Chapter 9 After the War

  No one had expected this war to end in such a manner.

  When the 150,000-strong allied forces of Zhao and Wei rushed to the foot of Handan City, people all over the world thought that the destruction of Han was imminent. Even if they succeeded in seeking peace, they would still lose a large amount of territory.

  The whole of Korea was in a state of terror, some advocated surrender, while others fled. Only one person, Crown Prince Sado, insisted on going to war. A surprise night attack defeated the invincible Zhao and Wei armies, reversing the tide just as all seemed lost.

  As a new day's sun shines on Huayang City, the tightly closed city gates slowly open.

  Last night's massacre made the whole city of Huayang tremble with fear. According to the county lieutenant and the judicial officer, this might be a trick by the enemy. Outside, the fog is dense and it's hard to distinguish friend from foe. If we fall into their trap, Huayang City will be in danger. However, Commander Feng Ting ignored everyone's opposition and insisted on taking 15,000 soldiers out of the city to launch a surprise attack on the enemy camp.

  Today, the color has become clear and the truth has been revealed. The reinforcements outside the city are indeed from Xīnzhèng. Although this batch of Korean troops wore black clothes different from their own, Féng Tíng still recognized them through the familiar accent of the soldiers, and it was undoubtedly the army of Great Korea.

  Then Feng Ting saw Bao Yan. Looking at the elegant young man standing beside Bao Yan, could it be Prince Ran? Feng Ting wondered to himself. Every year when he went to Xinzheng for his annual report, Feng Ting would always see King Han and Prince Ran, but this year he had not yet made his report before the armies of Zhao and Wei invaded.

  But how could the Crown Prince possibly appear on the battlefield? After all, in Feng Ting's eyes, the royal nobles did not like to approach the battlefield. Besides, why would the reinforcements wear black military uniforms that only Qin soldiers wore?

  With many doubts, Feng Ting dismounted his horse. He bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, Prince and General, for not sparing your efforts to rescue the people of Huayang from the brink of disaster."

  "County Magistrate Feng, no need to be polite. Huayang is the northern shield of our Great Han, and as fellow Han people, how can we not rescue them? It's actually the imperial court that has let Huayang suffer. As I was leaving, my father the king repeatedly instructed me that this time, with the large armies of Zhao and Wei emerging together, Huayang will inevitably suffer significant losses. He ordered that Huayang be exempt from one year's taxes, to share some of the worries of the people." The crown prince spoke warmly.

  Curiously sizing up the county magistrate in front of him, who was around thirty-five years old, Taizi felt a sense of admiration in his heart.

  It turned out that he was Feng Ting. In the original time and space, eleven years later, he would become the guardian of Shangdang County. At that time, Shangdang was isolated from the mainland of Korea. In order to keep this land, Feng Ting betrayed his own orders and presented Shangdang to the State of Zhao, triggering the Longping War between Qin and Zhao, and finally died in battle at Longping. Throughout his life, he never forgot Han, a true loyal minister!

  Although it was a bit strange that the Crown Prince suddenly forged an imperial edict to exempt Huayang from paying taxes, Baoyan remained calm and encouraged Fengting warmly.

  This time, Zhao and Wei's army came with a strong momentum. Feng Ting, as the master of a county, remained calm in the face of danger and adapted to changing circumstances. Last night, he opened the city gate to receive support that was beneficial to himself. This son indeed has the demeanor of a great general and is worthy of being cultivated.

  Looking at Feng Ting who seemed to want to say something but hesitated, the Crown Prince smiled and said: "Feng County Magistrate, it seems like you have something to say?"

  For the loyal and devoted Feng Ting in front of him, the Crown Prince truly liked him from the bottom of his heart. At present, various countries are at war, and there is a lack of capable ministers and generals around him. Feng Ting is both civil and martial, and very loyal, making him truly invaluable.

  "Crown Prince, I have something to ask you."

  Feng Ting looked up and gazed at the Korean soldiers who were enthusiastically cleaning up the battlefield, his eyes staring straight at the prince, "What I heard and saw of the Qin army last night was all a disguise by the prince and General Bao, wasn't it?"

  Actually, after dawn broke, everything had already become clear. There was no such thing as the Qin army, and the reinforcements sent from Xing Zheng were absolutely no more than 40,000 in number.

  "You're wrong on this point, Magistrate Feng. Everything was prepared by the Crown Prince, including disguising as Qin soldiers and setting up a fake scenario of our army colluding with the Qin to ambush the Zhao and Wei armies. I just carried out the Crown Prince's arrangements." Bao Ying waved her hand to indicate that it was all the Crown Prince's doing.

  Feng Ting looked at Prince Ran with a puzzled expression, and Prince Ran nodded happily. He then said: "General Bao, you can't say that. I'm just responsible for proposing the idea, but it's your soldiers' bloody battles that are most important. After the results of the battle are counted, I will give you credit!"

  The conversation between the two shocked Feng Ting. Wasn't the commander of this war the famous General Bao Yang, but rather the young prince in front of him who was not yet twenty years old?

