Chapter 308: Strolling by the Riverside (Part 1)

The cracking of the ice on the Wei River swiftly pushed the battle into its final stage — the rapid collapse of the Western Liang army.

First, naturally, came the casualties caused by the ice breaking apart.

Heavy armor and bodies, sharp weapons and shattered ice, warhorses and soldiers driven by a fierce will to live — all churned ceaselessly in the freezing Wei River. In such a situation, not struggling meant waiting for death, yet any struggle born of survival instinct only accelerated bleeding and dying. And at the same time, those behind who had already stepped onto the ice layer could not control their bodies at all; they were practically shoved forward, plunging into the ice holes one after another, joining and further expanding this flesh-and-blood blender of a... scene.

For a moment, crimson blood and clear river water, masses of dark-clad soldiers and the glinting ice surface, the distant setting sun and the seething battlefield — all composed a tableau so shocking it struck men dumb.

Not to mention Huangfu Song on the eastern side of the battlefield being stunned — even Lu Bu, who had reached Chencang City to the west and then hurried back to seek merit by capturing Han Sui, was likewise frozen in astonishment, standing by the Wei River bank not daring to move a step... In truth, it was not that these two men were weak-willed; there was simply nothing to be done. Whether a renowned commander directing operations with perfect composure or a warrior whose valor surpassed the entire army, both appeared utterly insignificant before the power of nature.

If it were he, Lu Fengxian, trapped in that ice hole at this moment, could he possibly survive?

If it were he, Huangfu Yizhen, commanding the opposing army, could he possibly control the situation?

In fact, at this moment, both men felt terror rising in their hearts, and their hands and feet turned ice-cold.

If the Han army was like this, the Western Liang army needed no further mention. Beneath the bright daylight, facing such a horrific sight, Ma Teng — one of the first to cross and a man who had narrowly escaped death — turned his head back on the southern bank of the Wei River and promptly passed out cold! After all, his main camp was situated right by the Wei River, and this wave of men who died on the ice were almost all his own troops, and his trusted, elite core at that. Over ten li away, Han Sui, who had rested a while and was somewhat mentally prepared for this, did not faint, but his gaze had already turned blank and stupefied... Even if he had anticipated something, he had never imagined that falling into an ice hole would be so ghastly, so utterly horrifying.

Yet, what was even more terrifying was that the intersecting zone between the Wei River and the battlefield stretched a full ten-odd li in length. This meant that many fleeing Western Liang soldiers could not receive timely warning that the ice was unstable, and it also meant that the scene Huangfu Song and Lu Bu had witnessed from the eastern and western ends of the battlefield repeated itself endlessly across the long ice surface of the Wei River.

And seeing such a dreadful spectacle unfold before their eyes, the Western Liang soldiers routed later on ultimately dared not cross the river. They began frantically clutching at the withered grass on the riverbed, preferring death to setting foot on that ice surface over a hundred paces wide.

Then, there were indeed some fierce and ruthless men who seized the moment to shout for a desperate last stand with the river at their backs. But first, the ghastly scene on the Wei River had truly shattered their courage; second, the tide of defeat was impossible to stem... And more crucially, routed soldiers kept being driven here by the Han army from a battlefield fifteen li wide. The newly arrived Western Liang soldiers, after prolonged slaughter and a long, desperate rout, were mostly utterly exhausted and had no strength left to fight again.

Of course, they dared even less to cross the Wei River by a single step.

And so, large-scale surrender began to occur as a matter of course.

By dusk, before the setting sun had time to fully vanish beneath distant Chencang City, under the Han army's soaring momentum that day and the awe-inspiring menace of that mother river of Guanzhong, tens of thousands of Liangzhou soldiers had already cast aside their weapons and surrendered on the riverbed, and were being herded by the Han army to the riverbank for unified internment.

In other words, counting from Gongsun Xun's move to engage on the sixth day of the first month, this great decisive battle — which erupted after a mere three-day standoff — lasted only a single full day before ending with the Han army's total victory and the near-complete annihilation of the rebel forces!

