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Chapter 148 Prisoners

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Before dawn, Cui Teng and his gang came back in the middle of the night, knocked on the city gate, shouting loudly, wanting to go into the city to rest. Cui Teng didn't feel that he had violated military law at all, and shouted to his companions publicly: "Let's go next time, bring a few more horses, dry food and water. You useless guys won't remind me."

The city gate was closed and waiting for the people outside to be quiet, the military officer on the gate tower shouted: "Without the order of General Zhenbei, no one is allowed to enter and exit the city gate."

"Brother-in-law is angry." Cui Teng smiled disapprovingly and shouted upwards: "Then let me inform General Zhenbei and tell him that I'm back!"

The military officer on the gatehouse replied, "The general is resting, saying that as long as it is not the Huns invasion, no one is allowed to disturb him. Are you the Huns?"

Cui Teng was furious, cursing, and then threatening and persuading. The military officers on the gatehouse replied at first, but in the end they disappeared.

Not long after, Cui Teng was so tired that he couldn't speak. Everyone outside the city looked at each other. The cold wind was howling at night outside the frontier. Although it was a desolate place, there seemed to be a beast hidden... tired, thirsty, hungry, and fear. Cui Teng's temper became stubborn again and said loudly: "Follow me, even if you die, you can't die here."

Cui Teng turned his horse's head and rushed to the south. Except for his two followers, everyone else was hesitant, looking at each other without following.

A quarter of an hour later, the sound of horse hooves sounded, Cui Teng came back, furious, holding the horse whip and slamming away, "Traitors! All are traitors! You have the same virtue as the King of East Sea."

Everyone did not dare to hide, so they could only protect their faces with their hands. When his anger diminished slightly, a companion said, "When the city gate will open at dawn, let's... wait a moment."

Cui Teng cursed for a while, but he had no other way. If he ran down, the people could bear it, and the horse could not bear it. He had to dismount and stand against the city gate. He was inside, and the others were around outside, and the horses were in the outermost circle to block the wind and cold.

"Han Ruzi..." Cui Teng was trembling and cursed his brother-in-law for not having a good death.

After struggling for an hour, the sky finally brightened, but the city gate did not open. Cui Tengshi had no strength to make others shout loudly. Another military officer from the gate tower leaned out and replied: "Without the general's order, the city gate will not open during the day."

Stimulated by the anger, Cui Teng recovered his strength, ran for more than ten steps, turned around and pointed at the gatehouse and cursed, but the military officers above had already hidden themselves, and only a few flags were flying listlessly.

Cui Teng quickly defeated and looked south and saw endless mountains and ridges. He turned to another direction. Only the wind blew the sand. With the sight of his eyes, the Broken Iron City, which was close to him, was the only human building. There seemed to be a small town to the west, but he could no longer run.

Tired and aggrieved, Cui Teng suddenly burst into tears. Not only were his companions around him shocked, but someone from the gatehouse also poked his head out to watch.

A noble son came forward carefully and advised, "Second Young Master, we might as well... bear the thorns and apologize."

"Will it be useful?" Cui Teng sobbed. He just wanted to enter the city now and could accept any means.

"It's definitely useful. General Zhenbei did not send anyone to capture us into the city, so we just wait for us to admit our mistake."

"I, I just want to go home, what's wrong?"

The noble child's lips were blown into pieces by the wind, and he forced out his smile, "It doesn't matter whether you are wrong or not. I'll admit it first."

The other noble children also came up to persuade him. Cui Teng had a little more face, wiped away his tears, and asked, "I won't be laughed at, are I?"

"Who dares to laugh at the second young master?" Everyone said verbally, stretching out their hands and pressing Cui Teng to the ground, and then they knelt down.

Cui Teng pushed and said half-heartedly, and after kneeling down, he felt more comfortable than standing. He shouted: "Please tell General Zhenbei, just say I admit my mistake. Look, I have knelt down and beg for mercy."

The heads on the gatehouse disappeared quickly.

Cui Teng leaned against a follower and hummed at his best companion: "If I die here, you must send my corpse back to the capital, do you understand?"

The companion was so amused that he had to nod and agree vaguely.

Two quarters of an hour later, the city gate finally opened, and a team of soldiers came out. Cui Teng was about to stand up, but was pulled by his left and right sides. He finally could enter the city and could never offend General Zhenbei again.

A general read out the order of General Zhenbei: All deserters must repair the city walls, a total of 36 people, and transport some soil and stones.

Cui Teng and others just wanted to enter the city, but they didn't care what the punishment was. They kowtowed and thanked each other immediately, and then entered the city under the escort of soldiers. Instead, they turned directly to the Nancheng Warehouse.

After resting for half a day, I ate a meal of corn and vegetable porridge. From the afternoon, thirty-six deserters began to work with the slaves in the city, transporting soil and rocks, and strengthening the damaged city walls.

Looking at the willow basket full of mud, Cui Teng was stunned, "Brother-in-law is really here."

A follower whispered: "Second Master, bear with it. We have already prepared it. Just hold the basket and just want to just hold it. We will hire someone to complete the quantity for you."

There were more than 200 slaves in the Broken Iron City, and basically they were sent to prisoners outside the Great Wall. Female prisoners were washing clothes and pounding rice, male prisoners did rough work, Cui Teng and others formed a battalion with more than 140 male prisoners to repair a corner of the south city, where a hole was cracked, and reconstruction was impossible. They had to pile up soil and rocks in the city to prevent the wall from being broken.

