Mythology and the Warring States Period: I am Zhao Kuo Chapter 592: The Duke of Western Zhou exposed his flesh and surrendered, and the King of Zhou died
Chapter 592: The Duke of Western Zhou exposed his flesh and surrendered, and the King of Zhou died
"General, it's bad, our army's food route is cut off." At noon the next day, Le Cheng was still guarding the city. Feng Qu hurried over, pulled Le Cheng aside, and said in a deep voice.
"What did you say...when did it happen?" Le Cheng's expression changed instantly. There were more than 20,000 troops of the Three Jin Dynasties in the city, as well as most of the people in the royal city, all relying on Zhao Guo to support them.
The Qin State has been besieging the royal city for several months. Except for some people whose families are relatively well-off, most of the people have already finished the food at home and rely on working for the defenders to earn food every day.
Moreover, the grain road was also the withdrawal route for Zhao's army in an emergency. Zhao had a small fleet of boats on the Yellow River, which could go upstream at any time to meet Zhao's army.
Now that the food route is cut off, so is Zhao's retreat route.
"It can take as little as one day or as long as four days. Our army delivers a batch of grain and grass every three days. The last batch should have arrived yesterday evening, but my subordinates waited until night and did not arrive. This morning, my subordinates immediately arranged for personnel
Exploring along the way, we found that the section from Luoshui to Heshui has been blocked by Qin army ships." Feng Quji said.
He is not a harsh person. There may be emergencies such as rain on the way to transport grain and grass. It is normal for grain and grass to be one day late. It is not that it has never happened before. It's just that yesterday Feng Quji learned that Bai Qi was very likely to come, so he didn't dare to do anything.
Without the slightest care, when he saw that the food and grass were not delivered in time, he immediately sent people to investigate along the way.
"It seems that the Qin army has made two preparations." At this time, Le Cheng had calmed down. What happened has already happened, and there is no point in being anxious. The top priority now is how to break the situation and bring back the remaining thousands of soldiers intact.
Zhao Guo.
Although the Qin State had warships, they were all in Shu and Jingchu, and there were only a few cargo ships in the Yellow River Basin. This is why Zhao State could safely transport grain from Heluo.
It was impossible for the Qin State to carry warships from the Yangtze River Basin to the Yellow River Basin. They could only re-build them or transform the previous cargo ships, which would take a lot of time.
Qin had obviously started planning months ago.
The goal of Qin State has never been to only keep the royal city, but to keep all the 33,000 Jin troops in the royal city!
Thinking of this, Le Cheng felt a chill rise in his heart.
The Three Jin Dynasties still underestimated the Qin State. A tiger is a tiger. Even if it temporarily retreats into its lair, it is still a man-eating tiger.
"No, three hands." At this time, Li Si came over from a distance, his face equally gloomy, as if his wife had been robbed by someone else, "I just received information that the Duke of Eastern Zhou was destroyed by Qin seven days ago, and the Qin army
The general is Bai Qi, and the other cities in Sanchuan have also fallen into the hands of Qin. If nothing else happens, our way back should be blocked."
There are three ways for Zhao Jun to return home. One is the waterway, which goes north along the Heshui River and Luoshui River. But now the waterway has been cut off.
The second one is the way we came, that is, heading east through Hulao Pass. This road needs to pass through the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. At this time, the Eastern Zhou Dynasty has been destroyed by the Qin Dynasty, and obviously this road is also broken.
The last option is to go north to Mengjin and cross the Yellow River. But if the Qin army can cut off the grain road, the Mengjin ferry must have been occupied by the Qin army.
It can be said that now the Three Jin Allied Forces and the Western Zhou Dynasty have become the turtles in the urn of the Qin Army.
When all the eyes of the world were focused on the royal city, no one thought that the Qin State would bypass the Western Zhou State, first destroy the Eastern Zhou State, annex all the remaining areas of Sanchuan County in South Korea, and cut off the retreat of the three armies.
Since you, the Three Jin Dynasties, want to rely on the Western Zhou State to consume the power of our Qin State, then I will break your hands!
"What!" Le Cheng was shocked again. The soldiers in the distance heard the exclamation and subconsciously looked over here.
"Go back to the military camp first." Le Cheng turned around and walked quickly down the city wall.
The victory in the first battle, and the fact that the Qin army did nothing to them after that, made Le Cheng's self-confidence continue to skyrocket.
At this moment, what was happening continuously pushed Zhao Jun directly from the top of the mountain into the abyss.
Not to mention the triumph, whether he can return to Zhao State alive is still a question...
