Returning to the county government office, Zhou Yi immediately shared the good news with everyone.
"Everyone, according to reports from my spies in the Khitan, the Khitan King was also killed in our Fire Ox Formation this time."
As soon as this news came out, everyone was shocked.
"Okay! That's great!"
"I didn't expect us people to actually kill the Khitan King!"
"It's a pity that we don't know the Khitan King and can't find his body. Otherwise, it would be a great achievement to report it to Kyoto!"
…
In the county government office, Pingjiang County officials and military generals were having a lively discussion, but Lin Zhenyuan's face was filled with suspicion.
"Master Zhou, if this news is true, then Master Zhou's achievements are even more outstanding. It's just the cunning of the alien race. Is there some deception in this?"
Lin Zhenyuan was not surprised that the Khitans and Xiongnu had such doubts. After all, Lin Zhenyuan and the others had suffered a lot of losses due to incorrect intelligence since they had been dealing with them. Such "throwing cold water" on them was also to remind Zhou Yi.
Lin Zhenyuan was suspicious, but the officials and generals in Pingjiang County were not worried at all, because they had known about Tuo Ba Lie for a long time!
"Don't worry, Mr. Lin, it's the Khitans who brought this news."
Lin Zhenyuan was even more surprised by this. He did not expect that Zhou Yimou's layout was so deep, and even spies were planted among the Khitan people.
"After this battle, most of the east gate of our Pingjiang County was destroyed, and the city was also in a mess after being charged by fire bulls. The head of the Ye family, the head of the Li family, the head of the Wang family, and the head of the Guo family ordered you to mobilize the people. Clear the inner city and build the city wall.”
Since Ye Wuhua, the head of the Ye family, was killed by Zhou Yi, Zhou Yi supported Ye Jianrong, who abandoned the dark side and turned to the bright side, to ascend to the throne and become the head of the Ye family.
After the several family heads finished their instructions in the Book of Changes, they immediately went to build the city wall and tidy up the city.
After Ye Jianrong and others left, Wu Laoliu glanced at Lin Zhenyuan, and then reported: "Your Majesty, I have something to report."
At this time, Lin Zhenyuan knew what Wu Laoliu was going to report to Zhou Yi. He just sighed, then stood up and interrupted: "Master Zhou, it is better for the lower officials to report this matter!"
Now Lin Zhenyuan has kept his posture very low, even calling himself a lower official. His purpose is also to make Zhou Yi forgive Deng Ponu, his personal guard who has been with him for a long time, because he respects him. .
"General Lin, please don't try to undermine me. Your rank is higher than mine, and your contribution to the Chen Kingdom on the battlefield is far beyond my comparison. The general's loss of military power and peace is not a crime of war, but the fault of a traitor. The general says it’s okay if he has something, so why bother?”
Although Zhou Yi didn't know what Lin Zhenyuan was going to say, what he said not only gave Lin Zhenyuan enough face, but also created an image of himself respecting the virtuous and valuing talents.
Lin Zhenyuan sighed again and said: "Alas!"
"It's because of my lax control. My unsatisfactory subordinate Deng Ponu wanted to kill the prisoners after the Huns and Khitans surrendered..."
Zhou Yi couldn't help but frown after hearing this. He knew that there were more than 100,000 prisoners of the Khitan Huns.
Although these people were frightened by Zhou Yi's Fire Bull Formation and had no intention of fighting, so they surrendered, but after all, they were outnumbered. In Pingjiang County, including Lin Zhenyuan's reinforcements, there are only nearly 20,000 troops.
The number of Xiongnu and Khitan surrenderers was five times that of the Pingjiang County army.
Why do ancient wars always focus on three and one missing? It is to leave hope for the other side to survive and not to end up in a trapped beast fight, where both sides will fight to the death and lose both sides.
But this Deng Ponu violated the taboo after surrendering. If Deng Ponu kills the prisoners and arouses the resistance of the surrendered soldiers, the hard-won victory may be reversed again. .
