Just a few miles from the city of Handan!
Surrounded by 5,000 imperial guards, a royal chariot pulled by nine horses advanced steadily. These 5,000 imperial guards were all cavalry, fully armed, donning battle armor, quivers slung across their backs, longbows hanging by their saddles, spears in hand, and swords sheathed at their waists.
They were the epitome of a fully equipped elite force.
In any nation under heaven, be it Qin or another state, the imperial guards were always the most formidable elite troops, selected from the best soldiers in the army.
The 5,000 imperial guards of Qin here were capable of resisting an assault from 20,000 regular troops without faltering, and they could even counterattack and annihilate their enemies.
Inside the royal chariot, Ying Zheng sat with Xia Wuqi by his side.
After days of exhausting travel, the two were visibly fatigued.
Since returning to Qin, Ying Zheng had been preoccupied with state affairs and had not engaged in martial training, leaving him less physically resilient than he once was. Xia Wuqi, on the other hand, was beginning to show his age.
"We've entered the territory of Handan, haven't we?" Ying Zheng called out from within the chariot.
"Your Majesty," came the respectful reply from Ren Xiao outside the chariot, "we are just three miles away from Handan."
"Handan, the capital of Zhao," Ying Zheng remarked, a smile spreading across his face.
With that, Ying Zheng drew back the curtain on the side of the chariot and gazed out at the scenery.
"After all these years, I never imagined I'd return one day," he said with a touch of nostalgia.
Hearing this, Xia Wuqi also pulled back his curtain. He looked out at the vast, empty landscape that seemed to stretch endlessly. The air, heavy with the thick scent of blood, made Xia Wuqi trained as a master physician frown slightly.
"Yes," he murmured with a sigh. "Returning, and yet so much has changed."
To Xia Wuqi, Zhao was once his homeland.
Of course, in the context of the era, the fall of a state was tragic. But when viewed through the lens of uniting China, it became a righteous cause.
Take Han Fei, for example he was drawn to the idea of a unified China and ultimately pledged allegiance to Qin.
Similarly, as a great physician with foresight far surpassing the ordinary, Xia Wuqi deeply understood that the internal strife among the tribes of the Hua-Xia people had persisted for centuries. How many lives had been lost over those years? Countless.
If the unification of the states under one rule could bring an end to the bloodshed, then it would all be worth it.
"Father-in-law," Ying Zheng said, smiling. "Soon, we will have the chance to see Dong'er again. Our family will reunite."
Xia Wuqi returned a faint smile but said nothing more.
Though he shared Ying Zheng's hopes, deep down, he feared that his daughter might no longer be alive. The mad ramblings of Zhao Ji on that fateful day haunted him like a recurring nightmare, filling him with despair. Yet, outwardly, he kept it hidden, even from Ying Zheng.
At this moment, Ren Xiao's voice came again: "Your Majesty, a contingent of Qin soldiers from the Lantian Camp is ahead to welcome you. It seems to be General Wang Jian leading the reception."
"Proceed," Ying Zheng commanded.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Ren Xiao responded promptly.
The imperial guards continued escorting the royal chariot forward.
Before long, they reached the rear of Handan City.
Now close to Handan, even standing miles away, one could distinctly smell the overwhelming stench of blood. The battlefield before the city, littered with corpses, and the Qin banners flying atop the city walls all declared one thing: Handan had fallen to Qin.
"Handan has already fallen?" one of the guards exclaimed in disbelief. "How could it happen so quickly?"
"This barely took any time at all! Originally, it was supposed to take half a month for His Majesty to travel from Xianyang to Handan, but with the expedited journey, we made it in ten days. Does that mean the Lantian Camp captured Handan in less than ten days?"
"General Wang Jian is truly remarkable. Such a fortified city as Handan fell so easily."
"Indeed, he's worthy of being called Qin's greatest general."
