The battle ended before midnight.

After the city was pacified, the Ming Dynasty Dragon Flag was carefully raised again by the officers and soldiers.

Outside the city, countless fires were lit.

The soldiers of the Ming army who had just finished a battle to seize the city did not rest there. Instead, they led the people of Pingding City to clean up the battlefield.

Under the city gate.

Zhang Zhiyuan wanted to go to check the casualties of the soldiers, but was stopped by a group of civilians.

The leader was the same person who deliberately knocked the rolling stone aside when he first climbed into the city.

Zhang Zhiyuan stopped and looked at the people blocking the city gate.

Before he could speak, the people had already knelt down.

"Thank you, General, for coming with the troops and killing these damn Japanese workers."

"My fellow citizens, thank you, General."

Zhang Zhiyuan hurriedly stepped forward and stretched out his hands.

The soldiers around him arrived in front of the people in advance and helped him up one by one.

My general never liked this kind of thing.

Zhang Zhiyuan looked at the people of Pingding City, who had been under the lewd force of the Japanese bandits in the past few days, with a solemn expression: "As Ming soldiers, it is our duty to defend the territory. This time, the thieves attacked Eastern Jin Dynasty, which has caused you all to be humiliated.

, Now that the thieves have been eliminated, you can all live in peace."

The leading citizen walked up to Zhang Zhiyuan, his face still worried and said: "General, the county magistrate is dead, and all the people in the government office have been killed by thieves. All the soldiers and officers in the city are also dead. Outside

, there are many thieves, will the general lead the army to guard the city all the time?"

All four cities in eastern Shanxi have fallen into the hands of Japanese pirates, and only Pingding City has just been rescued.

The people in the city also knew that the army would definitely go out to continue to suppress the bandits.

But these days, many homes in the city have been invaded by thieves, and people are terrified.

Zhang Zhiyuan's face was gloomy. On the street behind the city gate, there were countless corpses of the people in the city who had not had time to restrain themselves.

The first thing he did after taking Pingding City was to take people on a tour of the city.

Japanese thieves should be cut into pieces by a thousand cuts.

In just a few days, all the officials in Pingding City were killed, and women and children were bullied and died tragically in the county government's back house.

Not to mention those women in the city.

If it weren't for the Japanese pirates, we would have to be wary of the imperial troops coming to attack and suppress them. I'm afraid the women in the city would cry when they were pacified.

As for the people who dare to complain and be dissatisfied, as long as they are seen, they will be beaten severely, and at worst, their heads will be cut off.

The Japanese workers who were captured by the Ming Dynasty to dig coal in Shanxi Road vented the anger that had been hidden in their hearts for many years in the past few days.

Looking at the people in front of them begging the army to stay.

Zhang Zhiyuan clenched his fist tightly.

According to the original plan, after capturing Pingding City, he would lead his headquarters directly south to Leping County.

After the imperial troops recaptured the four cities in eastern Shanxi, it did not mean that the matter was over.

We also need to divide our troops to go to various mining areas to clear out the Japanese bandits that are entrenched in the mining areas and scattered around.

"General."

The deputy general led his people and rushed over from the city. He just heard the people's invitation and couldn't help frowning and shouting next to Zhang Zhiyuan.

Zhang Zhiyuan raised his hands and looked at the people in front of him with a solemn expression: "Everyone, although the thieves in Pingding City have been put to death, there are still several thieves from the north of the city in the eastern Jin Dynasty who have stolen the property. The general's military order is to completely wipe out the thieves in the eastern Jin Dynasty.

I am also aware of the request of all the fellow villagers. However, the army still has military orders and it is difficult to garrison Pingding City. I will leave a thousand people to garrison the city until the army sets out early tomorrow morning.

You don’t have to worry, I think after noon tomorrow, or at dusk at the latest, His Highness King Yan will rush to Pingding City with his army."

"His Royal Highness King Yan is coming too?"

