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The Xu Zhen was appointed as the Deputy Commander of the Bow Moon Road Expedition, holding absolute authority over the military and defense in Tingzhou Prefecture before Liang Jianfang and Qibi Helix led their armies to quell the rebellion.
In ancient military law, there were seventeen prohibitions and fifty-four punishments. One of them stated: In any place, if the soldiers oppress the people and force women, they are deemed as rapacious troops, and those who commit such acts shall be executed!
When the Xu Zhen issued her orders with a firm voice, Ero and Zhou Cang remained expressionless. Behind them, the Eighteen Protectors and the Guards who had just returned from slaughtering the tribal army drew their weapons, surrounding the more than thirty Imperial Guards who had committed acts of violence while intoxicated!
Only at this moment did these Imperial Guards feel the chilling murderous intent of the Xu Zhen. They regretted their actions deeply; if it weren't for their reckless behavior, how could they have brought upon such a death sentence?
"Colonel Murong Xiao, save us!"
"Colonel Murong Xiao, help! Help us!"
Facing imminent death, these soldiers panicked and could only call out to Wang Wukui, who lay in the muddy rain.
Wang Wukui had already resigned himself to humiliation, but upon hearing that the Xu Zhen had issued a death order, he became fully alert. He half-kneeled before her and cried out loudly, "Chief Steward, please don't kill us!"
He knew he was in the wrong for allowing his subordinates to force women. Not executing them would not quell public outrage, and he felt immense shame. However, no amount of shame could outweigh the importance of his brothers' lives. He was someone who valued his soldiers; if he watched his brothers be killed just for pride's sake, how could he face the thousands of brothers behind him?
Yet the Xu Zhen had made up her mind to kill. She said nothing more as Wang Wukui, a dignified Colonel Murong Xiao, knelt and pleaded for mercy. The Xu Zhen remained unmoved, slightly turning her face away. Ero and Zhou Cang exchanged glances as the Guards raised their curved blades still stained with tribal blood!
"Thud! Thud! Thud!"
The surroundings of the camp were washed away by streams of blood-red rainwater, and the strong smell of blood spread through the rain. The faces of the Imperial Guards turned pale with fear; these men deserved retribution. It was not surprising that the Xu Zhen acted this way; kindness does not govern soldiers nor does it manage wealth. If she did not act ruthlessly, how could she enforce discipline?
More than thirty lives vanished in the rain, leaving behind a ground full of headless corpses. Perhaps their lower bodies still retained some pleasure from defiling female slaves while silently repenting for their sins.
The female slaves never expected that the Xu Zhen would so decisively avenge them. They were poor serfs who had never been treated as human beings; they lived worse than livestock and worked harder than animals. After enduring countless hardships, they were fortuitously chosen by Lu Dongzan and sent to the Xu Zhen.
Xu Zhen holds the supreme title of National Master, and to the hardworking masses who can only seek help from deities in their difficult lives, Xu Zhen is like a god walking among them. Her deeds are continuously recounted among the people, and these Female Slaves are already very satisfied to be servants of Xu Zhen.
The wives of Xu Zhen are all reasonable individuals; they have never shouted at the Female Slaves nor abused them. Instead, they show concern for their lives, which is enough to win their unwavering loyalty. Now, Xu Zhen has even gone so far as to kill soldiers for them!
This far exceeds their imagination!
They know that Xu Zhen is a general of the Tang Dynasty, a formidable figure. However, in the eyes of Xu Zhen, all beings are equal. Isn't this the heart of a divine being?
Although the Female Slaves do not understand Tang Language, they kneel in the rain and sing praises to Xu Zhen in Tuguhun. Although they cannot comprehend the words, the melodious and heartfelt singing moves people deeply and leaves the Imperial Guards of the Tang Dynasty feeling ashamed.
Wang Wukui and many Imperial Guards are filled with regret. They thought this Deputy General of the Marching Army was ineffective, yet she ventured deep alone, overcoming odds and returning victorious. Meanwhile, they indulged in drinking and violence, insulting even the Female Slaves under the command of the Deputy General of the Marching Army. How could they dare to rob the Female Slaves of a dignified General of the Guard and a Grand Minister? Wasn't this just seeking their own demise?
At this point, everyone is intimidated by Xu Zhen. Only now do they realize how terrifying she truly is. However, this Chief of Military Operations, who has just killed over thirty people, is about to show them what true terror means!
“Tingzhou Prefecture Deputy Commander Wang Wukui, you have allowed your subordinates to commit atrocities against women and ignored military discipline. Seize him!”
As soon as these words left Xu Zhen's mouth, many Captains panicked and rushed forward to plead, claiming that Wang Wukui has always cared for his soldiers and that he arrived just in time to stop the incident.
Yet, Xu Zhen remained unmoved, pointing at Caesar and reprimanding: “Was it not you, Wang Wukui, who injured her?”
Knowing he was in the wrong, Wang Wukui dared not argue. The other Captains and officers fell silent as well. Caesar, in order to stop his soldiers from committing violence, acted to protect both the Female Slaves and members of the Delegation. However, it was Wang Wukui who struck and injured Caesar, which already implicated him as an accomplice.
From a distance, Luo Hongyi and Cui Yuqing observed as Xu Zhen's guard returned with numerous heads after slaying over thirty people. They were already pale with shock; they had thought that Xu Zhen would be at a loss but did not expect her to have already taken action against the barbarian soldiers.
