For the emperor

More than 400 elite soldiers left more than [-] corpses to break through the small county town of Pei County. Cang Tiansu led a hundred elite soldiers and waited quietly in the suburbs, eyes downcast, silent.

An hour after the main force set off, Zhang Kun came back with a trot all the way covered in blood, gave him a military salute, and then gritted his teeth and said, "My lord, we encountered a regular army, and nearly five people died." A hundred brothers!"

"Regular army?" Cang Tiansu didn't raise his eyelids, and didn't think he was surprised. If it wasn't for the support of someone behind him, even with the help of these small officials in Pei County, he wouldn't have dared to do things so blatantly even if he died. Not to mention sending people to attack his troops.

Zhang Kun affirmed: "Yes, my lord, although they don't wear regular armor, it can be seen from the formation of troops and the experience of fighting the enemy that at least they are troops who have served in the army for more than three years." It can be seen from the subconscious cover movements of many soldiers when the swords and guns pierced their bodies that they have rich experience.

Especially when encountering many attacks that cannot be avoided, veterans with experience and a sense of honor will choose to use non-critical points to withstand the attacks, and then take the opportunity to attack.It is precisely because such situations occur very frequently that the casualties of soldiers brought by one's own side are so tragic.

Cang Tiansu laughed, and asked with interest: "Could it be that people from the Qi Kingdom are playing tricks on it?"

Without even thinking about it, Zhang Kun shook his head and denied, "Impossible. The way of fighting is obviously different from the tricks used by Qi's generals. I don't feel familiar." Qi Guo has the ability to train such soldiers. The generals must have fought against the Cang Kingdom many times.

"That's why the Chengguo people stepped in." Cang Tiansu made a conclusion without the slightest emotion, and turned his head and said, "Have the relevant officials caught it?"

"There are not many of them. Reputable officials and traders are all locked in the same room! The brothers are watching closely, and they can't run away even if they grow wings." After Zhang Kun answered loudly, he hesitated for a while or asked in a low voice. , "My lord, why are you so sure that the third country is responsible for the trouble? Isn't it better for Yue people to attack?" After all, this is the junction of Cang and Yue.

"Yue Guo advocates Confucianism and ethics. They are not a warlike aggressive country. What's more, I heard that Yue Guo has repeatedly lost in the battles with Cheng Guo, and their own country has suffered disasters. At this juncture, there is no need to create extra problems. Offend the Cang Kingdom again." Seeing that Zhang Kun still had doubts, Cang Tiansu patiently explained further, "The most important point is that the rice granary in Pei County is full. Are they moldy in warehouses? They must have somehow been transported to their home country.”

Only Chengguo, as a third party, who is unwilling to help the enemy Yueguo and wants to see Cangguo laugh at him, will let the disaster relief food pile up in the warehouse and leave it alone.

To go to the cell where the person in charge is held, one has to pass through the city gate where corpses are strewn all over the place. There are quite a few corpses in Cang Kingdom military uniforms, but there are more than double the corpses dressed as handymen. Since the other party is also an experienced veteran, so The ratio of casualties is very abnormal.

Cang Tiansu had a vague guess in his mind, and asked, "Did they fight to the death just now?"

"Yeah, all of them are desperate fights. It's like drinking chicken blood." Zhang Kun kicked away the corpses under his feet with hatred, and then looked at the common people kneeling on the ground crying and begging, "My lord! Do you want to open a grain depot and distribute food to the victims first?"

"No need for now, you send [-] soldiers to encircle the cells where the officials and grain merchants are held, and the rest of the soldiers immediately besiege the city. The entire Pei County is under martial law. No one is allowed to go out or anyone to enter. If you encounter a forced breakout, be sure to stop it. Get someone to report to me immediately." Cang Tiansu stopped him and ordered lightly.

Well, before the siege, you were in such a hurry that you couldn't wait to gather your troops. Now you can save countless lives with your own hands. When you were stopped again, Zhang Kun couldn't help but look at him more, and said Without saying anything, he agreed directly.

"Are there any Chengguo soldiers captured alive?" Cang Tiansu finished asking, seeing Zhang Kun nodding, thought for a while, and denied it first, "Forget it, he's just a small person, I'd better go meet the officials of our Great Cangguo first .” When he said this, his expression was cold, his smile was peaceful, and there was a deep and mysterious light in his eyes.

The prison cell was not big, but it was full of people. Nearly half a hundred grain merchants and more than a dozen officials stood heel to heel, all covered in sweat.There are also many people outside, and the inner three floors and the outer three floors are all officers and soldiers.

Cang Tiansu didn't go in, but stopped at the door, scanned the people inside, nodded and said: "Ding Wu, the garrison king of Pei County, came out to see me."

The human wall inside moved a few times, and finally pushed out a panicked fat man with a fat head and big ears, and a big belly. Because his calf was shaking all the time, he couldn't stand firmly after coming out, Gululu rolled forward half a circle.

