Chapter 81

The Daqing Fort had 519 registered soldiers, but with a large number of military households fleeing, only about 300 soldiers remained. Recently, they had suffered three consecutive disasters: the Tartar invasion, Xu Bangyan's betrayal of the people, and He Guang's plundering. Many civilians smuggled themselves out, and in the end, fewer than 200 soldiers remained.

Zhang Ke faced the remaining soldiers and loudly said, "Brothers, do you think 200 soldiers are too few? No! They are too many! A brave warrior who can defend the homeland is worth ten, but those who only eat and serve as soldiers for a living are useless even if there are thousands! As the saying goes, a cowardly soldier is just one, but a cowardly general ruins the whole army. I won't pursue what happened in the past, but today is the time to prove your courage. Go! Kill these scoundrels. Those who dare to act will still be my soldiers, and those who don't dare can go home and live a quiet life with their wives. Do you all understand?"

Zhang Ke's voice clearly reached everyone's ears, and all the soldiers at Daqing Fort were stunned. It might have been fine to kill in a chaotic situation, but now the people were tied to wooden stakes.

Even the most heartless person couldn't kill like slaughtering chickens and ducks. Everyone fell silent.

As for those tied to the stakes, their faces changed drastically, and they couldn't help but cry out to heaven and earth.

"Sir, don't kill us! I have old parents and young children. Please, let us live. I am willing to serve you like a slave..."

Over a hundred captives shouted at the top of their lungs, their cries like those of ghosts and wolves, creating a hellish scene.

Zhang Ke's face was as cold as ice, showing no change. He knew that such killings were inhumane, but in this chaotic world, he had to kill! He had to kill until the enemy dared not provoke him, and until his men were loyal to the death!

The road ahead is full of thorns, and I will face it with my sword and spear!

"Are you still afraid to act? Then all of you will be dismissed, and I will recruit new soldiers!"

Just as Zhang Ke finished speaking, a young man stepped forward.

"Sir, what's so difficult about killing a few scoundrels? I, Xie Chao, will be the first!"

A young man of about seventeen or eighteen, wearing a black cotton jacket, with a dark complexion, ran forward with a cleaver. In a few quick steps, he reached a captive, shouted, and the blade flashed, slicing through the right ear and cutting off most of the head. Blood and brain matter splattered, covering the young man's face and chest. The thick, bloody smell made him feel nauseous, but he gritted his teeth and endured it, turning to the side with the blood-dripping cleaver, his chest puffed out.

"Good!" Xie Zongqi, the commander, grinned, as the young man was his son. He had not interacted much with Zhang Ke, but he was deeply impressed by the young man's abilities. He himself had no great skills and might have reached his limit as a commander, but if his young son could gain Zhang Ke's favor, he might have a chance to rise to prominence.

He clapped his hands vigorously, and Xie Chao glanced at his father proudly.

With someone leading the way, the other soldiers also became determined. Three or five more rushed out, selecting captives and acting. Blood splattered, and bodies fell one after another.

Zhang Ke watched without expression. "Go, light an incense stick. When it burns out, those who still dare not act will be dismissed!"

His subordinates hurriedly brought an incense burner and placed it in front of all the soldiers. The pressure increased, and the soldiers rushed out, swinging their weapons and reaping lives.

The heart-wrenching screams and splattering blood made it seem like hell. The surrounding civilians watched in shock. Although it was satisfying, they couldn't help but step back.

In the back of the crowd, a ragged, dirty-faced young beggar was secretly watching.

"Uncle, what's the point of getting all bloody like that?"

An old man, who was stretching his neck to watch, rubbed his red nose and smiled. "To serve as a soldier, at most you won't starve! But I heard our defense commander is very capable. The soldiers in He Bay Village can eat meat every day. Haven't you seen? The soldiers around here are all like calves!"

"Meat to eat!"

The beggar's eyes gleamed. When was the last time he had eaten meat? It was probably more than half a year ago, when he and a few other beggars killed a wild dog. He fought hard and managed to get a hind leg, the taste of which he would never forget!

To be a soldier, to eat meat, to eat meat, to be a soldier!

The beggar's blood boiled, but as more soldiers rushed forward, the remaining captives became fewer, and there was no chance for him. He scratched his head and jumped around in frustration.

The incense stick was almost burned out, and fewer than ten captives remained. The walls were covered with severed limbs, and blood flowed like a river. Some captives had been scared to death, and at this moment, a veteran in his thirties raised his knife and stabbed a captive in the chest.

The captive was very strong, and the knife only penetrated about two inches before breaking. The muscular captive struggled fiercely and managed to pull out the stake. With his hands still tied, he staggered away. The surrounding civilians scattered in fear.

At this moment, the beggar's eyes lit up. The opportunity he had been dreaming of finally came. He sprinted forward with unprecedented speed.

