Chapter 1012 Behead Them as a Sacrifice to the Flag!

Holding nail clippers borrowed from A Ming, the Prince was meticulously trimming his nails.

After trimming, he reached for a small file, beginning to shape and polish them.

He polished one,

Then held it in front of him,

And blew on it:

"Hoo… hoo…"

The delicate nail, reflecting the light, was pleasing to the eye.

Not far north of this high building was the northern city wall, where a fierce battle was raging. Qian soldiers had swarmed the city, creating breaches, but the Yan army had driven them back.

The situation was critical.

But the Prince showed no sign of urgency, as the Jinyi (Brocade-Clad) Guards were still by his side. Since the city wall hadn't requested their assistance, the situation was still under control.

As for the scenes of slaughter, Zheng Fan was long accustomed to them.

"A Ming, I've noticed that the longer one is a commander, the more one inevitably views casualties as mere numbers, glancing at them before jumping to the result."

The Prince stood up as he spoke, and without waiting for A Ming's response, continued:

"If that's what maturity is, it's pretty boring."

A Ming smiled faintly.

Zheng Fan turned, saw it, and said:

"What are you smiling at?"

A Ming replied, "You're starting again, my lord."

"Oh?"

"It's been a while since you fed the fish in the pond."

"After feeding them so well for so many days, they wouldn't dare ask me to deliver meals every day, would they?

No, what do you mean by 'starting again'?"

"Although the war is fierce, you're confident in victory. Since you're sure you can turn the tide, you're starting to be sentimental and theatrical again."

"Hahahaha…"

Zheng Fan laughed until he bent over.

He said:

"Is it that obvious and deliberate?"

"Yes."

"I guess it's been a few years since I fought, I'm a little rusty."

As he said this,

The Prince raised his hand to his face, gently rubbing it.

He said:

"It might also be that I've been in a high position for too long, and I don't have to act anymore, so my acting skills have deteriorated."

"But during the Yan-Chu war, you performed very well, my lord. I even sighed in admiration."

"Is that flattery?"

"No."

Zheng Fan nodded and said, "Then it means I'm really scared this time."

His lord's sudden honesty left A Ming unsure how to respond.

Zheng Fan walked to the railing outside the building, one of the highest points in Jinghai City, from where he could observe the entire northern city wall.

Outside, the Sword Saint and the Sword Maker sat on small chairs.

Ever since the last time Zheng Fan had seen the Sword Saint, "white robes like snow," looking so disheveled,

The Sword Maker had quickly become "uncooperative."

Of course, he wasn't doing nothing. He had a piece of paper spread out in front of him, sketching the design for a new sword for the heir, Zheng Lin.

Zheng Fan leaned forward, glancing at it.

He said:

"Too flashy, not restrained enough."

"My lord is wrong. Young people, no matter how steady, are passionate at heart, so they need a dazzling sword to match."

"But children will eventually grow up."

The Sword Maker said matter-of-factly, "That's not a problem. When the heir grows up a little and doesn't like this one, I'll forge him another one."

"That's a good idea."

As a father, Zheng Fan felt that he had underestimated his son's appeal to these "grandmasters."

He raised his head,

Looking ahead,

On the city tower next to the northern city wall, stood a Prince's banner. His son was sitting there "supervising the battle," with his mother accompanying him.

"The Qian's offensive is really fierce," the Prince said with emotion.

"Yes," the Sword Maker couldn't help but agree. It was clear that the Qian were spending everything to wear down this city.

What the Qian didn't know was that the usual notion of the Yan army being weak in siege and defense didn't apply to the Jidong Army.

In recent years, although the Jidong Army still emphasized cavalry and was still primarily cavalry-based, they had practiced infantry tactics extensively on weekdays, and the shortcomings in siege and defense had long been addressed.

In addition, with the Prince's banner standing in the city, morale was stable, and the soldiers were determined to defend the city to the death for the Prince. So, after the Qian repeatedly tested and tried to play tricks without success, they had no choice but to stubbornly use the most foolish method, using human lives to erode the thickness of the city wall.

