The Splendor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 3 Cultivating Killing Intent

The sword was drawn, its mirror-like blade reflecting a pair of calm eyes.

Xiao Yi gripped the knife and turned to look at Shi Hongzhao, wondering why he had ordered Zhang Mantun to hand him the knife.

Shi Hongzhao slammed his hand on the table to stop his eldest son, who had been talking too much. He then instructed Xiao Yi, "The manor has a treacherous scholar under guard. Go and kill him."

Upon hearing this, Shi Dechong's expression changed. He was about to speak when Shi Hongzhao gave him a cold glance.

“Zhang Mantun, if he cannot bring the scholar’s ​​head, then you bring his head.”

"Yes!"

Zhang Mantun agreed and gave Xiao Yi a heavy shove on the shoulder.

As he left, Xiao Yi glanced back and saw Shi Deyuan being dismissed, while Shi Dechong sat down on the left with a hesitant expression.

We exited the hall and passed through the corridor.

Here, to cleanse your palate.

Xiao Yi magically produced two candied dates, which he had already kept in his pocket and were considered the only inheritance he had left to Xiao Yi.

He not only gave food to the other person, but also ate one himself first. It wasn't about currying favor, but about sharing. In his previous life, he took on jobs on his own and built good relationships with all sorts of people, all thanks to this way of interacting with each other with mutual respect.

Zhang Mantun gave him a strange look and said, "You were fighting me to the death just now, what, are you going to hit me with a stick and then feed me a treat? You've got a lot of tricks up your sleeve."

"We may have disagreements over trivial matters, but we're all family and of one mind."

"You little servant, do you know me that well?"

Xiao Yi thought it was better not to be familiar with each other, but said aloud, "Relationships between people always start from unfamiliarity."

This attitude of putting aside past grievances and disregarding class surprised Zhang Mantun. Only then did he take the jujube preserve, raise his head, and say, "You lad spared me twenty lashes, so I'm eating it now."

"Yes."

Zhang Mantun opened his mouth wide and tossed in the dried dates. The dates were very sweet, and he smiled, his full beard spreading out.

This person, when not smiling, looks like an iron gatekeeper, but when he smiles, he is very kind, like a black bear that has stolen honey.

A large hand patted Xiao Yi's shoulder.

"You're quite skilled in martial arts for your young age."

"I'm just a show-off; the real skill lies in the battles fought by our predecessors," Xiao Yi said. "I still have a lot to learn."

"Why call me senior? That's too pretentious. Just call me 'Brother Mantun,' or you can call me by my military nickname 'Iron Teeth.'"

"How did Brother Mantun get such a prestigious nickname?"

This question hit Zhang Mantun where it hurt, and he chuckled, revealing his uneven and broken teeth.

"Hey, I'm a general who goes to the front lines to fight the enemy, not a guard. Let me tell you the story."

The two slowed their pace, and Zhang Mantun recounted an old story.

"In the first year of Tianfu, Li Congke came to attack. I was sixteen years old and guarded the grain route of Jin'an Village with the commander. That year, there was a drought, and we were so thirsty that we could only drink excrement. We held out for seven days. The enemy army, 'White Flag Army,' almost broke through the village wall. I was pierced in the leg by the enemy general Yao Hong's long spear. Damn it, I climbed over the pole and bit through his throat. Later, the commander pried open my mouth and saw the fragments of my throat bone stuck between my teeth. He praised me with eight words."

"Which eight characters?"

“It bites like a mastiff, it has iron teeth!” Zhang Mantun smacked his lips proudly and said, “Ever since then, every time I eat meat, I always feel like I can taste a bit of Yao Hong’s flavor.”

"That's amazing!"

Zhang Mantun casually spat the date pit under the corridor pillar and sighed, "It's a pity that Emperor Jinzu was dishonorable. He became a puppet emperor for the Khitans and ceded the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun. Later, the general established a country with Emperor Hanzu."

Xiao Yi didn't know who "Jin Zu" was until he heard about the cession of Yan and Yun, then he realized it referred to Shi Jingtang, who founded the Later Jin dynasty. He guessed that Shi Hongzhao was originally a general of the Later Jin, and after the fall of the Later Jin, he became a general of the Later Han.

In any case, the emperors of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period changed frequently.

Zhang Mantun asked, "Do you know what the commander-in-chief's ambitions are?"

"where?"

"The General once said, 'To wield the imperial insignia of the Han Dynasty, to recover Yan and Yun, and to cut off the heads of the barbarians to appease the world, is the act of a true man.' In the world today, the General is the greatest hero!"

Xiao Yi didn't know whether Shi Hongzhao was a hero or not. He only knew that it wasn't until Zhu Yuanzhang's Northern Expedition that the Han Dynasty recovered the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun. Even the Song Dynasty hadn't been able to do it in three hundred years, let alone Shi Hongzhao.

He didn't show it on his face, only saying, "I really envy Brother Mantun for being able to serve the Commander."

"Haha!" Zhang Mantun put his arm around Xiao Yi and said, "Isn't the commander training you? Let you get some experience and hone your fighting spirit so you don't become a child soldier and wet your pants in fear on the battlefield."

Suddenly, a dog barked from ahead.

"We've arrived," Zhang Mantun said. "We'll talk more when we have time. First, let's chop up Gou Suan Ding so I can report back."

Xiao Yi naturally asked, "I wonder what this scholar's background is?"

“Afraid of birds, it won’t be traced back to you.” Zhang Mantun, who seemed rough but was actually quite shrewd, sneered, “Too cautious, he’s just someone who has nothing to do with you.”

Despite saying there was no involvement, Xiao Yi thought of Shi Dechong's hesitation and realized that the matter was not simple.

