Chapter 73: Bad News

Mount Tai Commandery, Fei County.

The city gate had already been destroyed, the city walls were collapsing everywhere, and screams could be heard from inside the city from time to time.

Corpses were scattered everywhere, infants, women, the young, the strong, the old, and the weak, all lying dead on the ground.

A group of Qingzhou soldiers, carrying long sabers, were cursing and looking for houses to take shelter from the rain, but found that there were ruins everywhere, and not a single intact house could be found.

They had conquered Fei County and were carrying out a three-day massacre, but it was interrupted by this sudden autumn rain. This group of seven or eight Qingzhou soldiers had not been in the city for long, but found that too many people had been killed by those who entered earlier, and the remaining people were probably hiding somewhere, which made them feel very bad.

They finally found a half-collapsed house and squeezed inside to take shelter from the rain.

One of the men cursed, "This damned weather, it just won't let us have a good time. We finally got into the city, but we didn't get to loot anything!"

Another person laughed and said, "Old Zhu, it's only the first day, what's the rush?"

Old Zhu was angry when he heard this, and said, "Old Ji, those who went in earlier killed too fast, they didn't even leave us any soup!"

Old Ji sneered, "They were the first to climb the city wall, and according to the rules, they get an extra half a day. We have to accept the outcome of the bet!"

"If you want to be the first to climb, you can go when we attack Hua County in a few days."

Old Zhu was discouraged when he heard this, and said, "Forget it, you know how many people died in the first wave, why bother risking your life so much?"

Old Ji sneered, "So, if you don't massacre the city and get some benefits, who would be willing to risk their head to climb the city wall?"

Old Zhu and Old Ji were the squad leaders of these two teams of Qingzhou soldiers. This time, they followed them into the city, but they didn't get much benefit, so they were all indignant.

These people watched as the rain outside grew heavier and heavier, and they couldn't help but feel anxious. They searched the house and found no food, so they had to take out the wheat cakes from their waist pouches, take a few bites, and curse the weather.

Old Ji sat on the earthen bed and wondered, "It's really strange, how could they kill everyone in just half a day?"

"I heard that many people in Fei County like to dig cellars, and this house is so clean..."

He immediately realized, jumped off the earthen bed, and stomped around the house, pushing aside a pile of firewood in the corner of the house, and found a wooden door on the ground.

Several people worked together to lift the wooden door, and they saw several figures shivering inside.

Old Zhu was overjoyed and shouted, "Get out of here!"

"Otherwise, none of you will live!"

After a while, a thin man crawled out, followed by a young peasant woman with a terrified face, leading a child of about ten years old.

The man said with a smile on his face, "My lords, there are some things in the cellar, you can take them all, just spare our lives."

Two soldiers jumped into the cellar, searched for a long time, and came up with two small bags of millet, cursing, "This family is really poor, they don't even have any meat."

The man was overjoyed when he heard the accents of the crowd, and said, "Are you lords also from Qingzhou? We are all fellow villagers."

Old Zhu looked the man up and down when he heard this, and sneered, "Our Qingzhou soldiers were all Yellow Turbans before. If you want to talk about it, we are indeed fellow villagers."

"We were so hungry that we had no food to eat, so we joined the Yellow Turbans. You are good, with your wife, children, and a warm bed, and you still have food stored at home. You live much better than us."

He drew out his long saber and stabbed it into the man's abdomen with a puff, and sneered, "It's a pity you won't live as long as us."

The man screamed in pain, and Old Zhu pulled out the saber, and blood gushed out of the man's abdomen like a spring.

The young woman and the child screamed loudly. Old Zhu went over with his saber and was about to stab the child in the heart, but he didn't expect the woman to stand in front of the child, and the tip of the saber pierced her back, and blood instantly soaked her torn linen clothes.

Old Ji cursed when he saw this, "Old Zhu, why are your hands shaking so much?"

"The only useful thing was this woman. Although she is a bit ugly, she can still have children if we take her back. Now it's all over!"

Old Zhu cursed and pulled out the blood-stained long saber. The woman staggered a few steps, but took the opportunity to push the child out of the door.

