Lu Yan raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and waited for the crowd to gradually calm down.
He asked loudly, "How can heroes rest in peace?"
An old man, trembling and leaning on his cane, stepped forward, tears streaming down his face.
“Your Excellency, I have lived most of my life and have seen a lot of the world.”
"I know that when people die, they have nothing left, but they died for our Shannan County!"
"We can't let them die in vain!"
"We need to let them know that even if they are gone, we will protect this land for them!"
“The old man is right!” another burly man chimed in.
"We need to let those barbarians know that Shannan County is not to be trifled with! Anyone who dares to invade will never return!"
Lu Yan surveyed the crowd, his gaze intense:
"Alright! In that case, let's let everyone know that the people of Shannan County are not to be trifled with!"
He paused, then raised his voice.
"Crush the barbarians! Subdue the barbarians!"
The crowd erupted in cheers, their shouts echoing through the sky like a tsunami.
"Crush the barbarians! Subdue the barbarians!"
The deafening shouts of the people echoed across the sky above Shannan County, converging into a powerful force.
Lu Yan stood on the high platform, looking at the excited scene before him.
An indescribable sense of pride welled up in my heart.
He smiled slightly and raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet.
The noise gradually subsided, and everyone's eyes were focused on him, waiting for his next instructions.
"Bring the prisoners up!"
Lu Yan gave the order.
Soldiers who had been waiting there escorted the prisoners slowly onto the square.
Leading the way were several burly barbarian generals.
Each of them stood tall and proud, their eyes fierce, showing no sign of submission even as prisoners.
Following closely behind were squads of barbarian squad leaders, and at the very back was a vast, dark mass of barbarian soldiers.
Apart from the barbarian women who were farming, thousands of prisoners knelt on the ground, a scene that was indescribably shocking.
A cheer erupted again from the audience, the people were filled with righteous indignation and demanded that these barbarians be severely punished.
"Kill them! Avenge our fallen brothers!"
"Make them pay for their crimes in blood!"
Shouts rose and fell, and the square erupted in cheers once again.
Lu Yan raised his hand again to signal everyone to be quiet.
After the crowd gradually calmed down, he pointed to a barbarian general who was exceptionally burly and had a face full of scars.
He asked in an icy tone, "What's your name?"
The barbarian, with his neck stiff and a defiant expression, said:
"I am Batur, the great general of the Southern Barbarians, and I will never change my name or surname!"
"Batur?" Lu Yan sneered, "Do you know your crime?"
"What crime have I committed? Kill me or torture me, it's all up to you!"
Batur spat dismissively, looking like a dead pig that doesn't care about boiling water.
Lu Yan wasn't angry. He turned to the soldiers behind him and said:
"Drag him away and execute him!"
"What?!" Batulun panicked immediately.
He thought Lu Yan would interrogate him, but he didn't expect Lu Yan to chop off his head right away.
"You...you can't kill me! I am a general of the Southern Barbarians. If you kill me, the Southern Barbarian King will not let you off!"
"Oh? Is that so?" Lu Yan raised an eyebrow.
"What a pity, it won't be long before your barbarian king goes down to join you."
Batur tried to say something more, but was forcibly dragged away by the soldiers.
Seeing this, the other barbarian generals and minor leaders also began to shout and clamor.
Some cursed loudly, some pleaded desperately, and some threatened and intimidated; the scene was chaotic.
Lu Yan watched all of this with a cold eye, without wavering in the slightest.
We cannot be soft-hearted when dealing with these barbarians.
Killing these ringleaders will deter the rest of the barbarian captives.
It can also comfort the spirits of those who died in battle, and inspire the fighting spirit of the people of Shannan County.
With a series of shrill screams, the barbarian generals and minor leaders were beheaded in full view of everyone.
Blood stained the square ground red, and the stench of blood was so strong that it was hard to breathe.
Standing in the crowd, Chen Qingwan watched this scene unfold before her, feeling incredibly excited.
I never imagined that you, a corrupt official, could be so ruthless and decisive.
She had originally thought that Lu Yan would interrogate the prisoners.
Then they would imprison them or send them back to the southern barbarians.
But to her utter surprise, Lu Yan directly ordered their execution.
Lu Yan looked at the barbarian prisoners below the stage, who were stunned by the sight.
The goal of making an example of them has been achieved; now it's up to these people to see if they know what's good for them.
He turned and went back to his seat, saying in a relaxed tone:
"The commendation ceremony continues!"
It was as if the killing just now was a trivial matter.
Lu Fei couldn't wait any longer. He eagerly picked up the roster and began to read it aloud at the top of his lungs:
"Er Gouzi, musketeer battalion of Shannan County, has killed five enemy soldiers. He is awarded a first-class merit and a reward of fifty taels of silver! He is promoted one rank!..."
As Lu Fei read the announcement, the square became lively once again.
The soldiers whose names were called beamed with joy, while those whose names weren't called looked on with envy.
"Zhang San, cavalry battalion of Shannan County, has killed ten enemy soldiers. He is awarded a special merit and a reward of one hundred taels of silver! He has been promoted three ranks!"
Lu Fei's voice rose and fell, and the atmosphere in the square grew increasingly enthusiastic.
Chen Qingwan and Qiao'er stood in the crowd, their jaws practically dropping to the ground, their eyes wide as saucers.
Qiao'er couldn't help but whisper, "Your Majesty, isn't Lu Yan, that corrupt official, too... too arrogant?"
As Lu Fei read out the details, the amount of the reward increased.
"Li Si, of the Shannan County Infantry Battalion, has killed twenty enemy soldiers. He is awarded a super merit and a reward of two hundred taels of silver! He has been promoted three ranks and is granted the title of 'Shannan Warrior'!"
Li Si excitedly walked onto the stage and received the heavy silver from Lu Yan's hand.
And a wooden plaque engraved with the four large characters "Shannan Warriors," which made him so excited that he was incoherent:
"Thank you... thank you, sir! I... I will definitely... I will definitely work harder to kill the enemy in the future!"
Lu Yan patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile:
"Keep up the good work, I believe in you!"
The commendation ceremony lasted for nearly an hour.
Almost all the soldiers who participated in the battle received some form of reward.
Those present silently calculated that in just a short while, Lu Yan had given away more than a million taels of silver.
On average, each person would receive about twenty taels.
Moreover, this is not an empty promise, but real money!
Boxes of gleaming silver were displayed in the square, dazzling everyone's eyes.
Chen Qingwan and Qiao'er were completely dumbfounded.
Looking at the mountain of silver boxes piled up in the square, Chen Qingwan felt a mix of emotions.
She silently estimated the cost of Lu Yan's reward this time.
It's probably more than her national treasury's annual military expenditure.
She couldn't help but smile bitterly, realizing that she, the ruler of a nation, was not as wealthy as a mere county magistrate.
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