Chapter 149: Execution (Part Two)

Chi Dengshan said, "Listening outside, there is no more commotion. It seems the soldiers rioting for pay have all been pacified by Wang Dou. If we still do not go over now, Wang Dou will certainly become suspicious of us."

Huang Xianen only said repeatedly, "I won't go, I won't go, I dare not go see the Garrison Commander, I am afraid, afraid."

Seeing Huang Xianen's state, Chi Dengshan frowned. He had not expected Huang Xianen to be such a worthless wretch. Why had he sought him out beforehand to plan such a great undertaking? He could not help but feel deep regret.

Zheng Yu looked dejected. He also sighed and said, "Brother Chi is right, we truly must go, otherwise Wang Dou will certainly become suspicious of us."

His expression was grave: "Everyone remember, after we see Wang Dou, we must insist that we knew nothing beforehand. Today we reported sick and stayed home; we were completely unaware of our subordinates' mutiny over pay."

That was what he said, but he had no confidence at all that they could muddle through. Thinking of Wang Dou's ruthless methods, he could not help but shiver.

Just as they were speaking of this, they suddenly heard a great crash from the courtyard gate, followed by the surging sound of many footsteps, mixed with the screams of the household servants.

Chi Dengshan leapt up at once and shouted, "What is happening?"

A family retainer suddenly pushed open the room door. He rushed in urgently, gasping for breath, and said, "My lord, they are here, they are here."

Everyone in the room was startled. Chi Dengshan bellowed, "Speak clearly, who is here?"

That family retainer clutched the door curtain, his eyes bulging. He panted heavily, and in his panic, he could not get the words out for a moment.

"Useless wretch!"

Chi Dengshan kicked him aside. Surrounded by some of their personal guards, they hurriedly went out the door.

They had just rushed to the winding corridor when they all suddenly halted. They saw a large force of iron-armored soldiers surging over from the other end of the corridor. Upon seeing Chi Dengshan and the others, a shouted command rang out, and immediately a dense mass of firelocks was raised at that end, their dark muzzles all aimed at Chi Dengshan and his group.

These men, some holding long spears, some holding firelocks, were all tall and fierce. They were actually the personal guards of the Garrison Commander, along with the iron-armored firelock soldiers of Han Chao's unit under his command.

Chi Dengshan and the others felt their hearts sink, and a chill spread through their entire bodies.

Those iron-armored firelock soldiers held their firelocks. Bent at the waist, they advanced step by step. The hairs on Chi Dengshan and the others stood on end, and they dared not move a muscle. This was no joke; the firelocks in those soldiers' hands were all loaded with powder and shot and had their matches lit. With one pull of the trigger, huge bloody holes would appear all over their bodies. Chi Dengshan and the others could not afford to take that risk.

The crowd parted, and Xie Yike, clad in iron armor with a face like cold dew, appeared before Chi Dengshan and the others.

Chi Dengshan and the others certainly knew Xie Yike. Chi Dengshan stammered, "Brother Xie, wh-what is the meaning of this?"

Xie Yike's young face was overly stern. He shouted, "Chi Dengshan, Huang Xianen, Zheng Yu, you three raised troops in revolt and harmed the common people. Your crimes are monstrous. By order of the Garrison Commander, this Platoon Leader has come to arrest you three and bring you to justice. You will immediately follow me to see the Garrison Commander."

Chi Dengshan and the others were all shocked. Raising troops in revolt — this crime was no small matter, practically synonymous with rebellion. Huang Xianen cried out in a trembling voice, "Brother Xie, we absolutely had no such intent. This must be a misunderstanding. Please, Brother Xie, put in a few words for us before the Commander."

Zheng Yu also said in a deep voice, "The mutinous soldiers rioted for pay. We in our residence knew nothing of it and only just heard of it now. If soldiers under my command participated, this garrison commander is at most guilty of lax discipline. Inciting troops to revolt is out of the question. This charge cannot be pinned on us."

Chi Dengshan said, "These are all slanderous lies. Our loyal and righteous hearts can be witnessed by heaven and sun!"

Xie Yike sneered, "Save these words for the Garrison Commander!"

He shouted, "Seize them all!"

Chi Dengshan and the others cried out, "We are guilty of no crime. On what grounds do you arrest us? We refuse to accept this!"

