Chapter Twenty-Three: Execution, Reward, Persuasion

White Dog raised his blade.

“Don’t kill me! Didn’t you say we wouldn’t be killed if we surrendered?”

In Zhang Stone’s camp, a captured Han soldier wailed in terror. Around him, the other Han soldiers cowered in silence.

“General, the commander said we are not to kill those who surrender,” a soldier beside White Dog tried to persuade him.

The blade flashed, and a head tumbled to the ground.

“What does he count for!” White Dog spat. “If it weren’t for us helping him, he’d be nothing. The Han traitors slaughtered my whole family. So what if I kill a few for revenge?”

“That’s a matter of military discipline,” came Wang Luo’s voice from behind him. “If you have a grudge, settle it on the battlefield. You shouldn’t bully captives who have already surrendered.”

“I killed him, so what are you going to do?”

“Enforce military discipline.”

No sooner had Wang Luo spoken than Bai Erjin and a few men pressed forward. White Dog raised his blade, but two men seized him from behind, wrenched the weapon from his hand, and threw him to the ground.

Bai Erjin stepped closer, knife raised, glancing at Wang Luo for confirmation. Wang Luo nodded. Then, all saw a subordinate raise his blade against a former superior; the blade fell, a spray of blood burst forth, and the head rolled aside.

The watching soldiers trembled, not daring to make a sound. Wang Luo glanced at the severed head. “Show this head throughout the army. Reiterate the laws of war. Any breach will be punished by immediate execution without pardon.”

“Yes, sir!” Bai Erjin bowed, picked up White Dog’s head, mounted his horse, and left to pass on the order.

Moments later, Su Si arrived, leading a dozen men on horseback. Seeing White Dog’s corpse, he looked shocked. “You… killed him?”

“He violated discipline and slaughtered prisoners. He had to be executed.” Wang Luo reached into his tunic for the note just delivered by Zhou Yingxiong’s messenger. “Summon General Zhang Stone.”

“What’s wrong with Zhang Stone? You…” Su Si’s hand went to his sword hilt. “He hasn’t done anything wrong, has he?”

As they spoke, the fully armed Zhang Stone, covered in blood, short sword dripping, approached side by side with Zhang Xiong.

“General Zhang, you’ve worked hard,” Wang Luo greeted him. “Our victory is thanks to your holding off the Han troops and stopping their escape. This is a great feat.”

He took a set of Han army armor from Liu An nearby and handed it over. “Please accept this as a token of my gratitude.”

Zhang Stone looked surprised, but cupped his hands. “It was only due to the commander’s sound arrangements that we could encircle the Han army. I merely did my duty and fought as best I could.”

“If everyone fought as bravely as you, the Han army would have been crushed long ago.”

At this praise, Zhang Stone grinned, evidently pleased.

After a few more courteous exchanges, Zhang Stone took his leave.

“We won.” Su Si’s expression darkened for a moment as he watched Wang Luo’s dealings with Zhang Stone, then he relaxed.

Wang Luo smiled. “Yes, we did.”

“I tried to talk sense into Old Bai as well, but that’s just his nature… Sigh! Strict discipline is a good thing, though. Zhang and Guo, the former commanders, considered it, but could never steel themselves to do it.”

“He used to serve under Commander Lin Qi, didn’t he?”

“Yes… that’s right…”

“And you?”

“No… I was with Commander Zhang.”

Su Si looked embarrassed. Clearly, he wasn’t entirely unaware of White Dog’s outside dealings.

Wang Luo weighed his next words carefully, then chose to speak plainly.

“I can win.” On the battlefield, that was the most persuasive thing to say.

“I don’t doubt the Yellow Heaven talk.” Thrown into this world so inexplicably, even a child of socialism can’t entirely disbelieve in gods. “But I don’t believe it, either. On the battlefield, so-called gods are powerless. You all have faith, but you keep losing.”

“Well… Commander Guo used to say this is Yellow Heaven testing us.”

