Chapter 646: Giving Someone a Dignified Death (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Bai Su walked towards the prefectural governor's mansion, her hand resting on the sword at her waist.
Even before we reached the council chamber, we heard Miao Shu cursing.
"Who dares to offend my lord?" A fierce glint flashed in her eyes. She changed her course on the spot and kicked open the door.
For a moment, they met the eyes of the father and son inside the room.
Bai Su bowed to Xun Zhen: "Greetings, Military Advisor Xun."
Xun Zhen returned the greeting and said, "My lord instructed us to escort this person away, but I never expected her commotion would alarm General Bai."
Bai Su only received half a bow from Xun Zhen.
At this moment, Miao Shu was in excruciating pain, her internal organs burning uncontrollably. Her limbs convulsed, her head throbbed with pain, veins bulged on her forehead, and her vision alternated between clear and blurry. Despite this, she could still clearly see Bai Su entering the room, a dashing young military general. Although his features were heroic, they were not as angular and hard as a man's; he had red lips and white teeth, and at first glance, he looked more like a woman.
Bai Su glanced down at Miao Shu, who was lying on the ground trembling in pain, and keenly noticed the uncontrollable literary aura emanating from the other woman, and that her voice was not as deep as a man's.
"Is she a literary scholar?"
“Yes, she also possesses the ways of a scholar and is not lacking in talent, it’s just a pity—” Xun Zhen said with a hint of envy. Miao Shu’s way of a scholar was born for the battlefield and did not have any annoying drawbacks that held her back. “This person cannot be kept.”
Bai Su said indifferently, "If they can't be kept alive, then kill them."
Xun Ding muttered, "Isn't this being done right now?"
"The 'kill' I'm referring to is a single, decisive beheading, the head rolling on the ground! Even if you give her poisoned wine, she still has the strength to insult our lord." Bai Su was willing to do it if Xun Zhen agreed. Killing and bloodshed were things military officers were more comfortable with.
Xun Zhen said, "But our lord allowed her to leave with dignity."
Under normal circumstances, the body should be preserved intact.
Although Miao Shu was from the opposing camp and not a very qualified scholar, Shen Tang was still willing to give her some face.
It's not that Shen Tang is particularly kind, but rather—
Xun Zhen said, "Miao Shu is probably the first female scholar-official in the world to die a martyr for her beliefs. Let's set a good example."
To get off to a good start, in every sense of the word.
Upon hearing this, Bai Su had no choice but to abandon her plan to cut out Miao Shu's tongue. She was just about to look for a piece of cloth to gag the other woman and stop those insulting and offensive words from coming out. But little did she know that Miao Shu, in the midst of the excruciating pain, had calmed down and was staring intently at Bai Su.
Black, foul-smelling blood kept oozing from the corner of her mouth.
Despite the excruciating pain, he asked, "You... are not a man?"
Bai Su nodded: "I am a woman."
She only dresses up slightly during her days off; otherwise, she goes bare-faced. However, martial artists possess martial energy that protects them and nourishes their meridians, resulting in excellent skin condition and more refined features. Ignoring her height, one would generally not mistake her gender. Well, this only applies to Shen Tang's inner circle; others would still mistake her for someone else upon seeing her Martial Tiger Seal.
"You—how could this be—"
She became inexplicably agitated and nearly choked on the contaminated blood.
Bai Su was puzzled: "Why is it impossible for me?"
Before reforming her ways, Bai Su worked as a thief, and she was extremely adept at reading people. Seeing Miao Shu's expression freeze for a moment upon hearing her answer, as if struck by lightning, her eyes filled with disbelief, Bai Su guessed what was going on and sneered, "Do you think you're one of a kind in heaven and earth, favored by the heavens? If you can study literature and recommend yourself to become a scholar, why can't I study martial arts and join the army to become a general?"
Her words struck at Miao Shu's most hidden pride.
Her pupils contracted, a change that confirmed Bai Su's suspicions.
"You really think so?"
Recalling Miao Shu's earlier insults to Shen Tang, Bai Su harbored a treacherous intent. She crouched down to meet Miao Shu's gaze, who was struggling to lift her head, and without a care for the dirt, pinched Miao Shu's bloodied jawbone with one hand, forcing her to tilt her head back in pain. Bai Su whispered in her ear, "If there truly is a destiny in this world, it must be my lord, Shen Jun. You probably don't know, but she is also a woman, just like you. Both are scholars and women, yet she is the victor, while you and your former master are prisoners."
Miao Shu suddenly opened her eyes wide.
However, her jaw was firmly held in place by Bai Su's strong, slender hand, preventing her from opening her mouth or speaking; she could only make muffled sounds. Seeing that Miao Shu's struggles were increasing, Bai Su knew she had touched a nerve. Her face remained cold, but her fingers tightened: "Do you know why you are 'favored by fate,' becoming a one-in-a-million exception among women?"
Bai Su smiled and said, "Because you were once a citizen of Longwu County, that's all. Longwu County is neither big nor small, and there are dozens or even hundreds of people like you. This change happened after our lord took over Longwu County."
Hopefully, Miao Shu will understand the ins and outs before she dies.
So what if you come from a privileged background?
What about literary scholars and intellectuals?
