Chapter 488: Iron-blooded Suppression!

Facing the elite of the Twelve Regiment, the troops of Thorough Prefecture Guard Post had no power to resist.

Thorough Prefecture Guard Post Commander Liu Shun, seeing the situation lost, led dozens of household retainers to flee through the south gate, but was intercepted by cavalry already ambushed outside the city.

Liu Shun's horse was overturned by a trip rope, he fell from the saddle, and the ambush troops swarmed up, capturing him and all officers, big and small.

Lan Yu immediately galloped into the city, on one hand ordering troops to control the four gates, granary, armory, and Guard Post Office, on the other leading his personal soldiers along the main street eastward to clear out remaining enemies.

The great army entered the city, armor clanking, swords and spears like a forest; the defeated troops on the streets, seeing they could not resist, threw down their weapons and knelt, heads in hands.

Lan Yu's troops shouted, "Those who surrender their weapons will be spared!" Those who yielded fell like snow before boiling water, collapsing in rows.

But as the army reached Thorough Prefecture East Street, a dark mass of people suddenly surged forward from ahead.

Their attire was mixed: some wore silk long robes, some short coarse clothes with knives, and many more were sturdy youths holding sticks, hoes, and pitchforks.

Several people resembling gentry in silk robes stood behind the crowd, pointing at the army and shouting:

"Listen up! These soldier bandits have come to seize our fields! Drive them all out!"

"They dare not draw blades against civilians; we are good citizens protected by Da Han law! Stop them, drive them all out, and there will be great rewards!"

Under this incitement, those household retainers and sturdy youths immediately became restless, brandishing hoes, short swords, and various weapons, shouting strangely as they advanced on the army.

They stood side by side in several rows, completely blocking the entire east street.

Several bold household retainers waved their long knives, shouting:

"Get back to your camp! Thorough Prefecture City is ours!"

Lan Yu reined in his horse, his tiger eyes scanning ahead, and cursed: "Damn it! Don't give me face and then refuse it!"

His personal soldiers beside him had bows drawn, arrows nocked, awaiting orders.

Lan Yu said coldly:

"Repeat the order: those who block the road with weapons and obstruct government troops are guilty the same as rebels; anyone who dares to act will be killed without exception!"

The personal soldiers galloped forward and proclaimed the order loudly.

Those few gentry still unaware of death continued to shout:

"Don't be afraid! Charge forward, they definitely won't dare to move... ah!"

Before he finished speaking, Lan Yu raised his hand and coldly uttered one word: "Kill!"

At the command, the front-line crossbowmen pulled triggers; bolts flew like locusts, instantly turning the dozens of knife-wielding household retainers at the front into porcupines.

Immediately, the armored infantry formed a wedge formation, roaring in unison; their spears like a forest pushed forward flat, spear tips stabbing into the crowd, wails rising everywhere.

Several gentry, seeing the situation turn bad, tried to flee, but were overtaken from behind by cavalry; a swipe of the blade sent their heads rolling far away.

The sturdy youths who had been incited were terrified out of their wits, dropping their tools and kneeling, wailing for father and mother.

Lan Yu ordered them to be taken away in groups.

The stench of blood mixed with smoke spread across the street; corpses lay sprawled on the blue stone slabs, blood slowly draining along the street-side gutters.

Just then, another group rushed hurriedly from North Street.

Leading them was a man about fifty, wearing a black gauze hat, a green robe, and black boots, followed by dozens of sword-bearing constables.

This was Thorough Prefecture Governor Zhang Erhe.

He pushed through the crowd, saw the scene of corpses strewn across the street and blood flowing like a river, his face turned ashen, he quickly strode to Lan Yu's horse and shouted sternly:

"General, why do you let your troops slaughter the people and gentry of Thorough Prefecture? Stop this at once!"

Lan Yu reined his horse, looked back, his tiger eyes locking on, and said coldly:

"The Twelve Regiment has come by imperial order to suppress rebellion in Thorough Prefecture and take over defense. Anyone who arms themselves in stubborn resistance or obstructs military affairs will be treated as a rebel and killed without pardon. And who are you?"

