A burly general with a scar on his face turned deathly pale in an instant.
He suddenly stepped forward, knelt down with a thud, his voice trembling uncontrollably:
"General...General! This humble general...this humble general..."
"At three quarters past 5 pm yesterday, you abandoned your post and allowed 137 of your soldiers to loot Wangjiazhuang, which is 20 miles outside Xiangzhou City."
Yang Yan's voice was completely flat, as if he were stating a fact that had nothing to do with him: "Three innocent civilians were killed, five were seriously injured, women were humiliated, and all their property and food were looted."
"With witnesses and physical evidence before us, Zhang Kui, do you know your crime?"
"General, spare me! General, spare me!"
Zhang Kui pounded his head on the ground with a loud thud, tears streaming down his face, crying, "This humble general...this humble general was just confused for a moment!"
"My brothers retreated from Hejian Prefecture, their eyes were green with hunger, and we really... we really had no other choice... I beg the commander to spare me this time, for I have fought bravely in the past!"
"This humble general is willing to atone for his crimes by performing meritorious service, even at the cost of fire and water..."
"Hungry?"
Yang Yan interrupted him, his eyes sharp as knives, piercing Zhang Kui's heart, "I have checked the records of the army's rations, and they were fully distributed to your camp five days ago! How can you say you are hungry?"
"Even if there are shortcomings, is that a reason for you to plunder and kill innocent people with your knives? The soldiers of the Great Feng Dynasty should point their swords and spears at the northern barbarians, not at the elders and folks who support you!"
He slammed his hand on the desk, causing the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone to bounce, the sound like thunder:
"Seventeen prohibitions and fifty-four executions—you should have memorized them by the very first day of your enlistment! Those who rob the people of their property shall be executed! Those who murder the innocent shall be executed! You have committed several of these offenses; your crimes are unforgivable! How dare you still mention your past merits?"
The atmosphere inside the tent instantly plummeted to freezing point. All the generals felt a chill run from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads, and they even subconsciously slowed their breathing.
They could sense that this new coach was completely different from Ma Zongliang; he wasn't just bluffing.
"Take him away!"
Ignoring Zhang Kui's wails, Yang Yan waved his hand decisively, "Outside the gate, execute him in a public display! Hang his head high and show it to all the camps! As a warning to others!"
"Yes, sir!"
Four expressionless, wolf-like guards immediately stepped forward, two on each side, and effortlessly lifted Zhang Kui, who was already limp as mud, from the ground, dragging him out like a dead dog.
Zhang Kui's desperate wails and pleas for mercy faded into the distance outside the tent, finally cut off by an extremely shrill scream.
A moment later, a guard entered the tent carrying a tray covered with a red cloth to report back.
When a corner of the red cloth was lifted, revealing Zhang Kui's blood-stained head with wide-open, angry eyes, a suppressed gasp filled the tent.
A heavy stench of blood permeated the air, mingled with the fear of death, leaving a deep imprint on the hearts of every general.
Yang Yan remained unfazed, his gaze slowly sweeping over the trembling generals once more. His voice returned to its previous calm, yet was even colder than before:
"In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be taken. The soldiers may be forgiven for past defeats, but the generals cannot escape responsibility!"
"I may spare you the matter for now and observe your actions. But from this day forward, anyone who disobeys military orders, neglects defense, harasses local areas, or embezzles military pay—no matter how high your rank or how powerful your background—will be executed without mercy!"
"I hope you all will take this seriously, and don't say you weren't warned!"
This tactic of making an example of someone to deter others had an immediate and effective result.
The generals, who had previously been somewhat lax and even harboring wishful thinking, now completely abandoned all their petty schemes.
Each of them straightened their backs, lowered their eyes, and dared not meet the cold gaze of the commander.
Yang Yan said no more and went straight to military deployment.
He walked to the massive sand table depicting the defenses of Xiangzhou and Weizhou, holding a slender wooden whip, and began issuing a series of clear and specific commands. His speech was not fast, but carried an unquestionable authority:
"Where is the scout captain?"
"Your subordinate is here!" A lean and sharp-eyed general stepped forward quickly.
"Reinforce the manpower by three times! No, five times!"
Yang Yan's wooden whip was placed on the north side of the sand table, "towards the north, penetrating to the line of Weizhou and Yizhou; to the east, covering the direction of Daming Prefecture; and to the southeast, monitoring the Daxingshan Pass."
"I must keep abreast of the movements of Wuzhu's main force and his auxiliary troops at all times!"
"Intelligence must be sent continuously throughout the twelve hours of the day, without distinction between day and night!"
"Even if there's a wisp of smoke rising from his camp more than usual, or his warhorses neighing more frequently than usual, you must find out the reason for him and report back in detail!"
"Any delays or false reports will be dealt with according to military law!"
"This subordinate obeys! I will not fail the commander's trust!" The scout captain solemnly accepted the order, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"Commander of the Engineer Battalion!"
“Your humble servant is here!” A civil official, but with large hands and feet, bowed and replied.
"Recruit all auxiliary soldiers and artisans from the army, as well as all available able-bodied men from Xiangzhou and Weizhou!"
Yang Yan's wooden whip swept across the Fuyang River and Zhangshui River system on the sand table. "According to this defense map, dig deep trenches for me at all possible crossing points along the riverbanks, and at all the main roads, paths, and passes leading to Xiangzhou!"
"The moat should be two zhang wide and one zhang and five chi deep! The bottom of the moat should be covered with sharpened bamboo and wood and iron caltrops. A stockade should be built behind the moat. The stockade walls should be made of rammed earth and wood, two zhang high and one zhang thick, with parapets and arrow slits on top."
"You are given ten days to complete the first major line of defense. If you are short-handed, I grant you the authority to mobilize more men!"
"If materials are scarce, we'll use what we have on hand; even dismantling houses and felling trees will do. If we fail to complete this, you'll be beheaded!"
"Your subordinate... Your subordinate obeys! I will do my utmost!" The chief engineer's voice trembled, but his eyes were firm; he knew this was a death order.
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