As they observed the scene, the royal guards escorting the chariot couldn't help but express their astonishment. None of them had expected the seemingly impregnable Handan to fall so swiftly.
"Your Majesty," came a loud, reverent voice, "your servant Wang Jian, along with his guard, humbly greets Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live ten thousand years, and may Qin endure for eternity!"
Wang Jian approached the royal chariot briskly and knelt in salute.
Ren Xiao immediately stepped forward to pull back the curtain.
Ying Zheng stepped out of the chariot. Upon seeing Wang Jian, his face broke into a smile.
"Rise, General," Ying Zheng said as he walked forward to help Wang Jian to his feet.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Wang Jian replied respectfully.
"Judging by your appearance, General, it seems you haven't slept in days," Ying Zheng observed, noting the dark circles and bloodshot eyes that betrayed Wang Jian's exhaustion.
"Your servant dared not rest while the soldiers of the Lantian Camp fought relentlessly to take Handan over the past six days," Wang Jian explained humbly.
Hearing this, Ying Zheng turned to look at Handan City. His eyes lingered on the Qin banners flying proudly atop its walls, and he couldn't conceal his amazement. "I departed from Xianyang ten days ago, and at that time, the assault on Handan had not yet begun. Now, in just a few days, Handan has fallen?"
"General, you truly are the God of War for Qin."
Wang Jian bowed humbly. "Your Majesty, the credit for this victory does not lie with me."
Despite the immense glory of conquering Handan in just five days a feat even more challenging than taking the capital of Han Wang Jian was not one to claim undue credit.
Strictly speaking, the victory was indeed his, as the command of the Lantian Camp rested with him, and all tactical decisions were his to make.
But to Wang Jian, the true credit belonged to Zhao Feng.
Without Zhao Feng's courageous leadership of his troops to breach Handan, Qin's casualties would have been catastrophic, likely exceeding 100,000 or even more.
"Who led the vanguard?" Ying Zheng asked with a smile.
"Zhao Feng, the commanding general of the Fourth Main Division of the Lantian Camp, led his elite forces as the vanguard and broke through Handan," Wang Jian reported loudly. "He breached the city gate in a day, took the outer city in three days, and today, on the sixth day, he has already advanced toward the Zhao royal palace."
Ying Zheng was visibly stunned upon hearing this.
"He breached the city gate in just one day? And took the outer city in three days?" Ying Zheng exclaimed.
"Precisely so," Wang Jian confirmed. "Your servant speaks only the truth."
"There were 300,000 troops under the command of Pang Nuan defending the city. How did Zhao Feng achieve this?" Ying Zheng asked, his curiosity piqued.
"From my observations," Wang Jian explained, "Zhao Feng not only possesses exceptional personal combat skills but also commands troops whose combat effectiveness surpasses that of any other division in the Lantian Camp."
"In terms of sheer battle prowess, they may even surpass the imperial guards at Your Majesty's side."
Ying Zheng was astonished. "Stronger than my imperial guards?"
He was well aware of the strength of his guards. Fully equipped, a single imperial guard was easily the match of several elite soldiers. These guards were selected from the three main camps of Qin for their unparalleled skill and resilience.
Imperial guards were Qin's finest warriors, tasked with protecting the palace and the king. Their numbers were small, but their strength was unmatched. Every guard was under forty years old, ensuring peak physical capability.
"Back when you reported Zhao Feng's single-handed breach of Wu'an City's gates, I was curious how he managed to do it," Ying Zheng said suddenly.
Wang Jian chuckled. "Your servant anticipated that Your Majesty might ask, so I made preparations."
With a clap of his hands, Wang Jian signaled for his men to bring forward a large wooden chest.
"I originally intended to have this delivered to Xianyang, but since Your Majesty is here, there's no need."
Smiling, Wang Jian opened the chest.
Inside were fragments of the gates of Handan City.
Ying Zheng stepped forward and casually picked up a piece of debris. It was incredibly heavy.
