April 18th, a rebellion broke out in Xiangyang. Han Li, the Left Army Commander under Fan Qiong, ordered the entire army to surrender and then disappeared. Wang Jun, the Right Army Commander, colluded with Fan Qiong's personal guards to launch a mutiny, directly capturing Fan Qiong and surrendering Xiangyang City.

That very evening, Huyan Tong took the lead in braving the rain to lead his troops across the river, marching rapidly into the city to control the city gates.

Meanwhile, Liu Yan, a favorite general of the Emperor who had experienced many setbacks in his official career, along with Commander Xin, only arrived twenty miles west of the city due to the rising Han River, missing out on a great achievement due to an unfortunate twist of fate.

Of course, all of this was irrelevant to the overall situation. Early the next morning, Emperor Zhao led the main force of the Imperial Guard across the river and, at noon, joined forces with Generals Liu Yan and Xin Yongzong beneath Xiangyang City. However, he ordered Generals Wang De and Fu Qing to enter the city first to assist Huyan Tong in completely controlling the city's defenses.

Thus, in sixteen days, Fan Qiong's rebellion was quelled with remarkable speed.

However, with the Emperor's presence, he had to personally handle some of the cleanup work.

"Lin Qing sent a letter through his trusted family members early this morning. I read it on the way and have a general understanding of the situation in the city... Are these Fan Qiong's family members?"

At noon, Emperor Zhao arrived at Xiangyang City but did not stay within the city walls. Instead, he rode his horse through the city and found his close confidant, Scholar Lin, near a large pit south of the city. However, upon seeing the pit filled with corpses, especially those of several young women, he couldn't help but frown.

"I am ashamed..." Scholar Lin, seeing the Emperor's arrival, snapped out of his dazed state and bowed in respect. "I truly did not expect Fan Qiong to be so perverse, first flaying people alive and then slaughtering his wives, concubines, and daughters."

Emperor Zhao did not respond. He was drawn to a corpse closest to his horse... With the intermittent sunlight at noon, Emperor Zhao could see clearly that the corpse was dressed as a wealthy young girl of sixteen or seventeen. There were at least three or four wounds, all of them enormous, causing half of her body to be stained crimson with blood, while the other half was dry and pale from blood loss. This, combined with the girl's goose-yellow clothes, covered in the dark brown mud below, was truly striking.

"This is Fan Qiong's daughter..." Scholar Lin became increasingly uneasy.

"Killing the women in his own family at the slightest provocation, killing both good and bad people, completely disregarding the trouble he caused himself." Emperor Zhao stared expressionlessly at the corpse but could not help but sigh. "It's rare to find someone responsible and somewhat considerate of his family, but he turns out to be a traitor... I heard Fan Qiong isn't dead?"

"He is." Scholar Lin, who had been flustered, suddenly calmed down.

"Understandable. Death is the only difficult thing since ancient times. This kind of thing, like killing wives and daughters, is a common occurrence for 'great men' in history. I see that those generals, and Military Advisor Liu, don't seem surprised, so they must have seen this kind of thing often in the past two years." Emperor Zhao gazed thoughtfully at the giant pit before him. "What do you mean, Scholar Lin? It seems you have something to say that you didn't fully disclose in yesterday's letter?"

"Yes." Scholar Lin bowed in response. "I must apologize to Your Majesty in person. In fact, I should have dealt with Fan Qiong yesterday to spare Your Majesty the trouble, but Wang Jun is blinded by greed, thinking he has a rare commodity. I couldn't even command him, which is truly shameful."

Emperor Zhao gripped the reins of his horse, seemingly puzzled. "Putting aside Wang Jun, why do you think that not dealing with Fan Qiong would trouble me?"

"Since the Jingkang Incident, Fan Qiong has repeatedly committed evil deeds and deserves to die ten thousand times. Your Majesty has always hated evil, but as the Emperor, administering justice and upholding the law is the proper way..." Scholar Lin replied in a low, embarrassed voice. The people behind the Emperor, such as Wang Yuan, Liu Yan, and Huyan Tong, quickly and consciously reined their horses back. "I should have shared Your Majesty's burdens and spared Your Majesty from bearing a bad reputation, but I am truly incapable."