"My lord!"

By the Wei River bank, under the fading sunlight, Xu Rong — the last major general to arrive and report beneath the White Horse Banner — dismounted of his own accord the moment he spotted Gongsun Xun's ceremonial canopy in the distance. "The matter at Chencang City is settled. Earlier, Captain Lu made a charge, and the several thousand rebels left to guard outside the city, along with over ten thousand Western Liang rebel conscript laborers, realized defeat was imminent and half of them fled. We rushed over and forced the other half to surrender. There is not much grain or wealth there, but warhorses and packhorses are plentiful... In this battle, thanks to my lord's divine martial brilliance, our army has truly achieved complete success!"

At the end of his words, Xu Rong had just reached Gongsun Xun's presence, whereupon he bowed deeply and offered this compliment with utter sincerity.

"Had it not been for Bojin's adept command on the battlefield, how could we have today's great victory?" Gongsun Xun could not help but laugh heartily at this, but then immediately turned solemn. "However, though today's battle has achieved complete success, there are still some other matters to wrap up. Lead the cavalry well and maintain order outside; absolutely do not let any chaos break out..."

Xu Rong glanced at the dark mass of captives beside the assembled generals and understood at once. The central command was clearly discussing how to deal with these men, and it was highly likely that necessary executions would occur... However, Xu Bojin, a general from the border commanderies, had no superfluous thoughts on the matter, nor any extra psychological burden. He immediately cupped his hands in assent, turned, and went to deploy the cavalry to control the battlefield.

Gongsun Xun nodded with satisfaction and watched Xu Rong depart. Then he simply dismounted, stood by the riverbank, and continued the previous topic: "Just now, before everyone had fully assembled, I took the opportunity to ask a few officers below. The current situation is that the officers from Guanzhong mostly advocate killing to establish authority, while the Liangzhou officers mostly advocate amnesty. So, Lord Huangfu, what do you think? How should we deal with these captives?"

"General of the Guards, my opinion is that today's slaughter has already been immense. If we deal harshly with the remaining tens of thousands of surrendered soldiers, I fear it would harm the harmony of Heaven." Huangfu Song also dismounted and spoke to Gongsun Xun with a solemn expression. "In my view, previously there was the prophecy of blood flowing in the Two Palaces of Luoyang, which made the Son of Heaven uneasy and even brought him illness. Why not escort the chief culprits like Wang Guo and Li Xiangru to Luoyang for public execution according to the law? This could also serve as another act of suppressing ill fortune, following the military review. Then, here on our end, we can simply pick out a few rebel leaders who resisted too fiercely today or who have had bad reputations in the past and deal with them... As for the rest, we might as well just wait on the spot for an edict from Luoyang. What do you think?"

Talk of blood flowing in the Two Palaces, public execution and suppressing ill fortune, and waiting for an edict from Luoyang — these were naturally all diplomatic phrases... Everyone present understood very clearly that Huangfu Song was advocating for on-the-spot amnesty and recruitment. Going by his suggestion, even leaders among the rebels, if their "past reputation was good," could be allowed to stay.

To this, Gongsun Xun did not indicate approval or disapproval. Instead, he turned his head to look at the other deputy commander, Dong Zhuo: "What does Lord Dong think?"

Dong Zhuo frowned slightly, but was unexpectedly blunt: "I am also a man of Liangzhou. Yesterday's cordial talks with so many rebel leaders were not feigned. If the General of the Guards asks me to say we should slaughter them all, I cannot bring myself to say it. But the Liangzhou rebellion has lasted nearly five years. If we do not take advantage of this great victory to deal with them severely, I fear they will not learn to fear virtue and will rise in revolt again in the future... So in my view, we might as well pick out the rebels whose bodies are stained with blood today, slaughter them all, and throw them into the Wei River. Then release some familiar leaders and their soldiers as an act of grace. The remaining men can be absorbed into the army."

