Chapter 1193: Mortal Enemies Who Sever a Clan's Very Roots (Bonus Chapter!)

"Long live the Heavenly King, ten thousand times ten thousand years! This lowly one was blinded by greed and coerced by those Zhu Ming rebel soldiers. Left with no choice, Shang Village was occupied by them and used as a camp to resist the Heavenly Army of Xuzhou. Now that the Heavenly King has delivered Shang Village from fire and water, the entire Shang family is endlessly grateful. This old man has two granddaughters, both fifteen this year, and offers them to serve at the Heavenly King's side. For the funds and provisions the Heavenly Army requires, the Shang family is willing to contribute with all its might." The Shang family elder was advanced in years, his voice lacking full breath, yet he spoke very fluently.

Zhao Jin smiled slightly and said, "This village isn't easy to breach. I recall several times when troops passed through, Shang Village refused to give face and got away with it. So how is it that this time you were coerced? You fear the government troops, but do you not fear me?"

The Shang family elder's body jolted, and the two girls kneeling behind him dared not even raise their heads. The elder seemed to hesitate over something, but before long he lifted his head and spoke with a resolute expression: "Your Majesty's eyes are keen. This lowly old man did indeed harbor opportunistic intentions back then, hoping to use the government troops to gain advantages for the Shang family. At the time, the entire Shang household opposed it fiercely, but this old fool stubbornly went his own way. Your Majesty, whether by blade or by slow dismemberment, this old man will bear it all alone, only begging that the rest of the Shang family not be implicated."

Zhao Jin nodded and said, "One man's life or death means nothing; the survival of the Shang clan is what truly matters. You, as the elder, do have some awareness of your role. As for your Shang family's twin sisters, I heard of them even when I was in Xuzhou. What exactly was the story again?"

This question was not directed at the three Shang family members, but at a household retainer beside him. The retainer, who looked somewhat older, leaned close to Zhao Jin's ear and whispered a few words. Zhao Jin smiled again and said, "Twelve years ago, you adopted this pair of sisters from the Shangqiu area, intending to raise them and use them for a marriage alliance. You never imagined they'd end up being used on me, did you?"

The Shang family elder shuddered violently and looked up at Zhao Jin in shock. Zhao Jin's expression slowly turned cold. Staring at the elder, he said, "If every powerful clan and great family under heaven treats me with utmost deference in ordinary times, then the moment government troops arrive they immediately turn traitor and claim they were coerced, and when I come back they simply hand over an old man to pay with his life and pull some brothel-style marriage alliance trick — if they can get away with it that easily, then who under heaven will still know to fear my Zhao Camp? Who will still remember this lesson?"

A smile actually appeared on Zhao Jin's face, but that faint smile made the Shang family elder tremble from head to toe. Zhao Jin continued, "No matter who becomes emperor, no matter which dynasty or era, you families must endure in the localities forever, isn't that right? If you die today, your sons, nephews, and grandsons will still be here, and sooner or later they will avenge this grudge, won't they? If it were some other powerful lord, at this moment he would help you to your feet, offer a few words of comfort, and then take in these two women you raised, turning it into a celebrated tale. Isn't that what you were thinking?"

"Your Majesty... Lord Jin... the Shang family — it was truly this lowly old man alone who did these muddled, reckless deeds. It has nothing to do with the rest of the Shang family!" The Shang family elder's voice had begun to tremble. Casting aside all composure and flattery, he practically roared it out.

"These past few days, I too have been wound tight as a bowstring, with a stifled breath pent up in my chest. You wanted an audience, so I granted it. How I will deal with your Shang family — I can tell you right now. Not a single person from the important branches of your Shang family will survive. Whether they stayed behind or fled, there is only a dead end for them. Your properties will become the properties of my Zhao Camp. The rest of your Shang clan members will be sent outside Henan Province to serve as village laborers and penal serfs for Zhao Camp. Five years, ten years, or even longer before they are freed. Do you hear me? I have actually always found it laughable. Zhao Camp deals with you by the rules and with decency, unlike the government offices and troops who seize and extort by force. How did that give you the idea that I'm a piece of fat meat, that everyone should take a bite? Have your brains gone rotten?"

As he spoke these words, Zhao Jin was very calm, yet he said them all in one breath. With every sentence, the Shang elder shuddered, his face growing one shade paler. The two young girls behind him had already collapsed in terror, losing control of their bladders, completely broken.

When Zhao Jin finished, the Shang family elder's trembling suddenly stopped, and color surged back into his face. All the caution, prudence, and terror vanished completely. He simply stared at Zhao Jin, grinding his teeth, and said in a low, fierce voice, "The government offices and troops seize and extort by force, but they come and then they leave. My Shang family could still borrow their strength to suppress the common folk. But when your Zhao Camp comes, you never leave, and you want to sever the very roots of us gentry families. You do follow rules, but those rules allow not a shred of flexibility. Slowly grinding away like this, the foundation my Shang family has painstakingly built up over generations will be hollowed out and taken by you. When that day comes, all the martial and literary learning in my household will be utterly useless, and we will be reduced to the state of those impoverished wretches. The government offices and troops are dogs; you are a tiger. Toss them a piece of meat and they're satisfied, but you want to devour people whole. The Shang family will fight you to the death, and every gentry clan under heaven will fight you to the death! You dog of a traitor, sooner or later retribution will come for you!"

"Insolence!" Zhang Hubin roared in fury, already drawing his blade from its scabbard.

