on the Yan Kingdom's capital. Furthermore, the Song Kingdom had not provided provisions in exchange for the captives. Therefore, Meng Shan Min was forced to kill the captives. "What a glib tongue!" Luo Zhao smirked upon reading it. Then he even began to laugh hysterically, though his face remained pale.
Wen You, glancing up from the letter, reminded him, "Grand Commander, Meng Shan Min intends to shift the blame onto you. And at the same time, influence the morale of our army! Meng Shan Min must also be spreading rumors within our kingdom! Ah, there are those in the court who are not favorably disposed towards you, Grand Commander. This is not to your advantage, Grand Commander!"
He had correctly assessed everything. Meng Shan Min had requested the three sects to spread these rumors throughout the Song Kingdom, to influence the morale of both the army and the common people of the Song Kingdom.
Gritting his teeth, Luo Zhao said, "For now, let us not dwell on this. Relay my order to the vanguard: Breach the capital, slaughter all!"
Following his order, his detachment also increased its speed, and they were only half a day away from the capital!
"Ah!" Guan Fang Yi sighed. She was horrified by Meng Shan Min's actions. He had indeed executed the captives.
Niu You Dao slowly sat down under a tree. He held the news from Gong Sun Bu in his hands and remained silent for a long time.
He had directly killed six hundred thousand captives, burying them alive. This news utterly stunned him. How could such a thing be?
In his previous life, he had heard of such horrific ancient deeds. Yet he never dreamed that such a thing would unfold before his very eyes. And even more, that he would, in some respect, be involved in it.
In his hands, he held Gong Sun Bu's second reply—more precisely, Meng Shan Min's own answer—explaining why Meng Shan Min had so cruelly killed the captives.
Meng Shan Min had answered him directly.
He said that the Yan Kingdom had fallen to such a state because of its rotten leadership. How many ruined families, how many impoverished common people, now exist in the country? How many nations now gaze predatory upon the Yan Kingdom? Therefore, decisive action was needed now. And to avoid a recurrence, it was necessary to purge the rot from the very top!
The Yan Kingdom would not be able to last long under such governance. Therefore, he wished to annihilate the capital, all the people within it. The people at court were obstructing the Yan Kingdom. And the Song Kingdom's forces would aid in this. Let the Song Kingdom's forces destroy this rotten root. Then the three sects would finally consider the prince. Niu You Dao reread this letter several times and finally sighed. He did not know if these were Meng Shan Min's true thoughts or Shang Chao Zong's. At this moment, the three sects could not influence Meng Shan Min. Even he now had little influence over Meng Shan Min.
If it concerned only the people of the Southern Domain, Niu You Dao might still exert influence. However, Meng Shan Min now commanded not only the warriors of the Southern Domain but also the veterans of his former army. This was the true might of Meng Shan Min!
He now understood the fear a civil official held for the military. If a person wielding military authority went unchecked, then at any moment, one could expect mountains of skeletons and rivers of blood from him!
On the mountainside, Huang Li received a report from the front. He shuddered and inwardly called Meng Shan Min a godslayer!
Standing nearby, Shang Chao Zong remained silent for a long time. He too had not imagined Meng Shan Min would act with such brutality!
He had always known that Meng Shan Min could be ruthless on the battlefield, but he had never witnessed such a degree of ruthlessness until now.
"Your Majesty, a report has arrived from the front line. Meng Shan Min buried six hundred thousand captives alive!"
In the imperial library, Shang Jian Xiong was listening to Tong Mo's report on the capital's defense.
But Tian Yu entered, who, having received a report from a palace eunuch, turned pale and reported to the Emperor.
Shang Jian Xiong, Tong Mo, Gao Jian Cheng, and Shang Yong Zhong immediately raised their heads and slowly turned.
"Buried six hundred thousand alive?" Tong Mo asked. Tian Yu nodded grimly again.
Tong Mo gasped in fright. He himself would not have dared to invite such infamy upon himself. This was burying six hundred thousand captives alive!
Shang Yong Zhong also froze. He had thought Meng Shan Min might kill the captives, but he could not have imagined it in such a manner!
Gao Jian Cheng was also perplexed. "What is this? Bury them alive?"
Shang Jian Xiong snatched the report from Tian Yu and began to read it himself. Then he slowly mumbled, "This is to provoke the Song Kingdom's forces. Now the Song Kingdom's forces will desire to slaughter the entire capital. He has placed the entire capital in mortal danger for his personal gain! They wish to kill me! They do not wish to leave me alive! This is using another's blade to kill us!"
"Your Majesty, Ambassador Qian Lian Sheng requests an audience!" The voice of a eunuch sounded from the doorway.
Shang Jian Xiong snapped back to reality and resolutely said, "Do not admit him!"
The Yan Kingdom's forces had acted in such a manner that Shang Jian Xiong dared not even appear before Qian Lian Sheng. Otherwise, the ambassador would have every right to curse the emperor.
He turned to Tian Yu and said, "Are the palace eunuchs well-prepared?"
Tian Yu bowed: "We have selected five hundred able-bodied eunuchs. Each of them is worth ten! Additionally, five hundred of the finest warriors have been selected from the intelligence department. In total, that makes a thousand men. Ga Miao Shui himself leads them."
Shang Jian Xiong nodded: "Guard us according to the plan of the Minister of Education and Enlightenment. Let them go to the city walls and help defend the capital. Remember, as long as the capital stands, the people stand. If the capital falls, the people perish!"
"Understood, Your Majesty!" Tian Yu turned around and left. He exited the main hall and, in one of the wide squares, saw a thousand eunuchs with intelligence warriors.
He approached Ga Miao Shui. Tian Yu personally draped a cloak over him: "Miao Shui, His Majesty said that as long as the capital stands, the people stand. If the capital falls, the people perish! The time to exert all our strength has come. Go!"
Ga Miao Shui stepped back three paces, bowed. Then he waved his hand and led a thousand warriors after him.
At the entrance to the main palace, Ambassador Qian Lian Sheng wished to enter. But he was not admitted. Eventually, he stopped. He removed the hairpin from his hair and his shoes from his feet, baring his legs.
In such a disheveled state, pointing at the main palace, he shouted, "Shang Jian Xiong, devoid of bounds and morality! Immoral wretch..."