"This seems to have been slashed apart by a sharp weapon," he said. "But even if it's a divine weapon, it couldn't possibly cut through such a thick city gate, could it? This is solid iron, after all." Ying Zheng was visibly astonished.
As he spoke, he drew his Zhanlu Sword from his waist and, with all his strength, struck at the hefty fragment of the city gate.
Clang!
The Zhanlu Sword slashed down.
Crunch!
The blade penetrated the fragment, but a powerful shock reverberated back, causing Ying Zheng's arm to tremble. He nearly let go of the sword from the impact.
"Are you alright, Your Majesty?"
Wang Jian immediately stepped forward with concern.
"I'm fine," Ying Zheng said, shaking his hand with a faint smile.
He then looked at the Zhanlu Sword. The blade had sunk three inches into the iron fragment, yet it was only a third of the gate's total thickness.
"The Zhanlu Sword is a divine weapon passed down through the generations of Qin's kings. It can slice through iron as if it were mud. Yet, even the finest sword requires great strength to wield. I gave it my all, and it only cut three inches deep."
"What kind of strength must Zhao Feng possess? I truly wonder," Ying Zheng remarked with a sense of awe.
Standing beside him, Ren Xiao swiftly pulled the Zhanlu Sword out and respectfully handed it back to Ying Zheng.
"Once Zhao Feng breaches the Zhao royal palace, Your Majesty will meet him," Wang Jian said with a smile.
"Indeed," Ying Zheng replied.
"Ever since I first heard his name and learned of his age, I've been curious. Now, I can't wait to meet this youngest hero of Qin," Ying Zheng said with a hearty laugh.
At that moment
"Your Majesty," Wang Jian reported, "the battle within the city has not yet been fully resolved. However, Pang Nuan has been slain by Zhao Feng. I expect the situation will be entirely pacified within a day or two. When that happens, Your Majesty may enter the city."
The scene shifts north of Handan City, toward the direction of Dai Commandery.
Thousands of people were fleeing north in disarray.
Among them, the King of Zhao, Zhao Yan, was not even riding in a carriage. He was fleeing on foot, running for his life. Around him were Zhao officials, concubines, and royal offspring.
"How much farther?" Zhao Yan panted, his exhaustion evident. "I'm about to drop dead."
"Your Majesty, we are still within the borders of Handan. If the Qin army catches up, we'll be in grave danger. Please endure a bit longer," replied the captain of his guards.
"We haven't left Handan yet?" Zhao Yan complained, his face filled with despair.
He was unused to such exertion, having lived a life of luxury. Running for so long was a novel and miserable experience for him.
Even so, Zhao Yan didn't stop.
The mere thought of the Qin army, which had likely already breached his royal palace, and the thought of Ying Zheng, filled him with dread. Fear spurred him on, pushing him to his limits.
Not just Zhao Yan but also the officials and guards around him were fleeing desperately. Many no longer paid attention to royal protocol, rushing ahead of the king himself.
At that moment, the sound of galloping horses echoed from behind them.
Startled, many fleeing Zhao subjects looked back in terror.
"The Qin army is upon us!"
"Run! Faster!"
"The Qin army is chasing us!"
Shouts of fear erupted as they saw over a hundred Qin cavalry charging toward them. Each rider looked like a blood-drenched demon emerging from a sea of slaughter.
"How are they so fast?" Zhao Yan's face turned pale.
"Guards! Hold them off! All guards, engage!" Zhao Yan ordered frantically.
Despite their fear, the royal guards halted, regrouped, and prepared to face the enemy.
Even though Zhao Yan was fleeing for his life, the authority of the king remained. In this era of strict adherence to royal bloodlines and the divine right of kings, the monarchy's power was deeply ingrained in people's minds.
"Retreat! Keep running!" Zhao Yan shouted again as he continued to flee, picking up his pace.