Although he didn't have to carry the basket himself, he had eaten poorly and slept less. After two days, Cui Teng was in a miserable state and wanted to run away again, but no one followed him this time, and even the two followers advised him not to make trouble.

On the third day, Han Ruzi came to visit Cui Teng.

Cui Teng thought of a hundred ways to take revenge on this person, but as soon as he met, he couldn't help crying, and his tears flowed more and more, begging: "Let me go, brother-in-law..."

Han Ruzi came prepared and said coldly: "Deserter is a death sentence. It is already magnanimous to punish you for working for a month."

"One month?" Cui Teng looked at the dust all over his body and felt that he could not hold on for even a day. "If you change the punishment, it really doesn't work... kill them. I remember that there seemed to be an example of replacing death in the past."

The two followers were so scared that their legs were weak and they knelt down, "Second Young Master, we have always been loyal..."

"I know, it's time for you to be loyal again, and I will remember you two." Cui Teng just wanted to get out of the predicament himself and didn't care about the life or death of others.

Han Ruzi didn't want to kill someone, so she turned around and asked Junzheng who was following him: "Is there any other punishment that can replace work?"

Jun Zheng replied: "If you have a title and have a title, you can also redeem your sentence if you don't have a title."

"I have a lord and rich!" Cui Teng's eyes lit up, "So it's okay, you've said it a long time ago."

Other noble children also came over and were willing to use titles to redeem the punishment. Those who are smarter are more willing to pay the money. Their titles are not high, but once they are cut, they will have to fight for it again in the future, which is much more troublesome than paying the money.

The reduction of titles requires permission from the court, and the fines are relatively convenient and fast. The amount given by the army is calculated by the fines of the entourage. The gold and silver brought by the twelve nobles are not enough, so they are recorded in the account and are considered as debts.

Everyone was covered in dirt, but the matter was not over yet. General Zhenbei said: "Although you only worked here for two days, you have received a lot of help. It's not OK to leave like this. You should invite everyone to show your gratitude."

"It's all hired for money, not cheap at all..." Cui Teng also wanted to explain that the other noble children had already agreed to keep the money and goods needed.

There is nothing good in the Broken Iron City. It is a great improvement for the prisoners who work all year round. More than 200 people sat on the ground under the city wall, eating and drinking. Many people came over to thank the general of Zhenbei and the noble children who paid the money. Cui Teng and others agreed with their wry smiles.

The punishment of deserters was only one of Han Ruzi's purpose. He came here to meet someone, and Yang Feng specially recommended Fang Daye to him.

Most prisoners came to toast, and the timids followed others and stood behind to drink. Even if the task was completed, only a very small number of people refused to come. They were either too old or too arrogant. Even if the emperor came in person, they would just eat and drink.

Fang Daye has both. He is tall and tall. He is quite eye-catching in the crowd. His hair is tied into a round bun in a grassy field. A handful of black and white beards are not chaotic. He is straight up to his waist and has a bad face. He looks like he has not recovered from a serious illness, but he has a lot of appetite and is not rushing. The wine and meat in front of him disappear much faster than others.

Han Ruzi had ordered that the meal be full and sufficient, so soldiers kept adding wine and meat. Someone kindly reminded Fang Daye to thank the general, but he didn't even raise his head.

Han Ruzi was thinking about how to call Fang Daye over to ask questions. Jun Zheng beside him had already noticed General Zhenbei's gaze and whispered: "Oh, it's a pity that a powerful general has fallen to the rank of prisoners."

"A fierce general? Are you talking about that old man? What is his deeds worthy of being a powerful general?"

Jun Zheng's face changed slightly and he smiled, "I am also listening to others' nonsense, so I can't take it seriously."

Han Ruzi did not ask questions, and waited for the banquet to go almost over. He said: "The walls in the backyard of the General's Mansion are not solid, so I'll find five people to repair them."

"Yes." Jun responded, understanding the meaning of General Zhenbei.

Han Ruzi returned to the mansion, Cui Teng and others returned to the camp. They had no face to see anyone. They hid in the room for two days before they came out to participate in cavalry training. From then on, they became much more honest. Cui Teng occasionally had nonsense, but no one responded.

There was a reason why Han Ruzi did not summon Fang Daye immediately. He asked that Fang Daye had been working on the border in his early years, and had gained merits and promotions. In addition, he was old, so he was sent to Qi State to serve as a military post. The King of Qi wanted to rebel, and in order to confuse the court, he specially sent Fang Daye to escort the crown prince to Beijing.

The prince of Qi was arrested and imprisoned. Fang Daye was not implicated at the beginning. As long as he did nothing, he could escape the disaster successfully. However, no one expected that this veteran in his sixties would lead more than a dozen outlaws to rob the prison and rescue the prince of Qi.

The prison robbery failed, and Fang Daye's relatives and friends were responsible for him, so that he could be exempted from his death penalty, exiled to the frontier, and never hired him.

Han Ruzi still remembered the prince of Qi and knew in his heart that Fang Daye probably would not have a good impression of him. Yang Feng asked a difficult problem for the "student". (To be continued.)
Chapter completed!
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