Chapter 73 Purgatory on Earth After receiving Zhang Niu Jiao, Tian Ze changed him into a set of official military armor, and then rushed out of the door with the bodies of Zhang Liang and Zhang Jiao. When they arrived at the place where the government troops and the Yellow Turban Army gathered, Tian Ze ordered the soldiers to hold up the bodies of the two men in front of many generals of the government troops. "Zhang Liang is dead! Those who surrender will not be killed!" Tian Zegao shouted. When the officers and soldiers saw this, they were immediately as if a raging fire had been ignited, and they all excitedly shouted in unison at the top of their lungs. "Zhang Liang is dead! Those who surrender will not be killed!" Deafening shouts echoed all around. When the surrounding Yellow Turban Army saw the two once familiar but now lifeless figures beside Tian Ze, their faces were suddenly filled with confusion, and their eyes were filled with fear and despair. General Ren Gong is really dead! Faced with this cruel reality, countless Yellow Turban soldiers chose to give up resistance and dropped their weapons helplessly. But there were still a few fanatical Yellow Turban soldiers who rushed forward with bloodshot eyes, trying desperately to snatch the bodies of Zhang Jue and Zhang Liang. That horrifying state made even Tian Ze feel a tingling sensation on his scalp.
The officers and soldiers around Tian Ze were suddenly attacked violently, and suffered heavy casualties in a short time. Facing this group of fanatical believers, Tian Ze sighed in his heart, but a trace of fear and worry appeared on his face. Tian Ze seemed to be worried that the bodies would be taken away. A hint of determination flashed in his eyes. He simply placed the bodies of the two on a high pile of firewood, and then set it on fire without hesitation. At the same time, Tian Ze did not hesitate to consume a large amount of spiritual energy, secretly and silently driving the spiritual fire and spiritual wind, completely burning the bodies of the two to ashes. Accompanied by a breeze, the ashes were rolled into the carefully prepared bags on both sides of the warhorse ridden by Zhang Niu Jiao. Zhang Niujiao, who was well prepared, quickly and carefully tied the bag tightly, his hands trembling slightly, and held it tightly with his body, as if he was guarding the most precious treasure in the world. This is the only way Tian Ze can protect the bodies of the two from being insulted. Tian Ze needed the credit for killing Zhang Liang, so he had no choice but to resort to this last resort. If not for this, Zhang Liang and Zhang Jiao would have been torn apart and their heads would have been sent to Luoyang. When these fanatics saw that the bodies of Zhang Jue and Zhang Liang were completely gone, and that Tian Ze, the "culprit", had slipped away at some point, they immediately collapsed. They launched suicidal attacks on the surrounding officers and soldiers, but were soon killed by more and more officers and soldiers who arrived. The war was over, but for the officers and soldiers, it was the beginning of indulgence. After months of hard fighting, these officers and soldiers have long been exhausted, and their inner desires are like a volcano about to erupt. Now that the Yellow Turbans had been defeated, faced with the unarmed Yellow Turban women and children, the beasts in the officers and soldiers' hearts instantly broke free from their restraints, and they began to plunder and indulge themselves with impunity. The entire Guangzong City once again became a purgatory, and countless officers and soldiers began to fight for the women and treasures in the city. They are like mad beasts, with red eyes, roaring, and using any means necessary. When Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi saw this scene, although their faces looked extremely ugly and their brows were furrowed, they did not stop it. Power is transmitted from the top down, but it is also formed from the bottom up. There are still more than 200,000 Yellow Turban troops led by Zhang Bao in Xiaquyang, and Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi still need these soldiers to fight desperately.