The Zhao royal guards gathered information.
Though few, about a thousand, they quickly organized under the orders of their commanders to confront the Qin cavalry.
On the other side, the 100-plus Qin cavalry charged forward with unwavering determination.
"Archers!" Zhao Feng commanded.
Leading by example, he swiftly drew six arrows from his quiver and nocked them onto his bow.
From a distance of several dozen meters
Whoosh!
Six arrows flew simultaneously, slicing through the air like lightning.
In an instant, the arrows pierced through the bodies of over ten Zhao guards.
The Qin cavalry behind Zhao Feng also loosed their arrows, raining death upon the Zhao royal guards. Many guards fell to the relentless barrage.
The speed and skill of these Qin riders were unmatched, their combat prowess far exceeding even the famed Zhao cavalry trained in horse archery.
As they closed in, Zhao Feng put away his bow and unsheathed his Overlord Spear.
"For Great Zhao, for the King!"
"Kill!"
The Zhao royal guards roared as they charged at Zhao Feng.
Their loyalty to the Zhao royal family was unquestionable. They thrust their spears toward Zhao Feng, but with a sweep of his Overlord Spear, he sent several guards flying.
Zhao Feng urged his horse forward, effortlessly cutting down the guards in his path.
The Qin cavalry, each with profound martial skills and inner strength, continued their slaughter with ease.
In mere moments, the Zhao royal guards were completely wiped out.
"Those who continue running will be killed without mercy," Zhao Feng declared, his voice icy.
"Those who kneel will be spared."
The fleeing Zhao subjects heard his words but didn't stop, still running for their lives.
Seeing this, Zhao Feng's eyes turned cold. He was not about to show mercy.
He raised his bow without hesitation and shot down a Zhao official with a single arrow.
The many guards around him immediately understood his intentions and began drawing their bows, firing at the fleeing crowd.
Every one of his guards was an expert marksman, their arrows unfailingly hitting their targets. In mere moments, over a hundred people were shot down. Under this display of fearsome power, the remaining Zhao people finally realized the terror they faced.
"Don't kill me! I surrender! I won't run anymore!"
"Spare me, my lord!"
"Please spare us!"
"Don't kill me…"
Terrified, many Zhao citizens dropped to their knees, their faces pale with fear, frantically kowtowing and begging for their lives.
Those who knelt and pleaded for mercy were spared by Zhao Feng, but those who continued to flee met their deaths under a relentless rain of arrows.
The display of power had its intended effect. More and more Zhao citizens fell to their knees in surrender, no longer daring to run.
"Leave fifty men here to guard them. Anyone who dares flee will be killed," Zhao Feng ordered coldly. "The rest, follow me and continue the pursuit."
His eyes swept over the kneeling crowd. With a single glance, he confirmed that Zhao Yan was not among them. A group of people had escaped earlier, and Zhao Yan was unlikely to have remained behind. Zhao Feng's primary target, in this case, was the King of Zhao himself. He would not return until Zhao Yan was captured.
"Yes, sir!"
The guards responded in unison. Fifty of them stayed behind to keep watch over the prisoners, while the remaining eighty riders followed Zhao Feng in pursuit.
As for why Zhao Feng had warhorses, the answer was obvious.
The Zhao royal palace had stored over a hundred warhorses, all of which were now under Zhao Feng's control. In addition to the riders with him, reinforcements were already on their way from behind.
Up ahead, Zhao Yan was running for his life, accompanied by his ministers and officials. At this moment, they all wished they could grow extra legs.
But wishes were useless.
The sound of hooves reached their ears once more.
Hearing the approaching thundering of horses, Zhao Yan and his ministers turned pale with terror.
"It's over…"
"The Qin army is catching up!"
"How could the royal guards be so useless? The Qin forces weren't even that many, and they still couldn't hold them back."
"It's all over…"
The group was consumed by despair, yet they didn't stop running. Every step forward was driven by their primal will to survive.
