The sun rises.
The fire spread throughout the city.
There were corpses turned into charcoal everywhere.
The Goguryeo soldiers all squatted on the ground.
The armor and weapons have also been removed.
They were all covered in dust and dirt.
There was no more arrogance on his face.
There is only fear!
"Your Highness, these guys are truly beasts!" Tie Niu stepped forward and shouted angrily, "There are many corpses inside the city walls, most of them have been reduced to skeletons. Judging from their clothing, they are most likely from the former Eastern Expedition Army."
"Also, in the center of Hanshan City, there's a nine-story pagoda, and underneath it is a Jingguan built with the skulls of soldiers from the Eastern Expedition. These bastards are doing this because they simply want to treat Dafeng as their mortal enemy!"
"Um."
Ning Que nodded slightly.
It is not surprising that Goguryeo did such a thing.
They are all crazy from top to bottom.
When the old King Ning went on the Eastern Expedition, he advanced triumphantly all the way and could have easily defeated Goguryeo. However, because of the lack of logistical supplies, he was forced to withdraw his troops.
But how did Goguryeo declare it?
They said they defeated Dafeng!
Defeated the old King Ning!
Not only do they deceive others, they also deceive themselves.
To prove their claims were true, they used the fallen soldiers of Dafeng as memorials, built them into walls, sank them into lakes, or used them as foundations for buildings. Their actions were designed to make Dafeng their greatest imaginary enemy!
Normally, when two countries go to war, there will always be casualties on both sides. If the bodies aren't exchanged, they're usually buried in a grave on the spot. Goguryeo, for example, did this, effectively cutting off its own escape route!
Since this is the case, Ning Que will only do more drastic things!
"Old White, what are the casualties?"
"The casualties are relatively low." Bai Yu stepped forward and whispered, "There are many injured. Some were burned, some were wounded by arrows, but most of them are minor. Don't worry, Your Highness. It won't affect the subsequent battle."
"Yes." Ning Que nodded. "You should know what to do. Multiply the casualties several times and record them. Select the right people and send them to Lingnan after defeating Goguryeo."
"promise!"
"As for these captives..." Ning Que turned to look at them and said calmly, "Anyone holding a weapon and who has fought will be buried alive. As for the other captives, have them help dig the graves. As for the rest of the bodies, have them all beheaded and built into a Jingguan, and their bodies burned on the spot to turn their ashes into a tower. As for the remains of the Eastern Expedition Army, they will also be burned and collected, and then transported back to Dafeng for enshrined."
"promise!"
Ning Que looked into the distance and sighed.
"Father, I have finally fulfilled your wish."
"Don't worry, I won't forget the Eastern Expedition."
"Each of them will return to their roots."
After returning from his eastern expedition, the old Ning King flew into a rage, arguing with the previous emperor and regarding the battle as a personal humiliation. He believed that if he could secure another six months' supply of food and fodder, he could completely annihilate the main force of the Goguryeo army. Even if this didn't result in the annexation of the Goguryeo army as a prefecture, it would at least eliminate their remaining capacity for a counterattack, ensuring thirty years of peace in Liaodong.
However, the late emperor believed that non-combat casualties were too high, and that the grain shipped from various regions to Goguryeo was being lost. Of the ten dan of grain delivered to the front lines, only one dan remained, considered a good thing. Furthermore, attacking Goguryeo offered no real benefit; it was simply a venting of anger.
The late emperor issued three consecutive imperial edicts, and with logistics completely cut off, the old Prince of Ning had no choice but to return to the court. Though it was a triumphant return, the old Prince of Ning considered the battle a disgrace, and he had a bitter argument with the late emperor. Upon returning to his palace, he felt deeply aggrieved and complained frequently to them.
He also said that after all the years of fighting, he had never suffered such humiliation. There was a great opportunity to severely damage the main force of Goguryeo, leaving them with no chance of recovery, but he gave up halfway because of food and fodder.
Then why should he go on an expedition to the east?
If there really was no food, he'd be fine. But when he returned to Chang'an, the wealthy and powerful were feasting on gluttony, wasting countless grains. And he and his soldiers in Goguryeo were forced to eat only dry rations with snow water. Finally, they told him there wasn't enough food?!
What kind of bullshit is this?
Ning Que remembered returning home for the Lunar New Year. His father and brothers were still resentful about the Eastern Expedition and asked him to help distribute subsidies to the families of the fallen soldiers. They had taken the good family members of Jingyang with them on the expedition to Goguryeo, but who could have known that they would end up like this, unable to even bring back their bodies...
Ning Que's support for the Eastern Expedition to Goguryeo stemmed from his desire to fulfill his father and brother's last wishes. He not only wanted to annex the entirety of Goguryeo, but also to bring these fallen warriors back to Dafeng, where they could return to their roots and enjoy the glory they deserved!
As soon as he gave the order, the Goguryeo soldiers squatting on the ground, waiting to die, began to shout, many of them with fear on their faces. Ning Que only understood a bunch of nonsense from their chatter.
"What are they saying?"
"That doesn't sound like a good thing."
"I think it would be better to kill them all..."
Bai Yu held his sword and spoke coldly.
Ning Que rolled his eyes helplessly.
There is no need to massacre the city at the moment.
"They were accusing each other, and some were trying to defend themselves, saying that even though they were armed, they were only swinging their knives at their comrades and were trying to escape, so they believed they didn't deserve to be killed."
"What a bunch of trash..."
Tie Niu just shook his head as he watched.
I have great contempt for these soldiers.
There is no blood at all!
Ning Que just raised his hand indifferently.
"Don't worry about so many reasons."
"I would rather kill three thousand people by mistake than let one person go!"
"Kill everyone who holds a weapon!"
Ning Que looked at the translator and gave cold instructions.
They are at war, not playing house.
He was already being polite.
If we really follow the practices of some armies, they would not stop fighting for three days, and every time they captured a city, they would massacre the people in it, and chop down anyone taller than a wheel. As for captured soldiers, they would either find a reason to bury them alive or completely destroy them.
Back then, a killer emerged from the Prince of Ning's mansion, burying 400,000 surrendered soldiers in a single battle. While this battle was a significant achievement, helping Dafeng conquer the State of Zhao, it also led to a joint resistance from other states, tarnishing his reputation. He was also executed by Emperor Zhao due to his subsequent unfavorable performance in the war.
"What about the others?"
Bai Yu looked at Ning Que, also at a loss. Not counting the common people, there were at least 20,000 captives. They could capture them, but killing them was difficult, and releasing them was impossible. What to do with this group of people was clearly a difficult problem. They didn't have much food, after all, and couldn't afford to support so many people.
"Kill a bunch of them first."
"The injuries are more serious, you understand."
"Before the massacre, let these Goguryeo surrendered soldiers dig the pit."
"If you don't want to dig it up, then bury it."
Ning Que waved his hand with a cold expression.
He wants to destroy Goguryeo until it is extinct!
Kill the hostile Dafeng!
Only in this way can we contain Dafeng later!
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