Chapter Seven, The Heart's Blade Pierces the Camp
Gao Xianzhi let out a faint bitter smile and said, "No, Your Highness, look at the expressions of the soldiers! The conspiracy of Gu Hai has already begun, and it cannot be stopped!"
If they were to flee in fear, the soldiers would naturally scorn them with all their might. But are they afraid? Like us, they are fighting desperately on the front lines for what? Is it not for their elderly parents and wives and children to live a good life? Now, we are risking our lives for the Song Dynasty, battling on the battlefield, and while those corrupt officials enjoy their comforts in the rear, they also harm our parents and insult and kill our wives and children. Who would not feel anger in their hearts? Now, we are risking our lives for the Song Dynasty, battling on the battlefield, and while those corrupt officials enjoy their comforts in the rear, they also harm our parents and insult and kill our wives and children. Who would not feel anger in their hearts?
Do not be angry, Your Highness! Gao Xianzhi shook his head
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The other soldiers who were watching also clenched their fists in empathy, each feeling an immense weight in their hearts
Aren't those wealthy merchants bad? At the very least, they have brought us news from our rear.
The morale of the army has already been pried open by Gu Hai, creating a small breach, which naturally cannot be taken lightly. Complete closure is certainly impossible; it is better to ease the situation than to block it. Let me slowly dismantle it!
"Lin Chong, have you clarified everything?" Gao Xianzhi asked in a low voice
Lin Chong nodded and said: "General, all the deserters have been captured. I also inquired about the situation, but we were unable to prevent it. With the merchants coming from various cities, we received a series of dreadful news from the rear! In some areas, the nobility has been harming the families of our soldiers, and their relatives managed to escape to bring us the news. It is the mistreatment of their families that has led the soldiers to become deserters!"
"We will search every household, digging three feet into the ground if necessary, to provide you with an explanation. How does that sound? If it is indeed local officials committing wrongdoing, I will issue an order to execute without mercy!" Gao Xianzhi said with a resolute gaze.
The great commander? Four people stared at Gao Xianzhi
Gao Xianzhi and the Crown Prince of Song returned to the camp.
Deserter? To hell with the deserter. This deserter, fleeing in a dignified manner, if it were me, I would flee as well
Gu Hai and Gu Han, father and son, stood before an imperial edict, gazing at the freshly affixed proclamation.
The faces of the twenty-six individuals turned grim.
"The Conspiracy of the Ancient Sea?" The Crown Prince of Song's expression darkened
But can it still be found? a deserter said with a glimmer of hope
Hmm?
"What a mess? Haha, Your Highness, you underestimate him too much. Once the morale of the army collapses due to Gu Hai, the 800,000 troops will be instantly destroyed, and the Song Kingdom will be in imminent danger, ready to be annihilated!" Gao Xianzhi said solemnly
The Crown Prince nodded
Crown Prince Song looked at the eyes of the soldiers, his expression growing increasingly somber.
My entire family is gone, burned away in a single fire! I want to find my father, find my mother, let me go!
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Gao Xianzhi personally wrote a letter and affixed his seal, while the Crown Prince of Song also stamped it with his private seal
Everyone was talking at once
"Hiss, that Gu Hai's hand is truly long, it actually reached into our military camp? General, it is fortunate that you discovered this in time, otherwise, if I had killed that group of wealthy merchants in a fit of rage and sealed off the news, who knows what other schemes Gu Hai might have!" Prince Song said with a grim expression.
No, Your Highness, you have not yet realized the terror of Gu Hai. Do you see it? Gu Hai is already causing turmoil within our ranks while sitting at home. It is not that Gu Hai has not gone into battle; rather, he has already come at us with real weapons. This is a battle for the hearts and minds of the people. What just happened was merely a diversion, but once Gu Hai breaks through, do you know how terrifying that would be?
Uh?
