The incident of the fake surrender by Western Xia during the surrender ceremony quickly reached the ears of His Majesty in the Imperial City, and he was greatly enraged. Fortunately, the enemy had fallen for the trap set by Fang Tianba, and they were all captured. In the ensuing chaos between the two armies, the Western Xia commander and three hundred of his trusted soldiers were killed on the spot. The 30,000 Western Xia rebels who had been waiting outside the West City to seize the opportunity to attack were also rounded up. These enemy troops were now in shackles, locked in nearby prisons, awaiting the Imperial decree to determine their fate.
To cut the weeds, one must remove the roots; there was no guarantee these enemies wouldn’t attempt a fake surrender a second time. With a sharp arch of his brows, His Majesty issued a decree: Fang Tianba was to execute these heinous criminals immediately, without waiting for the autumn beheadings. At the same time, to honor the late wife of the Western Guard General—who had relayed military orders during the great battle, captured the 30,000 enemy troops, and sacrificed her life heroically in the melee—His Majesty posthumously conferred upon Panxi the title of a Second-Rank Noble Lady. He also promoted Fang Tianba to Commander-in-Chief of the Palace Guard, tasked with overseeing the Imperial City’s garrison and stationing him permanently in the West City to ensure the long-term peace of the capital.
Since Panxi’s passing, Fang Tianb…
Chapter 29