In the Laizhou Water Camp, more than 3,000 disarmed North Korean soldiers drooped their heads and walked into the camp where the prisoners were temporarily held one after another under the watchful eye of the officers and men of the Water Division. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 ｉｎｆｏ

On the dock, Zheng Mingjun accepted the surrender letter of the Korean soldiers and horses Yu Hou Shenliu on behalf of the Ming army, and at the same time informed the other party that because of the betrayal of the Ming Dynasty, His Royal Highness the King of Qi of the Ming Dynasty was about to lead an army of 100,000 to conquer Korea.

Shen Liu was taken aback, and hurriedly defended himself through a translator, the reason why North Korea sent troops to help the Qing Dynasty was entirely because the Qing State had coerced North Korea by force, and he did not really want to help the Qing Dynasty seek clarity.

"You don't have to tell me this, when His Royal Highness King Qi arrives, you can tell him."

Zheng Mingjun was impatient to talk to the North Koreans, and waved his hand to let Shen Liu escort Shen Liu onto the ship. The news ship has already sent the news that His Royal Highness the King of Qi personally led the army to set off from Chongming nine days ago.

After Shen Liu and other North Korean generals were escorted away, Zheng Zhangxu brought someone over and said, "Second uncle, Feng Xifan said that Yu Qi heard that we were going north, and he was willing to lead his troops to help." ”

"You asked Feng Xifan to tell Yu Qi that we have received his intentions, but at present, he is still needed in Shandong Yu Qi to drag the Qing army for us, and there is no need for his people to go north. In addition, he asked Wei Dalong to give him half of the capture of the marines. ”

Wei Dalong reported that after the first battle of Weixian in Qi, his attitude towards the Taiping army changed compared with before, which made Zheng Mingjun's impression of Qi also change, but he really didn't need the rebels under Yu Qi to participate in the Northern Expedition, because these rebels stayed in Shandong and played a far greater role than going to Liaodong.

Two days later, the sailor speeder at sea was the first to discover the main force of the northbound sailor, and then horns and drums sounded over the Laizhou water camp.

On June 22, the main force of the Taiping Army in the north arrived at the Laizhou Water Camp on a naval warship. The army will stay here for two days, replenish fresh water, grain and vegetables, and then head north to its destination, the Dongjiang River.

Zhou Shixiang, who had never been on a sea boat before, also suffered a lot this time, and he couldn't vomit on the boat. When he finally stepped on land, he breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

After listening to Zheng Mingjun, Feng Xifan and others about the details of the naval division's battles in Tianjin and Weixian, Zhou Shixiang ordered the Korean prisoners to be taken onto the warships and the order to be killed at the same time.

As soon as he heard that His Royal Highness the King of Qi was going to carry out a smashing order for the Korean prisoners, Zhu Zhiyu hurriedly advised, saying that the Koreans had surrendered, and that North Korea was a subject country of the Ming Dynasty for more than 200 years, and had always been obedient to the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Zhiyu's words can be summed up in one sentence, killing prisoners will not surrender.

Zhou Shixiang did not accept his advice, but said: "My Ming Dynasty helped North Korea with the whole country, so that its country can survive, this grace is incomparable in the world, how can North Korea be treacherous and help the Manchu Tartars attack my Ming Dynasty?" The benevolence and righteousness that China talks about are a matter of both sides, and we cannot be benevolent on one side, but the other side is unjust. ”

........

After the order was issued, more than 3,000 Korean soldiers were taken out of the camp and driven by the fierce Taiping army, and they boarded the warships in groups of 100 people. Looking at those fierce and vicious Ming Dynasty heavenly soldiers, the Korean captives were extremely frightened.

Shen Liu also found out that something was wrong, because the generals of the Ming army had said that their Royal Highness the King of Qi would receive him, but now the other party had no intention of summoning him at all, but instead escorted his subordinates to various ships in batches, which made his eyelids jump and realize that the Ming people were going to be unfavorable to them.

Some North Korean soldiers guessed from the posture and gaze of the nearby Ming soldiers that they might be slaughtered, and at this moment, they regretted it immensely, but they had no choice but to wait for the arrangement of heaven. Most of the Korean soldiers didn't think much about it, because if the Ming army wanted to kill them, they would have been killed long ago, so why keep them until now.

Hope, even if it is a dying person, even if it is a dying person, even if it is so unrealistic and illusory, it makes people unwilling to give up.