I have listened carefully to your descriptions and have roughly guessed some things. Everyone, please listen to me carefully. What news have you twenty-six received? Your own relatives have been abducted or taken somewhere to be killed? There are no bodies to be seen, and the ones who brought the news are your relatives, but they did not witness the abduction or the killing with their own eyes; they only heard about it. Regardless of how likely it may be, it is all speculation, is it not?
The slight restlessness in my heart instantly vanished
Gao Xianzhi turned to the soldiers and said: "Soldiers, I know you have concerns. Rest assured, I, Gao Xianzhi, promise to address all your worries. From this day forth, you are allowed to send letters home and communicate with your families. However, do not involve any military secrets. I trust you can manage this!"
Moreover, the captured deserters are essentially brothers in life and death on the battlefield; bloodshed and disabilities have not made them shed tears. Yet the officials in the rear are truly disheartening. They have not yet fulfilled their filial duties, nor have they provided a good life for their wives and children, and they are already being cruelly harmed by them
"What is going on? Who has spread rumors in my camp?" Gao Xianzhi asked coldly
"What can you guarantee? Before I went to war, my daughter was only two years old, just learning to walk, just starting to cling to my leg and call me 'Daddy.' But that corrupt official crushed her to death with one kick, my daughter."
Ladies and gentlemen, I, Gao Xianzhi, assure you that the sanctity of soldiers shall be upheld. During this period, anyone who dares to insult or harm the families of soldiers will be made to pay a price tenfold or a hundredfold. This is my promise, Gao Xianzhi, and I ask you all to trust in this commander
"Indeed, they will not deceive you, but what if they have also been deceived?" Gao Xianzhi said in a low voice
However, the morale of Gao Xianzhi's army has already stabilized
Let me go, I want to return, let me go back
Thirty deserters were continuously describing their experiences. However, Gao Xianzhi was listening attentively.
Is it stable? However, we have already sown the seeds of cholera; everything has just begun. I will lead them into a deadlock. Gao Xianzhi still wants to resolve the situation? He cannot untangle it!" Gu Hai looked at the imperial edict and revealed a faint smile.
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Thank you very much, Your Excellency
Turning his head, Gao Xianzhi took a deep breath and said: "Your Highness, I will immediately write to the Emperor, requesting His Majesty's full cooperation. The situation with Guhai is quite severe, and I ask for Your Highness's support in jointly submitting a memorial, for to repel external threats, we must first ensure internal stability"
A crisis of deserters was suppressed by Gao Xianzhi
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Half a month later. The capital of the Song State, Song City
A group of deserters lamented in anguish
"It must be him. In the past, there was never any news coming in, so why suddenly are there so many, thirty families? I don't think the local officials could be so foolish as to harm the families of soldiers at this time. There may be some instances, but it cannot be so many, and they appeared almost simultaneously, even spreading throughout the entire military camp in no time!" Gao Xianzhi said solemnly
"Those wealthy merchants? Hmph, they are unkind in their riches, disrupting the morale of my troops; they deserve to be executed!" exclaimed the Crown Prince of Song, his eyes widening.
However ... ... !
"Crown Prince, you see, this is just the beginning. If you kill the wealthy merchants and eliminate this group of 'informants', won't you be closing off their channels of information? Wouldn't that make you complicit with those corrupt officials? They are risking their lives for you, yet you are instructing those corrupt officials to continuously harm their parents and wives and children?" Gao Xianzhi said with a cold smile
Crown Prince Song glanced at the group of fleeing soldiers and nodded, saying, "Good!"
