armyinform Chapter 637: Execution
Chapter 637: Execution
Zhu Qisheng pondered and said, "Lord Lin, the emperor's intention is to let you beat when necessary and punish when necessary. As for killing..."
Lin Feng laughed and said, "You don't know, sir, these officers have violated military discipline and are guilty of a capital crime."
"Hey, hey, we know, we know, Lord Lin, don't you have any room for maneuver?"
"Military discipline is military discipline. It's clearly written. How can we maneuver around it?"
"Hey, how about letting them pay for their lives?"
Lin Feng patted his chest and said, "Father-in-law, I'm not short of money."
"Lord Lin, you're joking. Who in this world would complain about having too much money?"
Lin Feng waved his hand: "Eunuch, let's not waste words and just show me the emperor's decree. How can I not listen?"
Zhu Qisheng quickly shook his head: "There is no imperial edict, no imperial edict. The emperor asked me to come and discuss this with Lord Lin."
Lin Feng nodded. "Eunuch, you can go and tell the Emperor that if these people are not killed, the war will be impossible to fight. I will have no choice but to resign as the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard and withdraw to Shanglin Mansion to prevent the rebels from advancing north."
Zhu Qisheng was stunned. He understood that once Lin Feng left, Kyoto would immediately fall into crisis.
"But..."
Lin Feng shook his head. "I came to the capital this time to fight back against the rebels and relieve the capital. First, I encountered setbacks when taking over the Imperial Guards, then they were cut off from military supplies, and finally, I got a group of disobedient officers. Eunuch Zhu, please teach me how to fight this battle."
“Hiss…”
Zhu Qisheng was unable to speak for a moment, and stared blankly with his mouth open.
"As the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard, I have no intention of seizing power. However, you must at least allow me to have soldiers under my command. They must be obedient and willing to fight on the battlefield. Otherwise, who can guarantee victory over the rebels?"
"Haha, that's right. Every word the Marquis said makes sense."
"So, these officers... must be killed!"
Lin Feng waved his hand and said, "I want to show all the officers and soldiers of the Imperial Guard what happens to those who disobey orders."
The last sentence made Zhu Qisheng tremble all over.
It’s not that Lin Feng wants to do something extreme, he just wants to force Zhao Zhen to make a choice between Grand Tutor Wan and himself.
Otherwise, there is no room for two tigers in one mountain.
Zhu Qisheng could certainly imagine that Lin Feng’s killing was not purely for the sake of military discipline.
However, the emperor's indecisive nature made it difficult for him to make a decisive choice, which put him in a dilemma.
King Rui remained silent and did not show up.
He had been fighting with Grand Tutor Wan for more than a year and knew it would be difficult to overthrow the emperor's father-in-law.
Just let Lin Feng do whatever he wants and see who the emperor will side with.
Zhu Qisheng didn't say anything, and Lin Feng didn't say anything more either. The two of them started drinking tea in the command center.
Time passed little by little, and it was almost noon.
The execution platform in the military training ground has been built. Seventeen officers of the Imperial Guard were tied up and brought to the platform to kneel.
The entire military training ground and its surroundings were filled with soldiers, officers' families, and officials and merchants who came to plead for mercy.
These seventeen imperial guards alone attracted half of the people in the capital to come and watch.
Some cheered loudly, some cried loudly, and some shouted and cursed.
The place was a mess.
When there was still a quarter to go, Lin Feng said to Zhu Qisheng.
"Since Eunuch Zhu is here, how about he oversee the execution on behalf of the Emperor?"
Zhu Qisheng shook his hands and said, "No, no, the emperor cannot represent me. Lord Lin, please do as you please."
Lin Feng smiled, stood up and waved to Ju Chaoyue.
"General Ju, let's be the executioner together."
Ju Chaoyue grinned secretly, thinking that they were going to forcibly pull him onto the warship of the Zhenxi Army.
He took a deep breath, stood up and said loudly.
"That's good, the deputy commander is thoughtful."
After saying that, he strode out with Lin Feng.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Lin Feng brought hundreds of guards and rode to the military training ground in Kancheng.
The crowd began to make a commotion, with shouting, begging, and crying being heard everywhere.
Lin Feng walked up to the execution platform step by step with an expressionless face and sat down in the main seat.
Ju Chaoyue sat next to him on the right, the left seat was empty, Pei Qiyin and Cheng Liang stood behind Lin Feng.
Seeing that everyone was in place, Lin Feng said softly.
"Announce their guilt."
An officer immediately ran to the stage, held up a notice and read it aloud.
Seventeen executioners, holding shining steel knives, stood behind the seventeen kneeling royal guards.
When the officer was halfway through reading out the charges, suddenly there was a thundering sound of horse hooves outside the military field.
Large groups of cavalry poured into the military grounds one after another.
Countless royal guards, in bright armor and fully armed, rode their horses around the military training ground and then stopped at the surrounding areas.
The dozen or so war horses facing the execution platform, about ten steps away from the platform, stood still.
Ju Chaoyue didn't move his body, only moved his lips.
"My Lord, Grand Tutor Wan is here, the one in the middle."
Lin Feng didn't move at all, just quietly looking at the old man sitting on a snow-capped warhorse.
On the left of Grand Tutor Wan is Zhao Wenqi, on the right is Jiao Sanqiang, and behind them are a dozen tall and strong guards.
The two men's eyes met above the execution platform, and no one spoke.
The whole audience was silent, no one was crying or shouting anymore.
Grand Tutor Wan Quan looked at Lin Feng for a moment and shouted in a deep voice.
"My soldiers, the Imperial Guards, did not die on the battlefield fighting against the rebels, but were beheaded on the execution platform. Military discipline is not to be feared, but the human heart is to be feared."
He turned and glanced at the crowd of onlookers around him.
"Lin Feng, Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards, what is your purpose in doing this? What do you hope to gain from the Imperial Guards?"
As soon as Grand Tutor Wan finished speaking, someone started shouting.
"He wants to seize control of the Imperial Guards and become their leader. The people of Zhenxi should get out of Kyoto..."
"We don't want the people from Zhenxi to come and slaughter our soldiers. Get out!"
The scene was in chaos again, and many people started shouting.
Grand Tutor Wan waited for the crowd to calm down a little, then raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet.
"Everyone, please allow Deputy Commander Lin Feng to answer my question."
"Yes, let him speak!"
"..."
At this time, Lin Feng slowly stood up and glanced at the chaotic crowd.
After everyone was quiet, he exhaled and spoke.
"Commander Wan, my Dazong Imperial Guards have military discipline. They violated it and should be punished accordingly. You asked me what I want, and I can tell you clearly: I want a combat-ready Imperial Guard. I want an Imperial Guard that can defeat the rebels. I want an Imperial Guard that can protect the people of Dazong from suffering and hunger, and that can maintain the stability of the Dazong court."
Grand Tutor Wan had a gloomy face. The imperial guards he led were defeated step by step and were finally forced into Kyoto City by the rebels, who blocked the four gates.
There were starving people everywhere in Kyoto. Seeing that the city was about to be lost, the court officials pretended to be sick and dead.
If the Zhenxi Army had not fought back against the rebels in Tianzhi Prefecture, Kyoto City would have been captured by the rebels long ago.