Imperial capital, late at night on December 27.

"Report! Chief Inspector General! The Southwest Military Justice Department has a flying pigeon urgent letter! ”

Di Lin didn't raise his head: "Read!" ”

"Yes! Southwest Military Judge Advocate General's Office Bojin Red Cloth Banner December 26 Flying Pigeon Emergency: According to the Black Flag Army Commander Zi Chuanxiu dictated ......"

With a snap, the pencil in Dilin's hand was broken, and the crisp cracking sound was particularly striking in the silent night. Gopra was taken aback.

The inspector general's eyes were deep, and his face was expressionless: "Keep reading!" ”

"Yes! According to the oral account of the commander of Zichuan Xiu, Ma Weiqi, the former governor of Wallin and the commander of the 35th Infantry Division, tried to kill the commander himself and brazenly launched a mutiny, but was defeated by Zichuan Xiu with the support of the Lin family's army. Now that Zichuan Xiuzheng is leading the army to clear the remnants of the Ma family in Wallin, the Bojin Red Banner should have asked for instructions on what to do? ”

Di Lin stared out of the silent window silently, and after a long time he asked, "Can you catch Ma Wei himself?" ”

"Sorry, it wasn't mentioned in the urgent letter, I shouldn't have caught it yet."

"Ma Wei is not dead, Ma Qin is still in the imperial capital, if you don't fight snakes for seven inches, what's the use of catching those minions? This idiot is in big trouble. Di Lin muttered, "Pass my orders!" ”

"Yes!"

"The gendarmerie force strictly inspected the west and south gates of the imperial capital, inspected passers-by, and detained all those who held the certificate of Warin Province in the past two days!"

"Yes! But my lord, the permission of the Military Affairs Department is required to set up a card at the gate of the imperial capital in this way. ”

"Just do it, and I'll say hello to Sterling." Di Lin said impatiently: "In addition, let the intelligence department find out the movements of Elder Ma Qin and report it immediately." Notify the death squad to come, I have a task to explain to them. ”

"Yes!"

"Inform Bo Jin, and fully assist the commander of Zichuan Xiu to exterminate the remnants of the Ma family! The captured prisoners did not have to be sent to the imperial capital, and they were executed on the spot after obtaining a confession. ”

"Yes!"

Make an appointment with Miss Zi Chuanning and Commander Sterling on my behalf immediately. “

"Yes! My lord, is there anything else? ”

Di Lin muttered something, but Gopra didn't hear clearly...... "My lord, what did you say?" ”

"What a bastard!" The inspector general of the Zichuan family complained indignantly: "Why is it me who wipes that stupid ass every time? He deliberately put the news to Pokin, making it clear that it was on me! ”

※※※

On December 29, 783, on the outskirts of the capital of the southwestern Valin Province, the huge Valin City was completely surrounded by a military camp that stretched for dozens of miles, and the snowflakes as big as palms slowly swirled in the air, and the heavy clouds were so low that they were about to press on the top of the pale cyan military camp.

Due to heavy snow closures, the cavalry troops trekked hard for two days in the heavy snow, and finally arrived at the meeting point at the allotted time.

When he saw the dense camp tents and the "Xiu" flag fluttering in the sky, Wenhe secretly breathed a sigh of relief: it finally arrived on time.

Seeing the large group of cavalry that appeared in the wind and snow, a group of infantry wearing white cloaks rushed out of the battalion.

Facing Wen He's cavalry, the infantry erected their shields from a distance, stretched out their spears, and from the gaps in the shields, it could be seen that a large number of archers had aimed at the cavalry, and the cavalry behind Wen He was in a commotion, Wen He hurriedly turned around and shouted: "Silence! ”

A path was split in the shield array, and a general rushed out on a fast horse and shouted: "Lord Xiuchuan, the commander of the Black Flag Army, is here!" Which troops are coming? ”

Wen He greeted him and replied in a loud voice: "Wen He, chief of staff of the Black Flag Army, is ordered by Lord Ben Xiuchuan, and the thirty-one and thirty-two cavalry divisions come to rendezvous!" ”

"Ah, it's Lord Wenhe!" The general turned around and shouted, "The alarm is over!" ”

At the sound of the order, the infantry removed their shields in uniform, put away their bows and spears, and retreated back into the camp, and the tension was lifted.

"Lord Wenhe, it's been hard all the way!" The leading officer hurriedly stepped up to meet him, and while unbuttoning the wind and snow cloak on his head, Wen He recognized him as Chopin, the governor of Remu and the commander of the 33rd Infantry Division, a very young senior officer, and he sincerely apologized: "Lord Wenhe, I was very embarrassed just now. This is the rule set by the commander-in-chief, and all troops approaching the temporary camp will be under martial law first, and martial law can only be lifted after it is clarified. My lord, may I show you your call-up order? ”

"Nothing, an order is an order after all." Wen He obediently took out the warrant that Zichuan Xiu ordered to come and concentrate.