"You're overthinking it." Emperor Zhao sighed slightly and then looked up at the bright sun overhead. "What kind of person are you? Your family is full of Jinshi, and you're a so-called courtier, raised in luxury and wealth. Your actions this time are already better than countless others. As for me... Since Fan Qiong has committed such unforgivable acts, why should anyone blame me for being a little harsh? Besides, I'm not some wise and benevolent perfect ruler, and I don't want to be Emperor Renzong... Do you know that Liu Yu has erected temples for Chen Dong and Ouyang Che in Jinan? What reputation do I have left?"

"..."

"But, isn't there any way to excuse this?" Emperor Zhao lowered his head and asked with a smile.

"Yes, there is." Scholar Lin had been looking down at the corpses under his feet. Upon hearing this, he suddenly looked up and answered firmly. "The *Book of Rites* says, 'Heavy punishments are used in a chaotic country.' And Zheng Xuan of the late Han Dynasty, living in a chaotic world, commented: 'Using heavy punishments' means to transform evil and destroy it. ' Just as Your Majesty said, since Fan Qiong has committed all sorts of evil deeds, then he can't blame Your Majesty for transforming evil and destroying him!"

"Heavy punishments must be used in a chaotic world... I thought it was Wei Wu's saying, but it turns out to be a Confucian classic?" Emperor Zhao suddenly thought of a low-end game that liked to sort data, and then thought of some high-end TV dramas, and nodded repeatedly. "Since the classics have said so, I won't be pretentious... Don't bury these people yet. Bring a coffin and bring Fan Qiong here. Then, all the generals in the city, let Huyan Tong stay behind, and the rest come to witness the execution."

"All of them?" Scholar Lin was slightly taken aback.

"That's right, from Wang De of the Imperial Guard to Wang Jun of the surrendered troops, all of them come to witness the execution."

Scholar Lin heard clearly and no longer hesitated. He bowed and took his leave to issue the orders, while Emperor Zhao sat still on his horse, unmoving.

As for Liu Ziyu, Liu Yan, Wang Yuan, and the others who had come with him, they had avoided the Emperor and Scholar Lin's conversation. Now, hearing the order, they knew that a major execution was about to take place and should offer some advice... But for some reason, seeing the Emperor standing alone on horseback among the corpses, saying nothing, they looked at each other and dared not step forward.

After waiting for a while, perhaps coffins were scarce, or perhaps the officers were being summoned slowly, Scholar Lin returned after a full half-hour.

However, since it was the Emperor's decree, the officers, especially those among the surrendered troops, dared not neglect it. So, from Wang Jun downwards, they abandoned their armor and lined up around the pit.

"The sun is already setting," Emperor Zhao said, seeing the coffin and Fan Qiong, who had long been reduced to a pile of mud, being carried in. He didn't say anything extra, didn't summon him, didn't question him, and didn't give any speeches to the officers. He simply ordered, "Quickly execute this man!"

"May I ask what punishment Your Majesty will use?" Now that things had come to this, Scholar Lin had no scruples and asked with gritted teeth. "The so-called major punishment uses armor and weapons, but Your Majesty's purpose for this expedition is already clear... The second is to use axes, and the middle punishment uses knives and saws, and the next is to use drills... Which one is Your Majesty preparing to use?"

"These are inhumane and too bloody." Emperor Zhao shook his head repeatedly, as if it wasn't him who had told the scholar 'not to be pretentious' half an hour ago. "As the sagely Emperor, how can I use these? Not only that, Premier Li told me that he and I had some words that he would not be killed, so I have to fulfill that promise, otherwise I won't be able to explain it to Premier Li."

Scholar Lin fell silent, and Fan Qiong, who was paralyzed on the ground not far away, actually made a little movement. There was even a commotion among the surrounding officers.

"Put him directly into the coffin, nail it shut, and carry it to the bottom of the pit." Emperor Zhao ignored the surrounding noise and continued, "Then bury his wives, concubines, children, and the other dead together, cover them with soil, and tamp it down!"

Scholar Lin was suddenly stunned, but after only a moment, he immediately looked back at Liu Yan. Liu Yan's scalp was already tingling, but as the highest-ranking officer of the Imperial Guard escort, he couldn't avoid it and could only turn around and give the order.

It wasn't just Liu Yan's scalp that was tingling. With Emperor Zhao's order, with several armored soldiers stuffing the tightly bound but undamaged Fan Qiong into the coffin, with Fan Qiong's cries after he realized what was happening and couldn't stop the soldiers from nailing the coffin shut, with the loud coffin being covered layer by layer with corpses at the bottom of the pit until it gradually became silent, the surrounding generals felt cold all over, but none dared to leave.

