The Left Virtuous King pondered for a moment, then said, "While siege crossbows have cover, their size is still too great. The enemy likely anticipated our use of them."
The barbarians were not without siege crossbows, but it was nearly impossible for these to pierce through the heavy armor of the Great Qian soldiers at long range. Furthermore, cavalry found them inconvenient to carry, greatly hindering mobility, which was why they had not been used previously. However, as siege weaponry, siege crossbows were quite practical.
The Right Virtuous King nodded and said with a sinister grin, "Fine, bring those Great Qian women over!"
Twenty Great Qian women, clad in cotton clothes and as beautiful as blooming flowers, were escorted by barbarian soldiers to the foot of the earthen mound. The women's faces were pale, their eyes vacant, and their hair was dishevelled. The surrounding barbarian warriors' eyes gleamed upon seeing them.
The Right Virtuous King descended the earthen mound and approached the most beautiful and tallest woman, lifting her chin. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, Mu Wanxin, you've been by my side for several years now and served me quite comfortably. I am willing to let you return to Great Qian in exchange for two thousand prisoners from the Guishuang Dynasty. Will you not express your gratitude?"
The woman named Mu Wanxin finally came back to her senses. She merely nodded blankly at the Right Virtuous King and murmured, "Thank you, Your Highness..." The other women followed suit, their minds lost.
"These women have served as military prostitutes for over a decade, and their value is more than enough. It's time for them to serve their final purpose. I am curious to see what choices Liang Xiao and Lu Yi will make," the Left Virtuous King roared with laughter, his face full of glee.
The twenty cavalrymen, before departing, savored the twenty women once more before tying them up securely and loading them onto their horses, galloping towards the military camp.
"Marshal, Deputy Marshal! The enemy demands a prisoner exchange!"
Liang Xiao and Lu Yi received the message and personally ascended the high platform in front of the camp to observe. At this moment, the longbowmen and Shenbi crossbows within the camp were ready, waiting for the order from their superiors to turn the twenty barbarian cavalrymen into a beehive of arrows. However, the women, held hostage with barbarian longswords at their necks, would not be spared either...
"Our Right Virtuous King knows that the Great Qian's Marquis of Anguo, Liang Xiao, and the Marquis of Zhenbei, Lu Yi, keep their word and their military orders are as firm as mountains. These twenty beauties are to be exchanged for two thousand prisoners from the Guishuang Dynasty, with no harm to either side!" The leading cavalry captain groped the women haphazardly, laughing maniacally, causing the Great Qian soldiers in the camp to glare with fury.
"How dare you!!" Great Qian cavalrymen surged forward, surrounding the twenty individuals.
"Are you, Liang Xiao, not renowned for serving the nation and its people? How come the lives of these Great Qian citizens are worth more to you than your barbaric enemies?" the cavalry captain roared towards the heavens.
Liang Xiao and Lu Yi stared intently at the barbarian cavalry and hostages in the distance, gritting their teeth in sorrow and indignation. It was a tragedy for a nation and a people to be unable to protect even their own women. These women must have been captives from the Helan Mountain region after its fall, spared and kept for abuse due to their beauty...
"Marshal, Deputy Marshal! They want to exchange these women for all the Guishuang Dynasty prisoners..." the messenger reported weakly. Liang Xiao and Lu Yi clenched their fists, hearing them crack. Though they could command armies and devise strategies, facing such a situation, they could only make a choice.
Lu Yi took a deep breath and said to Liang Xiao, "You decide. No matter your choice, the soldiers will not blame you!" As Lu Yi finished speaking, the surrounding soldiers looked at Liang Xiao with expectant and complex expressions. Twenty for two thousand was a massive loss in terms of numbers! It was evident the barbarians intended to humiliate the Great Qian soldiers with this act. Even if Liang Xiao and Lu Yi were to intercept the barbarian cavalry and Guishuang prisoners after the exchange, they would be criticized for breaking their word.
The twenty barbarian cavalrymen, seeing the Great Qian military camp's prolonged silence, began to feel uneasy. The cavalry captain tore at Mu Wanxin's right shoulder cloth and roared, "If you dawdle any longer, I'll publicly defile her!"
Liang Xiao saw the terror in Mu Wanxin's eyes and her frantic headshakes towards the soldiers. As if understanding something, he took a deep breath and declared loudly, "Let them speak first!"
Upon receiving the message, the twenty barbarian cavalrymen exchanged glances. Finally, the cavalry captain chose Mu Wanxin and removed the cloth gagging her mouth. Mu Wanxin looked around at the Great Qian soldiers, her grief overwhelming her. Weakly, she said, "Your humble servant, Mu Wanxin, once a commoner at the foot of Helan Mountain, lived with my husband and children, a family of twelve, with abundant means. Now, only your humble servant remains..."
Just as everyone was puzzled, Mu Wanxin, with the courage and strength of her entire life, let out a heart-rending wail from the ground. "Generals, do not mind me. My family has already been brutally murdered by the barbarians, and I have been abused for years. I beg for death, wishing for release soon, and for someone to avenge me!!" "After death, I wish to see Great Qian's men slaughter the barbarian cavalry and smile in the netherworld!!" The other dozen women suddenly awakened. However, with their mouths gagged, they could only let out muffled sounds of agreement, constantly nodding at Mu Wanxin, tears streaming down their faces, showing their accord.
Liang Xiao watched, his heart pounding with fear and his rage soaring! This soul-stirring cry conveyed such immense hatred and resolve...
"You seek death?!" The cavalry captain, enraged, slashed Mu Wanxin's throat with his saber! The stunningly beautiful woman died just like that under the barbarian's blade. The other women showed no fear; some even hardened their hearts, throwing themselves onto the barbarian's longswords, their necks cut, their eyes rolling back. Their beauty vanished, and they perished.
Liang Xiao's eyes turned red, and he roared, "Take them down!!" The Great Qian cavalry swarmed forward, capturing the twenty individuals who had nowhere to retreat. Every single one of those women met their end under the enraged barbarian cavalry's blades. The Great Qian cavalrymen cursed, showering the twenty with punches and kicks before presenting the bruised and battered men to Liang Xiao and Lu Yi.
"We cannot let them go!" Countless soldiers, trembling, gazed at the twenty men. If not for Liang Xiao and Lu Yi's strict discipline, they would have already rushed forward to tear these jackals apart. Lu Yi looked at Liang Xiao. Liang Xiao's voice trembled, "Heal their wounds first."
"What?" The soldiers were aghast, their faces showing disbelief. They repeatedly reminded him, "Deputy Marshal, they just..." Liang Xiao waved his hand and continued, "After their wounds are treated, bring them to the center of the military camp and publicly dismember them. After every cut, sprinkle salt. Three thousand six hundred cuts. Whoever fails to perform it properly will be killed beforehand. No meat is allowed today!!"
As soon as his voice fell, the soldiers eagerly volunteered, "Your subordinate (I) is willing to carry out the execution!!" At this moment, the soldiers, knowing full well it was impossible for the enemy to endure three thousand six hundred cuts without dying, were willing to forgo meat, solely for the chance to personally execute them! In the end, a group of them began discussing how to share the execution duties, so each could inflict a few blows.
In the afternoon, the camp echoed with the heart-wrenching screams and wails of the twenty barbarian cavalrymen. After the execution, the soldiers, suppressing their immense hatred, looked towards the cold, impassive Liang Xiao and Lu Yi on the high platform, eagerly requesting to battle. "Marshal, Deputy Marshal! Let's begin the war! We vow to recover Helan Mountain and slaughter all the barbarians!!"