Zhou Yi patted the gavel lightly and said to his subordinates: "Come here, bring Sergeant Deng Ponu with you!"
In an instant, the entire yamen suddenly became extremely serious, and no one was smiling playfully anymore.
Deng Ponu was stripped of his armor and brought up wearing only his inner clothes.
Although Deng Ponu was kneeling in the hall, his face looked unconvinced.
Zhou Yi's heavy beat of the gavel immediately made a sound like thunder. Everyone in the audience was attracted by the loud noise and looked directly at Zhou Yi.
"Deng Ponu, do you know your guilt?"
Deng Ponu tilted his head and said, "I am not guilty!"
"Deng Ponu, you put tens of thousands of our soldiers in Pingjiang County in danger and almost plunged them into a situation of eternal disaster. How dare you say that you are not guilty?"
Deng Ponu was a little stunned. He just wanted to kill the Khitan and the Huns, but Zhou Yi in the hall actually accused him of such a big crime.
"Don't accuse people randomly. I just want to kill the Xiongnu and Khitan thieves. How could I put tens of thousands of troops in a place of eternal destruction!"
"Then let me ask you, how many soldiers were there in Pingjiang County at that time?"
After Deng Ponu thought about it again, he hesitated and said: "Less than 20,000!"
"Then how many Xiongnu and Khitans surrendered?"
At this time, Deng Ponu vaguely realized the seriousness of the matter, and hesitantly said: "Ten...ten...more than 100,000!"
"What if you kill the captives and trigger a mutiny among the soldiers, leading to a fight between trapped beasts?"
After Zhou Yi's detailed analysis, Deng Ponu realized that his impulse at that time actually hid such serious hidden dangers.
If he was not stopped from killing the prisoners, and the army really fell into a situation of eternal disaster, then he would really be the sinner of Pingjiang County, Yongzhou and even Chen State.
At this time, Deng Ponu, who was still unconvinced, wilts. He knelt on the ground and confessed his crime to Zhou Yi obediently.
Lin Zhenyuan on the side also sighed and shook his head. Looking at Zhou Yi's face just now, he felt that Deng Ponu was going to die.
Sure enough, Zhou Yi clapped the gavel in his hand again and shouted: "Since the people in this hall have confessed their guilt, please ask me for military justice from the People's Army!"
The next moment, Wu Laoliu respectfully held out a bronze book engraved with the Three Major Disciplines, Eight Points of Attention and several military laws.
Zhou Yi ordered: "Political Commissar Wu, please read the military law!"
"Sergeant Deng Ponu violated Article 8 of the Eight Points of Attention and did not mistreat the prisoners. He disobeyed the general's orders and attempted to kill the prisoners and put the army in a position of eternal disaster. According to military law, he should be removed from the military and beheaded as a warning to others!"
After Wu Laoliu made the announcement, he also lamented in his heart that it was a pity that such a good man was lost.
Deng Ponu, who was kneeling on the ground, had tears falling from the corners of his eyes at this moment. It was not because he was afraid of the upcoming death penalty, but because he felt sorry and regretful that he could not accompany Lin Zhenyuan to fight against the aliens with him. !
"Get the military registration book and delete his military registration!"
Wu Laoliu, who was holding a copper book on military law in his hand, was stunned!
Because the Xiongnu and Khitan besieged the city and the situation was urgent, Lin Zhenyuan, Deng Ponu and others had not yet been registered in Zhouyi's military status, so Wu Laoliu could not get Deng Ponu's military status at this moment.
"Political Commissar Wu, why are you still standing here? Why don't you quickly get your military qualifications?"
Wu Laoliu hurriedly knelt down, held the bronze military law in his hand above his head, and apologized: "Report to your lord, that..."
"Due to the urgent military situation, we have not yet registered General Lin and his soldiers as military personnel."
In fact, Zhou Yi had already guessed this, and this was how Zhou Yi wanted to spare Deng Ponu the death penalty.
