Chapter 317
The Turkic army was in complete disarray, and the guards and other soldiers at Yuquan Pass quickly captured the remaining men.
It was almost effortless.
Nuhachi was firmly suppressed by Leng Xu, and coupled with his injuries, he was sweating profusely and grimacing in pain.
Even so, he still couldn't resist indulging in verbal sparring.
"Duan Gan! You despicable scoundrel! You shameless scoundrel!"
"They actually took advantage of our unpreparedness and brutally murdered us like this. Everyone says that the Celestial Empire is a land of etiquette, but in my eyes they are all a bunch of hypocritical rats and liars!"
He was so angry that his face and neck turned red, his bulging eyes were covered with spider web-like blood vessels, and the veins on his temples bulged.
Upon seeing the snow-white ground covered with fragments of flesh and blood, it let out a howl like a trapped beast.
Duan Gan strolled leisurely through the middle of the army, and everyone hurriedly moved aside to either side of the road he passed.
He approached Nuhachi, his dark eyes flickered slightly, and he glanced at him up and down with a disdainful look, the corners of his lips curling up in a sarcastic manner.
"General Nuhachi's ability to distort the truth is completely unlike that of a Turk; it's more like the shameless scoundrel you're describing."
"Since you have the ambition to swallow so much gunpowder, you should have the courage to bear the consequences."
"Instead of acting like a coward, blaming others and raging incompetently after things happen."
He turned to look at Alp, whose collar was being grabbed by Zhang Cheng.
Zhang Cheng understood immediately and threw Alp to the ground, exposing him to everyone's gaze.
Faced with so many strange looks from people, Alp curled up, trembling, and felt completely lost.
As he was filled with fear and anxiety, a malicious voice came from above.
"Arpu, your chance to turn things around has come. As long as you show sincerity in submitting to me, I will guarantee that you will sit in Nuhachi's position."
"Don't let him die so quickly. I want to see him struggle in his death throes."
Upon hearing this, the surrounding Turkic soldiers widened their eyes and stared at him in shock.
Some even started swearing.
"You piece of trash! How dare you betray the general and the country you served!"
"As expected, you cowardly dog, you are incapable of fulfilling the Creator's guidance for us. You traitor who betrayed your own kind, your ancestors will surely cast you into the deepest hell forever!"
"Damn stable boy, you're lowly and disgusting!"
"Saddler...saddler..."
"Disgusting...disgusting..."
Each insulting curse was like a knife carving into his heart, its echo reverberating in his mind.
Alp's eyes filled with hot tears, and the knife he gripped trembled violently, nearly falling to the ground several times.
"Alp, I don't like to repeat myself. Since it's so difficult, then you can die with them, which will save you from this dilemma."
Duan Gan spoke casually, as if the people here were ants that could be crushed with a single step.
He turned and left as soon as he finished speaking.
Suddenly, a scream from behind him made him stop in his tracks.
In the dim light, a satisfied smile curved her thin, crimson lips.
He turned around, sat in the chair Chen Jinghe had brought over, crossed his legs, rested his elbows on his knees, and supported his sharp chin with his palms, observing everything in front of him with great interest.
Arpu plunged the first knife into Nuhachi's groin. Nuhachi closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and his face, filled with hatred, trembled slightly.
The expressions on everyone's faces became subtle.
Nuhachi was like a fish that had lost its water source and struggled violently for a moment. His face was contorted with pain, and he could not even stand up straight.
Leng Xu frowned and casually tossed it to the ground.
Without any support, Nuhachi was completely exhausted and collapsed onto the cold snow.
"You! You traitor!"
"The true God is ashamed to have people like you!"
Those Turks had deep, booming voices that could deafen you.
Duan Gan frowned, his eyes slightly cold, revealing a hint of impatience, and he rubbed his temples with his fingertips.
Seeing this, Chen Jinghe drew his knife from his waist and walked towards the Turkic soldier who was still talking incessantly. With swift movements, he plunged the knife directly into the soldier's mouth.
The surrounding soldiers were stunned.
The moment they came to their senses, they scattered and fled, but were blocked by the guards and forced to huddle together.
Chen Jinghe glared menacingly at the retreating men, "Anyone who dares to utter another word, I'll kill them!"
Arp gripped the knife handle tightly with both hands and stabbed it fiercely into his chest, letting out a painful scream of relief with each strike.
Nuhachi's pupils were unfocused and dilated, and he kept spitting out scarlet blood. His face, neck, and chest were covered in blood.
He was the source, from which the white snow around his body turned red.
It looked incredibly shocking and appalling.
Arpu's methods were ingenious; Nuhaci was stabbed so many times, he was practically riddled with holes, yet he was still alive.
His face was covered in blood, and his bloody appearance was both terrifying and horrifying.
Apart from the occasional crackling sound of embers burning all around, the only other sounds were the splattering of blades piercing flesh and his desperate screams.
Finally, after Nuhachi was beyond dead, Arpu collapsed in the snow, his expression blank, breathing heavily.
“From this moment forward, Arp will be your general. Acknowledge him and you will live; refuse and you will die.”
Duan Gan's tone was languid and weary, but the murderous intent in his words could not be ignored.
The Turkic soldiers were either crippled or dead; at a glance, there were very few uninjured ones. How could they possibly be a match for the soldiers from the Central Plains?
Moreover, the men Duan Gan brought were not ordinary soldiers.
They looked at each other, both seeing the helplessness and panic in each other's eyes.
Some people have families with children, and their families rely on their monthly salary to survive. If they die, their families won't live much longer either.
Forced into a corner, they had no choice but to kneel down and say, "We are willing to pledge our loyalty to General Dingyuan and General Alp."
"I am willing to pledge my loyalty..."
People are inherently afraid of death, and they were no exception; more and more people knelt on the ground.
But some refused to submit and picked up a knife from the ground to commit suicide.
Warm, scarlet blood sprayed onto the snow, quickly spreading out.
Only a handful of people have the courage to commit suicide; most choose to surrender.
"Send a messenger to your Khan, saying that you have captured Yuquan Pass, and that Duan Gan and Nuhachi perished together on the battlefield, suffering heavy losses. You will soon return to the capital and set out on another expedition."
Due to the high mountains and long distances, it was impossible for everything that happened on the battlefield to reach the ears of those in power. Moreover, the Turkic army, unlike the Central Plains dynasties, did not have military supervisors.
Most of the time, it relies on the commander-in-chief's decisions and loyalty, emphasizing flexible application rather than using complex oversight mechanisms to constrain the general.
Therefore, even if Nuhaci harbored resentment towards the Khan, he would never betray him.
Such a person is destined to be useless to him, so kill him and replace him with someone who is capable.
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