Chopin checked it very seriously, raised his head and said with a smile: "It is indeed the warrant of the Commander, your Excellency you arrived on time, and you are exactly the same-I didn't believe in your reasoning, Lord Wenhe, but recently it is an extraordinary period, and the Commander's murderous spirit is very heavy, we dare not be contemptuous!" ”

Wen He asked softly: "Chopin, you arrived first, you should know some news, but we are still in the dark." Tell me something, what happened to us to rush from Danya to Valin? ”

Chopin was agitated, winked at Wen He but did not answer.

Wen He immediately knew that it was not the right time for him to ask: the cavalry under his subordinates were eavesdropping with their ears pricked up!

The officer on duty in the camp came out to bring the team in and set up camp, and the cavalry of the brigade stepped into the camp Xu Bu, and Chopard pulled Wen He aside and said softly: "Lord Wen He, this kid Ma Wei has committed a crime!" ”

"What did he do?"

Seeing that there was no one around, Chopin lowered his voice: "He tried to murder our commander, and now the commander has transferred soldiers and horses from everywhere to exterminate the Ma family!" ”

Wen He was shocked and blurted out: "Is this kid Ma Wei crazy!" "To murder a feudal commander with real power is a great crime of complicity and rebellion, and Ma Wei himself is still an officer, and the following crimes are even more crimes, which is enough to exterminate Ma Wei's entire clan!

"Isn't it?" Chopin said depressedly: "It doesn't matter if he goes crazy himself, but he has tired everyone!" Chief of Staff, when the time comes, you have to pull my brother and me, otherwise my brother and I really won't be able to pass this threshold. ”

"Ah, what does it matter to Ma Wei to find death by himself?"

Chopard smiled bitterly: "Chief of Staff, we are our own people, I won't hide it from you, last time Ma Wei gave me a maiko and 100,000 silver dollars, at that time my brother was tight and confused, thinking that even Lord Wade accepted it anyway, so I accepted it honestly and unceremoniously." This time, it seems that the commander is going to chase and beat the Ma family, and I heard that Lord Wade has been placed under house arrest, so I am afraid that even I will be in trouble! In case the Commander thinks I'm Ma Wei's accomplice or conspirator or something, how many heads do I have to cut off? Chief of Staff, the Black Flag Army has confiscated Ma Wei's things from you, and the commander relies so heavily on you, for the sake of many years of brotherhood, you have to pull my brother and me! ”

"You, you!" Wen He was angry and anxious: "I told you a long time ago that you shouldn't mess around with cheapness, is Ma Wei's house a good match?" We are all from the Central Army, how did Lord Stirling teach everyone in the past, don't take what you shouldn't take! You don't listen! Now, you kid is waiting to be raided with Ma Wei! ”

Chopin argued weakly: "I'm not the only one who takes it, almost all the officers above the flag of the Black Flag Army have received the benefits of the Ma family...... At that time, I never imagined that Ma Wei would do such a stupid thing, the last time they met, they didn't talk and laugh, and the relationship was very good......"

"Shut up, you idiot! Do you know the feud between the Commander and Ma Wei? Don't look at the politeness of the two of them when they meet, in fact, the commander can't wait to peel Ma Wei's skin and beat it with a drum! That's what Master Stirling told me in private......"

Wen He suddenly realized that he had said something that he shouldn't have said, and suddenly stopped his mouth. Seeing Chopin's curious eyes, he waved his hand impatiently: "Go, go, it's not something you should know - the more you know, the more trouble you have!" Now you should think about how to beat the level first! ”

Chopin drooped his head and pleaded with a sad face: "Lord Wenhe......"

"Got it, I'm not going to leave you alone! Chopin, a word of advice for you: Commander Xiu is young and kind, he seems to understand nothing and doesn't care about anything, but you must not look down on him, this is the real wisdom and foolishness! Although his reputation is not as loud as that of Lord Stirling and Lord Dilin, Lord Stirling has privately revealed to me that the only person he fears on the battlefield is Commander Xiu, and that he would rather be an enemy of the Demon God Emperor than fight against Commander Xiu - you understand the weight of this sentence, right? That's the person who the first general of the Zichuan family doesn't dare to fight!

