Dynasty Conquest

Chapter 425 Forgiveness
Seeing Gang Yu squatting on the ground crying loudly, Lin Chuan really couldn't bear to punish them. Lin Chuan also felt the same feelings as them at this moment. Seeing his good brothers fell on the road of charging, he felt like a knife But he couldn't do it when he was asked to order the killing of prisoners of war.

Lin Chuan personally helped Gang Yu up, wiped away his tears, pointed to the fully armed prisoners of war and said earnestly: "I know that many brothers have died, and I feel bad, but can killing prisoners of war solve the problem? ?”

Lin Chuan raised his voice and looked around at the clamoring Nanchuan infantry soldiers: "Killing the prisoners of war will not solve the problem, even if they are all killed, the sixth prince Long Qing will not blink his eyes, and he will not feel any heartache. He will keep recruiting more men to fight with us, more brothers will fall on the battlefield, and more families will be torn apart."

"Look at them with your eyes open. They are also tired of war. They also have wives and children. They also long for peace and a happy life with their families. Now they have put down their weapons and are unwilling to fight us. Why do we Can’t forgive them, don’t you want to see more families torn apart?!” Lin Chuan pointed to the trembling Imperial Guard prisoners of war and asked the Nanchuan soldiers who were clamoring to kill the prisoners of war.

"The fault of the war is not with ordinary soldiers, but with those nobles who are fighting for power and profit. If they stop exploiting and stop fighting for power and profit, there will be no war."

"Did our brothers die in vain like that?" A Nanchuan soldier couldn't help asking loudly.

All Nanchuan soldiers and officers turned their eyes to Lin Chuan, waiting for his explanation.

"No, our brother can't die in vain like this. This blood debt should be recorded on the head of the sixth prince Long Qing who started the war and the nobles who followed him, not these unarmed prisoners of war. They just obeyed orders."

Hearing Lin Chuan's explanation, those Nanchuan soldiers who were clamoring loudly to kill the prisoners of war all lowered their heads with guilty expressions on their faces.

"General, I, Gang Yu, was reckless and ignorant of righteousness. I almost made a big mistake and killed an innocent person. Please punish me, General." Gang Yu knelt down on one knee and pleaded guilty to Lin Chuan.

Looking at this reckless and loyal soldier, Lin Chuan was willing to punish him no matter how hard he was. There were not many people who were angry for his brother Paoze.

Lin Chuan stretched out his hands to help Gang Yu up, and said earnestly: "What is your crime? It's human nature to seek justice for the brothers who died in battle. I don't blame you, but I need to use my brain more in the future. Find out who our real enemy is."

"The last general obeys orders—" Gang Yu was full of gratitude to Lin Chuan.

"Brothers, let's go, everyone is tired after fighting for a day."

Those infantry soldiers clamoring to kill prisoners of war were taken to heart by Lin Chuan's words. In fact, killing prisoners of war can only relieve their hatred for a while, but it can't solve the problem fundamentally. After calming down, they left after they figured it out.

Surrounded by the generals, Lin Chuan stepped into the camp where the prisoners of war were held.

Under the custody of heavily armed military disciplined soldiers, more than 5000 captured Janissary soldiers did not dare to make the slightest movement. In fact, they had no strength to move.

They were tired and sleepy after a day of fierce fighting. They were shivering in the cold wind due to hunger and cold. The wounded soldiers wailed in pain. Seeing these skinny prisoners of war huddled together for warmth, seeing Lin Chuan and the others coming, their faces were filled with tears. Panic and fear.

"Order to go down and distribute food to them." Lin Chuan ordered as he walked.

"General, but they are prisoners of war..." Gang Yu wanted to speak, but Lin Chuan glanced at him, and immediately closed his mouth.

Soon, vats of porridge and large baskets of black-faced steamed buns were sent to the camp of the prisoners of war, and then distributed. These hungry and cold prisoners of war immediately gobbled up the food.

"Why don't you eat?" Lin Chuan asked a prisoner of war who was sitting still.

"Anyway, they are all dead. Isn't it the same whether you eat or not if you cut off your head?" The prisoners' words were full of frustration and unwillingness.

Lin Chuan couldn't help laughing, and then explained: "This is not a meal of severed heads. If I really want to kill you, why should I waste food."

Hearing Lin Chuan's words, the prisoner raised his head to look at Lin Chuan, and asked suspiciously, "We killed so many of you, why don't you kill us for revenge?"

"I said that the war is not your fault. You just obeyed orders. Now that you have put down your weapons, you are no longer our enemy."

"Are you really going to let us go?" the prisoner asked again in disbelief.

Lin Chuan smiled: "I, Lin Chuan, never tell lies."

Seeing Lin Chuan's sincere eyes, the prisoner of war suddenly stood up, frightening the guards around him to draw their knives and stand in front of Lin Chuan.

"Qin Tian, ​​the commander of the Third Banner Regiment of the Imperial Guard, is willing to die for the general, and please let the brothers like me go home." Although Qin Tian's face was covered with blood, he was tall and straight, with standard military etiquette.

Seeing that this thin man turned out to be a flag regiment commander, Lin Chuan was a little stunned.

Lin Chuan nodded and said: "I promise you, I welcome those who are willing to stay, and I will not stop those who are willing to go home, and of course you are the same."

Qin Tian bowed deeply to Lin Chuan: "Thank you, General."

Although the Dynasty Army defeated the Zhenxi Army during the day, the strength of the Zhenxi Army is still not to be underestimated. The war will not end in a short time. For Lin Chuan, there is not enough troops to detain these prisoners of war, so he released them. their decision.

But the result was beyond Lin Chuan's expectation. Apart from dozens of the guards who surrendered, they all asked to stay and join Lin Chuan's troops.

After Lin Chuan asked, he found out that the homes of these soldiers of the Imperial Guard were mostly in the area near Wangjing, and now they are not controlled by the Zhenxi Army. A scene of surrender and defection.

There are two reasons why they surrendered to Lin Chuan. One is that they cannot go home even if they leave here, and Zhuang Ding will be captured by the Zhenxi Army to continue fighting. The other is to thank Lin Chuan for saving his life, especially Under the encouragement of Qin Tian, ​​the head of their banner, they all joined the Nanchuan Army one after another.

Although Lin Chuan now claims to be a legion, his actual strength is less than one-third, only three banner regiments, and he has lost a lot of fighting during the day, so he urgently needs to replenish his strength.

Since the more than 5000 people are willing to join his command, he is naturally happy, and directly recruits them to the various banner groups that have lost a lot. Lin Chuan does not have high expectations for the loyalty of these prisoners of war. digestive.

But Lin Chuan also believes that these prisoners of war will eventually be able to integrate into the Nanchuan Army, a big family with a strong sense of honor.

In order to prevent the Nanchuan soldiers from discriminating against the prisoners of war and bullying these new recruits, Lin Chuan specially held a legion meeting overnight, and all the surviving soldiers of the Nanchuan soldiers and the newly recruited prisoners of war participated.

This time, Lin Chuan's army suffered a lot, and many of the troops' direct establishments were destroyed. It was Lin Chuan's helpless move to add prisoners of war to the army. After Lin Chuan's earnest explanation and enlightenment.

Those soldiers who were very hostile to the prisoners of war temporarily let go of their dissatisfaction, and accepted these prisoners of war who were still enemies during the day as their new comrades-in-arms.

Qin Tian was already very grateful to Lin Chuan for not killing him, and Lin Chuan arranged him to serve as the deputy head of the banner under Ming Yang, the head of the banner, which made him even more grateful, and vowed to serve Lin Chuan with his death.

(End of this chapter)