Chapter 230: Facing the Yellow Earth, Back to the Sky

One hundred and fifty thousand people.

And not a single one of them is a good sort.

Either they are former rebels and insurgents, assassins of a Feudatory King, those who openly opposed the imperial court, authors who insulted the Emperor in print, or those who led armies to massacre cities…

So many people.

In Yanqi, they are effectively a massive bomb, ready to detonate at any moment.

How could Liu Zheng not know this?

However.

If he followed the old routine as the Prince of Yong suggested, it might bring temporary stability, but what about the future?

What he wants to build is a truly united, outward-looking Western Regions Construction Corps, not a group filled with internal hatred, lip service, and backstabbing!

If it were like that.

How would it be any different from the current Longyan Dynasty?

He smiled and said, "On the day the office is established, I, Liu Zheng, have my own arrangements!"

Everyone was curious, but no matter how much they plied him with wine, Liu Zheng simply would not say. They also knew that Liu Zheng never lacked such ingenious ideas, and keeping them in suspense was something he often did.

……

At this moment.

The place responsible for detaining the prisoners who arrived in the Western Regions was clamorous and noisy.

"What are you doing? Don't push me! Are you looking to die?"

"Do you know who I am? Even in Jinghua, no one dares to treat me like this!"

"A mere soldier, let me tell you, you are finished!"

"Heh, hitting me again? I don't believe you don't have family!"

"Smack! Smack!"

"Bang!"

As for these insolent prisoners, the Yinzhou Army did not care about that much; whoever did not listen to orders, there was only one word: beat them!

"You, you, you..."

The expressions of these people changed drastically, twisted with rage.

Along the way, the Prince of Yong did not dare to do anything to them, fearing it would incite a mutiny. After all, these were 150,000 prisoners... 150,000 desperate outlaws, among whom were many with complex backgrounds. Naturally, the Prince of Yong preferred to avoid unnecessary trouble. The matter of exiling prisoners to the Western Regions was a major event in this Longyan Dynasty.

Many people, with factions behind them, took this opportunity to wedge themselves in, sending gifts and pulling strings.

150,000, after all...

A few running away on the road wouldn't matter, right?

The Prince of Yong is my nephew, after all; although there is no collective punishment for the nine degrees of kinship, I cannot just watch him go to the Western Regions to die, right?

In such situations.

The Prince of Yong could only turn a blind eye, and just like that, about three thousand people "ran away" on the road.

Even then.

That was only after the Prince of Yong picked and chose, specifically selecting people from Noble families to show some leniency.

As for the Scholar-officials, he did not bother with them at all.

This journey of nearly a month made these people start to get arrogant.

I am free!

Thus, upon arriving in Yanqi, they did not hold the Yinzhou Army in any regard at all. Who would have thought that on the very first day they moved in, they would deliberately stir up trouble by claiming they weren't used to the mutton in Yanqi—only to be met with the whips of the Yinzhou Army.

"Ha! This is a good show, Old Xiong actually got hit!"

"Look, look!"

Other prisoners watched the excitement from the sidelines, booing loudly.

Even Feng Zhen, who had been exiled to Ningguta, frowned.

This Old Xiong was the once-infamous General Xiong. Xiong Ao! This man had served in the Qingzhou Army and once led 30,000 armored soldiers to raid the main tent of a Qi Grand Chief, slaughtering the 50,000-strong Qi army so thoroughly they didn't even dare to look back.

However.

He was a fierce general.

He just wouldn't listen to orders and was too bloodthirsty.

Back when the Longyan Dynasty was forming a marriage alliance with the Qi, he secretly took his brothers and ran into Qi territory, where he massacred a village!

This enraged the Qi Grand Chief, who tore up the marriage contract with the Longyan Dynasty and marched his troops toward Qingzhou.

The Prince of Wei also knew that this brainless fellow was completely devoid of organization or discipline, and keeping him around was a disaster; since the imperial court couldn't be appeased regarding this incident, he was simply exiled. This time, with the migration to the Western Regions, he maneuvered things to send him to the Western Regions; it is unknown whether the Prince of Wei had good intentions or bad...

