nashuaworldcup Chapter 221 1 Thoughts of the Pass 24
Chapter 221 1 Thoughts of the Pass 24
The battle at Tianmen Pass had already shattered the morale of the Wu Kingdom's soldiers, and now that another battle was about to begin, fear was creeping into their hearts.
All fear stems from one's own lack of strength.
Without saying a word, Yang Ying took the cannon and fired a few shots at a hilltop, instantly restoring the morale of the people.
With the new weapon, their low morale instantly soared to its maximum.
The outcome of this battle needs no further explanation; cannons are an overwhelming force in this world. With each resounding boom of cannons echoing across the heavens and earth, it seemed to herald the arrival of a new era.
Yang Ying recaptured the three cities of Jing, Cai, and Xu in no more than half a month.
The process is very simple!
For Anjun, this was a weapon they had never seen before. They didn't know why Wujun had such a weapon of mass destruction. All they knew was that every time the artillery exploded on the battlefield, it would take away the lives of countless comrades around them.
Their flesh and blood were no match for this weapon; even when they took refuge inside the fortified city walls, the heavy city gates could not withstand its fierce attack.
Each shell that landed easily tore through the thick stone walls, turning the city's buildings into ruins.
Faced with such overwhelming power, the soldiers of Anguo were filled with fear and despair, unable to muster the courage to fight head-on. They could only watch helplessly as their comrades were blown to pieces, and they were powerless to reverse the situation.
As the battle progressed, Yang Ying's army's morale soared, while An Guo's soldiers showed no fighting spirit whatsoever. They would flee in terror at the mere sight of Yang Ying's army.
The battlefield was filled with an atmosphere of despair, and even the air seemed to be filled with the smell of death.
Li Tongguang, a young general who once captured an emperor, was also helpless in the face of this situation. He could only look at the corpses on the battlefield, feeling utterly devastated. His silver-white armor had lost its original luster and become dull and lifeless, as if reflecting the heaviness and despair in his heart.
Although he was initially horrified by the cannon's astonishing destructive power, he quickly discovered its weaknesses.
Artillery is not invincible on the battlefield. Besides its enormous resource consumption, it lacks flexibility; its weight and size make rapid movement across the battlefield difficult. Furthermore, it is highly dependent on terrain, requiring flat terrain for effective deployment. In addition, there is the possibility of friendly fire.
Even though Li Tongguang had discovered the weaknesses of the cannons and adjusted his battle strategy in time, attempting to launch a counterattack, the soldiers below were so terrified that they could not effectively implement his strategic deployment.
Because the soldiers' emotions had collapsed, even veterans who had faced life and death and fought countless battles found it difficult to remain calm in this situation.
Morale has collapsed!
He had considered sending men to sabotage those terrifying cannons, but not only did none of them succeed, they all died, and their bodies were thrown back.
Looking at the three cities he had captured just a few months ago, Li Tongguang felt a deep sorrow. Now that the morale of his army had collapsed, even if he wanted to fight the enemy, he was powerless to reverse the situation.
From the age of nineteen, he fought tirelessly on the battlefields of various countries, killing countless enemies and making numerous merits. His fame spread throughout the entire army. He transformed from a bastard despised and ridiculed by everyone into the renowned Marquis of Changqing, whose fame spread far and wide.
He thought he was strong enough to face all difficulties and clear his master's name. But now, in just half a month, he has gone from an invincible young general to a defeated general.
Just as he couldn't save his master three years ago, he can't save his soldiers now either.
When the battle reports from the front lines reached Andu, Emperor An not only doubted the power of the cannons, but also issued three imperial edicts in one day, questioning whether the repeated defeats were due to his lack of diligence, and even sent another official to supervise the battle.
Li Tongguang looked up at the gray sky, his hand resting on the Qingyun Sword given to him by Ren Ruyi, silently praying, "Master! What should I do now?"
At this moment, her heart was filled with confusion and helplessness, as if the whole world had lost its direction.
Looking at the sorrow on his face, Zhu Yin behind him didn't know what to say, for at this moment, any words seemed pale and powerless. The two could only stand on the city wall, gazing at the distant army stationed there.
……
Inside the large tent, the candlelight flickered.