Luo Hongyi had long wanted to take control of the troops in Tingzhou Prefecture, hoping to connect with the Taiyuan Wang Clan through Wang Wukui. However, since Wang Wukui did not pay him any mind, he saw an opportunity when he noticed that Wang Wukui was being reprimanded by Xu Zhen. He exchanged glances with Cui Yuqing, hurriedly spurring his horse forward.
“Please calm down, Chief Steward! Calm down!”
Luo Hongyi shouted while rolling off his saddle. The Right Guard Captain saw the Territorial Governor Luo Hongyi coming to mediate and placed all hopes on this lord.
"Chief Steward, Captain Wang is the shield wall of Tingzhou. If he is taken down, once the Western Turkic barbarians arrive, there will be no hope for Tingzhou to hold its ground!"
Luo Hongyi initially intended to warn Xu Zhen indirectly. Wang Wukui had considerable support from the military; if he were captured, Xu Zhen's personal abilities would not be enough to lead the Imperial Guards to victory. However, in his urgency, his words took a different turn, sounding like a mockery and belittlement towards Xu Zhen.
Xu Zhen had originally wanted to play mind games with Luo Hongyi. This person had previously harmed her and caused the downfall of two counties and the Three Thousand Common People. She had long lost any goodwill towards him. His swift arrival and precise timing indicated that he had been lurking nearby for quite some time.
Upon recalling that Luo Hongyi had arranged the Delegation's camp outside the military encampment, Xu Zhen quickly deduced his intentions and felt extreme disgust towards this governor. Hearing him mock her like this was something she could endure, but Zhou Cang could not!
"You damn mutt! Are your eyes blind? Can't you see all these heads of Western Turkic dogs on the ground? This useless sack of wine only knows how to indulge his subordinates in drinking and causing trouble. Without him, my Lord won't be able to accomplish anything!"
Zhou Cang's spear was still dripping with blood. If it were anyone else, who would dare speak to a governor like this? Yet Zhou Cang was a loyal follower of Xu Zhen who would follow her even if it meant losing his position. In his eyes, besides Xu Zhen, he did not care about even the emperor, let alone a governor like Luo Hongyi.
Hearing Zhou Cang's furious insults, Luo Hongyi was enraged as well. Although Zhou Cang was merely a personal guard of Xu Zhen, even she would not dare to directly curse at him like that!
"Who are you to insult this official so? Commander Xu, you say Wang Wukui does not know how to restrain his men, but can you even control your own subordinates? Do you know what crime it is to insult court officials?"
Luo Hongyi, a dignified territorial governor, was being insulted by an unknown soldier; how could he not be furious? But in his moment of anger, he cleverly turned Zhou Cang's defiance against him to defend Wang Wukui.
Many captains and commanders saw Luo Hongyi's quick wit and remembered that strong dragons do not suppress local snakes. Even though Xu Zhen was the Chief of Military Operations, she still needed to consider local officials.
Although they did not know why Territorial Governor Luo Hongyi suddenly appeared here, they felt that Xu Zhen would give face to the governor and let bygones be bygones with Wang Wukui.
However, what Xu Zhen said next left them dumbfounded; they realized just how domineering the General of the Guard Xu Zhen truly was!
Xu Zhen coldly snorted and said, "Luo Hongyi, my brother may be reckless, but he has one virtue: he is honest. He never tells lies and is always straightforward. If he says you are blind, then you must be blind; if he calls you a mutt... I doubt even a dog would want to associate with you!"
Xu Zhen's words caused Caesar and others to stifle their laughter, while even the usually cold Ero broke into a grin, resembling a demon that feasts on the living.
Many Imperial Guards were left speechless, and Cui Yuqing stared blankly, unable to utter a word!
Although the Tang Court appeared relaxed, it placed great importance on etiquette; even a county magistrate would respectfully refer to someone as "Mingfu" or "Sir," and calling someone by their name directly was considered extremely disrespectful.
Xu Zhen was utterly disgusted with Luo Hongyi. Given his current status and reputation, along with his position as Deputy General of the Marching Army, there was no need for him to feign compliance; what use were those titles?
"You... you! You!" Luo Hongyi did not expect Xu Zhen to insult him so directly. He was so furious that his face turned red, unable to squeeze out a single word.
Now that Xu Zhen had spoken, she felt no need to hold back. With a cold snort, she angrily scolded, "You old dog, Luo Hongyi, you pretend to be loyal while plotting against me. Knowing that Ashina Helu is about to attack, you merely feigned compliance, taking me on a tour of the military camp without sending troops for rescue. As a result, Golden Ridge and Pulei fell into enemy hands, and Three Thousand Common People were killed. Those three thousand lives are on your head!"
"As a Governor of Lizhou, you should act for the people and love them as your own children. Yet for your selfish interests, you sacrificed three thousand lives. Don’t think this general is blind; after the war, I will report this matter to the Sovereign and strip you of your skin!"
"You know that training soldiers is tedious and life is dull, yet you arranged for my delegation's women to stay outside the military camp, nearly causing a riot among the soldiers. The deaths of those thirty-plus soldiers are also on your head, Luo Hongyi!"
"If you want people not to know, you must not do anything yourself. Don’t think this general is unaware of your sinister intentions. You should go back and clean yourself up, waiting to be exiled to Lingnan. Now get lost!"
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