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"...Second, Wanyan Huodang, Meng'an of the Yanshan Guard of the Jin Army... After deliberation by the Huaxia People's Court, he is sentenced to death! To be executed immediately!"

"...Third. Wanyan Ling... After deliberation by the Huaxia People's Court, he is sentenced to death! To be executed immediately!"

"...Fourth..."

"...Death! To be executed immediately!"

...

The voice in his mind sometimes faded into the distance, and at other times seemed very close. The sentencing echoed amidst the boiling crowd, listing the crimes of the Jurchen prisoners who had been dragged over. These were all elites of the Jurchen army, generals both high and low. The least of their crimes could not escape the word "massacre." From the Central Plains to Jiangnan, countless massacres were simply routine tasks in their military careers.

The Huaxia Army had matched some of the records to their identities.

Wanyan Qingjue stood there blankly, experiencing such fear for the first time in his life. His thoughts churned in his mind, his soul struggling desperately, but his body felt drained of strength, unable to move.

The churning thoughts were chaotic and complex, difficult to focus on reality. They sometimes dredged up his earliest childhood memories, sometimes flashed across the silhouettes of his countless grand pronouncements. He recalled conversations with his teacher, memories of his honeymoon, and also many scenes after the southern invasion. These scenes were like fragments: groups of people kneeling on the ground, people writhing and screaming in pools of blood, people with frothing mouths, ragged clothes, and emaciated bodies, yet still kneeling and begging for mercy in the most humble postures... He had seen countless such scenes. He despised these Han people, and then the Jurchen soldiers slaughtered them.

He wanted to resist, and he also wanted to beg for mercy, but he couldn't make up his mind. If he ran, what would happen next? He needed to think clearly, because this was his last choice... He cautiously looked to the side, but standing beside him were ordinary soldiers of the Huaxia Army. He also recalled the sound of footsteps in the camp every morning...

The Huaxia Army's sentence was immediate execution, but they weren't killing people one by one. Perhaps they were waiting to gather five, or perhaps ten?

At some point, he realized that his whole body was trembling. Snot inadvertently flowed out, and he wanted to reach out and wipe it, but he didn't: it didn't matter if he looked pathetic. Perhaps if he was this pathetic, the Huaxia Army soldiers would let their guard down... He didn't dare to look into the soldiers' eyes, afraid they would discover his intention to escape...

The list of sentences was read to the fifth person.

A Huaxia Army officer said something in front. He was pushed by the person next to him, who spoke, but Wanyan Qingjue didn't hear clearly. But it was obviously telling him to move forward.

"Hey..."

The sound from the depths of his throat was barely audible. He refused to move. The soldier beside him pushed him hard, and Wanyan Qingjue resisted with his feet.

"Hey..."

His deceased parents, his wife and children at home, his almost omnipotent teacher came to mind... He wanted to run.

Two arms had already reached out from both sides and grabbed him. Two Huaxia Army soldiers pushed him, and he staggered forward, taking small steps. He was pushed forward in this way. He was still thinking of countermeasures. Not far away, a Jurchen general roared. The sound accompanied his struggles, hoarse and miserable. A Huaxia Army soldier pulled out an iron rod and struck him. Then someone came over with a long pole with a collar and tied the Jurchen general's upper body, pushing him forward like livestock.

The Jurchen general's struggles were not violent either. It seemed more like the desolation of a trapped beast. Wanyan Qingjue did not resist fiercely. He knew that the soldiers of the Huaxia Army were inhumane and would not treat them well if they resisted.

He took small steps, trying to prolong the time it took to reach his destination. He tried to shout "Ning Yi" but the word "Ning" hadn't left his mouth before he thought, should I call him "Mr. Ning"? Then he opened his mouth, but the "Ning..." was swallowed in his throat. He knew that the other party would not let him go. There was no use in calling out.

He had to think of other ways, or just risk running away...

Countless voices buzzed around, as if everyone he had ever met and everything he had ever experienced in his life was watching him with open eyes. He didn't know when he had started crying. Tears and snot mixed together.

Ahead was a large pit. He walked to the edge of the pit.

The Huaxia Army soldier dragged his hand and seemed to say, "Turn around."

Wanyan Qingjue turned around mechanically.