He became a commander in his early twenties, and this is the person who really crawled out of the sea of corpses and blood! He's killed more people than we've seen combined—if you dare to think he's an ignorant kid to fool you, I'll be convinced! “

Thinking of that time when Zichuan was beautiful, Wen He still shuddered, and he said softly: "Implicit but not revealed, grandiose and hidden, raised eyebrows and sword out of the sheath - Chopin, our commander is not an ordinary person, this person will definitely stand above everyone!" ”

"Lord Wenhe, what you said is too far, the key is what should I do now?"

"The Commander is not an easy person to deceive, and he can't hide it. You confess to him honestly, I'll help you intercede, it's really not good, I beg Lord Stirling to come forward to help you say a few good words, the Commander will always give Lord Stirling a little face. ”

"Ah, do you want to alarm Lord Stirling, let Lord Stirling know that I took bribes, how can I have the face to go back to see his old man?"

"If there is no other way, then it has to be like this, now you have to save your life!" Wen He glared at him: "I know that you don't have the face to go back, you still dare to collect Ma Wei's money indiscriminately!" You deserve to be raided! ”

In the afternoon, the snow was getting heavier. After breaking up with Chopard, Wen He took off his clothes and rushed to report. He strode into the commander's camp and shouted loudly: "Report! Wen He led the army to arrive under order, please instruct! ”

"Wenhe, right?" Zichuan Xiuzheng was staring at the snowflakes fluttering outside the door, and didn't look at Wenhe: "It's been hard all the way." Find your own place to sit. ”

Wen He found that the tent was full of people, and a room full of silver epaulettes sat on small benches one by one: Governor of Trisia Thanos, Governor of Rhea Sacco, Governor of Remu Chopin, Governor of Buren Keya, Commander of the 31st Cavalry Division Ouyang Jing, and Commander of the 32nd Cavalry Division Delong.

"Wen He, Ouyang, and Delong, the three of you have just arrived, and you may not know it yet, but others should already know that in the middle of the night of December 24, Ma Wei colluded with the Japanese to launch a mutiny in an attempt to kill his own official. With the support of the friendly Lin Clan's Security Department, Ma Wei's rebellion in collusion with the Japanese was defeated, and 400 Japanese were beheaded on the spot, and more than 2,500 Ma Wei rebels who participated in the rebellion were defeated, but Ma Wei himself escaped. ”

Shikawa Xiu said slowly, and the flat tone did not match the thrilling content at all. His face was tired, his very handsome melon seed face was pale, his eyes were slightly red, and his gaze wandered over the people in the tent.

The senior officers looked straight ahead, no one dared to speak, and the room seemed to be empty.

"Ladies and gentlemen, what do you think about this matter?"

Everyone muttered in their hearts: The army asked us what to do after the army surrounded the Ma family, isn't this a clear force to force us to take a stand? After a moment of silence, Wen He, the highest-ranking person in the audience, was the first to stand up and say in a loud voice: "Ma Wei, as a family officer, actually colluded with the Japanese in private, launched a mutiny, and killed him, such a crime is unheard of!" He is the biggest scum since Rayhon, and his crimes are heinous! Xia Guan suggested that the adults must chase and beat hard, wipe out Ma Wei and his comrades, and punish them properly! ”

Zi Chuanxiu nodded slightly in approval, so everyone knew how to speak.

"My lord, Xia Guan has long seen that Ma Wei's kid has a wrong heart, the ancients are cloudy, if the pupils are not right, the heart is not right, Ma Wei's eyes are full of evil!"

"The inadequate guards of the lower officials frightened the adults, which is really a dereliction of duty for our generation! But fortunately, the adults are martial arts, and they are alone in the face of thousands of rebels without fear, and between talking and laughing, the rebels are wiped out, which is really a rare famous general throughout the ages! ”

"My lord, the lower official requests that the property of the Ma family be confiscated immediately to compensate for the spiritual loss of the adult!"

"Please give an order immediately, I will immediately lead a team to kill Valin City to find out Ma Wei, and break this dog thief into ten thousand pieces, and punish him in a canonical manner!"

The crowd was indignant, and all the officers beat the water dogs, and they had the courage to draw their knives and kill Valin on the spot, Zi Chuanxiu looked at it coldly, shook his hand slightly, and immediately all the noise stopped.