My cousin would not deceive me
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I am fighting on the front lines, disregarding my life, while that corrupt official is behind me, killing my entire family. Let me go, let me take my revenge
After a moment of silence, Gao Xianzhi pointed with her finger, dividing the thirty individuals into two groups: one group consisting of four people and the other group consisting of twenty-six people
The entire square was enveloped in silence, with everyone looking towards Gao Xianzhi
Before the expedition, I had just gotten married to my childhood sweetheart, Xiaohuan. Xiaohuan did not want me to go to war, but I came anyway. I fought desperately on the front lines, and the county constable coveted Xiaohuan's beauty and abducted her. My younger brother searched everywhere for her, but instead, he was beaten badly. It was only today that he came to tell me. What am I even fighting for? I fight with all my might, yet you want to destroy my family. Corrupt officials, corrupt officials!
Thank you, great leader! Countless soldiers immediately responded with a resounding promise
Crown Prince Song's eyelids twitched violently, and he nodded, saying: "Rest assured, I will write another letter to Father Emperor and fully cooperate with you"
"Thirty families have already encountered misfortune!" Lin Chong said with a grim expression
It is that group of wealthy merchants, among whose servants are mixed messengers from various cities or relatives of soldiers. In recent days, they have quietly made contact with them, bringing bad news, which is why they have become deserters" Lin Chong explained
All the soldiers looked towards Gao Xianzhi. His promises had some effect, yet suspicion ultimately burrowed into the hearts of the soldiers like a devil, merely observing how Gao Xianzhi would handle the situation
Is this the strategy of Gu Hai? Is he trying to incite our camp to explode and provoke a mutiny within our army? The Crown Prince of Song said with a grim expression
If one cannot protect their own parents, wife, and children, what is there to talk about fighting for the country
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"Yes!" the group of soldiers nodded in agreement
Rest assured, General, if anything arises, we will certainly report it to you
Gao Xianzhi is indeed very talented, and he quickly persuaded King Song to fully care for the families of soldiers, declaring that those who harm military families shall be executed without mercy. Furthermore, he even allowed correspondence between the three armies and their families. Hahaha! A glimmer of appreciation flashed in Gu Hai's eyes
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All the soldiers widened their eyes, staring at Gao Xianzhi and Crown Prince Song, awaiting a fair decision from the two. Not only for this group of deserters, but also for the concerns in our hearts
They have begun to hate me? Ha, this is exactly the effect I wanted, continue, continue to disappear! They hate me, yet they will continue to be suspicious of the powerful in the Song state. What does it matter if they hate me? In the future, they will realize that hating me is the root cause of the nation's downfall!" Gu Hai laughed.
"Ah? Is it really that bad?" Prince Song furrowed his brows and said
The four individuals expressed their gratitude by repeatedly bowing. Perhaps they would never be able to take revenge in their lifetime, but now that the great leader has taken charge on their behalf, how could they not feel grateful
"Gu Hai is truly detestable"
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A group of bound Song soldiers, their eyes bloodshot, shouted at Gao Xianzhi and the Song Crown Prince
All the soldiers were focused on the commander Gao Xianzhi to the due south, as well as the Crown Prince Song who was assisting beside him
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Will our wives, children, and parents also suffer in dire straits?
Gao Xianzhi glared with a sullen expression at the group of frenzied soldiers before him. The Crown Prince of Song also turned his gaze towards Gao Xianzhi
"What should we do about that group of wealthy merchants, my lord?" Lin Chong asked from the side
The previous worries have completely vanished, as the commander has permitted correspondence with home. This means that I can know my family is safe, and they can also be informed of my situation. This is wonderful. The commander is truly commendable.
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Gao Xianzhi's expression turned serious as he said: "You four, the information you have received is as solid as iron evidence. Rest assured, no one will make you shed blood or tears again, regardless of who it is, even if it is the county magistrate's son. No, anyone involved in harming your families will be executed on the spot!"
The bound deserters naturally had bloodshot eyes, but the other soldiers watching at this moment were also looking at the square with great seriousness, observing this group of deserters. The other warriors did not display expressions of disgust; instead, there was more of a look of sympathy.
