People along the street craned their necks, some cursing loudly, others spitting at the prisoners and throwing rotten vegetable leaves.
Once all the prisoners were brought to the execution platform, the crowd surged forward again.
A middle-aged man dressed as an official walked onto the stage, unfurled the notice in his hand, and read aloud:
"The criminal Hong Zhanming, along with thirty-seven accomplices, both monks and laypeople, were originally pure members of the Buddhist community, yet they harbored treacherous ambitions. Instead of dedicating themselves to serving their country through spiritual practice, they conspired with the Liang bandits to seize the city! They secretly possessed armor and weapons, secretly gathered assassins, and committed murder and the capture of the city, causing widespread suffering and the deaths of loyal and virtuous people! Now, in accordance with the law, they are hereby executed and their heads displayed to the public to appease the people and set an example!"
After reading it aloud, he closed the notice and shouted, "Execute them!"
The executioner stepped onto the platform, and Hong Zhanming and several leaders were among the first to be escorted there and forced to kneel.
The once-powerful Chief Steward Hong looked around, his lips twitching as if he wanted to say something.
The executioner behind him didn't give him the chance. The executioner's blade flashed in the morning light, and a head rolled onto the platform, blood splattering everywhere and covering the newly laid wooden planks.
The crowd erupted in a roar, as if ignited by a fire; some clapped, others cheered.
The militia and officials on the outskirts blocked the crowd, preventing people from approaching Xingtai and avoiding anyone from profiting from the tragedy.
Prisoners were escorted to the execution platform in batches. The blood on the executioner's blade grew thicker and thicker. With each blow, an official would bring a bucket of water to wash the platform. The blood flowed down the wooden planks, forming a dark red stream that slowly seeped into the soil below...
The surrounding teahouses were very quiet. Some people held their tea in their hands but didn't put it in their mouths for a long time, and many people looked fearful.
Over the years, Mist Hidden Temple has operated in various places in Yi Prefecture City, and has had dealings with countless wealthy people and officials.
Many of the people on the stage who had their heads chopped off had once shared a table with these people in the building, drinking and receiving gifts from them.
But now they are all headless corpses, being dragged off the stage one after another!
"It was all orchestrated by that Militia Commander Wu in Bo County!"
"I heard he even killed Ciwen."
"They've entered the city with several thousand soldiers; who wouldn't be afraid?"
"This Yi Province is about to undergo a major upheaval!"
"..."
The crowd whispered amongst themselves; the beheading wasn't over yet, and several groups of people had already hurriedly left the teahouse.
Before noon, the area in front of Wu Shuangren's house became lively.
This was originally Hong Zhanming's residence in the city. In the past few years, during holidays, there was no shortage of people coming to deliver gifts.
Although the mansion has changed owners, it is still as lively as before.
Outside the gate, carriages and horses came and went in an endless stream; some brought money, some brought silk, some brought antiques...
"Just as you predicted, sir, these people have all come to give you money on their own initiative."
Inside the courtyard, Wu Shuangren smiled and said to Guo Jiwang.
These wealthy families in the city had previously been asked by the government to contribute money and grain to reward the local militia who had saved the prefecture, but they were unwilling and had not yet raised the money.
So Guo Jiwang told Wu Shuangren that all they needed to do was publicly execute Hong Zhanming and the others, and these wealthy families would behave themselves.
Today's situation is exactly as Guo Jiwang predicted!
"These people have had some kind of business dealings with Mist Hidden Temple in the past. If you can get the government to execute Hong Zhanming and the others today, they might do the same tomorrow. How can they not be afraid?"
Guo Jiwang said casually.
Wu Shuangren nodded, not personally taking charge, but instructing his guards to register each gift, carry them all into the courtyard, and categorize them neatly.
At noon, the city's most luxurious restaurant was booked out.
In a private room on the third floor, Wu Shuangren hosted a banquet for the three officials of Yi Province: the Prefect, the Chief Secretary, and the Military Advisor, as well as several other officials of rank from the city.
During the Wu Dynasty, "zhou" were divided into upper and lower levels. A state with more than 40,000 households was an upper state, and otherwise it was a lower state.