The Prince rested his hands on the railing,

Closed his eyes,

And took a deep breath;

When he slowly opened his eyes again,

He saw a black dot in the distance, growing larger and larger. It was a rock being launched by a catapult outside the city.

"…" Zheng Fan.

The Sword Saint leaped into the air, and the Sword Maker also put down his drawing and followed closely behind.

Two of the former Four Great Swordsmen soared in front of Zheng Fan, each unleashing a powerful sword qi.

"Bang!"

The boulder shattered in mid-air.

The Sword Maker relaxed, preparing to land;

The Sword Saint, however, tapped his toe on his shoulder, gracefully returning to the railing.

The Sword Maker looked up, cursing silently, then honestly landed and climbed back up the building.

Seeing the Sword Saint already seated again, calm and indifferent,

He shook his head, glared twice, sat back down, and continued to pick up his pen and paper.

The Prince turned around, leaning against the railing;

A Ming said:

"My lord, the place where we are standing is, after all, a high point near the northern city wall. It's only natural that we would be hit."

"Alright, it's not the first day I've known that the heavens don't like me.

Fortunately,

I'm used to it."

…

The Qian's round of offensive finally ended.

Xie Yu'an stumbled down the city stairs, his lips dry. He took a water bag from a nearby guard, took a large gulp, and sat down silently.

At this moment, the official, Zhao Yuannian, also walked over, his face tired and his pants legs wet from puddles. Fortunately, Xie Yu'an reached out and caught him, preventing the official from falling to the ground.

After sitting down, Xie Yu'an noticed a bloody mark on Zhao Yuannian's back, likely caused by a flying stone fragment from a catapult strike.

Seeing this, Xie Yu'an laughed, "Oh, you have to be careful, lest you directly kick the bucket."

Zhao Yuannian chuckled dryly, then coughed twice. Finally, he wiped his mouth, took the water bag from Xie Yu'an again, and took two large gulps to catch his breath.

"It won't, it won't come to that."

The official personally mobilized the people of Jinghai City to help defend the city. Initially, the Chu were the villains, and the Yan had a better image. Most importantly, Zhao Yuannian used his identity as the "official" to make various promises, which indeed mobilized many people.

"Why are you working so hard?" Xie Yu'an asked.

"Aren't you too?" Zhao Yuannian retorted.

"Heh."

Xie Yu'an looked up at the tall pavilion not far to the south.

Logically speaking, he had already received what he could receive, and shouldn't continue to be so "disheveled."

But for some reason, he couldn't learn from the Sword Maker and simply quit to rest.

Only he himself knew that the reason he had been working so hard was no longer simply to curry favor.

Zhao Yuannian was actually the same. Once something was done for a long time and consistently, it no longer mattered whether it was a performance or not.

"I think that by mobilizing as many people as possible, the Prince will see it, and the Yan people might treat the people here better in the future."

"Just here?" Xie Yu'an asked.

"Other places aren't mine yet. Besides, when I patrolled the streets after I ascended the throne, the people here were the first to kneel before me."

"I gave them money in advance," Xie Yu'an laughed, referring to the hired extras.

"That doesn't matter, they knelt anyway." Zhao Yuannian sighed. "When I was a young lord in the Fu Prince's manor, I saw with my own eyes how my father deliberately made himself fat, how he lived in fear and trepidation, and how he treated many people in the family as Silver Armor Guards.

At that time, I was indignant. Why did my family have to live like this when we were all sons and grandsons of the dragon?"

"And now?"

"Fame, fortune, honor, status. When I didn't have them, I craved them desperately. Now that I have them, I don't care much anymore. To tell you the truth, I really want to be good to the people."

"Want to leave a mark on history?"

"No, it's not that complicated. Everyone knows that my Qian's Jiangnan is rich and prosperous, but how many people know that peasant revolts in Jiangnan are actually more frequent than rebellions by the indigenous people in the southwest?

I really want to wait until after the war and let the people live as well as they do in Jidong."

