It's August, the sun is shining, and autumn is crisp.

But for the people who were escorted to the wet market, this day was the darkest moment of their lives, because they were going to be beheaded for no reason.

This group of people is mainly old men and women over 50 years old, mixed with some young people, and even children of seven or eight years old. Before Xu Da and Zhu Wen captured Jiangling, they were craftsmen or merchants, and even healers and teachers, but when they were pushed to the middle of the street by the executioners, everyone had only one identity, a criminal waiting to be beheaded.

More than a dozen executioners with bare shoulders sprayed a sip of wine on the dangling ghost head knife, and more than a dozen human heads fell to the ground. Blood spurted down the cavity onto the bluestone streets, rolling heads all over the ground, and the headless corpses lost their strength to support and fell to the ground.

Zhu Wen took one hundred and ten henchmen and stood in the distance to watch, his eyes revealing a fierce anger: "Kill me, don't leave any of these people!" After the killing, he loaded the head into a carriage and sent someone to Liu Wei to Zhijiang County. Tell him to deliver a day's worth of food late, and I'll kill a hundred more people! ”

"Stop!"

With a loud roar, Xu Da led more than 100 cronies to stride over, pressing his sword in his hand, and glaring at Zhu Wen angrily: "Zhu Quanzhong, what did the general say to you?" We are officers and soldiers, not bandits, how can we kill innocent people? ”

Zhu Wen also pressed his sword in his hand, arguing with reason: "Xu Tiande, when is it now?" At the point of either life or death, you still talk to me about these useless truths? Gan Ning's sailors cut off the road to the south, and his brother's army of 80,000 was trapped in Qipanling, and the grain and grass could not support ten days and a half months. You have an idea? ”

"It's a big deal!" Xu Da clenched his fists and roared, "What kind of hero are you taking the people as bets?" ”

Zhu Wen also roared loudly: "Xu Da." Do you understand the truth of success and defeat? You're worthless after you're dead, what kind of heroes are you talking about? You want to be a hero. Then you just go out of the city to fight, why do you take the 30,000 brothers in the city, and the 80,000 soldiers under your brother to bury you? ”

Seeing that the two generals were arguing with each other and the smell of gunpowder was full, the pro-soldiers under the two of them were all unsheathed, and they all pointed at each other and scolded: "Retreat, retreat!" What do you want to do, do you want to rebel? ”

"Damn it, whoever rebelled, General Xu is the main general. Zhu Quanzhong is a lieutenant general? Don't have a distinction between dignity and inferiority? ”

"The bullshit commander and deputy general, I can't think of a way to break through, sooner or later everyone will have to be taken prisoner, and the end is no different from these corpses on the ground! Your General Xu Tiande is the main general, let him try to break through? If it weren't for our General Zhu's advice in the past few days, everyone would have been finished! ”

Zhu Wen's face turned blue and white for a while, and after being silent for a moment, he suddenly bowed to Xu Da: "General Xu, it's the last general who is reckless!" Now the big picture is in your hands. I will never say a word again. ”

Xu Da also knew that the enemy was at present, and he must not act rashly, since Zhu Wen took a step back, he gave him a step down. With a grim face, he said, "This matter ends here." Let the people go, I'll plan a breakthrough strategy! ”

"Let the people go!" Zhu Wen turned his head and roared.

The soldiers did not dare to disobey, so they had to release the remaining people who were waiting to be beheaded with their hands tied behind their backs. He was escorted back to the place of centralized custody and waited for his release again. It's just that there are a dozen more innocent corpses on the ground pitifully.

Under the day and night battles of the soldiers of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the people of Jiangling. The city has been repaired and restored, and Xu Da checked the defenses along the city wall. Tell the soldiers to be on guard. Wait for Zhu Yuanzhang to lead the army from Huarong Road to Jiangling and join forces in one place, and then make plans.

At noon, Xu Da was discussing countermeasures with several henchmen and generals, when he suddenly heard a noise in the courtyard. Looking out of the window, I found that Zhu Wen was actually naked. Shirtless, with a thorn on his back, wearing only a pair of pants, he walked straight to the door and knelt on one knee despite the obstruction of his own soldiers.

"Zhu Quanzhong, what are you going to do here?" Xu Da hurriedly led his subordinates to welcome him out and reached out to help Zhu Wen.

Zhu Wen knelt on the ground and said reverently: "Brother Xu, the younger brother is reckless, and after being reprimanded by his brother, he messed up and refuted his brother's face. I have come to bear the guilt of Jing and ask my brother to punish him! ”

Xu Da was relieved when he heard this: "Brother Quanzhong, what you said is wrong!" My brother is not angry that you are rude to me, but that you should not kill innocents and maim people. Since ancient times, there have been countless people who have competed for the world, some have become kings and some have been defeated, but there are very few people who kill the people indiscriminately. We are soldiers, military generals of the Han court, we can die in battle, but we must not do whatever we want like bandits! ”

"What the elder brother said is extremely true, and he blames the younger brother for being confused for a while." Zhu Wen knelt on one knee with a look of self-blame, shook his head and sighed, "I heard that the road to the south was cut off by Gan Ning, and we are short of food and clothing, my little brother is worried. It was a moment of confusion to do such a cruel thing, and thanks to my brother's first drink, he didn't make a big mistake. The younger brother learned from the pain, like an initiation, and suddenly woke up, so he came to ask for the guilt and asked the brother to punish him! ”