"Bodies stained with blood" referred to those who had resisted too fiercely today — those who submit prosper, those who resist perish... It was a matter of course, after all.

However, Gongsun Xun still did not indicate approval or disapproval. He merely turned his gaze again to the Intendant of Jingzhao, Gai Xun Gai Yuangu. Clearly, he was about to put on the posture of broadly accepting counsel.

"My opinion is to pick out the trusted soldiers and officers of the two factions that fled — Han Sui and Ma Teng — and kill a good number of them to establish authority. As for men like Li Xiangru and Wang Guo, who must be dealt with, we can actually be slightly more lenient toward their subordinates." After a moment's thought, Gai Xun proposed a very interesting and highly practical method of handling the situation.

Gongsun Xun still did not declare his stance, and then looked in order to the next "important figure" in the army, the Marquis of the Northern Army, Liu Biao... Yet Liu Biao remained silent.

Gongsun Xun chuckled to himself. He understood this man's meaning perfectly — given Liu Jingsheng's stance as a scholar-official from Guandong, he surely approved of ruthlessly killing a batch of Western Liang rebels to establish authority. But given his character, he could not bring himself to utter words like "slaughtering captives," so he simply kept silent.

Having understood Liu Biao's inclination, Gongsun Xun then looked toward the Cavalry Commandant, Bao Xin.

"Those brutes are savage by nature, fickle and inconstant, carving up territory and raiding the imperial tombs! How can we let them off lightly just because many Liangzhou men in the army are acquainted with them?!" Bao Xin, still bearing traces of un-dried blood on his person, had long wanted to speak. Seeing his chance, he immediately bristled with indignation. "General of the Guards, in my view, with the Wei River right beside us, we should slaughter them all and push them into the water, thus putting an end to certain people's wishful thinking!"

Huangfu Song seemed about to speak but stopped. Gai Xun and Dong Zhuo could not help but snort coldly... There was no need to refute Bao Xin's angry words — it was impossible to truly massacre everyone. But the bone-deep contempt that Guandong scholar-officials like him held for Liangzhou men was something the generals of Liangzhou origin present found hard to stomach. Yet at the same time, the Western Liang rebels were undeniably acknowledged as the empire's greatest internal threat. Moreover, the Liangzhou men standing here had long since firmly chosen their side and could hardly be said to sympathize with the rebels; it was truly just a sense of regional loyalty stirring... So it was also awkward to retort with sarcasm.

"And what do the various commanders have to say?" Gongsun Xun looked past Lu Bu, who stood behind him holding a spear, and turned his gaze to the thousand-dan officers of the central army.

At this level, the answers became even more bizarre and varied... But overall, these officers of this rank did not have much deliberation; they mainly expressed their stance based on their place of origin.

"What does Wenhe think?" Gongsun Xun listened attentively for a while. The sky was gradually darkening. Nearby, Han soldiers had long since lit campfires across the battlefield, and some were even sitting on the ground eating dry rations to replenish their strength. This sight made the rebels on both banks of the Wei River somewhat fearful — after all, they could well imagine what the Han army might do once they had eaten their fill, yet they were utterly helpless.

"I..." When Jia Xu was called upon by name, he was somewhat silent at first.

"Does even a wise man like Wenhe have moments of hesitation?" Gongsun Xun pressed with a light laugh, his tone seemingly carrying a hint of mockery.

What kind of man was Jia Wenhe? After last night's conversation, how could he not understand the other's intent? So he simply answered with frank honesty: "Speaking from public-mindedness, we should indeed establish authority to overawe the rebels. But speaking from personal sentiment, for the sake of my fellow countrymen, I also wish my lord would grant some amnesty. However, that is not the reason for my silence. I am silent because I know my lord will certainly handle matters with public-mindedness. Though my personal sentiment is stronger, speaking of it would be useless."