"I am deeply gratified that the officers have such a general understanding. But you must not take it lightly, the city of Valin is not easy to take, Mavi has retreated back to the city when the matter is revealed, and his henchmen have blocked the city gate to resist our army, and perhaps there are also deceived civilians in the city who have joined forces to resist our rebel army. Ma Wei and his party held many civilians hostage in the city, so that our army did not dare to let go of the siege of the city, and killed too much for fear of losing the family's benevolence. What do you think? ”

It was Wenhe who was the first to stand up and said, "My lord, the lower officials think that your concerns are very right. Although the 35th Division and the inhabitants of Wallin City were deceived by Mavi, they were still the children of the family after all. The ancients said that attacking the city is the bottom and attacking the heart is the top. According to the humble opinion of the lower officials, our army only needs to surround but not fight, shout to the city day and night, and cooperate with the strong military strength of our army, believing that those rabble will soon collapse and disintegrate on their own, and there is no need to labor our saber soldiers. ”

Zi Chuan Xiu was noncommittal, if it was under normal circumstances, Wen He's suggestion was indeed feasible, but Ma Wei was not an ordinary rebel, and Zi Chuan Xiu was worried that the delay would give the Ma family time to maneuver in the imperial capital. If it drags on until the commander-in-chief comes with a withdrawal order, his position will be very embarrassing.

Zi Chuanxiu felt in a dilemma, he was sure to take Valin City, but what would he do after he took it? The generals of the army were not allowed to interfere in civil affairs, and they could only take action against the rebellious troops, but not against the Ma gang, because that was beyond the scope of suppressing the mutiny.

The rebels are only a small part of the Ma family's forces, and even if the rebel troops are suppressed and killed by Ma Wei, there is no great damage to the Ma family's forces.

Of course, if Zichuan Xiu insisted on going his own way, no one would be able to stop him, but if he interfered in civil affairs beyond his authority, how could Zichuan Shenxing and the elders let him go afterwards?

The officers didn't know what the commander was worried about, and no one dared to speak out.

At this time, Pu Xin knocked lightly on the door of the tent, "Lord Commander, the Bojin Red Banner of the Judge Advocate General's Office is asking to see you." ”

Zi Chuanxiu perked up: "Please let him in." ”

Dressed in a black uniform, Bojin Hongyi Qiben strode in, and when he saw so many high-ranking officers gathered in the camp, the red-clothed Qiben was slightly stunned, and then saluted Zichuan Xiu: "Lord Commander, the lower official has received an urgent letter from the Imperial Capital Supervision Department, and the Imperial Capital General Supervision Department has an urgent matter that needs the assistance of the Southwest Black Flag Army." Here is the official letter. ”

Zichuan Xiu was stunned, he was so busy, and the General Supervision Office wanted to help himself? What was Dillin's idea?

He silently took the sealed official letter, tore it open, and Di Lin's delicate and slender handwriting like a woman jumped into view: The General Supervision Department to the commander of the Black Flag Army, Lord Zichuan Xiu: Our Supervision Department has obtained conclusive clues that the mysterious death of Yun Shanhe, the former commander of the Northwest Frontier Military Region, on February 21, 771 (codenamed Secret A-8 Extraordinarily Large Case) was characterized as murder. In accordance with the principle of retrospective of serious cases, our Supervision Department has reopened the case for investigation on December 27, 783, and after investigation, Ma Lequn (deceased), a former person from Canaan Province, is suspected of committing a major crime, and his descendants have now moved to Warin City, Southwest Waling Province.

In accordance with the provisions of Article 35, Paragraph 1 of the Law Enforcement Regulations, the Supervision Office hereby entrusts the Black Flag Army with full authority to assist in the investigation of Ma Lequn's (deceased) family, clan, employees and all other relevant personnel, and may take all necessary coercive measures as appropriate.

The official letter of December 27, 783 of the Inspector General Emperor Lin Empire was just about 100 words, Zi Chuan Xiu read it for five minutes before putting it down, he exhaled a long breath, and had to admire Di Lin's thoughtful and well-intentioned work, he was thousands of miles away, and he sent himself the most needed help in time.

The military does not have local law enforcement powers, but the Supervision Office has the power to investigate criminal cases, regardless of whether the case involves the military or the locality.

Ma Lequn is the father of two brothers, Ma Wei and Ma Qin, and now Di Lin is turning up the assassination case of the commander of Yunshanhe, and in order to track down the assassination of a high-ranking general, the Supervision Office entrusted the military to participate in the investigation, which is completely legal and reasonable.

With this order, Zi Chuanxiu was able to "take all necessary coercive measures as appropriate" against all members of the Ma family.

Holding a fluttering piece of paper, Zi Chuanxiu only felt heavy in his hand, and his mood was complicated.

Although Di Lin had broken with him, when he was in danger, he still lent a helping hand as always. Perhaps, in Di Lin's heart, he will always be the little brother who doesn't grow up!

He closed the official document and said to Bo Jin's red-clothed flag book: "The request for assistance has been received, and in order to track down the real culprit of the case, the Black Flag Army is willing to do its best to provide assistance!" ”

Po Jin said: "That's really great, on behalf of the Supervision Office, I would like to thank you for your support!" ”

In front of the generals, the two answered each other seriously, tacitly: In fact, the thanked and the thanked should be reversed.

