Chapter 37: A Sudden Storm

  "Pass the order, all officers and soldiers in the camp will gather to watch today's execution." Qin Mubai gave the order and turned around to give a fist bump to Changsun Ruan, "Welcome to your new post as Vice Commander of the Hundred Riders, General Changsun. Today's execution will be presided over by you, our new Vice Commander!"

  Chang Sun Yan gritted his teeth, his face twisted in a scowl, and was stunned for at least ten seconds before forcing out a stiff smile. He clasped his fists together in salute: "Your subordinate obeys."

  The order has been passed down. More than 600 officers and men from the whole camp stood neatly on the execution ground. Wei Chi Bao Yun was stripped of his magnificent armor and handsome robe, pressed onto the punishment chair, glaring with anger and gritting his teeth waiting for a flogging.

  "Your Majesty's benevolence has decreed that caning on the back is no longer allowed, and instead, it should be done on the buttocks." Qin Mubai hugged his elbows, a slight smile playing on his lips as he said, "Your Majesty did the right thing. Mischievous fellows like him deserve to have their buttocks caned."

  Li Junxian approached him, smiling bitterly: "Mu Bai, didn't you just say in front of everyone that you wouldn't do anything like 'killing a chicken to scare the monkeys'? What's going on today..."

  "It's just talk, why take it seriously?" Qin Mu Bai chuckled.

  Mr. Li was left speechless.

  Chang Sunben sat on the main judge's platform like a stiff wooden puppet. He picked up the judicial pen and hesitated for a while, gritted his teeth and threw it down: "Beat!"

  "Tsk, tsk, it's really a case of righteousness prevailing over family ties." Qin Mubai shook his head repeatedly.

  Li Junxuan was speechless. He sighed and said in a low voice: "Mu Bai, have you thought about the consequences of what you're doing?"

  "What consequences will there be?" Qin Mu Bai sneered, "If I can't even control my subordinates, and someone openly violates military rules but I don't take action, that would be a serious consequence."

  "Isn't this just a case of borrowing a topic to show off and then muddling through afterwards?" Li Junxian said, "In any case, he is also the son of Wei Zhengde. Even the emperor will think twice before making a move. Moreover, you have given Changsun San a great deal of trouble... This alliance with the Liangs will not bring you any benefits in the future."

  "Some things, you can't hide from. Qin Mu Bai's mouth slightly curved upwards as he smiled and said, "I won't look for trouble with them, but they will take the initiative to come after me. Rather than passively enduring it, I'd rather take the initiative and make a strong move first, give them a warning shot. What do you think?"

  "…You're ruthless!" Li Junxian sighed again, "Who else could you provoke? You actually provoked both Zhangsun Wuji and Yuchi Jingde. From now on, you'd better be careful of your own well-being!"

  "When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it. That's all." Qin Muran's face was radiant with sunshine, and he smiled freely.

  "Crack, crack, crack!" A loud slapping sound echoed through the room, and Wei Chi Bao Yun initially gritted his teeth in endurance, but later let out a blood-curdling scream like a slaughtered pig. For someone of his status as a young nobleman, when had he ever suffered such humiliation? His ability to endure pain was even worse than that of ordinary people.

  Only to see that the military stick was rising and falling, and a large amount of blood was flowing from Wei Chi Bao Yun's buttocks, shocking everyone. The onlookers would occasionally let out a burst of gasps, and there were also many whispers among them. Now, everyone knew that Qin Mu Bai was beating Wei Chi Bao Yun, the deputy commander of the patrol guards, who was also the third son of Wei Chi Jing De's family, a prestigious vice-envoy of the Hundred Riders.

  Qin Qiong's son beat Yuchi Jingde's son, and this matter became even more interesting.

  At the same time, Qin Mubai's image of being a strict and impartial law enforcer, with an iron face and no mercy, has grown tall in the hearts of every hundred riders. While they feared him, they also had a thread of reverence and trust for him.

  Chang Sun Gan's face turned red and white as he sat on the stage, seeing his good friend Wei Chi Bao Yun being brutally beaten. Each stick seemed to fall on his own face. He gritted his teeth and endured for a moment before walking up to Qin Mu Bai and making a fist: "General Qin, you can't hit him anymore. If you continue, he'll be crippled. The Hundred Riders are newly established and need people now. I'm willing to ask General Qin, considering we're fellow officials, to temporarily put down the remaining military sticks and settle this later."

  "Alright." Qin Mu Bai smiled and nodded at Chang Sun Mian, "General Chang Sun's face is something that must be given. Let's call it off for now! The remaining military authority will be temporarily suspended. If there is another offense in the future, the punishment will be added together."

  "Thank you, General Qin!" Zhangsun Rang hastily went forward to stop him. The officer Chi Bao Yun was pulled up and looked at, almost fainting, so he had to order people to carry him away first and have the doctor treat him.

  "It's too heavy-handed... just a few dozen sticks and they're beaten to this state." Li Junxian, who had been in the army for so many years, couldn't help but shake his head and whisper, "Mu Bai, you really are ruthless! These two little soldiers were your trusted guards..."

  "Nowhere. Everyone is a hundred riders, how can there be you and me? They call this iron-faced impartial law enforcement justice." Qin Mubai smiled and walked away with big strides.

