Driven by public opinion, Yan Yingyuan ordered: "Captain Zhang, use torture!"

"Yes, sir!"

"I have made great achievements, you can't torture me!" Fan Yongdou was anxious.

Zhang Feng was inspired by Fan Yongdou's words. He stroked the hammer in his hand and asked leisurely, "Achievements? Is Mr. Fan's achievements higher than those of a noble or a first-rank official in the court?"

"Jinyiwei never beat up unknown people. Today, I beat the housekeeper first and then you. This is an exception!"

"Gag him and put his hands on the stool!"

With the "help" of the Jinyiwei, Fan Yongdou had his hands tied to a stool with ropes.

Just when everyone thought he would get hit on the fingers, Zhang Feng pulled out a mace from behind.

The huge stick with sharp spikes is both fascinating and frightening.

Bang!

Without any unnecessary movements, the mace hit directly on the back of Fan Yongdou's left hand.

Screams were heard and blood gushed out.

Zhang Feng's hit with the stick was just right. It didn't break Fan Yongdou's palm, but it injured the hand bones and maximized the pain.

Just when Fan Yongdou was about to hold on, Zhang Feng's next action shocked him.

Zhang Feng took a piece of black cloth and covered his eyes, then picked up the mace and shouted, "I used 20% of my strength just now, now I'm using 100%. Mr. Fan, just wish yourself good luck!"

Bang!

The mace hit the stool heavily, and the vibration and sound caused were like a red cannon exploding in Fan Yongdou's mind.

At this point, he was exhausted both physically and mentally and had lost the will to resist.

However, Zhang Feng did not give him a chance to surrender. The mace in his hand smashed heavily on Fan Yongdou's injured left hand with a sound of wind.

Taking off the black cloth, Zhang Feng looked at Fan Yongdou who had fainted from the pain and ordered his attendants, "Wash his hands."

Amidst trembling screams and cries, Fan Yongdou surrendered completely.

"I said... stop... stop hitting me, I'll tell you everything!"

In order to get Fan Yongdou to give out other accomplices, Yan Yingyuan began to deceive him: "Okay, for every mastermind you identify, I can ask His Majesty to spare the life of one of your family members!"

After hearing this, a light flashed in Fan Yongdou's gray eyes. He knew that he could not survive, but his family still had a chance.

In order to keep his family alive, he desperately grasped at this life-saving straw.

Half an hour later, Fan Yongdou signed the indictment.

"Compare this list with the one Wu Zhiyuan gave me. If there is no discrepancy, tell me immediately!"

Zhang Feng took the list and compared it carefully. A quarter of an hour later, he handed it to Yan Yingyuan: "Your Excellency, the list of masterminds is all the same."

"good!"

Yan Yingyuan looked at the densely packed names on the charge sheet and felt murderous.

It was these merchants who surrendered to the enemy and sold out their country that corroded the great tree of the Ming Dynasty and made it riddled with holes, and kept the barbarians, the Jiannu, well-trained and well-fed.

He took up his warrant and ordered, "Jiang Yingkui, take my warrant to Huailaiwei, Yanqingzhou, Baoanzhou, and Chang'an to mobilize 3,000 soldiers. All of them must arrive at Xuanfu Town before sunset tomorrow, otherwise they will be punished by military law!"

"Yes, sir." Jiang Yingkui took the order and ran away.

"Jinyiwei Zhang Feng, you take the imperial edict and my order, and go to recapture Wanquan Zuowei and Wanquan Youwei. After recapture, reorganize the troops in the two places and rush to Zhangjiakou Fort to meet me before noon the day after tomorrow. If you delay, you will be punished by military law."

Looking at Zhang Feng's departing back, Yan Yingyuan felt a little relieved.

Too many people were involved this time. Although Fan Yongdou only wrote the names of the main criminals, according to preliminary estimates, there are about tens of thousands of them!

Only by having absolute military superiority can we ensure that this operation is foolproof.

......

One day later.

More than 10,000 Ming troops gathered outside Zhangjiakou Fort.

The more than 2,000 defenders on the city were so frightened that they opened the city and surrendered after a moment of shock.

After the army entered the city, they immediately blocked the city gates and then arrested people according to the list.

"Fan Yongdou is guilty of collaborating with the enemy, bribing officials, and disrupting the court. We are ordered to arrest the Fan family members. If they resist, they will be executed on the spot! Anyone who shields them will be punished with the same crime."

"Wang Dengku has committed unforgivable crimes, including collaborating with the enemy and betraying the country, bribing officials, and disrupting the court. We have been ordered to arrest Wang's clan members. If they resist, they will be executed on the spot! Anyone who shields them will be punished with the same crime."

"Jin Liangyu..."

"Wang Dayu..."

"Liang Jiabin..."

"Tian Shenglan..."

"Zhai Tang..."

"Huang Yunfa..."

After the main criminals were arrested, a wide net was spread from top to bottom based on their confessions, and all those who had close contacts with these caravans were arrested.

The arrest lasted for a whole day and night, and the entire Zhangjiakou Fort was silent.

"Master Yan, this time we captured 8,429 prisoners alive, 1,976 of whom were executed on the spot. There are still more than a hundred grooms and laborers at large, and their whereabouts are unknown."

In a small courtyard next to the city gate, generals including Jiang Yingkui, Ding Yi, and Zhang Feng summarized the data and reported the final total to Yan Yingyuan.

Yan Yingyuan nodded, then took out an imperial edict: "All generals, please accept my order!"

Everyone was stunned and immediately knelt down to receive the order.

"Xuanfu is an important town and border crossing of the imperial court. However, some merchants named Fan here smuggled goods to the Jiannu under the pretext of opening customs with the Mongols." (The word smuggling first appeared in the 14th to 16th centuries)

"They sent the Ming Dynasty's artillery, ironware, armor, food and even intelligence to Liaodong, sucking the blood of our Ming Dynasty, eating our flesh, and murdering the people of our Ming Dynasty!"

"I am so angry!"

"Now there are Mongolia in the north, Jiannu in the east, Li Zicheng in the west, and Zhang Xianzhong in the south who are causing chaos in our Ming Dynasty. Serious illnesses require strong medicine, and in times of chaos, severe punishments should be used."

"The most urgent task is to stop the damage by killing. All those involved in this matter will be executed and their property will be confiscated to set things right. I decree this!"

After the imperial edict was read, everyone gasped.

More than 10,000 people, and they were killed just like that?

Although they were prepared to kill, they did not expect that the emperor, who was a hundred miles away, would be so decisive and ruthless.

But when they thought about it carefully, they were full of admiration for the emperor.

The Jian Nu invaded the country many times, plundered and killed millions of Ming people. These more than 10,000 lives could never be compensated.

Not killing is not enough to appease the public anger.

"Everyone, I intend to disobey your order." Even when everyone was planning to accept the order, Yan Yingyuan said something shocking.

"Sir Yan, although a general may not obey the orders of the emperor when he is away from home, this matter is of great importance. Sir Yan, please think twice!"

Others also advised.

Yan Yingyuan shook his head slowly: "Killing can only be a problem for the court. I think it is not enough."

"My plan is to execute all the men and send the women into the army to calm down the blood-thirsty soldiers. Living people in and dead people out will not be considered as disobeying the imperial decree."

After hearing this, the generals all raised their lips and said, "We will obey the orders of Lord Yan!"

"Kill all those who need to be killed before dark. Have fun tonight and search their houses tomorrow. Everyone, go back to your camps!"

That night, the spring breeze blew.