The grain road was cut off and the Eastern Zhou Dynasty was destroyed. It can almost be concluded that Bai Qi was indeed in the Qin army.
Bai Qi never left any survivors alive in his battles, so Le Cheng knew very well what it meant to appear outside the city.
"Don't we need to defend the city?" Feng Quji glanced at the battlefield worriedly. The Qin army was still attacking the city.
However, the Qin army in the west of the city failed to take a step up the city wall. Instead, it was locked tightly under the city by the Zhao army. Catapults, bows and arrows were constantly thrown down. Even though the Qin army filled the moat with their lives, they still could not attack the city.
"No, this is not the main attack direction of the Qin army. Business is more important." Le Cheng said as he walked away.
"I was negligent. Please punish me, General." Returning to the camp, Li Si was the first to bow his head and admit his mistake.
As a member of the army, he was supposed to check for the general's mistakes and make up for them, but because of his long-term victory, he relaxed his vigilance and thought that the Qin State was nothing more than this, which led to the success of the Qin State's plan.
Li Si never thought that he would serve in the army for a long time. His goal was to be a minister or even a fief.
As a result, Qin State's small plan made everything difficult for him.
In addition to being angry, Li Si also felt deeply ashamed.
"Today's shame will be repaid twice as much in the future." Li Si looked in the direction of Qin and clenched his fists hard.
"My subordinates are also at fault." Feng Quji said disappointedly.
In Zhao State, I was attacked by Li Si, Han Fei, and Huang Shigong. I thought I would be able to show off my skills after going out to practice, but it turned out to be a mistake.
Feng Quji even doubted his ability.
"I don't blame you for this. I was also at fault. After all, I was blinded by victory." Le Cheng sighed, "The top priority now is how to evacuate the royal city. Bai Qi must be outside the city. If he doesn't want to stay,
We will be the first to not believe it."
Li Si and Feng Quji sat silently without speaking, and Le Cheng did not urge them.
Time passed bit by bit, and after a while, Li Si raised his head and slowly uttered one word, "Wait."
"Still waiting? When?" Le Cheng said.
"It's actually too late for us to evacuate the royal city now. It's better to wait until the Duke of Western Zhou surrenders the city and we take the opportunity to escape from the royal city. The Qin army has just captured the royal city and is the least vigilant, so we have the greatest possibility of escaping," Li Si said.
"Okay, I heard about joining the army." Le Cheng slapped his thigh. He had no good solution and decided to take a gamble.
"I'm afraid we won't be able to defend this city for long!" To the west of the city, Jia Yan couldn't help but sigh as he looked at the Qin army retreating like a tide.
Although the Qin army was repelled again, the Qin army climbed to the top of the city faster and faster day by day, and the time it took to hold on was longer and longer. This time, it lasted for more than an hour. The defenders relied on the sky
Only with this advantage did the Qin army drive off the city wall.
And... he had a feeling that Bai Qi was among the Qin army in front of him, and the distance between the two sides was not far. It was even possible that Bai Qi was looking at them at this moment.
"Yes! But it's good to be able to delay Qin for so long. I hope Qin can stop attacking after taking the royal city." Bao Luan sighed and said worriedly.
If Jia Yan hadn't led the Zhao army and the Wei army to help him, he would have been unable to defend the city.
What he fears most is not that the Qin State will destroy the Zhou State. South Korea has long wanted to annex the Zhou State in its arms, but it just didn't dare.
What Bao Luan fears most is that Qin will continue to attack South Korea with the momentum of great victory. By then, no one in South Korea will be able to resist Qin's military front!
"If Qin attacks Korea, will Zhao send troops to rescue us?" Bao Luan looked at Jia Yan and asked seriously.
"We, the Three Jin Dynasties, have been allies for hundreds of years, and we, Zhao State, are the leaders of South Korea, so we should protect our allies." Jia Yan said solemnly.
"Thank you, General." Bao Luan said, cupping his fists.
He didn't know how sincere Jia Yan's words were, but it could be seen that Zhao State still had great determination to resist Qin State.
"General Jia Yan, General Baoluan, and General Le Cheng asked me to inform you of the meeting in the evening." At this time, a Zhao soldier came over and said with cupped fists.
"Do you know what it is?" Jia Yan asked casually.
"I don't know, but I must be in a hurry," the soldier said.
"I understand, we'll go there right away," Jia Yan said.
"No, my subordinate will go back and recover first." The soldier clasped his fists and saluted, then turned and walked towards the city.
"General Baoluan, you arrange the city defense. I will lead people to clean the battlefield." Jia Yan said.
"Okay, thank you for your hard work, General." Bao Luan nodded.