Trembling, Wang Dingwu quickly got up and stood up, not caring about the burning pain in his back, he smiled charmingly and said, "My lord, the young one is the king of defense..." Halfway through speaking, Cang Tiansu gave him a wink, and Zhang Kun kicked him. On his knees, the person knelt down again and fell to the ground again.

"My lord asks you, have you received the disaster relief money from the imperial court half a month ago?" Cang Tiansu half-lowered his head and looked at him, his eyelashes opening and closing as if awe-inspiring.

"My lord, I haven't heard about the disaster relief money. The last batch of disaster relief food was delivered more than a month ago." Wang Dingwu was sweating all over his forehead, but he was still calm.

A soldier came over to report: "My lord, when we captured him, we searched the government by the way. There really is not much food, and the food is controlled by those grain merchants."

His voice was not low, so Wang Dingwu heard it naturally, and secretly thanked himself for taking precautions in advance, and hurriedly argued: "My lord, what you say is true, there is a disaster in Pei County, and the little one is also very anxious, I can only hate these grains Merchants took advantage of the opportunity to make money from the country, and the small ones said it out of their mouths, but they withheld food and did not lower the market price!"

Cang Tiansu glanced at him, and raised the corners of his lips with a half-smile: "So Mr. Wang is suffering too much?"

Wang Dingwu nodded quickly and said: "My lord is right. Fortunately, my lord came in time. The incompetence of the subordinate officials has not caused a big mistake. As long as the collected grain is distributed, Pei County's emergency can be solved."

"Didn't you make a big mistake?" Cang Tiansu grabbed his greasy hair, dragged him out of the cell, and sneered at the scene of corpses strewn all over the street, "I don't need to find out if you colluded with the government and businessmen." Even collaborating with the enemy and traitorous country, just one crime of dereliction of duty is enough to kill you all!"

Pei County was already empty out of ten households. Except for the elderly with limited mobility, all the middle-aged people who could escape escaped. However, there was no food outside. A large number of people followed Cang Tiansu's army into Pei County. Everyone knows that the grain merchants in Pei County have a lot of grain in their hands.

At this time, the street has spontaneously organized a queue to wait for the food distribution. Originally, because the soldiers could not leave the prison cell too far, the porridge distribution shed built by the soldiers was right at the door of the prison cell. A large number of victims gathered, all of them stared fiercely. Wang Dingwu.

Wang Dingwu's forehead was covered with cold sweat, he opened his mouth to speak, but felt his scalp numb, Cang Tiansu dragged his head to the ground, and angrily said: "Our Great Cang Kingdom builds the world with the people. You moths are corrupted!"

He pointed to the hungry and emaciated victims gathered around him, his face was extremely painful, and he kicked Wang Dingwu in the stomach with all his strength: "You can earn the money they exchanged with their lives, but you can't Their lives are exchanged for money! Someone, bring this dog official and his family to this king, and kill them in the street!"

Wang Dingwu vomited out a mouthful of blood, he was so frightened that his two legs trembled, and he begged in panic, "Please spare my life, please spare my life!"

"Don't worry, I won't let you die so easily. I will return all the hardships suffered by the tens of thousands of people in Pei County to Lord Wang." Cang Tiansu turned his head in disgust, and ordered Zhang Kun, "Look at how many grain merchants and officials there are here, so go prepare a few big cages, hang them on the city wall, don't give water and rice, let them watch the gate of the city serving porridge, when people will starve to death, When are you going to put the cage down again?"

He paused for a moment, glanced at the enthusiastic and cheering people, and ordered: "You can make porridge and distribute it. Set up a few more sheds, and everyone must have rice porridge."

Zhang Kun hurriedly responded.

At this moment, some soldiers escorted Wang Dingwu's family over, and Wang Dingwu crawled over and hugged his legs, wailing, "My lord, my lord, it's not a pity for me to die, but I still have a newborn son. Yue, I have confessed to hundreds of deaths, I just ask you to let my son go, he is innocent, my lord!"

"Your son is innocent. Don't tell me their son deserves to die?" Cang Tiansu looked at the skinny faces of the refugees, old and young, with veins throbbing on their foreheads, "Don't you treat their wives and children Treat your wife and children as human beings, and this king doesn't need to treat your wife and children as human beings either!"

Is a dying baby innocent?Of course they are innocent. Not everyone in the palace is full of evil, but the entire palace is only a few dozen people. In a small county town of Pei County, because of Wang Dingwu's inaction, the number of people who starve to death every day is dozens of times and hundreds of people. times.

Everyone should be responsible for their actions, this is the retribution Wang Dingwu deserves.Cang Tiansu killed the men, women and children in the palace not because they deserved to die, but to deter corrupt officials who might exist in the whole country.

When the water is clear, there will be no fish, and Cang Tiansu never thought that everyone is Bao Qingtian, but there are tricks to corruption.If you take some money, you can be promoted, but if you take some money, you will lose your life. Even these things can't be distinguished well. Wang Dingwu should die sooner rather than later.