novelhk Chapter 98 The Xinzheng Rebellion Fails
Chapter 98 The Xinzheng Rebellion Fails
King Han sat quietly on his high seat, his eyes calm and profound, seemingly able to see through everything. He slightly narrowed his eyes, listening to the respectful reports from the guards below.
The guard bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Wang Jian's army has already approached within thirty miles of the city."
King Han gently rubbed his temples, pondered for a moment, and then said in a deep voice, "General Han, just how many troops did Wang Jian bring?"
The Han general clasped his hands and replied, "Your Majesty, according to the information from the scouts at the front, the enemy force numbers approximately 50,000."
The King of Han frowned and continued to ask, "How many troops do we have available to mobilize right now?"
Han Jiang straightened his body and said loudly, "Your Majesty, our army currently has 100,000 strong troops available for deployment."
King An of Han smiled with satisfaction and nodded, saying, "Very good, General Han. Defending Xinzheng City this time is of utmost importance. Our Han state must not be destroyed by Qin."
General Han, with a solemn expression, clasped his hands in a salute and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, this humble general will do his utmost to protect Xinzheng City and live up to Your Majesty's trust."
King Han An nodded in satisfaction, picked up the wine cup in front of him, and said with a smile to the Han general, "Come, let me toast you to see you off, and wish you a triumphant return."
Han Jiang also picked up his wine cup, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, then bowed to King Han An and turned to leave.
As Han Wang An watched Han Jiang's departing figure, he silently prayed that Han would be able to overcome this difficulty.
The Han general stood solemnly atop the city wall of Xinzheng, his gaze fixed firmly on the distance. Behind him stood a Han army, soldiers armed and ready for battle.
Wang Jian personally led a small squad of elite soldiers, approaching the walls of Xinzheng. At Wang Jian's command, the Qin army, like a powder keg ignited, instantly surged to its peak morale. Their battle cries roared like thunder, shaking the very heavens and earth. Clad in jet-black armor, wielding gleaming, sharp weapons, their eyes revealed a resolute and ruthless determination that seemed capable of freezing any enemy in place.
The defenders on the city wall were on high alert, ready to face the Qin army's fierce attack. They drew their bows and nocked their arrows, just like taut bowstrings, prepared to meet the Qin army's stormy assault at any moment.
The Qin army's catapults began launching huge stones, which slammed into the city walls, instantly raising clouds of dust that blotted out the sky.
Before long, the South Korean army suffered heavy casualties. Wang Jian keenly noticed this and immediately realized that most of these South Korean soldiers were temporarily recruited to make up the numbers. They had not undergone rigorous training and their combat effectiveness was as fragile as paper.
Therefore, Wang Jian made a decisive move and immediately ordered 50,000 elite troops to launch a full-scale attack on the city. As soon as Wang Jian's order was given, the sound of horses' hooves thundered outside the city, military flags fluttered, and the sounds of war drums, battle shouts, and the neighing of horses intertwined, like a stirring war symphony that resounded through the sky.
One after another, Qin army ladders were erected on the city walls, and soldiers bravely scaled them. The defenders on the walls fought back fiercely, stabbing Qin soldiers with spears and swords. The battle was extremely fierce, with heavy casualties on both sides.
Just as the Qin army was about to breach the city walls, the defending general led a troop of elite soldiers out of the city gates and launched a counterattack. They charged towards the Qin army and engaged in a fierce battle.
The Han army observed a group of men among the Qin soldiers, their arms wrapped in red cloth, moving swiftly across the battlefield. They carried or lifted wounded Qin soldiers, their movements completely separate from the fighting. This greatly surprised the Han army.
Before the Han army could even register their surprise, the Qin army had already breached the city gates and poured into the city. The Han general led his soldiers in continued resistance, but ultimately they were outnumbered. A Qin soldier shot the Han general in the chest with an arrow, causing him to fall from his horse and die instantly. The Han general's head was then severed by another Qin soldier and hung at his waist.