Xiong Ao clutched his face, stood up, fire erupting in his eyes, and glared at Qin Zhangfeng through gritted teeth: "You dare hit me? You actually dare hit me? Pretty boy, do you know who I am? Do you know who your master is?"

Qin Zhangfeng said indifferently: "Disobeying orders, grandstanding, and leading a riot—eighty strokes of the cane!"

He turned back and shouted: "Pei Qianyun, carry out the punishment!"

Pei Qianyun replied in a muffled voice: "Yes, General!"

When everyone heard this, they burst into laughter.

There were truly many people watching the show.

"Cane punishment for Xiong Ao?"

"Is he crazy?"

"Hahaha, just them?"

Almost everyone laughed until they were doubled over. Among the prisoners, several elders even came out to persuade them, spouting a bunch of pedantic nonsense.

Qin Zhangfeng remained calm, noncommittal.

Xiong Ao laughed coldly, standing there, his stature a full two point two meters or so by later generations' standards. Even though Pei Qianyun was also a big man, he was still a head shorter in front of him.

"I am Xiong Ao, with countless military merits, a fierce general under the Prince of Wei. I'd like to see who dares to give me trouble! Even in that true land of exile, no one dared to act presumptuously with me. Do you think you lot, this Yinzhou Army, can?"

He roared angrily, his voice shaking the heavens, his fists clenched tight, looking down on everything.

This murderous aura alone was enough to make people tremble with fear.

Qin Zhangfeng said coldly: "Apply the cane!"

"No, no, no, General, General..."

Everyone tried to persuade him.

It wasn't that they were afraid of anything, but they were afraid that you wouldn't be able to beat this Xiong Ao, and wouldn't that be awkward? What if this sparked a conflict in the prison and innocent bystanders were harmed?

"Cane!"

Qin Zhangfeng shouted again.

Pei Qianyun was seen reaching out to grab Xiong Ao.

Xiong Ao sneered coldly, not expecting that someone would actually come to seek death. He looked at Pei Qianyun with contempt, thinking that since they had already reached the Western Regions, he might as well kill these few little fellows and escape to freedom. He even gave a wink to the brothers beside him. Those brothers nodded one after another, the meaning already understood.

Everything was ready, all that was missing was the east wind.

These few fellows before his eyes were not worth worrying about at all.

Xiong Ao estimated in his heart that with one slap, this fellow would be sent flying three meters away.

No one noticed.

At this moment.

In an inconspicuous corner among this group of prisoners.

A woman in red with a face full of grime was quietly watching all of this.

She looked sallow and malnourished, yet her eyes were incomparably clear and spirited.

"Princess... which of these two is stronger?"

A little girl beside her asked in a small, curious voice.

The woman frowned and scolded in a low voice: "I told you not to call me that!"

"M-miss..."

"Then, who is actually stronger?"

The woman said coldly: "No matter who is stronger, it seems this Prefect Liu is also all show and no substance, having brought a huge trouble upon himself!"

However...

The scene that followed immediately brought her words to an abrupt halt, and she was left completely dumbfounded.

At the same time.

It also left the full-of-confidence Xiong Ao stunned like a wooden chicken.

It made everyone present draw a sharp breath.

Pei Qianyun was seen reaching out with one hand toward Xiong Ao's shoulder. Xiong Ao sneered, clenched his fist, and punched out violently. This punch, heavy as a thousand catties, was caught by Pei Qianyun with one hand.

Then...

Then this two-point-two-meter big guy was lifted up by Pei Qianyun with one hand.

Boom!

Face to the yellow earth, back to the sky.

The whole scene.

Was deathly silent.

He was slammed down, solid and hard.

【Author's Note】

It's almost Chinese New Year, I'm going back to have the reunion dinner today. Sorry, sorry... I'll update earlier tomorrow.