Ye Longlin's voice suddenly sounded. Upon hearing it, the two sentries trembled, but acted as if they hadn't heard a thing, remaining motionless.
Despite the presence of such a figure, they said nothing more, only enduring the bitterness of the entire affair in silence.
"Damn it! What do you mean? Are you saying you still want to deal with me? If you have the guts, come on, see if I dare call the soldiers to beat you!"
Zhang Zihao was fearless, convinced they wouldn't dare lay a hand on him. Otherwise, they wouldn't be so arrogant. After all, soldiers were absolutely forbidden from initiating an assault; even if force was necessary, it had to be justified, such as self-defense.
Zhang Zihao not only struck first but also trampled their dignity with money, trampling the dignity they held as soldiers!
The dignity of the soldiers of Great Xia today was earned through their deeds, forged through their fists, and built upon countless victories!
What is the dignity of a soldier? It is an unblemished white jade, an unsullied pearl!
Dignity is rooted in the hallowed halls of millennia-old humanistic spirit; it is the inviolable rationality, justice, and conscience of man.
Even if a meteor streaks across the deep blue, or a fleeting epiphyllum amazes for a moment, all things in the world move forward with the relentless wheel of time.
However, there is one thing that soldiers have defended and upheld since time immemorial: dignity, the unique dignity of a soldier!
When foreign tribes invaded and the nation was on the brink of collapse, the people of the Southern Song dynasty chose death over surrender!
The moment they leaped from the cliffs, their spirit of soldiery was forever etched in brilliant eternity!
Zhang Zihao, with his pathetic understanding, was trampling upon their dignity. Even though Ye Longlin had retired, he could not bear to witness such a scene.
"I'm so sorry, so sorry. This is our fault. We hope you won't be angry. We'll leave now."
Lin Haochen quickly bowed, apologizing to the two soldiers. While it appeared to be an apology to the soldiers, it was, in fact, an apology to Ye Longlin.
The fact that they could enter clearly indicated their extraordinary status. In the capital, where influential figures were commonplace, people generally avoided trouble if possible. No one knew the identity of the other party; what if they were a powerful figure?
What's more, it was in this particular location, where someone's identity was clearly unusual. Those who could enter were either active or retired military personnel, or their immediate family members, and high-ranking ones at that.
At this moment, someone in the crowd also reacted and hurried over, apologizing as well, "I'm so sorry, I didn't manage him properly. I'm truly sorry."
With that, he slapped Zhang Zihao across the face, "It's one thing to cause trouble at home, but you dare to cause trouble in a place like this? Are you tired of living? Have I really spoiled you rotten?"
"Zhang Zihao, I warn you, if you continue with this attitude, I won't hesitate to send you to the military camp for some rigorous training. Remember this: everything I give you, I can also take away!"
This man was Zhang Shihao, Zhang Zihao's father. It was indeed amusing; after the boy was born, when they checked the family tree, his generation was indeed part of the "Hao" generation. The characters denoted generations, with this particular one meant to be in the middle. However, his family had a strange tradition where it was always the last character, and no one knew why.
In any case, his father had told him so, and it was said that his grandfather had told his father the same.
"Why aren't we allowed in? They died and are buried here, aren't they meant to be visited? If people can visit from the outside, why can't we visit from the inside? They died protecting us, and now we can't even visit them?"
"Besides, if we're not allowed to visit, then what are we doing here? Picking up bad luck from this place? It's truly baffling. We went through all this trouble just to see a bunch of dead people?"
As soon as these two sentences were uttered, the scene fell silent. Those around took a deep breath, their faces filled with anger. For the locals of the capital, from the moment they stepped foot here, they maintained a sense of reverence, respect, and remembrance. Flowers here never ceased, and there was never a lack of mourners.
However, this was the first time they had encountered such a person!
Ye Longlin's eyes turned cold.
His insults towards the heroes buried here were tantamount to insulting his own father, for his father was one of them!
"Apologize!"
Ye Longlin spoke slowly, his tone icy.
Seeing Ye Longlin speak, the crowd immediately fell silent. After all, they all knew that anyone who could enter was undoubtedly of extraordinary status.
"Apologize? Who the hell do you think you are? For me to apologize to you?"
Zhang Zihao ignored Zhang Shihao's words, sneering directly at Ye Longlin.
Ye Longlin emphasized, "Apologize to the fallen soldiers, and apologize for your ignorant recklessness."
"Heh, damn."
"Who the hell are you to make me apologize? Did your father get buried here or something that you're so agitated! You..."
However, before he could finish speaking, Ye Longlin strode up to him and slapped him away, sending him crashing heavily against a concrete pillar behind him.
This was not the end. Ye Longlin walked over, grabbed him by the hair, and dragged him forcefully to the center. Along the way, Zhang Zihao tried to struggle but had both his legs kicked and broken by Ye Longlin.
"Ah—"
"You're breaking the law! This is intentional assault! I'll sue you! I'll sue you until you're bankrupt!"
Zhang Zihao roared in pain, his face contorted with agony.
Ye Longlin squatted down, pressing one hand on Zhang Zihao's head and slamming it towards the ground. With a thud, the moment his head made contact with the ground, his skin broke, and blood gushed out.
"From now on, you will kowtow a thousand times before you are allowed to leave. Apologize for your ignorant recklessness."
"Among the people buried here, you are correct. My father is one of them. My father's military rank upon his burial was that of a four-star general. He died fighting for the stability of Great Xia, but how many people know his name?"
He spoke slowly, his gaze complex as he looked upon the mausoleum.
Perhaps one day in the future, he too would be here, becoming one of them.
When the surrounding people heard his words, they gasped in unison, their expressions filled with shock.
A four-star general!
What kind of concept was that!
Such an esteemed figure could die, but shouldn't such a figure command from the rear? How could he personally go to the battlefield?
They could not comprehend it.
"After you finish kowtowing, you will kneel and pick up all that money."
"The dignity of a soldier is inviolable, and it is not something you can trample upon with money!"
After saying these words, Ye Longlin turned and walked inside. As if remembering something, he spoke again, "Do not even think about leaving. If I come out and you are not here, I guarantee that you will have nowhere to run in Great Xia."