Chapter 344: High Pressure
Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock
As a pure and innocent young lady, how would Ling Chen be able to understand Ling Tian's hidden meaning? Thus, she said with a sincere look, "Young noble is the most capable of course. I haven't seen anyone more capable than young noble."
Black lines couldn't help but be formed on Ling Tian's face as he smacked Ling Chen on her behind, "Nonsense! It would be a problem if you had seen others!"
Ling Chen squealed and curled up in Ling Tian's embrace. At the same time, she asked, "Why would it be a problem? In any case, Ling Chen really hasn't seen anyone more capable than young noble before! I am telling the truth!"
Ling Tian only responded with an awkward laugh and whispered something in Ling Chen's ears. The next moment, Ling Chen's face turned bright red as she hammered Ling Tian's chest and whined, "Young noble, you are too naughty!"
Ling Tian burst out into laughter and picked her up. At the same time, he nibbled on her ear and chuckled, "Since Chen'er has praised me for being capable, how would I be able to live up to your praise if I don't prove my capabilities once again!" As he said that, he walked towards his bedroom.
Ling Chen let out an embarrassed shriek as she said softly, "Young noble, they are still waiting for you in the courtyard."
Ling Tian then raised his eyebrows and said with an intimate tone, "Let them wait for a few hours then. I have to first let Ling Chen know just how capable her young noble is." Ling Chen quickly covered her face as she felt her whole body heat up…
The people in the courtyard waited from the morning to the afternoon before finally seeing Ling Tian and Ling Chen arriving. It could be seen that young noble Ling was indeed extremely capable!
Ling Tian sat on his horse and looked at the various commanders of the courtyard with a furious expression, "Feng Mo, what instructions did I give you the other time? What is going on with these surrendered soldiers? You actually have the guts to trouble me with it? Ah ah, I really overestimated your true abilities!"
The originally anxious Feng Mo turned completely pale from fright and he quickly bowed. "Young noble, let me make a report. After the initial period of fear, there were some of the surrendered soldiers who began to spread rumors that they were far away in a foreign land and extremely afraid. Due to them missing their homeland, there were even some who made use of the opportunity to create trouble. Our men are far inferior in numbers, and the surrendered soldiers outnumber us far too greatly. When the men of the courtyard attempted to discipline them, they even broke out into fights. Now, the morale in the courtyard is extremely low, and we think that if we were to use ironclad methods to suppress them, even if the surrendered soldiers don't have weapons, they are far too numerous…" As he said that, he lifted his head to take a peek at Ling Tian's expression. Upon seeing Ling Tian's expression his heart turned cold and didn't dare to continue his explanation.
"That's all?" Ling Tian's face was filled with dark clouds and he looked as though he was about to erupt at any moment. "All of you are capable indeed, being stumped by these trash. All of them are surrendered troops from the start and not our own personal troops! Furthermore, they are all adults with their own thoughts. Feng Mo, for you to treat them like our own personal troops, I don't know if you are an idiot or fool! You have really let me down!" Ling Tian said seriously.
Facing Ling Tian's reprimand, Feng Mo's face turned completely pale, and he didn't even dare to breathe!
Ling Tian then got off the horse and said as he walked, "We don't have much time left. From the very start, I never thought of converting all 120,000 of these soldiers over to become our personal soldiers. Furthermore, I don't have the time or energy to slowly convert them. If anyone were to have such an idea, they would be a complete idiot! The only thing we can do now is to suppress them with ironclad means! That would be the most effective!"
Ling Tian suddenly turned and looked at Feng Mo with a sharp gaze, "In my original estimates, 60,000 of them submitting would already be a good outcome. Feng Mo, let me ask you, do you know what will happen to the other 60,000?"
Beads of sweat rolled down from Feng Mo's face profusely but he didn't dare to wipe it off. "Err, this subordinate doesn't know… young noble probably has other arrangements for them."
"Other arrangements? Cheh!" Ling Tian let out a sneer, "Let me tell you clearly, those 60,000 soldiers would be used to establish our prestige!"
"Ah?!" At this moment, all the commanders present couldn't help but gasp in shock!
Establish our prestige? In other words, the fate of the 60,000 soldiers would be death!
Killing 60,000 soldiers to establish prestige? How many people would be able to do so?!
This was something unimaginable! If they were on the battlefield fighting to the death, not to mention 60,000 soldiers, even the deaths of 200,000 soldiers would be a common affair! However, the soldiers had already surrendered, and it was unacceptable for them to massacre the unarmed captives! The general in charge of this operation would definitely be labeled as a cruel and bloodthirsty general for generations to come!
"Ever since the ancient times, there are a few huge requirements for using surrendered soldiers." Ling Tian said slowly, "First, to ensure that they don't betray us on the battlefield. Second, to guard against a mutiny. Third, they can only be sent to fight small skirmishes and not fierce battles! Fourth, they can't be sent to face their mother nation! So, dealing with surrendered soldiers has always been the greatest headache for all generals!"