At night, Mang Mao, Bao Luan and Jia Yan came to the Zhao army camp.
"What happened?" Mang Mao grabbed a bench and asked.
Le Cheng looked at Li Si.
"It's all in vain... We should withdraw." Li Si succinctly recounted the incident, only concealing Jia Yan's talent and replacing it with what they had guessed.
"How could this happen?" Mang Mao and Bao Luan's reactions were no better than Le Cheng's, especially Mang Mao, who had actually fought against Bai Qi and knew how terrifying Bai Qi was.
Rentu was never merciful, and since he was leading troops again, his target must be the 33,000 Jin troops in the city.
"What are your plans?" After a while, Mang Mao came back to his senses and looked at Le Cheng.
Looking at Le Cheng's expression, you can tell that he has already made a plan. If possible, Mang Mao wouldn't mind hugging Zhao Jun's thigh.
"When the Qin army breaks the city and retreats, you can retreat together with us, or you can retreat separately. Both have their own pros and cons, and you all understand that I won't say more." Li Si looked at the two of them and said.
If the three Jin forces retreat together, they can concentrate their forces. Even if they encounter the main force of the Qin army, they can fight hard. However, the disadvantage is that the target is too large and the team is bloated.
When escaping, the more people there are, the more disadvantageous it is, but the fewer people, the more conducive it is to escape.
If the three Jin forces retreat separately, they can attract each other's firepower and buy time for each other, but the disadvantage is that their forces are too dispersed and they are likely to be defeated one by one by the Qin army.
"Let's talk about it then." Mang Mao thought for a moment and said.
He wanted to retreat with the Zhao army, but the Wei army was not as strong as the Zhao army, and its escape skills were not as good as the Korean army. Mang Mao was worried that they might be used as cannon fodder if they retreated together.
Retreating alone, the Wei army is no match for the Qin army. Once it encounters the Qin army, the entire army will be destroyed.
Fortunately, there is still time to think about it.
"Me too," Bao Luan said. He was also worried that if the three Jin forces retreated together, the Korean army would be used as cannon fodder.
However, the pressure on him is less. Han Jun's special talent makes it very likely that they will run away unless they are surrounded by enemies.
When faced with danger, the worst option is to leave Zhao Jun and Wei Jun behind and run for their lives alone. Anyway, this is not the first time that they have done this.
"This matter must be kept secret until the three armies retreat." Le Cheng stared at the two people and said solemnly.
"We understand." Mang Mao and Bao Luan nodded. No one would joke with their own lives.
"We have guarded our respective city walls these days. The Duke of Western Zhou can surrender, but we must not let the Qin army break the city wall, otherwise we will lose the time to withdraw." Le Cheng warned, but kept staring at Bao Luan.
The Zhao army and the Wei army are not the main attack direction of the Qin army. The only one that may be defeated by the Qin army is the Korean army. The first one to suffer will be the Korean army.
"The general will definitely defend it," Bao Luan said solemnly.
"Your Majesty, the generals of the three Jin Dynasties have gathered together, and they are probably discussing the evacuation of the royal city." In the palace, a eunuch quickly walked to the Lord of Western Zhou and reported in a low voice.
"Outsiders are not trustworthy after all. If you tell the Qin army, you will say that I have agreed." As in history, the Duke of Western Zhou finally chose to surrender.
Maybe he shouldn’t be called the Duke of Western Zhou. Now there is only one Zhou Kingdom left...
"The foreign envoy has met the general." The Zhou envoy passed through one military camp after another and finally met the Qin army's general Zhang Ruo.
The Qin army did not blindfold the envoys of the Zhou State, and the royal city was almost destroyed. So what if the Zhou state knew about the layout of the Qin Army's camp? Did they still dare to attack the Qin Army's camp?
"What does the envoy want from me?" Zhang Ruo looked at the envoy coldly.
If Zhou State sent an envoy over a month ago, Zhang Ruo would have warmly received him and negotiated terms with Zhou State. But now...
The Qin army is about to capture the royal city, and you just thought of surrendering. What have you been doing?
How many days has my country, Qin, sent you?
"Your Majesty sent me to report to the general that our Kingdom of Western Zhou is willing to surrender. Please give me some time," the envoy said bitterly.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! The Kingdom of Zhou is about to perish, and he will soon become the person who perishes the country!
"I refuse. I will give the Lord of Western Zhou at most one night. If you are willing to surrender, I will lead the sheep to meet the king's army. If you are not willing to surrender, the day when our Qin army breaks the city will be the day when the Duke of Western Zhou dies.
.”