When the people heard that Zhu Di, the king of Yan, who was far away in Peiping, also came with troops and horses, they were surprised for a moment.

Zhang Zhiyuan looked at these people who had been humiliated in just a few days, with murderous intent hidden in his eyes.

After several more attempts to appease the people, the people were persuaded to disperse.

At this time, Zhang Zhiyuan looked inside and outside the city gate.

"Instruct the whole army to act in accordance with the order. After handling the matter of pacifying Dingzhou, rest on the spot. Tomorrow morning we will set up camp to make rice and head south to Leping County."

The deputy general was shocked.

Commander Zhang's military orders had been issued long ago.

All Japanese bandits, whether dead or alive, were killed and buried.

But after seeing the scene in Pingding City with their own eyes, no one would think there was anything wrong with such a military order.

The military order was quickly circulated to the entire army.

In the night.

The people of Pingding City, who could not rest, looked at the soldiers and horses of the imperial court and began to urge the surrendered Japanese bandits to dig holes outside the city in places where there was no sunlight.

From time to time, the horse whip would hit the Japanese pirates who were slacking off in digging holes.

The Ming army officers and soldiers around him had no mercy in their eyes.

Under the hard work of the Ming army soldiers, within half an hour, a huge hole was dug by the surrendered Japanese bandits.

"Throw all the corpses in."

Zhang Zhiyuan's deputy general personally supervised the work and gave orders.

Under the new round of supervision by the officers and soldiers, the Japanese bandits began to throw the corpses of their companions who had been collected by the soldiers and civilians in the city and moved outside the city into the pit.

This time it took even less time.

It's only a quarter of an hour.

When the Japanese pirates feel that their work is done, they just need to refill the hole with soil.

The deputy general's eyes were gloomy and he said coldly: "You guys, go in too."

There were Japanese pirates who understood the Mandarin dialect of the Central Plains, and their expressions suddenly changed.

Ming Dynasty wants to trap and kill them alive!

There was a chirping sound that the officers and soldiers present could not understand.

The Japanese bandits gradually came to their senses, fear and anger showed in their eyes, and they began to boldly roar at the officers and soldiers.

The deputy general's face turned cold and he was about to order the officers and soldiers to advance.

Zhang Zhiyuan has already arrived here on horseback.

On horseback, Zhang Zhiyuan looked at the Japanese bandits who were beginning to appear in confusion, and immediately drew out his long sword.

"Press up! Anyone who disobeys will be killed on the spot!"

Following the general's order, the officers and soldiers immediately showed their swords and guns.

"kill!"

Outside the city, the war was settled, but the Ming army's shouts of killing were heard again.

It is still the sword and shield soldiers in front and the spearmen in the back.

Around the big pit here, it began to continuously shrink forward.

The Japanese bandits had never thought that the Ming army would be so determined, and they became more and more crowded in panic.

Not long after, someone standing by the pit stumbled and fell into the pit.

"kill!"

The officers and soldiers continued to shout kill in unison.

Any Japanese bandits who dared not retreat were soon killed by Ming Dynasty officers and soldiers.

In the dark night.

The wails of Japanese pirates began to be heard. Under the pressing steps of the Ming Dynasty officers and soldiers, people kept falling into the pit.

The officers and soldiers walked steadily.

Even if there were Japanese bandits who fell to the ground, they could not be delayed.

Zhang Zhiyuan sat high on his horse and watched everything in front of him quietly, not even noticing that the deputy general was approaching.

The lieutenant general frowned slightly as he listened to the wails of the Japanese bandits who kept falling into the pit. He looked up at Zhang Zhiyuan on horseback and whispered: "General, if you kill like this, will the general incur slander from the civil servants of the DPRK?"

"

"Huh?" Only then did Zhang Zhiyuan realize that the deputy general was beside him, and he looked down at the deputy general: "Did I do something wrong?"
To be continued...