Chapter Thirty-Three: Raising the Flag

  New book rankings are only a few hundredths of a difference from the black soil deity, with a maximum of 100 recommended ticket values. Brothers and sisters, help Tang Yuan explode chrysanthemum! *－*

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  Bian Lingcheng naturally didn't know that Yang Hui had already counted him as one of the people he wanted to kill.

  At this time, Bian Lingcheng can be said to have a slightly peaceful mind, with a sense of surviving a disaster. On his escape route, he had already learned that Yang Hui was appointed as the military commander of Tongguan, replacing Ge Shuhan in commanding the Tongguan army affairs. This news reassured him, and this was also the most important reason for his return to Tongguan.

  "I will see Yang Bing again!"

  Yan Jing was very cold towards himself, and Bian Lingcheng felt a bad feeling in his heart, but he still went forward to pay his respects.

  He had a good relationship with Yang Guozhong, and Yang Guozhong's several sons also had intersections, only the friendship with Yang Hui was a bit shallow, but not bad. However, seeing Yang Hui today, at first glance, it made him feel fearful. Yang Hui looked too majestic, and his face was full of murderous aura!

  Yang Kai stood upright in front of Bian Cheng and asked in a stern tone, "General Bian, I ask you, where do you come from?"

  Bian Lingcheng was a eunuch supervisor of the 200,000 troops at Tongguan. He also held the position of Left Supervisor-in-chief of the Guards, and people commonly referred to him as "General Bian".

  Yang Hui really couldn't understand why Li Longji trusted eunuchs so much. Gao Lishi was given a very high position, with titles such as Guo Gong and Da Jiangjun hanging on him, and everyone called Gao Lishi "Gao Da Jiangjun". Bian Lingcheng, also a eunuch, held the position of Jianmen Jiangjun.

  Appointing an "unrooted" eunuch as a general doesn't sound right no matter how you listen to it.

  In the early days of the Tang Dynasty, eunuchs had no right to speak in court. It was from the time of Li Longji that eunuchs began to gradually interfere with politics, eventually becoming a scourge on the Tang Dynasty, even having the final say in the emperor's succession. Just thinking about it filled his heart with boundless disgust.

  Down with eunuchs! This is what he will do from now on!

  "When Yang Gui asked this, Bian Lingcheng was a bit embarrassed, but still said: 'Report to General Yang, after the defeat of the Lingbao army, the final general fought back desperately but to no avail, and had no choice but to retreat. In the end, he was separated from the defeated soldiers at Tongguan Pass. However, upon hearing that the imperial court had dispatched General Yang to lead troops to urgently rescue Tongguan, the final general immediately rushed back to Tongguan City!'"

  Seeing Bian Lingcheng's expression, the other generals' eyes fell on him again. Yang Hui changed to a playful expression and said: "General Bian, it turns out that you have been to Tongguan City before. Thinking that Tongguan City can't be defended, you abandoned the city and escaped. Is that right? It's just that when I heard that the imperial court ordered me to lead the army to rush to the rescue, I felt that Tongguan City could still hold on for a while, so I returned. Is that correct?"

  Bian Ling's words made Yang Jie even more embarrassed, he glanced at Yang Jie and finally shook his head, "Yang Bing Ma Shi, I didn't think of abandoning Tongguan and not defending it, but was forced out of the city by the defeated soldiers! I know my duty and want to return to Chang'an as soon as possible, to see the Emperor, to explain the reason for the defeat of the Lingbao army, and to request reinforcements!"

  Bian Lingcheng's sophistry had brought contempt from many generals, and some people even secretly spat in disgust.

  I've seen shameless people before, but I've never seen anyone as shameless as Bian Cheng, who escapes with his life and still tries to put gold on his own face.

  Yang Hui didn't spit at Bian Cheng, instead he put on a smile, turned around twice with his hands behind his back, and continued to speak in a playful tone: "General Bian, if everyone were like you, thinking of rushing back to Chang'an to call for reinforcements, then Tongguan City would have fallen into the rebels' hands by now, and we wouldn't be able to stand here talking! Do you think anyone believed your explanation that you weren't fleeing in fear?"

  "Ah?!" Bian Lingcheng exclaimed in surprise, looking at Yang Hui's already cold face in a daze, not knowing how to respond.