Even Commander Xin, helpless, tremblingly threw in his treasured bald head in the middle.

Emperor Zhao stood beside, watching the entire process of Fan Qiong being buried alive, and became bored. Then, without saying much, he simply turned around and prepared to return to the city to rest.

However, amid a scene of caution, Emperor Zhao, surrounded by many Imperial Guards and important officials, suddenly reined in his horse when he approached a general with a gaping mouth showing missing teeth, and asked kindly, "Are you Wang Jun?"

"Yes... I pay my respects to Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!" Wang Jun was clearly somewhat dazed, but after waking up, he didn't care about the blood and mud on the ground and directly prostrated himself.

"I know all about your actions this time." Emperor Zhao looked at the man with a smile and said, "Xiangyang City was able to be captured without a fight. You deserve great credit. Tell me, what reward do you want?"

Of course, Wang Jun wanted to continue to be his commander, and even wanted to continue to be stationed in Xiangyang City, because he had been here for more than half a year and had already married his beloved concubine and acquired property here.

In fact, this man with the hare lip was almost about to blurt out these words.

However, as soon as Wang Jun raised his head and met the Emperor standing on horseback against the light, looking at the other person's slightly blurred, smiling expression, coupled with the inhuman howls that Fan Qiong had just made at the bottom of the pit, he was suddenly startled and forcibly swallowed the prepared words.

Not only that, in a moment of inexplicable impulse, he prostrated himself again in the mud, his face covered in mud and tears flowing non-stop, and his words choked up: "To tell Your Majesty the truth, I am a guilty scoundrel, clearly Your Majesty's subject, but I followed Fan Qiong, this rebellious traitor, in many unjust deeds... This is great disloyalty! And although Fan Qiong is a thousand-times-damned scoundrel, I was still promoted by him. Although surrendering the city this time was because of my loyalty to Your Majesty and my concern for the lives of the people in the city, I didn't hesitate, but it was still not loyal enough! A person like me, how can I have the face to ask for a reward?! I am so grateful that Your Majesty didn't kill me!"

Emperor Zhao listened carefully to the man's leaking accent, without interrupting him at all. After he finished speaking, he looked down and smiled: "A meritorious official is a meritorious official. Not rewarding merit and not punishing wrongdoing, wouldn't that be breaking one's word and making the world laugh?"

The man with the hare lip on the ground just kowtowed and dared not say more.

"It's like this, I heard from Scholar Lin earlier that you have been living and working in Xiangyang for a long time and don't want to leave. He also said that you are a person of extraordinary integrity, a loyal and righteous gentleman with rare moral character... Having met you today, it is indeed so." Emperor Zhao still spoke gently. "To be honest, Scholar Lin really admires you, and I really like you. I want to promote you intentionally. What do you think?"

"I will listen to Your Majesty in everything!" What else could Wang Jun say? He could only kowtow again and quickly express his position.

"Scholar Lin." Emperor Zhao turned his head to look at Lin Jingmo by his side. "Do you think this will work? I am currently having the various military prefectures recommend talents for exceptional appointments. I think that in Xiangzhou, Wang Jun is the most outstanding. And having met him today, I am especially pleased and want to give him an exceptional background, change his military rank to civil service, and let him be the Vice Prefect of Xiangzhou. But I'm afraid there is no precedent and others will not be convinced..."

"Congratulations, Vice Prefect Wang!" Wang Jun was still confused, but Scholar Lin had already spoken quickly behind the Emperor. He could only say that he deserved to be a scholar of the Jade Hall, and his reaction was agile. "From now on, you are also a civil official like me. We must be close to each other."

Saying this, the scholar Lin then bowed solemnly to Emperor Zhao on his horse and said, "Your Majesty doesn't have to worry about others' opinions. There are precedents for talented and virtuous people changing from military officers to civil officials... The Great Scholar Su once strongly recommended He Qufei, a guard of the Right Palace, to change to civil service, and it was praised as a good story for a time. Although I am humble, I also want to imitate the elegance of the Great Scholar Su and recommend talents for the country!"

"Well said, first there was the Great Su, and now there is the Little Lin. The scholar has a broad mind and is elegant." The Emperor nodded repeatedly.

When Scholar Lin turned his head to speak to the Emperor, Wang Jun had already realized the meaning of the emperor and his subject... Out of a military man's instinct, he naturally wanted to refute, but at this time, he was helpless, not to mention the tragic state of Fan Qiong, how dared he speak?