"Then why kill him?"

"He publicly insulted the commander-in-chief."

"This is a capital offense?"

"Of course, the emperor is young and the general is assisting the country. We need a few fools to establish our authority. Stop the noise and get to work!"

After saying that, Zhang Mantun pushed open an archway in front of him, and a strong, fishy stench hit him.

This is the Shi family's kennel. More than a dozen enormous hunting dogs are chained to stone posts. Upon seeing strangers approach, they immediately straighten their chains and bark wildly, revealing bits of flesh and blood between their sharp teeth. Broken bones are scattered everywhere, of unknown origin.

Opposite the stone pillar was a large cage, inside which a young scholar was huddled in a corner, trembling.

“This is the scoundrel.” Zhang Mantun tore off a piece of burlap and tossed it to Xiao Yi, “Take this and wrap it around his head.”

Xiao Yi approached the cage.

The scholar in the cage turned his head and was momentarily blinded by the glint of the blade. He closed his eyes and muttered, "I knew it, they're going to kill me?"

"Ah."

Xiao Yi told himself he had to adapt to this era, so he raised his sword.

The scholar tried hard to appear courageous, but his body was out of control; he trembled on the ground and finally sobbed.

After a long while, he cried out, "Why haven't you made a move yet?"

"I'm wondering, since you knew you were going to die, why did you curse?"

“The Imperial Guards abused their power to arrest us. I was so angry that I said, ‘When military men rule the country, the country will cease to exist.’”

"We captured you first?" Xiao Yi sensed something was amiss and asked, "Why?"

“We have petitioned the Ministry of Personnel.”

"Why are you requesting permission?"

"The protests of the candidates are naturally due to their dissatisfaction with the cheating in the imperial examinations. Our examination papers have all been defaced, and we have been disqualified for violating the rules. Those who pass the exams are all mediocre talents. How can we swallow our anger?"

Xiao Yi noticed Shi Hongzhao's rudeness and intuition that he didn't even care much about the imperial examinations, so how could he manipulate the examination hall to cheat?

"You believe the commander-in-chief orchestrated the cheating?"

"As the Grand Secretary, he arrested us without asking any questions; there must be something fishy going on."

"Wait...were you arrested at the Ministry of Personnel today?"

"Yes."

Thinking of Shi Hongzhao's armor under his cloak and the mud on his boots, Xiao Yi turned to Zhang Mantun and asked, "Did the Commander-in-Chief go to the Ministry of Personnel today?"

"The commander-in-chief will not go to the place where civil officials stay; he is conducting military exercises outside the city today."

After Zhang Mantun finished speaking, seeing that Xiao Yi was still thinking, he urged, "Are you still dawdling? Hurry up and do it."

Xiao Yi pondered for a moment and said, "There's something fishy about this. We need to report it to the commander."

"You still have to kill him first, otherwise you'll definitely die. If you don't believe me, you're gambling with your life. It's not worth it for this dog of a scholar."

Xiao Yi shook his head and said, "No, it's not for him, it's for myself."

--------

The sword was sheathed and hung swaying at Zhang Mantun's waist.

He returned to the main hall to report, and stood at the threshold for a while, because Shi Hongzhao was talking to his eldest son in the hall.

"The Emperor insisted on burying Lady Geng with the rites due to an Empress."

"May I ask, Father, what are Yang Bin and Su Fengji's opinions?"

Yang Bin naturally refused, but Su Fengji flattered the emperor.

"Actually... I'm thinking, why doesn't Father side with the Emperor this once?"

Shi Xianzhao shook his head.

Shi Dechong glanced at Zhang Mantun outside the door and continued, "The Emperor is young, and Yang Bin and Su Fengji are even more worrisome."

“The young man acted on his own initiative.” Shi Hongzhao’s voice was as firm as iron as he said, word by word, “This precedent cannot be set.”

“I understand,” Shi Dechong said solemnly.

After saying this, Shi Hongzhao beckoned Zhang Mantun over and asked, "Kill him?"

"Reporting to the Commander, no."

Shi Dechong was surprised and asked, "Then you killed Xiao Yi?"

Zhang Mantun clasped his hands and reported, "Xiao Yi has discovered something suspicious. He said that the candidates protested against the cheating in the imperial examinations, and someone deliberately used the commander-in-chief's knife to kill people and cover up their crimes."

“As expected.” Shi Dechong raised an eyebrow and said, “The scholar’s ​​rudeness is a matter for the Censorate to handle. This is not a military matter, yet the court sent him here. If he is killed, the charges of disrespecting the court and murdering scholars will fall on Father’s head, while the mastermind of the fraud will go unpunished. This person is treacherous. I suspect it is… Su Fengji.”

Upon hearing this, Shi Hongzhao immediately understood, raised his hand to stop them, and asked Zhang Mantun, "Why not kill the scholar first and then report it?"

"Xiao Yi said that the scholar was presumptuous and deserved to die, but he couldn't let the commander-in-chief be fooled. That was his duty to be loyal."

"Excellent!" Shi Dechong slapped the table and exclaimed sincerely, "He's a talented person!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Mantun suddenly realized that Xiao Yi had made a contribution this time and the commander-in-chief would reward him.

But then Shi Hongzhao said, "Twenty strokes of the cane."

Shi Dechong was greatly surprised and pondered the matter several times, but still couldn't understand why.

He wanted to plead for mercy, but then it dawned on him that he understood his father's true intentions. It had nothing to do with Xiao Yi at all, but rather with that one sentence he had just uttered—

“It is unacceptable for a young person to act on their own initiative; this precedent must not be set.”

(End of this chapter)