  Yang Kai walked up to Bian Lingcheng, looking down at him with a very cold tone and asked: "General Bian, as the supervisor of the army, you must be very clear about what punishment those who fear the enemy and flee in battle will receive? It seems that Generals Feng Changqing and Gao Xianzhi were also executed for this crime, or is it just your list?"

  Without waiting for the order to be given, Yang Gui asked Geshu Han, who was standing on one side with a complex expression: "I beg to ask General Geshu, what punishment should be meted out to those who are afraid of the enemy and flee in battle?"

  "Spare no one!" Geshu Han replied with a cold expression.

  "Not bad, I also announced earlier that if there are soldiers who fear the enemy, escape from battle, plot rebellion, or surrender to the enemy, they will be killed without pardon!" Yang Hui's words finally revealed a murderous aura, and his eyes, shining with a cold light, stared straight at Bian Lingcheng, who was trembling with fear. With a stern tone, he shouted: "As the supervisor of the army, when the main force is defeated and the commander is not assisted in resisting the enemy, but instead only thinks of escaping himself, according to military law, he should be beheaded!"

  Yang Jie's stern rebuke frightened Bian Lingcheng, who immediately knelt down in front of Yang Jie and begged for mercy: "General Yang, I know I was wrong! I didn't flee the battlefield, but really wanted to return to Chang'an to fetch reinforcements! When I heard that General Yang had led troops to rescue Tongguan, I rushed back right away! General Yang, considering our past friendship with your esteemed father, please spare my life. I will personally plead guilty to His Majesty and Lord Yang, and request punishment for myself!"

  Yang Jie took two steps back, slightly further away from Bian Lingcheng, and ordered two soldiers to step forward and hold down Bian Lingcheng. After Bian Lingcheng was forced to lift his head, Yang Jie continued to scold him: "Bian Lingcheng, as a supervisor of the army, you have disappointed the Emperor's expectations. When General Bu Shijun was deploying troops, you often pointed fingers and disobeyed military orders. You also repeatedly slandered in front of the Emperor, which led to the death of Generals Feng Changqing and Gao Xianzhi, causing chaos among the soldiers. Moreover, you frequently submitted memorials stating that Commander Gesu Yuan had ulterior motives, leading to instability among the troops! It was your repeated words that made the Emperor and Yang Guozhong believe that our army could defeat the enemy outside the city, which led to the Emperor making a wrong decision, ordering Commander Gesu Yuan to lead the army out of the city for battle. In the end, we suffered a great defeat at the Battle of Lingbao! You must take full responsibility for this failure. If I don't kill you, heaven and earth will not be able to tolerate it!"

  Ge Shuhan and other generals were stunned, under Yang Hui's clever words, the responsibility for Lingbao's defeat was completely pushed onto Bian Licheng, who would have thought that Yang Hui would say such a thing!

  Yang Kai drew out the long sword in his hand with a "clang" and pointed at Bian Lingcheng, who had no expression on his face, saying: "Bian Lingcheng, this is the imperial sword bestowed by His Majesty to this military commander, which can be used to execute anyone who disobeys orders, fears the enemy, or plots rebellion. Previously, Yan Shan Junwang Huo Bairen died under this sword, and you will be the second general to be beheaded by it!"

  Yang said, with a proud expression, looking at the stunned Gesu Han and other generals, loudly declaring: "As the supervisor of the army, Left Monitor Gate General Bian Lingcheng, in the face of the defeat of the troops, not only did he not cooperate with the main general to gather the soldiers and resist again, but also fled for his own life, abandoning tens of thousands of soldiers to defeat and neglect. He passed through Tongguan without stopping, abandoned the natural barrier of Tongguan without defending it, and committed an unforgivable crime! In order to prevent another general from fleeing in battle and being afraid to fight, this military envoy has decided to behead Bian Lingcheng on the spot as a warning to others. Come, take Bian Lingcheng outside the city of Tongguan and execute him in front of all the generals!"

  He threw the long sword in his hand to Bian Lingcheng's face, wanting to kill a chicken and scare a monkey, take Bian Lingcheng's head to sacrifice the flag, and establish his prestige for himself!