In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 714 Those who kneel and surrender will not be killed; no need to carry a knife.
Liu Heiying had already stood up, the clanging of his armor making a crisp sound that was particularly jarring in the night.

He grabbed the long sword in his hand, pulled it out sharply, revealing the blade!
The blade gleamed with a cold, silvery light in the dim light, reflecting in his eyes.

"Pass down the order: all brothers, assemble immediately!"
Armor never leaves their bodies, weapons never leave their hands.
Prepare for battle! No rebel force will be spared!

Liu Heiying's voice was low and his expression was serious.

Hu Xiaowu accepted the order and left, his figure quickly disappearing outside the camp.

Liu Heiying stood in the center of the tent.

My gaze pierced through the gaps in the tent, looking towards the construction site shrouded in night.

What he feared most came to pass: his first time leaving the city.

This unexpected incident put Liu Heiying in a very bad mood.

"The battle report during the day made me complacent. I need to be more careful in the future."

A quarter of an hour later, a dull blast of bugle calls suddenly rang out.

With a sense of ancient history, it echoes for miles around.

Many laborers were awakened by the noise, and they groggily raised their heads.
Anger flashed in his eyes, and he burst into curses:

"What the hell? Playing a bugle in the middle of the night?"

One by one, the dark tents lit up.
Soldiers throughout the camp quickly ran around, lighting torches and lanterns.

The darkness was instantly dispelled, and the room was suddenly brightly lit!

On the eastern outskirts of the camp, a group of people who had been groping their way forward in the dark suddenly froze.
Somewhat bewildered, he raised his head, listening to the bugle call.

They were momentarily taken aback.

what happened?

The leader of the group's expression suddenly changed drastically. Looking at the increasingly brightly lit military camp before him, his heart skipped a beat.
"Retreat! Retreat! Retreat now!"

On the west side of the camp, the soldiers of the New City Guard, hidden in various tents, also looked somewhat astonished.

They were ordered to hide here, as there was a possibility of a rebel attack.

I was planning a satisfying ambush, to beat the dog when it was down.

Why is the rallying cry being sounded now?
However, their reaction was also extremely quick.

Within three breaths, he had already drawn his longsword and tightened his armor.
With a somewhat bewildered look on his face, he rushed out!
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed throughout the military camp.
Soon, the five hundred elite soldiers had assembled and gathered in the center of the camp.

They stood in neat rows, ready for battle, each with a determined look in their eyes.

Liu Heiying stepped out of the tent and stood at the very front of the column.

As my gaze swept over each face, a sense of peace welled up inside me.

Having troops at your command is the greatest peace of mind at any time!

"Brothers, tonight someone wants to take my head, Liu Heiying's head."
What do you think we should do?

Liu Heiying's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

The atmosphere suddenly turned tense!

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The soldiers shouted in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.

The laborers, who were about to rush out and start cursing, were frightened back down.

He cautiously hid behind the military tent and peeked out.

Liu Heiying nodded in satisfaction, then gave the order:
"Right now, they are on the east side of the camp, numbering over several thousand, and are currently fleeing in panic!"

If I am not mistaken, they should be our former colleagues.
But now, they've become enemies!

As for dealing with the enemy, I hope you will show absolutely no mercy!

Many people looked at each other in surprise, as such a flamboyant act had taken them quite by surprise!

Team leader Zhang Feng stepped forward and spoke loudly:
"Please give the order, General, and we will surely annihilate the enemy!"

"Slay the enemy!"

"Slay the enemy!"

The shouts of battle shook the heavens, and in an instant, the peaceful camp became like a battlefield!

Liu Heiying looked at them with satisfaction and nodded slightly:
"Mount your horses and follow me to meet the enemy!"
The musketeers took up advantageous positions and prepared to fire!

The rest of you, follow me to face the enemy head-on.
Let these rats hiding in the gutter see this.
The army of the Northern Pacification Command is not one they can easily provoke!

"Yes!"

Upon receiving the order, the soldiers sprang into action.

The group quickly mounted their warhorses and charged out from the eastern camp!
In the darkness, the sound of horses' hooves thundered like lightning, dispelling countless evil spirits.
The sleeping birds, jackals, tigers, and leopards were all suddenly awakened and quickly ran away.

The moonlight was bright, casting a silvery glow on the flat frozen ground!

