Chapter 245: To Bring Glory in Death, To Refuse Living in Shame

It wasn't only Tie Zheng who had been in the thick of battle; both the old marshals Qiu Jianhan and Leng Daoyin were also covered in blood stains.

How could these two aged generals miss such a grand melee?

Thanks to their excellent cultivation base, both of them had taken down an expert from the enemy each. It was also their experienced guidance that allowed the battle to be a landslide victory in wiping out all of the Four Seasons Tower's experts.

"Tally the casualties!"

Tie Zheng's expression was somber.

Although the experts brought to the attack had all died, Yang Botao's current state was unknown. Besides, the open trial was considered a failure since the suspect had been rescued.

Furthermore, the casualties today would definitely come up with a frightening number.

"Casualty report..." After a long time, an assistant general spoke with a low voice rubbing his eyes, "Six thousand three hundred and forty-two fallen comrades. Among them, General Wan Fenggui, Wang Dezhu, and Wei Dexu... have all perished. In addition to that..."

The muscles on Tie Zheng's face was twitching wildly. "How many of the enemy?"

"Twenty-eight killed."

"Twenty-eight!" Tie Zheng's face was blanched. "Just these twenty-eight men have taken six thousand three hundred and forty-two of our brothers?"

He turned his head slowly, watching the bloodied faces around him and feeling the aching heaviness in his heart.

He had only been thinking of exterminating the foes; he did not consider the damages on his own side. Even when Tie Zheng had an estimate of his own casualties, he was still deeply pained when he heard the exact number to be so great.

"Marshal Tie! This lowly subordinate thinks that even the fallen brothers will feel gratified in this battle! Their deaths are worth it!"

A fellow who had lost an arm and an ear straightened himself up with much effort as he continued, "The injured brothers feel that it was worth it as well! Gratifying, I must say!"

Countless wounded soldiers around them hollered in unison, "That's right! Gratifying!"

"We have done something for the Nine Supremes Lords after all!"

The warriors looked solemn. "Previously, it has always been the Nine Supremes Lords who have shielded us from danger and kept us above death threats. We've never done anything for the Nine Supremes Lords. Now that we face their enemies, it's out of sheer willingness no matter how much is required from us brothers."

Tie Zheng sighed with his chin raised and suddenly laughed with unshed tears. "Nine Supremes Lords, the brothers have gotten revenge for all of you. Do you all see it?"

Qiu Jianhan was catching his breath when he saw a guard walking over hurriedly. He called him anxiously, "What happened?"

The guard had been assigned to relay messages - why would he have come here in such a hurry? Could it be that something unexpected had happened?

The guard replied in distress, "Yang Botao's residence has been engulfed in a huge fire, it can't be extinguished. It was Mistress Yang who poured all the oil in the residence onto blankets and furniture... All seventy-one people in the Residence of Yang didn't make it."

Qiu Jianhan was shaken; Tie Zheng turned around abruptly, staring at the guard with mixed feelings.

"Mistress Yang has probably gathered everyone and consumed poison..." The guard was fretful. "There was only a package pressed under a rock in the yard and a letter was found in it..."

The guard passed the mentioned letter with both his hands. Small, neat, writing decorated the parchment, saying, "For Old Marshal Qiu only."

Qiu Jianhan's eyes were rimmed red as his hands stretched out shakily to receive the letter, tearing the seal off right away to read it.

"Uncle, your niece bids farewell today. Your niece has been the wife of a hero for half of her life. This will more than suffice. This niece personally thinks that I have done nothing to embarrass my parents and this niece will never be a sinful wife at the end of it all."

"I'd rather bring glory in death than to live in humiliation!"

"Your niece knows nothing about this matter of Yang Botao. Uncle need not feel ashamed of your niece. Please explain all this for me before my parents' grave, uncle."

"This unfilial daughter bows and wishes you farewell."

Qiu Jianhan's hand were trembling, tears coursing down his face.

This was the daughter his comrade of a brother who had perished in the battlefield had left behind... Her last words in this life were actually to defend herself - I didn't know! If I had known, things would be different.

I didn't disappoint you, I didn't do my parents wrong.

I didn't do Yutang wrong.

Leng Daoyin stuck his head over to have a look, sighing and saying gravely afterward, "It's the child San Lang's left back in that year, isn't it..."

Qiu Jianhan was still tearing up.

"Clean up, report to His Majesty about this as soon as possible."

It was on the afternoon of the same day that the royal decree was announced.

Yang Botao had committed treason, his crime heinous. He had conspired against the Nine Supremes and caused their deaths in addition to throwing the empire into a critical state. The order was nine familial extermination. If Suspect Yang were to be found, anyone could kill him! Anyone who reported the whereabouts of contemptible Yang would be awarded a thousand silver taels while anyone who killed him would be awarded ten thousand silver taels and be titled marquis!

That was the core meaning of the decree.

The northern troop was reshuffled. His Majesty had given his personal order to allow Eastern Marshal Tie Zheng to reorganize the northern side with the company of his close officials. The position of Eastern Marshal would temporarily be led by the assistant marshal of the eastern troop.

This adjustment was out of helplessness as the northern troop's morale was divided and needed a strong, resolute marshal to unite them before they could be of service again. Other than Tie Zheng, there was no second candidate in the whole of Yutang.