Zhang Ruofeng patted the desk, his eyes widened, and said sternly. The momentum he had honed for many years on the battlefield fiercely pressed towards the envoy. The armor that had not been removed from his body was clanking, and his handsome face exuded a strong evil spirit.
The whole person looked like a demon crawling out of the abyss.
When the envoy of the Zhou Dynasty saw this scene, his face turned pale with fright, and he collapsed on the ground, speechless.
"I...I will report back to you right now..." the envoy from the Western Zhou Dynasty said tremblingly.
"Humph, if the Duke of Western Zhou refuses, you don't have to come again. You can just wait for me in the city."
Just as the envoy was about to step out of the tent, Zhang Ruo's cold snort came from behind, and the envoy was suddenly frightened and alerted.
"This war is finally over." After the Zhou envoy left, Wang Lu said excitedly.
Although I knew that this was an inevitable result, I still felt a little excited when I saw the Western Zhou Dynasty asking for surrender.
This is not just the Western Zhou Dynasty, but the entire Zhou Dynasty for eight hundred years is about to come to an end at the hands of Qin.
"Don't forget, there are three Jins in the city, and they will not surrender to our Qin army." Bai Qi said, with a smile that was uglier than crying on his stern face.
The Three Jin Dynasties would never have thought that after the Qin State appointed Zhang Ruo as its commander, he would then be appointed as a general, leading an army of 100,000 people, bypassing the royal city, and annexing all the cities in Eastern Zhou and Sanchuan except the royal city.
Both Mengjin and Hulao Pass have fallen into the hands of the Qin army.
All roads from Zhao State back home were blocked.
This time, unless Zhao Guo flies, there is no chance of escaping.
If it hadn't been for the Three Jins, if it hadn't been for Zhao, the Qin army would have already captured the royal city, and why would there have been so many things.
Zhao Guo caused Qin Guo to lose so many soldiers, and Qin Guo had already hated Zhao Guo.
The next day, there was light rain in the sky, and fine raindrops floated in the air, making the whole city filled with a moist atmosphere. The fog enveloped the earth, blurring every inch of the land.
The royal city at the end of autumn looked even more desolate in the rain, with bursts of chill. There was no one on the street. All the people were hiding in their homes, closing their doors and windows. Everyone's face was filled with tension and fear, and they were waiting for the verdict of their fate.
Everyone knows that the royal city is about to change its owner!
The morning in the royal city has not been so quiet for a long time. There is no noise of war, no beating of soldiers, and no shouts of soldiers. It seems that time has stood still at this moment.
The cold autumn rain beats the withered yellow leaves, and the autumn wind blows through the corners of the city, making a whimpering sound, which seems to tell the vicissitudes and loneliness of the once glorious royal city.
Soon, a special group of pedestrians appeared on the street.
The Duke of Western Zhou, with his upper body exposed, a thorn stick tied to his back, and a lamb in his hand, walked step by step towards the outside of the city.
The white flesh was exposed outside, and the drizzle of rain fell on the body. It was biting and cold, and the Duke of Western Zhou couldn't help but shudder.
All the civil and military officials followed closely behind the Duke of Western Zhou, and walked out of the city with mournful faces.
Although the Western Zhou Dynasty was a small country with only a small territory, it had all the officials available, and at this time they were all prisoners of the Qin army.
Le Cheng and others watched this scene calmly from a distance, and no one came forward to say hello.
It was time for the Three Jin Dynasties and the Zhou Kingdom to part ways.
The gate to the south of the city was wide open, and the Korean army had disappeared. Only the lonely Zhou army was left standing at the foot of the city at a loss, guarding the broken city wall.
Zhang Ruo led the generals of the Qin army to the royal city and stopped, waiting for the arrival of the Duke of Western Zhou.
"Are everything outside the city ready?" Zhang Ruo asked.
"Don't worry, general, Mr. Wu An will take action personally. No one from the three Jin Dynasties can escape." Wang Hao said with a smile.
"Okay, we are blessed with double happiness today." Zhang Ruo stroked his beard and became more energetic.
The Duke of Western Zhou came to the south gate of the royal city and smiled bitterly when he saw the Qin army waiting in a chariot not far away.
After crossing the city gate, the Duke of Western Zhou stopped, turned around slowly, looked at the royal city, slowly bent down, and made a big salute. The thorns on his back pierced deeply into the flesh, and blood flowed out in an instant.
Turn a blind eye.
It was not until the ceremony was completed that the Duke of Western Zhou faced the Qin army and shouted loudly: "The king of the Duke of Western Zhou, please surrender!"
At this time, a sharp and harsh sound came from the royal city.