Sweep Yuan

Chapter 169 To Sweep Away the Roots, One Must Kill the Person and Destroy Their Spirit

During the battle, the Red Flag Battalion's navy set fire to a large number of Yuan army barracks and warships. The water fortress was only six miles away from Chaoxian County. Standing on the low city wall of Chaoxian County, one could clearly see the flames and fires rising into the sky from the northwest.

"Go! The water's on!" A guard patrolling the city wall was the first to notice the anomaly. He pointed in terror toward the water fortress, his voice trembling.

"It's the Water Village! In the direction of the Water Village!" The companion next to him also saw it, and his face turned pale instantly.

Upon learning that the village had caught fire in the middle of the night, Pai Tou, who had been woken up, remained relatively calm and quickly drew a conclusion, but the fear in his voice could not be concealed.

"Quickly! Report to the county magistrate! The water fortress... the water fortress may have been attacked!"

The news was quickly reported to the county government.

Chaoxian was besieged yesterday, and Magistrate Dong Yukun had already been unable to sleep all night. He had just closed his eyes when he was awakened by his servant's urgent knocking on the door. When he put on his clothes and pushed open the door, he immediately saw the firelight in the northwest that illuminated half the sky. His body swayed involuntarily, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

"It's... it's over!"

Dong Yukun muttered to himself, a chill running from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

He understood better than anyone else the significance of the water village to Chaoxian, and he also understood what the firelight meant, but what could he do?
The besieging bandits have set up camp east of Chaoxian County. The defending troops could have easily left the city through the west gate to rush to the water fortress for reinforcements. However, the pitiful number of troops in the city did not even have the courage to go out of the city to counterattack the bandits yesterday, let alone go to support the water fortress six miles away.
"Close the city gates! Increase security! No one is allowed to move!"

Dong Yukun forced himself to give the order, but his voice was dry and hoarse.

At this moment, he could only remain calm and hope that the garrison of the water fortress could create a miracle and repel the invading enemy, or at least wear down some of the rebel army. If all else failed, he would burn some more warships—even government warships.

When some people are driven to the brink of despair, they become particularly devout. Dong Yukun prayed that the heavens would suddenly change the wind direction, so that the arsonist army would suffer the consequences and burn its own warships.

Unfortunately, fate is merciless and does not side with people.

The long and agonizing night finally passed. When the soldiers and civilians of Chaoxian got up at dawn, they could no longer see the firelight. The column of smoke still rising in the northwest told them what had happened that night.

The Red Flag Battalion finished breakfast early and began breaking camp.

The soldiers of the Moon Guard and the Army Guard, fully armed, advanced towards their designated attack positions. Spears stood like a forest, swords and shields gleamed coldly, and their bright red battle coats formed a sea of ​​fire in the morning light, exuding a chilling killing intent.

The Hefei army followed closely behind, providing cover for the newly attached militia units to push siege equipment such as ladders, shield carts, and donkey carts made overnight, shouting neat and powerful slogans as they slowly and steadily advanced towards the city of Chaoxian.

Every shout was like a death knell, lashing at the hearts of every soldier guarding the city.

In stark contrast to the high morale of the attacking forces outside the city, the atmosphere on the walls of Chaoxian was deathly oppressive. The defending troops on the earthen walls, after a night of "rest," had not recovered their low morale. Instead, as rumors of an "attack on the water fortress" spread, they became increasingly tense and fearful.

Panic spread like a plague. Every now and then, the guards would steal glances at the gradually dissipating plumes of smoke in the northwest, while more people whispered among themselves, discussing what had happened in the water fortress the night before. Fear was written all over everyone's face.

When Xu Da personally led the Red Flag Battalion's naval forces to appear on the lake west of Chaoxian City, the morale of the defending troops, which had been fighting hard, plummeted instantly.

The fleet stretched as far as the eye could see, a dark mass. The two leading, towering, captured warships, like mobile fortresses, slowly approached, exuding an unspoken pressure. But the flags flying aboard were no longer those of the Yuan army; instead, they were glaring red flags!
"That's the Red-Clad Pirates' navy!"

"It's over! The water fortress is truly finished! They've taken it!"

"There's no way out... there's absolutely no way out..."

In an effort to bolster morale, Magistrate Dong had confidently declared that "the attacking river pirates have been repelled." But now, the massive warship appeared before him, like two resounding slaps that shattered his lies.