Everyone nodded their heads as they thought in their heart, Since you understand such logic, why did you bother bringing them back? How would they be easy to handle?
"But in my hands, there wouldn't be a huge problem. At the very least, I wouldn't be troubled like the other generals." Ling Tian said with a profound gaze, "The other generals had been far too benevolent or old-fashioned! Despite wanting to use these men, they still had to guard against them. Furthermore, they still had to act benevolent and righteous, pretending to use their sincerity to touch the hearts of these soldiers to convert them fully. This was no more than a whore wanting to erect a memorial arch for herself!" Ling Tian sneered with disdain, "They were far too foolish! The surrendered soldiers have been brainwashed since they were young and it is impossible to reverse that brainwashing in a mere few days or months! The only way to deal with them would be to use violence! Absolute bloodthirsty violence! A special form of violence mixed with powerful means and special plans! That would be the only effective method."
"Bloodthirsty violence? A special form of violence mixed with powerful means and special plans?" Everyone couldn't help but look at Ling Tian with confusion. Especially the experienced generals who had been on the battlefield for many years. They all couldn't help but perk their ears up expectantly.
Ling Tian couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Ling Tian knew from the start that it wouldn't be an easy matter to convert these soldiers to become his own! In the fantasy novels that he had read from his past life, the protagonist would only have to unleash his might and prestige, followed by enticing them with benefits and a touching speech. The surrendered soldiers would all then kneel down before him and plead to pledge their allegiance to the protagonist. However, that was no more than a dream!
Even if you wanted to try converting a surrendered soldier for ten years, as long as he had a weapon in his hands, he could immediately turn around to kill the commander in charge of converting him.
Ling Tian then turned around to face the various military commanders of the courtyard, "This will be the arrangements for the surrendered soldiers. Ten people will form a section, a hundred will form a platoon and a thousand will form a company! Ten thousand men will form a battalion! The section commander, platoon commander, company commander and battalion commander will be arranged by men from the courtyard." Hearing these words, everyone couldn't help but be elated. However, Ling Tian's following words turned all of their faces pale!
Ling Tian then continued, "In a section, if a single individual wants to escape or cause chaos, execute the whole section! In a platoon, if there are more than two sections with offenders, the whole platoon will be executed! In a company, if there are more than two platoons with offenders, the company commander will be demoted to become an ordinary soldier and that company will be executed! From today on, Ling Jian will lead the First Pavilion to be the Enforcement Hall. All of you can decide if there is a need to increase manpower and have the authority to arrange their jobs. There is no need to report anything to me. All of you can make your own decisions! If there are any offenders, they will be executed! There will be no exceptions!"
"Anyone who doesn't listen to commands, attempts to escape, slack off on training, stir up trouble… will be executed! There will be no exceptions, kill without mercy!" Ling Tian listed out more than ten reasons for execution and everyone present couldn't help but turn pale.
"Ling Jian, did you hear me clearly?" Ling Tian asked casually.
"Yes, young noble." As though he wanted to say something else, he looked at Ling Tian with hesitation. After a short while, he finally said what he wanted, "Young noble, I am not very familiar with these things, I'm afraid…"
Ling Tian smiled, "You don't have to be familiar. You only need to know how to do one thing. You only need to know how to kill!"
Everyone couldn't help but tremble with fear! These simple words of Ling Tian were enough to bathe the Ling Family Courtyard in a river of blood! With these simple words, thousands of people would die under Ling Jian's sword!
Kill without mercy! What a frightening three words. They finally understood the true deterrent effect of these words!
After walking a short distance, Ling Tian suddenly turned around and said with a smile, "Sixty thousand usable soldiers out of the 120,000 soldiers would be a good outcome. Since they are soldiers that have fallen down from the skies, if there is a need, I would be satisfied if only 30,000 elite soldiers were left behind."
"A benevolent individual can't lead soldiers! The blood of a man must be like iron! Since you have decided to walk down this path, you can't turn your head back again!"
Ling Tian said this with a calm smile as his white robes fluttered in the wind. As everyone present heard these words, they couldn't help but cower in fear.
Ling Tian then waved his hands to Ling Chen and indicated for her to follow him. "Alright, all of you can go back to what you guys were doing. By tomorrow before daybreak, I want to see all the surrendered soldiers sorted neatly! If I need to take care of anything else, then…" Ling Tian's razor-sharp gaze landed on everyone, "all of you can scram! Including Ling Jian and your First Pavilion!"
Even when Ling Tian had left them, the commanders present still stood up straight respectfully! Ling Tian's words had shocked the many experienced soldiers thoroughly! With his bloody methods, no matter how rowdy the surrendered soldiers were, they would probably become docile lambs! Although the methods were indeed too cruel.