Xie Yu'an "heh heh" laughed and said, "That's impossible."

Not to mention Jidong's unique geographical conditions and its ability to plunder and replenish itself, the fundamental problem is that Jidong is still sparsely populated, while the Jiangnan region of the Qian is already facing a contradiction between a large population and limited land.

Most importantly…

What are you trying to do, Zhao Yuannian, by replicating the Jidong model in Jiangnan?

Enrich the country and strengthen the army, saving the Qian through indirect means?

Zhao Yuannian yawned. A military doctor had already come to treat the wound on his back. He looked at Xie Yu'an and said:

"It's only because we're at war, injured, and exhausted that I feel so great and have these feelings. It's about the same as lying in bed after lovemaking and worrying about the people.

I guess that after the war is really over, I'll probably be a drunken and dreaming emperor or prince, and I'll be able to call it self-preservation and self-defilement.

But you,

What are you after?"

"Maybe I just feel that I should do something, even if it's just picking up the leftovers of others, it's better than making a wasted trip in this world."

"I don't understand, but I admit you're better at bragging than me."

"That's right."

Xie Yu'an took a small box from his pocket, which contained mint leaves, and handed Zhao Yuannian one.

"Here's one, Qian Emperor."

Zhao Yuannian reached out and took it, replying:

"Thanks, Yue Prince."

…

Days of attacks failed to break through the city walls, but instead exhausted themselves.

The morale in the Qian army camp was not very high at this moment.

The same was true in the Chu army camp.

In fact, Meng Gong didn't let the Chu army directly attack the city. It wasn't that Meng Gong was righteous and cared for the friendly army that had returned to the fold, so he didn't want to use them as cannon fodder…

But the Chu army's low morale made Meng Gong even more worried that forcing them to attack the city would not only be ineffective, but would also cause the morale of his own army to decline, while strengthening the confidence of the Yan army defending the city.

The reason for this was that

The Chu army had been completely broken by the Yan army in the national war in Shanggu County.

In previous engagements with Yan, although they had also been defeated and the capital had been burned, it was never like last time, when hundreds of thousands of people were hunted down by the Yan army like piglets.

Because they had been defeated, when they joined the Yan army system to attack the Qian, the morale of the royal guards was not bad. If you can't beat them, join them, that's fine.

With the Yan people guarding the battlefield, they were able to fear nothing else.

However, the wind changed inexplicably, and the returning former General Nian Yao became the former General again;

And the Chu army, which had originally become allies with the Yan army, was pulled out by the deputy commander and stood on the opposite side of the Yan army again.

The soldiers were really afraid, even though the superiors had been telling them how bad the Yan people's situation was and that the Yan Regent was now a turtle waiting to be caught in Jinghai City.

But how could a broken morale be restored so quickly?

Besides, even without a Regent, didn't the Yan people still have their main force? After this battle was over, wouldn't they have to fight the Yan army's main force again when they returned to Chu?

The ordinary soldiers' minds were simple. They couldn't think so far ahead. They were just afraid of breaking with the Yan people again. Now, many people dreamed of the terrifying scene of being chased by the Yan people.

As the commander of an army, Zhao Han had just returned from a military meeting in the Qian army's headquarters.

As soon as he entered his main tent, this Zhao clan noble general swept everything off the table and cursed three times in a row, "Outrageous!"

At the Qian army's military meeting, Zhao Han had volunteered to take on part of the main attack on the city wall.

As a result, the Qian army generals at the meeting burst out laughing.

It was truly outrageous,

That he, Zhao Han, that his Chu army, had one day fallen to the point of being laughed at by the Qian army for being useless! ! !

This was humiliation, great humiliation.

Just as Zhao Han had finished venting his anger, he suddenly heard a sound outside. He immediately said to his bodyguard,

"See what the commotion is outside, no discipline!"

"Yes."

Before the bodyguard could go out, the tent curtain was lifted.

Several generals walked in, their armor stained with blood.

Then, a familiar figure also entered the tent.

"Nian Yao… you…"

Nian Yao's gaze swept over the mess on the ground.

