The next morning.
Before dawn, 500 cavalrymen of the Snow Region Army, led by Lin Zhao and Chu Yu, left the camp. After Lin Zhao presented the military order, they entered the city in an orderly fashion. By then, many Great Shang cavalrymen were already plundering. They seemed unwilling to even wait for daylight. Not far away, cavalrymen rode past, raising their swords and cutting down a middle-aged man. Further in the distance, Great Shang cavalrymen were carrying a maiden with her hands bound onto their horses. The horses' hindquarters were laden with various gold and silver artifacts, while bloody heads hung from their necks.
In many courtyards, desperate cries could be heard.
"..."
Chu Yu's willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she murmured, "My lord, are we entering the city also for..."
"Be silent."
Lin Zhao glanced into the distance, where a Myriad Cavalry Commander was staring at their group. He frowned and said, "Do as I say. Reach Zouma Alley as quickly as possible and seal all entrances to the alley. There must be no oversight!"
"Yes!"
...
Amidst the sound of hooves, the 500 cavalrymen, led by Lin Zhao, arrived at Zouma Alley. The alley was not too long, nor too short. According to the household registration records of Dongwu Kingdom, Zouma Alley had over two thousand households and a total population of more than ten thousand. Soon, under Chu Yu's command, one hundred cavalrymen guarded the eastern exit of Zouma Alley, and another hundred guarded the western exit. The remaining cavalrymen dispersed to seal off other exits, with at least ten cavalrymen assigned to each entrance and exit.
Lin Zhao slowly rode his horse, with Chu Yu beside him, through Zouma Alley. The households on both sides had their doors and windows shut. Only a few windows had curious children peeking out, seeing only a group of armored soldiers. Some children even cried out in fear, immediately having their mouths covered by their parents. It seemed everyone knew what was about to happen. Three days prior, Yu Rang, the Great Shang commander, had threatened to massacre the city after its capture. Now, this massacre was unfolding before their eyes.
"Everyone!"
Lin Zhao moved forward slowly, observing the households on both sides, and said in a deep voice, "Do not come out, do not look around. Keep your doors and windows shut. If you are truly lacking food and water, speak to the nearest Snow Region Tianchi cavalryman, and they will provide you with what you need. Otherwise, do not show yourselves!"
In Zouma Alley, almost every household heard this voice. They were filled with confusion. Was the rumor of a massacre false? Otherwise, why would this Great Shang general not enter houses to plunder?
"My lord,"
Chu Yu stepped forward and said, "We have found an unoccupied house. It is said to be the residence of a Minister of War from Dongwu Kingdom. The person has already died in battle, and his family was sent out of the city long ago. It can serve as a temporary residence for you. Regardless, the Snow Region Army should have a command post here, otherwise, people won't know where to find you."
"Yes, good."
Lin Zhao nodded.
He merely glanced at the location of the command post and did not enter. Chu Yu, however, planted the Great Chen Dynasty's imposing Chen character banner in the courtyard, establishing it as a temporary command center.
Lin Zhao rode forward, and the distant screams of civilians and the sound of hooves on the street could still be clearly heard. Massacres were occurring everywhere in the city. The Great Shang cavalrymen sought simple things first: wealth. They obtained vast amounts of wealth from the households of Dongwu Kingdom and sent it back to their homes in the Great Shang Dynasty to improve the lives of their wives and children. Secondly, they satisfied their own needs. Soldiers had been without women for too long, so when the order to massacre the city was given, they could freely plunder women in Dongwu Kingdom, and even take these women back to the Great Shang Dynasty to marry as concubines or sell them. In times of chaos, women's fates were truly desolate.
As Lin Zhao reached the street, he saw a familiar figure.
Xu Ning, a Thousand Cavalry Commander of the Great Shang cavalry.
"White-robed Commander."
Xu Ning approached with a group of cavalrymen, greeted him, and then looked at the blood-strewn scene in the distance. He couldn't help but shake his head and asked in a low voice, "Have you killed anyone?"
"Not yet."
Lin Zhao shook his head.
Xu Ning smiled slightly, "Everyone else is killing, only you are not. I'm afraid you won't last. You might not know, but these civilians in the city are very cunning. If you don't kill and establish authority, they won't hand over their wealth. Even killing a few as a warning won't work. Some people only learn when they see the coffin."
Lin Zhao frowned, "Commander Xu Ning, you have been slaughtering?"
"Haha~~~"
Xu Ning patted his sword and laughed, "My sword is very picky. It only drinks the blood of enemy soldiers and never the blood of civilians. I haven't been slaughtering, but I have ordered dozens of people killed. I had no choice. If they don't hand over money, and I can't get enough to pay my men their wages, do you think these brothers behind me will continue to follow me? I'm afraid they would have been poached by other battalions long ago."
Lin Zhao lowered his head, silent.
"You really aren't killing?"
Xu Ning tilted his head and looked at him, smiling, "What a shame. Zouma Alley is extremely rich. If you don't kill, someone else will kill for you."
"Is that so?"
Lin Zhao smiled and said, "Anyone who wants to kill people in my territory will have to ask me first."