At these words, Gongsun Xun naturally laughed again, and the generals beneath the White Horse Banner also all fell silent... In truth, it was not only Jia Xu who understood. Dong Zhuo, Huangfu Song, Gai Xun, and others all understood as well. After this battle, Gongsun Xun held both military power and prestige. With Lu Bu standing behind him holding a spear, the White Horse Volunteers regrouped beneath the White Horse Banner, and Xu Rong circling outside with ten thousand cavalry — how to deal with the captives was entirely his decision alone.

This round of questioning seemed more like going through the motions, a perfunctory gesture toward the assembled generals.

"I understand everyone's meaning now," Gongsun Xun spoke slowly only after he finished laughing. "First, the rebels are fickle and inconstant, their crimes deep and severe. There must still be some punishment to serve as a warning to those who come later. Even those who say we should grant amnesty do so only out of personal sentiment for their fellow countrymen. They themselves know in their hearts that punishment and authority must first be imposed from above; only then can amnesty serve to bestow grace."

Most of the men nodded in agreement.

However, at this point, Gongsun Xun's expression suddenly turned stern and severe: "But this plea for amnesty based on regional loyalty is actually not worth a sneer... After all, in this world, are only the people of Liangzhou considered human? Are the people of Guanzhong, whom they plundered and slaughtered, not human? Even among themselves, have they not constantly attacked and annexed one another? Li Wenhou, Beigong Boyu, Bian Zhang — these three Liangzhou leaders, one barbarian, one Han, one renowned scholar — at whose hands did they die? Yan Shude took his own life; Fu Nanrong died for his country. Were these two men, driven to death by the Liangzhou rebels, not martyrs of Liangzhou itself? If we lightly pardon these men today, when you Liangzhou men die in the future and go below to the Yellow Springs, what face will you have to meet these two fellow countrymen?"

Everyone was speechless; even Jia Xu was momentarily dazed.

Only Huangfu Song, hearing Gongsun Xun mention Fu Xie and Yan Zhong, felt compelled to defend himself: "Wenqi, Nanrong was the successor I had my eye on for Liangzhou, and Yan Shude was an old friend from my staff. How could I forget them? My words today were truly not driven by personal sentiment. It was because I witnessed them struggling in the Wei River earlier — an extreme degree of horror and misery. And in today's battle, our army achieved considerable kills. I thought they must already be terrified out of their wits, and thus felt there was no need to impose further punitive authority."

"Lord Huangfu is being somewhat naive here," Dong Zhuo sneered from the side. "Heaven's authority is Heaven's authority; battle authority is battle authority; punitive authority is punitive authority... The horror of the Wei River was Heaven's authority — that was Heaven's will. The kills achieved in battle are battle authority — that is the valor of our soldiers. But these men have carved up Liangzhou for years, utterly unafraid of virtue, and moreover forced us to flee our homes with no hope of return. Thus we must exercise punitive authority as chastisement... That is what we ought to do."

"Well said!" Gongsun Xun praised from the side. "The realm is in turmoil precisely because every man's heart is selfish. If we who serve as commanders cannot set aside selfishness for the public good, how can we pacify the realm? Those below may voice their personal stances — that is because they do not hold the position and thus need not concern themselves with its duties. But we who hold these positions cannot do so... The only trouble is that even when acting for the public good, we must consider everyone's personal sentiments and cannot avoid our own. We can only strive to reach a compromise."

Huangfu Song immediately shut his mouth and said no more.

"Therefore, my decision is made," Gongsun Xun suddenly said with a solemn expression. "Just as the Cavalry Commandant said, the Liangzhou rebels are fickle and inconstant, carving up territory, disturbing the imperial tombs, and invading Guanzhong. If we do not impose punitive authority, how can we answer to the people of the realm? Huang Yan is already dead; Han Sui and Ma Teng are nowhere to be found. Bring Wang Guo and Li Xiangru forward."

As soon as he finished speaking, Volunteers indeed pushed forward two tightly bound rebel leaders from behind. Everyone saw clearly that they were the former Administrator of Longxi, Li Xiangru, and the nominal leader of this rebel campaign, Wang Guo. Their hearts chilled as they realized Gongsun Xun had long since made his decision. They ceased their calculations and held their breath to see how this General of the Guards would handle the matter.