Su Si’s tone was strained. “Sending men to die for a ‘test’ is one thing, sending women and children is another.” You have children too—surely this matters to you.

“I can win,” Wang Luo repeated. “I want to live. I want to defeat the enemy before me. I want to see these…” He paused, gesturing at the soldiers gathering spoils.

“These poor souls, who only want a decent life and work hard but suffer so much they can’t even eat their fill, and their wives and children—see them live a good life.”

Su Si nodded. “That is what the Great Teacher wants, too.”

“He will lose on the battlefield,” Wang Luo’s voice was firm. “I will win. Are you ready to die now?”

Su Si pressed his lips together.

“I am not,” Wang Luo went on. “Someone once said, ‘If you don’t understand life, how can you know death?’ There may be happiness after death, or not. I don’t want to gamble on the unknown. I just want to lead everyone to victory, to live well together.”

“Once we win, we can divide the landlords’ land so everyone has fields to farm, and everyone can eat their fill. Is that wrong?”

Su Si didn’t reply. Zhang Xiong, at his side, shouted, “Of course it’s right! I joined the Yellow Scarves just to live a little better, not to be bullied anymore!”

“The commander speaks the truth,” echoed Iron Pillar. “I don’t care about gods or spirits. Whoever leads us to victory deserves to be followed!”

The surrounding soldiers cheered.

“Follow Wang Luo! Win the battle!”

“Follow Wang Luo! Win the battle!”

From farther off, others took up the cry.

It was a rare victory, and their excitement was natural. Wang Luo watched Su Si intently, but could not read his decision.

With White Dog dealt with and Zhang Stone taken care of, Su Si’s support was now crucial.

The newly promoted officers, though capable, had little experience commanding men, and both in fighting the enemy and managing their own troops, they lacked the authority and prowess needed. With Su Si’s backing, his own position would be secure—even absorbing enemy forces was not out of reach.

White Dog’s actions could not have been hidden from him. If he refused to take a stand, then…

Minutes passed. As Wang Luo was nearly ready to give up hope and his hand drifted to his sword hilt, Su Si spoke.

“The Great Teacher once saved my life.”

“Yes.”

“White Dog and Mao Man contacted Commander Lin on my orders. He has stores of grain. If we join forces, we could last half a month.”

“I see.” What is going on?!

“Even if you win these two battles, the Han army is still strong. We can’t break out, and we’ll all die. Better we return to camp together. I won’t help him; you’ll still be the commander. Lin Qi can’t touch you.”

So this was it—so you were the one behind it all. “I see.”

“You could always withdraw, of course. But his men, plus those recently gathered, make up more than four thousand. If fighting breaks out and the Han army comes, what then?”

Thank goodness I didn’t split up my forces. Wang Luo felt a cold sweat on his back. “What do you propose?”

Su Si now looked unusually earnest. “Let’s return together. Stand united and weather this crisis.”

He could sense that Su Si bore him no ill will—was that why he felt so unsettled? Or was it all the illogical things that had happened before? “I suppose that’s possible. But who will command?”

“He’s been appointed by the Great Teacher himself, not just chosen by us.”

“Tell him this: I’ll obey any order that makes sense, but not those that don’t. He doesn’t command my men. He can’t touch my prisoners or spoils. For the armor made in my camp, he can have a share. If he has iron ore or ingots, I’ll forge for him, but he has to trade grain for it.”

“That’s acceptable, but you must bow to him before the officers. At least in name, you must acknowledge him as commander.”

“Agreed.” Wang Luo stared at Su Si. “But will he agree to all this?” Have you already come to terms, or do you have a backup plan if he refuses?

“I’ll go now.” Su Si glanced at the sun. “I’ll be back within two hours. If I don’t return, you can attack.”

“Agreed. Two hours,” Wang Luo said.

“Lin Qi.” After Su Si left, Wang Luo stroked his chin. “That name sounds familiar. Also an officer, I think.”

“Oh, right. That’s the one.”