The many personal guards before them also began to clamor, brandishing their weapons and shouting loudly.

Xie Yike was both shocked and furious. He shouted, "You dare resist arrest? The Commander has ordered that any who resist arrest are to be killed on the spot!"

With the great roar of firelocks, several personal guards were shot down on the spot. Several firelock soldiers leapt forward and pulled their triggers at the personal guards before them. With every burst of flame, a personal guard screamed and was shot to the ground. After those firelock soldiers withdrew, another dense mass of firelock soldiers shifted forward.

The smell of gunpowder and fresh blood spread through the cold air. First there was silence, followed by a chorus of panicked cries, and then the piercing, miserable screams of those who had fallen but were not yet dead. Then Xie Yike's somewhat youthful but stern shout rang out again: "Any who dare resist will be killed without mercy!"

They had not expected the men opposite to actually open fire. Looking at the brothers who had died miserably beside them, and then seeing the dense mass of firelocks shifting forward again, the personal guards all collapsed. They knelt on the ground in utter terror and cried out loudly, "Don't shoot, we surrender, we surrender."

A sea of kneeling men. The iron-armored firelock soldiers opposite held their firelocks and advanced step by step.

"Throw down your weapons and kneel on the ground!"

Chi Dengshan sighed and said, "Do not put up meaningless resistance. We will speak after we see the Commander."

Huang Xianen wept, "I knew great calamity would come. You would not listen to me."

Chi Dengshan threw away the great blade in his hand and heavily knelt on the ground. In his heart, he had already fallen into a bottomless abyss.

Zheng Yu hesitated slightly. Before he had thrown down his weapon, several of Wang Dou's personal guards pounced on him, swept him to the ground, and twisted his arms behind him.

"Rebel scum!"

The butts of several firelocks smashed viciously down onto his body. Zheng Yu convulsed in agony and was forced to his knees involuntarily. Chi Dengshan was also struck heavily in the face by a firelock butt, immediately causing blood to stream down, his features ghastly. Dizzy and reeling, he could only dimly hear the terrified, distorted wails of Huang Xianen beside him.

Department Magistrate Li Zhen seemed as if he were seeing Wang Dou for the first time. He stammered, "Co-Commander... Commander Wang, the mutinous troops number in the hundreds, half of the government troops in the prefectural city. Are you saying... execute them all?"

Wang Dou said coldly, "Such wretches who harm the people, what use is there in keeping them? Never mind half the government troops, even if all the officers and soldiers mutinied, this official would slaughter them all!"

Li Zhen murmured, "But they... they are government troops!"

Wang Dou shouted, "It is precisely because they are government troops that no mercy can be shown! As government troops, they should have protected the common people, yet they committed such bestial acts. How are they any different from bandits? Without severe punishment, how will the people of the prefectural city view me, Wang Dou? How will this official command the army?"

Li Zhen said, "To execute hundreds of people is truly to kill too many. Would it not be better to only execute the few chief instigators and properly instruct the rest? Most of these officers and soldiers have families and dependents inside and outside the city. If you kill them, their widows and orphans will struggle to survive. Better to pacify them and send them back to camp. Their entire families will then be grateful for the Commander's grace and benevolence."

Wang Dou shouted, "My benevolence is only for those law-abiding, good people who protect the common folk, not for wretches worse than beasts. How can these mutinous soldiers be divided into ringleaders and coerced followers? They have families, but do the common people of the prefectural city not have families? When they were raping and looting, did they consider the suffering of innocent commoners? Did they consider that their own families might suffer harm because of it? Those who dare to mutiny must anticipate the result of losing their heads. This official is never lenient toward rebels and traitors!"

Li Zhen was about to say more when Wang Dou shot him a glance, his tone carrying a hint of menace: "Magistrate Li, you keep speaking on behalf of the mutinous troops. What is your intention?"

Li Zhen jumped in fright and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "This subordinate has absolutely no intention, absolutely no intention!"

He had already forgotten his privileged status as a civil official and involuntarily adopted the tone of a subordinate: "Whatever the Commander instructs, this subordinate will carry out at once, carry out at once!"

He hurried away. The remaining various clerks and officials also swarmed out after him, not daring to even glance at Wang Dou.