Shi Zhiyuan stood up and straightened his clothes. His entourage took out the brocade box from the inner tent and presented the imperial edict. Shi Zhiyuan took it with both hands, raised it high, and shouted loudly: "Han Gang accepts the edict!"
Han Gang fell to his knees and shouted loudly: "Your Majesty, Han Gang, accepts the order!"
Shi Zhiyuan unfolded the imperial edict and recited loudly: "The commander of the Ansu Army and the former commander of the Northern Expeditionary Horse Army, Han Gang, ignored the imperial decree and disobeyed it. They sent troops privately to attack friendly cities and undermined the imperial peace talks. They were tantamount to rebellion.
The crime was extremely heinous. Everyone in the court was denounced, and everyone was shocked and angry at his reckless behavior. This decree ordered Shi Zhiyuan, the commander of the Anxin Army, to lead a large army to attack and arrest. The rebels must be wiped out, Han Gang captured, and executed on the spot to safeguard the allies of the Zhou Dynasty and Liao Dynasty.
To maintain our alliance and uphold the integrity of our great country, the Great Zhou Dynasty. I appreciate this!"
Han Gang was stunned and looked up at Shi Zhiyuan's indifferent face with his mouth wide open. He was speechless for a long time.
This is not actually a decree given to him by Han Gang, this decree is actually a decree given by the imperial court to Shi Zhiyuan. When Shi Zhiyuan asked Han Gang to accept the decree, he was actually telling Han Gang that he was acting according to the decree and there was nothing he could do about it.
"General Han, do you...understand? This decree is clear. The imperial court wants me to lead an army of 80,000 to Xijin Mansion. It is not to fight with you against the Liao people, but to take your head.
Although Shi admires General Han very much, but... it is difficult to disobey the imperial edict, and there is nothing Shi can do. General Han, you shouldn’t blame me." Shi Zhiyuan put down the imperial edict and said softly.
Han Gang's throat was so dry that he could not speak. He was cold from head to toe. No wonder Shi Zhiyuan did not lead his army into the city, but camped outside the city. This was actually a fighting posture. He came to annihilate
He wanted to take his own head. Not only was the imperial court not happy because he captured Xijin Mansion, but now it seems that the imperial court blamed himself for being pregnant with the peace talks with the Liao people. The imperial court must have been frightened, so he wanted to take his own head.
Go and apologize to the Liao people and ask for their forgiveness.
The words Lin Jue and Ma Changqing said when they left not long ago flashed through Han Gang's mind. Lin Jue earnestly advised him not to believe that the imperial court would be happy because he occupied Xijin Mansion, and not to have any illusions, because the imperial court
He had long since lost his backbone and was already on his last legs, trying only to keep the court peaceful and without any retribution. He persuaded himself to join him in establishing a new Great Zhou Dynasty and abandon this sluggish and ineffective court. At that time, he also thought that Lin Jue
To exaggerate, I thought he said these words in order to let himself join the Luoyan Army. Obviously, Lin Jue saw much more clearly than he did. He turned against the imperial court and embarked on the road of defeating the great establishment without hesitation.
Carrying the charge of betraying the imperial court and enduring the accusation of rebelling, it was because he completely understood the nature of the imperial court. Ma Changqing also understood it, so he went with Lin Jue without hesitation. The two men tried to persuade
myself, but I didn’t figure this out after all.
When the two of them left, I felt sorry in my heart. But in fact, I was the one who should feel sorry. Lin Jue and Ma Changqing were the ones who should express their feelings of regret.
"General Han, don't blame me. Shi is actually very confused. I could have deceived you, and then entered the Xijin Mansion to take advantage of the chaos and kill you by surprise. But I didn't do that after all. I didn't even plan to tell you so soon.
The purpose of your coming here, Shi, is that I plan to invite you to my military camp to have a showdown with you in a few days. I want General Han to be happy for a few days and make you feel happier in the last time. However, you just
I came here on my own initiative. To tell you the truth, the official who delivered the decree from the imperial court is still in our army. He is an official from the Zhengshitang. He is here to deliver the decree and supervise my behavior as a supervisor of the army. You are here, I
can't
Let you go, I can't protect you." Shi Zhiyuan said in a deep voice, looking at Han Gang who was kneeling on the ground dumbfounded.
Han Gang nodded and stood up slowly. As soon as he put his hand on the handle of the knife at his waist, more than a dozen personal guards in the tent suddenly drew their weapons and stared at him eagerly.
Shi Zhiyuan said in a deep voice: "General Han, you must not resist, you will not be able to escape. Resisting at this time will not help."
Han Gang shook his head and laughed: "Don't worry, General Shi. I can't blame you. I can't escape, and I won't escape. I was too stupid to think that the court would change its mind. Who would have thought that the court would be timid?"
It has reached this point. The court has completely surrendered to the Liao people. Someone told me before that there were people in the court who were close to the Liao people, controlled the government, and harmed Privy Yang. I still had doubts, but now I completely understand. Old thief
After all, Lu Zhongtian refused to let us people go. He wanted to surrender to the Liao people. It is too late to say this now. I, Han Gang, am not a person who is afraid of death. At this time, I will not risk my own life just to survive.
Brothers and soldiers, I can't do it. General Shi, I have only one request, and I hope you can agree to it."
Shi Zhiyuan nodded and said: "General Han just said so."
Han Gang said: "I did the sending of the troops. My generals and soldiers were just following orders. They were not at fault. I hope you won't do anything to them. I will order them to disarm and let you do whatever you want. I just hope you won't do anything to them."
Don’t kill them just because I captured the Xijin Prefecture of Liao Kingdom. They are bloody soldiers in our Zhou army. Is it wrong to kill the Liao people and attack Liao City? I hope General Shi will not let the Zhou soldiers
Chilling."
