Chapter 278: The Fault of the Father in Not Teaching the Child

Xiao Moting turned his head and saw Zhao Li leading a large group of Imperial Guard, rushing over while panting.

Qin Zhan's expression changed, "Commandant Zhao, why have you come?"

Zhao Li wore a fake smile and lifted his chin.

"I saw thick smoke billowing in these mountains, so I had people come over to take a look."

"I didn't expect you to find the thieves so quickly."

"Come to think of it, I must thank the Prince. With the thieves caught, there is an explanation for the Tribute."

After speaking, he turned his head to look at Xiao Moting.

"Thank you, Prince, for helping to catch this gang of thieves; now, hand these people over to us to deal with."

Xiao Moting's expression remained unchanged, "Commandant Zhao, how do you intend to deal with these people?"

Zhao Li's expression was cold and grim as he let out a heavy snort.

"These people are deserters from the Yuan Clan; desertion is a capital offense, so naturally, they must be executed."

"Stealing military rations and privately seizing Tribute is an even greater crime."

"The villagers harbored thieves; according to the laws of Daliang, they must all be arrested and their entire clans executed."

As soon as he finished speaking, Er Gou and the dozen or so other deserters kneeling on the ground began to panic.

"What, you want to kill the people in our village?"

"Have mercy, military lord, we didn't know those fruits were Tribute; everyone was too hungry and just wanted to get something to eat."

"We stole the Tribute; it has nothing to do with the villagers. One person acts and one person bears the consequences; if you want to kill, kill us, don't kill our fathers, mothers, and relatives."

The dozen or so deserters kowtowed to Zhao Li incessantly.

Er Gou kowtowed the hardest, his forehead breaking against the stones and seeping blood.

"Military lord, we confess our crimes; you can slice us into a thousand pieces, but please spare our families."

His face was full of remorse.

Everyone had fled from the Yuan Family Army and hidden in the mountains precisely because they did not want to implicate their families.

They never expected that now, not only would they die, but the villagers would also be beheaded along with them.

Zhao Li remained unmoved, gritting his teeth as he spoke.

"You have committed such a grave crime, yet you still dream of surviving? You are truly delusional."

After speaking, he raised a hand.

The Imperial Guard behind him immediately rushed forward, drew their Long Swords, and surrounded all the villagers.

The villagers were frightened pale, kneeling on the ground, crying and begging for mercy.

Among them, seven or eight white-haired elders walked out of the crowd and plopped down on their knees before Zhao Li.

"Military lord, the village suffered a snow disaster, and many have already starved to death; even the grass roots nearby have been dug up, and everyone has nothing to eat."

"They did indeed do something wrong, but they only went to steal food so that the villagers could survive."

"We were the ones who ate the food; let us be beheaded in their place, please spare them a path to life."

Among the dozen or so deserters kneeling on the ground, a few immediately burst into tears.

"Father!"

"Mother!"

It turned out these elders were their fathers and mothers.

Crying filled the air all around.

Zhao Li looked up at the crowd, a playful expression appearing on his face.

"What a display of fatherly kindness and filial piety; I would like to help you, but unfortunately, what you stole was Tribute, a capital crime that is hard to forgive."

"However, I see you are pitiful, so I will give you a way to atone for your crimes."

"These deserters are all your sons, right? As the saying goes, if a child is not taught, it is the father's fault; so you parents shall punish them yourselves."

Er Gou's eyes lit up, "Military lord, how should we punish them?"

Zhao Li smiled and raised his hand.

Clang.

The large blade in his hand fell to the ground, its edge gleaming.

"Let you parents personally cut off your sons' heads, and I will spare the villagers."

As soon as he finished speaking, silence fell all around.

The villagers looked at each other in dismay.

The group of white-haired elders was also stunned.

Immediately afterward, they began to cry bitterly.

"I beg the military lord for mercy; if someone must die, let us die instead."

"It is all our fault; take us instead."

The children had taken the risk and gone to steal food so that their parents and the villagers would not starve to death.

In the end, they were to have their parents personally kill them as punishment.

This was truly a case of killing the heart!

The villagers also knelt on the ground one after another, crying and begging Zhao Li to show mercy.

"They only stole food so that we could survive."

"We are willing to give up everything we own, even work as laborers, just please spare their lives."

Zhao Li sneered.

"Your lives are all worthless; a hundred villagers added together are not worth as much as a single Tribute Fruit."

"Either let your parents carry out the execution, or everyone in your village must die."

A deserter suddenly jumped up and rushed crying to a white-haired old man.

"Father, your son has committed a capital crime; you must behead your son to avoid implicating the whole village."

Having said this, he snatched up a broadsword and drew it across his own neck.

Puchi!

A splash of bright red sprayed onto the ground.

The white-haired old man immediately wailed, "My son, it is all Father's fault. At my age, I should have been in the grave long ago. If it weren't to keep me alive, how would you have stolen military rations and Tribute Fruit? Father will join you."

After speaking, he also tremblingly picked up the broadsword and slit his own throat to commit suicide.

The villagers saw the father and son lying on the ground, their wailing shaking the heavens.

Zhao Li, however, laughed heartily.

"Daring to steal Tribute, this is the consequence."

Xiao Dabao frowned as he watched, "Commandant Zhao, since the deserters stole military rations and Tribute, you should just punish the deserters according to the Military Order; why force them to kill their own kin? And why insist on slaughtering the entire village?"

"If I don't show them a little color, how will they know the severity of their actions?" Zhao Li said dismissively, "Besides, this is just a bunch of lowly people, not even as good as rats. You Beijiang Army soldiers are quite bored staying in these desolate mountains and wild ridges guarding the mine. Am I not just finding some entertainment for you?"

A group of Beijiang Army soldiers all remained silent, watching Zhao Li coldly.

Military rations had been stolen, and everyone was very indignant.

But while the guilty should be punished, they would never implicate the innocent, let alone treat villagers like rats to be killed for sport.

Over a hundred villagers knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly.

Zhang Zhao could not bear to watch and looked up to say.

"The villagers in this vicinity live in poverty, and many have indeed starved to death. Since Commandant Zhao has punished these deserters, please spare these villagers; there is no need to kill them all."

"That won't do," Zhao Li shook his head, "The villagers also ate quite a lot of grain and even ate the Tribute Fruit; how could they be let off lightly?"

"But they didn't know those fruits were for Tribute," Zhang Zhao said, "Usually, the villagers nearby help with the mine's work. They truly had nothing to eat and were driven by hunger to eat the Tribute Fruit. Those who do not know are not guilty. If all the surrounding villagers are killed, the nearby villages will become dead villages, and there will be no one left to help the mine work."

Zhao Li snorted coldly, "General Zhang, since when have you become so womanish?"