Chapter 66: No Need to Request Permission — Kill on the Spot

Xu Sheng sent several Eastern Palace personal guards to investigate the situation. Before long, the guards returned and reported in detail to Zhu Cilang what had happened in the city.

They said that Assistant Regional Commander Huang Degong was handling the matter of brawls between commoners and soldiers, while Assistant Regional Commander Sun Yingyuan was leading some troops to suppress the unrest and pacify the city's populace.

However, Sun Yingyuan did not have enough men — he had only arrested some of the local thugs and ruffians, and the unrest continued to spread, with even ordinary citizens beginning to join in looting valuables. The situation was growing ever more serious.

Zhu Cilang's eyes turned cold, and he said in a frigid voice: "Looting in a time of crisis? They truly do not know the meaning of death! Pass the order: Sun Yingyuan shall lead three thousand men of the Yongwei Camp to maintain order along the streets. Whoever is encountered looting or committing other unlawful acts in the chaos — no need to request permission, kill on the spot. If one man causes chaos, kill one; if a hundred cause chaos, kill a hundred; if ten thousand cause chaos, kill ten thousand!"

Hearing this, the various officers in the county office felt a chill in their hearts, thinking to themselves that the Crown Prince's methods were truly hard, utterly without hesitation, as if he cared nothing for his own reputation.

Zhu Cilang could not care less about such things. He did not place much weight on reputation; he firmly believed that strength was the true way of kings, and that safeguarding the interests of the masses was merit, was the Heavenly Dao.

In this chaotic age, harsh laws were needed to awe the petty and protect the interests of more people.

Later, Huang Degong and Yang Qili returned and reported the entire affair of the brawl between soldiers and commoners.

Yang Qili also stated that, according to secret reports from the commoners, besides some among the officers and soldiers who had served as second-rate Tartars, there were also some among the commoners who had once been minions of the Jianzhou barbarians.

Back then, they had borrowed the power of the Qing army, using borrowed authority to bully others and committing many evil deeds. After the Tartars were driven back, fearing they would be called to account, they hid themselves among the common folk.

Zhu Cilang was burning with rage. In Liangxiang, the County Magistrate and civil officials had died for the country above, and the Garrison Commander and military officers had fallen in battle below — what magnificent heroism! Yet there were actually some cowardly officers and soldiers who had surrendered to the Jianzhou barbarians, and even some willing to serve as their running dogs!

Zhu Cilang gnashed his teeth and said: "Continue the investigation! Be sure to drag out every last one of those curs who served as second-rate Tartars. I will make sure they die without even a place to bury their bones!"

After the order was issued, the sound of firelocks rang out unceasingly in Liangxiang city. Squad after squad of Yongwei Camp soldiers in iron armor marched in orderly formation through the great streets. Whenever they spotted lawless men looting amid the chaos, they raised their guns and shot them dead without the slightest mercy.

Squad after squad of Yongwei Camp soldiers shouted as they marched: "By decree of the Crown Prince: the entire city is under martial law! No one is permitted to linger in the streets — everyone return home and go indoors. Those without homes, squat down where you are and do not panic. Whoever runs about wildly will be executed on the spot!"

"Whoever loots or plunders amid the chaos shall be judged as rebels and bandits — killed without mercy!"

Hearing the proclamations ringing out through the streets, many commoners once again caught sight of this army that had entered the city not long ago, through the cracks of their doors or the gaps in their upstairs windows.

They marched in squads of ten, some bearing long spears, some bearing firelocks, every man sturdy and well-built, their armor gleaming bright — a fearsome sight to behold.

Seeing that they were merely patrolling the streets and committing not the slightest offense against the people, the panicked citizens of Liangxiang finally breathed a sigh of relief: so the Crown Prince's army had come to maintain order.

Those who had been profiting from the chaos heard these proclamations — how would they dare cross paths with the Yongwei Camp? Especially upon hearing that they would be treated as rebels and bandits, every one of them immediately panicked and fled in all directions.

Yet when they ran to another street, they would find another squad of soldiers patrolling there as well, and would run straight into them.

Seeing their panicked faces and the bulging bundles of valuables on their persons, the Yongwei Camp soldiers judged them to be rioting looters beyond doubt, and without a word, greeted them with their firelocks.