Yang Ying sat upright on the commander's chair, her posture tall and straight. She wore a light black soft armor, and a black and gold cloak hung down behind her. The delicate patterns were faintly visible under the firelight, like a ray of light in the night. It swayed gently with her slight movements, and every sway exuded an undeniable majesty and nobility, making people feel awe involuntarily.
At this moment, she was completely absorbed in the map in front of her, and every inch of the mountains and rivers and every road on it seemed to come alive in her mind.
Sun Lang guarded her side, protecting her safety at all times, while Qian Zhao went to the place where the firearms were placed, preventing any suspicious persons from approaching.
Below the tent, a group of military generals, dressed in various types of armor, stood majestically, yet all maintained a respectful posture, standing quietly.
Their gazes frequently fell upon Yang Ying, their eyes filled with admiration for this Prince Li.
Whenever Yang Ying's gaze swept over them, they could feel an invisible force surging in their chests—a desire for victory and an anticipation of the upcoming battle.
With the help of artillery fire, they really got their fill of fighting over the past two weeks.
Each battle was like a raging fire, igniting their passion and fighting spirit, sweeping away their previous defeats and exhaustion.
This invigorated them, as if they had been reborn, filled with strength and courage, and they couldn't wait to rush to the battlefield and fight their way in and out.
For an army, victory is indeed the most valuable tonic.
It can not only heal the wounds and fatigue brought by war, but also inspire the potential and fighting spirit of soldiers.
With each victory, the soldiers feel a surge of joy and pride that cannot be replaced by any material thing.
High morale is the most valuable asset of an army.
It is like an invisible sword, capable of piercing through the enemy's defenses; it is like a blazing flame, capable of melting away all difficulties and obstacles. The soldiers will be fearless and forge ahead.
"Report!"
A messenger rushed in, carrying an arrow in his hand, his voice urgent.
Upon hearing the sound, Yang Ying looked up and saw a note attached to the arrow in the messenger's hand. She nodded to Sun Lang beside her, who immediately stepped forward, took the arrow, and carefully stroked the shaft with his fingers to make sure there was no problem before turning around and presenting it to Yang Ying.
Yang Ying took the note, glanced at it, and immediately sneered. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the note onto the table and said disdainfully to the crowd, "Take a look! This is Anguo's method. See just how shameless they are!"
Upon hearing this, the generals inside the tent exchanged bewildered glances, then stepped forward to take the note. After reading it in turn, their expressions of confusion instantly turned into anger.
The once quiet tent suddenly erupted into chaos!
Like a volcano about to erupt, it was both oppressive and fiery.
"Anguo is so shameless, actually using the lives of the people of Jing, Cai, and Xu as leverage to force our country to withdraw its troops!"
"Your Highness, this humble general requests permission to immediately dispatch troops to relieve the people of the three cities from their suffering."
Many of the generals in the tent volunteered to go into battle, their voices strong and resounding, showing no trace of the timid and hesitant demeanor they had displayed just half a month ago.
To be honest, none of these generals are any good. If even one of them could hold his own, Yang Ying wouldn't have had to personally go to the front lines and command the battlefield from the central command.
However, the firearms in the camp gave these people a lot of confidence and courage. At least now, sending out troops would allow Yang Ying to stop whipping them like cattle.
Yang Ying's gaze slowly swept across the faces of everyone in the tent, making them all clearly feel an invisible pressure.
"I hate being threatened more than anything in my life." Yang Ying's tone was chilling, and a cold smile appeared on his lips. He abruptly changed the subject and asked, "How many Anguo soldiers have been captured during this period?"
Upon hearing this, one of the military officers immediately stepped forward, clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, and replied, "Your Highness, to date, our army has captured a total of 6,214 enemy soldiers, of whom 516 are seriously wounded."
Yang Ying nodded slightly, but her eyes remained unmoved, as if these numbers were merely cold, lifeless figures rather than vibrant ones.
"With so many prisoners here, we not only have to send a lot of people to guard them and prevent them from causing trouble, but we also have to provide them with food, drink and lodging. We ourselves are almost starving, where do we have the spare capacity to provide for these people?"
Her words revealed a resolute and ruthless attitude, making everyone's hearts tighten.
The atmosphere inside the tent gradually became heavy and deathly silent, with only the occasional sound of wind coming from outside, which contrasted sharply with the tense and oppressive atmosphere inside.