The anger stemming from the deception, coupled with the despair of having no reinforcements and their retreat blocked, instantly shattered the defenders' will to resist.

In fact, given the unique terrain of Chaoxian County, even if the entire Red Flag Battalion naval force abandoned their ships and went ashore, the threat to the defending troops would not be much greater than it is now.

However, the complete annihilation of their own naval forces overnight dealt an unexpected blow to morale.

This means that the Red Flag Battalion has completely cut off Chaoxian's lifeline, and the defending army has no more reinforcements to rely on.

Now that we are surrounded on all sides, once the city falls, we will have nowhere to escape.

If it were two months ago, the defending army might have already surrendered in such a desperate situation. But now the court is serious and has executed many officials. Whether they are officials responsible for defending the territory or wealthy families who contribute grain, men, and support the army, none of them dare to surrender lightly.

"We cannot surrender! We must never surrender!"

Dong Yukun roared inwardly that if he lost the city, even if he managed to escape, he would not escape the court's accountability and execution.

Moreover, this man has committed many evil deeds in the past, and yesterday he ordered the shooting of fleeing laborers and the abandonment of the soldiers supervising the construction outside the city. He has reached the point where he is hated by both the enemy and ourselves. Knowing that his whole family will have no way to survive after the city falls, he dares not surrender.

Fear and madness fueled his ruthlessness. Dong Yukun abruptly turned around and roared at his trusted servants:
"Quickly! Carry those boxes of copper coins from the treasury to the city wall!"

Before long, four heavy wooden crates were carried up to the East Gate tower.

Dong Yukun stepped forward personally, opened the box, and the gleaming copper coins shimmered alluringly. He grabbed a handful of coins and threw them forcefully at the terrified soldiers around him, shouting at the top of his lungs:

"Gentlemen! Kill one red-clad bandit and you'll be rewarded with a string of cash! Defend the city and everyone will be richly rewarded! I mean what I say!"

The copper coins clattered and rolled at the soldiers' feet, but few people picked them up.

Seeing this, Dong Yukun knew that a large reward alone was not enough; he had to combine it with a death threat to boost morale.

"Don't listen to those traitors who are inciting them to rebel. Isn't it all for money and women? Once the rebel army breaks through the city, they will surely burn, kill, and loot! Think of your families, think of your fields and houses. Only by defending the city can you survive! Pick up your weapons! Kill the traitors! Kill the traitors!"

The lure of money and the threat of burning, killing, and looting after the city falls stirred a morbid madness in some soldiers. With red eyes, they gripped their weapons tightly, imagining the scene of fighting desperately against the enemy army to protect their families after the city falls.

Many others, however, simply stared blankly at the scattered copper coins on the ground, making no move.

A hefty reward? You'd have to be alive to enjoy it.

As for burning, killing, and looting? The reputation of the Red Flag Battalion for not looting wherever they went had already quietly spread throughout the city, though the rumors may have been exaggerated.

But this corrupt official just yesterday ordered the shooting of laborers who had entered the city to seek refuge, and abandoned his comrades who were supervising the work outside. Can such a heartless and ungrateful person be trusted?
Shi Shan stood in front of the central army formation. He had already noticed the commotion on the city wall. If he did not take decisive action now, it would be a waste of his reputation as a skilled warrior.

"The Jin Dynasty will rise!"

"Your subordinate is here!" The young hero from Chaoxian immediately stepped forward.

"Take those dozens of Yuan soldiers we captured yesterday and bring them to the city walls. Let them shout!" Shi Shan's order was concise and powerful.

Jin Chaoxing's spirits lifted: "Yes, sir!"

Soon, the forty-six Yuan soldiers were brought to a distance of about a hundred paces from the city wall, where they shouted hoarsely at the defenders on the city wall:
"Brothers, the Red Flag Battalion commander is kind and righteous. He didn't kill us and even gave us a full meal. That dog of an official, Dong, only knows how to plunder the land and fabricate false cases. Yesterday, he shot and killed the elders of the city and abandoned us. Do you still want to work for such a heartless and treacherous official?"

"Surrender! The Red Flag Battalion doesn't kill prisoners! We are living proof!"

……

Every word the prisoners uttered was like a sharp dagger, piercing the hearts of the soldiers guarding the city walls.

Dong Yukun's greed and ruthlessness were laid bare. The fact that the prisoners were unharmed and even had enough to eat was the most powerful rebuttal to Dong Yukun's lie that "the red-clothed thief was left without a single chicken or dog."