"My lord," before leaving, Bojin said casually, "Do you have any plans to return to the imperial capital in the near future?" ”

"Huh?" Zi Chuanxiu glanced at him: "Is there such a plan, how?" ”

"If you have something to do to return to the imperial capital in the near future, the lower official will suggest that you postpone your trip. After consultation with the Commanding Office, the military police have been deployed at the gates of the imperial capital, especially the pedestrians from the southwest to prevent those who may carry dangerous safety from entering the imperial capital. ”

"Possibly carrying a pedestrian who endangers safety?" Zichuan Xiu smiled: "Di Lin has learned a lot recently, and he actually learned to chew words." ”

He laughed, Di Lin's intention was very obvious, to intercept the messenger of the Ma family outside the imperial capital, delay the time for Zi Chuanxiu to let go of it, the sentence "hurry up and finish the business at hand" is even more obvious hint, he and Lin Rui just coincide.

Pokine smiled silently and said gently, "There was another unfortunate accident. On the morning of December 28, the day before yesterday, our esteemed chief of the Senate, Count Machin, was attacked by robbers on his way to the Council of Governors, and the Elder Machin was immediately killed, and 16 of the accompanying guards were killed and nine were wounded. ”

Second brother Zichuan Xiuyan: "Ma Qin is dead?" ”

"Exactly, His Royal Highness the Chief of Staff has severely instructed the Inspectorate to investigate, and we are working hard to track it down."

Zichuan Xiu smiled: "But manpower is sometimes poor, in case you can't catch it......"

Pokin sighed: "Then what can be done?" I have to blame Chief Machin's hard life! ”

Zi Chuanxiu smiled silently, and was horrified in his heart: Di Lin really understood what he meant, and his movements were as fast as thunder, but he was afraid that the news of Ma Wei's rebellion had not yet reached the imperial capital when Ma Qin died! This is a life-and-death fight, if he can't completely eradicate the Ma family this time, not only will he be unlucky, but even Lin Rui and Di Lin, who support him, will suffer the revenge of the Ma family.

After saying what he had to say, Bo Jin said goodbye very simply, Zichuan Xiu took a shallow sip of tea, and sighed: "The current social order is really chaotic, even the patriarchs have been robbed, and they are lawless!" ”

The officers' faces turned pale: the soldiers here are coming to the city, Ma Wei is already a turtle in the urn, and Ma Qin has been assassinated over there.

Thousands of miles apart, but the two sides were attacking almost at the same time. As soon as Ma Qin died, the Ma family had no hope of revenge. Well-planned, quick to react, and ruthless - this is not at all like an impromptu action, but more like a well-planned conspiracy against the Ma family, and even some officers speculated that Zi Chuanxiu must have hidden a more powerful person behind him, so he dared to be so bold and had no scruples.

The Ma family has been operating in the southwest for decades, and their relationship network is deep-rooted, which of the officers here has not received their benefits? The officers' eyes flickered, and sweat flowed from their backs, but who dared to talk more?

"You don't have to worry." Guessing the psychology of the officers, Zi Chuanxiu said calmly: "Ma Wei committed the big crime of rebellion, which is equivalent to rebellion, but if you surrender and have the heart to change, I will not pursue it, the family is based on leniency, and you are the same." In the past, everyone received a lot of benefits from Ma Wei and the Ma family, at that time, Ma Wei did not show his traces, everyone was deceived by him, no matter how much he received, as long as he confessed to me, I will not pursue it, but from now on, if everyone dares to collude with the remnants of the Ma family, then don't blame me for not being emotional. ”

As if they were on the verge of amnesty, all the officers praised Commander Hidekawa for his magnanimity and benevolence.

At this time, Pu Xin Qiben came in lightly and whispered in Zi Chuanxiu's ear: "My lord, Your Excellency Bo Jin handed me a letter when he went out, saying that His Royal Highness Ning asked the flying pigeons of the Supervision Department to send it together. He can't hand it over to you in person, so he entrusts me to hand it over. ”

Everyone clearly saw that a smile condensed on Zi Chuanxiu's face. He silently reached out and took the letter, opened the envelope, and Zichuan Ning Juanxiu's handwriting jumped into view:

The commander of Xiuchuan personally opened: the commander went to Danya, and the palace did not see him off, which is a pity. However, the hopeful person is nothing more than to use the monarch and the talent to boost the prestige of our southwest army, and to see the prosperity of the loyal martyrs and sages Fang Jin, so as to protect the family and the country. Unexpectedly, when you first arrived in the southwest, you made a big move, and oppressed the good people of the local area with the authority of the town. Why did you do such a bloody and violent thing? The main hall was puzzled.