In the absence of sufficient food, supplies and rewards provided by the imperial court, the soldiers must have a way to vent their anger. They cannot be stopped, otherwise it will easily provoke a mutiny, and the consequences will be disastrous. Under such circumstances, almost all officers and soldiers fell into madness, even the Sanhe Cavalry, which was always known for its strict discipline, and the prestigious Five Schools of the Northern Army. Only two teams remained restrained, one was the Liaodong Army under Tian Ze, and the other was Liu Bei's thousand-plus soldiers. Needless to say, the Liaodong Army under Tian Ze had long been ingrained in their bones in observing military discipline. On weekdays, even if a soldier took a piece of bread from the people, he would be beaten half to death. In addition, the soldiers were well paid, so naturally they would not participate in such a chaotic thing. Tian Ze was really impressed that the new recruits under Liu Bei could do this. He is truly worthy of being the Emperor Zhaolie of the Han Dynasty. Although he lacks the ability to command large-scale military units, he is indeed very capable in managing small-scale troops. Tian Ze has always admired Liu Bei's will and personal charm, and his life can be described as legendary. Liu Bei struggled in the turbulent times. Although he was defeated many times, he was able to rise again every time with his unyielding perseverance. His perseverance made Tian Ze feel inferior. He led a wandering army to fight and wander around, but he managed to hold on. For example, in the Battle of Xuzhou, Liu Bei first failed in his expedition against Yuan Shu, and his hometown was captured by Lu Bu. He and his soldiers' families fell into Lu Bu's hands. When they arrived at the city of Xia Pi, the soldiers fled in all directions like a pile of loose sand. In this almost desperate situation, Liu Bei did not give up. He went east to gather scattered soldiers, and with his extraordinary charisma and leadership, he regrouped the troops and led them to attack Guangling County. As a result, they were defeated by Yuan Shu again. The troops were demoralized and exhausted, but they did not disintegrate and moved to Haixi again. The soldiers were in extreme distress and food was scarce. There was even a tragic situation where officers and soldiers, both great and small, could have eaten each other. Even when it came to this life-and-death situation, the army did not disband and held on until Mi Zhu extended a helping hand. On the surface, it seemed like a failure, but if you think about it carefully, you can deeply feel how terrifying the cohesion and leadership were. The families of these soldiers were all in Xiapi, and Liu Bei had nothing left, not even food. After consecutive defeats, he was able to organize them three times. This personal charm alone is enough to shock the world. During this time in Lu Zhi's army, Liu Bei gained a lot of favor. Tian Ze watched the 500-man team grow stronger and stronger. Under Liu Bei's inspiration, more and more people joined the team, and it has grown to more than a thousand people, and there are many veterans among them. No tricks, all charm. When Liu Bei stood there, he had an aura that was so impressive that not only did some Yellow Turban captives voluntarily surrender to him, but officials from some local counties and prefectures could not help but admire him and provide him with financial support. Tian Ze really can't learn this. People like him with mediocre qualifications can only take the path of steady development. Compared with big men like Liu Bei and Cao Cao, he is far behind in some aspects and can only rely on hard power. Looking at the horrific scenes in Guangzong City, Zhang Niujiao clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turned white from the force, and the hatred in his eyes seemed to condense into substance and burst out. Tian Ze, however, was extremely calm, with no trace of emotion in his deep eyes. He patted Zhang Niujiao's shoulder, slowly opened the eye mask on his helmet, and covered Zhang Niujiao's eyes. "Calm down. No matter how angry you are, you must stay calm. If the Yellow Turbans lose this battle, they will have to pay a price. We can't save them, and rushing in now will only make things worse." "We need to save more people!" "If you can't stand it, if you feel guilty, then work hard to make yourself stronger. Strong enough to change this damn world and prevent this from happening again." Tian Ze's voice was low and powerful, as if he was comforting Zhang Niujiao, or as if he was comforting himself, muttering to himself. After hearing Tian Ze's words, Zhang Niujiao's trembling body gradually calmed down.
He could feel that beneath Tian Ze's seemingly calm appearance, his heart was also filled with anger, and behind his calm eyes, there was a terrifying murderous intent. "Although I shouldn't say this, in fact, it's not them or us who are wrong, but the world itself." Listening to the miserable cries and fierce quarrels coming from his ears, Tian Ze couldn't help but sigh deeply, and that sigh was full of helplessness and sadness. These soldiers were right. It was natural for them to be fed and paid. If the imperial court could not provide them with food and pay, they had to find a way to get it themselves. Otherwise, how could they survive? You know, most of these county soldiers were recruited temporarily. Even if they could return alive this time, what would greet them most likely would not be honors and rewards, but hungry wives and children at home, as well as petty officials who would collect various taxes such as the head tax. (End of this chapter)