A deathly silence fell over the city walls. Some of the guards lowered their heads, their grips on their weapons tightening and loosening repeatedly. Shame, anger, and the desire to live surged fiercely within them.

Jin Chaoxing seized the opportunity, stepped forward, and shouted in the local dialect of Chaoxian County:
"I, Jin Chaoxing, am from Zhegao Township, Chaoxian County, and all the brothers behind me are sons of Chaoxian. What have the imperial court and that corrupt official Dong Yukun given you, besides increasing taxes and levies every year, fabricating cases to kill innocent people, and shooting our elders with arrows? What have they given us, the people of Chaoxian?!"

Only famine, only broken homes and dead, only endless exploitation! Is such a court, such corrupt officials, even worth your lives?! Lay down your weapons, open the city gates! Join us, surrender to Marshal Shi, and fight for a peaceful world! For the people of Chaoxian—”

Jin Zhaoxing's words were like a raging fire that ignited dry tinder.

The familiar accent and sentiments of their hometown struck a chord deep within the hearts of the soldiers. The vast majority of them were natives of Chaoxian County, their homes located either in or not far from the city. Jin Chaoxing's words touched upon the deepest pain in their hearts.

"Spreading heresy! Fire arrows! Fire arrows now! Shoot them to death!!"

Dong Yukun completely panicked, his face turning ashen, but he was unable to refute these bloody facts and could only suppress his anger with a frantic roar.

Several guards, blinded by the promise of a large reward, drew their bows, but the arrows were weak and landed crookedly about twenty or thirty paces away from Jin Chaoxing and his men.

Many of the guards merely raised their bows symbolically, or simply stood still, looking with complicated expressions at their comrades and fellow villagers shouting from below the city walls.

"Beat the drums! Bang the gongs! Smother their voices!" Dong Yukun shouted, his voice hoarse with rage.

Thump thump thump! Clang clang clang!
Suddenly, a deafening din of gongs and drums erupted atop the city wall, instantly drowning out the shouts from below.

Jin Chaoxing looked helplessly at the city wall, knowing that shouting any longer would be of little effect, and had no choice but to order: "Withdraw!"

Returning to the front lines, Jin Chaoxing clasped his hands in a somewhat dejected manner and said:
"This corrupt official is cunning. He disturbed our attempts to persuade him to surrender by beating gongs and drums. This humble general failed to persuade him to surrender and has failed to live up to the Marshal's expectations. I beg the Marshal to punish me!"

Shi Shan looked at Jin Chaoxing with great appreciation and smiled:

"No, Brother Jin, you did very well! Think about it, how many arrows did the defenders fire just now? Did they have the determination to kill you?"

Jin Zhaoxing recalled that the arrows that had just fallen were sparse and weak, as if they were just going through the motions, which was certainly not how one should act in battle.

"see it?"

Shi Shan looked up at the city wall, his tone filled with an all-knowing confidence, and said:

"The lower-ranking soldiers may be blinded by temporary threats and temptations, but they are not fools without the ability to think. They know better than anyone how well Chaoxian is defended. With external aid cut off, surrounded on all sides, and the Tartar officials deserted by their own people, even money can't buy many men to fight for them."

"A city like this, its people's hearts are broken, how long can it hold out? Those few scattered arrows just now were merely a perfunctory bluff, a last gasp in desperation. Their hearts are weary, their will has crumbled. If we don't attack now, when will we?"

Shi Shan's voice suddenly rose in pitch, filled with a decisive and ruthless aura:
"Pass on the order! Zuo Junbi!"

"Your subordinate is here!" Zuo Junbi's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately stepped forward.

"I order your troops to launch a feigned attack on the south city wall. Make sure to make it appear as if you are launching a full-scale attack to tie down the defending troops! If the defending troops are distracted by the situation on the east city wall and reveal a weakness, the feigned attack can be turned into the main attack! Understand?"

Zuo Junbi felt a slight tremor in his heart. The implicit warning in Shi Shan's words made him dare not be negligent, and he quickly clasped his hands in acceptance of the order.

"I will finally understand!"

"Shao Rong!"

"Your subordinate is here!" Commander Shao Rong of the Fujun Guard stepped forward in response.

"I order your unit to dispatch a portion of its elite troops to suppress the defenders on the city walls and create an opportunity for Commander Qiu to advance first!"

"Leader!"