The so-called rebel leader Ma Wei is gentle, cautious and courteous, generous, generous and modest, and the people in the imperial capital are praised by many people, saying that he has the style of a gentleman. It is said that it is a rebellion, and the temple really can't believe it. Is it really rebellious, or do you mind the past, and use the excuse of rebellion to punish people? If the Ma clan has objections, why has it not been obvious for a long time but has been rebelling for less than a month after the monarch took office? Your Excellency is not shallow, why is it so public and private, and it is very disappointing to the meaning of this palace!

Wangjun reined in the precipice, must not make mistakes again and again, must ensure the safety of His Excellency Ma Wei, and escort him safely to the imperial capital. The merits are straight, the family has its own judgment, and the sword can block the population, which is difficult to convince people.

Purple Chuanning

Shikawa Xiu gritted his teeth and tried his best to suppress his anger.

Zi Chuanning indiscriminately concluded that he was jealous and declared his personal vendetta, praised Ma Wei as a gentle-tempered gentleman, and asked himself to save Ma Wei's life.

He only felt that the blood vessels in his temples were thumping, and his eyes were blackened with anger: if it weren't for Lin Rui's righteous help, his little life would have almost died at the hands of that "gentle gentleman"! He wanted to yell and tear up the letter: "Men's business, women know a fart!" ”

But he still controlled himself, calmly folded the letter and put it back in the envelope, and even smiled, as if he had just received the best news. Facing the curious gazes of his subordinates, he smiled and said, "His Highness Ning is very supportive of our actions. ”

He said with a spring breeze on his face: "Miss Ning encourages us, we must chase and fight hard, and we must capture Ma Weina as soon as possible, and we will be punished!" Now, the troops of all roads have arrived, and the military police of the Judge Advocate General's Office are also on their way. At seven o'clock tonight, whether the gendarmerie troops can reach or not, we will attack the city overnight! ”

Zi Chuanxiu grinned, and her smile was cruel: "His Royal Highness Ning said that he had never seen a living traitor, and we as courtiers had to make fun of her!" Pass the order, after entering the city, the search and arrest troops must capture Ma Wei alive, we have to let His Highness Ning open his eyes and see what a good person is! ”

In the silence of the snowy night, snowflakes howled all over the sky, and from all the gates of the city, thousands of troops marched in, and horses' hooves rang through the streets and alleys of Valin, all the streets were blocked, and if it were not for the soldiers walking back and forth in the streets, the whole of Valin would be a dead city.

The snow shone on the flickering badges on the shoulders of the soldiers, and the military boots trampled on the thin snow, vibrating the bluestone pavement of the Wallin in a rhythmic dull echo.

The inhabitants of Valin hid in fear in their homes, peeking through the crack in the door at the swords of the cavalry.

The garrison at the city gate had surrendered, but some of the soldiers who were loyal to the Ma family refused to lay down their arms, occupying the Ma family's mansion and several surrounding streets, and building barricades with sandbags to confront the suppressors.

In order to minimize casualties, Zichuan Xiu ordered the adoption of a heart-attacking strategy, and the streets and alleys were sprinkled with slogans and leaflets, and drifted to the back of the rebels' barricades, and above the streets hung the Zichuan family's eagle flag and conspicuous slogan: "The pardon has been issued, do not resist the military flag!" ”

A loud shout echoed over the silent city, "Soldiers of the 315th Division, you sincerely believe in your commander and believe that his orders are just. But now, the family commands you to give up your resistance, and if you continue to resist, you will become a traitorous thief. You once believed that what you did was right, and now, since you know that you are wrong, don't betray your family and become a **** for 10,000 years. It is not too late to turn back, for all the crimes you have committed in the past will be forgiven, and your parents and brothers, your relatives and friends are sincerely hoping that you will come back. Ma Wei has no chance of escaping, but you have a choice! Don't resist, anyway, there is no guilt, and meritorious service will be rewarded! ”

Under the powerful propaganda offensive, the rebel forces quickly melted and weakened like snowflakes under the scorching sun, and the rebel forces quickly dismantled the barricades, and large groups of men poured into the streets and lanes that controlled the Wallin, and the sounds of fighting were heard throughout the city, and the die-hard friends loyal to the Ma family were still making their last struggles.

Zi Chuanxiu personally led the troops to drive straight into the Ma family's base camp.

Located in the heart of the city of Warin, Mavi's mansion is a majestic red building with a locked blue iron door.

The army shouted several times outside, but the iron gate remained locked.