Yi Province was a lower-level province. The governor of a lower-level province was Principal Fourth Rank official, the deputy governor was Principal Fifth Rank, and the chief secretary and the military commander were Principal Sixth Rank.
Both of them were of a higher rank than any county magistrate Wu Shuangren had ever seen before.
Guo Jiwang and Xu Jing sat on either side of Wu Shuangren at the banquet.
The table was already set with food and drinks, and the dishes were plentiful.
Wu Shuangren was not wearing armor today, but only a clean dark blue robe.
The Prefect of Yi Province, surnamed Feng and named Guanglu, was nearly sixty years old and was invited to sit in the host's seat.
The Yi Province is dead, and the deputy general is gone too. Now, the highest-ranking person in Yi Province is Feng Guanglu.
He first raised his wine cup and said with a smile, "Militia Commander Wu has gone to great lengths, leading his troops to rescue Yi Province, repelling the rebels, and protecting the people of the city! Everyone in Yi Province is deeply grateful for this achievement. I will first drink a cup to express my gratitude!"
Having said that, he drank it all in one gulp.
The magistrate took the lead in expressing his opinion, which set the tone for the dinner party.
Wu Shuangren also raised his wine cup. "Lord Feng, you are too kind. I lead a local militia in Bo County Bo County, which is under the jurisdiction of Yi Province. Most of the brothers in the militia are also from Yi Province. Yi Province is my hometown, so it is my duty to protect my homeland!"
Having said that, he also drank it all in one gulp.
The two officials, Chief Secretary and Sima, raised their glasses one after the other. One praised Militia Commander Wu young hero, while the other said that Wu Shuangren had the demeanor of a famous general from ancient times!
Wu Shuangren also raised his glass repeatedly.
After a few rounds of drinks, everyone became more talkative.
Xu Jing didn't say much, he just drank with everyone. As the county magistrate of Bo County, he represented the attitude of the Bo County government. With him there or not, the atmosphere of the banquet was completely different.
So even if Xu Jing doesn't say anything, just sitting and drinking is enough.
As for Guo Jiwang, he did not reveal his identity, but he chatted and laughed with the officials, responding fluently and drinking one cup of wine after another.
With him around, it's hard for the atmosphere at the dinner table not to be lively.
The adults initially thought that Wu Shuangren was young and arrogant, but now that he held weapons and actually controlled the entire Yi Prefecture City, he would be difficult to deal with.
Before they arrived, everyone was filled with trepidation.
Unexpectedly, Wu Shuangren was not as arrogant as ordinary martial artists, nor was he as frivolous as young people. He spoke with composure and gave them face, which gradually put the adults at ease.
"Although the Mount Liang rebels were repelled by Militia Commander Wu this time, the main force of Mount Liang is still intact, and it's uncertain what will happen next."
Feng Guanglu suddenly spoke up.
After he finished speaking, Wu Shuangren and Guo Jiwang exchanged a glance.
Wu Shuangren put down his wine cup and said, "Today's banquet for you gentlemen is for two reasons: first, to celebrate the defeat of the rebels, and second, to discuss future matters with you."
The private room fell silent, and all the officials looked at the young head of the regiment.
"When the Mount Liang rebels first rose up, they had an army of 30,000. Now, wreaking havoc in all directions, they have drawn even more people to join them, and their forces have probably swelled to 50,000, or even more!"
Wu Shuangren's gaze swept over everyone present, and he said in a deep voice, "The intelligence I received indicates that the enemy has first sent their main force north to attack Ya Province. Once Mount Liang captures the two passes of Ya Province, blocking the passage from Shannan Circuit to Jiannan Circuit, we probably won't receive any reinforcements for the next few months."
The officials present had varying expressions; some had a vague idea of what was going on, while others were just learning about the information.
Shannan Circuit borders Tubo and has military garrisons, so if the imperial court wants to suppress the Mount Liang rebels as quickly as possible, it can only transfer border troops from Shannan Circuit.
As for transferring local troops from other regions to suppress bandits, if the imperial court had the capability, it wouldn't have needed to establish local militias in various places.
Allowing local militias to be established was intended to alleviate the burdens on the imperial court.
