Punishing the Coward

The wind howled across the desert, carrying the last rays of the setting sun.

Several spears were thrust into the sand, their tips adorned with severed heads, blood mixing with the crimson sunset in a macabre display.

The lone Watchtower stood amidst the vast desert, weather-beaten and silent, like a stoic guardian of the wasteland.

Only thirty-odd soldiers remained, slumped against the walls, unwilling to move. The bodies of their fallen comrades were piled to one side, bloodstains from previous battles still visible on the ramparts.

Most faces were somber, eyes filled with despair, a dark cloud of hopelessness hanging over everyone's hearts.

Two more days had passed, yet the enemy showed no signs of attacking. In fact, their numbers had been reduced by half.

The reason was simple - the eastern and western forts had fallen, leaving the Watchtower without reinforcements. A hundred cavalrymen were more than enough to keep the defenders trapped!

The enemy wasn't idle either. They would occasionally send out a few scouts to taunt and provoke, trying to lure the defenders into a fight.

With no other choice, Wang Shuang could only keep the gates closed and hold his ground.

Everyone knew what the enemy wanted - to starve them out.

The most desperate situation was that the Watchtower had precious little food left. After five days of siege, their supplies were completely exhausted.

Now each man received only half a flatbread and a bowl of water per day. Even a farm wife would struggle with such meager rations, let alone soldiers who fought with swords and spears!

Luo Yu leaned against a sand-filled burlap sack, contemplating how to boost morale in this dire situation. In his view, they needed to lift spirits before they could hope to hold out.

The soldiers had lost their fighting spirit - how could they expect to hold the fort?

"Rumble, rumble, rumble~"

He heard Meng Hu's stomach growling. The burly man smiled sheepishly, "Brother Yu, I'm hungry again. It would be great if we had something to eat."

Luo Yu was at a loss - he couldn't conjure food out of thin air. He changed the subject:

"Hu, why did you join the army? I remember you volunteered."

"Damn it, don't even get me started!" Meng Hu spat angrily, "That damn recruiter lied to me, saying the front lines had good food and meat every day. I packed my bags without a second thought. But when I got here, it was three meals of hunger in three days at the Watchtower!

What a scam!"

"Ha ha ha!"

The other new recruits burst out laughing. Everyone knew Meng Hu had a big appetite, but to be fooled by such a simple trick showed how naive he was. Xiao Wu chimed in teasingly:

"Brother Hu, if there was really meat every day, everyone would be fighting to join the army. Would it be our turn?"

Meng Hu felt embarrassed and scratched his head, "Brother Yu, why did you join the army?"

Luo Yu's eyes gleamed as he recalled his conversation with Lady Chang, muttering softly:

"Why shouldn't a man wield a sword and ride into battle to conquer the land?"

"Bag sealed, eat wine and meat?"

His voice was too soft, and Meng Hu only caught a few words, looking confused at the burlap sack:

"Sealed? Where's the wine and meat?"

"Ha ha ha!"

Luo Yu's face turned black as the laughter around him grew louder.

Though Luo Yu had been ruthless in battle these past few days, appearing fierce to others, he was actually quite kind to his new recruits. As their squad leader, he had gradually won their trust, and they were no longer as reserved as before.

"Enemies at the gates, and you still have time to laugh?"

A cold voice cut through the air. Zhang Gui stood before them with several of his men, looking menacing.

"May I ask, Leader Zhang, what's the matter?"

Over the past few days, Zhang Gui had been deliberately making things difficult for him. Luo Yu knew Zhang Gui believed he had killed Wu Mazi and was looking for an excuse to confront him.

"Of course there's a matter."

Zhang Gui's lips curled into a mocking smile as he pointed at Xiao Wu:

"During the enemy attack, this man fled in fear, nearly causing the wall to be breached. His crime is unforgivable!

Seize him!"

Several tough soldiers rushed forward, dragging Xiao Wu from the crowd without hesitation.

Xiao Wu panicked, flailing like a chicken as he was dragged away.

"Leader Zhang, what are you doing?"

Luo Yu shot to his feet: "It's normal for new recruits to be afraid in their first battle. Why be so harsh?"

"So you're saying it's right to be a coward?"

Zhang Gui sneered:

"Let me tell you, with the enemy at our gates, I will not tolerate any man who fears death! Today I will execute this coward right here to set an example!"

Zhang Gui's lips curled with mockery. Luo Yu understood - Zhang Gui was using this opportunity to get back at him!

When he heard about the execution, Xiao Wu was terrified, his legs trembling:

"Leader Zhang, spare me! I'll never do it again. When the enemy attacks, I'll fight to the death! Please, please spare me."

"Ha! Now you're sorry? Where were you before? Drag him to the gate and execute him!"

"Don't, don't kill me!"

Xiao Wu's face drained of color as he turned to Luo Yu:

"Brother Yu, save me, save me!"

"Let him go!"

Luo Yu charged into the crowd, pulling Xiao Wu behind him:

"Leader Zhang, military law clearly states that for a new recruit's first act of cowardice, five lashes is the maximum punishment. There's no mention of execution!"

"How dare you! Are you trying to rebel?"

Zhang Gui's eyes blazed with fury: "You're just a squad leader. How dare you interfere with military discipline!"

Meng Hu and the other new recruits gathered behind Luo Yu, their faces angry. Anyone could see that Zhang Gui was deliberately targeting Xiao Wu and trying to embarrass Luo Yu.

The argument escalated, drawing curious and shocked glances from all the soldiers in the fort.

They had never seen a squad leader dare to argue with the deputy commander. But Luo Yu had become quite famous in the fort recently. Including the two enemy soldiers he had killed during the attack, he now had five enemy heads to his name - the most in the entire garrison.

"Quiet, what's all this noise?"

Finally, Wang Shuang appeared: "With enemies at the gates, this is no time for bickering!"

"Commander, you're here."

Zhang Gui was quick to speak: "New recruit Xiao Wu fled in fear during battle. I was about to punish him as an example, but Luo Yu is interfering. Isn't this a disregard for military law?"

"Military law? Military law never said anything about execution!"

Luo Yu defended Xiao Wu: "It's normal for new recruits to be afraid. We all went through it. I have no objection to five lashes as punishment, but execution - I can't agree to that!"

The two argued back and forth while Wang Shuang frowned and waved his hand:

"Enough, no more arguing! Cough, cough, Deputy Commander Zhang, I think Luo Yu is right. New recruits need time to grow."

Zhang Gui knew Wang Shuang would side with Luo Yu and prepared his argument:

"Commander, if this were just a minor skirmish, I would let his cowardice slide. But now, with the enemy at our gates, any mistake could mean the fall of our fort and the death of everyone. If his cowardice causes our defenses to be breached and the enemy to enter, all our brothers will fall victim to the enemy's cruelty.

Can he bear that responsibility?

Or can you, Commander?"

Wang Shuang's face grew colder. Zhang Gui was deliberately embarrassing him in front of all the soldiers. He suppressed his anger and said:

"These are desperate times - killing our own men is neither right nor just. I believe we should give him a chance."

"Commander, I still say that only by executing him can we ensure all soldiers fight to the death! Otherwise, when the Watchtower falls, none of us will survive!"

Zhang Gui raised his voice:

"I beg you, Commander, to punish new recruit Xiao Wu!"

The men behind Zhang Gui echoed in unison:

"I beg you, Commander, to punish new recruit Xiao Wu!"

Silence fell over the fort, the atmosphere tense and threatening.