Zhao Yan was especially panicked.
His ministers might still have a chance at survival if captured, but as for himself, if he fell into Qin's hands, he was as good as dead.
After all, he was Ying Zheng's mortal enemy.
From childhood, he had bullied Ying Zheng relentlessly.
If he fell into Ying Zheng's grasp, there would be no end to his suffering.
"I absolutely cannot let Ying Zheng catch me," Zhao Yan thought desperately.
Then, a sudden realization struck him. He quickly tore off his royal robes and threw them onto the ground. Smearing his face with dirt and discarding all items symbolizing his kingship, he blended into the crowd, continuing to flee incognito.
At that moment, Zhao Feng rode up at the head of his troops, seventy riders closely following him.
"Stop immediately! Or die!" Zhao Feng's cold voice thundered.
Hearing his shout, the Zhao nobles were even more terrified, fleeing frantically.
Zhao Feng resorted to the same tactic as before.
He raised his bow and fired.
His guards followed suit, unleashing a hail of arrows.
After another round of shooting, dozens of bodies fell to the ground.
Faced with the growing pile of corpses, the remaining Zhao nobles didn't dare to flee any longer. One by one, they stopped and knelt on the ground.
"Spare us! Please, don't kill me!"
"Spare our lives…"
One by one, the terrified Zhao nobles prostrated themselves, begging for mercy. At this moment, nothing mattered more than survival status, and dignity, all cast aside.
Even Zhao Yan, now hidden among the crowd, didn't dare to run anymore. Keeping his head down, he knelt with the others, trying desperately not to be noticed. Having discarded his royal robes, he believed he wouldn't be recognized.
"Master, it seems no one else has escaped ahead. They're all gathered here," reported Zhang Ming, one of Zhao Feng's men, after surveying the area on horseback.
"Understood," Zhao Feng replied with a nod.
He urged his horse forward, riding into the kneeling crowd of Zhao nobles.
His sharp gaze swept over the group.
There were over a thousand people here, all kneeling in abject terror, subdued by just a few dozen soldiers. No one dared to move a muscle.
"Zhao Yan!" Zhao Feng suddenly shouted.
The name echoed through the crowd, but no one dared to respond.
"I know you're hiding among these people. Come out now, and I'll allow you some dignity. If you keep pretending, don't blame me for disregarding your royal title!" Zhao Feng's voice was cold, his words carrying a weight that sent shivers through everyone's hearts.
Despite the threat, no one responded.
Zhao Yan kept his head low, pressing his face into the dirt. He was trembling all over, but he held onto a sliver of hope.
"If I just endure this, he won't find me. Hidden among this crowd, there's no way he can identify me. I'll wait for another chance to escape…" Zhao Yan reassured himself.
Zhao Feng showed no urgency. He rode his horse forward, stopping in front of a Zhao noble dressed in a nine-rank official's robe.
"Stand up," Zhao Feng commanded coldly.
"Spare me… I surrender…" The official stammered, trembling as he stood. His entire body was shaking uncontrollably.
"Point out Zhao Yan," Zhao Feng demanded.
"I… I…" The official hesitated, fear plastered across his face.
Without hesitation, Zhao Feng drew his Longquan sword.
With a single swing, the official's head flew from his shoulders, his lifeless body collapsing to the ground.
Blood spattered the surrounding nobles, and their faces turned deathly pale.
Everyone's eyes were filled with terror as they looked at Zhao Feng.
Zhao Feng turned his bloodstained sword toward another noble. "You, point out Zhao Yan. Otherwise, you'll meet the same fate."
This time, the chosen noble trembled even more.
In the face of death, he couldn't hold out any longer. His eyes darted nervously to a certain spot in the crowd, and he stammered, "The king… the king is there."
Following his trembling finger, Zhao Feng's gaze fell upon Zhao Yan, who was kneeling among the crowd.
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