Chapter 8: The Cruel Era

The young man was momentarily taken aback, a foolish smile frozen on his face, as he shrank down his crouched body, and after a long while, he finally replied: "Ju..."

Hundreds of people ... ... , it's truly terrifying !

It is unclear what psychological state he is in, but Lü Zhe is not yet willing to let it go. He walks back and forth among the prisoners of war, and anyone who dares to meet his gaze is either severely dealt with or subjected to physical violence.

This person, Lü Zhe, has been seen a few times; he is a屯长 under the command of the hundred generals. "Jia, Zhe knows."

He did not know how he returned to the barracks. Upon entering the tent, possibly due to poor air circulation or some other reason, Lu Zhe's face turned pale as he lay on the carpet. He felt a bit nauseous, which was strange, yet he did not vomit.

Zhe! A person who appeared to be at least 2.1 meters tall, with a strong voice, said: "Do not misinterpret the 'Master's' orders."

Are you a person from Chu

The master has commanded! The officer is essentially a messenger, "Select the person and behead him to show to the public!"

"What is wrong with this Qin thief?" The young man muttered to himself, then bluntly said, "My father says he looks like a strong and healthy horse." He thought seriously for a moment, "How did the fight start? I don't know..."

The lord seemed generally dissatisfied as he inspected all the garrisons. Upon seeing that the number of people killed by the garrison leaders was low, he let out a roar. Those who dared to speak up received a few slaps. The garrison leaders who were called out, whether out of shame or guilt, could only go back in to select people for execution.

The soldiers under your command clasp their fists and bow respectfully, acting in accordance with the orders given.

Lü Zhe licked his lips and said: "I have no gold."

What kind of era is this? Hundreds of lives, like ants, are crushed underfoot, all perishing? While ants may be left behind when crushed, how can a person survive when their head is severed by a sharp sword

A soldier approached without saying a word and began to beat him with a spear. "Commander, shall we take him down?"

The surrounding prisoners of war let out a sigh of relief, and the young man still showed a simple smile to Lu Zhe

Lu Zhe still wanted to continue the conversation, but before he could finish his words, an official arrived.

The tent flap was pulled open, and the strong light caused Lu Zhe to instantly open his eyes. In a daze, he saw someone throw something over, and he instinctively caught it.

It was originally like this, but it seems that it is not over yet

Lu Zhe did not understand what laokang was. Under the shaking of the sheepskin bag, there was the sound of water. He pulled out the stopper and smelled it, only to detect a sour odor

Other teams have already begun selecting individuals, yet Lü Zhe, who received the orders, felt a chill throughout his body. It was not fear; he simply found it difficult to adapt to an era that did not regard human life as significant.

There was no plea for mercy, not out of great bravery, but because these individuals understood that it was utterly futile. They were numbly taken to the open ground, and at the command of the executioner, the word "decapitate" was uttered, and with a swift motion, fifty-six heads fell to the ground

The number of people selected by each team varies, with some selecting dozens and others only two or three, while those who are ruthless may choose over a hundred

These people ... ..." Lü Zhe had not paid attention to the food of the prisoners of war; a simple observation made him feel that they seemed to be doing well, even having the strength to fight. He expressed a pure sentiment: "I wonder if there are any 'celebrities' among these people."

As Lü Zhegang was about to turn and leave, the phrase "white-faced Qin thief" pierced his ears, causing him to stop in his tracks and glare at the speaker. The term "white-faced" has never been a compliment in any era, and in this context, it conveys a sense of cowardice. The full implication of the phrase is "this cowardly thief from the Qin state"

It doesn't matter, just smile: "Wait a moment, next year we will set off for Shangjun, and we should find more opportunities to achieve merit..."

Do not drink

In this era where human life is valued less than that of a dog, he deeply doubts how long he can survive. Just now, if he hadn't forced himself to hold on in front of so many people, he would have already collapsed to the ground, his legs weak from fear of seeing so many heads being severed.

