The Empire will continue to win

Army Ministry-affiliated prison, provisional military court.

The Minister of War and concurrently the Military Governor of Zhili, Sheng Bao; the Vice Minister of War and concurrently the Commander of the First Garrison of the Capital Region, Li Shaoquan; and the Vice Minister of War and concurrently the Commander of the Second Garrison of the Capital Region (Cavalry), Senggelinqin, sat high above.

Sheng Bao is in the center, Senggelinqin is on the left, and Li Shaoquan is on the right.

Definitely the three giants of the army.

From a hindsight perspective, the United Empire was a typical transitional empire, retaining many characteristics of feudal dynasties while also possessing many elements of modern empires.

This transitional nature is particularly evident in the official system.

County magistrate, squad leader, and second lieutenant—three distinct official positions coexisted.

Swords, rifles, and ironclad warships—three weapons from different eras coexist.

Wheelbarrows, horse-drawn carriages, and trains coexisted.

Three different forms of etiquette coexist: bowing deeply, kneeling, and shaking hands.

The material differences are already so enormous, not to mention the differences in their thinking.

Some are still being drowned in pig cages, while others have already exposed their thighs. Some are still studying Confucius and Mencius, while others have already boarded ships and trains.

This is truly a situation unprecedented in three thousand years.

.........

Two young Navy staff officers were also present in the temporary courtroom.

If you think that the brave and fierce Sheng Bao is an uncultured bumpkin, you are sorely mistaken. A bumpkin could never have come up with such a way.

Having top-secret information can actually be a burden.

Just in case...

If the truth eventually comes out and someone brings up the old story of "claiming a great victory when we were clearly defeated," then who will be the scapegoat?

The two empress dowagers are always right, and Prince Gong is basically right.

The answer is obvious.

Me, Shengbao, the scapegoat, huh?

In addition to two naval staff officers from noble families, he also brought in two highly sought-after and formidable generals, Li and Zeng, showing his dedication.

There are many people in the know.

The two empress dowagers would be hesitant to act rashly, and would not resort to killing to silence witnesses, for fear of alienating their other confidants.

"Court is now in session!"

"Bring inmate Shen, bring in inmate Zhang~"

Shen Moqing and Zhang Zongcang, dressed in dirty naval uniforms, walked into the lobby.

Sheng Bao:

"Upon investigation, it was found that Shen Moqing, a cadet in the Northern Fleet, and Zhang Zongcang, a first-class seaman, were cowardly and deserted without authorization. Their actions had an extremely negative impact, extremely serious consequences, and a profound lesson. They are sentenced to death and to be carried out in three days."

"My lord, I'm innocent!"

Zhang Zongcang's tiger-like eyes were filled with tears.

"My lord, I have important military intelligence to report to the court." Shen Moqing was also anxious and shouted loudly to his two colleagues dressed in black naval uniforms, "I am a naval officer. Even if I am guilty, I should be handed over to the Ministry of the Navy for trial. The Ministry of the Navy must stand up for us."

Sheng Bao had no intention of giving the two a chance to explain. "Silence, take them away."

The jailers swarmed forward, gagged the two men without allowing them to argue, tied them up, and took them back.

Throughout the entire ordeal, Shen Moqing never dared to reveal the truth. If he had shouted out "The entire Goryeo garrison has been wiped out" in court, his death sentence, scheduled for three days later, would have been changed to immediate execution.

.........

A handsome young staff officer could no longer stand it and stood up to salute.

"This humble officer, Liu Buchan, a staff officer in the Navy, may I ask Your Excellency, why are prisoners not allowed to defend themselves? Even if sentenced to death, shouldn't one at least be allowed to finish speaking?"

"Even if he has a thousand reasons for deserting in the face of battle, I, the Minister, need not listen."

"Department~"

"Staff Officer Liu, if you are not satisfied, you can go to the Forbidden City to appeal. Let me tell you, the severe punishment of deserters is the will of the two empress dowagers and the emperor. Before them, the Ministry of War had already executed 23 deserters."