But my brother would not deceive me
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A large number of soldiers gathered in a vast square, at this moment, dozens of Song soldiers were bound and kneeling in the open space of the square
Crown Prince Song wished to disperse the soldiers surrounding him to avoid any hindrance to the expansion, but Gao Xianzhi intervened, causing increasing anxiety among the people.
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"Great General, you are now open and honest with the soldiers, and have directed their hatred towards Gu Hai, which has alleviated their concerns. However, do you think it might be too harsh to ask His Majesty to deal with these nobles with severe measures?" The Crown Prince of Song expressed some concern.
Hmm? The Crown Prince Song cast a look of slight confusion towards the soldiers.
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How many people are there? Gao Xianzhi asked in a low voice
Foster father, should we continue the matter of the disappearance of military dependents? The soldiers of the three armies seem to be starting to rebel against the name of the foster father.
"Great Master? What shall we do? We cannot be fake, can we? My younger brother witnessed it with his own eyes, my blind old mother was burned to death in the house, he is the son of the county magistrate, my blind old mother!" One of them glared at Gao Xianzhi with bloodshot eyes.
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Ladies and gentlemen, do you not find it strange? There have never been so many ill omens before, and suddenly they have emerged in such abundance. I can tell you that all of this is the doing of Gu Hai, the wealthiest man of the Six States, whose purpose is to incite a mutiny in our army
Gao Xianzhi furrowed his brows and said: "The ancient sea has already made a move, and it was my negligence. Firecrackers? Fireworks? Ha, while firmly holding the Tiger Lock Pass, they have begun to remotely control our military camp from a thousand miles away? Let those wealthy merchants continue, but from now on, we must monitor closely. Furthermore, starting today, if anyone comes to comfort the troops, it must be done discreetly. All firecrackers and fireworks must cease; otherwise, they will be treated as a disorderly army!"
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Gao Xianzhi nodded and said: "Indeed!"
It took two hours to sort everything out. Then, I furrowed my brows deeply
Do not trust me, you only need to know that the living must be seen and the dead must be identified. As long as the body has not been found, do not give up hope. I will immediately request the Emperor to issue an order to dispatch local officials to search for your loved ones with all their might. The living must be seen and the dead must be identified; this is far better than you returning home in confusion. A whole city searching is certainly better than you searching alone, isn't it?
"Foster father, Gao Xianzhi acted swiftly and immediately resolved this crisis!" Gu Han said solemnly
Shopping Mall! Gao Xianzhi Camp!
"You will personally oversee the punishment!" Gao Xianzhi said fiercely.
Damn ancient sea
Crown Prince Song was startled and alarmed
My father died early, and my mother raised my younger brother and me. Every day, she made a living by mending clothes for others. After so much sewing and mending, she lost her sight. When conscription came for war, I was never afraid of death; I just wanted to earn military merits and rewards, so that I could return and take good care of my mother. That damned county magistrate's son, in order to seize our land, burned my blind mother to death in our home. Mother, I am unfilial!
Ah?
However, as you all can see, among this group of deserters, four acted out of necessity, but the remaining twenty-six may very well be part of Gu Hai's scheme. Therefore, if you encounter matters that are insurmountable or situations that cause you distress, you may report them to me, and I shall take responsibility for you!
Thank you, great leader, thank you, great leader! the deserters knelt and cried out.
What reason do I have to trust you
Now, how will the great leader adjudicate this matter
Thank you, great leader
Gao Xianzhi turned to look at the other four deserters, whose eyes were still bloodshot.
Has the conspiracy of the ancient sea begun? Do you wish to disrupt the morale of my troops? Hmph! Gao Xianzhi let out a cold snort
The large army gradually dispersed, and everything continued to proceed according to the normal protocol
"How is it? Great Master, do you still intend to protect that group of wealthy merchants?" Prince Song said in a deep voice
What should we do now? the Crown Prince Song inquired
Therefore, Your Highness, you should weigh this for yourself. The kingdom of the Song family, along with this group of self-destructive nobles, how will you choose? I am not being alarmist!
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