People in the Three Kingdoms: Starting from Preaching

Chapter 442 Justice
"No, no, I was forced to do this!"

"We are just soldiers. What have we done wrong? If anyone should be killed, they should be the generals and ministers above us. Are you Yellow Turbans only bullying the weak and afraid of the strong? I don't accept it, I don't accept it!"

"I was wrong. I am willing to accept any punishment. As long as it allows me to survive, I am willing to do anything!"

"Spare your life, spare your life!"

In the city of Xuchang, the empty parade ground was filled with people kneeling on the ground, shouting and yelling. Next to each of them stood a stern-faced yellow turban holding a knife, and it was obvious that they were about to carry out a beheading punishment.

These prisoners were all soldiers of the Wei army more than ten days ago, but now they all face the fate of being beheaded.

Death is an instinctive fear of all living things. Under this fear, they screamed and shouted in terror, and even worse, yellow liquid began to flow from their crotches.

Some people cursed the Yellow Turbans, some gritted their teeth and accepted their fate, and some begged desperately, but the Yellow Turban soldiers who were about to carry out the punishment were completely indifferent. Their expressions were as cold and hard as stone, and there was no mercy in their eyes for these people.

The soldiers' reaction was at least indifferent, but the people who surrounded the entire parade ground in three layers outside and three layers outside were all showing hatred and joy. The more frightened and struggling the Wei soldiers were, the more excited the people became. This scene even looked a little abnormal.

However, all of this was what the Wei soldiers deserved, and no one would have the slightest sympathy for them. Even though the number of soldiers who were about to be punished had reached more than two thousand, the people did not think there was anything wrong.

These beasts deserve to die!
The Yellow Turbans had already investigated their crimes clearly. The disaster in Bingzhou was caused by these soldiers, and the tragedy in Xuchang was also directly participated by these soldiers. They once raised the butcher knife coldly against innocent people, and today it was their turn to face the butcher knife themselves.

Not only did the common people have no objection to this collective beheading punishment, but even the many ordinary Wei army prisoners who were watching the battle had nothing to say.

The Yellow Turbans spent nearly ten days and put in tremendous effort to organize the evidence of crimes against every specific person in detail. There was a clear list of the criminals kneeling in the parade grounds, what crimes each person committed and when, and how many people they killed.

The crimes of each of them were absolutely irrefutable and presented to everyone, and no one could find any fault with them.

The sinners' long struggles and curses received no response. Perhaps because they had completely given up hope, they finally calmed down, and the noisy people also stopped making noise.

The crowd's eyes gradually focused on the school platform, where a handsome man was sitting.

When the Yellow Turbans saw this face, their eyes were burning, as if in their eyes, this man was a god appearing in the real world.

Even the common people, who had only been under the rule of the Yellow Turbans for a few days, had expressions of respect and gratitude towards this man.

Only this man is qualified to give the final order to end the lives of more than two thousand sinners.

"Execution."

Xu Chen uttered the two words calmly, his tone without any fluctuation, just like the impartial and ruthless judge of the gods. At this moment, Xu Chen was the embodiment of the teachings of the Natural Religion, and the law was supposed to be ruthless.

As the voice fell, Wang Dang, who was standing beside him, waved his right hand, and more than two thousand Yellow Turbans below raised their swords in unison, their eyes falling on the neck of the criminal in front of them.

The sun was clearly shining brightly in the sky, but the shimmering light from the metal blade reflecting the sunlight made the air cool down a bit.

The prisoners could sense the end of their lives, and they cried and shouted desperately. This was their last expression of unwillingness and regret, but it was only for a moment. With the flash of knives, countless round heads rolled down on the parade ground, and everything was over.

The collective beheading of more than 2,000 people was not common even in this chaotic world. The scene shocked the people watching the execution, but soon, their shock was replaced by extreme joy and excitement. "Well done, well done!"

"We finally have our own judge, and we can finally get justice!"

"Father, did you see this in heaven? The Heavenly Master has taken charge of us. Your revenge has been avenged!"

The soldiers were executed, which made the people extremely excited. For a long time, they suffered countless exploitations and harms from the Wei army, and even became physical food for the Wei army. This deep hatred was enough to fill the sea.

If the Wei Kingdom had not perished, if Cao Cao had not been defeated, if the Yellow Turbans had not come, they would have had to keep these pains in their hearts and slowly forget them for the rest of their lives.

But now, someone finally came to give them justice.

They were excited not just because their enemies had died, but because these criminals were punished for their clear crimes. Even though many people could not tell the difference between the two, they could feel a sense of relief.

This peace of mind comes from the fact that they can be protected by the new laws and order.

Only the many ordinary Wei army prisoners who were being held by the Yellow Turbans in the distance at the parade ground felt inexplicably chilled. After all, these dead criminals were their comrades-in-arms just ten days ago. If they had been soldiers who had directly participated in those crimes, they would inevitably have to kneel in the parade ground and be punished today.

They were grateful but also silent. Although some of the dead might be their friends or even relatives, they had nothing to say about the Yellow Turbans' punishment.

All the crimes were clarified, clearly and unambiguously. With all of this laid out before them, they could only say that they deserved it, and they could not even resent the Yellow Turbans.

This is not a revenge killing based on opposing positions, but a judgment based on legal principles. Even if they are not convinced, they cannot deny this fact.

The deaths of so many former companions gave the captives enough psychological shock. Unlike the excitement of the common people, they mostly felt guilty and remorseful. Of course, there was also some sadness of sympathy for their own kind, and even more worries and fears about themselves.

As if sensing the uneasiness in the prisoners' hearts, a man walked up to them. It was Tian Shitou, the leader of the guard team. One of his jobs was to discipline and reform the prisoners.

Seeing the captives' cowering and fearful eyes, Tian Shitou knew that they were worried that the Yellow Turbans would treat them the same way they did in the parade ground.

Tian Shitou has been following Xu Chen for a long time, so his awareness is not low: "You don't have to be afraid of anything. My Yellow Turbans have clear merits and demerits. Although you are Wei troops, as long as you don't make big mistakes, you just need to accept the reform and obey the arrangements in the future, and there will be nothing wrong."

After hearing this, the captives felt a little relieved. After all, they had seen what the Yellow Turbans had done in the past ten days and they had indeed not abused them.

In fact, being a Yellow Turban captive gave them more dignity and respect than being a member of the Wei army.

Although they were soldiers before, they were just low-level people who were subject to beatings and scolding by officers and veterans, with no dignity or personality at all. On the contrary, the Yellow Turbans regarded themselves as human beings.

Tian Shitou's voice continued to come over.

"You are the ones who demolished Xuchang City. You owe it to the people of Xuchang. So you must also contribute to the repair of Xuchang City. This is both labor reform and atonement for your sins to the people."

"Start now, follow orders and get to work!"

(End of this chapter)