Chapter 1366 - 1042: Heartless and Ungrateful

Yu Wenye walked over, looked at the few familiar yet unfamiliar faces, and then said: "Just now, who said ’eyes but no pearls, wolf-hearted and dog-lunged’?"

Everyone looked at one another.

Yu Wenye said: "What, dare to do but not to admit? Dare to curse but not to own up?"

Upon hearing this, a few people showed uneasy expressions on their faces, and amongst them, one gritted his teeth and raised his head.

Yu Wenye looked down at him—he recognized this person, surname Zhao, first name Deyan, originally from the Left Imperial Guard, but later, feeling it was a waste to have no battles to fight, he constantly complained in the army and was reported to Lei Yi; Lei Yi not only didn’t blame him but instead found him a way out by letting him join the Yuwen Family. At the time, Yu Wenquan was serving as the Shanxi Comfort Envoy, guarding the Dragon Gate fighting against the rebel army, and he joined under Yu Wenye’s command, charging fearlessly into battles. Soon he made military achievements and was promoted to Guerrilla General.

This Zhao Deyan said: "Replying to Your Highness, it was said by this small one."

Yu Wenye said: "Tell me, why did you say others have eyes yet no pearls?"

"They walk without looking and ran into me."

"Oh, walking and bumping into you makes them have eyes yet no pearls; what does wolf-hearted and dog-lunged mean then?"

"This—"

"How come, you can curse but don’t know what you’re cursing about?"

As the conversation went on, the surrounding soldiers were alarmed by the noise and came out of their tents to gather around. Some were old soldiers following the Yuwen Family for many years and knew the relationship between Yu Wenye and Lei Yi, with some even like Zhao Deyan coming from the Left Imperial Guard. There were also soldiers from Xiaopingjin Pass, who quickly understood what was happening; those soldiers from Xiaopingjin Pass cautiously looked at Yu Wenye, watching how he would handle this matter.

Mu Xian whispered: "Your Highness, it’s better to handle this matter later."

"Right now,"

Yu Wenye looked at Zhao Deyan expressionlessly: "Speak."

Seeing the situation, especially with so many people gathered around, Zhao Deyan refused to retreat or yield. He decided to go all out, saying: "I’m cursing them." With that, he gritted his teeth, revealing even more of an indignant expression: "They actually killed General Lei. General Lei was open and aboveboard and kind to me, yet they killed him. Isn’t that wolf-hearted and dog-lunged?"

As soon as those words landed, the surrounding soldiers immediately broke into commotion—

"Nonsense!"

"You are the wolf-hearted and dog-lunged one!"

"If it weren’t for him refusing to surrender no matter what, would we have done this?"

As one group yelled insults, the other naturally refused to give in and counter-cursed, making the entire camp boil like a pot of boiling soup. At this moment, Yu Wenye suddenly roared furiously: "Everyone shut up!"

He came from the army, with an inherent aura of authority even without anger. Rarely did he get angry, besides on the battlefield, that even his close ones seldom heard him raise his voice. But at this moment, his sudden angry shout struck like a bolt of thunder, and everyone immediately fell silent, not daring to breathe loudly while watching him.

Yu Wenye coldly swept his gaze over everyone’s face present, lastly, his stern gaze fell upon Zhao Deyan’s face.

He said: "I have always ruled the army with a strict hand, and anyone at fault must be severely punished, never lenient. But for you, I am lenient."

"..."

"Take yourself and receive forty lashes."

"...!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned.

The people from Xiaopingjin Pass originally thought he would certainly side with his own people but did not expect that he spoke of severe punishment towards Zhao Deyan; albeit so, he spoke of leniency, yet the result of leniency was actually forty lashes – knowing that Zhao Deyan was after all his trusted lieutenant and had just achieved merits in capturing Dagu Pass, Huanxuan Pass, etc., battles; it was indeed not worth such a punishment for mere verbal disputes.

The people from Xiaopingjin Pass were both surprised and happy, while the soldiers of the Dasheng Dynasty looked at each other, seemingly a bit dissatisfied, yet dared not to speak lightly, even Mu Xian showed a hesitant expression, speaking softly: "Your Highness, Zhao Deyan indeed deserves to be punished, but forty lashes—isn’t that too harsh?"

Yu Wenye gave him a cold glance and said: "I have already said, this is being lenient."

"..."

"Forty lashes are already considered light for him. Based on his guilt, he should have been beheaded!"

"...!"

Everyone was shocked once more.

Zhao Deyan, originally prepared to plead guilty, couldn’t help but lift his head upon hearing this and, with a stubborn neck, looked at Yu Wenye: "Your Highness, I would like to ask, what did I do wrong? Just for cursing them as having eyes but no pearls, wolf-hearted, and dog-lunged, I admitted to forty lashes, but does that mean just for cursing these people, Your Highness would behead me?"

Yu Wenye calmly said: "I just said, I rule the army with strict laws, and since I govern the troops, of course, it must adhere to the law."

Zhao Deyan said: "In military law, is there a rule that cursing someone means beheading?"

Yu Wenye said: "Military law certainly won’t behead you for cursing, but the military law clearly states, those who sow discord in the army, are to be executed!"

Zhao Deyan opened his eyes wide: "I, when did I—"

Before he could finish, Yu Wenye already interrupted him, sternly saying: "These people killed Lei Yi, and you curse them as wolf-hearted and dog-lunged? Let me ask you, what was the purpose of our dispatch this time?!"

Upon hearing this, everyone around showed a change of expression, and Zhao Deyan’s eyes flickered, pausing for a moment, he said: "To suppress the rebel Liang Shide and recover the Eastern Capital."

"Let me ask again, who was Lei Yi a lieutenant of?"

"Liang Shide."

"Then what is he to us?"

"...Enemy, enemy."

"Then what is the duty of soldiers on the battlefield!?"

"To kill the enemy..."

"Good, at least you’re still clear-headed,"

Yu Wenye coldly said: "The last query—knowing your duty is to kill the enemy. If Xiaopingjin Pass brothers this time hadn’t been able to kill Lei Yi, in a head-to-head, what would you do?"

"I—"

At this point, Zhao Deyan’s arrogance had completely subsided, with his broad shoulders slightly slumped, and his head lowered.

Yu Wenye said: "Are you planning to surrender to him for your personal interest?"

Zhao Deyan hurriedly said: "This subordinate does not dare to!"

"Then, are you planning to lose to him on the battlefield to preserve your master-servant relationship?"

"This subordinate dares not do so."

"Before we came, we had sent emissaries several times to solicit surrender, and he killed the emissaries resolutely refusing to surrender, fighting to the end. These brothers had to kill him to save themselves and for our Dasheng Dynasty’s plan for unification over the world. Where is their fault in this? You dared to say they were wolf-hearted and dog-lunged, such words of sowing discord within the army, do you still believe you are faultless!"

"..."

Zhao Deyan was rendered speechless.

Yu Wenye said: "Take him away, forty lashes, not one less!"