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"The Prince of Jianxing, Shen Wei, was defeated in the battle at the Tea Stone River in the northeast, resulting in the fall of Dunzhou and the burial of thirty thousand soldiers alive in the Tea Stone Pit. You were among them, yet why are you the only one who survived?"
Shen Zechuan's gaze wandered, and he did not respond.
The interrogator slammed his fist on the table and leaned forward, his eyes sinister. "It's because Shen Wei had secretly conspired with the twelve tribes of the Border Sands, planning to surrender the Six Provinces of Zhongbo to the enemy. You intended to cooperate from within to conquer Qidu, thus the Border Sands cavalry spared your life, didn't they?"
Shen Zechuan's chapped lips moved slightly. Straining to listen to the interrogator's words, he swallowed with difficulty before answering, "No... It wasn't like that."
The interrogator barked, "Shen Wei, fearing punishment, set himself on fire. The evidence of his collusion has been fully presented to the Emperor by the Imperial Guards. Yet, you still dare to defy, truly obstinate to the end!"
Shen Zechuan's head swam, his eyes heavy with fatigue, having not rested for what seemed like an eternity. He felt as if he were hanging by a thread high above the ground; any momentary lapse would result in his shattered remains.
The interrogator unfolded the confession, glanced over it, then asked, "Last night, you said you survived the Tea Stone Pit because your elder brother saved you. Is that correct?"
In Shen Zechuan's blurred vision, the scene of that day emerged. The pit was so deep, filled with soldiers struggling to climb out, stepping on corpses that grew thicker, yet never reaching the edge. The Border Sands cavalry circled the pit, and amidst the cold night wind, the whistling of arrows and cries of pain echoed in his ears, blood reaching mid-calf, and groans and gasps pressed against his ears.
Shen Zechuan's breaths came in quick, ragged gasps. He trembled in his chair, frantically grasping at his hair as he stifled sobs.
"You're lying."
The interrogator held up the confession and waved it in front of Shen Zechuan.
"Your elder brother, Shen Zhouji, was the legitimate firstborn of Jianxing King. He abandoned thirty thousand soldiers at Tea Stone Abyss and fled with his personal guards, only to be captured by the Border Sand cavalry and dragged to death along the official road by the Tea Stone River. When the Border Sand tribes massacred the soldiers, he was already dead – there was no saving you."
Confusion swirled in Shen Zechuan's mind, and the interrogator's voice sounded distant. All he could hear were endless cries of despair.
Where was the escape? Where were the reinforcements? Dead bodies pressed against dead bodies, their rotting flesh smothering his hands. Ji Mu loomed above him, and he lay atop a pile of bloodied corpses. He heard Ji Mu's labored breathing, while his own sobs were muffled by overwhelming hopelessness.
"Brother has three heads and six arms," Ji Mu forced a smile, tears streaming down his face. His voice broke as he continued, "Brother is a solid wall! We'll get through this. Just hold on a little longer, and the reinforcements will arrive. Then Brother will come home with you and fetch our parents. Brother still needs to find your sister-in-law..."
The interrogator slammed his hand on the table and barked, "Tell the truth!"
Shen Zechuan struggled to his feet, as if trying to break free from invisible chains. But the Imperial Guards swarmed him, forcing him back onto the table.
"I spared you from harsh torture when you entered our prison, considering your young age. But if you refuse to see reason, don't blame us for being ruthless. Bring the torture instruments!"
Shen Zechuan's arms were bound with ropes and he was dragged into the central courtyard. A long bench was slammed down, and his feet were tied to it. A robust man standing by pulled out a prison cane, weighed it in his hand, and then struck down.
"I'll ask you again," the interrogator said, stirring the tea foam before sipping it slowly. "Did Shen Wei betray the country?"
Shen Zechuan refused to confess, shouting through the pain of the caning, "No, he didn't!"
The interrogator put down his teacup and said, "If you had used this stubbornness on the battlefield, your Shen family wouldn't be here today. Keep beating him!"
Shen Zechuan began to weaken, lowering his head as he croaked, "Shen Wei didn't betray the country..."
"The defeat at Tea Stone River was due to Shen Wei's reckless engagement with the enemy. After the loss, there was still a chance to recover in Dunzhou, but he retreated without reason despite the significant difference in military strength. As a result, Duanzhou's three cities fell, and tens of thousands of innocent citizens lost their lives to the Border Sands' sabers." The interrogator sighed deeply and said with hatred, "In Zhongbo, rivers ran red with blood. Shen Wei led his troops southward, and the battle of Dengzhou was most suspicious! The Qi Dong Crimson County garrison had already crossed the Empress Celestial Pavilion to provide support, yet he abandoned the pincer strategy, diverting thousands of cavalry to escort his family to Dan City, causing the entire Dengzhou defense line to collapse—wasn't that deliberate? If it weren't for the Northern Iron Riders racing across the ice river for three nights, the Border Sands' cavalry would have reached Qudu!"