"Does Staff Officer Liu want to see the list of those who have been executed?" Li Shaoquan suddenly asked.

"Then I'll have to trouble Commander Li." Liu Buchan's eyes were sharp.

After a while.

The execution list has arrived, marked with bright red checkmarks.

"They are all in the army, with the highest rank being battalion commander." Li Shaoquan's meaning was clear: there was no favoritism in this matter, but rather everyone was treated equally.

Unable to find a reason to cause trouble, Liu Buchan could only leave dejectedly.

.........

Army Department.

Inside the prison cell.

Shen Moqing was like a wounded wild beast, his eyes bloodshot and his chest heaving. He never expected that after studying politics all his life, he would be betrayed by politics.

Dead end!

An absolute dead end!

Unless, of course, he had never set foot in the capital.

God, this is terrible! First, I "died" from cephalosporin alcohol, then I "died" from the Korean battlefield, and now I'm really going to die?

"Those bastards in the Forbidden City, their sons are born without an anus, their old women are adulterers, and their little brats are bastards, they've all teamed up to swindle me, Old Zhang."

Zhang Zongcang was cursing wildly, his voice extremely loud.

Since I'm about to die anyway, there's nothing I wouldn't dare to do.

If you're so capable, then sentence me to death by a thousand cuts!

That would be a perfect opportunity to tell the onlookers, young and old, how the Goryeo garrison was completely wiped out, how the Forbidden City boasted, and how they stripped the Empress Dowager bare.

Indeed, people are particularly frantic when they are about to die.

The jailers wisely left. "Old woman~ you little brat~ who are you cursing?"

They cursed for a long time.

The two were finally exhausted.

"Second brother, we truly embody that line from the play: we don't ask to be born on the same day, month, and year, but we ask to die on the same day, month, and year."

.........

late at night.

The cell door was suddenly opened.

The lantern light was so bright that the two of them couldn't open their eyes for a moment.

"Shen Moqing, your fiancée has come to visit you in prison," an officer whispered.

For a moment, Shen Moqing was completely bewildered. He stared at the girl in a bright red wedding dress standing outside the wooden fence, unable to tell where he was.

"Husband~ It's me, it's Lan'er." Du Yulan looked at the boy in front of her who looked like a wild beast, feeling both bittersweet.

"Lan'er?" Shen Moqing seemed to be muttering in his sleep.

"In the winter of the fourth year of Xuanwu, our two families formally became engaged. All that was left was the final wedding ceremony, which followed the traditional three letters and six rites."

Shen Moqing finally remembered~

It's normal that I didn't recognize it at first glance.

The marriage was arranged by their parents and a matchmaker; the two had only met once, from afar, at their engagement ceremony. He vaguely remembered her as a pretty and shy girl, but had no other recollection of her—she was practically a stranger.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to get out."

"My husband, if you die, I will remain faithful to you for the rest of my life."

The soldiers' eyes reddened as they silently left the cell.

Zhang Zongcang stopped cursing, but looked at his younger brother and sister-in-law a few times with reluctance, then followed the guard to a quieter cell with his head down.

I envy my second brother~

happy~

.........

The candlelight was dim.

The reflection of the wooden fence swayed back and forth on the wall, looking particularly menacing.

Shen Moqing looked at his fiancée with her thin face and was at a loss for words. Even though he was a learned associate professor in his previous life, he had never seen such a virtuous and chaste woman.

The ideas of Confucius and Mencius are great!

The four professors in the National Political Theory Research Office of Dan University combined are no match for a single hair of Confucius.

"If we consummate our marriage today, and Heaven grants us a son, it will be enough to comfort us for the rest of our lives. If not, I will remain faithful to you in this life, and in the next, I will still be your wife."

Du Yulan's fingers trembled as she untied her bright red wedding dress, revealing a snow-white silk blouse underneath.

It is both a wedding dress and a mourning garment.