Liu Heiying took the lead and spotted a thousand soldiers ahead in the distance!
They were all foot soldiers, armed with sharp weapons, fleeing in panic.

Liu Heiying took out his binoculars from his waist and examined the area ahead carefully.

There was a grove of trees at the end of the line of sight.
The leaves there trembled irregularly, one by one.

Clearly, something was hidden inside—either warhorses or ambush troops.

Liu Heiying did not change his mind about this.

He waved his hand lightly and gave the order in a loud voice:
The musketeers were divided in two.
First, block the forest; anyone who ventures out will be killed without mercy. Second, maintain order!

The command flag was waved quickly, and the musketeers, upon receiving the order, immediately dispersed and charged to the left and right flanks of the three hundred cavalry.

Liu Heiying had already drawn his long sword from his waist, staring intently ahead, and let out a furious shout:
"Who are you from? Rebels will be exterminated along with their entire families. Kneel down and you will be spared. Your merits and demerits will be overlooked!"

The surrounding guards all took out megaphones.
He shouted at the more than a thousand soldiers who were fleeing in panic.

The shouts echoed, instantly throwing their battle formation into further chaos and causing them to become noticeably sluggish!

After three shouts, the distance between the two sides was rapidly closing.

Liu Heiying made out the armor worn by the soldiers in front.

Some were fully armored, some were half-armored, and some were wearing the armor of garrison soldiers; the ranks were a chaotic mix.

And with pursuers behind them, they became increasingly panicked.
The advancing battle formation could not be maintained!

However, a hint of surprise quickly flashed in Liu Heiying's eyes.
The thousand or so soldiers fleeing ahead seemed to know that two legs couldn't outrun four.

Instead of running away, we formed a battle formation on the spot to meet the enemy!
"stop!"

Liu Heiying waved his hand, and the entire team immediately slowed down.
They stopped at a distance of no more than thirty feet from the enemy.

Although outnumbered, the pressure from the five hundred cavalrymen was overwhelming.

The rising dust made their figures appear and disappear intermittently.
The tall warhorse has smooth lines, and the soldiers on it wear bright armor.
The two are incomparable at first glance.

Looking at the large number of rebel soldiers before him, Liu Heiying's expression turned grave. He grabbed a megaphone and shouted loudly:
"I am Liu Heiying, the Vice Commander of Beiping City. You rebels, why don't you surrender?"

"Wow—"

The rebel troops suddenly became noisy.

They've heard that name countless times over the past few months.

Some people knew tonight's objective and appeared calm.
Some people, unaware of tonight's objective, appeared somewhat apprehensive.

"Brothers, do not listen to slanderous words."

We are a righteous army, here to rid the people of Daning of this scourge!

At the very front of the infantry, one man shouted.
He held his long sword high, hoping to boost morale.

But the results were minimal.

Everyone knew the consequences of being labeled a rebel.
Exile of the whole family is the least of their worries; a more serious offense would result in the execution of the entire family.
A sense of unease began to spread.
Many people were whispering among themselves, clearly not paying attention to what the adults were saying.

"Fine, since you won't surrender..."
From this moment forward, you are in rebellion.

What crime is rebellion? Do I need to tell you? It's the extermination of three generations of one's family!

Not only will you yourselves die, but your wives, children, and elderly parents will also die.

Even your relatives who are related to you will die!
Now that you've knelt and surrendered, I might still label you as rebels.

If only you are punished, your families could have been spared.

"If they do not surrender after three breaths, everyone should be killed!"

"count!"

"Yes!"

Hu Xiaowu shouted, pulled a megaphone from his saddlebag, and yelled at the other side:

"three!"

As soon as the sound began, there was a noticeable commotion among the rebel troops, and the quiet field became noisy!
"Calm down, they're just trying to scare us."
We have a thousand people, they only have five hundred.

We will charge forward and slay the traitors!

The rebel leader was clearly getting anxious.

They actually said things like "a thousand infantrymen against five hundred cavalrymen."

Clearly, the soldiers behind him did not believe his nonsense.

"two!"

"Clang! I surrender, I surrender. I know nothing! I was just following orders!"

A soldier on the left flank of the infantry dropped his longsword and charged out.

His hands were waving frantically, and his face was filled with panic.

The candlelight flickered across his face.

People in their thirties are at a time when they have elderly parents to care for and young children to raise.

"Be bold!"

