My Sims of the Eastern Jin Dynasty

Night at the military camp of the Northern Army in Guangling.

The rain hadn't started yet, but the thick, humid air was already making it hard to breathe.

The row of dilapidated barracks by the drill ground were unusually brightly lit tonight.

This is neither a drill nor a victory celebration.

Sun Wuzhong, wearing a worn-out leather armor and holding a sword at his waist, stood like a door god blocking the entrance to the largest barracks.

His face was darker than the bottom of a pot, his cheeks were sharply defined, and his gaze swept over the men who crowded the room in front of him. Each of them had been forcibly pulled out of the various camps of the Northern Army, or even from the troops that had just been stationed in Huaiyin, by a single transfer order.

The room reeked of sweat and cheap lamp oil, along with an even more oppressive and unsettling atmosphere.

There weren't many people, about twenty.

But it's not light.

Han Yong, Chen Da, Liu Dan, Lu Da, and others were all officers of the rank of squad leader or above. They all followed Xiao Heng, whose name was now incredibly popular in Jiankang, and had all come from the mountains of corpses and seas of blood in the East China Sea.

"Everyone's here."

No one answered.

Han Yong crossed his arms, leaned against the rammed earth wall, and closed his eyes.

He was the oldest and highest-ranking person here, a survivor of the Beggars' Army, and his murderous aura, which had crawled out of piles of corpses, was still enough to deter people from approaching, even though he was restraining himself at the moment.

Chen Da couldn't keep his composure any longer. He paced back and forth anxiously, his heavy military boots leaving circles of marks on the loose soil, like a trapped beast.

He was the captain of Xiao Heng's personal guards, promoted from among the veterans of the Northern Army. He was burly and straightforward, unable to keep secrets. Several times he tried to speak, but when he met Han Yong's slightly open-eyed glance, he forced himself to swallow back his words, though his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

Liu Dan crouched in the shadows of the corner, almost blending into the darkness.

He was originally a hunter in the mountains, but Xiao Heng took a liking to his superb archery skills.

At this moment, he was repeatedly rubbing the cowhide rope he had just acquired with a piece of deerskin. He rarely spoke and had a low profile, making him seem like an outsider at times like this.

But some people don't think that way.

"Just wiping a bird's feather!"

A somewhat slick, yet impatient voice rang out.

It was Lu Da. He was originally a leader of refugees in Qu County. He joined Xiao Heng simply because he had no other way to survive at the time.

The man was thin and had sharp eyes. He was sitting crookedly on a rickety bench, glancing sideways at Liu Dan.

"Liu the Wooden Head, no matter how shiny you polish it, can it still save Lord Xiao?"

Chen Da suddenly stopped and glared at Lu Da: "Lu Da! What the hell are you spouting?!"

"fart?"

Lu Da chuckled and shrugged.

"Chen Da Ge, you're talking nonsense? Then tell me, General Sun gathered us all here to invite us to a banquet in Jiankang? Governor Xie's order says 'interrogation'! Interrogation of whom? Interrogation of us! Why are they interrogating us? Because the magistrate we're following has gotten into big trouble in Jiankang!"

His words were not loud, but every word pierced the heart.

The other squad leaders in the room turned pale, exchanging terrified glances.

"trouble?"

Han Yong finally spoke, but his eyes remained closed.

"If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. What right do you and I have to speculate about Lord Xiao's affairs?"

"Commander Han!"

Lu Da changed his sitting posture slightly more upright, but the underlying tone of his voice remained the same.

"I, Lu Da, am a rough man, but I'm not blind. General Sun's expression—is that the look of someone inviting someone to a banquet? Are all of us, bundled together, qualified to warrant a special order from Governor Xie to summon us to Jiankang for questioning? This is like a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken—it's all ill-intentioned! I heard that someone in Taicheng is going to prosecute Lord Xiao, and the charges are terrifying! Startling the emperor! Treason! He's going to be executed!"

He made a throat-slitting gesture.

"You're talking nonsense!"

Chen Da could no longer hold back. He took a step in front of Lu Da and almost poked his nose with his finger.

"Captured Murong Yan, seized Huaiyin, and chased the barbarian dogs so far they jumped into the river! What crime have you committed?!"

"Chasing the dog so hard it jumped into the river?"

It seems Lu Da heard a joke.

"Your merits are merits, but people aren't talking about them now! They're talking about how you beat the drums under the emperor's nose! They're talking about how you erected a monument for the barbarians! Chen Da Ge, use your brain! In this world, the greater the merit, the faster you die!"

"I'll kill you!"

Chen Da's eyes widened in fury, and he was about to pounce on him.

"Chen Da!"

Han Yong let out a low growl, and Chen Da froze, turning back to look at Han Yong with bloodshot eyes.

