I've been bullied and humiliated for thirteen years; when I wake up, I'll be bloodthirsty.

Chapter 867 Inviting the Coffin into the Palace

The Rong family army initially followed Rong Che to garrison Fengzhou, numbering less than 100,000.

As Rong Che marched north with unstoppable momentum, recapturing several northern cities, the Rong family army expanded to 120,000 men. During the Northern Expedition, ambitious individuals from all over the land followed him, and many young men from the north who had been captured by the Yan army and rescued volunteered to join the army. By the time they finally arrived in Chenzhou, the total number of Rong family troops exceeded 130,000.

These soldiers, each one of them, were filled with fervor, vowing to follow Duke Rong to the death, determined to reclaim the lost northern territories, reclaim their homes, and rescue their suffering compatriots. They were oblivious to the intrigues and deceit within the court, nor to the power struggles and interests behind the Northern Expedition. They could never have imagined that in the end, those who betrayed them and caused their deaths in a foreign land were not only the enemies they fought so hard against, but also the compatriots they had risked their lives to protect.

How cruel!

But even more cruel was the killing of the 30,000 Jinzhou soldiers.

Those who associate with wolves will ultimately perish in their jaws.

The fact that Jinzhou is missing 30,000 troops has not been revealed to this day.

Those who knew about this matter have probably been silenced one by one over the years, and may even still believe that those who died on the battlefield in Chenzhou were soldiers stationed in Jinzhou.

After all, in order to make the performance more convincing, after his defeat in Chenzhou, Duke Xiao personally led a group of people to Chenzhou and claimed that he had encountered an enemy ambush and suffered heavy losses.

However, in his report, he only mentioned that the losses were heavy, without any further details.

Thus, the traces of the 30,000 Jinzhou soldiers were hastily erased, and no one has investigated them to this day.

Zong Que raised his eyes and met the gaze of the emperor sitting on the dragon throne. "The number of those who died in Chenzhou was far more than 160,000. Add to that the 30,000 Jinzhou soldiers who disappeared into thin air and have yet to be investigated, and the total number is roughly 200,000."

"Two hundred thousand lives, let alone seventeen years, even a hundred years, doesn't the Great Zhao deserve an explanation from them?"

Zong Que's question was like a sharp sword piercing everyone's heart.

Before the emperor could even speak, the ministers had already all knelt down.

"Your Majesty, if this is true, Xiao the Traitor deserves to be executed!"

"He deserves more than death; he will be infamous for eternity!"

"Since the founding of our Great Zhao Dynasty, such a horrifying event has never been heard of before! We beseech Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate and uncover the truth of the Chenzhou case, so as to give an explanation to the souls of those soldiers who died unjustly!"

"Your Majesty, please immediately order a coroner to perform an autopsy and investigate this matter!"

"Your Majesty, the lessons of the previous dynasty's downfall are still fresh in our minds. Our great dynasty can never tolerate such treacherous people!"

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

If such a shocking story were told and its veracity could not be verified, it would truly be recorded in history books, leaving an infamy for eternity.

Now that things have come to this, Changshan no longer needs to prove anything. The mere fact that 30,000 Jinzhou soldiers were wiped out out of thin air is enough to shock and terrify people.

Duke Xiao knelt down with a thud, not daring to utter a single word of grievance.

The emperor coldly looked at the people kneeling on the ground in the court, his fingers clenching tighter and tighter.

Finally, he spoke up: "Please bring the coffin into the palace. Go to the Dali Temple to invite the coroner, together with the Crown Princess, to examine the remains and determine the truth of this matter."

The eunuch announced loudly,

"Please bring the coffin into the hall!"

As the coffins were carried into the Taiji Hall, officials quickly made way for them, and Min Lingshi, the coroner from the Dali Temple, also rushed over with his assistant.

The coffin that was brought in was not nailed shut. After the coffin was opened, a strong, corrosive smell with a metallic rusty odor wafted out.

Some timid civil officials instinctively wanted to look away, but couldn't help but look into the coffin.

The coffin wasn't large; inside this thin coffin of normal size lay countless skeletons. Over time, even the skeletons showed signs of corrosion, with traces of still-corroded military uniforms clinging to them. It was easy to tell that these remaining fabrics were not the style of the Great Zhao soldiers' uniforms.

Three coffins were brought in. Without needing to examine them closely, it was clear that these were soldiers dressed in the uniforms of the Northern Yan army. So much time had passed that many of the uniforms had long since stuck to the bones. There was no way these could be faked.

Of the more than 30,000 soldiers of the Jinzhou army, it was impossible to bring them all back. Therefore, only ten coffins were recovered. The remaining coffins contained the remains of Rong Che and some of his personal guards; their bones were mixed together and indistinguishable. The reason they were still recovered was that after the Yan army massacred the people of Chenzhou, those who had luckily escaped and those who were not quite dead, clinging to their last breaths, secretly gathered their indistinguishable remains together and buried them. Fearing discovery would prevent the erection of a tombstone, a hastily made empty wooden marker was erected.

The tombstone may be empty, but the person buried there will be remembered forever.

Just looking at these skeletons, some people couldn't help but turn away and wipe their tears.

People believe that burial brings peace, but these skeletons that cannot be pieced together, even with a register, are indistinguishable from one another.

I wonder if I'll still receive the paper money burned by my family in the afterlife.