Shao Rong responded in a deep voice, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

Although only 1,000 troops were dispatched by the Fujun Guard this time, it was not because they were not valued. In addition to staying behind in Liang County to ensure the safety of the rear, Zhu Chongba and others were promoted for their merits, and the newly formed troops were undergoing training, so it was not advisable to move them lightly.

"Chou Cheng!"

"The general is here!"

Qiu Cheng donned the brand-new leather armor he had received yesterday, wielded a fine iron sword and shield, and his eyes burned with the fervor of battle.

"Your unit will lead the attack on the east city wall. The greatest credit for breaching the city will be earned today!" "This humble general will fight to the death!" Qiu Cheng's voice trembled slightly with excitement.

All troops were in position, and in the central command, the earth-shaking war drums sounded—this was the order to attack!
"kill--!"

Under Zuo Junbi's strict orders, the Hefei army launched a feint attack on the south city wall. The soldiers, carrying large shields and pushing siege equipment, charged towards the city wall with shouts. The defenders on the city wall were attracted by this sudden attack, and Dong Yukun hurriedly mobilized some troops to reinforce the south side.

At the same time, the First Battalion of the Fujun Guard, which was responsible for providing cover, also launched an attack on the main attack direction of the east city wall.

Last month, Cai Fu led the First Battalion of the Fujun Guard to harass Hefei, and almost suffered a defeat at the hands of Hefei cavalry general Zhang Huan. This time, Zhang Huan was unable to join the expedition due to injury, but Cai Fu did not want to diminish his reputation any further and was determined to challenge the Hefei army.

Yesterday, when the Hefei army was covering the breach, they only formed ranks and fired arrows at the edge of the defenders' archery range, which showed a rather timid attitude.

Cai Fu became determined today and personally pushed a heavy shield cart, braving the occasional arrows falling from the city wall, and advanced directly to a distance of less than sixty paces from the city wall.

This distance is within the effective range of the defenders' powerful bows and crossbows, posing a great danger; however, shooting arrows from here would also be more effective in suppressing the defenders.

"Fire! Three volleys!" Cai Fu roared.

hum-

A dense rain of arrows swarmed towards the city walls like locusts, and the already demoralized defenders were completely overwhelmed by this fierce onslaught.

A few soldiers tried to retaliate during the lull between the two volleys of arrows, but they were shot down as soon as they peeked out. The rest could only cower behind the parapet, not daring to raise their heads, let alone organize an effective counterattack.

Below the city, Qiu Cheng saw this scene and felt reassured.

He knew that his troops were short of armor and weapons and were poorly trained. If they rushed into the city to be attacked by the defenders, it would be a disaster.

After receiving the initial assault order yesterday, Qiu Cheng reorganized his forces, selecting only 500 elite soldiers from over a thousand men. Two hundred were chosen as the main assault team, and three hundred as the support and cover team, aiming to concentrate their strength and capture the city in one fell swoop.

"Follow me! We'll storm the city walls and claim the greatest credit!"

With a roar, Qiu Cheng lifted a table covered with wet cowhide and charged to the front. This was a common tactic of the "Peng Zu family"—the less well-trained the team was, the more they relied on the bravery and leadership of their officers when tackling difficult tasks.

His figure was the best command, and two hundred warriors followed closely behind, carrying makeshift equipment, and rushed towards the city wall.

Before long, Qiu Cheng and his men successfully cleared a space, and the rest of the troops arrived with ladders.

The ladders originally used by the Red Flag Battalion were all shoulder-carried. After the establishment of the Crafts Institute, Tao Chengdao and others developed wheeled ladders based on Shishan's requirements and designed detachable components, which not only greatly improved the combat effectiveness of the ladders but also significantly shortened the time required to build ladders in battle.

The ladder was placed against the wall, and several officers, under Dong Yukun's shouts, tried to organize men to push down the ladder or dump the rolling logs and stones.

"Quick! Push the ladder down! Pour the juicy liquid!"

"Suppress! Suppress them at all costs!"

Cai Fu, who was watching from below the city walls, saw it all clearly and roared wildly:

"Third team, continue firing arrows. You push the shield cart forward another ten paces, Second team, follow me."

The fiercest battle was about to begin, and Cai Fu ordered his troops to advance in shifts, increasing the intensity of their suppressive fire. Under the fierce barrage of arrows from Cai Fu's forces, the defenders' efforts to destroy the siege ladders were instantly thwarted.

"Climb the city!"