Once you understand this, her pride becomes worthless.
"Huh? He's already passed away?"
Whether it was the poison that finally ended the torment of Miao Shu, or whether Miao Shu was so shocked that her blood rushed to her head, blocking her mouth and nose, causing her to suffocate from lack of oxygen, she was dead. Bai Su stared indifferently at the purplish-blue face and the eyes that never closed until death, knowing that Miao Shu had left unwillingly. And so, she found peace.
Miao Shu's curse ruined her good mood.
"Military Advisor Xun, isn't this considered respectable?"
Xun Zhen calmly replied, "I can explain this to my lord."
Only after the woman died did Bai Su have time to learn who Miao Shu was. After learning about her life and deeds, she discovered that this woman had also plotted the attack on Nanyu County: "She really made it too easy for her!"
Seeing her look as if she wanted to whip a corpse, Xun Zhen laughed and teased, "General Bai can't stand it anymore? If Miao Shu hadn't been born into the Miao clan and had a blood feud with the lord, it would have been perfectly normal for her to be recruited based on her talent alone."
The fundamental reason why Miao Shu could not be recruited was that the hatred was irreconcilable, her temperament was unchangeable, and she was selfish and lacked fairness, not because of her status as a former official of Nanyu County or Qiu Cheng. In war, casualties are inevitable—although it sounds cruel, compared to the strategic value that Miao Shu's scholarly way could generate, the losses of Nanyu County were insignificant.
Bai Su understood, but—
"Military Advisor Xun, there are no 'what ifs,' she's dead!"
"Indeed, she is dead."
After confirming that Miao Shu was completely dead, the soldiers collected her body and delivered it to Qiu Cheng. Although Qiu Cheng was a prisoner, his conditions were not bad; he was just somewhat listless and anxious about Shen Tang's fate. Until he received Miao Shu's body.
When the body was brought in, countless thoughts flashed through Qiu Cheng's mind, but he never expected it to be Miao Shu. Until the white sheet covering the body was lifted and the face that he could hardly recognize rushed into his view, he was so frightened that his heart tightened and he couldn't believe it.
His wife was also sent to reunite with him.
Upon recognizing Miao Shu, she screamed in terror.
"Shu, Shuniang—My lord, this is Shuniang!"
The First Madam was so frightened that her legs went weak. Although Qiu Cheng was terrified, he was trying to figure out Shen Tang's intentions. Why was Miao Shu's body sent here by one of them? Was it an implication? Qiu Cheng couldn't figure it out. The First Madam was still shouting beside him, and he became more and more agitated.
"What's all the noise about? I have eyes, I can see!"
The First Madam's hands trembled: "My lord, could it be that Shen Jun... is he trying to use Shuniang to hint at poisoning us?"
It's not uncommon for defeated soldiers to be killed, but those were always due to deep-seated hatred. Generally, the leader of the opposing force would be spared. Leaving a way out for oneself is not only for the opponent but also for oneself. No one can guarantee that they will always be victorious. Of course, if the defeated party refuses to surrender and suffer humiliation, they may choose to commit suicide in order to ensure the safety of their family.
It's rare to see someone like Shen Tang whose life is threatened right from the start.
Qiu Cheng's mind was buzzing and in complete confusion.
He tried to calm himself down.
Unfortunately, he was already a prisoner, and his fate was beyond his control.
Looking down at his sword, the thought of drawing it and committing suicide flashed through his mind—as long as he died, Shen Tang would still want a good reputation and wouldn't be able to wipe out his entire family. But, under the horrified gaze of the First Madam, his right hand trembled as he gripped the hilt of the sword, and the sword, which should have been easy to draw, felt incredibly heavy. He was like a deflated balloon, unable to loosen his grip.
He covered his face with his hands, his face full of shame.
He didn't have the courage to commit suicide.
The First Madam, with tears in her eyes, stepped forward and hugged him.
Qiu Cheng: "I'm sorry, Madam."
"Why do you say that, my lord? When I was young, I was a wife of the Qiu family. On the day I entered the household, I said that I was willing to live and die with you!"
The corpse lying on the ground went unnoticed.
Qiu Cheng and his subordinates waited anxiously for three whole days. Shen Tang finally had a chance to meet the prisoners one by one after getting a basic understanding of the mess in Xiaocheng. They didn't talk much, but asked some questions, such as their names, where they lived, their family background, how many people were in their family, their education, their social circle, their skills, their official positions under Qiu Cheng, and their aspirations. After the conversation, they were released.
Finally, some people changed allegiances, some died inexplicably, such as slipping and falling into the toilet pit and drowning in the middle of the night, but a considerable number of people received a peculiar contract with the three large characters "Redemption Contract" written on it.
_(:з」∠)_
I have rather mixed feelings about the character Miao Shu.
From a strategist's perspective, in a war between two armies, there are both legitimate and illegitimate tactics. Victory is a testament to skill, while defeat is simply a matter of inferiority.
Her biggest stain is still her family of origin and the mindset she has developed over the years. She actually knows some things, but she doesn't care and doesn't think that human life is so precious, at least not compared to her family.
From her perspective, everything she did seemed justified.
But how can you get the correct answer from a wrong question?
(End of this chapter)
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