The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 69 Burnt Corpse
Jiang Han let out a long breath, unsure how to answer.

Was Zheng Baihu wrong?

Of course he made a mistake, but was he the only one at fault?

I'm afraid not.

In the Ming Dynasty, from the imperial court to the countryside, how many people could be considered truly innocent and blameless?
If the world is flawed, how can the right people be born?
But now is not the time to delve into these details. He will definitely not spare any of the guards who have massacred villages, but he can deal with the others as appropriate.

Jiang Han turned to look at Hei Zi and gave the order:
"Find a place to keep these guys under control and make them identify each other. Anyone who committed the massacre and arson should be killed without exception!"

"The rest were assigned to the auxiliary troops and divided into several grades according to the severity of their crimes."

"Those who should be doing hard labor should be made to do hard labor, and those who should be hauling goods should be made to haul goods. Let them undergo labor reform!"

Hei Zi grinned and patted his chest, replying:

"No problem, Commander Qi!"

After saying that, he beckoned to several officers and ordered them to take their men away and escort the remaining soldiers away.

Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats grew louder as Shao Yong led his cavalry in from the south gate.

He was carrying a bloody head in his hand, and behind him were a dozen or so dejected guards.

Upon seeing Jiang Han, Shao Yong dismounted and, as if presenting a treasure, held the man's head high, grinning as he said:
"Lord Jiang, Wu Ze tried to escape through Shunyang Gate on horseback, but he ran right into the tripwire we set up and fell flat on his face."

“We went up to persuade him to surrender, but he wouldn’t listen at all. He and his personal guards tried to put up a stubborn resistance.”

"As a result, I shot him through the throat with an arrow and cut his head off!"

He brandished his wrist, the severed head still dripping blood, a gruesome sight.
"This guy didn't forget to take his belongings with him when he ran away, but the brothers intercepted them all!"

"Several large carts full of treasure, it would take several horses to pull them!"

Jiang Han took Wu Ze's head, twirled it in his hand, and marveled at it.

Wu Ze's eyes were wide open, his face covered in blood, and he looked like he had died with his eyes wide open in disbelief.

Jiang Han casually handed the severed head to the guard beside him and asked Shao Yong:

"Is it just Wu Ze and his personal guards? What about the other officials in Yan'an Prefecture?"

Where is Zhang Nian?

Shao Yong shook his head:

“We waited outside Shunyang Gate for almost an hour, and all we saw was Wu Ze riding out on horseback.”

"The rest were just refugees. I was afraid of missing a big fish, so I didn't dare let them go and brought them all into the barbican to keep them under guard."

"Why don't you take some people to take a look?"

At this moment, Li Liyuan stepped forward from the crowd and volunteered:
"General, I'll go. I know all the officials, big and small, in Yan'an Prefecture. I guarantee I'll catch them all!"

Everyone was overjoyed when Yan'an Prefecture fell.

But if you were to ask who was the happiest among everyone present, it would definitely be Li Liyuan.

He had been ruined by the various officials and petty clerks in Yan'an Prefecture, and now that he finally had the chance to take revenge, how could he not be happy?

So he couldn't wait to identify these enemies, afraid of missing a single one.

Jiang Han understood his thoughts, so he nodded and then planned to go to Shunyang Gate with Li Liyuan.

But Li Liyuan dissuaded him:

"General, I can handle Shunyang Gate myself. I suggest you take your troops to the east of the city to take a look; Zhang Nian's residence is located there."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and pointed to the east of the city, but before he could finish speaking, he froze.

To the east of the city, flames were already shooting into the sky and thick smoke was billowing out. The place where the fire started was clearly Zhang Nian's residence!
Li Liyuan immediately became anxious:

"General, Zhang Nian usually lives right where the fire started!"

Jiang Han squinted at the east of the city, nodded, and then ordered: "Li Laowai, take a squad of men and patrol around the city to see if there are any remaining enemies, and also maintain order."

"If anyone dares to cause trouble in the chaos, just chop them up!"

"Shao Yong, take Li Liyuan to Shunyang Gate to identify the people. After they've been identified, have them point them out to each other again. Make sure no one escapes!"

Jiang Han paused, then emphasized his words.

"Remember this: looting civilian homes is strictly prohibited! Anyone who disobeys will be executed without mercy!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions turned solemn, and they responded in unison:

"Yes!" They then accepted their orders and dispersed.

When Jiang Han and his group arrived at the east of the city on horseback, the Zhang family mansion had already been engulfed in flames.

At a glance, the fire was engulfing the pillars, flames were licking the eaves, crackling and popping, and thick smoke was billowing out.

A wave of heat hit them, and even Jiang Han's warhorse took a few steps back in unease.

Jiang Han reined in the fire and took a few steps back. The fire was too intense, making it difficult to even get close.

Fortunately, the house was detached and not next to any other houses, so the fire did not spread. Otherwise, the fire might have burned down half of Yan'an Prefecture.

With no other option, Jiang Han could only remain still and wait for the fire to extinguish itself before sending people in to investigate.

But not long after, Li Liyuan rode over in a flurry of activity.

He was sweating profusely with anxiety, jumped off his horse, and tried to rush into the house.

The fire was fierce, and Li Liyuan was forced back by the heatwave as soon as he got close, his clothes were scorched.

Seeing this, Jiang Han grabbed him:

"Are you out of your mind? Didn't you see the huge fire?"

But Li Liyuan was blinded by hatred at this moment, ignoring Jiang Han and staring intently at the Zhang family mansion in front of him, gritting his teeth:

"You son of a bitch Zhang Nian, you'd better be burned alive inside, your corpse reduced to ashes!"

"Otherwise, even if you're burned to ashes, I'll still tear you to pieces!"

It turned out that Li Liyuan was eager for revenge. After quickly pointing out the location of Zhang Nian at Shunyang Gate, he couldn't find him and rushed over immediately.

Jiang Han looked at him coldly:
"Alright, stop watching, let it burn out first!"

Li Liyuan glared at the sea of ​​fire unwillingly, but could only grit his teeth and retreat.

The fire burned all night, and the flames illuminated half of Yan'an Prefecture as if it were daytime.

The fire gradually subsided as the sky began to lighten, and the thick smoke slowly dissipated, leaving only a charred ruin.

Even after the fire was extinguished, Jiang Han didn't dare let anyone in, because who knew if the house would collapse.

But Li Liyuan didn't care about any of that. He took the lead, grabbed his knife, and rushed in, completely disregarding his own safety.

The soldiers around waited for a long time before daring to carry buckets of water, extinguish the remaining embers, and cautiously venture into the ruins.

Li Liyuan, acting like a madman, kicked away the charred wooden beams, flipped over the collapsed walls, and cursed as he carefully searched every nook and cranny.

He was determined to find Zhang Nian today, whether he was alive or dead!

But apart from the charred furniture and scattered rubble, there wasn't a soul in sight in the house.

He was sweating profusely with anxiety, and his body was burned in many places, but he found nothing.

Just then, a corporal carrying a bucket of water shouted at the top of his lungs from not far away:

"General, there's a charred corpse here!"

(End of this chapter)