Just as the siege ladder was being placed against the wall, Qiu Cheng, with a dagger in his mouth and a shield in his hand, stepped onto the still swaying ladder.

He knew the danger of being the first to scale the wall, and his heart was pounding in his throat, but he dared not hesitate for a moment, fearing that if the suppressive fire of his allies stopped, logs and molten metal would fall from the city walls. Only by risking being accidentally injured by friendly fire could he scale the wall and establish his reputation in one battle.

Qiu Cheng used both his hands and feet to climb upwards quickly, with the warriors following closely behind!
When Qiu Cheng leaped onto the passageway of Chaoxian City Wall, the scene before him stunned him for a moment.

On the city wall, there was a mess. The defending soldiers huddled behind the bunkers inside the parapet, trembling with fear. They had not been able to organize a decent defensive line!
Actually, the garrison had fought back earlier, but these greedy guys were shot to death by Cai Fu's troops before they could even make a contribution. The remaining garrison soldiers were already demoralized, and seeing this situation, they were even less willing to fight for Master Dong.

"kill!"

After a brief moment of surprise, a surge of fighting spirit rose within him. Qiu Cheng roared and swung his sword, felling a Yuan soldier who had attempted to ambush him.

"Quickly! Kill him! The reward is a hundred strings of cash and a promotion of three ranks!"

Chaoxian County Magistrate Dong Yukun was very close to where Qiu Cheng jumped down. He retreated while urgently ordering his soldiers to surround and kill Qiu Cheng. His voice trembled with fear, but the demoralized soldiers reacted passively, which in turn exposed his presence.

"You bastard! Prepare your death!"

With a roar, Qiu Cheng charged towards Dong Yukun and killed the county magistrate's servant who had rushed forward with a single blow.

"Stop him! Stop him quickly!"

Dong Yukun was terrified and turned to run away, his official hat falling off in the process. His screams were distorted by extreme fear.

A cold glint flashed in Qiu Cheng's eyes, and he suddenly threw the short knife in his hand with all his might.

puff!

The short knife flashed like a cold light and pierced Dong Yukun's calf with pinpoint accuracy.

"what--"

Dong Yukun let out a bloodcurdling scream, lost his balance, and fell heavily to the ground.

Qiu Cheng casually picked up the spear of the dead servant and was about to stab a guard who was rushing in from the side when the guard saw Dong Yukun's miserable state as he fell to the ground and howled in pain, and when he saw more and more rebels leaping onto the city wall, the last bit of resistance in the guard's eyes collapsed instantly.

The man suddenly took two steps back, and with all his might, shouted:
"The master is dead! Run for your lives!!!"

This shout was like the last straw that broke the camel's back!
"Escape!"

"Run!"

"The city is broken!"

The defending troops had little will to fight to begin with, and seeing that the rebel army had already stormed the city walls and that the county magistrate had been slashed and was in critical condition, they scattered like birds and beasts.

The army collapsed like a house of cards! The soldiers dropped their weapons, pushed aside their comrades who were blocking their way, cried and screamed, and like headless flies, they rushed along the city wall passageway or onto the horse path, wanting only to escape the city walls, hide in their homes, and wait for the chaos to end.

The Battle of Chaoxian ended dramatically because the county magistrate, Dong Yukun, was wounded and the defending soldiers fled.

When Qiu Cheng led the warriors who had scaled the city walls to lift the bolts and open the heavy city gate, the soldiers of the Fujun Guard who had been waiting outside rushed in.

"kill!"

"Those who surrender will not be killed!"

Shouts of battle and cries of surrender instantly filled the streets and alleys of Chaoxian County. The outcome of this battle was no longer in doubt.

Qiu Cheng properly commanded his troops, who stood solemnly outside the open east gate, awaiting Marshal Shi's central army to enter the city.

His chest heaved violently, his body was covered in dust and blood, but his eyes shone with an astonishing light.

The frustration and despair of being trapped in Hanshan after being repeatedly attacked by the Yuan army at "Pengzu's home" completely vanished when the gates of Chaoxian were opened and the real achievement of being the first to breach the city was obtained!
An unprecedented sense of pride and power filled Qiu Cheng's entire body, as if he had been reborn and was radiating new vitality and passion.

Riding a tall horse and surrounded by his guards, Shi Shan arrived at the city gate. His gaze swept over the solemnly standing Qiu Cheng troops and finally landed on Dong Yukun, who was being dragged over like a dead dog by two soldiers.

