Beneath the walls of the capital of Kucha.
Looking at the crumbling city wall, Xie Zhi was both happy and filled with emotion.
He never imagined that a siege could be carried out like this, defeating the enemy without losing a single soldier, and almost breaching the city walls.
"It seems that the Han Dynasty truly understands war!"
After uttering a strange remark, Xie Zhi sighed softly and then turned to look at the messenger beside him.
"Order the entire army to return to camp, have a hearty meal, and rest well. We'll return tomorrow!"
One of the leaders hesitated and said, "Your Majesty, the garrison of Kucha is now so frightened that they are hiding in fear. If we send troops to attack, we can surely defeat them in one battle. Why...?"
Xie Zhiyu shook his head slightly: "If we can use catapults to breach the city, there's no need to send troops. Retreat!"
Having said that, Xie Zhiyu turned his horse around and rode away from the formation.
Although there is a high probability that sending troops to attack now will allow them to capture the city in one fell swoop, the morale of the soldiers and civilians inside the city has not collapsed, and once they enter the city, they will inevitably encounter fierce resistance.
In Xie Zhiyu's eyes, although these soldiers were not as valuable as the Xiongnu cavalry, they were still a reliable force at his disposal, and it was best to avoid unnecessary losses.
Upon learning that the Xiongnu army had retreated, the Kucha garrison, who were hiding in the city, cautiously revealed themselves.
Looking at the dilapidated city walls, all the soldiers on the garrison wore expressions of fear and panic.
Although their wives, children, and elderly parents were the only ones inside the city, everyone was determined to defend it even at the cost of their lives.
However, when they thought of the rain of stones that had fallen from the sky like a divine punishment, their resolve had been almost completely eroded.
This is something that no human can withstand!
Filled with fear and apprehension, the garrison soldiers began clearing the ruins around the city walls, searching for their comrades and families buried beneath the rubble.
On the other side, the King of Kucha and his nobles, who were busy preparing to flee west, also sped up their preparations after learning about the situation at the city walls.
The next day, while it was still dark, carriages loaded with valuables gathered early in the square in front of the Kucha Palace.
The nobles and officials of the Kingdom of Kucha were also anxiously pacing in front of the palace gate, constantly peering inside.
These noble officials also took off their usual gorgeous clothes and put on the attire of coachmen or servants.
"What's wrong with the king? It's almost dawn, why isn't he coming out!"
"That's right! If we had been any later and the soldiers and civilians had found us, we wouldn't have been able to leave!"
"Alas, without the King's decree, we can't get out. It's driving us crazy!"
Looking at the tightly closed palace gates, the nobles and officials were extremely anxious and kept whispering among themselves.
They had originally expected that the defenders, relying on the city walls, could hold out for at least three days, but they never expected those catapults to be so terrifying.
In just one day of attack, the city walls were on the verge of collapse. None of the recruited soldiers and able-bodied men dared to approach the walls. How could they possibly defend them?
Just as the nobles and officials of the Kingdom of Kucha were extremely anxious, the gates of the royal palace finally opened slowly.
A troop of palace guards emerged from the palace. The King of Kucha led his son, queen, and two of his most favored concubines in the center of the guard, followed by nearly thirty carriages filled with sacks.
Meanwhile, the King of Kucha and his family changed into the clothes of ordinary servants from the Western Regions.
"Your Majesty..."
"Your Majesty..."
The crowd, who had been waiting for a long time, stepped forward with joyful expressions to pay their respects.
"Don't make a sound, let's go!!"
Seeing the crowd gathering around him, the King of Kucha gave a low shout and continued walking forward.
No one dared to utter another sound. They then took their wives and carriages and followed the King of Kucha's procession westward.
Before long, the group arrived at a city gate.
What are you doing?
As soon as the group approached, a group of guards walked out from the city gate.
The King of Kucha made a gesture to his trusted guard, who understood and stepped forward.
"By order of the King, we are to transport a batch of grain out of the city in preparation for any eventuality!"
"Do you have the King's warrant?"
"have!"
As he spoke, the guard took out a warrant from his pocket and handed it to the garrison officer.
After reading the warrant, the officer looked into the ranks by the light of the torch, and the King of Kucha and his noble officials quickly lowered their heads.
The officer frowned: "Why are there women and children in the ranks?"
"Oh, weren't all the able-bodied men called up to guard the city? We can only call on these people to help out!"
Upon hearing the guard's explanation, the officer nodded, then turned to look at his subordinate beside him.
"Open the city gates!"
"yes!"
Upon receiving the order, several garrison soldiers stepped forward, removed the bolts, and opened the city gate.
"Remember, you must come back as soon as possible, otherwise the city gates will not be able to be opened if the Xiongnu attack!"
As the officers watched the crowd preparing to leave the city, one of them couldn't help but offer a reminder.
"Don't worry, we'll be back as soon as possible!"
The guards of the King of Kucha nodded in agreement and then led their troops out of the west gate.
"Quickly, speed it up!"
Once outside the city, the King of Kucha immediately boarded his carriage and began urging everyone to hurry.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The guards agreed and quickened their pace as they fled west, with the others following closely behind.
Soon, the team disappeared into the pre-dawn darkness.
At this point, the King of Kucha and a group of nobles and officials abandoned the soldiers and civilians who were defending the city and embarked on their westward escape to the Kushan Empire.
As dawn broke, Xie Zhiyu yawned and walked out of the tent.
Breathing in the slightly cool morning air, Xie Zhi stretched lazily with a relaxed expression.
Several nobles leading the army also came excitedly to Xie Zhiyu's side.
"Your Majesty, the troops have assembled. When shall we depart?"
A nobleman asked excitedly, seemingly eager to enter the capital of Kucha.
"Then let's set off immediately!"
Seeing his subordinates all looking so high-spirited, Xie Zhiyu smiled.
Now, thanks to the catapults provided by the Han, Xie Zhiyu saw once again the long-lost confidence of certain victory in his men.
The order was quickly issued, and the 30,000 subordinate soldiers, who had slept soundly all night, orderly set out of their tents.
Arriving outside the capital of Kucha, looking at the deserted city walls, Xie Zhiyu smiled slightly, then gave the order to the messenger:
"Aim all the remaining stones at the city wall and fire them! We must take down this city wall before our army attacks it!!"
In his eyes, this crumbling city wall was like the determination of the Kucha garrison to hold their ground. Once the wall collapsed, the morale of the garrison inside the city would also crumble.
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