Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Government Army Massacres a Village

Slaughtering civilians and claiming their heads as military merit is no trivial matter, and the men could not afford to take it lightly.

Commander Zheng said with a trace of dissatisfaction, "What is there still to hesitate about? Otherwise, who has a better plan? If not, listen to my arrangement. Not only will the army's food shortage be resolved, but these two personal guards can also return to report on their mission."

Commander Xu and the other personal guard of the Regional Commander simultaneously turned their gazes toward Huang An.

Commander Zheng continued, "Lord Huang, slaughtering civilians and claiming merit is no great deal. Such things happen several times every single year in our border towns."

At this moment, a company commander suddenly strode into the large tent, looking anxious as he reported, "My lords, the soldiers in the camp are getting harder and harder to restrain. If we cannot figure out a solution soon, a mutiny could break out at any moment."

"Lord Huang!" Commander Zheng pressed further.

Huang An took a deep breath and said, "Commander Zheng, take some men to secure the provisions. Commander Xu, you will go along as well. Remember to bring the heads back."

A flash of joy appeared on Commander Zheng's face, and he immediately turned to the newly entered company commander, saying, "Gather all the soldiers. I am taking you to get provisions."

That company commander was a seasoned military veteran of many years, and upon hearing these words, he instantly grasped the implication. A look of delight crossed his face as he followed Commander Zheng out of the large tent.

"Understood!" Commander Xu dropped to one knee to receive the order.

Just as Commander Xu and the Regional Commander's personal guard were about to step out of the tent, Huang An added, "The two of you, try to keep the bloodshed to a minimum."

He knew full well that these words were entirely useless. Once those soldiers were released from the camp, they would turn into ferocious tigers freed from their cages, leaving behind only a frenzy of burning, killing, and plundering that no one could stop. They could only wait for the process to run its course.

The only reason he bothered to utter that plea for minimal bloodshed was to appease his own conscience ever so slightly.

Commander Xu and the Regional Commander's personal guard nodded, leaving the tent together.

After everyone had departed, Huang An slumped back into the chair behind his desk, as if every ounce of strength had been drained from his body.

A personal guard stepped forward, having brewed a cup of tea, and placed it on the desk.

Huang An picked up the teacup, looked at the guard, and asked, "Tell me, is what I am doing right or wrong?"

The guard stood to one side and replied, "Slaughtering civilians to claim merit happens every year in our border towns. My lord, you need not reproach yourself."

Outside the tent, the clamor of the soldiers gradually subsided until it was barely audible. All the troops in the camp had followed Commander Zheng out toward the surrounding villages.

Huang An raised his teacup, took a small sip, and said, "Slaughtering civilians for merit is a choice born of necessity. We cannot let the great army starve. What worries me is whether the Regional Commander will be displeased when he learns of this."

The personal guard replied, "My lord, rest assured. Whether those are truly the heads of roving bandits or not, as long as it helps the Regional Commander secure a promotion to Deputy Regional Commander of Datong, not only will he not be angry, but he might even submit a report praising your achievements."

"Let us hope so!" Huang An lifted his teacup and took a deep gulp.

...

"Listen well, all soldiers! Tonight you may indulge yourselves to your hearts' content, but when you return to camp, you must bring back three days' worth of rations. Do you understand?" Commander Zheng shouted to the sea of men before him, whose eyes glowed with a greedy, feral light.

"Rest assured, my lord. The brothers will certainly carry out whatever orders you give," a company commander said with a leering smile. "My lord, don't you think it's time to let the brothers move out? Many of them can't wait any longer."

"I reckon it's you, you old mule, who can't wait," Commander Zheng retorted with a laugh before making a sweeping gesture with his hand. "Move out!"

As the command fell, several company commanders led their subordinates surging toward the nearest village.

Before long, the barking of dogs echoed through the village, soon followed by the barking of other dogs from various parts of the settlement.

Clang!

A company commander kicked open a courtyard door and barged in with several soldiers.