So the city cart was immediately called in to bang on the door, and in the continuous bombardment, only a loud bang was heard, and the entire door and a wall were knocked open.

Immediately afterwards, a large group of soldiers entered the mansion like wolves, and drove all the people from the Ma Mansion to the front yard to gather like chickens, and the women and children were so frightened that their faces turned white: they had never been treated like this by the Ma family, who had never been treated like this?

The crying in the yard shook the sky, the women were screaming and crying, and the men were shouting and scolding: "Dog officer! Dog officer! "The scene was chaotic and crowded.

The officers leading the team shouted "quiet" several times in a row, but they shouted even louder.

A shriveled old woman sat on the ground and wailed dryly, and the officers on the street shouted with their teeth and claws: "Dog officer! You don't have to die well! Heaven will take you! You will be punished, thunder will chop you! You went out and got hit by a car and died! I curse your parents and parents to die young! I curse your offspring to be a thief and a woman to be a prostitute! ”

The officer was scolded so angry that he wanted to drag her up, and dozens of mothers-in-law suddenly howled in unison: "The officers and soldiers are beating people!" Officers and soldiers beat mothers-in-law! He screamed hoarsely, foamed at the mouth, and rushed up, tearing and scratching at the officers and soldiers, because the other party was a woman, the soldiers did not dare to fight back, and their faces were bloody because of their long nails.

"Stop! Quiet! Lord Zichuan, the commander of the Black Flag Army, has arrived! ”

There was a rapid shouting and echoing sound outside the gate, followed by the queue order, the footsteps were rapid and mixed, and two lines of lanterns appeared at the door, both of which were carried by the soldiers with knives in bright armor, and two straight lines of fire quickly entered along the gate passage, and the leading officer shouted the order: "Don't move, don't make noise, those who resist the order will be beheaded!" ”

"Yes!" The soldiers replied in unison.

The scene was already solemn, and on the passage from the gate to the courtyard, thirty soldiers stood upright with unsheathed sabers in their hands, and the swords were as cold as snow.

In the courtyard, the soldiers in armor lined up neatly, all pressed their knives with their hands, and surrounded the people of the Ma family in two layers, and the cold expressions of the soldiers made everyone in the Ma family shudder.

Shocked by this majesty, the crowd froze slightly, and the scene fell silent. Surrounded by a large number of officers, Zichuan Xiu strode in. He wore a black cloak, and the golden tassels of the cloak fluttered in the wind, and his expression was solemn, as cold as the legendary god of vengeance.

The officer hurriedly stepped forward and announced: "Tell the commander, the two hundred and fifty-three people in the Ma family's mansion have all been collected, and they are waiting for the lordship!" ”

Zi Chuanxiu nodded and asked coldly, "Who was making a noise just now?" ”

Without waiting for the officer to identify, the old woman suddenly jumped up and rushed towards Zi Chuanxiu as if she had been burned by fire, her long nails almost poked Zi Chuanxiu's eyes, and the guards hurriedly dragged her away, she still kept shouting and scolding: "Dog officer, you dare to copy our Ma family, wait and see, you will not die well!" Your whole family is dead! ”

A cold light flashed in Zi Chuanxiu's eyes, and he said calmly: "I was cursed by you, my family has already died." ”

The old woman was stunned for a moment, Zichuan Xiu made a look, the captain of the guard understood, and lifted the old woman like a chicken, his hand raised the knife, and the short scream was followed by a low sound of fluttering, and the blood sprayed the boss on the ground, and the severed head rolled into the crowd.

"Ahh The silence was broken by the woman's screams, and the men's eyes widened as they looked at the headless body that was still twitching spasmodically, their eyes full of fear.

Zi Chuanxiu looked at the crowd and said slowly: "I don't like people to be noisy, you better shut up." The tone is faint, but it has the most terrifying deterrent power, and Zichuan Xiu at this moment can decide life and death with one word.

The audience was silent, and even the babies were so frightened by the terrifying atmosphere that they didn't dare to cry.

Walking slowly through the crowd, Zi Chuanxiu looked at those people one by one, and the people he saw showed frightened expressions, the woman was crying secretly, and the man forced himself to calm down but couldn't hide the fear in his eyes. To Zichuan Xiu's disappointment, he didn't find Ma Wei in the crowd.

"Has everyone in the Ma Mansion been gathered here?"

The officer leading the team replied, "My lord, we have searched it thoroughly!" All of them are gathered here? ”

Zichuan Xiu was stunned, where did Ma Wei go? He turned his gaze to the crowd and asked, "Who is the head among you?" ”

A thin old man walked out and bowed respectfully to Zi Chuanxiu: "My lord, I am the housekeeper of the Ma Mansion." My lord, Master Ma Qin is a member of the Senate, and our Ma family is a southwestern family, you can't lead troops to search his mansion so casually, Master Ma Qin knows about it......"

