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墨書 Inktalez
Liu Dingbang did not want the army that General Gao Tingda had built to be destroyed due to rebellion, but as a mere division commander, he had no way to prevent it. The other generals would not heed his advice. Was he supposed to just watch as tens of thousands of brothers embarked on a path of no return? Liu Dingbang was anxious. After a fierce internal struggle, he made an astonishing decision: instead of trying to persuade the generals against their futile rebellion, he would shatter their delusions of revolt completely.
Liu Dingbang decided that rather than let tens of thousands of brothers die alongside their leaders, it would be better to sacrifice a few key conspirators and save the majority of the generals and innocent soldiers. This decision was excruciating for him. Like those generals, Liu Dingbang was one of the passionate men who had followed General Gao. He felt deep sorrow over the general's demise and wanted revenge, but he knew that if a battle broke out after a rebellion, it would lead to rivers of blood and mountains of corpses—an outcome that General Gao would never wish for. The general's death was partly due to his own choices; had he listened to his advisors and broken through with his troops, he might have avoided such a fate. However, he chose not to act because he did not want his soldiers to die in vain. Thus, compared to his own life, he cared more about the survival of the entire army. Liu Dingbang's current decision could be seen as a continuation of General Gao's will—a choice to sacrifice minor benefits for greater righteousness.
However, this approach was not something everyone could understand. Liu Dingbang feared not for himself but for the misunderstanding and scorn he might face after making this decision. True soldiers do not flinch in the face of enemy fire; they are warriors, men of iron and blood! Liu Dingbang was one such soldier, having emerged from the chaos of battle. He did not fear death; rather, he feared leaving behind a legacy of infamy—being labeled a traitor or ungrateful.
Liu Dingbang's fears soon became reality. Although he reported to the Mingguo Party's military high command that the generals were secretly conspiring only to seek justice for General Gao, the high command indiscriminately carried out mass arrests and executions, plunging the Taiwan Military into panic. All officers above the rank of division commander in General Gao's corps were isolated for investigation, and all division commanders and higher were arrested and imprisoned. The Mingguo Party's military high command ordered Mei Organization agents to severely torture the imprisoned officers. Ultimately, all officers above division commander were executed on charges of treason, allowing the Mingguo Party's military high command to completely purge the officer ranks and transform this unit into one fully controlled by them.
At the onset of these actions, some junior officers and soldiers attempted to resist, but the Mingguo Party's military high command brutally suppressed them. The cruelty of their methods instilled fear in all officers and soldiers, leading to a long period during which no one dared mention the events again.
Throughout the investigations, arrests, executions, and suppression processes, Liu Dingbang's unit remained untouched—a deliberate choice by the Mingguo Party's military high command. Not only did they spare Liu Dingbang's unit, but they also promoted him to commander of one of three armies within his corps. Their aim was to redirect resentment; they knew that General Gao's entire force would not simply accept this situation without retaliation. Although they might refrain from open rebellion due to fear at present, they would remember this grievance and hatred would need an outlet for release before it could subside.
Liu Dingbang naturally became the best candidate for this outlet. Although he had reported on the generals' secret conspiracy to the Mingguo Party's military high command, they did not truly trust him; in their eyes, Liu Dingbang was insignificant. If they could successfully redirect the resentment of the entire unit towards him, they would be willing to sacrifice him.
While the Mingguo Party's military high command never officially declared Liu Dingbang as the informant, their actions made it clear. The entire unit viewed him as public enemy number one responsible for the deaths of those generals. From then on, numerous individuals sought revenge against him; there were even days when three separate assassination attempts were made against him. However, as someone who had survived countless battles, Liu Dingbang was not easily taken down. In those early years, he lived in constant fear—not because he feared assassination; as mentioned earlier, he did not fear death itself. Sometimes he even wished for it but did not want to die without clarity or purpose—dying in such a manner would leave him branded as a despised traitor even in death. Therefore, he could not die; he needed to prove that his initial decision had been correct—that he had saved tens of thousands of brothers' lives. Only by clearing his name could he rest peacefully in death and meet General Gao and those executed generals with a clear conscience.
As time passed, fewer people sought to assassinate him. Time can dull all hatred; although many refused to admit it, it remained true. However, Liu Dingbang knew that for over twenty years there had been an organization dedicated to killing him—the Revenge Alliance formed by officers from General Gao’s former unit. They operated with greater caution and meticulous planning than before. From the beginning, Liu Dingbang was aware of this alliance’s existence; if he wanted to eliminate them, he could have done so easily but chose not to because its members were truly loyal remnants of General Gao’s forces—men who had maintained their beliefs over many years deserved respect.
Over these years, Liu Dingbang gradually entered into the core ranks of Mingguo Party’s military high command through his own abilities. Now serving as commander of Abayer Military District—Taiwan’s largest military district with superior weaponry—it also served as a crucial force protecting both the capital and its officials due to its proximity to Abayir City where Military District Command is located. With his elevated status and busy duties came increased security around him; since he rarely left Military District Command, it became difficult for anyone seeking revenge against him to find an opportunity.
Unexpectedly though, during a secret trip with his wife for relaxation and leisure, they discovered that someone had tracked their whereabouts here with malicious intent.
Thus unfolded over twenty years filled with grievances: Liu Dingbang initially chose what many viewed as betrayal—sacrificing himself for peace among Taiwan’s soldiers and saving tens of thousands under General Gao’s command—and bore this heavy label ever since while facing constant threats from former comrades seeking vengeance against him regardless of how many dangers he faced; few could withstand such psychological burdens.
In conclusion, holding Li Jieyu’s hand tightly, Liu Dingbang said: “If it weren’t for my wife standing by me these past twenty-plus years—guiding me through understanding and encouraging me—helping me dissolve my resentment with her compassion—I might have collapsed long ago. So if they want my life or wish me dead—I bear no grudge because I did betray them initially—but everything I did was my choice alone; my wife has nothing whatsoever to do with it! If they dare touch her…”
"Alright, I can help you," Xin Yi said after listening to Liu Dingbang's words. "Because you are worth my help, but how do you need me to assist you? Are you asking me to kill all those people? If that would solve the problem, I guess you would have done it long ago, right?"
"Of course not. If I wanted to eliminate their alliance, I wouldn't have waited until today. I could have done it over twenty years ago when they first came together. Most of them were officers like Leaders and Camp Commanders back then. It wouldn't have been difficult for me to get rid of them. I didn't do it then, and I won't do it now," Liu Dingbang replied.
"You want to untie this knot, right? But how do you plan to do that? If it could be untied, why wait until today?" Xin Yi asked in confusion.
"Yes, this knot is indeed not easy to untie. In the past, I never dared to hope they would understand me. However, now I've come to realize that if I don't make them understand, they might do something foolish that could harm me. That's fine, but if they hurt Jieyu because of me, I will definitely not let them go. I'm afraid that day will come when former comrades truly turn against each other," Liu Dingbang said while holding Li Jieyu's hand. It was clear that this man's Achilles' heel was his wife; if anyone harmed Li Jieyu, he would not spare them, no matter who they were. Yet he feared that this might lead to a rift with his former comrades. After all these years, despite being targeted multiple times by those he called comrades, he still regarded them as such?
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