"Hang them up!" Beside the blazing campfires, Gongsun Xun's expression did not change. He merely pointed to a withered tree by the riverbank.

The soldiers did not dare delay and immediately acted as ordered.

Once the two men were hung upside down from the tree, they were overcome with terror and could not stop begging for mercy.

"Gag them," Gongsun Xun ordered at once. "Then pick men with loud voices to go to the riverbank and shout toward the opposite shore. The Wei River here is only a hundred paces wide; the other side will surely hear... Tell those watching on the opposite bank: if Han Wenyue is there, let him come see with his own eyes. If he is not, do not forget to relay this to him!"

The men grew even more cautious and immediately went to carry out the order.

Presently, after the loud-voiced soldiers had shouted across the river three times, beneath the firelight, Gongsun Xun suddenly signaled two heavily armored warriors behind him to step forward.

Everyone saw clearly that these two tall warriors had not brought blades. Instead, each carried an eight-sided iron mace as long as an arm and as thick as a fist. They grew even more horrified.

"Tell Han Wenyue — this first strike is for Yan Shude!" Ignoring Wang Guo, who hung from the tree struggling in terror, Gongsun Xun pointed far across to the southern face of the Wei River.

The loud-voiced soldier by the river received the order and immediately shouted across the water. After three repetitions, the hammer-wielding warrior beneath the tree swung backhand and smashed the hammer viciously onto Wang Guo's skull.

This instantly stripped the latter of any ability to struggle. Then another warrior beside him stepped forward at once and severed his head with a single blade stroke.

Seeing this scene, Li Xiangru nearby struggled even more fiercely, his body twisting like a Wei River carp out of water... but this could not keep him alive.

"Tell Han Wenyue further — the next hammer is for Fu Nanrong!" Gongsun Xun's tone remained as composed as ever.

Moments later, the executioner warrior struck with full force, yet actually smashed half of Li Xiangru's skull to pieces in public... brain matter flowed across the ground.

Such a sight, even though the crowd on the battlefield today had witnessed countless horrors, still frightened each of them.

"Throw the two into the Wei River, then bring Cheng Gongying forward." Gongsun Xun gave further orders. "This man need not be hung, nor need his mouth be gagged."

In an instant, as the two corpses were dragged away like refuse by the soldiers, Cheng Gongying was also escorted up.

"General of the Guard!" Gai Xun, seeing this, could not help but kneel and plead. "Cheng Gong Shirong is a renowned scholar of Liangzhou; he joined the rebel army only through momentary indiscretion..."

"Yet for years thereafter he served as their willing accomplice, and even once hounded my friend to death!" Gongsun Xun, not waiting for the other to finish, continued the words for him. "Even if Wang Guo could be pardoned, this man cannot be."

Cheng Gongying, behind them, seeing this situation, had already resigned himself to death, but hearing these words could not help shaking his head: "The General of the Guard holds the imperial tally, yet I served as a rebel leader. Now defeated in battle and captured, I bear no resentment in death. But in the matters of Yan Shude and Fu Nanrong, I truly had no part. When did I ever hound your lordship's old friend to death?"

"The one you killed was my old acquaintance, Han Sui of Jincheng!" Gongsun Xun, standing beneath his own canopy, spoke words that startled all. "I had an old acquaintance, surnamed Han, given name Sui. We knew each other for over ten years, since Luoyang. In the beginning, he was much like Yan Shude and Fu Nanrong — all took the greater cause of Liangzhou to heart, setting aside personal concerns. Five years ago, we even met once in Henei. But after returning to Liangzhou that day, he vanished just like Yan Shude and Fu Nanrong, and instead a treacherous, unscrupulous rebel villain appeared in Liangzhou... Tell me, if the Han Wenyue of old was not killed by you and your master, then was it I who killed him? It is only a pity that your master was not captured today, else I would have executed him together with you, to honor my old friend!"