Everyone then realized and wanted to draw their sabers and chase after him, but they saw the man and woman blocking the door to the death.

When the child turned his head, he saw several long sabers piercing his father's body, and his mother was dragged in.

He bit his lip, hesitated for only a moment, and then turned and rushed into the rain.

Old Ji kicked away the man's unblinking corpse. He stopped everyone and said with a gloomy face, "Don't chase him, our people are everywhere. It's raining, where can a young child run to?"

Old Zhu grinned lewdly, "That's right, while this woman is still alive."

After a long while, the woman's screams came from the house.

After another long while, the woman's body was thrown out of the house.

The bodies of the couple were curled up and overlapped, and the blood mixed with the mud under them flowed in all directions, and was quickly washed away by the rain.

The stove was lit, the millet was put into the pot, and the aroma of hot rice, mixed with the smell of blood, filled the house.

Everyone drank the porridge with relish.

Hunger can drive people crazy, hunger can turn people into beasts, hunger can make people easily wield a butcher knife.

Once you get used to wielding a knife, you can't go back to being human.

In a mansion in the city, two generals were talking, but obviously the conversation was not pleasant.

The person sitting at the head was Cao Ren, the Beppu Shiba of Cao Cao's army.

He snorted coldly at the general sitting below, "Yu Jin! How dare you question Lord Ming's decision?"

Yu Jin looked embarrassed, but still clasped his fists and said, "Please, General, persuade Lord Ming!"

"Mount Tai Commandery is the hometown of Ji Bei Chancellor Bao Gong. It was only taken by Tao Qian last year. This should be the place belonging to Lord Ming!"

"Now, with such a massacre of the city, military discipline is corrupt, how can we win the hearts of the people?"

Cao Ren was furious and shouted, "Yu Jin, don't pressure me with Bao Xin. I know you used to be his subordinate. Although he saved Lord Ming's life at the cost of his own, he is already dead!"

"Moreover, the lord has already said that the city must be massacred after it is taken!"

"I know that you have always followed military discipline, but Lord Ming's words are military discipline!"

"Since this city belongs to Tao Qian, then it is the enemy!"

"Besides, you also know what the Qingzhou soldiers are like. Even Yuan Rang (Xiahou Dun) can't restrain them. If we don't let them massacre the city, they will really dare to rebel!"

Yu Jin was silent when he heard this, clasped his fists, turned and walked out of the camp.

He raised his head and looked at the rain in the sky, and thought to himself, last year Cao Cao attacked Xu Province and massacred the city, causing the Si River to stop flowing. If this continues, how many people will have to die in Xu Province before it can be taken?

If all the people are killed, what is the use of an empty Xu Province?

Ye City.

Zhen Rong got out of the carriage, a maid came over to put up a bamboo umbrella, and helped Zhen Rong into the Yuan mansion.

A Yuan family maid had already come up and led Zhen Rong to Hong Shi's room.

Seeing that Hong Shi was already waiting inside, Zhen Rong took off her wooden clogs and walked to the lower seat to bow and said, "I don't know why Madam summoned Zhen Rong here, what is it for?"

Before Hong Shi could answer, Yuan Shang walked in and said, "I asked Madam to come."

Zhen Rong hurriedly bowed and said, "Greetings, Young Master."

Yuan Shang said to Hong Shi, "You go out first, I have some things to say to Madam Zhen in private."

Hong Shi did not dare to speak, and got up and left with the maid.

Zhen Rong was a little confused when she saw this, and it was not in accordance with etiquette for a single man and a widow to be in the same room, but when she thought that this was in the Yuan family, and Yuan Shang had a good reputation, she was slightly relieved.

More importantly, her husband, Gao Lan, was Yuan Shang's subordinate, and Zhen Rong could not afford to offend him.

Yuan Shang sat down and then knelt down to Zhen Rong and said, "I am ashamed of Madam."

Zhen Rong was shocked and hurriedly returned the salute and said, "Young Master, you are killing me, what am I sorry for?"

Yuan Shang's face was heavy, "I sent Gao Lan to Beixin City, but he was killed."

A thunderclap suddenly exploded outside, and lightning flashed, setting off Zhen Rong's face, which instantly turned pale.