He smiled:

"Have you forgotten how I taught you back then?

A commander should be calm and composed. Look at you now, what do you look like?"

"Someone, someone!"

Zhao Han shouted.

Nian Yao smiled and looked at him;

At this time, a general beside him said: "Zhao Han, your men have been controlled by us. Now, the entire camp is under the control of the General."

Zhao Han's eyes widened. He couldn't believe that this was happening. He was the commander of an army, but his military power was taken away so easily. This was even more humiliating than losing a battle.

"Nian Yao, what exactly do you want to do? Don't tell me you're going to continue to sell your life for that dying Yan Prince with these Chu sons?"

"You're right, I really plan to do that."

"You're crazy, you're crazy. Haven't you seen that Jinghai City is already crumbling and that Yan Prince is about to become a prisoner of the Qian army?"

"I've seen it. I'm afraid this city can still be defended for some time. Crumbling is just your own imagination."

"Then haven't you seen how many Qian troops are surrounding my Chu army camp!"

"I've seen it too, many, a vast number. For the Qian people, these are considered elites."

"Then you…"

"I want to gamble once. I'm betting that the one who laughs last is still the Prince in the city."

"Nian Yao, this is my Great Chu's opportunity, the only opportunity for my Great Chu to revive again. Are you still a son of Chu, actually…"

"I'm a eunuch now."

"…" Zhao Han.

Nian Yao smacked his lips and smiled: "Actually, after not being a man, I feel more relaxed."

"You!!!"

Zhao Han turned to draw his saber, but Nian Yao's men were faster, taking a step forward and directly restraining Zhao Han, kicking his knee and making him kneel.

Nian Yao squatted down in front of Zhao Han, reached out and patted his face,

He said:

"Actually, it's hard for me to see how the Prince in the city can turn the tables."

"Then you…"

"But I just feel that you let that Zheng Fan lose to you, lose to someone like you, I really don't believe it. Relying on you, you are my guiding light.

Going against you is the right thing to do."

After finishing speaking,

Nian Yao stood up,

He ordered:

"Pass down my order, divide the Imperial Guards into three parts, one as the main force and two as the auxiliary forces.

The two auxiliary forces harass the surrounding Qian army camps,

The main force will follow me to try to burn the Qian's grain supply camp!"

"Understood!"

"Understood!"

The generals immediately went down to carry out the military order. Inside the headquarters, only Nian Yao and the bound Zhao Han were left.

"His Majesty has treated you well…"

"I am His Majesty's slave, and it is my duty to serve His Majesty, but His Majesty shouldn't have allowed the Yan's Secret Intelligence Division to take my family out of Chu when I was defeated, captured, and humiliated.

I don't believe,

I don't believe that Chu's Phoenix Nest Inner Guard can't protect my small family in Yingdu!

He saw that I was useless, so he took the initiative to send my family out to alienate the relationship between the Yan Emperor and the Regent.

He once asked me if I was willing to be the Tian Wujing of this Great Chu."

Nian Yao shook his head,

"Hehe, I'm not willing."

As soon as the words fell,

Shouts of killing suddenly came from outside, the commotion was so great that the two in the headquarters were somewhat taken aback.

Zhao Han said: "The Qian people discovered the movements of our army and launched a preemptive suppression!!!"

"Pa!"

Nian Yao slapped Zhao Han in the face,

He scolded:

"Are you deaf? You didn't hear such a loud sound of horses' hooves? Where do the Qian people have such a battle formation of cavalry to use here!"

Nian Yao hurriedly drew his knife,

He shouted angrily:

"Hahahaha,

Damn it,

I was thinking of gambling my life again,

But I almost missed out on getting to eat some sh*t that was barely still warm!"

…

Inside Jinghai City,

A rebellion had just been quelled.

Zhao Yuannian, whose back injury had not yet healed, was now kneeling in panic at the Regent's feet.

The Prince sat on a chair on the city wall, with the Heir standing to his right.

