Chapter 155: Prince Zhou Handles the Aftermath

In the military governor's mansion, chaos quickly descended into an even greater turmoil. There were plenty of valuable things in this prefectural city, and more or less everyone harbored thoughts of taking advantage of the confusion to grab something. When Sun Li led his troops there and saw this situation, without further ado, he directly ordered killings to stop the chaos with bloodshed. It took nearly two quarters of an hour to suppress it and bring the various offices of the governor's mansion under control. Faced with the wolf-like Han army, Du Chongwei's yabing guards were cowed into surrender.

Stepping into the main hall of the government office, looking at the corpses all clad in silks and satins, women and children alike with none spared. Staring at Du Chongwei's headless body, bloody and mangled, Sun Li asked: "This is the traitor Du?"

"Reporting to the General, yes!"

"Who killed him?" Sun Li bellowed.

The short man was startled, a trace of hesitation flickering across his face, but he still mustered his courage to answer: "The traitor Du saw the situation was hopeless and tried to flee in secret. To prevent his escape, this humble one killed him, to repay the court."

As he spoke, this yabing officer presented the head of Du Chongwei that he had secretly hidden away.

Even a rough man like Sun Li could detect the problem in his words. A master-betraying wretch! Staring at this short man, a flash of killing intent flickered in his eyes. If not for so many people watching, especially the Yan troops all around, he truly would have cut this man down and seized the credit for himself.

"So you're the one who's taken that marquisate of two hundred households!" Sun Li said flatly.

Being able to "laugh" to the very end, the short man wasn't stupid — he sensed the danger, his heart filled with trepidation, and hastily spoke, his voice raised loud: "This humble one is willing to offer the merit of killing the traitor to the General."

The soldiers nearby who heard this couldn't help but turn their gazes toward Sun Li. Sweeping his eyes around, Sun Li couldn't help but grow angry: "Am I the kind of man who steals others' merits?"

"This humble one misspoke, please forgive me, General..." Seeing this, the short yabing officer took the opportunity to apologize, even slapping himself a few times across the face, his posture extremely deferential.

Seeing this display, for some reason, Sun Li had the feeling he'd been played.

"Has that traitor Du Chongwei been caught?" Just then, a squad of Han army soldiers burst into the hall, and the leading general asked urgently.

The newcomer was Shi Honglang, Chief Inspector of the Xiaodi Army. Seeing him, Sun Li couldn't help but sneer: "Chief Inspector Shi, what perfect timing. Too bad — the credit for this beheading already has an owner!"

Shi Honglang's temperament took after his elder brother Shi Hongzhao. Seeing Sun Li's attitude, he immediately berated angrily: "Sun Li, how dare you show such disrespect to this general?"

Sun Li was also a hot-tempered man. He had always looked down on people like Shi Honglang who rose through connections rather than merit, and retorted stubbornly: "So what? Lady Shi?"

"Lady Shi" was naturally Sun Li's contemptuous nickname for Shi Honglang, since Shi Honglang was also a big, burly fellow.

"You... you dare insult me like this! You're too arrogant! You're too overbearing!" Shi Honglang was directly enraged, his hand subconsciously moving to his saber.

Seeing this, Sun Li grew interested, staring at him: "What, you want to resort to force?"

Stared down by Sun Li's fierce gaze, a flicker of panic passed through his eyes, and he didn't dare draw his saber.

"Coward!" Sun Li cursed contemptuously, then, right in front of Shi Honglang, turned and ordered his subordinates: "Report to His Majesty that our army has occupied and taken control of the governor's mansion. The Wei-Bo yabing guards have surrendered, and the traitor Du Chongwei has been executed, killed by..."

"What's your name?" Sun Li asked the yabing officer.

A look of joy crossed the short man's face, and he promptly answered: "This humble one is Lu Duandong."

"Killed by the Yedu general Lu Duandong — report it just like that!" Sun Li dismissed his subordinate.

Seeing himself so ignored and belittled, Shi Honglang's resentment reached its peak. He stared coldly at Sun Li: "Sun Li, you show no respect to your superiors and insult me repeatedly. Sooner or later, you'll pay the price!"

"I'll be waiting!" Sun Li said disdainfully.

"Battalion Commander, he is after all the younger brother of Commander-in-Chief Shi. Offending him like this isn't good, is it?" While leading men to search the governor's mansion, one of his subordinate Commanders said quietly to Sun Li.

Sun Li was completely nonchalant: "I'm one of Prince Zhou's men, with a life-and-death bond. What's there to fear?"

Under the deployment of generals like Gao Xingzhou, follow-up troops entered the city in succession, occupying key positions throughout. And as the various gates of Yedu were opened, more Han army soldiers poured into the city. Although, on Liu Chengyou's suggestion, Liu Zhiyuan had strictly ordered beforehand that after the city fell, the populace must not be disturbed, the Han army commanders' control over their troops was far from absolute. With so many people, problems were bound to arise.

Starting from some unknown unit, Han soldiers began plundering the city's scholars and commoners, and it spread with extreme speed. An hour after the city fell, not only had the situation not stabilized, it had become even more turbulent. The clamor grew louder — the source of the turmoil was the Han army's mass looting of Yedu.

Liu Chengyou had entered the city later with the main force. Seeing smoke and fire rising from all corners of Yedu, the city boiling with noise, his expression turned extremely grim. Enraged, he immediately dispatched the Longqi Army that had entered with him, with generals like Ma Quanyi leading troops to various parts of the city to suppress the chaos. At the same time, he sent men to notify commanders like Gao Xingzhou and Murong Yanchao, ordering all Chief Commanders to strictly restrain their subordinates and execute any officers or soldiers caught looting, to put an end to the military unrest.

