Chapter 22: Do I Need to “Kill the Good to Gain Merit”?

The border army camp was already packed, with soldiers crowded layer upon layer around the General's command tent, all waiting for a verdict. The air was thick with speculation. Everyone knew that Zhao Mang had slain eighteen Tibetan raiders; Li Dabing had publicized this achievement when he first came to claim the military merit, turning it into the hottest topic in the camp.

"They say it’s that new squad leader, barely seventeen or eighteen years old," one soldier remarked. "Still a mere child."

"Killed nearly twenty Tibetan raiders the moment he took office. Can we actually believe that?"

A soldier nearby replied with a sneer, "I don't believe a word of it. Even veterans like us find it hard to kill a single Tibetan raider. You really think a greenhorn fresh from the local militia, who’s never even seen a battlefield, could do that?"

On the other side, the rugged Zhu Wuneng, who had once crossed blades with Zhao Mang, spoke up in his defense. "You lot don't know a thing, so shut your mouths. I tangled with that lad once myself. His strength is such that even ten of me couldn't hold him down. If he says he killed twenty Tibetan raiders, I believe it was a walk in the park for him."

The others looked at Zhu Wuneng and shook their heads. "Your strength is only enough to bully us camp guards; you couldn't handle a Tibetan raider yourself. Do you really think your words carry any weight?"

Zhu Wuneng argued back, nearly coming to blows with the gossiping soldiers.

Inside the tent of Examining Officer Xie Bin, Zhao Wuji sat in the first seat on the left, his expression gloomy. Zhao Mang was his soldier, promoted by him. Having brought back ten heads in such a short time—and in consecutive waves—it was hard not to be suspicious. Yet, he knew Zhao Mang’s true strength. Why would Xie Bin suddenly take such an interest in investigating Zhao Mang? Someone must be pulling the strings; a mere examining officer would never intervene in the appointment of a low-ranking soldier without outside pressure. Zhao Wuji shot a cold, piercing glare at Li Huaian across the tent, instantly grasping the situation. Li Huaian simply returned his gaze with a smug smile, as if flaunting a victory. Zhao Wuji’s expression grew even more sinister.

Outside, soldiers brought Zhao Mang forward. The crowd cast judgmental eyes upon him. Someone even called out, "So, you’re the brat who killed eighteen Tibetan raiders? I don't believe it for a second!"

Zhao Mang stared straight ahead, paying no mind to the common soldiers.

Inside the tent, Xie Bin questioned him sharply: "The ten heads brought in two days ago—did you murder innocent civilians to claim false merit?"

Zhao Mang looked at Zhao Wuji, then at Li Huaian on the right, and let out a defiant laugh. "I wonder why the official asks such a thing? Within a ten-mile radius of Dunzi Peak, there are no civilians. On what grounds do you conclude I killed innocents for merit?"

Xie Bin, enraged by Zhao Mang’s righteous tone, snapped, "I have long heard that you are arrogant, lawless, disrespectful to your superiors, and hold no regard for others. Who brought such an unprincipled wretch into the border army? With your history of misconduct, do we need evidence to know you’ve committed such a crime?"

Zhao Mang scoffed at the official's words, his amusement clear. "A joke! Examining Officer, do you judge a man’s character solely by hearsay? Since you have no evidence, why do you slander me? My rank was earned through my own hard work. Without proof, I consider your words nothing but the barking of a dog."

Xie Bin slammed his hand down. "Insolence! Bring in the witness."

Moments later, a soldier brought in a pile of gray-blue garments—the kind worn by estate guards—and laid them out before Zhao Mang. Zhao Mang frowned slightly. He had already buried the assassins who had attacked them that night and severed their heads to prepare for this exact moment. He hadn't expected someone to dig up their clothes.

Xie Bin pointed at the garments. "These belonged to the Zhang family guards who were ordered to escort supplies to your beacon tower at Dunzi Peak. Now, they are ten corpses found outside our camp, their heads missing. How do you explain this?"

Zhao Mang laughed. "My lord, are you joking? The Zhang family guards were coming to deliver supplies? We never received word of this. Are you going to condemn us based on the word of one family? There are dozens of eyes at Dunzi Peak—did you bother to ask any of them?"

Xie Bin was livid. "Cease your sophistry! Were those ten heads used to falsely claim military merit? Why else would they be gone?"

Zhao Mang stood tall, looking down on Xie Bin. "My lord, why would these guards appear outside the camp for no reason? If they were delivering supplies, where are the supplies? Why haven't you investigated such a hole-ridden accusation before trying to condemn me?"

Li Huaian, unable to restrain himself any longer, stood up. "There is no need to listen to this thief’s excuses! The evidence is clear, and he has none of his own. He clearly murdered civilians for merit. I ask that you execute him on the spot, Xie Bin!"

Zhao Mang retorted, "How does Lord Li know I have no evidence? Why are you so intimately familiar with every detail of my outpost? It is laughable—why would I, Zhao Mang, need to kill civilians when I have real Tibetan heads to claim?"

Hearing that Zhao Mang had evidence, Zhao Wuji quickly stepped in. "Since Zhao Mang has proof, I believe you should examine it carefully, Xie Bin. If you close this case rashly and the hundred thousand men in the army are dissatisfied, your reputation will be ruined forever."

Xie Bin touched his nose, cast a resentful look at Li Huaian, and begrudgingly ordered, "If you have evidence, present it."

Zhao Mang shouted, "Li Dabing, bring in the belongings of the Tibetan raiders!"

Li Dabing, waiting outside, entered and brought in eighteen sets of Tibetan armor. The entire tent fell into stunned silence. They hadn't expected the lad to be telling the truth—he really had killed eighteen Tibetan raiders.

Li Huaian stared at the eighteen sets of armor in disbelief. His intelligence had insisted the heads were those of his own hired assassins. Why were there Tibetan armors now? Jiang Shan, standing behind him, was trembling, unable to make sense of it. The informant had told him they used the guards' heads. Where did the Tibetan heads come from? Where were the heads of the ten guards? He was the one who had initiated the accusation; if this failed, he would be the one punished. He cursed the ancestors of Zhang Shirong in his mind.