Lin Feng led his troops into the city, committing no offenses whatsoever. When he met Guo Chong, Guo Chong was already bound and kneeling in front of the government office.
"General Guo, please rise." Lin Feng personally untied him. "General, you are a man of great righteousness. You have averted a bloody battle and saved tens of thousands of lives. This is a great achievement. I will certainly report this to the Grand General and request a reward for you."
Guo Chong smiled bitterly: "How dare a defeated general claim merit? I only ask General Lin for one thing—most of my soldiers are from Guanzhong, with families to support. If they do not wish to join the army, please let them go home."
"That's natural." Lin Feng said solemnly, "The General has already issued a military order: all surrendered soldiers may choose to stay or leave. Those who wish to stay will be reorganized into the army, and those who wish to leave will be given travel expenses to return home."
When the news spread, most of the garrison in Shanzhou agreed to surrender.
Lin Feng reorganized the surrendered troops, gaining 15,000 soldiers. Combined with the original 8,000, his forces increased to 23,000.
On April 22, Lin Feng left 5,000 men to guard Shanzhou, and personally led 18,000 elite troops eastward, heading straight for Hangu Pass.
April 23, at the front of the Jingxiang army.
When Liu Qi received the secret letter from his father Liu Song, he was organizing his troops to cross the river and pursue the fleeing Fengtian army.
The letter was short, containing only one sentence: "The General has won a great victory, and the world will soon be at peace. My son, you should strive to be the first to act bravely and not tarnish the prestige of Jingzhou. Everything is well at home, so do not worry."
Liu Qi carefully put the letter away and drew his sword: "All troops, listen to my command! Cross the river and pursue! Anyone who beheads an enemy will be rewarded with ten taels of silver! Anyone who captures an enemy general will be rewarded with one hundred taels of silver and recorded as a merit!"
Ten thousand Jingzhou and Xiangyang naval troops plunged into the water like dragons, crossing the river by boat.
These young men from Jingzhou and Xiangyang were excellent swimmers and skilled boatmen, moving swiftly across the river like the wind.
When they caught up with the fleeing Fengtian Army, they did not charge head-on, but instead used crossbows to fire from a distance and fast boats to outflank them, employing flexible and varied tactics.
Within three days, Liu Qi's troops killed 3,000 enemies, captured 5,000, and seized countless weapons and provisions.
On April 26, Liu Qi pursued the enemy to Mianchi, where he encountered a rearguard force of about 8,000 Fengtian troops.
Undeterred, he divided his forces into three routes to launch a pincer attack, inflicting a major defeat on the enemy and capturing their general alive.
After the war, Liu Qi met with the captured generals in his military tent.
The general's surname was Li, and he was Li Jingang's cousin. Even after being captured, he continued to curse and swear.
"Kill them if you want! There are no cowards in the Li family!"
Instead of getting angry, Liu Qi laughed: "Good backbone. But let me ask you—how have the people fared in the three years since Li Jingang declared himself emperor? Taxes have increased three times, corvée labor has increased fivefold, and there are corpses of the starving everywhere, with people even exchanging their own children to eat. Is this the Li family's empire?"
The general surnamed Wang was speechless.
"The general often said: The world belongs to all people, not to one family or one clan."
Liu Qi said solemnly, "Li Jingang, for his own selfish desires, stirred up war and killed countless innocent people. Now, the General is leading a righteous army to restore peace to the world. Will you continue to be an accomplice to evil, or will you abandon darkness and embrace the light, and do your part for the common people?"
After a long silence, the general surnamed Li finally knelt down and said, "This humble general... is willing to surrender."
Liu Qi helped him up: "Good! From this day forward, you will be the deputy general of my Jingxiang Army. Together, we will fight for the General and for the world, to create a peaceful and prosperous era!"
April 25th, Lingnan military camp.
When Zhao Guang received the secret letter from his uncle Zhao Mu, he was tracking a group of defeated Fengtian soldiers deep in the mountains.
Besides congratulating the general on his great victory, the letter also brought a message:
The King of Lingnan has formally submitted a memorial to the Emperor Yin, requesting to relinquish his title of King and be appointed as the Military Governor of Lingnan.
At the same time, he sent his second son, Zhao Zhang, with 5,000 reinforcements northward, who would soon arrive at the front line.
Zhao Guang was overjoyed and immediately summoned the entire army: "My men! The General has won a great victory at the Yi River, and Lingnan has officially submitted to the Great Yin! From this day forward, we are no longer an isolated army, but the Lingnan Army under the General's command!"
Three thousand soldiers from Lingnan cheered loudly.
These Lingnan soldiers were short but agile, skilled in mountain warfare, and adept at using poisoned arrows and blowguns; their tactics were unpredictable and difficult to defend against.
Taking advantage of this, Zhao Guang deliberately chose dangerous mountain and forest areas to ambush and kill the fleeing Fengtian Army soldiers.
On April 27, Zhao Tong ambushed and defeated a remnant of the Fengtian Army of 5,000 men in the Funiu Mountains, capturing 2,000 enemy soldiers and seizing a large amount of gold and silver jewelry.
He sealed all the jewelry and sent it to the central army.
"Tell the General: The Lingnan army does not need any rewards. Just remember that the men of Lingnan are also good sons of the Great Yin Dynasty!"
......
April 25th, Northern Desert, Left Wise King's Court.
The envoy sent by Wuzhu arrived in Yunzhou on April 25.
When Tian Qing, the garrison commander of Yunzhou, received the envoy, his face was gloomy.
Three months ago, it was this Left Wise King who led an army of 100,000 to attack Yunzhou, but was ambushed and repelled by him at Feihu Ridge.
In that battle, the Yunzhou army suffered heavy casualties, and Li Mao was wounded and nearly died in battle.
"What does the Left Wise King have to say?" Tian Qing asked coldly.
The envoy respectfully presented the list of gifts: "Your Majesty wishes to form an eternal alliance with the Great Yin and submits a memorial to acknowledge you as a vassal state of the North. This is the list of tribute items: 1,000 fine horses, 10,000 cattle and sheep, and 5,000 sable pelts. Also... the 37 artisans and 21 scholars of the Great Yin who were captured from Yunzhou last year are all being returned."
Tian Qing took the gift list and glanced at it: "What are the conditions?"
"I only ask that the trade be opened, that my tribe be granted a way to survive." The envoy knelt down. "From this day forward, the Left Wise King's tribe will never again venture south. If we break this oath, may we be struck down by heaven and earth."
Tian Qing remained silent.
He understood Wuzhu's calculations—Zhao Muyun's unification of the world was a foregone conclusion, and if he surrendered now, he could still get a title and some benefits.
If Zhao Muyun were to pacify the Central Plains and then launch a northern expedition, the Left Wise King's forces would likely follow in the footsteps of the Right Wise King and be driven to the Western Regions.
“I cannot make the decision on this matter,” Tian Qing said slowly. “But I will accept the gift list and the people. I will report to the General and ask him to make a decision. Before the General’s decree arrives, your people are not allowed to approach within a hundred miles of the Great Wall.”
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