And under the wall, there were many Qian civilians and soldiers kneeling, having just surrendered…

Although a lot of blood flowed on the day Zhao Yuannian ascended the throne, after ascending the throne, Zhao Yuannian spared no effort in attracting and accepting the Qian people here. He recruited everyone, from the original local gentry to wandering warriors.

After the Qian army surrounded the city, Zhao Yuannian continued to expand his strength and made promises to help defend the city, in order to meet the needs of the war.

In fact, he did the right thing on this point, because an important element of defending a city is stacking people.

Although the Yan army in the city was elite, there were only more than 20,000 of them. They still needed enough laborers and auxiliary soldiers to support them in order to defend the city more steadily.

But who could have expected that

Tonight, a Qian army auxiliary soldier battalion with a scale of about 400 people secretly mutinied, attempting to steal the gate to meet the Qian army outside.

Fortunately, it was detected in advance. The Qian army auxiliary soldier battalion's attempt to steal the city naturally failed, and they didn't have time to cause any disturbance in the city.

After a prepared round of arrows from the Yan soldiers killed about 100 people, the rest surrendered.

Then, according to the confessions of the leaders, several more batches of people were arrested and surrounded here.

All around, armored soldiers held torches, the night wind blowing, carrying a murderous aura.

Zhao Yuannian was very flustered and afraid. Although he knew that with the Prince's wisdom, he would not think that it was Zhao Yuannian who wanted to betray him, this incident was, after all, from his hand.

In particular, the leading planners were basically his close confidants who he had recently recruited, including the left and right Prime Ministers and several Ministers of the new dynasty.

Zheng Fan glanced at Zhao Yuannian. He was not angry or furious with Zhao Yuannian.

Jinghai City had a large population to begin with. The Chu people had plundered it, and it had been purged on the day of the enthronement. However, people had been deliberately relocated in later, and there were many surrendered original Qian soldiers in there.

It could be said that this place had long been infiltrated by the Silver Armor Guards, and it was difficult to complete a real cleansing.

However, Zhao Yuannian's ability to choose lackeys… was really blind;

How did he manage to choose a group of "righteous men" to his side?

So your new dynasty, you're the only emperor who's a firm Qian traitor, and everyone else is in Cao Ying but their hearts are with Han?

At this thought,

Zheng Fan's gaze towards Zhao Yuannian softened a little.

"No matter what, defending the city is still the top priority right now, Zhao Yuannian, these people…"

They were all spineless people, just scare them, they can still be used, after all, we still have to hold on for some time.

Although the army should use heavy punishments, it depends on the time. Right now, even if it's just to patch things up, we have to patch up the remaining days.

Therefore, Zheng Fan planned to let Zhao Yuannian continue to play the good guy in the middle;

But before the Prince could finish speaking,

Deafening shouts of killing suddenly came from outside the city!

The surrounding Yan armored soldiers tensed up, instinctively thinking that the Qian army had launched a night attack.

However, everyone quickly realized that something was wrong, because the sounds of fighting were not under the city walls, but in the locations of the distant Qian army camps. The scale was so large that it seemed that almost all the Qian army camps outside the city were experiencing fierce conflicts at this moment.

"Hehe…"

The Prince laughed,

He stood up,

Standing on the city wall, his gaze turned to the distance, where the killing sounds were deafening and the candlelight was like stars.

Finally,

He had waited.

Everything seemed to be a repeat of the Xuehai Pass back then.

A Cheng had not disappointed his lord after all.

"Where is the Sima!"

"This subordinate is here!"

"Pass down my order, gather the troops in the city, open the city gates on all sides, and follow me out of the city to kill the enemy!"

"This subordinate obeys!"

"Da Hu, armor me."

"Yes!"

Liu Dahu immediately brought the armor and began to armor the Prince.

"These days, my Prince's banner has been standing there, collecting a lot of dust. It's all dirty."

While being armored,

Zheng Fan glanced again at the group of people surrounded below;

While silently opening the groove in the position of the breastplate and putting in a red stone, he lightly continued:

"Behead them all,

As a sacrifice to my flag."