The next day, Zhang Xin donned his armor, mounted his warhorse, and, accompanied by his personal guards, loaded all his children into a carriage and headed for the execution ground.
Zhang Liao was surprised to see him arrive to supervise the executions with a carriage in tow.
His confusion deepened when the little radish heads all hopped out of the carriage.
"Lord."
Zhang Liao came forward, "Why did you bring all the young sirs?"
"A chaotic age has arrived..."
Zhang Xin sighed, "Staying in the inner chambers all day doesn't allow one to see this world clearly. It's better to let the children see it sooner rather than later."
"But..."
Zhang Liao paused, "How old are the young sirs? Aren't you afraid of scaring them by bringing them to supervise the executions, Lord?"
"How could the sons of the Marquis Xuanwei lack even this much courage?"
Zhang Xin waved his hand, "Enough. Go prepare. I know what I'm doing."
"This..."
Zhang Liao wanted to persuade him further, but seeing the resolute expression on Zhang Xin's face, he could only give up.
"Understood."
After Zhang Liao left, Zhang Xin led the children to the execution platform.
The little radish heads looked around on the platform, their eyes full of curiosity as they observed the soldiers standing nearby.
"Come, come, everyone, sit down properly."
Zhang Xin motioned for the children to sit.
"Eldest, bring Fourth over."
"Third, come."
"Second, are you looking for a beating again...?"
At Zhang Xin's call, all four little radish heads sat beside him, two on each side.
The soldiers escorted the first group of prisoners forward.
"Father, what are we doing here?"
Zhang Tai looked at Zhang Xin, his face full of curiosity.
"Killing people."
Zhang Xin said calmly.
"Killing people?"
Zhang Tai's eyes lit up, "Is it fun?"
"You'll know in a moment."
Zhang Xin patted his head, "Whether it's fun or not depends on how you feel."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Tai's eyes showed a hint of anticipation.
He was young and ignorant, still unaware of what killing entailed.
But Zhang Ping, who was slightly older, seemed to have realized something at this moment.
"Father..."
"Silence." Zhang Xin quietly snapped.
Zhang Ping shrank his head upon hearing this, his breathing becoming slightly more rapid.
As the prisoners were escorted into the execution ground, they also saw Zhang Xin sitting on the execution platform.
Some cried and begged for mercy, some were at a loss, and some cursed loudly.
"Father, they're cursing you!"
Zhang Tai was very angry, "I'm going down to beat them!"
"Sit still."
Zhang Xin held him down and smiled slightly, "Let them curse. They won't be cursing for much longer."
Zhang Tai looked puzzled, nodding as if he understood, yet didn't.
Time passed by minute by minute.
"Lord."
Zhang Liao stepped forward, cupping his fists, "It's noon."
Zhang Xin drew out a command arrow and handed it to Zhang Liao.
"Execute."
"Understood."
Zhang Liao stepped forward, took the command arrow, and then walked to the execution platform.
"Execute!"
"Puff, puff, puff, puff, puff..."
Heads rolled, blood gushed.
The curses and cries stopped abruptly.
The smell of blood gradually permeated the execution platform.
Zhang Xin took the opportunity to observe his sons' reactions.
Zhang Ping looked terrified, his breathing rapid.
Zhang Tai had a face full of questions.
"Father, why did they suddenly stop moving?"
"Because they died."
"Died?"
Zhang Tai didn't understand.
"When your head falls off, you're dead."
Zhang Xin explained the concept of death to Zhang Tai, but his gaze was on Zhang Ping.
"When a person is alive, they are a person. If they die, they are nothing but a pile of rotten flesh."
Zhang Tai watched the soldiers moving the bodies, deep in thought.
Those bodies were already soft and limp, their limbs hanging to the ground, allowing the soldiers to drag them.
Indeed, weren't they just a pile of rotten flesh, as Zhang Xin had said?
"Eldest."
Zhang Xin called out.
"Here."
Zhang Ping snapped back to attention, "Father."
"If your mother hadn't brought your brother to the city wall that day, risking death to boost morale, the Yuan Army would have long since entered the city."
Zhang Xin looked at him and said, "And you, too, would be like this rotten flesh today, arbitrarily discarded, then smelling and decaying..."
Zhang Ping shivered upon hearing this.
"Things like reputation and benefits, those are for people."
Zhang Xin continued, "If you want these things, you first have to ensure that you are a person."
"If you're not even a person anymore, what's the point of talking about these things?"
"If Father doesn't kill them this time, and they rebel again next time and kill you, turning you into rotten flesh, then what?"
Zhang Ping looked at the limp bodies, and suddenly remembered how the maids used to prepare meat on the cutting board when he watched them cook.
What about etiquette, what about gentlemen, what about what Confucius said...?
For a pile of me executions continued.
"Execute!"
Zhang Xin's icy voice echoed on the execution platform.
Heads fell with a whoosh.