Shi Zhiyuan frowned and pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice: "General Han, the original purpose of the imperial court was to exterminate you and everyone who followed you. If I don't do anything, the imperial court is afraid that I will be punished. Why don't you send these people away like this?
That's just the way people are. If they run away, the court can't blame me. What do you think?"
Han Gang bowed his head to the ground and said in a deep voice: "Thank you, General Shi. I have generals like you, General Shi, in my country. I hope there is still hope. I will listen to you and I will make arrangements and send my head to you when you get back."
"
Shi Zhiyuan stretched out his hand and said: "General Han, please help yourself."
Han Gang thanked him, turned around and walked to the door of the tent. Shi Zhiyuan walked over without asking anyone to stop him. Han Gang stood at the door of the tent, looked at the gray sky and let out a sigh. He stretched out his hand to call the man standing not far away.
Two pro-military captains were accompanying him.
"General Han, are we going back? The horses are over there." The two captains thought they were leaving, so they stepped forward and said.
Han Gang nodded and said: "I want to go back, but only you. Liu Jincai, Wei Erhu, you two, listen to me. You must take back what I say below word for word and tell General Zhang, General Feng, and Yuan
Lieutenant General and the others listen. Do you understand every word?"
The two personal guard captains were frightened by Han Gang's solemn and solemn tone, and nodded in agreement in confusion.
Han Gang whispered: "Go back to the city immediately, tell the generals, and take the brothers to leave Xijin Mansion immediately. You must leave tonight, don't leave any one behind."
The two captains said in astonishment: "This...what do you mean, sir?"
Han Gang sighed and said: "Don't ask too much, this is for your own good. Tell them, I, Han Gang, don't want them to die in Xijin Mansion, leaving is the best choice. Remember this."
Although the two captains did not understand what happened, they also understood the seriousness of the matter. Liu Jincai frowned and asked, "Why don't you come back with us, sir? Is the court to blame?"
Wei Erhu said in a deep voice: "Are they going to be detrimental to us? Harmful to you, sir? Sir, let's go out and gather our brothers to fight with them."
Han Gang shouted coldly: "Shut up! If you still regard me, Han Gang, as your superior officer, and if you still have any respect for me, then go back immediately to convey my order. Other matters are my, Han Gang's, business.
You have nothing to do with it."
The two captains were speechless and looked at Han Gang blankly.
Han Gang reached out and patted the two of them on the shoulders, and said softly: "Go. Don't let me down. Han is an upright person and never wants to drag others down, let alone his own brothers. Go back immediately, this is an order.
"
The two captains gritted their teeth and nodded, and at the same time knelt down to kowtow to Han Gang. Han Gang nodded with his hands behind his hands. After kowtowing, the two men stood up, took a few steps back, turned around and left.
Han Gang suddenly shouted: "Wait a minute."
Wei Erhu turned around and said excitedly: "Sir, do you want to come with us?"
Han Gang shook his head with a smile, took a few steps closer, pondered for a moment, and said in a very low voice: "If brothers have nowhere to go... you can go to... Funiu Mountain... and defect to Master Ma Qingshan. He will take you in."
Because you can't go back to your place of origin or the army of the Great Zhou Dynasty, you must have a place to stay. I think that will be the best place for you to stay. Of course, everything is based on voluntariness. This is just my suggestion. Come to me and my brothers
Say goodbye and say that I, Han Gang, am very satisfied with having so many good brothers in this life, and I hope to be brothers again in the next life. Go!"
After Han Gang said this, he quickly turned around, took long strides, and walked back to the big tent. The two captains held their hands far away, turned around and ran towards where the guards were, got on their horses, and galloped out of the camp and back to the city.
In the big tent, Han Gang stood quietly in front of Shi Zhiyuan with a smile on his face.
Shi Zhiyuan said in a deep voice: "Has General Han given the explanation?"
Han Gang nodded and said: "Okay, thank you General Shi for your help. General Shi, I misunderstood you a lot before. I believed you and thought you were very unbearable. Today, it seems that General Shi is a benevolent and righteous man. Han is very grateful.
All."
Shi Zhiyuan smiled and said: "Shi is indeed not a good person. Shi loves sex, money and merit, but Shi is very clear-headed when it comes to justice. General Han, Shi admires you very much and feels ashamed. The imperial court is so
It's really unfair to you and makes people feel cold. But there is no other way. Shi has to obey the order, and I also ask General Han not to blame me."
Han Gang nodded and said: "Of course I'm not surprised, you have given me a lot of face. You have done what you can to let my 20,000 brothers live. However, Han is also a trustworthy person and will not make it difficult for you.
.I will give you the head on my neck today.”
Han Gang reached out and took out the long knife from his waist, took out a piece of soft cloth from his arms, slowly wiped the sharp blade a few times, and slowly placed it on his neck.
The muscles on Shi Zhiyuan's face were twisted, and it was obvious that he was conflicted and entangled in his heart.
"General Han, do you have any last words to say?" Shi Zhiyuan said.
Han Gang thought for a while and said softly: "Han has been upright in his life, devoted himself to serving the country and serving the imperial court. Han came from a poor family, and he is very grateful to have received the favor from the imperial court. Han has done what he wanted to do, and has already
I am very satisfied. If Han has any regrets in this life, it is... not being able to die on the battlefield where he killed the enemy. There are many more things to say... but Han doesn't want to say anything, that's all... nothing.
As I said, that’s it.”
Han Gang's hand holding the knife just moved quickly, and the sharp blade cut his throat, and blood rushed out quickly. Han Gang leaned back and fell on his back.