After the Koreans were escorted onto the ship, Zhou Shixiang finally summoned Shen Liu and clearly told him that in order to punish the shameful behavior of the North Korean Emperor for helping the Qing Dynasty and betraying the Ming Dynasty, he would execute a cruel killing order on behalf of His Majesty the Ming Emperor to kill the Korean prisoners, that is, one of the three Korean soldiers must be selected to be executed as a tribute.

"Your Highness spares your life!"

Shen Liu was so frightened that he knelt on the ground and kowtowed, hoping that Zhou Shixiang could take back his life and spare their lives.

"You think that you came to my Daming, not out of your original intention, but because of the Manchurian coercion. It stands to reason that this is also the case, so Lone should let you go and let you go home, but you should not forget that whether you are willing or not, you have in fact declared war on my Ming Dynasty, and invaded my Ming territory, killing my Ming people and soldiers. North Korea is no longer a vassal state of our Ming Dynasty, but an enemy. Treat the enemy, Lone will never show mercy! ”

Zhou Shixiang will never take back the orders he has issued, even if it is wrong, he will insist on it. Since the beginning of the army, the concept of killing a thousand wrongs rather than letting go of one has been deeply rooted in his mind like the consciousness of a demon.

"Your lives are in the hands of Lone, and if Lone wants you to live, you will be born; If you want to die, you will never live! You can resent me, and you can even curse Lone, this is your right, but Lone wants to tell you that you are not qualified to ask Lone for mercy! ”

After Shen Liu and the group of North Korean officers heard this, they suddenly turned colorless, and even in the hot weather, their teeth were constantly chattering. Xu Yingyuan, Dong Changqing, Zhu Zhiyu and other staff officials of the Metropolitan Governor's Mansion all had unbearable expressions on their faces, but they knew the heart of His Royal Highness King Qi, and no one dared to persuade him.

Zhou Shixiang's reason is very simple, because these Korean soldiers, his soldiers and the Shandong Righteous Army have sacrificed a lot of people, so these North Korean soldiers must be dealt with, otherwise, it will be unfair to the dead and alive soldiers. More importantly, he must use this to establish his authority on North Korea, or to warn the North Koreans about the fate of the Great Ming Army.

There is room for Zhou Shixiang to stay, that is, he did not order the execution of all the Korean prisoners, but the face was smashed. The North Koreans he wants to survive know how to obey, and they are obedient.

..........

On a lucky boat on the sea, dozens of Taiping soldiers pointed at the 100 Korean soldiers who were surrounded by firearms, followed by Taiping soldiers with spears and bows and arrows.

The fire fold of the gun hand has been held in his hand, and he keeps pulling out the plug and blowing, and the fire rope exposed outside the medicine chamber is like a poisonous snake, which makes people shudder.

In front were the fierce Ming soldiers, and behind were the sea, and the Korean captives were in the midst of the Jedi, and there was no possibility of escape.

Having accepted their fate, the exhausted and frightened Korean soldiers began to accept their fate, and they stood there in despair, many of them closed their eyes and waited for the slaughter of the Ming army.

However, the Taiping army did not immediately order their execution, but an officer told them that not all Korean captives would be executed and that they still had a chance of survival.

This sentence made the eyes of the North Korean captives instantly open again, and they looked at it with their mouths wide open.

People, who doesn't want to live, even if a drowning person catches a straw and serves as a lifeline, not to mention this understandable chance of immortality.

"One of the three of you must die!"

After Guo Cheng finished speaking, he looked at the interpreter coldly and ordered him to translate the words to these North Koreans. In the more than two years since he joined the Taiping Army, the Taoist priest of Longhu Mountain has transformed into a real soldier, a soldier of iron and blood.

One out of three to die?

The North Korean captives were stunned: who would be killed?

They looked at each other, their eyes full of suspicion.

"Let you decide for yourself who can't live, and you can't decide, so we've thought of a way for you!"

When Guo Cheng said this, he asked someone to carry a large bundle of sharpened wooden sticks and put them in front of the Korean soldiers. The wooden skewers were long and long, with three in a bundle, and it was obvious that there was a short skewer inside.

What is this for?

The North Korean soldiers were puzzled and looked at the wooden sticks at a loss.

Guo Cheng pointed to the wooden sticks and shouted, "Do you see those wooden sticks?" One of the three is short, and whoever draws the short one will die! ”

After the interpreter translated the original one, a hundred pairs of eyes immediately looked at the bundle of wooden sticks, and all of them fell on the short sticks in it.

A small wooden stick determines a person's life and death. Whether you can survive or not depends on your luck.

"The two people who draw the long lot must kill the person who drew the short lot together, and only in this way can those two people live."