The leading general did not hesitate.
He took out a crossbow from his waist, aimed at the man, and pulled the trigger hard!
"Whoosh-"

The sound of the crossbow bolt cutting through the air rang out, and it struck the man hard in the back. He fell to the ground with a thud, struggled for a moment, and then fell silent.

The rebel ranks fell silent for a moment.
Everyone fell silent, too terrified to utter a sound.

Liu Heiying continued to speak:
"If you want to die on the battlefield and end it all, that's fine too."

If you do not surrender, I will pursue your families.
If your whole family is exiled to Lingnan, eight out of ten of them will die on the way. Think it over carefully!

Kneel down and I will spare your lives; I will only pursue the crime of one of you.

Now, just the last three breaths!
Three breaths later, the cavalry charged! Form ranks!

"Tiger!"

The cavalrymen shouted, but instead of advancing, the entire column slowly retreated.

For cavalry to charge, they need sufficient momentum; cavalry without momentum are no better than infantry.

One zhang, two zhang, three zhang,
As the cavalrymen traveled further and further away, the pressure they brought also increased.
All the rebels had cold sweat on their foreheads, their palms were wet, and their eyes were trembling violently.

The constantly changing shouts relentlessly pounded against their psychological defenses.
In just one moment, half of their psychological defenses were shattered.

The second blast completely shattered their psychological defenses.
The sound of the longswords falling was as dense as snowflakes falling.
Everywhere
Phrases like "I surrender" and "I know nothing" are used.

The group of over a thousand people suddenly became disorganized and scattered in all directions.

"Don't wander around, and don't trust these traitors!"

"They won't let you go. The commander will kill your whole family!"

"Don't move! Form ranks!"

The shouts continued, but the situation was already on the verge of collapse.
Hu Xiaowu didn't utter his last cry.
Seeing that the enemy's battle formation was in disarray, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Regardless, they are all colleagues in the same department; let's hope one of them survives.

He glanced at the serious-looking adult beside him, a slight smile appearing on his face, but was interrupted before he could speak.
"Sound the horns and charge! Leave no survivors!"

Liu Heiying's expression remained unchanged, but his voice was icy cold.

Hu Xiaowu's smile froze on his face, and his hand holding the brass trumpet trembled slightly.

A flash of understanding crossed his eyes.
It turns out that the adults never intended to persuade them to surrender; persuasion was merely a means to defeat the enemy.

More and more soldiers on the enemy's battle lines were kneeling.
From the initial few dozen, it spread rapidly.
The breach in my mental defenses continues to widen, spreading towards those around me.
In an instant, the number of people kneeling had increased to several hundred, forming a dense, dark mass.

They were covered in sweat, and the sweat dripped onto the frozen ground, bringing only a moment of warmth.

A look of relief flashed in their eyes.

They knew that the Commander-in-Chief was kind to the soldiers and civilians, and perhaps they could be spared punishment.

But as time went on, everyone realized something was wrong.
Somewhat bewildered, they looked up and saw the five hundred cavalrymen getting further and further away from their sight.

What's going on? Why is it still refunding?

"Woo——"

Suddenly, a deep and stirring bugle call pierced the night sky.
Like an angry beast roaring!

The five hundred cavalrymen paused for a moment, their horses' Achilles tendons suddenly straightened, and they instantly unleashed an astonishing momentum!
Like an arrow released from a bow, it was terrifying!
The horse's hooves kicked up clouds of dust, making it look like a giant yellow dragon churning.

The cavalrymen raised their long swords, spears, and warhammers, their battle cries shaking the heavens.

Liu Heiying took the lead, like a black lightning bolt, charging towards the already routed rebel army.

His eyes were cold and resolute, his expression calm, without the slightest pity.

The cavalry followed closely behind, their hooves thundering.
Wherever it went, the earth trembled.

The rebels turned deathly pale as they watched the cavalry surge towards them like a tidal wave.

They tried to resist, but found their knees were nailed to the ground, unable to move.

He had just stood up when he collapsed to the ground in an instant.
The rebels, who had initially held onto a sliver of hope, were now gripped by overwhelming fear.

"Spare us, sir! We were forced into this situation. We didn't know what we were supposed to do today!"

A rebel soldier suddenly knelt on the ground, covered his head with his hands, and cried out in tears.

"Sir, I have an elderly mother and children at home, I don't want to die!"