Cheng Gongying, dazed and speechless, in the end could find no words to reply: "If my lord puts it thus, then I am truly guilty beyond any pardon!"

"Your master is to the south. You have served him to the end — you may kneel facing south and die!" Gongsun Xun, while giving orders, actually stepped forward himself and took a hammer. "Tell those on the opposite bank again — this hammer... is for my old friend Han Wenyue!"

The riverside soldiers shouted loudly toward the south. Under the glow of the campfires, the southern bank of the Wei River was already pitch black. Cheng Gongying knelt silently facing south. After the shout had sounded three times, the man was ultimately struck dead by a single hammer blow from the one behind him, and his head was then severed to display the punishment.

"The General of the Guard has spoken — this hammer... is for his old friend Han Wenyue!"

On the southern bank of the Wei River, Han Wenyue had long since crept into the brush to watch secretly because of the prisoners-of-war affair. Earlier, he had witnessed the deaths of Wang Guo and Li Xiangru, but had only felt dazed and faintly shaken. Yet when his ears caught the soldiers on the opposite bank shouting thus, and then, beneath the firelight, he saw Gongsun Xun personally swing the hammer to kill Cheng Gongying — he could not help but be utterly terror-stricken, his very gall and liver shattered!

His entire being seemed as if his soul had fled.

Only after a long while did the man finally stir — he bent forward among the grass, tears streaming unceasingly, yet he dared not make a sound, and could only forcibly cover his mouth and nose... sobbing in secret, as it were.

On the opposite bank, after the three leaders had been dealt with, the large-scale executions had only just begun. And the final method was neither Dong Zhuo's approach of killing the blood-stained soldiers while pardoning the leaders, nor Gai Xun's suggestion of singling out Ma Teng's and Han Sui's units while sparing the rest. Instead, soldiers, officers, Han and Qiang alike were treated equally — the decimation by lot was carried out!

In truth, the rebel army in this battle had fifty thousand fighting men. Fewer than ten thousand had fled, roughly over ten thousand had died in battle or fallen into the river, and the captured fighting men remaining numbered as many as thirty thousand... Faced with such a situation, Gongsun Xun had long been prepared to kill.

One could even say that as far back as that period beneath Mount Mang in Changping, Gongsun Xun had already come to a realization: in the times ahead, when dealing with degenerated armed groups like the Western Liang rebels, killing was necessary to establish authority, yet no matter what, indiscriminate slaughter must not be allowed, lest virtue be lost. And among selective killings, Dong Zhuo's method of killing those below while releasing those above was naturally contrary to Gongsun Xun's own inclination. Gai Xun's targeted stratagem he also felt leaned somewhat toward cunning and was not suitable for broad application... Thus, he had chosen his own method of punishment very early on, and this time was its first formal implementation.

Three thousand men — not even proportionate to those who had died in battle in this fight. And in this age, whether it be the moral gentlemen of Guandong or the local people of Liangzhou who sympathized with these men, none could point to this number and accuse Gongsun Xun of indiscriminate slaughter. Yet the process of drawing lots was enough to make all the captives tremble in terror and leave them with a lesson unforgettable for a lifetime. It was, by all accounts, an excellent method of punitive execution.

In the darkness of night, by the banks of the Wei River where countless had met their end, Gongsun Xun had great bonfires lit. He sat in the center with Huangfu Song and Dong Zhuo, arrayed all the uninjured White Horse Volunteer Cavalry in formation behind them, and seated the officers of the central army at their sides — actually intending to carry out the executions face-to-face through the night.

Every hundred men were brought forward, and then ten Han army officers, blindfolded, would in sequence draw lots to determine life or death for the ten men before them. Those who drew the death lot were stricken with unbearable terror; those who drew the life lot wept with gratitude... yet the process was exceedingly swift.

However, not long after the executions began, when it came to one man's turn, the executing officer suddenly hesitated.