The Han army had taken only an hour to breach the city, but suppressing and controlling the military chaos took several times that long. Even with Liu Chengyou's timely response as army supervisor, it wasn't until late afternoon that the city finally stabilized. And the Han army — few had died in the assault on the city, but over a thousand men were directly executed for violating prohibitions and breaking military discipline, including dozens of mid- and low-ranking officers.

Outside the city, besides the imperial army, the Han forces also included militia, local troops, and volunteer forces from Ming, Bo, Chan, and Yun prefectures. These men had especially poor discipline, and it was their plundering that dragged the other units into mass looting — the imperial army was affected as well.

That Militia Commissioner of Ming Prefecture, Yi Quanzhang, who had shared a banquet with Liu Chengyou not long ago, was arrested by Liu Chengyou for leading troops to break into civilian homes, looting goods, and raping women, and was executed as an example.

His Highness Prince Zhou's harsh methods once again left a deep impression on officers and soldiers throughout the entire army.

Amid the ceaseless turmoil in the city, somewhat unexpectedly, the Emperor Liu Zhiyuan remained steadily in his main camp, never showing his face since the city fell.

Around the imperial tent, Konghe Army soldiers stood on tight guard. Inside, Liu Zhiyuan lay reclining on the couch, tightly wrapped in a thick quilt, his eyes slightly clouded, as if he had just woken not long ago. He listened quietly as Su Fengji, summoned to his presence, reported on the situation in Yedu.

"Killed quite a few people?" Liu Zhiyuan asked.

"His Highness Prince Zhou strictly enforced military law and executed many officers and soldiers — heads rolled, and many of them were men with battle merits." Su Fengji reported cautiously: "The unrest has been suppressed, but His Highness remains in the army, searching out and investigating soldiers who committed crimes. He's arrested quite a few people and intends to punish them. Several Commanders have secretly reported that there is considerable resentment in the ranks, with many feeling aggrieved that Prince Zhou is treating meritorious officers harshly..."

"They deserve death!" Liu Zhiyuan coldly rebuked: "My son killed well! They brazenly violated my military orders, and they dare to complain?"

"Yes." Seeing Liu Zhiyuan's anger, Su Fengji's waist immediately bent a few degrees lower.

After pondering for a moment, Liu Zhiyuan sighed and said: "Transmit an edict to the entire army: everything Prince Zhou did was in accordance with my imperial decree. All officers and soldiers must strictly observe military discipline and law. Should anyone violate again, they will be severely punished as before!"

He paused, then added: "Send word to Prince Zhou — he's already killed so many. Those soldiers he's arrested, administer a light punishment and release them. The law cannot punish the multitude..."

On his end, Liu Chengyou was still busy inspecting the various parts of the city, sending men to post notices to reassure the people, and dispatching riders to gallop through the city's wards and lanes to comfort the scholars and commoners.

When he received Liu Zhiyuan's order — delivered as a private message — he was only slightly taken aback.

The soldiers who had broken the law were all detained beneath the western barbican. Stripped of armor and weapons, bound with ropes, wearing only thin single-layer clothes, they shivered in the autumn wind.

"Your Highness." The one ordered to guard them was Liu Chengyou's trusted general, Ma Quanyi, Commander of the Left Wing of the Longqi Army.

Standing atop the barbican, Liu Chengyou looked down at those officers and soldiers, his expression so indifferent it inspired fear. The several hundred men below all noticed Liu Chengyou as well, gazing up at him together — nervous, fearful, uneasy.

"Do you know your crimes?" After standing for a while, Liu Chengyou asked coldly.

"We admit our crimes, Your Highness, spare our lives..." As if rehearsed, an officer immediately knelt down. The weather was too cold, and his agitated voice trembled badly.

Following that, a jumble of clamorous voices rose — all expressions of repentance.

"This bone-chilling cold you suffer today is your punishment. If you offend again, I will not forgive you!" Liu Chengyou announced loudly: "Release them."

"Thank you, Your Highness, for sparing our lives!" Hearing this, the group of offending soldiers immediately showed joyful expressions and bowed in thanks.

"Release them?" Ma Quanyi looked at Liu Chengyou with some surprise. This... wasn't Liu Chengyou's style at all.

"Release them." Liu Chengyou repeated, then added: "But first, record everyone's military rank and name clearly — then release them!"

Whatever he thought privately, Liu Chengyou wouldn't defy the imperial decree... Besides, deep down, Liu Chengyou had never truly intended to kill all these soldiers anyway. He had already killed more than enough when suppressing the unrest earlier, and his authority as Prince Zhou was more or less established.

Killing these men too would bring Liu Chengyou no great benefit, and might even backfire by going too far. Though the military prized strict authority and martial law, the armies of this era — especially those not armed with "correct ideology" — were not to be trifled with. Overawing with authority while winning hearts with kindness — that was the superior strategy.

However, these officers and soldiers now recorded in the files, with this stain on their records, would not have very bright futures in the army.

Learning that Liu Chengyou had unhesitatingly carried out his verbal order to the letter, Liu Zhiyuan felt quite gratified. As the sky darkened and the city finally settled completely, Liu Zhiyuan finally emerged from his imperial tent and once again set foot in Yedu.

Liu Zhiyuan was no stranger to Yedu — back in the day, he had even served a stint as the garrison commander of Yedu.

Before entering the city, Liu Zhiyuan issued another edict: for military and civil affairs in Yedu, the Prince of Zhou was to handle the aftermath; the merits of officers and soldiers were to be reported by the various armies for review and verification, and upon returning to court, merits would be assessed and rewards granted.

This edict from Liu Zhiyuan made Liu Chengyou particularly astonished—the weight of this assignment was extremely heavy.