Someone tentatively asked, "Does Your Highness intend to use these prisoners to exchange for the safety of the people of the three cities?"
Yang Ying's expression remained unchanged, her eyes flashing with cold light, and she uttered four words with resolute cruelty: "Kill them all!"
Kill them all?
wow——
The words exploded like thunder in their ears, and everyone in the tent was horrified!
That's over 6,200 lives, real human lives!
It wasn't more than 6,200 ants!
His Highness Prince Li actually ordered the massacre of them all?
Isn't that a bit too cruel?
Even those who are used to life and death cannot help but feel fear because of these four words.
"Your Highness! Isn't this..."
Finally, someone couldn't bear it and wanted to step forward to persuade them.
Yang Yingqing swept her cold gaze over there, and the people below immediately lowered their heads and dared not speak again.
She rose and walked down to the hall, her black cloak flashing like light before everyone's eyes.
"Do you know how Anguo treated the captured Wu people?"
Her voice was calm as she asked, yet it was like a sharp blade in the cold wind, piercing through everyone's heart.
Without waiting for anyone's reply, he continued to explain: "In the Battle of Tianmen Pass, nearly 10,000 of our troops were captured by Anguo. Because killing prisoners was considered inauspicious, Anguo locked the seriously wounded in a dock, constantly depriving them of food and water, leaving them to die on their own, letting them slowly exhaust their last bit of life in despair."
"The others who were not injured or were not seriously injured were registered as slaves, with ropes tied around their necks, and were driven, abused, played with, and even tortured to death like livestock!"
“The eldest son of Emperor An, the Prince of Hedong, once specially built a dog farm. Whenever he was in a bad mood, he would throw the captives into the dog farm and let them fight with the dogs. If they died, they would be thrown directly into the river without even a grave or a pit, leaving their bodies to be eaten by the fish and shrimp in the river.”
As Yang Ying continued her narration, everyone's expressions grew increasingly somber. Humiliation and anger surged within them like a volcano, their teeth grinding together, their faces flushed with rage.
"Compared to Anguo, my order to bury the prisoners alive is already considered merciful."
After saying her last words, Yang Ying's figure disappeared into the tent.
The man left behind, his anger already ignited, was filled with murderous intent, and the last shred of mercy he had for his enemy had vanished.
The night was still early, and a crescent moon hung high in the sky, casting long streaks of silver light and draping the earth in a mysterious veil.
Sun Lang quickly quickened his pace to catch up with Yang Ying.
Just then, Qian Zhao arrived.
Qian Zhao is now in charge of overseeing the use of firearms in the camp, and he comes over every day to report to Yang Ying on the use of firearms that day.
Yang Ying walked slowly through the night with light steps, while Qian Zhao and Sun Lang followed silently behind her.
After an unknown amount of time, Yang Ying sighed softly, "I still remember Chai Ming, who died in the Battle of Tianmen Pass!"
Upon hearing this name, Qian Zhao's body trembled slightly.
Yang Ying seemed oblivious to the change in the person behind her and continued speaking as if nothing had happened:
"I not only remember Chai Ming, but also every person from the Six Paths Hall who sacrificed their lives for the country! I have met some of these people and some I have not, but that does not prevent them from being heroes in my heart."
"But because the late emperor was greedy for merit and reckless, not only did they die on the battlefield, but they were also falsely accused of being traitors."
Upon hearing this, Qian Zhao and Sun Lang lowered their heads to hide their already reddened eyes, forcing back the grief and bitterness in their hearts, and gritted their teeth as they said:
"The late emperor has already issued an edict of self-reproach, which can be considered as exonerating them. They..."
Yang Ying interrupted them calmly: "The late emperor did not write an edict of self-reproach at all!"
Upon hearing this, Qian Zhao and Sun Lang suddenly looked up at Yang Ying's back, their eyes filled with astonishment and confusion.
If the late emperor did not write an edict of self-reproach, where did that edict come from?
Could it be that His Highness Prince Li is forging an imperial edict?
The thought of this possibility sent shivers down their spines.
So, in order to clear the wronged members of the Six Paths Hall, His Highness Prince Li dared to defy public opinion and forge an imperial edict.