He saw the Huaxia Army soldiers lining up with firelocks.

Should he lie down in the pit...

Maybe he could play dead...

For some reason, his jaws suddenly clamped down heavily, biting his tongue hard. It hurt, but at this point, pain didn't matter. He still had a lot of strength in his body. His mind flashed back to the countless massacres he had witnessed. Once, his teacher had tested him: "Knowing that they are about to die, why do you think they stand there and don't resist?"

He had given a good answer, but what was it? He couldn't remember.

The Han civilians who were about to be massacred looked at him with extremely fearful eyes. He looked back at them.

"Dad, Mom..."

A part of his memory began to become clearer...

"I..."

His thoughts...

...

Bang—

...

The heads of the five Jurchens lined up exploded.

Countless people in the city cheered. The five corpses fell into the earthen pit. No one cared about their thoughts and fears before death, just like the countless murders they had participated in in the Central Plains or Jiangnan. The dead turned into corpses and fell, and the living turned away and continued their colorful lives.

The sentencing had already begun and was continuing.

Soon after, more and more people throughout the city knew this news.

****************

The sentencing and execution of the Jurchens and other war criminals continued for more than half a day after the military parade.

Gunshots rang out from time to time near Victory Square. Deformed corpses lay in the earthen pit, and the bloody atmosphere permeated the sky. However, the common people who heard the news and gathered here increased even more. People cried, cursed, cheered, and vented their emotions.

Even though those being escorted were all former Jurchen generals, at the moment of sentencing and execution, only a few prisoners actually resisted, and there was no effective resistance.

The Huaxia Army had already defeated them on the battlefield. In the reality that followed, they had also witnessed the strength of this army. With the Jurchen main force having already returned to the Jin Kingdom, thousands of miles away, all resistance was futile. When they realized this futility, even the most intense struggles were nothing more than the wails of a dying beast.

The news that the Huaxia Army would execute Jurchen prisoners of war was not announced in advance. When it suddenly happened, the onlookers felt excited and their blood boiled. Some even returned home, brought steamed buns and money, and sought out the executioners hoping to get some of the death row prisoners' blood to cure diseases. Such behavior was naturally prohibited. On the other hand, the important figures on the various viewing platforms were mostly surprised by this scene.

If ordinary people had a prior longing for the scene of "beheading", people like Yan Daolun and Guan Shanhai truly did not have any expectation of the scene before them. In their opinion, "not killing" this batch of Jurchen prisoners could bring countless benefits. For example, putting them on the table to negotiate with the Jurchens would immediately bring a large number of gains, and they could establish an advantage more quickly in the chaotic situation that followed. Even if they were not traded temporarily, keeping them imprisoned could be used as bargaining chips at any time in the future, for both offense and defense.

In contrast, once killed, apart from letting the people below revel for a while, no real benefits could be obtained.

For a long time, the Huaxia Army, which had survived in the cracks, had loudly shouted the slogan of doing business and talking about contracts. Ning Yi had done business with the Northwest, with Western Xia, and had also had many transactions with the Jurchens. After arriving in the Southwest, he had countless business dealings with various forces in the Central Plains and Jiangnan. During the Southwest War, Ning Yi had also used Jurchen prisoners of war to exchange for a batch of Huaxia Army soldiers—but now, with such a good batch of bargaining chips in hand, he suddenly decided not to do any business?

Amidst such doubts, during the banquet at noon, someone brought up this matter to Ning Yi. Of course, the opening was old-fashioned:

"...After this matter, the Huaxia Army and the Jin Kingdom will truly be in a state of irreconcilable hostility."

"Has there ever been an opportunity for reconciliation between the Huaxia Army and the Jin people?" Ning Yi asked with a smile.

"There was, for example, during the Xiaocang River period, the Jin envoy Fan Hongji came to Mr. Ning's place to negotiate with you. Before the Southwest War, I heard that Xiyin also sent envoys."

The person who said this was a great scholar named Huang. Ning Yi smiled and said, "Then does old Huang know why the Jurchens are willing to negotiate with the Huaxia Army?"

The other party thought for a moment: "...Because the Huaxia Army chose irreconcilable hostility from the beginning."

"That's right." Ning Yi said, "Things in the world are like this. If you choose irreconcilable hostility, others will give you room for reconciliation. If you want room for reconciliation, the other party won't even bother to talk to you. So, why should I care?"