Do not say there is no money; in this era, the character "money" is still widely used. The so-called "gold" is actually a type of copper knife coin, ding coin, spade coin, or ring coin. In the Qin Dynasty, there was no "Kong Fang Xiong"; the square-holed round coin was a currency once used by the destroyed Yan State. Currently, the Qin Dynasty has not yet unified laws, measurements, scripts, or currency, so the currency in use remains quite diverse, primarily consisting of knife coins. In the Qin Dynasty, there was no "Kong Fang Xiong"; the square-holed round coin was a currency once used by the destroyed Yan State. Currently, the Qin Dynasty has not yet unified laws, measurements, scripts, or currency, so the currency in use remains quite diverse, primarily consisting of knife coins.

Choosing people? How to choose people! He looked around several times, and the anxious expression on the face of the prisoner of war, along with his trembling body, indicated that he was not a mindless beast, but rather a being with thoughts and a will to survive

Despite feeling somewhat muddled, Lu Zhe hurriedly bowed and performed a deep bow as the Lord approached, his expression one of respect: "My Lord!"

What can be said? It is unavoidable to kill.

In this way, Lu Zhe is fine, and that burly man who is always looking for trouble is surely hated to death by the prisoners of war. In fact, from this perspective, he can also be considered a ruthless character

This is a cruel era, he is in the Qin army, those people are seeking their own death, Lu Zhe said to himself

The man did not appear fierce, nor did he have a defiant expression; he seemed to be stating a matter of fact. Upon noticing Lu Zhe's gaze, he raised his neck and grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth.

Drink

The thick and hearty laughter of the wine dregs is quite genuine, "It will feel better after a drink"

Isn't that so? In this era, naming is extremely meticulous. Lu Zhe seems to remember that this is a good character. He believes that the expectations of this young man's father and mother in choosing this character are quite high, after all, 'thousand-mile steed' or something similar has always had a positive connotation in any era. The character 'steed' belongs to the 'ju' character family, where 'ju' serves as both a phonetic and semantic component. The characters in the 'ju' family are all related to the meaning of curvature.

Most of the people squatting on the ground do not display any defiance or resistance against the Qin army on their faces, and there is hardly any hatred deliberately expressed in their furtive glances at the Qin soldiers. Having experienced too much, the crowd is more numb, as if it is only natural for over ten thousand people to be completely defeated by a thousand Qin soldiers

This is provocation, this is courting death! Lu Zhe walked straight over and struck down with the scabbard, and that person did not dare to block and was directly knocked to the ground.

Here (is) ... ...

The shackles should have a surname, but not being closely acquainted, one would not introduce oneself by name to every person they meet. He looked somewhat pained as he noticed his wine was nearly finished, "Hey, hey, hey, leave some!" He quickly stepped over to grab the sheepskin bag, "There are plenty at the logistics officer's place, if you want to buy some yourself"

Regardless of what it was, Lü Zhe brought it to his lips, took a small sip, and finding it quite pleasant, began to drink heartily

The main observer seemed quite satisfied with the number of heads, offering no words of praise but merely nodding and smiling gently, before quickly proceeding to reprimand the other camp leaders

"What?" Lu Zhe was not foolish enough to ask for a surname, "How did the fight start?"

Lu Zhe has now observed clearly that many of the selections are made unconsciously, with only a few being those who are severely injured or unruly prisoners of war. He made the decision: "Select those who are severely injured and cannot be treated."

Lu Zhe had already stopped paying attention to what was being said. Upon hearing the words "Shangjun," he finally realized his geographical location, and for a moment, he began to stare blankly into space

Lu Zhe discovered a research topic worthy of exploration regarding the Qin army, which is that the officers rarely speak, and the soldiers, dressed in simple linen garments and armed only with long spears, are even less likely to voice their thoughts. From the officers to the soldiers, they understand what actions to take under various circumstances, and the entire violent apparatus resembles a finely tuned machine

The term "Jia" actually refers to a form of detention; in this era, it carries no derogatory connotation, indicating that his family comes from a background of law enforcement (such as constables)

Lu Zhe was lost in thought, his gaze fixed on a nearby young man who appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old. When he finally came to his senses, he noticed the young man grinning foolishly. Compelled by an inexplicable urge, he asked, "What is your name?"

The handling of those involved in the brawl is a matter to be decided by higher-ranking officers. Lü Zhe and his team did not receive any orders and were merely on alert. He observed seriously; the physiques of those individuals did not appear to be particularly weak, and some of the prisoners of war were even quite robust.

Originally, only seven individuals were selected, but due to this commotion, it has now escalated to fifty-six individuals