Chapter 38

Jinyang's West Gate.

Shen Jin lifted the hem of his robe and stepped directly over a fallen soldier who was groaning on the ground.

"Scum like you dares to challenge Master Shen? Youngsters, you should inquire around. I, Master Shen, have served in the army for ten years, fighting countless battles to the death with the Xiongnu. How many times have I emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood?" He sneered, "You merely suppress a few rebels in the Central Plains, fighting like children playing. Hmph... Do you think you're something? I spit! Today, I'll make you all bow with just my fists!"

Originally, there were more than ten soldiers surrounding him, most of whom had already been knocked down. Only two or three remained standing. Seeing Shen Jin advancing menacingly, the leader, dressed as a squad leader, tried to remain calm: "Shen, you dare to assault the city patrol... How bold! Aren't you afraid of being beheaded for this?"

Shen Jin glanced at him, too lazy to argue. He spat a bloody saliva and gestured at his neck: "If you have the guts, take your sword and cut here! See if Master Shen is afraid!"

He ignored the pale-faced soldiers and turned to his own men: "Brothers, take the game, let's go! Back to camp, we'll stew them in a big pot and have a feast!" Everyone responded in unison, lifting the captured birds and beasts and leaving. Shen Jin adjusted his torn robe and swaggered behind them.

Many idle soldiers and civilians were watching the commotion, some cheering, some shouting, and some trying to dissuade them, creating a noisy scene.

As the commotion was at its height, the sound of heavy footsteps came from a distance, and dozens of armored soldiers emerged from both sides of the street.

These soldiers were all solemn and disciplined, with robust bodies and agile movements. They formed a dense formation, advancing like a wall, and though there were only dozens of them, they moved with the precision of a thousand-strong army. They wore iron armor, held long swords in their left hands, and carried shields, each painted with a tiger's head with a gaping mouth. The rows of large shields looked like dozens of fierce tigers about to pounce!

These armored soldiers were the elite troops of Duke Yue Shi, the protectors of Jinyang. The appearance of these troops made even the bold Shen Jin hesitate. He could only watch as the soldiers pressed forward. When they approached, the formation extended to the sides, forming a circular encirclement around Shen Jin and his men.

Once the soldiers had taken their positions, Liu Yan, a general under Duke Yue Shi, stepped into the circle with a stern face.

The city gate guards, who had been trembling and hiding, suddenly regained their confidence when they saw their general leading elite troops. The uninjured ones scrambled to their feet, and the injured ones supported each other, all bowing before Liu Yan: "Greetings, General!"

Although Shen Jin was brave and impetuous, he knew when to yield. He had acted in anger, but now, as he calmed down, he realized the situation was dire. Such a private dispute should not be brought to light, as it could lead to serious consequences if investigated. Seeing that Liu Yan was not someone to be trifled with, he thought, "If I continue to be stubborn, I'll be asking for trouble."

Shen Jin immediately knelt down and shouted, "I am Shen Jin, a squad leader under General Lu. Greetings, General Liu!" His men followed suit and bowed.

"Are you a squad leader under General Lu? Are you one of Lu Yao's men?" Liu Yan asked.

"Yes, sir."

Liu Yan nodded. The squad leader of the city gate guards, who had been observing Liu Yan's expression while bowing, suddenly crawled a few steps forward and grabbed Liu Yan's robe, pleading, "General, this man is extremely disrespectful, he dared to..."

Before he could finish, Liu Yan said, "Seize him!"

Several armored soldiers rushed forward and pinned the squad leader to the ground, twisting his arms behind his back. The squad leader, caught off guard, shouted, "General, you've made a mistake! You've made a mistake!"

Amidst his frantic cries, Liu Yan's voice, though not loud, was clear: "No need to argue. I have heard everything! I entrusted you with the duty of patrolling the city, to maintain order and prevent bandits, not to extort bribes. According to military law, you will receive twenty heavy blows."

The accompanying soldiers immediately stripped the squad leader and fetched a large stick, administering the punishment on the street.

The scene was solemn and intimidating. The crowd, which had been laughing and watching, gradually fell silent. The only sounds were the crack of the stick on flesh and the squad leader's cries of pain.

