Amidst panicked shouts, chaos erupted within the city. The Kangju soldiers hastily engaged in battle, but they were no match for the Qin army. In particular, the new expeditionary chariots, each a mobile arrow tower, unleashed a dense rain of arrows that blanketed the entire city.
"Charge in!"
The Qin army poured into the city like a flood, unleashing a merciless massacre. Anyone who resisted was killed without exception. Those who surrendered also met a bad end, all being gathered together to await their fate.
In just half a day, the entire city was captured.
"Take stock of the spoils!"
"Reporting to the Grand Commandant, in this battle, we killed over 15,000 soldiers and civilians from Kangju, captured over 10,000, and seized countless provisions, enough for our army's needs for a month."
The wicked man nodded in satisfaction: "Order the army to rest for half a day, then continue westward. This Grand Commandant intends to strike directly at the capital of Kangju!"
When the news reached the banks of the Syr Darya River, the King of Kangju was thrown into a panic.
He had assumed the Qin army would take the northern route, so he concentrated his forces there to set up defenses. Unexpectedly, the Qin army bypassed the heavily guarded area from the south and directly captured Molde.
Even more alarming is that Molde was Kangju's granary. Now that it has been captured by the Qin army, it is tantamount to cutting off the Kangju army's supply line.
"Withdraw the troops!" the King of Kangju hastily ordered. "Retreat to the capital immediately and defend the city to the death!"
The army hastily retreated, only to be intercepted by the Qin army, which had been lying in ambush.
"Release the arrows!"
A dense rain of arrows poured down from both sides of the hillside, causing the Kangju army to fall and their horses to tumble. Those specially made armor-piercing arrows easily penetrated their leather armor, and with barbs, they went deep into their bodies.
"ah!"
Screams of agony rose and fell. The Kangju's prized cavalry was utterly no match for the Qin army. Their formation was quickly broken, and they were reduced to a disorganized mess.
"Issue the Grand Commandant's order!" Meng Tian commanded sternly, "Anyone who surrenders will be spared for now. They will be dealt with after the army arrives at the capital of Kangju!"
Upon learning that they could save their lives, many Kangju soldiers laid down their weapons and surrendered. Those who resisted were shot to death by a hail of arrows, their corpses strewn across the field.
That evening, the wicked husband received the good news.
"Grand Commandant!" a scout reported, "We've intercepted a messenger from Kangju seeking aid from Daxia and Parthia. Here are their letters..."
The wicked man unfurled the parchment scroll, read it, and then sneered, "It seems these barbarians are truly afraid. Order the entire army to advance at an accelerated pace. Within three days, this Grand Commandant will capture the capital of Kangju!"
The army continued westward, leaving nothing but desolation in its wake.
Any city that dared to resist was razed to the ground, with no one, young or old, spared. Those places that surrendered were spared for the time being, but all able-bodied men were conscripted for hard labor, and women were distributed among the Qin soldiers.
Thus, the Qin army's iron hooves trampled across every inch of Kangju's land, bringing unprecedented terror.
On the tenth day, in the capital of Kangju.
This city, built against the mountainside, was Kangju's last hope. Its walls were high and sturdy, and it held ample provisions, enough to sustain a long-term defense.
"Your Majesty!" a general rushed in to report, "The Qin army is at the city walls, numbering at least 300,000!"
The King of Kangju turned deathly pale. He had already heard of the tragic fate of Morde and knew that the Qin army had not come to conquer, but to annihilate the entire clan!
"Order the entire army," he gritted his teeth, "to defend the city to the death! Also, send an envoy to negotiate peace with the Qin army. Tell them we are willing to submit, only asking for our lives..."
Soon, the messenger set off from the city gate and headed towards the Qin army camp.
The wicked man stood in the tent, coldly watching the Kangju envoy kneeling on the ground.
"Grand Commandant," the envoy said in a trembling voice, "my King of Kangju is willing to submit to Great Qin and pay tribute annually. I only beg you, Grand Commandant, to calm your anger and spare my people..."
"Hmph!" the wicked man sneered. "Didn't you Kangju unite with Great Xia and Parthia to resist? What, are you scared so quickly?"
"Grand Commandant, you are wise!" the messenger kowtowed, "That was all due to His Majesty's momentary lapse of judgment. We now recognize our mistake and are willing to submit to Great Qin for generations to come..."
The wicked man hesitated for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. Seeing a glimmer of hope, the envoy quickly continued, "Our Kangju is rich in fine jade and furs, as well as precious medicinal herbs like the Tian Shan snow lotus. If we submit to Great Qin, these treasures will be continuously offered as tribute..."
"Very well!" the wicked man suddenly spoke, "I, the Grand Commandant, will give you a chance. Tomorrow at noon, I will order your king to personally come out of the city and surrender. At that time, I will announce the punishment plan to everyone!"
"Thank you for your mercy, Grand Commandant!" The messenger was overjoyed and kowtowed repeatedly.
After seeing the envoy off, Zhang Erhe asked, somewhat puzzled, "Grand Commandant, are you just letting them go so easily?"
"Let them go?" the wicked man sneered. "You're too naive. These barbarians are courting death, daring to unite against my Great Qin. How could I, the Grand Commandant, easily forgive them?"
His gaze was icy: "Order all departments to prepare for tomorrow's operation. Remember, this is not a surrender ceremony, but a war of annihilation!"
At noon the following day, the King of Kangju led a large number of his officials out of the city to surrender.
He was dressed in fine clothes, his expression respectful, clearly prepared to submit. As soon as the group stepped out of the city gate, they saw the Qin army already arrayed in battle formation, solemn and imposing.
"Where is the Grand Commandant of Qin?" The King of Kangju looked around. "We've come to surrender..."
Before he could finish speaking, an arrow pierced the air and struck him squarely in the chest. The King of Kangju looked down in horror at the arrow embedded in his chest, unable to believe his eyes.
"Release the arrows!"
At a command, thousands of "swarms" opened fire simultaneously. A dense rain of arrows covered the city gate area, killing all of the Kangju King's entourage.
"Charge in!"
The Qin army surged towards the city gates like a tidal wave. Those defenders who hadn't yet reacted were hacked to death, and the city gates were forcibly breached. The army poured into the city, unleashing a frenzied massacre.
"No! We've already surrendered..."
The pleas of the Kangju people were of no use. The Qin army was like demons, killing indiscriminately. Men, women, and children were all spared. Those who knelt and begged for mercy were hacked to the ground, and those who hid in houses were burned alive.
Blood quickly stained the streets, and corpses piled up like mountains.
The massacre lasted for three whole days.
By the time the last Kangju person was executed, the entire capital had been reduced to ruins. It is estimated that over 100,000 Kangju soldiers and civilians were killed in this battle, including royal family members, nobles, and officials.
"Give the order to the entire army!" The wicked man stood in the corpse-strewn square, "Continue the westward advance!"
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