"General Min, why... have you returned?"
Several days later, Min Wuyan, with several hundred cavalry, suddenly returned to the Phoenix Perch Mountain stronghold. The guard, who had been drinking heavily, sobered up considerably upon seeing Min Wuyan and stammered, "Why... have you returned?"
"Where is Commander Lu?" Min Wuyan, mounted on his horse, asked with a dark and grim expression.
"He... he... inside the stronghold..." The guard replied fearfully. "General, please wait, I will report immediately."
"Smash!"
"How dare you block me? Get lost!" Min Wuyan, enraged that the junior officer dared to block his entry into the stronghold, struck him down with an iron halberd and led several hundred personal guards directly into the stronghold, heading straight for the "Biyi Hall" within.
The Biyi Hall was the place where Chen Guo, Huang Chong, and others held council.
The Xia army soldiers within the stronghold, under the command of Cavalry Commander Lu Cang, were gathered for drinking and revelry. Most had already collapsed in a drunken stupor. Those who were still conscious saw Min Wuyan charging in fully armed, wielding an iron halberd, his face contorted with rage. They had no idea what had happened and dared not stop him. Moreover, Min Wuyan was still the commander-in-chief of the Xia army tasked with suppressing the rebels, and the Xia court had not issued any decree to dismiss him from his post.
Even if someone had wanted to intervene, seeing the furious Min Wuyan, how could they dare?
Was the moniker "Little Fengxian" given for nothing?
With a "bang," Min Wuyan dismounted and kicked open the door of the Biyi Hall. Holding his iron halberd, he stood at the entrance, and the unsightly scene within the hall was revealed.
Inside the hall, Lu Cang and several dozen of his trusted Xia generals, along with over a hundred abducted women, were all naked, rolling together in a state of debauchery and pleasure. The hall was also filled with countless fine wines and delicacies, a veritable feast of flesh and wine, an unrestrained carnival, utterly shameful to behold.
"Min... Wu... Yan...?" Lu Cang, seeing a general standing at the doorway like a god, wielding a halberd, tumbled off two women in terror. Most of his drunkenness vanished, and he crawled on the ground, looking at Min Wuyan in fear and asking.
The Xia generals, shamed, hastily searched for clothing to cover themselves, but their clothes were either wet with wine or had been tossed somewhere. The women in the hall also screamed as they scrambled for something to cover themselves with, turning the place into chaos.
"Bind him!" Min Wuyan's eyes blazed with fury. He slammed his iron halberd heavily on the ground and gave the order.
Several burly guards stepped forward, dragged Lu Cang over, and pinned him at Min Wuyan's feet. His hands were tied behind his back, bound like a zongzi, and a white zongzi at that, for Lu Cang was wearing nothing but a few ropes.
The Xia soldiers under Lu Cang's command wanted to rush forward and fight Min Wuyan and his men, but they were either dead drunk or not much better off than Lu Cang, and they were unarmed. How could they fight?
"Why are you binding me?" Lu Cang, both shamed and furious, struggled desperately.
"You lecherous scoundrel, how dare you ask me?" Min Wuyan roared at Lu Cang on the ground.
Min Wuyan had led his troops back to the capital. They hadn't been gone for two days when he received news that Lu Cang and his Xia army had impatiently engaged in widespread burning, killing, raping, and plundering. They had been capturing and killing surrendered rebel soldiers, looting their property and women, and this had already incited some of the surrendered rebels to revolt again. Min Wuyan was both anxious and furious, and he led his troops back, intending to pacify the revolting rebels and to question Lu Cang.
If hundreds of thousands of rebels were to revolt again, wouldn't the Xia court's efforts to quell the rebellion be in vain? Wouldn't they have lost a vast amount of provisions and ammunition, and suffered heavy casualties for nothing?
"Execute him!" Min Wuyan roared in uncontrollable rage.
"As you command!" The guards on either side responded loudly and dragged Lu Cang out.
"Min Wuyan, how dare you kill me? Father... Father will definitely not let you off... Ahhh, save me!" Lu Cang was utterly terrified and yelled in a harsh voice, finally breaking down into tears.
Min Wuyan coldly walked out of the hall, holding his halberd, and watched Lu Cang being dragged down the wooden steps without a word.
"Eunuch Zhang, Eunuch Zhang... Old Master Zhang, Min Wuyan wants to kill me, save me!"
The guards ignored Lu Cang's cries and dragged him to an open space in the stronghold. Two guards drew their gleaming sabers, about to execute him. At this moment, the Xia army supervisor, the Attendant Officer Zhang Zheng, arrived in a hurry with his men. Lu Cang saw him as a savior and hastily pleaded aloud.
"Wait, wait! Execute him later, execute him later!" Zhang Zheng hurriedly shouted to stop the guards.
Zhang Zheng had been returning to the capital with Min Wuyan. Seeing Min Wuyan leading his troops back to Phoenix Perch Mountain, he knew something was wrong and hurried after him. However, with his old legs, how could he keep up with the young and strong Min Wuyan? Still, Zhang Zheng rushed with all his might and finally arrived in time, preventing a greater disaster.
No matter how guilty Lu Cang was, no matter how unforgivable his crimes, he was still the son of the Grand Marshal Lu Qiyue and an imperial general appointed to suppress the rebellion. He could not simply be executed like this. To punish him, he must be brought back to the capital and reported to the emperor for a decision by Emperor Yang Liang of Xia.
