News of the Western Xia’s staged surrender at the capitulation ceremony soon reached the ears of the Emperor in the Imperial City, and he was greatly enraged. Fortunately, the enemy had fallen for Fang Tianba’s trap, akin to catching a turtle in a jar, and all were captured. During the chaotic battle, the Western Xia commander and three hundred of his trusted soldiers were killed on the spot, and the 30,000 enemy troops who had been waiting outside the West City to launch an assault were also apprehended. These captives were shackled and locked away in the surrounding prison cities, awaiting the Emperor’s imperial decree to determine their fate.
To pull up weeds, one must remove the roots; there was no guarantee that these villains, having faked a surrender once, would not do so again. With a sharp arch of his brow, the Emperor issued an imperial decree ordering Fang Tianba to execute these heinous criminals immediately on the spot, without waiting for the autumn executions. At the same time, to honor the merit of the General’s wife, who had delivered military orders during the great battle, captured 30,000 enemy troops, and sacrificed her life in the ensuing melee, the Emperor posthumously conferred upon Panxi the title of a Second-Rank Noble Lady. He also promoted Fang Tianba to the rank of Palace Guard Commander, placing him in charge of the Imperial City’s garrison troops and stationing him permanently in the West City to ensure the long-term security of the rear of the …
Chapter 91