Some of the rioters, seeing there was no escape, knelt down directly and kowtowed desperately, crying that they would never dare do it again. Yet the only response they received was the sound of the high-class, top-grade self-igniting Lumi firelocks in the hands of the Yongwei Camp soldiers.

For a full shichen, the sound of firelocks rang unceasingly through Liangxiang city, only gradually quieting as the sun was about to set. Bloodstains marked every major street throughout the city. In this operation, the Yongwei Camp executed over thirteen hundred rioters in total.

In the main hall of the county office, Zhu Cilang listened to Sun Yingyuan's report before him and nodded with satisfaction. If you want to profit from the nation's calamity, you must leave your own dog's life behind!

After dealing with the rioters, Zhu Cilang finally ordered the restoration of order in the city, permitting the commoners to take to the streets again, and posted notices on every street explaining the cause and result of this disturbance.

In the notices, Zhu Cilang also specially offered a heavy reward, asking the commoners to report those hidden second-rate Tartars. For each verified report, ten taels of silver would be given, and a promise was made to protect the reporter's personal safety. Those who made false reports would be imprisoned for one year.

Since many commoners were illiterate, Zhu Cilang had literate people read the notices aloud before each posting, rewarding one qian of silver for each reading.

In a single shichen, those reading the notices could easily earn two or three taels of silver, truly experiencing the principle that books hold golden houses and knowledge changes one's fate.

This way of earning money immediately attracted a large crowd of literate cultured men. They flocked to the notices to earn silver, and the Yongwei Camp soldiers guarding the notices turned no one away — as long as one opened one's mouth and read, one was paid.

Through these operations, the commoners of Liangxiang city came to know the notice's contents thoroughly — not only understanding why the army had killed people, but more importantly, knowing they could report others to earn money.

As darkness gradually fell, Zhu Cilang decided to spend the night in Liangxiang city, and at the same time ordered the city's defenses strengthened, to guard against the Qing army launching a surprise counterattack under cover of night to retake Liangxiang.

Zhu Cilang planned to rest in the rear quarters of the county office, which immediately drew opposition from the Yongwei Camp officers. Wu Zhong, the eunuch from Zhongcui Palace, was especially vehement in his dissuasion.

He said that the rear quarters were where County Magistrate Jiang Bingcai had hanged himself, and that the magistrate's body had been buried there until just before this day — highly inauspicious.

Zhu Cilang said gravely: "Martyrs who gave their lives for the nation — what inauspiciousness is there in that? They are heroes of the Great Ming, and I am proud of them, proud and honored!"

Zhu Cilang insisted firmly on lodging in the rear quarters where the County Magistrate had once lived. At this moment, every officer of the Yongwei Camp admired and respected this Crown Prince from the bottom of their hearts.

In their hearts, the Crown Prince was not putting on a show. In this age, everyone believed in ghosts and spirits; ordinary children of a few years old, upon hearing of such a thing, would never dare stay the night no matter what.

Yet the Crown Prince insisted. If he did not hold reverence for the martyrs in his heart, how could he not be afraid?

Soldiers fear nothing more than dying wrapped in horsehide with no one to care for them. With a sovereign who valued them so highly, how could they not serve their country loyally and fight to the death on the battlefield? Without realizing it, Zhu Cilang had won over another wave of hearts.

That night, Zhu Cilang slept very soundly.

But Wu Zhong, who stood guard beside him through the night, suffered miserably — whenever the candle flame so much as flickered, his heart would leap with fear. And so he was tormented the entire night.

Early the next morning, Zhu Cilang looked at the listless Wu Zhong and could not help but laugh: "Companion Wu, you've trained in the Sunflower Manual — how can you still be so timid? You're worse than this child of a few years old."

Wu Zhong hung his head and said: "The young master is the reincarnation of the Purple Star Emperor, bearing dragon aura upon his person so that a hundred ghosts dare not approach — how could this servant compare? This servant's meager skill is merely for keeping the body fit."

Zhu Cilang smiled helplessly and said: "You needn't attend me today. Find yourself a place and rest well."

Wu Zhong chuckled: "This servant thanks the young master for his consideration."

Zhu Cilang dressed himself and walked out of the rear quarters. Just before leaving, he turned to Wu Zhong and said: "One of these days I'll let you chop off a few Tartar heads to build up your courage — who knows, you might even comprehend the Evil-Warding Sword Technique."

Wu Zhong: ""