Inside the city of Xinzheng, King An of Han was terrified. He hadn't expected the Qin army to breach Xinzheng so quickly. He hurriedly summoned his ministers to discuss countermeasures, but they all looked at each other helplessly, none able to offer an effective defense plan. In this tense moment, King An of Han could only silently pray, hoping for a miracle.
However, the outcome was bound to disappoint King An of Han. In the blink of an eye, Wang Jian had led his army into the Han royal palace. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, King An of Han had no choice but to surrender. Wang Jian successfully captured Xinzheng, and the Xinzheng rebellion failed.
At this moment, from time to time, a heart-wrenching scream, like that of a pig being slaughtered, could be heard from the Qin army camp. The sound echoed throughout the entire camp, sending chills down everyone's spine.
The soldiers on guard outside the tent, hearing the pitiful screams, felt a chill run down their spines, their faces showing fear. One of them, trembling, asked his comrade beside him, "Chen Erniu, what exactly happened?"
Chen Erniu also looked bewildered, frowning as he said, "I don't know either. It sounds really scary. Wang Gou Dan, are you scared?" As he spoke, he couldn't help but shiver.
Wang Gou Dan nodded and said, "I'm scared too! Aren't these paramedics here to save people? It feels like they're killing them."
Chen Erniu shook his head, sighed, and said, "Let's go take a look after the shift change."
Two hours passed, and it was finally time for the shift change. Chen Erniu and Wang Gou Dan couldn't wait to head towards the tent from which the screams had come. They carefully pushed open the tent door and tiptoed inside.
Upon entering the tent, the two men witnessed a scene before them—many soldiers lay sprawled on the ground, each wrapped in thick bandages, their faces pale and their expressions pained, as if they had suffered immense torment.
Chen Erniu and Wang Gou Dan exchanged a glance, their hearts filled with doubt and shock. These soldiers, once warriors on the battlefield, had now become so weak and helpless.
Chen Erniu saw Li Tiezhu lying to one side. He and Wang Gou Dan walked over and asked cautiously, "Li Tiezhu, what happened to you just now? Why were you screaming so loudly? Did someone hit you?" Hearing this, Li Tiezhu's face turned somewhat ugly because he remembered what had just happened.
They were carried here, and soon a soldier with a red cloth tied around his arm came over, took a knife, cut open his trousers, and poured a liquid onto his wound. The liquid flowed into the wound, causing excruciating pain, which made Li Tiezhu scream loudly.
Even now, looking back, Li Tiezhu still feels lingering fear. He endured the pain and said to Chen Erniu, "It's nothing, just disinfection." As he spoke, he deliberately moved his thigh to indicate that he was alright.
However, Chen Erniu didn't believe him and continued to press, "Really? Then why were you screaming so pitifully?"
Li Tiezhu shook his head helplessly and explained, "Disinfection is to prevent wound infection and promote rapid healing, but this process is very painful."
Upon hearing this, Chen Erniu felt much relieved. He looked at Li Tiezhu's wound and found that it had indeed stopped bleeding.
Seeing that Li Tiezhu was indeed unharmed, Chen Erniu and Wang Gou Dan, remembering his screams, began to gloat. Li Tiezhu noticed their change in expression and instantly flew into a rage. He pointed at the two men and shouted angrily, "You two, stop gloating! Wait until you're injured one day, then you'll experience the effects of disinfection yourself—I guarantee you'll never forget it!"
Hearing this, Chen Erniu and Wang Gou Dan exchanged a glance and laughed, replying, "Haha, we don't want to!" With that, they turned and left the room, leaving Li Tiezhu alone, sulking. Watching their departing figures, Li Tiezhu cursed inwardly, "Hmph, you two bastards! When you're both injured someday, I'll definitely make you laugh!"
Soon, everyone learned that the mysterious substance used to disinfect their wounds was called alcohol! The wounded recovered much faster after being treated with alcohol. Even more surprisingly, most of the soldiers who had previously died from fever due to their injuries now survived, with only a few severely wounded succumbing. This discovery thrilled everyone; they realized that this liquid called alcohol had miraculous healing properties and could save many more lives.
Soon after, alcohol began to be widely used in the Qin army to treat wounds, which greatly reduced the casualty rate of soldiers and improved their combat effectiveness.