"Machin is dead!" Shikawa Xiu interrupted him coldly.

The housekeeper's face turned pale: "Master...... Die...... is dead" It was like a man who had fallen into the water when he saw the lifebuoy suddenly turn into pieces, and he showed a look of horror and despair, and even his voice trembled.

Hearing the bad news, everyone in the courtyard wailed in unison, and the women wept loudly.

Zi Chuanxiu admired the tragic performance of the people in Mafu, and he did not have the slightest pity and sympathy for these grief-stricken people.

The seemingly respectful old butler, as well as those poor family members, can imagine that in front of ordinary people, they will all have another face—just like Ma Wei has two completely different faces in front of Zi Chuanxiu and his subordinates and civilians.

He said slowly: "What a southwestern wang clan, **** only." Don't be sad, Machin can't save you, Mavi can't save you, the only person who can save you is yourself. Where is Ma Wei hiding, say it! ”

Hearing the murderous intent in Zichuan Xiu's words, the old housekeeper was so frightened that his pants were wet, and he collapsed on the ground: "My lord, Ma Wei only came back in a hurry that night, packed up his belongings and left in a hurry, we don't know where he is!" ”

"What!"

"My lord, I'm telling the truth!" The old man kowtowed to Zi Chuanxiu like a chicken pecking rice: "Adults spare their lives, adults spare their lives!" ”

The soldiers interrogated several members of the Ma family separately, and even though the whip whipped them to the point of screaming, the confession was the same: on the night of the attack, Ma Wei hurried home and left the city, and no one knew where he had gone.

Shikawa rubbed his forehead in remorse, he regretted that he didn't insist on the pursuit that night.

Looking at the Ma family members kneeling down in the courtyard, he paused and said coldly: "I said that the only person who can save you is yourself. Who knows Ma Wei's whereabouts, and now there is still a chance to say! ”

No one answered, only a cry of pleading. The housekeeper crawled over and hugged Zi Chuanxiu's thighs: "My lord, my lord!" We really don't know! Spare your life! ”

Zi Chuanxiu sneered: "Very good." He kicked the old man away in disgust, turned and walked out the door.

Wen He chased after him: "My lord, may I ask how to deal with the people of the Ma family?" ”

"What are you going to do?"

"I think they should be handed over to the judiciary and punished severely by law."

"Legal?" Zi Chuan Xiu laughed mockingly: "When Ma Wei was tyrannical in Valin, did he care about the law? When Mavi oppressed the good, did all those great judicial institutions fall asleep? The abundance of judges, lawyers, and veterans, the cumbersome procedures, the rhetorical explanations and justifications – in the legal arena, the military is no match for a criminal expert like Ma Wei! Wenhe, how to deal with traitors? ”

"Kill!"

"What about conspiring against the rebel and colluding with foreign enemies to murder his superiors?"

"Exterminate the Nine Clans!"

Zi Chuanxiu stared at Wen He's eyes, his dark pupils silently exuding coldness, and he asked softly, "Isn't that okay?" What questions do you have? ”

Comprehending what Zichuan Xiu meant, a shudder flowed through Wen He's body: "My lord, I don't care about killing people on the battlefield, but ......"

"You're wrong, Wenhe, this is also a battlefield, a battlefield of life and death." The voice was unexpectedly gentle, and the handsome young general showed a tired look: "The Ma family has risen from the gangster power, and now it has formed a huge deformed monster, and conventional means are powerless against it. Fighting gangsters is not the responsibility of the military, but the situation has forced us to shoulder this burden. Thirteen years ago, my predecessor, the commander of Yunshanhe, fell on the battlefield of the battle with the Ma family, and this war needs to be carried forward. The army is the last hope that the country will not fall into complete darkness. Resoluteness is our credo, decisiveness is our style, we are not police officers and judges, we don't have time to search for evidence and read through a lot of legal texts. These people may not all be involved in Ma Wei's rebellion, and maybe some people are really innocent, but we don't have time to screen - the Ma family has been arrogant and domineering for decades, and it is time for them to pay the price. Wenhe, you don't have to worry, I will personally sign and issue this order, and it won't affect you. ”

Wen He showed a ashamed expression, and when Zi Chuan Xiu finished signing the warrant, he took it and signed his name behind Zi Chuan Xiu's name without hesitation.

Zi Chuanxiu was stunned: "You ......"

Wen He said embarrassedly: "My lord, you really let the lower officials be embarrassed. If you can, please allow the lower officer to fight alongside you! ”