Moreover, in the Great Song Dynasty, where the civil service was valued over the military for hundreds of years, this Scholar Lin was turning him into a civil official, and although there was a clear intention to deprive him of military power, how could it not be said to be a great kindness?!

For a moment, Wang Jun, who had always been clear-headed, was confused.

"Vice Prefect Wang!" Just when Wang Jun was at a loss, Scholar Lin jumped off his horse with a plop, disregarding the dirt on the ground, directly helped Wang Jun up in the mud, and said with certainty, "Since you have become a civil official, you must have the appearance of a scholar-official. You can't even kneel before Your Majesty! Quickly get up and bow to Your Majesty to express your gratitude!"

Wang Jun opened his mouth wide, revealing a large gap, and was actually caught by the powerless Scholar Lin and bowed to the Emperor in public to express his gratitude.

Since Wang Jun had finished his ceremony and publicly received the reward, Emperor Zhao also turned around with a smile and entered the city, and Scholar Lin quickly got on his horse and caught up. The surrounding military officers did not dare to neglect this Vice Prefect, who had been specially granted a background by the Emperor, and congratulated him one after another. But after congratulating him and urging his horse to catch up with Emperor Zhao into the city, there were sighs, but it was unknown whether it was envy or ridicule.

Thus, there were no major events that day. Liu Yan first took two hundred of the best of Fan Qiong's seven hundred cavalry into his unit, and then selected two hundred armored soldiers for Yang Yizhong. Then Wang De led the remaining generals of the Imperial Guard, as if dividing a cake, and annexed the ten thousand troops of Fan Qiong's unit.

The city was calm and everyone was happy, as if nothing had happened.

However, that evening, in the state government in Xiangyang City, Emperor Zhao sat alone under the corridor, examining the letters and notes sent from Nanyang for a long time. Then he suddenly spoke to someone beside him, causing trouble for no reason: "Defu..."

"Your subject is here." Liu Yan, who was sitting with his hand on his knife, hurriedly bowed.

"What are you thinking about?" Emperor Zhao asked with a smile.

"Nothing else, just daydreaming." Liu Yan quickly shook his head. "Your subject is not as alert as Commander Yang, which makes Your Majesty laugh."

"Speaking of which, do you remember that night when you, I, and Zhengfu met in Mingdao Palace?" Emperor Zhao put away those notes and asked, pinching his cheek sideways on the table.

"Of course, I remember."

"Then are you wondering how the Emperor, who easily pardoned the rebels in the Red Heart Team that day, could come up with such a cruel method so calmly today?" Emperor Zhao asked casually, "And be able to stay here in this room tonight without any reaction."

"Your subject... dares not."

"Then that's it," Emperor Zhao couldn't help but smile. "Compared to Zhengfu, you still can't talk."

Liu Yan became more and more flustered, but as the Emperor said, he was not good at words and didn't know how to respond at all. In his panic, the Vice Commander of the Imperial Guard could only make eye contact with another person in the room, that is, Scholar Lin, who had been helping the Emperor deal with the notes, but Scholar Lin ignored him and kept writing.

"Don't panic." Emperor Zhao didn't pay attention to their little actions but sighed softly. "Actually, after leaving Mingdao Palace, I have been wondering all the way here, and I occasionally ask myself in the middle of the night whether some actions are worth it, whether they are right or wrong... But today's matter is not among them. Fan Qiong deserves it!"

"Yes!"

"Jingmo."

"Your subject is here." Scholar Lin quickly responded.

"Write a document... like a private letter, not an imperial decree... to Premier Li in Yangzhou, listing Fan Qiong's crimes clearly, and then question him for me, what was he thinking back then? In a chaotic world, he can't tolerate civil officials losing their integrity, and he shouts and kills Zhang Bangchang, but he never thought about the consequences of military officials losing their integrity? Why could he let this person go that day with the absurd reason of distinguishing between civil and military affairs?" Emperor Zhao said slowly. "The wording should be more intense, ask him what it means to 'lead beasts to eat people'... Sign it with Cangzhou Zhao Jiu."

"Your subject respectfully accepts the decree!" Scholar Lin didn't hesitate and bowed directly to accept the order.

Since he had issued this order, Emperor Zhao didn't hesitate and directly turned back to the house, which still had some traces of slashing, to rest. Liu Yan and Lin Jingmo had nothing to say.

There was no word all night, and Emperor Zhao, in this house that didn't know how many wronged souls were locked in, really had a sleepless night.