This household kept a large black dog in the courtyard, and upon seeing strangers break in, the hound barked even more fiercely.

Slash... With a single stroke, the company commander severed the dog's neck, cursing under his breath, "Damn it, such a beast showing teeth."

"Who are you people? Who gave you the audacity to enter? This is trespassing on private property, do you know that!" A middle-aged man emerged from the main hall, wearing a scholar's robe and fumbling with his buttons as he stepped outside.

"Old coot, spare us your damn nonsense. Hand over all the valuables in the house, unless you want your grandfathers to search for them ourselves." The company commander stared coldly at the middle-aged man before him.

"You... you are the government troops from outside the city!" The middle-aged man started, then pointed an accusing finger at them. "I am a scholar of this village. How dare you trespass into private residences! I will report you to the county magistrate."

"Master, what is happening outside?" At that moment, a woman's voice drifted out from the inner rooms of the main hall.

The company commander's eyes lit up as he licked his lips in the direction of the main hall. "Well, well, there's a wench inside too. No, wait—roving bandits! Listen up, I suspect this household is in league with roving bandits, and we are now going to search the premises. The rest of you wait here in the courtyard."

The soldiers in the courtyard chuckled obscenely as they watched the company commander stride toward the main hall.

A bold soldier called out from behind, "My lord, once you're done searching, will you let the little ones go in for a look too?"

"Wait, wait. Let me finish searching first." The company commander hurried eagerly toward the main hall.

The scholar standing at the threshold of the main hall hurriedly blocked the doorway with his body, his voice urgent as he demanded, "What are you doing? This is trespassing! I am going to report you to the magistrate!"

"Noisy!" The company commander raised his blade and slashed it across the scholar's neck, then kicked the corpse aside. He strode single-handedly into the room connected to the main hall, clutching his blood-stained saber.

"Get out! Ah... Help... Husband, help... Help..."

The woman's cries inside the room gradually grew fainter. The soldiers in the courtyard burst into loud laughter; one of them grabbed his crotch while pressing his ear against the exterior windowpane.

Before long, the company commander emerged from the main hall adjusting his trousers, and the soldiers in the courtyard eagerly rushed inside...

Such scenes were repeating themselves across the village. The night air reverberated not only with the weeping and pleading of villagers, but also with the cries of women.

Every household in the village was breached by soldiers, and several homes were set ablaze by the intruders.

By now, the gates of every house stood wide open. Courtyards were strewn with unblinking corpses soaked in muddy blood, while grim laughter and weeping drifted periodically from the houses.

Every few paces along the streets, a body lay abandoned, the flowing blood soaking into the surrounding earth and making the dark night feel even more oppressive.

An elderly man with white hair sat weeping and cursing before his burning home, only to be silenced by a single stroke that severed his head.

The villagers' ordeal continued for the better part of the night. Finally, thick, billowing fires engulfed the entire settlement, shooting flames into the sky and illuminating half the horizon so brightly that it could be clearly seen from the county seat more than a dozen miles away.

Squads of soldiers emerged from various parts of the village, laden with stolen goods—slung across their backs, held in their hands, stuffed inside their shirts. Every single one of them returned fully loaded, satisfaction written across their grinning faces.

Commander Zheng tied his belt as he muttered, "Damn it, that little wench had quite some fire in her. My face is all scratched up."

The nearby company commanders forced back their laughter, and one of them remarked, "My lord, the brothers certainly saved the finest one for your enjoyment."

"Cut the damn chatter. Clean yourselves up and get ready to return to the main camp," Commander Zheng cursed.

"My lord, what about that little wench?" a company commander asked, pointing a finger at the motionless, naked woman lying on the ground.

Commander Zheng glanced back and said, "Since she's from this village, just throw her in the fire!"

Two soldiers stepped forward, each grabbing one of the woman's arms, and dragged her toward a nearby burning house, tossing her together into the blazing inferno.