Zhang Erhe puffed out his chest and gave a cold snort.

"I am Thorough Prefecture Governor Zhang Erhe, parent of the prefecture's people! You leading troops into the city is already against regulations; now you also massacre indiscriminately in the city—how can I stand by and watch?"

"Governor Zhang, since you are the parent of the prefecture..." Lan Yu gave a cold laugh, his voice like tearing silk, and shouted:

"When the rebel troops gathered and caused trouble, where were you? When the Guard Post soldiers sealed the gates and resisted the law with weapons, where were you?"

"Now that the city has fallen, you actually dare to bring your constables out and block my horse—what have you been doing all this time?"

Zhang Erhe's face turned green, he held his neck stiff and said:

"How I conduct myself is none of your business, you martial man! Thorough Prefecture has disorder, and the court has its own laws to deal with it."

"You, a mere martial man, how dare you be so recklessly bold, openly killing in the city? I will certainly impeach you for illegally mobilizing troops and massacring civilians!"

Lan Yu laughed loudly, his laughter not yet faded, his expression suddenly darkened, and he said:

"I, the general, carry out imperial orders, marching to suppress rebellion—how could I tolerate your baseless slander! I give you one chance: immediately take your constables and roll back to the prefecture office; if you dare again to obstruct the army's suppression, you will be killed without pardon!"

Seeing Lan Yu thus, Zhang Erhe, furious, laughed bitterly, raised his hand and pointed at Lan Yu, saying:

"Insolent! I am a court-appointed official, you a mere martial man—how dare you be so rude! I will stand here today and see who dares to move..."

Before his words finished, Lan Yu's long sword was drawn, a cold light flashing.

In a blink, Zhang Erhe's head, still wearing the black gauze hat, flew up, spun half a turn in the air, and rolled with a gurgling to the feet of those constables already drained of color.

On the head remained an expression of disbelief!

The constables were terrified out of their wits, all kneeling and begging for mercy.

Lan Yu sheathed his sword and said coldly:

"I, the general, will say this one last time: the Twelve Regiment has been ordered to suppress rebellion and take over Thorough Prefecture."

"All who stubbornly resist, bear arms and cause trouble, or obstruct military affairs shall be treated as rebels and killed without exception; anyone else daring to linger in the street will be completely slain, as an example!"

Lan Yu's decisive slaughter left countless onlookers stunned, realizing the court this time was serious.

Inside Thorough Prefecture, officials and gentry no longer dared to oppose the great army, fleeing home one by one, locking doors, their legs gone weak from fear.

Moreover, the ordinary people of Thorough Prefecture had already retreated home early to avoid the turmoil, none daring to involve themselves casually.

When the city affairs settled, Lan Yu issued the order again: "Those who exploit the chaos to loot—behead! Those who harass the populace—behead! Those who defy military orders—behead!"

Immediately he rode to the Guard Post Office; at this point, Liu Shun and over a hundred officers of Thorough Prefecture Guard Post had been tightly bound, kneeling before the office gate.

Lan Yu cast a glance over, coldly saying:

"Do you think I, the general, wouldn't dare to open fire, or that you're trying to buy time, waiting for Nan An Lao Er to rescue you? Let me tell you, if I dared to come, I'd just deal with you in one go!"

He ordered his men to escort Liu Shun and others back to Shenjing for trial, while the remaining followers were executed on the spot.

Since Tong Zhou was already pacified, Lan Yu dared not delay; he immediately summoned the generals in the yamen and arranged the next operation.

Now they were buying time; once Tong Zhou fell, Shenjing's eastern gateway would be completely opened, and Prince Nan'an and others in Ji Zhou must have already heard the news.

Only not knowing whether they will choose to hold the stronghold or dare to sally forth for field battle!

After a moment of thought, Lan Yu ordered the vanguard to send out dozens of mounted scouts at night, dispatching them toward San He and Ji Zhou to recon the enemy, and also ordered a unit to stay in Tong Zhou to control the canal transport dock.

He then spread out the map, drew a heavy line over Ji Zhou's location, and said in a deep voice:

"The main army departs at once; troops launch from Ji Zhou!"

…………