In a moment, the punishment was over. The twenty blows were merciless, each one delivered with full force, leaving the squad leader's back torn and bloody, a pitiful sight.

The squad leader tried to get up, but Liu Yan waved his hand, and one of the executioners kicked him back down.

"The first offense has been punished. Now, let's address the second offense," Liu Yan said. "In recent years, the Xiongnu have been rampant. The former governor of Bingzhou, with an army of fifty thousand, has repeatedly lost battles and territory. The court has appointed Duke Yue Shi to stabilize Bingzhou, relying on our army's invincible strength to turn the tide. However, you, with your numbers, could not even defeat a single opponent, all of you were beaten down. This is a disgrace to our army's reputation!"

He gritted his teeth, "Give him fifty more heavy blows, and see if he dares to act like this again!"

Everyone, including the onlookers, drew a sharp breath. Another fifty blows? If they were as merciless as the first twenty, the squad leader would surely be beaten to death. General Liu Yan's strict discipline was evident.

Just as the punishment was about to begin, a voice called out, "General Liu, wait!"

A rider approached at a gallop, shouting anxiously.

Liu Yan smiled coldly and waved his hand. The outer circle of armored soldiers parted like waves, allowing the rider to charge in.

The rider was Lu Yao.

Earlier, Zhao Lu had reported that Shen Jin was fighting with the city guards at the gate, which had enraged Xue Tong, who wanted to gather troops to help. This had nearly frightened Lu Yao to death. Jinyang was where Duke Yue Shi was stationed, with many high-ranking officials and generals. Why would you gather troops? Were you planning a mutiny? After much effort, he had calmed Xue Tong and then rushed to the West Gate on horseback. However, he was a bit late, just in time to see Liu Yan about to punish the unfortunate squad leader.

Seeing Lu Yao arrive, Shen Jin and his men looked relieved. They knew that Liu Yan's harsh punishment of the squad leader was just for show, to appear fair. If the squad leader had been seriously injured or killed, Shen Jin and his men would have fared even worse. As the Bingzhou military advisor responsible for law and order in Jinyang, Liu Yan had dozens of ways to deal with them.

Though they understood this, they had no plan and were on the verge of despair. Fortunately, Lu Yao had arrived, giving them a sense of security.

Lu Yao dismounted and, without acknowledging Shen Jin, first greeted Liu Yan with proper etiquette.

Both were generals commanding their own armies, and Liu Yan's position was not much higher than Lu Yao's. Nevertheless, Liu Yan accepted the greeting with a casual air and then said, "General Lu, your men returned from hunting, and these city guards dared to demand a share, leading to a conflict. I have just had the leader of the guards punished with twenty heavy blows... Do you think this is fair?"

Lu Yao nodded, "General Liu, not only are you strict in military discipline, but you are also magnanimous. This is a fair and just decision, and I am convinced."

"Very well," Liu Yan continued, "There is another despicable act. This man fought with your squad leader, Shen, and even resorted to outnumbering him..."

Just as he was about to scold the squad leader, Lu Yao interrupted, "General Liu, soldiers being aggressive is a common occurrence, driven by their bloodlust. As for outnumbering the opponent, it's just a tactic in warfare. It's just a bit of friendly competition. Why be angry? I think we should let it go. My men also acted improperly, and I will punish them severely upon return. I won't let them cause any more trouble. Goodbye, goodbye!"

Lu Yao spoke quickly and turned to leave with Shen Jin and the others. He knew that Liu Yan was looking for an opportunity to oppose him. If he continued to argue, who knew what other trouble might arise. Therefore, he wanted to leave as soon as possible without further delay.

However, after taking a few steps, they had to stop.

In front of them were the dozens of armored soldiers in a circular formation, not moving an inch. If Lu Yao wanted to proceed, he would have to break through these fully armed soldiers.

Behind him, Liu Yan said sternly, "General Lu, the matter is not yet resolved. Why are you in such a hurry to leave? I said this man has disgraced our army and must receive fifty more heavy blows. Why don't you stay and watch me deal with this matter?"

******

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