Li Yuan's soldiers held aloft the corpses of the enemy generals on both sides, as if displaying trophies. They shouted to the enemy troops still engaged in fierce fighting, "General Qiu Li has been captured by us, and Prince Kulkuo has also been killed. What are you still holding out for? Why don't you quickly lay down your weapons and surrender!"
The soldiers on all three sides of the battlefield were stunned for a moment after hearing the shouts of Li Yuan and his men. After a brief pause, the flames of battle were reignited. After all, even the slightest distraction on the battlefield could lead to death. They didn't seem to give up their resistance despite Li Yuan and his men's shouts. After all, many of them didn't even hear what Li Yuan and his men were shouting.
Of course, some Xiongnu soldiers also saw the corpses of Prince Kurgu and others held high by Li Yuan and others. They witnessed the tragic situation of Prince Kurgu and others with their own eyes. These people who were originally high and mighty were now like dried salted fish, hanging on spears and looked lifeless.
The soldiers' eyes were filled with fear and anxiety. When they saw that they were surrounded by countless Wei soldiers and had no chance of escape, the hands holding their weapons began to tremble involuntarily.
Seeing this, the Wei soldiers knew that the other side had no intention of continuing the attack, so they stopped killing and shouted loudly: "Drop your weapons and surrender!" This roar was like a bolt from the blue, scaring the Xiongnu soldiers so much that they dropped their weapons one after another. They had lost their backbone and the courage to resist.
As time went on, more and more Xiongnu warriors began to lay down their weapons and gradually gave up resistance. They were surrounded and controlled by the Wei soldiers.
In this cruel world, people themselves are also a precious resource. Therefore, if it is possible to capture as many prisoners as possible without causing more casualties on their side, the soldiers of Wei will naturally give priority to doing so.
After all, prisoners can not only be used to exchange prisoners of war, but can also play a certain role in post-war reconstruction. In some cases, they are even the cheapest labor force and can be asked to do all the dirty work.
The same situation occurred with the soldiers of the Gan Kingdom. However, at this moment, Qiu Li, who was under Li Yuan's control, suddenly woke up. He watched the Gan Kingdom soldiers surrender helplessly, his heart filled with anger and resentment.
Despite being extremely weak, Qiu Li still used all his strength and shouted loudly: "Everyone listen to me, do not surrender! Pick up your weapons and continue fighting!"
Qiu Li's voice echoed across the battlefield. Although his voice was hoarse, every word was filled with determination and resolve. Qiu Li regretted that if he had not fled, but had fought with his soldiers, would there have been room for turning back?
Of course, Qiu Li didn't regret not fighting alongside the soldiers; he only regretted not escaping successfully. If he had managed to escape back to the country, he would have been convinced of the wisdom of his decision and would have even taken it for granted that the soldiers had sacrificed their lives for him.
Li Yuan placed the sharp blade firmly against Qiu Li's neck. He cast a cold glance at the Gan soldiers before him and declared in a firm and forceful voice, "Listen, Gan soldiers! Now lay down your weapons and surrender unconditionally! If you refuse, I will not hesitate to execute your general, Qiu Li."
You should be aware that if your stubbornness leads to Qiu Li's death, even if you manage to escape back to the country, you will face severe punishment. Are you really willing to let your compatriots bear such a tragic price for a meaningless resistance?
Li Yuan continued to address the soldiers of the Gan Kingdom: "Guess where we captured the general who was originally stationed in your central camp?"
Qiu Li struggled and shouted, "Don't listen to him, soldiers of the Gan Kingdom. Don't believe what he says. He is deceiving you."
Yang Shi, who was beside Li Yuan, quickly bent down, grabbed a handful of cold snow from the ground, and stuffed it into Qiu Li's mouth without hesitation. Qiu Li was immediately speechless due to this sudden action, and could only make indistinct sounds.
Li Yuan continued, "I was able to capture Qiu Li by ambushing him on their escape route. While you were bravely resisting at the front, your general had already abandoned you and fled for his life."
After hearing Li Yuan's words, the generals and soldiers of Gan State, who had originally planned to fight to the death, gave up resistance, dropped their weapons and chose to surrender. They knew that Li Yuan's words were true. Even if they could break out and successfully return to Gan State, they would be implicated and punished because the general had already died in battle.
Li Yuan witnessed this scene and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw most of the Xiongnu and Gan State soldiers lay down their weapons and surrender. However, he showed no mercy to those who still resisted. He decisively ordered his soldiers to round up these stubborn elements and ruthlessly eliminate them.
When the Xiongnu and Gan soldiers were disarmed and escorted back to Lincheng, a soldier hurriedly came to report to the general: "General, we found a large number of Wei people imprisoned by Xiongnu soldiers on the way."
Li Yuan motioned the soldier to lead the way, and they arrived at a makeshift prison, where they saw it filled with ragged, haggard-looking Wei civilians, their eyes filled with fear and despair.
When Li Yuan saw this scene, he couldn't help but feel angry. He ordered the soldiers to open the prison door immediately and release these innocent people.
The people were still apprehensive about their freedom until Li Yuan personally approached them, comforted them, and promised to escort them safely back home. Only then did the people gradually let down their guard and expressed their gratitude to Li Yuan and the soldiers of the Qian State.
Witnessing this scene, Li Yuan felt a strong urge to draw his sword and strike down the surrendering Xiongnu. However, his rationality prevented him from taking such an impulsive action. After all, the battle was over. If he arbitrarily killed the enemies who had laid down their arms, the people of Wei would be enslaved by the enemy in the future, and they would never have the chance to be rescued.
Because such behavior would make other hostile forces lose trust in Wei, and thus the enemy would fight to the death and not surrender when fighting against Wei.
Li Yuan knew that as a general he had to consider the long-term consequences and not just be swayed by momentary anger. Therefore, although he was filled with hatred for his enemies in his heart, he chose to restrain himself in order to ensure the long-term interests of the country and the safety of the people.
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