Xu Ning couldn't help but chuckle, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "I'm off. I need to return to my territory and interrogate them severely to see if I can squeeze out more wealth. It's better than a direct beheading."
"Mm."
Lin Zhao nodded.
Just then, a group of cavalrymen drove hundreds of women past. Among them was a Thousand Cavalry Commander with whom Lin Zhao had spoken briefly in the command tent. He immediately raised his hand and shouted, "Young hero in white, you're here..."
"Mm."
Lin Zhao looked at the people he was driving, most of whom were young women, but all of them were disheveled. Some had red handprints on their faces, some had sword cuts on their arms, and some were covered in abrasions. All were bound with ropes, and they were being driven in rows, undeniably the spoils of this Thousand Cavalry Battalion.
Lin Zhao frowned, looking at each woman. He truly wanted to save them, but he couldn't. To save them now would surely incur the wrath of tens of thousands of Great Shang cavalrymen. Not only would he fail to save them, but Zouma Alley behind them would also suffer. He was no longer a reckless youth; every decision had to be made with careful consideration.
"Tsk tsk..."
The Thousand Cavalry Commander looked at Lin Zhao's gaze and couldn't help but laugh heartily, saying cheerfully, "Oh my... your Zouma Alley truly has no young and beautiful girls, does it? How about... I give you a few, so you can have a few days of carefree pleasure?"
"Okay..."
Lin Zhao smiled and nodded.
Immediately, Chu Yu behind him was slightly taken aback, but then she understood, and a beautiful smile appeared on her lips. She knew Lin Zhao was definitely not that kind of person.
"You really want them..."
The Thousand Cavalry Commander couldn't help but laugh, "Come, come, everyone! Pick out seven young and beautiful ones for the White-robed Young Hero. Remember, they must be young, beautiful, and slender. White-robed Young Hero is not like us common folk; his standards are high."
Lin Zhao smiled and clasped his hands, "Thank you... but only seven? Commander Wang, won't you let go of a few more..."
"Hahahaha~~~"
The Thousand Cavalry Commander laughed heartily, "Young man, you are truly greedy. But seeing how powerfully Miss Chu Yu punches, I'll give you another seven. Two a day should be enough, right? Enough for you to have a new one every day for seven days~~"
Lin Zhao clasped his hands again in thanks. He could only save fourteen. Any more, and the Thousand Cavalry Commander would likely be unwilling to part with them.
"Come, come!"
The Thousand Cavalry Commander squinted his eyes, looking at Lin Zhao, and smiled, "White-robed Young Hero is probably still a virgin, right? Alright, someone, I'll do a good deed to the end. Send these women to the Young Hero's residence. Strip them naked, don't let White-robed Young Hero do it himself!"
"You..."
Lin Zhao frowned.
"Don't be shy!"
The Thousand Cavalry Commander's lips curled into a smile, as if he had already sensed Lin Zhao's intentions. He was too kind-hearted to kill, wanting to play the hero and save the beauties right under his nose? It's fine. I'll send these women, naked, to your bed. You are a young man of blood and spirit, White-robed Young Hero, let's see how you can endure it. I respect your courage to fight on the battlefield, but you can't fool me into thinking I'm an idiot, can you?
Not long after, a group of Great Shang cavalrymen delivered fourteen women to the command post, stripped them naked, and then left.
...
Lin Zhao returned to the command post and watched everyone leave before stepping into the rear hall. A group of women, barely covered, looked at Lin Zhao with desolate expressions. Several of them were indeed very attractive and well-built, looking like they could be daughters of wealthy families from Ye City. However, now, under the iron hooves of the Great Shang cavalry, they were as humble as dirt.
Chu Yu stood far outside the courtyard, not inquiring or asking about anything that happened within the courtyard. If Lin Zhao truly wanted to do something, she wouldn't stop him, nor was it necessary to stop him. It was only natural human behavior.
"Give them clothes."
Lin Zhao frowned, turned around, and left.
"Yes!"
Chu Yu smiled and nodded.
Lin Zhao sat alone on the roof of the command post, lying down with his hands behind his head. Just as the Thousand Cavalry Commander had thought, he, Lin Zhao, was also a young man of blood and spirit. The sight of the attractive, scantily clad women earlier had indeed stirred his heart. What young man could withstand such a scene?
He closed his eyes, quietly calming his mind.
Self-control. These two words hung in the main hall of Teacher Qin's bookstore. In this life, one's greatest enemy could only be oneself. To restrain one's innate desires was something a scholar should strive for throughout their life. Even if no one else was present, and those women were by his side, he must not touch them, not even a finger. After all, one could deceive the world, but not oneself.
...
On the distant mountain, an old gentleman, warming himself by the fire, took a bite of a crispy pancake. He then looked at the young man lying on the rooftop in the distance and couldn't help but squint his eyes, smiling, "Teacher Suihan's good student, truly excellent... A gentleman is cautious when alone and upright in private. His disciples should have this capability. I did not misjudge him. It's wonderful... truly wonderful..."
He couldn't resist anymore. He unscrewed the stopper of his wine gourd and took a small sip. In this scene, he had to celebrate!