These words struck a chord with Zhao Mang. He put down his wine jar, patted his deputy on the shoulder, and laughed heartily: "Well said! This general also thinks that the people of the Great Qin are really cowardly, but—"
He changed the subject and glanced at everyone present, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes.
At this time, the calm military officer spoke up, "General, no! A direct attack on the city is too risky! Although the Qin Empire hasn't taken the initiative, the Crown Prince of Qin is known for his erratic tactics. Who knows if he's setting an ambush? Furthermore, our food and fodder are still on the way. If we run out of food and fodder during the siege, our army will be in chaos!"
Zhao Mang glanced at the soldier with a tone of deep sarcasm.
"If Qin Yuan really had that ability, he would have counterattacked long ago. Why would he hide in the camp like a turtle? As for food and fodder, this general has already sent people back to Youzhou to urge them. It will arrive in a few days!"
"That's right!" The deputy general flattered at first, "General, you have the Second Prince's backing. His Highness said that as long as we capture those three cities of Daqin, when the Second Prince ascends the throne, you will be his loyal minister, and promotions and titles will be a given. So what's this little risk worth now?"
After the words fell, everyone in the tent began to echo:
"That's right, Admiral Wang, you are too cautious!"
"With the general here and the Second Prince as our backer, what are we afraid of?"
"Once we capture those three cities of Daqin, and then take their next city, it will be a great achievement. Fortune and wealth are sought in danger!"
Zhao Mang was flattered and his vanity and greed were extremely inflated.
He waved his hand impatiently, dismissing all the singers and dancers. Only a few core confidants remained in the tent, their breath of alcohol mingling with a restless and dangerous atmosphere.
Zhao Mang narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice, saying, "Qin Yuan wants to be a coward. I don't have the patience to waste time with him! Tomorrow morning..."
A bloodthirsty grin appeared on his face. "Send a team of men to the surrounding area to see if there are any Daqin pariahs who haven't escaped yet. Capture a few and bring them back alive!"
The confidants were stunned, "General, what do you mean?"
Zhao Mang sneered, "Tomorrow, push these untouchables to the front of the battle line and chop them off one by one in front of Qin Yuan and all the Qin troops. This general wants to see if he can continue to be a coward!"
Wasn't he a benevolent ruler? Didn't he love his people like his own children?
That would force him to fight!
Upon hearing this, several confidants gasped in surprise, and then excited and cruel smiles appeared on their faces.
Although this method is vicious, it can indeed stimulate the opponent to a great extent and force him to fight!
"Great idea, General!"
"This is a brilliant plan! This time, let's see how the Crown Prince of Qin can endure it."
Zhao Mang laughed heartily, as if he had already seen the scene where Qin Yuan was so angry that he vomited blood, and he was stepping on him to achieve an unprecedented achievement.
"Everyone should go to bed early tonight and get enough rest. Tomorrow, we will give Daqin a 'big gift'!"
Not long after, the generals dispersed, and Zhao Mang called the beauty to accompany him again and had an amorous affair in the military tent.
In the dead of night, the camp was silent except for the patrolling soldiers and the occasional snoring.
Several days of drinking and reveling and contempt for the enemy had lowered the Chu army's vigilance to the lowest level.
After Zhao Mang had a passionate love affair with the beauty, he soon fell into a deep sleep. He even dreamed of showing off his power in front of the battlefield and getting promoted the next day.
However, in the darkest hour before dawn——
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Kill——!
Suddenly, deafening shouts of killing and rapid gong alarms rang out in the camp, as if thousands of troops were rushing out of the darkness!
Chaos suddenly broke out at the edge of the camp. Dust filled the sky in the darkness, making it difficult to discern the exact number of enemies. All that could be heard were the dense sound of horse hooves and the crackling of arrows.
Many Chu soldiers were just awakened from their sleep, and before they could figure out where the enemy was, they were shot to the ground or trampled to death by war horses!
"Oh no! Enemy attack! There is an enemy attack!" The guard's roar instantly broke the tranquility of the camp.
Li Linyuan rode a tall warhorse with a branch tied to its tail, galloping back and forth outside the camp, creating a huge noise and dust. When the Chu army camp was in chaos, he rushed in like an arrow, heading straight for Zhao Mang's main tent.
In the main tent, Zhao Mang was suddenly awakened by the deafening sounds of fighting and gongs, and he sobered up instantly.
"What the hell?"
He pushed the screaming beauty aside and jumped down to put on his clothes with his upper body naked, cursing obscenely: "Qin Yuan, you dare to attack me! I will tear you into pieces..."
"puff!"
He had just put on half of his clothes and had no time to tie the belt when a barbed arrow pierced his chest, and blood instantly dyed his white shirt red.
Zhao Mang's movements suddenly froze, and the anger and ferocity on his face froze in an instant.
He lowered his head in disbelief, looking at the still trembling, bloody arrow in his chest.
Then... he slowly fell down!
"ah--!!"
The beauty on the couch was so frightened when she saw this scene that she screamed.
Almost at the same time that Zhao Mang fell to the ground, the deliberate shouts of Qin soldiers were heard in the camp.
"Zhao Mang is dead!"
"The Chu army's commander has been executed! Those who surrender will be spared!"
"Zhao Mang is dead, run!"
These shouts were like a thunderclap, exploding in the hearts of the Chu soldiers, and the entire camp was suddenly thrown into chaos.
However, before Zhao Mang's lieutenants could organize a counterattack, they heard someone shouting from the back of the camp—
"Oh no! The food is on fire! It's on fire!"
The direction where the food and grass were previously stored was now ablaze with flames and billowing smoke. It was obvious that another small Qin team that had been prepared had taken advantage of the chaos to attack!
The food and fodder were burned, the commander was killed suddenly, the camp was in chaos, and the enemy's situation was unclear...
At this moment, the Chu army completely collapsed.
The deputy general, the lieutenant general and others, with the remaining troops, quickly took advantage of the chaos to escape from the camp and retreat to Youzhou City.
Li Linyuan stood in the dark, calmly looking at the camp engulfed in flames and chaos, and waved his hand.
"withdraw!"
The elite Qin army retreated as quickly as the tide. They came and went quickly, leaving behind only a mess and endless fear for the Chu army.
——
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