Zhang Zheng then gave Lu Cang a fierce glare, lifted the hem of his robe, and walked towards Min Wuyan, who stood holding his halberd.
What a lustful and shameless wretch, utterly dissolute and outrageous! Zhang Zheng cursed inwardly. If you want to act outrageously, why be so impatient? After you and Min Wuyan return to the capital, it will be none of our concern.
"Nephew Shijian, why are you acting like this? So careless!" Zhang Zheng said to Min Wuyan, panting, after climbing the wooden steps. "This man cannot be killed!"
Having ridden dozens of miles, Zhang Zheng was so exhausted he almost lost his life on the road.
"Alas, Elder Zhang..." Min Wuyan handed his iron halberd to his subordinates and sighed.
With Zhang Zheng's arrival, Min Wuyan knew that Lu Cang could not be executed. At the same time, his anger had subsided considerably. After the impulsive act, he understood Zhang Zheng's meaning. Lu Cang was indeed as he said, but he absolutely could not be killed.
Killing Lu Cang would bring endless trouble in the future.
But at this very moment, Min Wuyan and Lu Cang had already formed an irreconcilable enmity, and there would be endless trouble ahead.
"Death penalty is waived, but punishment cannot be avoided! Guards, administer one hundred military strokes to rectify military discipline!" Min Wuyan then coldly ordered.
"Nephew Shijian, Nephew Shijian, how about we postpone it for today? Let's decide after today?" Zhang Zheng hurriedly persuaded again.
"You need not persuade me further." Min Wuyan turned to Zhang Zheng and said, "This man has provoked the anger of the surrendered soldiers. If this is not done, it will surely lead to chaos! Chaos is a minor issue, but it could ruin His Majesty's great plan. Who can bear that responsibility?"
"Alas!" Zhang Zheng thought about it and could only sigh helplessly.
So, Min Wuyan's guards pinned Lu Cang to the ground. There was no need to strip him of his armor, as he was already naked. In front of all the Xia soldiers, they raised their boards high and began to strike.
Lu Cang felt shame, anger, and pain, but he no longer dared to utter a sound, enduring the punishment through gritted teeth, fearing that any change in circumstances would cost him his life.
Min Wuyan, you lowly slave, if I don't die today, I will surely settle this score with you! Lu Cang cursed in his heart.
However, Lu Cang's curses didn't last long before he was beaten unconscious, his buttocks broken and bleeding, a truly gruesome sight.
Min Wuyan administered one hundred military strokes to Lu Cang, executed dozens of Lu Cang's subordinates who had abetted his crimes, and escorted Lu Cang back to the capital. At the same time, he released those who had been plundered by Lu Cang and returned their property, thus somewhat appeasing the anger of the surrendered soldiers. A looming rebellion was thus suppressed by Min Wuyan.
...
"Father..." Lu Cang returned to the Xia capital, or rather, to the temporary imperial residence in Jiankang, bribed the guards, sneaked back to his mansion, found his father, the Grand Marshal Lu Qiyue, and knelt before him, weeping loudly, "That dog Min Wuyan, that dog..."
"General of Suppressing Rebels Min Wuyan? What did he do to you?" Lu Qiyue asked in shock, seeing Lu Cang's disheveled and miserable state.
Lu Qiyue naturally had a legitimate wife and over a hundred concubines. However, his legitimate wife was childless, and his concubines were also unable to bear him sons, giving him a string of daughters but no male heir, with the exception of Lu Cang, born to a concubine. Therefore, although Lu Cang was not a legitimate son but a庶出 (son of a concubine), Lu Qiyue treated him as a legitimate heir. And soon, he would be officially adopted by his legitimate wife, making him the sole heir of the Lu family. Lu Qiyue was counting on Lu Cang for the continuation of the family line.
Someone had once suggested adopting a legitimate son from within the clan to be Lu Qiyue's heir, but Lu Qiyue had firmly refused, for Lu Cang was his own flesh and blood.
Thus, Lu Qiyue was shocked and enraged to see Lu Cang in such a state.
Lu Cang, who had been showered with affection, was naturally arrogant and overbearing. Being publicly beaten by Min Wuyan, and naked at that, was considered an unbearable humiliation by Lu Cang.
"That dog, that lowly slave of humble origin..." Lu Cang cursed Min Wuyan before replying, "Your son was ordered to suppress rebels and achieved many merits. However, that scoundrel Min Wuyan not only suppressed my merits but also ignored my advice and beat me a hundred military strokes."
"What was your advice?" Lu Qiyue asked Lu Cang to rise and sit beside him.
"This scoundrel Min Wuyan is cruel by nature and bloodthirsty. He massacred countless people during the suppression of the Chen Guo and Huang Chong rebellion. After the rebellion was quelled, hundreds of thousands of rebel soldiers surrendered, yet he still refused to lay down his butcher's knife, continuing to slaughter and plunder, sparing neither the old nor the young, nor women and children. Father, your son truly could not bear it. I merely offered a few words of advice, and this scoundrel seized the opportunity for revenge and beat me over a hundred military strokes, stripped me naked, and administered the punishment in public. Father, it matters little that I lost face, but the honor of our Lu family..." Lu Cang cried.
"Enough, stop talking..." Lu Qiyue's face flushed with anger. He stood up and said, "Min Wuyan, this is too insulting, too overbearing!"
"Father is absolutely right. This dog insults us too much, he is too overbearing!" Lu Cang also said with a mournful face.