Your Majesty, Please Stop!

Chapter 271: Killing Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand in a Trap

"I agree!"

"I also agree with General Yuchi's words!"

"I also think General Yuchi's words make sense!"

In the camp, a group of high-ranking generals of the Western Qin army expressed their opinions one after another. The overall theme was that these surrendered soldiers could not be used.

"Very well! Then let's recruit from the three provinces and eighteen prefectures, as General Yuchi suggested!"

Xin Zhuo smiled, but there was no trace of amusement in his eyes. "But I don't know, how long will it take to train the recruited new army before they can be used?"

General Yuchi hesitated for a moment. "If we are to face the various countries of the Western Regions, it will probably take at least a year. If we were to encounter another Western Regions coalition, it might take two years!"

"Two years!"

Xin Zhuo stood up and walked down from his commanding position, walking slowly towards General Yuchi, looking directly into his tiger-like eyes. "With just over a hundred thousand troops left in the Western Qin, can we maintain stability for two years?"

General Yuchi said in a deep voice, "The neighboring countries of the Western Regions have already been weakened. The Grand Commander's victory in this battle will bring at least fifteen years of peace!"

"Ignorant! Foolish!"

Xin Zhuo scolded angrily, disappointment filling his gaze as he looked at General Yuchi.

"I...admit my mistake!"

General Yuchi immediately knelt down, bowing his head. But the words "admit my mistake" were obviously not sincere.

The other generals in the tent exchanged glances, somewhat confused. They truly believed that General Yuchi's words made sense. Where did "ignorant" and "foolish" come from?

Xin Zhuo looked at the blue sky outside the tent, and suddenly missed the old man Tai Xungong, who understood his thoughts and was still deceiving the various countries of the Western Regions.

Once a person has a certain position and realm, their perspective and scope will change.

General Yuchi and the others were looking at ten steps, but he was looking at thirty steps, fifty steps, or... These people's positions were different from his own, limiting their thinking.

Xin Zhuo was certain that a great victory for the Western Qin army was not what the emperor and prime ministers, who wanted to deal with the warlord Jiang family, wanted to see. He couldn't even guarantee that the court wouldn't find an excuse to frame him, dispatching the Shenji Army and the Dianqian Army to launch a surprise attack on the Western Qin army.

He was confident in dealing with the Western Regions army, but he had no way to deal with the Shenji Army and the Dianqian Army, who knew nothing. Those elite troops of the Great Zhou would not be much weaker than the Western Qin army.

Moreover, it was hard to say whether there would be venerable experts, divine dao children, or earth immortals sent by the court and the emperor to assassinate him.

So, his enemies were not necessarily the various countries of the Western Regions, but also the court.

Train the new army for two years? The opportunity would be lost by then!

It was necessary to be prepared in advance.

Not only in terms of the army, but also in terms of his own martial realm.

In fact, he had already started laying the groundwork, waiting for this day!

For the sake of his own life and fortune, he could do whatever it took, even if it meant killing countless people and making enemies of the world.

So, he suddenly felt that these Western Qin army generals in the tent were vulgar and clumsy. Once something happened to him, where would you, as his "loyal supporters," run to?

"To eradicate evil" and "completely eliminate" those politicians in the capital city, he was really good at it!

But after careful consideration, he sighed and gently helped General Yuchi up, his face filled with tenderness. "General, there's no need to be like this! I was just in a hurry!"

"I understand!" General Yuchi still kept his head low.

Xin Zhuo patted his arms and walked back to his commanding position, looking at the other generals. "These Western Regions prisoners must be incorporated. Let's discuss it."

The generals exchanged glances, already understanding that the Grand Commander's intentions could not be changed. They could only think about the feasibility of the matter. However, after careful consideration, they still felt that it was unreliable to incorporate a million surrendered troops from the Western Regions.

Even if they were integrated into the existing Western Qin Army, the thirteen royal families of the states would still incite them!

"In that case... we can only incorporate surrendered troops who have a clean background, illiterate, or are simply ignorant and only know how to eat military rations!"