Half-delirious from pain, Shen Zechuan was drenched in cold sweat. The interrogator disdainfully threw the confession at the back of his head.
"Better to be a dog than a Zhongbo man. This time, Shen Wei is a traitor to the Great Zhou. You deny it? You have no choice but to admit it!"
Paralyzed with pain, Shen Zechuan lay on the bench, staring at the confession covering his face. The ink on it was clear, each character a humiliating lash, branding his cheeks and declaring to the world:
Shen Wei betrayed his country, not even worthy of being called a dog.
He had left the corpses of Zhongbo's six states to clog the rivers, and the bodies buried in Tea Stone Abyss remained unclaimed even now. Duzhou's cities were utterly ravaged.
Though Shen Wei had immolated himself, the debt of blood had to be paid by a living soul. With his numerous wives and many sons perishing when the Border Sand Cavalry seized Duzhou, only Shen Zechuan, born into a lowly status, survived as he was raised outside the family.
Dragged back, blood trailed from Shen Zechuan's heels, marking the ground. Facing the wall, he gazed at the narrow window. The howling wind and swirling snow painted an endless, dark night.
His mind numb, amidst the wind's wail, he was transported back to the abyss.
Ji Mu was on the brink, struggling for breath. Blood seeped from his armor, trickling down Shen Zechuan's nape, soon turning cold. The cries around them had faded, leaving only pained groans and the fierce roar of the icy wind.
Shen Zechuan found himself face to face with an unrecognizable corpse, his legs pinned beneath the heavy weight of the body, its shield digging into his waist and abdomen. The air he drew in was thick with the stench of blood. Through gritted teeth, tears streaming down his cheeks, he dared not weep aloud. He helplessly gazed at the crushed face, unable to discern if it belonged to a soldier he once knew.
"Brother," Shen Zechuan sobbed softly, "I'm... I'm so scared..."
Ji Mu's throat moved, and he gently patted Shen Zechuan's head with his palm, assuring him, "It's alright... It's going to be alright."
Amidst the howling wind, Shen Zechuan heard a dying soldier singing, the melody torn apart and fragmentarily carried through the frigid night.
"Battles in the south... Death in the north... Unburied corpses... For crows to feed upon." [1]
"Brother," Shen Zechuan whispered beneath him, "I'll carry you... Brother."
Ji Mu's body resembled a warped shield. He smiled, his voice hoarse, "Brother can still walk."
"Did you get hit by an arrow?"
"No." Ji Mu's tears had dried up. He spoke softly, "The arrows of the Border Sand barbarians aren't accurate."
Shen Zechuan's fingers were also soaked in blood and flesh. Struggling, he wiped his face and said, "Mistress made dumplings. She's waiting for you at our place. We'll eat many bowls."
Ji Mu sighed, "Brother eats slowly, so... don't snatch them from me."
Shen Zechuan nodded vigorously beneath him.
Snow gradually covered Ji Mu's body. He seemed very weary, his voice barely audible, too weak even to move a finger. The song dragged on slowly until the line "the vultures fought to the death," when Ji Mu closed his eyes.
Shen Zechuan said, "My... my money, I'll give it to you, to marry a sister-in-law..."
"Brother."
"Brother."
Ji Mu remained silent, seemingly having grown tired of his words and drifted off to sleep.
Shen Zechuan trembled all over. He had forgotten when the Biansha cavalry had left and how he had managed to crawl out. When he propped himself up on his arms, the snow-covered landscape was eerily quiet. Piled beneath his knees were overlapping corpses, like discarded burlap sacks.
Shen Zechuan turned his head, but he could only sob in silence.
Arrows stuck out densely from Ji Mu's back, turning him into a huddled hedgehog. So much blood had soaked into Shen Zechuan's back that he hadn't even noticed.
The sound of galloping horses approached swiftly, like muted thunder. Shen Zechuan suddenly shuddered, jolting awake.
He tried to vomit but found his wrists tightly bound, and a sack filled with soil covering his body.
The sack grew heavier, pressing down on his chest, leaving him unable to make a sound. This was a common torture method in prison known as "burial by soil bag," reserved for criminals who weren't meant to survive, leaving no visible wounds. If he hadn't woken up just then, Shen Zechuan would have been long gone by dawn.
Someone was trying to kill him!
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