Qiu Cheng immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice booming with barely suppressed excitement.

"Marshal! This scoundrel is none other than the corrupt official Dong Yukun! This humble general has not failed in his mission!"

"very good!"

Shi Shan smiled approvingly, his voice clearly reaching the ears of every soldier.

"Commander Qiu was the first to breach the city walls; the greatest credit for this battle belongs to your unit. After this battle, you will be reorganized to the standards of a first-class battalion and fully equipped!"
Having fought tooth and nail for half a year in the "Peng Zu family" without achieving the "direct descendant" treatment he had received, Qiu Cheng obtained it in a single battle in the Red Flag Battalion. Overwhelmed with emotion, Qiu Cheng knelt on one knee and declared:

"Thank you, Marshal! This humble general is willing to die for you!"

Shishan nodded, accepting Qiu Cheng's allegiance.

He then rode up to the limp Dong Yukun, looking down at the county magistrate who had once held the power of life and death over the people of Chaoxian, his eyes as cold as frost.

"Magistrate Dong, the Yuan Dynasty is tyrannical and has lost the hearts of the people. The Red Flag Battalion, acting in accordance with Heaven and the will of the people, has come to punish the tyrannical Yuan and relieve the people from their suffering. You, instead of repenting, stubbornly resist and slaughter the people, your crimes are heinous! Today the city has fallen, do you know your crimes?!"

Dong Yukun was already terrified out of his wits. Hearing words like "heinous crimes" and "knowing one's sins," he trembled uncontrollably.

He had long known he would die after the city fell, but hearing the rebel leader utter these words still gripped him with an instant grip of fear. Dong Yukun struggled to lift his head, tears streaming down his face, pleading incoherently:
"Spare me...spare me...Marshal, spare me..."

Shi Shan abruptly changed the subject, his tone turning sinister, and said:

"Do you want a quick death, or do you want to experience being torn to pieces?"

Tortured into a thousand pieces?!
Dong Yukun felt a chill run from the top of his head to the soles of his feet, and the hairs on his body stood on end!

"No, please! Marshal, spare my life! I, I am willing to serve you like a slave, please have mercy on me!"

He prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly until blood instantly appeared on his forehead.

Seeing the man's utter disgraceful state, Shi Shan coldly said:

"Spare their lives? When you shot and killed civilians yesterday, did you ever think of sparing their lives? When you plundered the people's wealth, did you ever think of sparing the lives of the people of Chaoxian? I'm giving you a chance. Three days! Write down everything you know about the military and political affairs, and the details of the surrounding officials!"

Furthermore, confess to me, one by one, all your crimes of corruption, disregard for human life, and oppression of the people over the years! Write them down in detail, and if it satisfies me…”

Shi Shan paused, then looked at the faint glimmer of hope that rose in Dong Yukun's eyes before extinguishing it.

"I, the commander, will grant you a quick death!"

Dong Yukun froze. Write these down? Wouldn't that nail himself and his family to the pillar of shame? They wouldn't even find peace after death! His instinct was to refuse. But the terrifying image of being torn to pieces instantly overwhelmed all his concerns.

"This guilty official will write! This guilty official will write in great detail! I dare not conceal anything, I only beg the Marshal... to have mercy..."

Dong Yukun grasped at the last straw. He would do anything to live for just three more days. What if, just what if he wrote well and gained Marshal Shi's appreciation, and there was a chance for a turnaround?
"Take him away! Bandage his wounds, find him a clean room, and provide him with writing materials. Keep a close eye on him for the next three days; don't let him die!"

Shi Shan waved his hand, signaling someone to take this good-for-nothing away.

He made Dong Yukun write a confession, not out of mercy to let him live three more days, nor with the dark intention of toying with and torturing him before executing him. This action actually had a deeper meaning.

Firstly, it's a way to extract the last bit of intelligence value from Dong Yukun, which can be considered making use of waste. When it comes to conquering the world, you can never have too much intelligence.

Secondly, it provided propaganda material for Xuan Cao against the Yuan dynasty, allowing Shi Nai'an to write more true stories of "officials forcing the people to rebel," thus exposing the darkness of the Yuan dynasty's rule to the light of day.

To conquer the world, one must not only rely on swords and spears, but also seize the moral high ground. The people must understand why the Red Flag Battalion fights and why the tyrannical Yuan dynasty deserves to perish. While the army marches triumphantly on the battlefield, the cultural front must advance in tandem.

(End of this chapter)