"What Father says is right. Your son understands."
"You need to have a plan regarding Ming Qi. Having a traitor in the army is a major taboo in warfare. Him sneaking onto the battlefield was due to your negligence in supervision. I, your father, do not wish to see anything else happen to him. Understand?" Cao Jun said sternly.
"Yes."
The monarch of a nation nodded obediently like a child being lectured.
"Eat. If you don't, the food will get cold."
Shu ge'er picked up a piece of chicken for Ming Li.
Mingli looked up with a smile.
"Thank you, Dad."
Cao Jun extended his bowl.
"Shu'er, I want some chicken too."
Shuge'er glared at him but finally gave him a piece.
[Northern Battlefield.]
A person stood in the general's tent, clad in majestic armor, intently reading a letter from home. He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, his facial features chiseled and resolute.
Though long weathered by battlefield winds and sands, he remained the young Master Mingqi whom the young ladies and misses of Great Qing dreamed of marrying.
Now tall and straight, he exuded an unruly, roguish handsomeness.
He frowned deeply, his hand gripping the letter so tightly his knuckles turned white, as if trying to crush the paper into his heart.
A cold wind blew into the tent, stirring the few black strands of hair on his forehead but failing to disrupt his contemplation.
The next day, the Left General was arrested and brought to the central platform in the military square. He shouted loudly,
"Let me go! How dare you arrest me! You’ve rebelled!"
"Yeah, what right do you have to arrest the Left General?"
The Left General, Zuo Weizheng, had been promoted by Mingqi himself. Once an unknown front-line soldier, he was brave and had been promoted step by step. But as his rank grew, his heart became discontent, wanting more.
"Release the Left General!"
"Release the Left General!"
...
For a moment, the square was filled with the clamor of his subordinates.
"Heh!"
A light scoff came from the platform. Ming Qi, dressed in simple yet heroic casual attire, stepped onto the stage, followed by four death guards for close protection.
His black fitted clothing hugged his body, a wide belt with subtle patterns cinched at his waist, accentuating his upright posture. His collar was slightly open, revealing a patch of bronze skin, adding to his unruly aura.
His sharp eyebrows were tightly knit, his gaze piercing as he coldly scanned the noisy crowd below.
Then, he flicked his robe and sat on a chair, casually crossing his left leg over his right in a casual and cool pose.
His left elbow rested on the armrest, lightly tapping it, while his right palm supported his cheek, his long fingers gently touching the of his face. He appeared lazily yet authoritative.
He slightly narrowed his eyes, his gaze profound and unfathomable, as if everything was under his control.
The scene instantly fell silent, except for the tapping sound of Mingqi's fingers on the chair armrest.
This sound echoed in everyone's hearts like a death warrant, especially for Zuo Weizheng. Despite the cold winter day, cold sweat beaded on his forehead, his back chilled, and his eyes darted around.
"Zuo Weizheng."
Ming Qi spoke, his voice steady and powerful, tinged with amusement.
"Y-yes, General."
General Zuo's sweat dripped down, plopping into the sand on the platform.
"Weizheng, Weizheng (Guard Upright), but you are not upright at all,"
he said with a roguish smile.
The next second, his eyes turned cold and severe.
"You even dare to collude with the enemy? Hm?"
His voice was icy, chilling to the bone.
"What? General Zuo colluded with the enemy?"
"Is there some mistake?"
...
The people below discussed. One person at the back of the crowd looked around and tried to sneak away quietly. Suddenly, a flying knife shot out, piercing his shoulder.
"Ah!!"
A scream instantly resounded across the square.
Ming Qi casually twirled a flying knife in his hand.
"What? Going to report?"
"General, I'm wronged!"
The man was dragged onto the platform.
"Wronged?"
Ming Qi retorted, standing up from his chair and walking to his side. He squatted down, gripped his chin, and said,
"Did you think this general was blind?"
Then he flung him away, stood up, and raised his hand behind him. Shadow handed a stack of papers to Ming Qi.
Ming Qi threw the papers at the two men.
"Take a look."
Then he returned to his chair, resuming his casual, unruly posture.
Zuo Weizheng tremblingly picked up the papers. Seeing they were all evidence of his crimes, he instantly collapsed to the ground.
The shadow guards behind him also distributed evidence of the general's crimes to the soldiers below.
The soldiers were shocked after reading it.
"What? This person has been in contact with the Rongdi all along?"
"Last month, it was he who leaked our attack route to the enemy, causing us heavy casualties."
"Kill them! Avenge the dead soldiers!"
"Kill them! Kill them!"
"Kill them!"
The soldiers in the square were furious, shouting for the two to be punished.
Mingqi raised his hand, and the clamor below quieted somewhat. He stood up, looking down at him from a height.
"Zuo Weizheng, I promoted you from a small soldier to a general. Instead of repaying the country, you attempted rebellion, repaying kindness with enmity, causing brothers to die unjustly in a foreign land. Your crimes are unforgivable!"
Zuo Weizheng kowtowed.
"This subject has let the general down!"
"You have let down the dead soldiers!"
After speaking, he turned his back and raised his right hand, signaling to proceed.
A shadow guard stepped forward, drew his knife, beheaded him, sheathed the knife, and returned to formation—all in one fluid motion.
The action was ghostly. Before the soldiers below could react, Zuo Weizheng was already beheaded.
The soldiers instantly cheered.
Ming Qi turned to the soldiers.
"Soldiers! Today, Zuo Weizheng's collusion with the enemy and his execution are the consequences of his own actions! But this should also serve as a warning to us! As soldiers, we bear the heavy responsibility of protecting our home and country. Loyalty must come first, discipline our guiding principle! If anyone has divided loyalties, this is the outcome!"
Ming Qi's eyes blazed as he scanned the excited and angry soldiers before him, continuing loudly, "Past achievements and glory are not reasons for indulgence! As long as we unite and fight bravely, why fear the enemy not being defeated? Why fear our mountains and rivers not being pacified!"
"From now on, I hope you will fight bloodily alongside me to achieve unparalleled feats, letting our military flag fly over every inch of land, making the enemy tremble at the sound of our name!"
The soldiers shouted in unison: "We are willing to follow the general through fire and water, even if it means death ten thousand times!"
"We are willing to follow the general through fire and water, even if it means death ten thousand times!"
...
The shouts pierced the clouds.
After this incident, the army became more united. General Ming Qi thoroughly investigated everyone in the army, rooting out many problematic individuals. Even soldiers who had stolen steamed buns were found out. These people were publicly named on the training ground, becoming examples to warn everyone.
The soldiers, looking at the notices, were inwardly vigilant and dared not make mistakes. Stealing buns was a small matter, but losing face was significant. They no longer dared to slack off or break rules in the slightest.
The atmosphere in the army renewed itself. Training became more rigorous, and respect for Ming Qi grew even greater.
At this moment, Ming Qi was leaning on a sable fur couch, eating grapes and writing a letter to his dad to complain. The border was bitterly cold, and he and his soldiers couldn't eat their fill or stay warm. Meanwhile, border soldiers were sharing mutton, the steaming hot mutton soup's aroma wafting for miles.
The New Year was approaching, yet the stingy Ming Li still hadn't sent money. Was he trying to starve his dad's little treasure to death?
Word by word, he filled three full pages of accusations.
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