Xu Da tried his best to help Zhu Wen up: "At the critical moment, this matter will come to an end!" In terms of strategy, Brother Quanzhong is far above me, and how to break through depends on your strategy. As long as you don't target the people, the foolish brother is willing to give up the position of the lord! ”

Zhu Wen insisted on refusing to get up: "Brother Xu, how can people be ruthless if they are not grass and trees?" When I returned to the house, I thought of my wife, children, and mother, and I felt guilty to myself, hating how I had done such a cruel thing. If my brother doesn't punish me today, I won't be able to sleep and eat! ”

"Brother Quanzhong, get up quickly!" Xu Da felt Zhu Wen's repentance, and vigorously helped Zhu Wen to get up, "No one is a saint or a sage, and at the moment of the great enemy, our brothers must share the same hatred in order to get through the predicament." ”

"Zhu Bao, you come and do it, beat me with twenty wattles!" Zhu Wen was resolute, kneeling on the ground and refusing to get up, "I know that Brother Xu, you are embarrassed to do it, so let my brother punish you for you." ”

Xu Da had no choice but to retreat to the side with a wry smile, watching Zhu Wen's henchman Zhu Bao take a thorn as thick as a child's arm and pump it on Zhu Wen's back twenty times, and then he stopped.

After punishing himself with twenty thorns, Zhu Wen got up with the support of Xu Da and others, and said sincerely: "Today, you and my brother are arguing in front of the public, but I am afraid that it will affect the morale of the army. It is necessary to hold a wine feast and drink a bitter drink, so that the soldiers can see that you and my brother can release their past suspicions, so as to calm the morale of the army. ”

Xu Da bowed his head and said: "What Brother Quanzhong said is extremely true! ”

At that moment, Zhu Wen sent his entourage out to raise wine and meat, took it to the house where Xu Da was temporarily staying, handed it over to the military chef to make a sumptuous wine feast, and then set up a table of banquets in the living room of the Jiangling County Ya, and invited more than a dozen generals to the banquet to witness him and Xu Dabing release their previous suspicions.

On the wine feast, Zhu Wen repeatedly apologized to Xu Da, one brother at a time, giving Xu Da enough face. Xu Da was very pleased, and under Zhu Wen's persuasion, he drank a few more glasses, and lost consciousness in a daze.

Just when it was hazy, Xu Da suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back, and hurriedly opened his eyes, finding that he was tied up by Wuhua in the lobby, and several of his henchmen were also tied up. couldn't help but be shocked and angry, and roared: "Zhu Wen, you dare to cheat? ”

With a "snap", the thorn strip in Zhu Wen's hand slapped Xu Da's face, and he said with a cruel smile: "Haha...... Guilty of petitioning? I'll please you old lady! What do you think? Is it refreshing to be pumped on your body by wattles? ”

"Zhu Wen, do you want to rebel?" Xu Da was furious, gritted his teeth and angry eyes, and his beard and hair were all open, but it was a pity that his hands and feet were tied strongly, and he struggled in every way, but he did not move at all.

Zhu Wen snorted coldly: "The rebel is clearly you!" ”

As Zhu Wen spoke, he threw a piece of paper in black and white in front of Xu Da: "You fornicated with Liu Wei and obstructed me from rescuing my brother, intending to sell the lives of 100,000 soldiers in exchange for glory and wealth." I have here the evidence of your signature and drawing, and now I will kill you on the spot, what else do you have to say? ”

"Zhu Wen, you are such a despicable and shameless villain!" Xu Da hissed and roared.

Zhu Wen slapped Xu Da's cheek again: "You shameless traitor, you actually insult me here?" Where are the left and right, push Xu Da down and behead me to show the public! ”

Zhu Wen's partial generals were shocked when they heard this, and they all gave up their hands to advise: "I can't help it, Xu Danai is a general of the imperial court!" If the general kills him without authorization, even if you can help Zhu Gong break through, it will be a big crime for the imperial court to investigate it in the future. This signed document could only deceive the soldiers, but it could not hide the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty. ”

Zhu Wen frowned and thought for a moment, thought about it, waved his hand and ordered: "Come on, take Xu Da and his henchmen down, and from now on I will be in charge of Jiangling's military power!" ”

"Despicable villain, let me go!" Xu Da struggled desperately, but to no avail.

Zhu Wen sneered: "As long as my plan can succeed, what I did today is nothing, and the court will definitely not condemn me!" As a general, you should be decisive, like you look forward and backward, what big things can your mother-in-law and mother achieve? ”

After imprisoning Xu Da and his henchmen, Zhu Wen lied to the others that Xu Da had returned to Luoyang to move the rescue troops, and that Jiangling would take over the military power by himself. Seeing that the seal was in Zhu Wen's hands, all the soldiers were no longer suspicious, and promised loudly together: "I am willing to send from General Zhu!" ”

Zhu Wen waved his hand: "Chop off a hundred heads for me, send them to Zhijiang overnight and hand them over to Liu Wei, so that he can raise 500,000 stone of grain and send them to Jiangling in exchange for the lives of the people in the city, otherwise I will kill 100 of them for every day of delay." ”

With Zhu Wen's order, the executioner raised the butcher's knife again, and there was a bloody storm in Jiangling City.

More than a dozen old and weak soldiers were ordered to load the heads into a carriage and escort them overnight to Zhijiang County, 80 miles to the southwest, to give them to Liu Wei and extort grain. (To be continued.) )