"But in this way, if you slaughter Jurchen prisoners of war, wouldn't the Jin people retaliate by slaughtering Han prisoners of war? There was originally room for negotiation in the middle."

Ning Yi looked at the other party and remained silent for a moment: "They are already killing them."

He paused: "War is an exchange. Some debts have been owed in the past. It looks like the people are still there, but they are no longer in your hands. The Jurchens have been slaughtering Han people for a long time. They kill a few whether or not something has happened. If we kill Jurchen prisoners of war, the other party will of course retaliate, but if we really care about these retaliations, from today onwards, they will use these Han prisoners of war to threaten us a second, third, and fourth time, and in the end, our losses will only be greater."

His answer ended here. Then someone asked: "The Jin people are already killing Han prisoners of war?"

"No one can stop it." Ning Yi sighed in a low voice.

Outside, the sound of executions could still be heard faintly...

******************

The revelry in the city, like a boiling pot, continued for more than half a day and still did not stop. Even in the remote health center, the commotion outside could be heard in waves.

Qu Longjun, whose back injury had slightly healed and could occasionally sit on the bed, also heard about the great feat of executing Jurchens outside. As a result, the doctors and wounded soldiers in the health center all ran out to watch the excitement. Sometimes, praises could be heard from afar: "The Huaxia Army is really great..."

"They have guts..."

Even through several courtyard walls, Qu Longjun could hear the sincere praise in these voices.

In her simple experience at the age of sixteen, the Huaxia Army was indeed great. This seemed almost irrefutable in recent months, but the fact that her father was killed by the Huaxia Army prevented her from thinking about this matter. She could only try to focus her thoughts on other issues.

For example: Women hold up half the sky?

She sat on the bed, flipping through the book with doubt for a long time.

The book was written entirely in vulgar vernacular. The content of the book was very easy to understand. It was the Huaxia Army's suggestions and summaries on the things that women could do, based on the experiences of some women becoming independent and self-reliant. It also shouted some passionate slogans, such as "Who says women are inferior to men", encouraging women to actively participate in work, such as working in the Huaxia Army's weaving workshop, which was a good way to feel various collective warmth, etc...

Qu Longjun completely did not understand the purpose of the young military doctor placing this book here.

She came to the Southwest because Wen Shubin wanted to disrupt the Huaxia Army. Her father had led the army to conquer Xiaocang River and was killed by the Huaxia Army. The Huaxia Army already knew about these things. It was not yet clear how they would deal with her. Once her injury healed, she could be tried, beaten, or killed...

But looking at this book, did the Huaxia Army decide to marry her off to a man here and then put her in the Huaxia Army's workshop to work for the rest of her life as punishment?

Such an idea would seem a little strange anywhere in the world.

She flipped through the book for a long time, still hesitant about whether Dr. Long had left this book. When Aunt Gu came over at noon, Qu Longjun tentatively asked once, saying that she didn't know who had put a book next to her bed. Aunt Gu took it and looked at it, and only said that it wasn't her.

In the afternoon, when the young doctor came to inquire about her injury, Qu Longjun mustered up her courage, lay on the bed, and whispered: "There, someone put a book next to my bed, Dr., Dr. Long... did you put it there?"

"What book?" Long Aotian's face was arrogant and his eyes were puzzled.

It wasn't him?

Qu Longjun was also confused and took out the book "Women Hold Up Half the Sky". The other party took it and looked at it, and stood by the bed and seriously flipped through a few pages, his eyes disgusted.

"Women hold up half the sky, how could I read this kind of book! Look, it says here that it's for you women to read."

"Uh..." Qu Longjun thought his expression was fierce and shrank her neck in fright. "I didn't say you read it, I meant, I don't know who put it here..."

"..." Long Aotian was silent for a moment and put the book down. "Anyway, it wasn't me. Then you can read it, it's for women."

He said this and did not say anything more. Qu Longjun did not dare to ask any more questions for a while, but just when the other party was about to leave, she said: "Dr., Dr. Long, if it wasn't you, and it wasn't Aunt Gu, then who entered this room?"