On the same night, Tie Zheng brought a few of his janissaries and entered the base of the northern troop.

Yang Botao's janissaries had long been seized. They were aware of their situation too, keeping quiet and not putting up any fight.

Once Tie Zheng arrived, his first request was to meet these people.

Right now, the northern military base was enveloped in an indescribable atmosphere of dread desolation.

Wherever his eyes looked, all Tie Zheng could see was the lifeless gazes of people awaiting death; their eyes were hopeless and forlorn.

All five hundred of Yang Botao's janissaries were there, all of them were engulfed in the dreaded sense of death that belonged wholly only to them.

"Everyone gather!" Tie Zheng ordered aloud as soon as he stepped into the base, his voice sonorous through the space.

Once the order was given, the five hundred men had gathered very speedily upon hearing it despite their pensive and glum emotions. Just this motion alone proved that this group of people were the crème of the elites!

They were the janissaries of a marshal after all. How could they have qualified for this responsibility if they had not possessed a certain level of capability, loyalty, and duty!

Therefore, Tie Zheng was even more determined on the decision he had made earlier. He held a serious expression as he walked towards a higher spot.

His height had always been towering but he still preferred to stand at a higher place. Standing there now, it highlighted his height even further. He looked like a tower, perched impressively there.

"What are all of you doing, lowering your heads?" Tie Zheng hollered. "All of you, lift your heads up now!"

Silence still permeated the scene below, only a handful of men raised their heads accordingly.

Tie Zheng snorted and said, "Are you all rebelling now? Did you not hear the military command I've just given? You're all here now. Lift your head, puff your chest, and look at me - all of you!"

The military command was the ultimate order. Since Tie Zheng was the highest ranked officer there, his order would naturally be the ultimate military command. Everyone there had to execute it unconditionally and immediately - there was no hesitation allowed.

As the command sounded, all five hundred men lifted their heads with their chests puffed and focused their sights on Tie Zheng.

Whether these janissaries were willing or reluctant in doing so, their vision contained only Tie Zheng's valiant form on the stage.

"I won't speak much of flowery or intimidating words."

Tie Zheng said, "Yang Botao's crime is heinous but this man kept word after all. He didn't bring anyone from the military with him in the end."

"No matter how vile, crazed, and lacking conscience he is, there's still a little heart left in him for not involving any of you in today's open trial."

"He at least stays a man of men."

Tie Zhen continued, "You're all his janissaries, we can't change this fact. However, I believe none of you are involved in the case of Yang Botao's betrayal of the Nine Supremes Lords. He won't dare to complete it through you all. If it had been me, I'd do it personally too! The consequences are too great; no matter how much he trusts all of you, there will still be some reservation. Therefore, this case must only be Yang Botao's doing - unrelated to all of you. You all need not look like you're all about to die, no one is deciding what to do with you all anyway. After all, other than being Yang Botao's janissaries, you're all soldiers of the northern troop, militants of Yutang. This fact can't be ignored either!"

As Tie Zheng spoke, all of their eyes shone.

"Now, I'm giving all of you a chance to freely pick your fate. The first option, those of you willing to follow Yang Botao endlessly, not giving him up until death, you can quit from this squad. I won't hold you accountable for anything, I'll respect your choice and feelings but I'll have to take your militant status away. You shall become a man of your own from now on, free to do what you wish."

"Second choice. I, Tie Zheng, have come with His Majesty's order to lead the northern troop. I have brought only less than thirty people with me so I lack janissaries of my own - people who can triumph on the battlefield alongside me, janissaries whom I can count on even with my back facing them. If you're willing to become my janissary, I'm more than happy to accept you. As for the third option, it's to remove your status as a janissary and return to the army, starting from the bottom once again to slowly prove your loyalty to Empire of Yutang on the battlefield!"

"I pick option three!" The leader of the janissaries raised his arm and said, "To return to the army and start from the bottom!"

Tie Zheng's eyes glazed over slightly, his gaze focused on the leader.

The leader had said "I" and not "we". It meant that he was leaving the freedom of choice to his other brothers. After all, they could equally prove themselves worthy in choosing to become Tie Zheng's janissaries.

When there was someone who spoke of his choice first, people gradually followed in standing up to pick the third option as well.

Finally, four hundred and seventy-one out of the five hundred men had stood up to opt for the third choice. There were still twenty-nine men who stood where they were, their expressions numb like they were dazed.

"What are your choices?" Tie Zheng asked.

A tall man with scars peppered on his face stood up to say, "I pick the first option."

Tie Zheng's gaze stayed frozen then.

It was unknown if it was because the man with scars had spoken first as the rest of the twenty-eight men then said, "We pick the first option too."

Tie Zheng nodded slowly and said, "Alright. Scrivener, record the names of these twenty-nine men. Follow the common procedure of military retirement, distribute the pension and remove their military status. They shall leave the military from now on. Send my orders as well, no one is to find fault with them under the name of these men being Yang Botao's janissaries. Those who violate the order shall be heavily penalized!"

"Yes!"

"Thank you, Marshal Tie!"

"Leaving now, no matter when or where we are, we shall always keep Yutang in our hearts and the spirit of a militant alive! We only wish to send Marshal Yang along on his last journey."