The smile on Zhao Jin's face turned mocking. He said teasingly, "You don't seem stupid at all — you appear to see the whole story quite clearly. Yet I already pointed out a better path for you to take, and you refused to walk it, instead believing I am severing your lifeblood. That kind of thinking is true foolishness. Take him away. Hanging his head on the village wall will suffice."

"You dog of a traitor! My Shang family has men serving as officials at court! If you dare commit such a heaven-defying atrocity, retribution is certain! This old man will be waiting for you in the underworld!" The Shang family elder roared out with the last of his strength.

"If that day truly comes, and you and I meet in the underworld, I fear it will still be the same scene as today. Best you don't dwell on it," Zhao Jin said with a smile.

After the Shang family elder had finished his cursing, it was as if all the strength had drained from his body. He could only glare viciously at Zhao Jin as the household retainers dragged him away. Zhao Jin let out a long breath and said in a relaxed tone, "Though quarreling and cursing are useless, finding someone to exchange a few words with does ease the heart and clear the chest."

Zhang Hubin coughed twice from the side, unable to suppress a laugh. Only then did a household retainer waiting nearby cautiously ask, "Lord Jin, what about these two women?"

"Haven't you studied the regulations for handling and taking in captives? Follow the regulations and do your duty. Don't let your own minds run wild with foolish thoughts!" Zhao Jin's voice sharpened. The retainer immediately straightened and received the order with solemnity, then made the two girls, whose minds had already collapsed, stand up and escorted them away in another direction.

The capture of prisoners and the slaughter proceeded simultaneously. The Shang family had entrenched itself in the Yucheng County area of Guide Prefecture for decades. To maintain the family's prosperity, it was impossible for them to have any good reputation among the common people. Even distant clan members within Shang Village itself harbored bone-deep hatred for them. Although the direct and legitimate-line members of the Shang family had made some preparations, once Zhao Camp gave the word, every last one of them was immediately identified. Not a single one could escape.

Those who were to be killed were simply shoved forward before squad after squad of captives and dispatched on the spot with blade and axe. Wailing shook the heavens, and fresh blood covered the ground. Everyone who witnessed this scene was stricken with utter terror, deathly afraid that they would be the next in line.

The government army's commander, Yang Zhaoji, fled first with his personal guard cavalry. The deputy commander, Zhou Baolu, surrendered with his personal guard. The rest of the cavalry, so long as they had not been killed or wounded in the bombardment, all fled for their lives at breakneck speed. The cavalry of the government army were the very elite of an entire force; when they wanted to charge out and escape, there truly was no one who could stop them. Moreover, those on horseback were often the officers — most military officers above the rank of Squad Commander rode horses, and most of them escaped as well.

Without cavalry to cover the retreat and resist, and without officers and commanders to organize them, the bulk of the government troops became a scattered heap of sand. Not only could they not mount any organized resistance, but under the encirclement and sweeping maneuvers of Zhao Camp's cavalry, they could not even flee. No matter how fast they ran, they could not outrun the well-rested mounted retainers. Though the government troops were many and the mounted retainers were few, the few managed to encircle and capture the many. As for the village braves and civilian households of Shang Village, their courage had long since shattered. Upon hearing the call to surrender, they dropped to their knees without a second word and stayed motionless, which saved even more effort.

Once the militia of the rear division caught up, the situation was completely stabilized. Following the procedures drilled in peacetime, the militia made the captives hand over their weapons, organized them into squads, and then concentrated them together. They also had to select squad after squad of captives to return to Shang Village and search for supplies. The government army's baggage and Shang Village's own carts and horses were all gathered together; the supplies they carried would be used for consumption along the journey.

"Truly a rare find — there were actually several dozen kidnap victims in the cellars. This Shang family was even in the habit of crossing the Yellow River to Shandong and Northern Zhili to pull off jobs." During the search, there were indeed some unexpected discoveries.

After the battlefield fell silent, Zhao Jin, surrounded by his personal guards, rode his horse around Shang Village twice, then went inside to observe. It had to be said, the layout and construction of Shang Village were far more orderly than the government's walled cities, and even somewhat cleaner.

The search of Shang Village was still underway. The personal guards dared not take the slightest risk; they surrounded Zhao Jin, ready at any moment to defend against a possible attack. Meanwhile, the household retainers and militia were meticulously searching every single room. The internal guards and patrolmen accompanying the force now played their role: in places where cellars or secret passages might exist, they would not overlook the slightest trace or clue. Only areas the retainers and militia had already searched would Zhao Jin be allowed to enter.

Walking and observing as he went, he eventually arrived at the eastern area that had been bombarded. That area was riddled with holes, a shattered wasteland where hardly any intact structure could be seen. Amid the ruins, severed limbs and mangled flesh were everywhere. Seeing this, Zhao Jin was reminded of the scenes after the Shandong earthquake years ago — it bore a faint resemblance.

Every cannonball was cast from several catties or more than ten catties of lead and iron — materials that could be sold directly for money on the market and naturally could not be wasted. The artillery retainers were overseeing the captives as they gathered the cannonballs back up. These could be melted down and refurbished, or even used again directly.

The sight before him was shocking and wretched, yet a smile appeared on Zhao Jin's face. This was the power of cannons. Over thirty field guns of various calibers firing several volleys had produced this kind of result. Such firepower gave him a feeling reminiscent of memories from his past. Zhao Jin was very pleased. But at that moment, Niu Jinbao, who had always been a man of few words, let out a sigh — a very soft one. Zhao Jin glanced back and could see the dejection and loss on Niu Jinbao's face.

This is the third update of the day!

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