Erniu and Chun Ning returned to the evil husband's side, bowing their heads expressionlessly to report: "Grand Commandant, there is no one left alive in the city. All survivors have been wiped out."
The wicked man nodded slowly, his gaze fixed on Lingshou City, which was now almost reduced to ruins. A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips: "Very good. Send the order to the Black Ice Guard to spread this news throughout the world!"
He paused, then added, "This time, I, the Grand Commandant, want to inform the people who have just come under the rule of Qin of one fact—those who dare to violate the prohibitions and do not wish to live a peaceful life will have no way to survive!"
Chun Ning and Er Niu nodded silently, then followed the wicked husband away.
Behind them, Lingshou City, this once-standing city, had turned into empty ashes and disappeared into the long river of history. The iron-blooded baptism of the Black Dragon Armor Army was destined to become an indelible shadow in the hearts of the former people who had come under the rule of Qin.
After traveling four or five miles outside the city, Erniu asked in a low voice, "Grand Commandant, are we going to Rao City now, or somewhere else?"
Upon hearing this, the wicked man reined in his warhorse, a hint of annoyance on his face. "I was so busy venting my anger that I forgot the most important thing."
He had originally planned to set the city on fire, then release some civilians and drive them to Rao City, in order to demoralize the Yan army defending the city.
However, in his anger, he completely forgot about the matter and only cared about enjoying his momentary pleasure.
"No, I shouldn't have done this!"
The wicked husband slapped his forehead in regret. He had made mistakes many times because of his superiors. Why couldn't he learn his lesson?
Erniu and Chun Ning couldn't help but laugh when they saw him like this.
The wicked husband ignored them and, after a moment of contemplation, asked, "Lingshou is an important border town of the Yan Kingdom. Is it really as flat as a plain once you enter?"
“That’s right!” Chun Ning nodded and explained, “These two cities of Yan border the Central Plains and are its military strongholds. The rest of its troops are stationed in the north to guard the eastern barbarians, leaving the interior extremely vulnerable.”
The wicked man sneered upon hearing this, "Then we will enter Yan from here, detour around the back of Rao City, and casually destroy and burn the two cities, drive the soldiers and civilians into Rao City, break their morale, and then we will circle around behind them to guard and cut off their food supplies."
"I don't believe that the Zhao Chu reinforcements brought their own rations. How long can the food and fodder in the city be enough to feed their men and horses?"
The population of Rao City was at least several hundred thousand, plus 300,000 soldiers from the three states of Yan, Zhao, and Chu. Every day, the consumption of food and provisions was enormous.
On the other hand, the Qin army had a huge amount of money and grain from the conquest and confiscation of the Qi state, so they could easily survive in Raocheng until the next New Year without any pressure.
The current wicked man is no longer the mindless soldier who only knew how to kill. As the Grand Commandant of Qin, with the lives of hundreds of thousands of men under his command at stake, he would rather spend more money and supplies than see them die tragically.
"Brother's plan is brilliant, I admire it!" Erniu and Chun Ning laughed in unison.
"Let's go, let's just go along the way, and kill whoever we encounter!"
........
Ten days later, the Black Dragon Armored Army finally arrived at the outskirts of Rao City.
The wicked man stood on high ground, gazing at this important town of the Yan state in the distance. His gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, able to pierce through the thick clouds and dust.
In these ten days, the wicked man conquered three cities along the way, set them ablaze, and reduced them to ruins. He then drove the people of the cities to flee to Rao City.
He then led his troops to follow at a distance, and whenever the people of Yan showed any signs of fatigue, he would order his soldiers to appear and intimidate them, urging them to hurry up.
At this moment, hundreds of thousands of refugees knelt and begged at the city gate to open it and let them into the city, while the Black Dragon Armored Army stood ready, watching from afar as if ready to unleash a massacre at any moment.
Inside the city.
"Report—!!"
"Your Excellency, Generals, countless refugees have come from the heart of our Yan Kingdom behind the city, begging to be allowed into the city for safety."
Li Fu was discussing with Sima Shang and Jing Yang how to launch a surprise attack on the Qin army, but before they could come up with a suitable plan, a guard rushed in to report.
Li Fu suddenly stood up, a look of fear and confusion flashing in his eyes. "How could so many refugees be pouring in from the rear? Could it be that a great disaster has struck, or has a Qin army surprise us?"
"No... the Qin army couldn't possibly have entered our Yan state through Rao City and Lingshou..."
Jingyang and Sima Shang also looked solemn, clearly not expecting such a situation to arise.
Jingyang frowned and said, "Prime Minister, since they are refugees, their arrival will undoubtedly increase the pressure on the city. Especially if there is a conspiracy by the Qin army behind this, there must be Qin soldiers lurking among the refugees. We must not let them into the city."
"Seal off the city first. No one is allowed to enter the city without my order," Li Fu decisively ordered.
“Prime Minister, this matter is probably not simple!” Sima Shang analyzed, “Leaving aside whether the refugees are secretly controlled by the Qin army, if they are not allowed to enter Rao City, it will probably cause even greater chaos... and will also affect the morale of the troops in the city.”
"Conversely, if we allow refugees to enter the city, although this situation can be broken, it will create a loophole in the city's defenses. If there are indeed Qin soldiers lurking inside, I'm afraid..."
Jingyang nodded in agreement. "General Sima is right. In that case, it must be a trick by the Qin army. But where did they enter the Yan state from, and how did they drive these people here..."
Deep doubts lingered in the minds of the three. From this perspective, the Qin army's open scheme was truly terrifying, forcing them to accept it or not!
"No matter what, we must not let these refugees into the city!"
Li Fu remained silent for a long time, his expression constantly changing before finally becoming extremely ruthless. "Pass on my order: no one is to be lenient and let refugees into the city. If any refugees try to force their way in, or even ram the city gates... shoot them with arrows as a warning!"
The guards' faces changed drastically, and they stood frozen in place, somewhat at a loss. They knew that was over a hundred thousand men; if this order were given, their fate was unimaginable...
"What are you standing there for? Get up now!" Chestnut-belly glared fiercely at the guard who was standing there dumbfounded, his voice as cold as three icy shards of ice.
"Prime Minister, how about this?"
Sima Shang suddenly spoke, looking at the unpredictable Li Fu, and said, "If this method is implemented, it can keep the city from falling into chaos, but it will definitely damage the morale of the Yan army. We are of one mind and one body, and it will inevitably indirectly affect the morale of the entire army."
Li Fu took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the chaotic emotions in his heart, and asked, "General Sima, please speak frankly!"
Jingyang and Sima Shang exchanged a glance and said in unison, "Why don't we have the Yan army withdraw from the city defenses, and let our troops take over the deployment and operations..."
The refugees all came from the State of Yan, so they had no impact on the morale of the soldiers of Zhao and Chu, nor did the soldiers feel any pity for them.
Li Fu remained silent, a complex expression flashing between his brows. As far as he was concerned, how could he be so heartless as to ignore the lives of ordinary people if he had not been forced to do so?
"The matter is urgent, and we hope that the Prime Minister will prioritize the overall situation."
Upon hearing Sima Shang and Jingyang's words, Li Fu closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded slightly, as if he had made a momentous decision.
With his approval, the two immediately turned and left to mobilize troops and take over the defenses from the Yan army.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