Guo Cheng no longer talked nonsense, he didn't like to talk in the first place, he raised his hand, and immediately, the gunners on the ship raised their guns in unison, closely monitoring the Korean soldiers, staring at them motionlessly.

There is no sympathy, no pity, only anger and relief -- these Goryeo sticks do not stay well in the country, but want to come to China to help the Manchurian Tatars kill our Han people, if we are not strong enough, I am afraid that the number of Han people who will die under their swords will be tens of thousands. So, these are the things they deserve.

Under the pressure of the Taiping Army, the faces of the North Korean soldiers changed rapidly, as if they were wondering whether they should draw the lot.

The sailors and the pirate waves on the ship were watching from the sidelines, and for the first time they saw this kind of military law enforcement, they gathered together to laugh and talk. There is no sympathy for the North Koreans who are about to be executed, and one by one they are anxious to see which unlucky ones will draw the lot. There are even a few people to open the handicap to make a bet, the gambling game is very simple, choose two teams on the side to bet, if the draw in the short draw will lose double, the rest will all go to the banker. The greatest pleasure of these ronin, pirates and outlaws on the ship is to play money, so when they see someone opening a market, they immediately start gambling.

The laughter and discussion from afar reached Guo Cheng's ears, which made him a little annoyed, if it was before, he would have driven them away, and even taken them down, so that he could teach them a lesson. Now, he could only force his anger, glanced at them coldly, and ignored them. Because he knew that the commander allowed these people to go north because they were useful.

The words of the Ming officers could not be clearer, and the Ming soldiers who were like facing the enemy were not false, and the Koreans knew that if they refused to draw lots, they would definitely die immediately.

However, only one out of three people is killed, and the chance of winning the short lottery is only one-third, which means that there is a sixty percent chance of survival.... Smoke, smoke, if you don't smoke, you'll die immediately, and if you smoke, you'll not necessarily die.... God bless, Buddha bless, don't let me draw that short lot....

In the face of life and death, no one does not think, they secretly pray, or chant about all kinds of immortals, and even chant about their father's mother in the heavenly spirit to protect themselves.

Almost all of the North Korean soldiers believed that luck was on their side, and they had no idea what would happen if they won the draw.

There is a commotion in the silence, a commotion in the heartbeat.

"The hour has come!"

Guo Cheng didn't have time to wait for the psychological decision of the North Koreans, and he didn't care what these people thought, because this lottery was undoubtedly drawn, and he must kill this person.

"Let's start the lottery!"

The soldiers, who had been waiting impatiently for a long time, heard the order of Baihu and immediately rushed forward. One of the teams was led by Xu Hu, the general banner, followed by Wang Qiming, the "little showman" under him. The reason why he is called "Xiao Xiucai" is because Wang Qiming went to private school for two years before joining the army, and he is a rare recruit who can read a few words.

It was the first time for Wang Qiming to do this kind of thing, and he hadn't killed anyone yet, so he was very nervous, and walked in front of the three North Korean soldiers tremblingly, holding a wrapped wooden stick in his hand, and stretched out to the North Korean soldier in front with some reluctance.

When the wooden stick is really placed in front of you, it doesn't feel like believing that luck is on your side.

When the threat of death is imminent, and the hope of survival is close at hand, how many people are willing to face death head-on?

The heartbeat of the three Korean soldiers immediately accelerated, and the face at the front was even more white and terrifying, trembling even more fiercely than the two behind them.

"Pump!"

Xu Hu screamed fiercely, and his hideous gaze fell on the face of the North Korean man in front.

These three North Korean soldiers are all good shotguns in the northern border army, but only one of the three people can live, who is the damn one!

Did I draw life or death?

The North Korean soldier at the front was very hesitant, he looked at the wooden stick in Wang Qiming's hand in a daze, and he was in great pain, and he didn't dare to stretch out his hand.

The same scene was playing out on the ship at the same time, with the same expressions, movements, and even the eyes, as if carved out of a mold.

"Pump!"

Xu Hu is in a hurry, a hundred, if everyone is like this, when will this be over?

Xu Hu was really disgusted with these Koreans who came to Daming to do evil, according to his thoughts, these Koreans should be executed like the Manchurians, and what to keep them for. But since the big marshal said that three live two, let's kill one of the three, and I don't know which guy is unlucky enough to be stabbed by this.

"Pump!"

After another shout and scolding, the Korean soldier in front finally stretched out his hand tremblingly, the military uniform on his body had been torn and tattered, as if he was called a flower child, and there were blood marks on his shoulders and back, and the marks of whipping should be due to the previous whipping by the Taiping army. A face is loyal, not half treacherous and disgusting.