"My lord!" A company commander responsible for carrying out the executions immediately came to report. "This man claims to be your friend. Yesterday he gifted you a fine steed, and he also received brocade and wine from you in return last evening..."

"Bring him forward!" Before the other could finish, Gongsun Xun, seated upright in the center, could not help but furrow his brow slightly.

Moments later, the Qiang leader who had previously gifted the Dilu horse was brought before him. He then prostrated himself on the ground, weeping bitterly, seeking a path to survival. Dong Zhuo, Huangfu Song, and the others naturally said nothing. By contrast, Gai Xun and Lu Bu, because they were connected to this matter, several times made to rise and plead for the man, but in the end dared not.

"If you weep any further, you need not open your mouth again." Gongsun Xun's cold rebuke instantly silenced the other. "I ask you — was there any cheating in the drawing of lots?"

"That is not what I meant." The Qiang leader on the ground struggled to suppress his sobbing tone as he spoke. "It is only that just yesterday I gifted you, General, a white horse. I wonder if that might offset a death sentence?"

"That white horse is indeed a divine steed, and today it greatly aided our army's victory — it may be counted as having rendered considerable merit." Gongsun Xun, unhurried and unflustered, answered at once. "If we argue from this, it is not impossible to make an exception... But did I not also gift you fine wine and brocade in return?"

"But the wine was not finished, and there was no time to make the brocade into clothes to wear!" The leader hastily argued.

"I understand." Gongsun Xun sighed, then abruptly rose to his feet.

Thereupon, before the dumbfounded eyes of the crowd, the General of the Guard set down his seal and cord, unfastened his armor, and finally, heedless of the cold, actually stripped off the brocade garment he wore beneath his armor in public... Presently, guards hurriedly brought wine and a pottery bowl. And Gongsun Xun stepped forward, first draping his own brocade robe over the other's shoulders, then personally took up the ewer to pour wine, and presented the cup before the other with both hands.

Only then did Gongsun Xun speak slowly: "You and I may have only met yesterday, yet we felt like old friends at first meeting. Therefore, I cannot but make some gesture... Today, you and I share this cup and drink together, and share this brocade garment to wear. Yet military law is strict, and the bare blade must still be brought to bear... Well then, have you any further words?"

The Qiang leader, on the ground draped in the brocade robe, lowered his head and sighed: "A lowly Qiang like me, to receive such courtesy from the White Horse General before death — if I still did not know what was proper, would that not make others look down on us men of Liangzhou?"

Having spoken, the man wept and pleaded no more, but rose to receive the wine, drained it in one draught, and then, draped in the brocade robe, staggered away. At Gongsun Xun's signal, the silent Han Dang took up that blade which could cleave iron as if it were mud, stepped forward directly, and with one stroke ended the man's life.

Behind him, Huangfu Song, Dong Zhuo, and the others all remained silent, and those beneath them likewise said nothing. But from this point onward, the decimation by lot proceeded without further interruption, and before the sky had brightened, it was actually already finished.

That night, the entire army naturally drove the remaining surrendered troops back to the new camp, hastily established relying on the former rebel encampment, to be settled. And Gongsun Xun, without pausing to rest, worked without cease and summoned yet another person into his tent.

—————I am the dividing line of the Three Great Hammers—————

"When the Grand Ancestor had vanquished the rebel army, he first beheaded the rebel leaders, then carried out the order of decimation by lot. It happened that an old friend drew the death lot, and sobbing, begged for pardon. The Grand Ancestor removed his own garment and clothed him, and also personally presented a golden cup to drink together. When this was done, he again brought the bare blade to bear. All in the army who saw this were awed and submitted in fear." — New Book of Yan, Volume One, Annals of the Grand Ancestor, the Martial Emperor

PS: No good, I feel like my body's been wrecked by messing around this weekend... After catching up on sleep last night I wanted to write, but got hooked watching anime... After binge-watching, my schedule completely collapsed. Today I'm sleepy and tired, stuffy nose and headache... But I still have to solemnly recommend this anime — Made in Abyss

(End of Chapter)