Wei Chi Jun hesitated and asked, "But what about the remaining surrendered troops? Should we release them?"

Xin Zhuo suddenly handed over three pieces of paper.

Wei Chi Jun carefully took them, glanced at them, and widened his eyes, his body trembling violently.

Jiang Gu En and Tuoba Ke Di, a group of old generals beside him, immediately took the paper rafts and glanced at them roughly, their faces turning pale.

Xin Zhuo played with two small swords, scanned the generals, and calmly said, "Incorporate 380,000 of the lowest-ranking surrendered troops from the Western Regions. Orphans and those with a shallow family background will be given priority. Disperse them and incorporate them into the Western Qin Army, bringing the total number of the Western Qin Army to 500,000."

After a moment's pause, he stood up again, looked at everyone, and said slowly, "The remaining surrendered troops from the Western Regions include various levels of commanders above the rank of ten, grand generals, tribal chiefs, chieftains, lords, strategists, princes, princesses, royal relatives of the thirteen states, and noble commanders, totaling more than 650,000 people... all of them... will be executed!"

"Grand Commander, please reconsider!"

"Grand Commander, this is not permissible!"

"Killing prisoners is inauspicious!"

"To massacre 650,000 troops, this has never happened before! Is the Grand Commander trying to set a precedent?"

"Such slaughter, isn't it the same as a tyrant? Isn't the Grand Commander afraid of being cursed by the world?"

"Grand Commander, please reconsider! Please reconsider! Our Western Qin Army has always been known for benevolence and righteousness, with a noble military style..."

The generals in the tent were already terrified, kneeling one after another, some even with red eyes.

They were truly frightened. 650,000 lives, not pigs, dogs, cows, or sheep, how terrifying was that? How cruel was that?

"Have you ever thought about the more than 200,000 old Western Qin soldiers who died? Have you ever considered the hundred thousand sons and daughters of various prefectural families and common people who died defending the passes?"

Xin Zhuo suddenly scolded angrily, "Are their lives not lives? The merciful do not control military affairs, and the virtuous do not control wealth! As generals commanding one side, how can you be so soft-hearted and weak? I want to destroy the thirteen states, not release prisoners and let them recover their strength, only to come back and slaughter the people of Western Qin!

Don't mention a mere 650,000 people, even if it's 6 million or 60 million, what can killing them do? Whoever dares to not know what's good for them and obstruct my grand plan will be beheaded without mercy!"

"Please, Grand Commander, reconsider!"

The generals bowed deeply, still unwilling to relent.

Wei Chi Jun raised his head, his lips trembling, "Then... how about killing the senior commanders, chieftains, lords, princes, and princesses among the surrendered troops?"

"Shut up!"

Xin Zhuo slammed the tiger token heavily on Wei Chi Jun's head, "Men, take Jiang Gu En, Wei Chi Jun, Tuoba Ke Di, Lin Hao Tian, and Zhe Teng Kun down and imprison them in the military dungeon. Without my orders, they are not to be released!"

Outside the tent, the sound of armor clanging could be heard. Dozens of fierce Iron Floating Guards had already rushed in, escorting a group of old generals and rudely dragging them out of the tent.

"Grand Commander, you cannot only focus on killing and disregard your reputation, which is detrimental to the world and to yourself!"

"Grand Commander! We have no ulterior motives. We just feel that killing prisoners is inauspicious. Our Western Qin Army is a righteous and civilized army. Such slaughter would destroy the reputation of the Jiang family that has lasted for hundreds of years!"

"Grand Commander..."

The voices of the group of old generals gradually faded away.

In the tent, only dozens of generals remained silent.

Xin Zhuo looked at Jiang Man Er, Jiang Shi San, and Jiang Yu Xi and said, "Start incorporating the surrendered troops in the afternoon. You have one day. Tomorrow at noon, lead the troops to execute them, with the assistance of Deputy General Yan Chi Zong! Remember, let the 380,000 surrendered troops watch the entire process! Don't blink! I will arrange for Confucian scholars to... brainwash them!"

The three of them trembled, saluted in unison, and said, "Yes!"