The Tyrant's Beloved Empress

78

Translator: She.Wee
Editor: KitKat

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Kang Hong was swiftly detained. Most of the Generals under him were unaware of his actions and were quite loyal to him. Seeing Kang Hong being accused of such crimes, they believed there must be some hidden truth or that he had been framed. Many of them tried to find ways to rescue him or plead for his innocence. Perhaps the death of Zuo Qiu had made them wary; the Deputy General, fearing that Xiao Zhige might preemptively execute Kang Hong, even plotted to break him out of prison.

Xiao Zhige did not comment on this. Being a man who had risen through the military ranks, he did not overly suppress or harshly reprimand these loyal but deceived Generals. Instead, he had his men quickly take control of Yongzhou's defenses while he began to compile the evidence of Kang Hong's numerous crimes.

Some of Kang Hong's confidants, who knew the inside story, secretly sent letters to Yejing. Xiao Zhige did not dispatch anyone to intercept these letters. However, if these letters reached the Third Prince in Yejing, it was likely that what awaited these Generals would not be rescue, but a death warrant.

Three days later, Yongzhou was completely under Xiao Zhige's control. The rebels in Guangping County had all surrendered. Xie Ling, with his men, registered the household registrations, allowing the common people to return to the city. Meanwhile, in the square of the government office, Kang Hong, his confidants, and several bandit leaders were shackled and awaited judgment.

Xiao Zhige sat in the chief position, with the powerful families of Yongzhou, acting as witnesses, all present.

One after another, boxes of account books were carried in by soldiers. These were the "tributes" that the powerful families had handed over to Kang Hong over the years, and the amounts were staggering. In addition, there were confessions from several bandits, revealing that they were originally soldiers in the Yongzhou army. When they were still unknown, Kang Hong had transferred them out of the military camp, erasing their names from the military registry and fabricating their deaths. On the other hand, he secretly trained them in the mountains, raising them as his private army. Over two or three years, their numbers had grown to three thousand.

During the Yongzhou uprising, these hidden private soldiers, under Kang Hong's orders, disguised themselves as bandits and raised the flag of rebellion. Their true purpose was to incite the refugees and escalate the unrest, thereby giving the Crown Prince a charge of failing to suppress the rebellion. Although there was no direct evidence linking the Third Prince to this, the truth now laid bare before the people was that Kang Hong had been receiving enormous bribes, raising a private army, harboring ambitions of rebellion, and conspiring against the State.

Xiao Zhige was in no hurry to execute Kang Hong. Before the people of Yongzhou, and in front of the loyal Generals who supported Kang Hong, he presented the evidence, stripping away Kang Hong's façade layer by layer.

With irrefutable evidence and testimonies, Kang Hong's crimes were undeniable. Even the Generals who had once been loyal to him had nothing to say.

The onlookers praised the wisdom and benevolence of the Northern Warlord, calling him a blessing to the people.

Kang Hong, now a prisoner, looked around in a daze. When his eyes met Xiao Zhige's stern face, he let out a bitter laugh. Xiao Zhige did not order his execution immediately; instead, he intended to send him and the other criminals to Yejing for judgment. However, when Kang Hong thought of his family in Yejing, bitterness filled his throat. He could not afford to return to Yejing alive.

Xiao Zhige wouldn't kill him, but he had to die.

That night, Kang Hong committed suicide in prison, overwhelmed by guilt. Xiao Zhige was not surprised when he received the news; Kang Hong was destined to die, but Xiao Zhige had no intention of killing him with his own hands. This way, no one could use Kang Hong's death as an excuse to blame Xiao Zhige.