Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 383 Who Killed (Part 3)

General Lu deeply resented General Zhang and said coldly, "He deserves to be struck by lightning!" He paused and then said in a low voice, "General Pei is the true hero of our time, with the demeanor of a benevolent ruler."

“On that day, I deliberated and thought it over repeatedly before deciding to lead my troops here. After arriving, I witnessed General Pei’s strict discipline and the power of his troops in battle. What impressed me even more was General Pei’s compassion and care for ordinary soldiers.”

"The Pei family army was established only a few years ago, yet it was able to contend with the Xiongnu barbarians and sweep away the elite troops in the north. This is all thanks to General Pei alone."

General Ge suddenly chuckled: "In all the years I've known you, I've never seen you so respectful of anyone."

In fact, General Ge's willingness to lead troops to "serve the emperor" stemmed from a herd mentality. Even General Lu, a powerful military figure in the north, had surrendered to Pei Qinghe, so why couldn't he come?

General Lu raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Believe me, you will be proud of this wise decision in the future."

General Ge thought for a moment and said, "The South Gate has a large number of soldiers and generals, which doesn't show the capabilities of my Changshan Army. I plan to lead my troops to the West Gate. Once the Bohai Army is defeated, they will definitely scatter and flee. At that time, I might be able to make a great contribution."

General Ge was also impatient, and once he made up his mind, he immediately went to see Pei Qinghe.

Pei Qinghe agreed without hesitation and even allocated a batch of military rations to General Ge.

In these days, no one leading an army into battle is ever without provisions. General Ge was greatly encouraged, clasped his hands in thanks, and solemnly pledged to surround the west gate and prevent anyone from passing through.

Pei Yun smiled at Pei Qinghe and said, "Congratulations, General, you've gained another general!"

The benefits of this military campaign against the Zhang family are countless. Even if we don't ultimately capture Bohai Commandery, we've still gained a great deal!

A smile flashed across Pei Qinghe's eyes as she whispered, "Wait patiently, and victory will surely be ours!"

……

General Shen on the city gate, however, was not so patient.

Emperor Jian'an was on the verge of death, like a broken doll, and was carried back home only when he was barely clinging to life. In order to save his life, he still needed to be cared for by military doctors.

The military doctor felt a pang of pity and whispered to General Shen, "General Shen, His Majesty's health is already weak. He's been exposed to the sun and wind on the city walls every day, and the nights are cold. If he continues like this, His Majesty won't be able to hold on for more than a few days."

The next day, after only a short time in the sun until noon, General Shen ordered Emperor Jian'an to be carried back.

Unexpectedly, the Pei family army, which had been keeping a close watch on the city gates, immediately launched an attack. After a period of relative peace for almost half a month, the city gates were once again embroiled in a fierce battle with arrows raining down, resulting in heavy casualties.

General Shen was furious, and the next day, he pushed Emperor Jian'an, who was his talisman, out again.

Emperor Jian'an was on his last breath. When the military doctor arrived, he quietly grabbed the doctor's sleeve, his eyes filled with pleading.

The military doctor felt a chill run down his spine and dared not look Emperor Jian'an in the eye.

It was already late, and a cold wind was blowing.

The burly General Shen led his troops on patrol, and the soldiers kept their distance. Emperor Jian'an only had this one military doctor by his side.

"Give me a quick death." Emperor Jian'an, pale as a ghost, uttered in a low voice.

The military doctor gritted his teeth, pulled his sleeve back, and got up and left without saying a word.

Emperor Jian'an closed his eyes, and a tear slid down his cheek.

He lay motionless on the cold ground, his body no different from a corpse except for the slight rise and fall of his chest. In truth, he had already died the day he was pushed onto the city gate, and Jingchao was already dead.

He had accumulated so much pain that he was almost numb and only wanted to die quickly.

A soft footstep sounded beside him. A pill was placed in his hand.

Emperor Jian'an suddenly opened his eyes.

The military doctor had already gotten up and left, leaving only his hurried figure behind.

Emperor Jian'an finally felt his heart pounding again. He quietly clenched his fists and slowly turned over in the darkness. In a corner where no one was watching, he stuffed the pill into his mouth and forced it down.

Soon, the pill took effect, and the intense pain caused his whole body to spasm and convulse.

He clenched his teeth, preserving the last shred of dignity, and closed his eyes forever amidst excruciating pain.

The last emperor of the Great Jing Dynasty died inside the city gate of Bohai County in the cold winter of the twelfth lunar month.

The Jingchao dynasty, which had been passed down for over a hundred years and spanned nine generations, thus came to an end.

The next morning, General Shen's personal guards came and roughly dragged the already cold Jian'an Emperor away. After dragging him a few steps, the guards realized something was wrong, knelt down to take a look, and were immediately horrified: "General Shen! Something terrible has happened! The Emperor is dead!"

General Shen approached with a furrowed brow, glanced down at Emperor Jian'an, whose face had turned deathly pale and was slowly stiffening, and cursed, "Damn it! Of all times to die, he had to take his last breath now!"

"What should we do now?" The guards were all a little panicked.

General Shen, whose eyes were bloodshot and who was filled with anger from staying up late, glared at him and said, "So what if I die? What can I do about it?"

Then, he sent two personal guards to deliver a message to General Zhang.

Beneath the city gate, the sound of thunderous hoofbeats and footsteps echoed.

The Pei family army launched a daily siege without fail. As soon as they saw Emperor Jian'an hanging on the city wall, they would immediately begin their attack.

But now, Emperor Jian'an's body is cold, and today there will likely be a tough battle to fight!

General Shen sighed, preparing to fight to the death. A quick-witted guard beside him suddenly lowered his voice and said, "From this distance, we can't even tell if they're dead or alive. Just push them onto the city wall anyway, make a show of it. We'll take it one day at a time!"

Everyone was terrified of Pei's army; they had neither the will to fight nor the spirit to persevere. They were content to just get through each day; who wanted to risk their lives?

General Shen surprisingly thought the idea was good, nodded, and ordered his personal guards to push Emperor Jian'an's corpse to the top of the city wall.

The dead cannot stand. General Shen personally erected a sturdy wooden stick behind Emperor Jian'an's corpse. Emperor Jian'an was bound to the stick, and his head could only droop.

They're so far away, they can definitely fool them.

Sure enough, once this tactic was used, there was no more movement or sound from below the city.

General Shen exhaled and smiled smugly. He didn't notice the fearful and disgusted looks from the group of ordinary soldiers behind him.

Although the soldiers of the Bohai Navy had poor discipline, they were still human beings. Even the most hard-hearted person would find it inappropriate to watch the emperor's corpse being "used" in this way.

News of Emperor Jian'an's death quickly reached General Zhang and his son.

General Zhang survived the high fever, relying on ginseng to prolong his life, and could barely utter a few words each day. Upon hearing of Emperor Jian'an's death, General Zhang gave a soft hum and remained silent.

Zhang Yun sneered: "After enduring so many days, it's beyond my expectations."

Only Zhang Jingwan was pale as a sheet, trembling all over, and tears kept flowing.

(End of this chapter)