  "Alas, trouble is coming!" Looking at Qin Mu Bai's back, Li Jun Xian shook his head and sighed. "Long Sun Wu Ji, Wei Chi Jing De, are they not people to be trifled with? If they were to make a move... From now on, this hundred-man cavalry unit will probably never have a peaceful day again! Qin Mu Bai, you really are like a newborn calf who is not afraid of tigers, daring to provoke anyone! Let's see how you'll get out of this mess!"

  The excitement is over, and everyone has gone their separate ways to attend to their own affairs.

  Qin Mubai came alone to the doctor's place to visit the little soldier who was "knocked unconscious".

  Before Qin Mu Bai could speak, the little soldier scrambled to his feet and bowed: "How dare I trouble General?"

  "Get up." Qin Mubai smiled and patted his shoulder, "If I'm not mistaken, you're Pang Fei. A Shandong native, from the same place as my Qin family's ancestral home."

  "General, you truly have a good memory, even remembering someone as insignificant as me." Pang Fei hastily nodded with a hint of surprise and flattery, "Not to hide it from the General, my father was once a school officer who followed your esteemed father, General Qin Xiang, into battle and died on the battlefield. From a young age, my father told me that General Qin Xiang was a hero among heroes in this world. Seeing you, General, is like seeing General Qin Xiang himself!"

  "It turns out there's such a connection." Qin Mubai nodded with a smile, "You're not bad, quick reaction, very clever. Do well, have prospects."

  "General Qin, I have an impertinent request to make." Pang Fei suddenly fell to his knees.

  "Why must you kneel? Can't we just talk?" Qin Mu Bai wanted to pull him up.

  "No... please listen to me first, General." Pang Fei said hastily. "My father admired General Qin Yubao and followed him to the death on the battlefield; I admire you, General, and am willing to become your disciple. As long as you don't despise me, I'm willing to serve you like a servant or maid from now on, just like my father followed General Qin Yubao back then."

  "This...," Qin Mu Bai thought for a moment and smiled slightly, "If I don't agree to your request, wouldn't that be too inhumane?"

  "General... Master, you, you promised?" Pang Fei was overjoyed and momentarily stunned.

  "Isn't that nonsense?" Qin Mu Bai smiled and said, "However, in the future when we are in a large crowd, you can't call us master and disciple."

  "Disciple thanks master!" Pang Fei was overjoyed and repeatedly kowtowed.

  "Alright, get up." Qin Mu Bai pulled him up from the ground and smiled, "Pretend to be ill properly and lie down for a few more days. I'll make sure the doctor serves you well."

  "Don't worry, Master," Pang Fei said with a delighted smile. "Wei Wu Xian's martial arts are nothing more than that. I could have dodged his elbow strike, but I intentionally took the hit. As someone who has been beaten up since childhood, this one hit is like an itch on the other side of the boot. If necessary, without Master's orders, I can smash my own head against something."

  "Very good." Qin Mu Bai patted his shoulder and burst out laughing, "I like clever people."

  Good news never goes beyond the gate, bad news travels for thousands of miles. The incident of Qin Mu Bai enforcing law and severely beating Wei Tai Bao Yun in the Hundred Riders' Camp spread quickly.

  Li Shimin soon learned of the news.

  "This guy, he actually dared to take action and beat Wei Chi Bao Yun..." Li Shimin furrowed his brow and muttered softly.

  "Your Majesty, although from a legal standpoint Qin Mubai did nothing wrong, however...from a human perspective, he should not have done this." Li Junxian said, "Firstly, Changsun Wujie and Wei Rang are his subordinates, and in the future they will still rely on him; secondly, regarding Changsun Wuji and Wei Rang's side..."

  "What's going on over there, do they dare to retaliate privately?" Li Shimin said calmly, "Qin Mubai has upheld the law and done nothing wrong. Wei Tiyun and others have a arrogant attitude, how can such people serve by my side? If Qin Mubai hadn't already made a judgment, I would have kicked Wei Tiyun out of the hundred riders. As the long history, you are in charge of military orders, law enforcement, and assisting Qin Mubai in commanding the hundred riders, which is your duty. Don't you think Qin Mubai was wrong? How can you not distinguish right from wrong?"

  "Ah... Your Majesty has taught me well, I know I was wrong." Li Junxian's face turned bright red with embarrassment and he could only nod silently in agreement.

  "Pass on what I just said to Li Zhen and Wei Chi Baoyun. Let them understand one thing: the imperial palace is not their own home, nor is the Hundred Riders' Camp their backyard. Since they have joined the army, let them behave like soldiers. Military law and discipline are strict, no longer allowing them to be arrogant and reckless as before."

  "Yes, your humble servant will go and transmit the edict immediately." Li Junxian responded with a sound, then prepared to withdraw.

  "Bring Qin Mubai along while you're at it."

  It is...

  Li Junxuan nervously arrived at the Baiji Camp, thinking about how to pass on a message to Changsun Gan and others, when he ran into Qin Mubai.

  "What's troubling General Li?" Qin Mu Bai asked.

  "His Majesty orders you to come and see him." Li Junxian threw out this sentence, turned around and left, scolding in his heart: Stinky little boy, following you to work together is really unlucky! I report a matter, the emperor even scolded me too! From now on, it's better for me to keep a distance from you, who knows what kind of trouble I'll get into again!

  Qin Mubai watched Li Junxian hurry away and thought with a smile: What's there to say? I, who enforced the law and severely punished Wei Baoyun, must have been scolded by the Emperor and that's why he's in such a rush!

  Qin Mu Bai adjusted his clothes and went to pay respects to the Emperor.