In a small town thirty miles north of Xiaodong City.

The once peaceful and tranquil town is now in ruins, with corpses scattered everywhere on the streets and inside houses.

Of course, most of the corpses were Parthian soldiers, as well as some elderly people and children from the town.

A gentle breeze blew by, and the stench of blood in the air made Huang Gai frown.

"This should be the third Parthian army we've encountered, right?" Huang Gai asked the centurion beside him.

"Yes, General!"

The centurion continued, "Our army has suffered two hundred casualties so far, killed three thousand enemy soldiers, and two thousand able-bodied men have joined our army!"

"How are the other teams doing?" Huang Gai asked again.

"Reporting to the general, according to statistics, the other teams suffered a total of more than 1,300 casualties, killed more than 15,000 enemy soldiers, and gathered more than 20,000 able-bodied men."

Almost all the families of these able-bodied men had been killed. While grateful to our army for saving their lives, they also harbored a deep-seated hatred for the Parthian army. With just a little training, they could become a force absolutely loyal to the Han Dynasty and with extraordinary fighting power!

"good!"

Huang Gai nodded and then ordered, "Immediately order all troops to search carefully again, and do not miss a single Parthian unit!"

"Here you go!"

The centurion agreed and then turned and quickly left.

After two more days of searching, with the help of the local people, the Parthian army scattered around Xiaodong City was completely wiped out by the guards, and its leader, Morel, was captured alive by Huang Gai.

After learning that the invading Parthian army had been completely wiped out, the city lord of Xiaodong City personally led the city's officials and people out of the city to express his gratitude to the Han army.

Lord Xiaodong looked at Huang Gai with gratitude: "Thank you for the help of the Han army, otherwise we would have really been in great trouble!"

Huang Gai said politely, "You're too kind, City Lord. The Parthian army is brutal and inhumane, and our Han army will naturally not back down!"

"Alas, in the past, the nobles and ministers in the capital levied exorbitant taxes on the local people, making their lives difficult."

Now they treat us common people like livestock, wantonly plundering and slaughtering us. Such a country truly fills one with despair…

Upon hearing Huang Gai's words and comparing them to his own country, the city lord of Xiaodong City couldn't help but sigh, his face filled with bitterness and disappointment.

“Lord of the city, there’s no need for that. We have a saying in our Han Dynasty: If the ruler is not wise, then the ministers will abandon him.”

If the government is corrupt and the people are suffering, then we should stand up, tear it down, and rebuild it.

If you hope to use your suffering to awaken their conscience, then endless disaster awaits you…!

Seeing Lord Xiaodong in such a state, Huang Gai promptly used a set of words that his military instructors had taught him long ago.

"If the ruler is unwise, then the subject will abandon him..."

Upon hearing Huang Gai's words, the city lord of Xiaodong City couldn't help but change his expression, a glint of light flashing deep in his eyes.

Huang Gai: "That's right. In our Great Han Dynasty, from the emperor down to the ministers, everyone knows that the people are the foundation. All the policies set by the court are based on the people."

At the very least, we must ensure that people have clothes to wear and food to eat, so that they don't have to worry about freezing or starving to death.

Given Parthia's situation, its demise was inevitable!

"The people of the Han Dynasty are truly fortunate to have encountered such a monarch!"

Upon hearing Huang Gai's description, Lord Xiaodong and the people around him all showed expressions of envy.

Huang Gai also chimed in at the opportune moment: "A ruler chooses his ministers, and a minister chooses his ruler. How one lives depends entirely on one's own choices!"

The people don't ask for much; all they want is a chance to survive. If even that can't be given, then they shouldn't blame the people for rising up in rebellion!

These words truly resonated with everyone.

Recalling the scene of the burly man described by Huang Gai, people couldn't help but feel a sense of longing.

"General, we also wish to become subjects of His Majesty the Emperor of the Han Dynasty. We wonder if the Han Dynasty can accept us?"

"Yes, we also want to live like ordinary people of the Han Dynasty!"

"We are willing to follow the Han army and fight those guys in the capital!"

Immediately, everyone present chimed in and made their own choice.

Seeing this, Huang Gai also shouted, "His Majesty once said that all people within the four seas can be Han citizens. As long as you are loyal to the Han Dynasty and willing to fight for it, you can enjoy the same treatment as other Han citizens..."

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces immediately lit up with excited smiles.

"Long live the Han Dynasty! Long live the Emperor!!"

Soon, cheers erupted from the crowd.

After the cheers subsided, Huang Gai looked at Lord Xiaodong and said in a deep voice, "Since you have chosen our Great Han, we naturally have a responsibility to protect your safety."

"Right now, Sakhqi is leading the Parthian army to besiege our forces. We must hurry back to Linshan to confront them. Only after we eliminate them can you live in peace!"

"General, that is our common enemy. Our soldiers are fighting on the front lines, and we cannot sit back and reap the benefits!"

"Yes, General, we also want to do our part!"

"Just tell us what you need us to do!"

Everyone around him looked at Huang Gai with unwavering expressions, as if they had completely accepted themselves as Han Chinese.

Huang Gai smiled and said, "You just need to spread the word that our Great Han is willing to lead the people to overthrow the Parthian rule and enable them to live the good life they want. Anyone who is willing to join us is welcome to do so at any time!"

"Please rest assured, General, no one wants to live a life without wanting a good one!"

Upon hearing Huang Gai's request, everyone patted their chests and assured him.

"Alright, there's no time to lose. We need to get back to the battlefield as soon as possible. Farewell!"

After saying this, Huang Gai cupped his hands in greeting to the crowd and led his guards and 20,000 able-bodied men on a rapid journey toward Linshan City.

While leading his troops on their journey, Huang Gai was also constantly thinking about the upcoming battle.

Now, the plan to overthrow Parthia has gradually unfolded, and everything is developing in the direction everyone expected. The next step is to complete the control of southern Parthia, and after the south is stabilized, to send troops to gradually devour the entire Parthia.

Huang Gai, however, was currently considering how to gain more military merits in the upcoming battle.

Subsequently, Huang Gai summoned several generals from the army to discuss their next move.

"Gentlemen, I have an idea that can not only defeat the Parthian army as soon as possible, but also allow our guards to gain the greatest credit in this battle!"

"Oh? What method is it?"

Upon hearing Huang Gai's words, the generals' eyes lit up, and they all looked at Huang Gai with shining eyes.

Huang Gai's expression hardened: "Gentlemen, we have thwarted Sakqi's plan to divide his forces to search for food supplies and capture able-bodied men."

If we go back like this, they might see that things are not going well and choose to retreat!

Therefore, if we want to annihilate the entire Sakqi army, we need to find a way to keep them safely outside Linshan City..."