"Everyone in the health center is a good person, what are you afraid of... Well, anyway, I will keep a good eye on this place, you don't have to worry about this, probably... maybe a nurse gave it to you to read, anyway, don't worry."

He repeatedly emphasized not to worry, and then left with a proud look.

……

In the evening, Aunt Gu was washing clothes in the yard and chatting with Xiao Ningji, who was sitting on the side peeling string beans.

"Ningji, did you give that little girl the book 'Women Hold Up Half the Sky'?"

"Shhh." Ningji raised a finger. "Aunt Gu, don't tell her."

"Why?"

"Didn't Aunt Gu say a few days ago that she's alone, sixteen years old, her family is all gone, and Wen Shubin who trafficked her is also dead, and she doesn't know what to do in the future. I thought about it, and it makes sense, so I bought a book for her to let her be self-reliant."

"Ah?" Aunt Gu's fat face was filled with confusion. "Why... does she have to be self-reliant?"

"Of course she has to be self-reliant. Our Huaxia Army does good deeds, but now that we've saved her and treated her injury, and spent so much money recently, she can't stay here anymore when her injury heals. I think it's best for her to leave on her own, otherwise it won't look good if she's kicked out... Tsk, saving people is really troublesome."

"Uh..." Aunt Gu looked up and down at the little boy sitting on the steps peeling string beans. "So... little Ningji, that's what you're planning..."

"What else?" Ningji stared with two matter-of-course eyes.

"Hehe, Auntie thinks..." Aunt Gu smiled and hesitated for a moment. "Auntie is thinking, you originally... originally... originally you saved this little girl, not because you like her..."

"Ah?" Ningji's mouth opened wide, and his fair cheeks began to flush red at a speed visible to the naked eye. Then he jumped up. "I... how is it possible, how is it possible to like women... no, I mean, how is it possible to like her. I, I, I..."

"It's okay, it's okay, it's okay, what a big deal. Aunt Gu was mistaken before, and thought you wanted to take her back to be a child bride, hehe." The fat woman waved her hand with a smile.

Ning Yi jumped twice in place: "How is it possible, I just saved her on the spur of the moment, I just think she doesn't deserve to die, and then Sister Chuyi asked me to solve this matter, that's why I gave her the book! Otherwise, I'll kick her out now—"

"Okay, okay, okay, I believe you, of course I believe you, I just misunderstood. You peel string beans, peel string beans. What's the point of kicking her out now, you childish talk..."

"I'll kick her out when she gets better."

"Then you're not allowed to mess around too much, okay. Her injury is not light, and Aunt Gu will take care of her here first. Hey, she's young and tender, and doesn't eat much."

"I don't think she's that tender."

"Not tender, not tender, she's a bit rough..."

When the setting sun dyed the color of the earth red, the person in charge of collecting corpses had already dragged Wanyan Qingjue's body onto the wooden cart. Inside and outside the city, pedestrians came and went, and big and small things intertwined and happened non-stop.

When the girl named Qu Longjun was tossing and turning on the bed reading that boring book, she did not know that in the courtyard next door, the seemingly serious and arrogant little military doctor was cursing and swearing that he would drive her out to fend for herself. The teenager, who was insulted for being accused of liking girls, naturally did not know that not long after night fell that day, Aunt Gu had a meeting with Min Chuyi, who was patrolling here, and told him about his performance in the evening. Min Chuyi also smiled and was puzzled.

Later, Min Chuyi and Ning Xi, who had worked hard all day, met near the Mahavihara Pond and quietly talked about this matter. Ning Xi said that he disdained his younger brother's emotional problems. He was exhausted and needed care. Then he was beaten up by his violent fiancee. The one-sided beating turned into a mutual fight, and then they were covered by the flowing clouds in the night sky.

In the Jin territory in the north, the massacre of Han slaves is taking place in various forms on this land. The news of Wanyan Wugumai's death has spread on a small scale. A storm related to the fate of the entire Jin Kingdom is brewing silently in this chaotic and crazy atmosphere.

In early August, Tang Minjie, who was secretly spying, received the first round of instructions from the south since Lu Mingfang's sacrifice.

At this time, the first military parade of the Huaxia Army had ended, and the first Huaxia People's Congress was held as scheduled. The situation in the Southwest was thriving.

At this time, no one could have foreseen those things that would happen in the north...

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