"Prince Jin, I am innocent! I risked my life for you, fighting to the death without retreating. I was only dragged back by my personal guards after being seriously wounded. Although I am guilty, I did my best..."
Moreover, I don't know what the new Tang crown prince used, but it was like a bolt of lightning. I only heard a few loud booming sounds, and then the city gate was reduced to fragments...
The scene was truly horrifying, and coupled with the frenzied attacks on my army by the defeated forces of Qicheng, it allowed their soldiers to advance unimpeded...
When my soldiers saw the city gates breached, their morale plummeted, and they had no will to resist. I was also alone and helpless. I was even shot in the shoulder with an arrow. If it weren't for my personal guards risking their lives to rescue me, I would never have been alive to see Your Highness, Prince Jin…”
Hong Ao tried to explain loudly, but Zhu Wen wouldn't listen. All he heard was that the other side had lost the city…
"Such a cowardly person should be taken out and beheaded..."
Zhu Wen waved his hand and said!
“Prince Jin, you can’t! The Crown Prince of the new Tang Dynasty is currently stationed in Qin City. He could cross Xiang Valley and head straight for Dongwo Post Station at any time. We must be wary of the heavenly lightning he can summon, otherwise the city will fall in an instant…”
Hearing Hong Ao's words, Zhu Wen became even more furious. Even now, he showed no remorse, still talking about gods and undermining his army's morale—it was utterly despicable…
He keeps saying "I'm your eternal god," but he doesn't care about me at all. He's two-faced; it's infuriating...
"Prince Jin... General Hong Ao was devoted to the country; his crime does not warrant death..."
Immediately, someone stood up to plead for Hong Ao…
"Prince Jin, General Hong is also seriously wounded. Killing him now would discourage the soldiers..."
“Prince Jin, our primary task is to mobilize troops and defend Dongwo Post Station. If Dongwo Post Station falls again, Taiyuan Prefecture will be defenseless. Although General Hong lost the city, he is the only one who has witnessed the methods of the new Tang Crown Prince. Why not let General Hong redeem himself by assisting in the defense of Dongwo Post Station…”
Upon hearing his advisors' opinions, Zhu Wen's fierce expression finally softened, but the rage in his eyes remained undisguised. Losing two cities in a single day against an enemy force of only five thousand men was something he simply couldn't accept—his subordinates' incompetence.
"Hong Ao, tell me in detail about the situation when the city fell..."
Zhu Wen ultimately did not continue to advocate killing Hong Ao, but in his heart Hong Ao was already a dead man, and using such a person as cannon fodder could be considered as making the most of his remaining strength...
"Prince Jin, when the defeated army of Qicheng suddenly appeared at the city gates, they said that the Crown Prince of the New Tang Dynasty had led 5,000 troops to break through Qicheng. I naturally did not believe it. With the strong defenses of Qicheng, how could it be breached by 5,000 men..."
But then we saw the New Tang army arrive. In their panic, the defeated troops of Qicheng actually charged into our Qicheng army formation, making it impossible for us to organize an effective defense...
Moreover, the Crown Prince of the new Tang Dynasty sent a dozen or so Taoist priests, each carrying a wine jar, to the city walls. Then, several deafening explosions were heard, like thunder from the heavens, and the gates of Qin City were breached…
Even so, I led my men to hold off the New Tang army, but I was wounded by a skilled archer in the New Tang army. It was only thanks to my personal guards risking their lives to save me that I survived…”
Hong Ao did not reveal that he had refused Qi Cheng's defeated army entry into the city, otherwise he would have been executed on the spot, since it was his stubbornness that caused this defeat...
"You mean that the deafening noise was caused by several Taoist priests carrying wine jars near the city gate?"
Zhu Wen seemed to have grasped the key point, and he looked at Hong Ao seriously and asked!
Hearing Zhu Wen's words, Hong Ao recalled everything that had happened, and it seemed to be true. However, he had been so shocked and then seriously injured that he hadn't thought about it that way at all. Now, with Zhu Wen's reminder, he immediately realized that the dozen or so Taoists were the key...
"Your Highness, that is indeed the case..."
"So, these wine jars are the key to breaching the city gates. It seems this is what gave that useless crown prince the confidence to bring only five thousand troops to quell the rebellion..."
Sitting on his throne, Zhu Wen muttered his analysis to himself, which made the strategists present nod in agreement, believing that their lord's analysis was correct...
"Father, I heard that my sister also died at the hands of this Li Zhu. Clearly, this Crown Prince is not as useless as the rumors suggest..."
As the son of Zhu Wen's concubine, Zhu Yougui was not favored by Zhu Wen. However, his son was so powerful that he managed to stand in the council hall based on his military achievements. Therefore, he was always careful when he spoke, afraid of angering his capricious father!
Bang!
Zhu Wen slammed his hand on the table in front of him, shattering it, and then said angrily...
"This brat dares to snatch food from a tiger's mouth! Since he dares to cause trouble in Jin, then let's keep him here and avenge my daughter..."
Zhu Yougui looked at his angry father, a barely perceptible smile appearing on his lips, but he quickly concealed it and said calmly.
“Father, since the enemy possesses something unknown to us that allows them to breach the city gates, why don’t we bury them outside the gates? Elephant Valley is an ideal location for an ambush. Even if we don’t achieve anything, it will buy us time to reinforce the defenses of Dongwo Post Station…”
Zhu Wen glanced at his son. Although he disliked him, his son was currently very useful, and the advice he had given was indeed the best option for the time being…
After hesitating for a moment, he looked at Zhu Yougui and said...
"Since my son has such a plan, why don't you lead Hong Ao to intercept that good-for-nothing Li Zhu? I want to see his head placed before me. Do you understand?"
Zhu Yougui's expression changed slightly. He hadn't expected Zhu Wen to be so ruthless, sending Li Zhu to intercept him without even knowing what his weapon was...
This was clearly sending him to his death, and the other party's words implied that if he couldn't kill Li Zhu, he wouldn't be able to come back alive...
At this point, he had no choice but to respectfully say...
"Father, rest assured, with me here, I will not allow Li Zhu to advance an inch, and I will bring his head to pay tribute to my sister..."
"My son is truly virtuous..."
After Zhu Wen finished speaking, he waved his hand, signaling Zhu Yougui to get to work...
Leaving the council hall, Zhu Yougui's face turned grim. This was undoubtedly the greatest test for him; if he couldn't kill Li Zhu, then he would be the one to die…
Qincheng!
After the battle, Qin City has stabilized, and Li Zhu plans to establish rules for the army…
History has proven that the Three Main Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention, which led the people to victory, are the most worthy of emulation, so Li Zhu directly adopted them…
Obey all orders, do not take a single needle or thread from the people, and turn all spoils of war into public property…
Speak politely, conduct fair trade, return borrowed items, compensate for damaged items, do not hit or curse people, do not damage crops, do not harass women, and do not mistreat prisoners…
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