Bang!

The large captive was knocked down, and the beggar was thrown back several feet. Ignoring the pain, he got up, pounced on the captive, and grabbed his neck with both hands.

The captive, with his hands tied, could only twist his neck, his eyes bloodshot, but the beggar was even more frenzied, gripping the captive's neck tightly, turning his face blue and purple.

"I want to kill, I want to be a soldier, I want to eat meat!"

The beggar roared madly, and the surrounding civilians watched in shock.

Just as the incense stick burned out, Zhang Ke shouted, "Time's up, stop the killing!"

As he spoke, the captive under the beggar was still gasping for breath. The beggar, with red eyes, was desperate.

"I want to be a soldier, you die for me!"

He bit the captive's neck, and the warm, foul-smelling blood gushed out, covering his mouth in a terrifying red.

The surrounding civilians stared at the beggar as if he were a madman.

In the time it took for the incense stick to burn, 107 captives were killed, marking the selection of 107 soldiers for Zhang Ke.

The only special case was the beggar, and no one knew how to handle him.

Zhang Ke walked up behind him, and the boy was still biting the captive's neck.

"Let go, I want soldiers with spirit, not corpse eaters!"

Hearing Zhang Ke's words, the beggar rolled off the captive, and to everyone's surprise, he spat out a few pieces of bone.

"Sir, did I pass? Can I be a soldier and eat meat?"

"Sure!" Zhang Ke smiled slightly. "Qiao Fu, take him to wash up. This boy has a fierce spirit and is worth training!"

"Yes, sir!"

The selection of soldiers was over, but it left a deep impression on every Daqing Fort civilian. Zhang Ke's ruthlessness and cruelty made them tremble, but without him, they might have been plundered and killed by people like He Guang!

Turning around, Zhang Ke announced that he would compensate the civilians with 3,000 taels of silver, giving 2 taels to each household in the city and 5 taels to each household of the selected soldiers. Holding the white silver in their hands, the last doubts of the people dissipated, and they were determined to follow Zhang Ke.

Daqing Fort and He Bay Village were now united, and Zhang Ke felt he had a solid foundation, so he brought his mother back to Daqing Fort.

Shen Shi, seeing Zhang Feng, burst into tears. Although he was not her biological son, she had always treated him equally and shared hardships with him, making him feel even closer than a biological son.

The family was finally reunited, and Qiao Tieshan, seeing that his two nephews were safe, laughed heartily.

"The elder nephew is safe, the younger nephew has been promoted to a defense commander, and it's the New Year. This is a triple joy! Sister-in-law, we should celebrate properly!"

Shen Shi nodded frequently. "Brother Tieshan is right. We shouldn't just be happy ourselves. Ke, take some silver, buy dozens of pigs and sheep, and share the meat with every household so everyone can have a good New Year!"

Following Shen Shi's instructions, Zhang Ke hurriedly agreed, and his subordinates sprang into action, running to the surrounding villages and even to Yizhou to buy fat pigs, acting like newly rich people.

While everyone was in high spirits, Zhang Ke's heart was still heavy, and he sat in his study, lost in thought.

"Second brother, are you still worried about the lawsuit?" Zhang Feng couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, big brother, although we have solid evidence, the other side has already destroyed it. The final outcome depends on the capital, and until the imperial decree arrives, we can't say we've won!"

Zhang Feng could only pat his brother's shoulder, and the two brothers sat in silence, enduring the wait.

...

"Godfather, Lord Hong has arrived!"

As Xiao Youzi spoke, Hong Fuchao, out of breath and sweating, ran into the study. Zhang Ye was reciting the Diamond Sutra.

"Lord Zhang, how can you be so calm? Something terrible has happened!"

Zhang Ye quickly put down the sutra and asked, "Lord Hong, what's the matter?"

Hong Fuchao, with a grim face, said, "We've been tricked by the Zhu family. Zhu Jinhai's convoy is delivering goods to the palace!"

"What?" Zhang Ye's eyes widened. "Lord Hong, didn't Zhang Feng say it was scrap iron? How did it become goods for the palace?"

Hong Fuchao stomped his feet and pounded his chest in regret. "In the past two days, I caught two more Zhu family accountants and found that they were sending furs and pearls to the palace for the emperor's clothes and the ladies' jewelry."

Zhang Ye frowned. "What does this have to do with scrap iron?"

"My Lord Zhang, it's a big deal. These items have to be bought from the Jurchens, and the Zhu family is using scrap iron to exchange for furs and pearls!"

"Ah!"

Zhang Ye was so shocked that he collapsed in his seat, feeling cold from head to toe.

"Damn, they don't realize how shameful this is to the emperor! They are all mad! They all deserve to die!" Zhang Ye screamed hysterically.