Han Yong slowly opened his eyes. There was no intense emotion in his eyes. He first looked at Chen Da, who was trembling with anger, then turned to Lu Da, whose eyes were flickering but who was trying to remain calm. Finally, his gaze slowly swept over the faces of everyone in the room.

"Shut your mouths, all of you."

Han Yong shouted, enunciating each word clearly.

"From now on, without my permission, if anyone dares to utter a single word or speak ill of the Lord, don't blame me, Han Yong, for showing no mercy."

He then went to the door.

"General Sun, you are my superior. Give me a straight answer. Is Jiankang really going to take action against Lord Xiao? If we go, will we be witnesses, or will we be buried alive with him?"

All eyes instantly focused on Sun Wuzhong.

Sun Wuzhong's cheek muscles twitched.

He avoided Han Yong's piercing gaze and looked out at the thick, impenetrable night. After a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a word through gritted teeth.

"Thank you, Commander Xie, for your efforts. Sanlang is now in prison!"

Although there had been suspicions, the moment it was confirmed still sent a shockwave through everyone.

Chen Da looked as if his bones had been removed; he staggered and grabbed a pillar beside him.

Several squad leaders nearly collapsed to the ground, their legs buckling.

"Already in prison?"

Han Yong repeated it.

"Crimes?"

"The beating of drums to startle the emperor, the unauthorized erection of monuments, and other matters are under investigation."

Sun Wuzhong spoke with difficulty.

"Wang Tingwei will preside over the trial, with the King of Kuaiji overseeing it."

"so!"

Han Yong's voice grew even deeper.

"We are the evidence. We are the evidence to prove the Lord's innocence, aren't we?"

Sun Wuzhong did not deny it, but only sighed heavily.

"You've all followed Saburo all along, so there are some things I don't know, but!"

He turned around to face the crowd, his face more solemn than ever before.

"I know you've followed Xiao Sanlang for life. But this time, it's different. The waters of Jiankang are deeper than the Huai River and muddier than the Yangtze. You need to know in your hearts what to say and what not to say. Don't bring trouble upon yourself or others."

"General Sun means..."

Lu Da immediately responded, his face displaying an almost sensible expression.

"Let's go. Let's be honest and straightforward, without exaggeration, but let's not be stubborn either. Lord Xiao has been kind to us, but we should also be sensible, right?"

As he spoke, his eyes glanced at Han Yong and Chen Da.

"Knowing when to yield?"

Chen Da suddenly looked up, tears mingling with anger welling up in his eyes.

"Lu Da! Without the Prefect, you'd have been poisoned to death in the wilderness of Qu County long ago, your bones gnawed clean by wild dogs! Now that the Prefect is in trouble, you're telling me you're being pragmatic?!"

"Chen Da!"

Han Yong stopped him again.

"Who gave you the right to shout at General Sun?"

He stared at Chen Da until the other man was panting heavily and lowered his head unwillingly before he slowly spoke.

"I understand General Sun's words. We're going to Jiankang. As for what to say and what not to say, each of us knows what we should and shouldn't say."

His gaze swept across everyone's faces, lingering for a moment on Liu Dan, who had his head down, and Lu Da, whose eyes were wandering.

"It's good that Commandant Han understands."

Sun Wuzhong seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, yet also seemed even more burdened.

"We'll depart early tomorrow morning. The boats are ready. Get a good night's rest tonight. Remember, watch your mouth and the mouths of your men. Keep things quiet on the journey."

After he finished speaking, as if staying any longer would be torture, he turned around and strode away from the barracks, the heavy wooden door slamming shut behind him.

Silence descended once more, heavier than before, and the stuffiness in the room made it even more uncomfortable.

Chen Da slumped to the ground, clutching his head, his shoulders trembling slightly.

Lu Da clicked his tongue softly, leaned back on the stool, crossed his legs, tapped his toes on the ground, and stared blankly into his mind.

The other squad leaders huddled together, whispering amongst themselves, their faces filled with fear.

Liu Dan continued wiping his bowstring, but his movements were slower, as if it were the most fragile treasure in the world. The dim light illuminated half of his face, which remained expressionless.

Han Yong closed his eyes again, leaning against the wall like a weathered stone sculpture. Only his tense body betrayed the fact that his heart was far from calm.

Time crawled by, each breath stretching out endlessly.

After an unknown amount of time, in the corner, a squad leader who hadn't spoken much and was usually responsible for recording merits and demerits asked a question timidly, his voice trembling with tears.

"Commander Han... Commander Han, are we... are we really all alright? What about the Prefect... will he be alright?!"

Han Yong didn't open his eyes, but uttered a few words from his chapped lips.

"If you want to live, remember this."

"Watch your mouth."

"Just say what needs to be said, no matter who asks."

"What shouldn't be said, keep to yourself."

"Who dares to utter a single word! I'll send him down first to scout the way for the Prefect."

......