In such situations, the imperial court usually orders local militias to resolve the issue themselves. Only when the local armed forces are truly unable to fight back and the situation becomes increasingly dire will the court consider sending imperial guards from the central government.
There's a military town right next to Jiannan Circuit, so it offers an extra option compared to other places.
"Actually, it's a good thing that the border troops from Shannan Circuit can't come over..."
One of the officials, who was somewhat drunk, suddenly muttered something under his breath.
Some people coughed, while others pretended not to hear.
Wu Shuangren glanced at the man and continued, "If Mount Liang sends even more troops to attack, we will need to unite more forces if we want to defend Yi Prefecture City."
"Does Militia Commander Wu mean to have local militias come to help defend the city?"
Feng Guanglu asked.
Wu Shuangren nodded. "Only in this way can we defend Yi Prefecture City, but we still need the help of you gentlemen."
Feng Guanglu looked at him. "How does Militia Commander Wu want us to help?"
Wu Shuangren met the other's gaze. "Without a proper name, words will not be persuasive. If I wish to mobilize the forces of various regions in Yi Province, I need the support of you gentlemen to establish the Yi Province Militia!"
147. A masterpiece in name and in reality, the pinnacle of Yi Province! (Da Zhang)
The banquet lasted for nearly an hour before it ended, and officials including Feng Guanglu left the restaurant one after another.
During the meeting, Feng Guanglu and others did not directly respond to Wu Shuangren's question about the ' Yi Province Militia,' only saying that they needed to consider it.
Wu Shuangren did not force anyone and parted amicably with everyone.
After all the officials had left, Xu Jing glanced at Wu Shuangren and Guo Jiwang, then got up and left as well.
Only the two of them remained in the private room.
"Do you think they will agree?"
Wu Shuangren asked.
Guo Jiwang had already drunk quite a bit at the banquet, remained unfazed and poured himself another cup. "For this matter to succeed, it all boils down to two things: reputation and reality. Reality—you already have several thousand militiamen under your command and have destroyed the Mist Hidden Temple. As for 'reputation'..."
He picked up his glass and downed it in one gulp, laughing somewhat unrestrainedly.
"Now that you have substance but no reputation, you have only two strategies."
"Firstly, they use a name to gain influence."
Secondly, they sought fame through substance.
Wu Shuangren poured another glass of wine for the other person, then poured one for himself, raising his glass in a gesture of respect.
"Please teach me, sir."
After leaving the restaurant, the officials did not go home, but instead took a detour to Feng Guanglu's residence and gathered together again.
Inside the hall, Feng Guanglu looked at everyone and asked, "Gentlemen, what do you think? Should we agree to the Yi Province Militia?"
"I don't think we can agree to that!"
Shen Jingchuan, the Yi Province, was the first to speak, his tone resolute. "Once this precedent is set, the consequences will be endless! I fear that inviting a god will be easy, but sending him away will be difficult!"
"Lord Shen, if we don't agree, how will we defend the city when the Mount Liang army arrives?"
Someone asked.
"It's not necessary to establish a Yi Province Militia. The government can simply provide funds and supplies to gather local militias to help defend the city."
Shen Jingchuan said solemnly, "Don't other states handle similar incidents in the same way? Why do we insist on establishing this Yi Province Militia?"
Wang Xun, the Sima of Yi Province, suddenly spoke up, "But we've summoned all those local militias, so who will be in charge?"
"..."
Shen Jingchuan was speechless for a moment.
The others also fell silent.
The answer to this question is actually quite simple. In the current situation, apart from Wu Shuangren, no one else has the strength to subdue the rest of the militia in Yi Province.
If Fan Yu, the military commander of Yi Province, were still alive, this matter could naturally be handled by the government.
But Fan Yu had already died for his country...
"Even if Wu Shuangren is put in charge, it's not necessarily necessary to establish the Yi Province Militia, is it?"
Shen Jingchuan countered with a question.
Feng Guanglu looked at him and said, "I'm afraid they won't act until they see the benefits."
Shen Jingchuan calmly said, "We'll just guide him step by step. Once he's tasted the sweetness of success, do you really think he'll let go?"
Feng Guanglu's eyes lit up. "You mean, give me a nominal title?"
Shen Jingchuan laughed and said, "Even an empty reputation is still a reputation."