Another rebel soldier also knelt down.

He kowtowed desperately, until his forehead bled.

However, the cavalry charge did not stop with their shouts.

Liu Heiying ignored their pleas for mercy, raised his long sword high, and brought it down fiercely.

A flash of cold light, and the head of a soldier who was about to kneel was instantly blown off.

Blood gushed out like a fountain, and the headless corpse collapsed to the ground.
"kill!"

Liu Heiying roared, and his cavalry charged into the rebel ranks like tigers descending a mountain.

Long swords flashed, and blood and flesh flew everywhere!
The rebels had no time to organize an effective resistance before they were easily routed by the cavalry.

They fled in all directions, their cries, pleas for mercy, and screams mingling together, creating a horrific scene.

"We're innocent! Your Honor, we don't want to rebel!"

A rebel soldier brandished a long sword.

He resisted while begging for mercy.
But his voice was quickly drowned out by shouts of killing.

The cavalry charged at him, and with a swift swing of their longswords, severed his arm.

He screamed and fell to the ground.
Before he could react, several spears pierced his body at the same time.

"My lord, please spare us! We have been misled by treacherous people!"

A group of rebel soldiers huddled together, watching in terror as the cavalry drew ever closer.

They huddled together, their eyes filled with despair.

But not a single cavalryman wavered in the charge.

Liu Heiying rode his warhorse, charging wildly through the rebel ranks.
Wherever they went, the rebels fell one after another.

His eyes were devoid of any warmth, only filled with resolute determination!

"Kill! Leave no one behind!"

Liu Heiying gave a loud order.

The cavalrymen hacked and slashed even more frantically.

The rebels were powerless to resist and could only be slaughtered at their mercy.

Blood stained the frozen ground, and a strong stench of blood filled the air.

A young rebel soldier watched his comrades fall one after another, his eyes filled with fear and despair.

He looked at his missing left arm.
Suddenly, he threw down the long sword in his hand and turned to run.

But he hadn't run more than a few steps when he was overtaken by a cavalryman.

The cavalryman swung his longsword upwards and severed both of his legs.

He screamed and fell to the ground, desperately crawling forward with his hands, leaving a long trail of blood behind him.

"My lord, please, spare me! I promise I'll never do it again!"

He cried out, his voice filled with pleading.

But the cavalryman showed no mercy, raising his longsword again and slashing down fiercely.

The young soldier's screams abruptly stopped as his body was cleaved in two.

As time went on, the rebels' resistance grew weaker and weaker.

Most of the rebels had already fallen in pools of blood.
Only a few are still struggling desperately.

Liu Heiying rode his warhorse, slowly surveying the battlefield, his eyes revealing no emotion.
"Clear the battlefield, gather the corpses, find their trail, and send scouts deeper into the jungle!"

After the last few people were completely killed
The overwhelming stench of blood could no longer be concealed and permeated the wilderness.

The cavalrymen dismounted and began to get to work.

They dragged the intact rebel corpses together and arranged them neatly with their heads facing south.

A clerk stepped forward and began searching their bodies.
They are still documenting the appearances of these rebel generals.

Hu Xiaowu shook the blood off his longsword and looked at the horrific scene before him, feeling a pang of pity.

He walked over to Liu Heiying and said softly:
"Sir, isn't there something amiss?"

"Some what? Cruel?"

Liu Heiying turned his head and looked over, reverting to his usual warm demeanor.

Hu Xiaowu hesitated before nodding, his young face contorted in pain.

"Little Wu, in chaotic times, there is no right or wrong, only victory or defeat."

If we show mercy, then it will be me and you brothers who die.

I will not care whether they are innocent or forced.
Since you've done it, you have to pay the price for your actions.

Liu Heiying patted him on the shoulder:

"Little Wu, your talent for battle formations is quite good."
Lord Lu has said several times that he wants to mentor you, but I've turned him down each time. Do you know why?

Hu Xiaowu shook his head, looking completely bewildered.

"You are too kind-hearted; a kind-hearted person cannot be a general."

Liu Heiying chuckled softly.

Hu Xiaowu nodded repeatedly, knowing that what the adults said made sense.

The rebels' cries of injustice and pleas for mercy could only dissipate into the darkness with the night wind.

"Alright, let's deal with the aftermath. We'll head back to Daning City tomorrow morning."

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)