"Grand General! Spare me! Spare me!"
In the bustling marketplace, a tall man in ragged clothes was weeping and begging for mercy.
Onlookers gathered at a distance, watching the scene and whispering among themselves.
General Hu Zun sat on a war chariot some distance away, staring at the man before him.
"Do you know who this wretch is?!"
Hu Zun's voice boomed. Armored guards stood along the road, and a group of generals stood behind him. At his demand, they all lowered their heads.
Hu Zun gritted his teeth. "This wretch is Chen Tan! The younger paternal cousin of Chen Tai, the current Deputy Director of the Secretariat!"
"I thought that, coming from a distinguished family, he would surely share my burdens and become my right arm. I put him in charge of logistics, and what happened?! This wretch actually dared to sell off the army's provisions! His crime is truly unforgivable!"
"What powerful connections this wretch has! What a host of friends!"
"After his embezzlement came to light, letters from all over flooded my quarters! I received more than twenty from the Imperial Secretariat alone!"
"Hah! They want me to let him go?!"
"They told me to send him to Luoyang and let the Imperial Court deal with him!"
"What nonsense about the Imperial Court dealing with him! Someone clearly wants to protect him!"
"I won't send him, but I've already sent every one of those letters to Luoyang, exactly as they were! I'll bring those people to justice along with him! So what if he's the Deputy Director of the Secretariat?! Even the Director of the Secretariat would get the same treatment!"
Hu Zun roared.
The officers and soldiers kept their heads lowered, still saying nothing.
Only then did Hu Zun slowly turn toward the man. "I don't