  Feng Ting found it unbelievable, this was a cruel and ruthless war. He had never heard that the Crown Prince liked to dance with guns and sticks, let alone read military books. Could a rookie in war command such a historic battle?

  "Feng County Lieutenant, how did you know it was our disguised Qin army?" The crown prince curiously examined his own mind's beloved general.

  Putting aside the doubts in his heart, Feng Ting replied respectfully: "Your Highness, it's already broad daylight. The reinforcements are only around 40,000 or so, if there really were Qin troops, they would definitely be by Your Highness' side. Now that there are no Qin troops appearing, and upon closer inspection of the reinforcements, many people's clothes have lost their color."

  The prince looked around, and indeed, after a fierce battle overnight, the black ink on many people's uniforms had faded. Many people's faces were smudged with black, but they couldn't hide the triumphant smile on their faces. For a moment, everyone burst out laughing.

  "Prefect Feng has a good eye for things, and indeed it is so. Last night there were no Qin troops at all. The pretended Qin troops were purely to intimidate the Zhao and Wei armies." The crown prince frankly admitted.

  "Did the Crown Prince really defeat an allied army of 150,000 with just 40,000 troops?" Feng Ting's face was shocked.

  Upon seeing Feng Ting's incredulity, the Crown Prince began to recount in detail all his arrangements after learning of Huayang's critical situation, while Bao Ying occasionally added explanations and supplements.

  "So that's how it is. The prince is indeed wise, truly a blessing for the country! Teng Fang had just been secretly criticizing the prince in his heart, and now he asks the prince to punish him!" Feng Ting finally believed that the prince was the one who came up with such a wonderful plan, and immediately apologized for his previous thoughts.

  "County Magistrate Feng, hurry up and get up." The crown prince helped Feng Ting up as he was about to kneel down and apologize.

  "This battle was also a fluke, if it weren't for the thick fog, if Zhao and Wei's defenses hadn't been lax, and if Li De, the deputy general of Wei, hadn't suddenly died, and if County Magistrate hadn't responded in time, we would have lost with an even greater probability!" The crown prince thought back to the intense battle from several hours ago, still feeling a lingering fear.

  "Your Highness, Your Highness. Look at the big fish our Tiger Riders have caught." Tian Hu rushed over with an excited face, followed by several robust soldiers escorting a group of disheveled and defeated troops.

  At this moment, Meng Jue was no longer as spirited and proud as he had been a few hours ago.

  In one night, his tens of thousands of troops collapsed like a landslide, and all the fame that shook the world, the titles and honors, became nothing but a reflection in a mirror or a flower in the water.

  Even if Korea lets me go freely, I will never be reused again. For myself who values fame and interest as life, this result is more painful than killing myself.

  "The prince, this is the prime minister of Wei State, the commander-in-chief of the joint forces of Zhao and Wei. The other one is Jia Yan, the general of Zhao State. They still wanted to disguise themselves as small soldiers, if someone hadn't reported them, they might have escaped. " As Tian Hu spat on the ground, Mang Ya jumped in fright, while Jia Yan dared not speak out of anger.

  "All right, Tianhu. Don't scare Crown Prince Mang." The crown prince first scolded Tianhu.

  Turning to the dejected-looking Meng Jue, he said, "Two noble guests, I'm afraid my subordinates have not been well-disciplined and have made fools of themselves in front of you."

  The two were shocked, and Jia Yan's heart skipped a beat. Is this how prisoners are treated? At the moment of being taken away, they had already prepared themselves for humiliation. Putting themselves in others' shoes, if their side was the victorious one, they would be arrogant at this moment. The two had also thought about dying with honor, but when it came to actually seeking death, they couldn't bring themselves to do it.

  Feng Ting also curiously sized up Mang Mo, who had been so arrogant and condescending just a day ago when he sent someone to persuade Feng Ting to surrender. Mang Mo met Feng Ting's gaze for a moment before quickly lowering his head, covering the shame and annoyance that rose to his face. Fate was indeed playing tricks on people - who would have thought that yesterday's proud and lofty figure would become today's prisoner?

  "Guests from afar are guests indeed. Now, at the beginning of the new year, you two gentlemen, one being the Prime Minister of Wei and the other being a special envoy of Zhao, have traveled far without rest to pay New Year's respects to my father, the king. This is truly an honor for our humble state of Han! My father has been waiting for you both in Xinzheng for some time now. Please proceed to Xinzheng, so that we may fulfill our duties as hosts!" The Crown Prince's words broke into Mengmang's wandering thoughts.

  This is an obvious slap in the face.

  You are clearly here to invade Korea, but you claim to be paying a New Year's visit to the King of Korea. Have you ever seen anyone pay a New Year's visit with so many soldiers and horses?

  You speak so eloquently, yet you can't refuse yourself. It's really like being under someone else's roof and having to lower your head. Now that I'm a defeated general, it's already good if I can keep my life. What right do I have to refuse?!

  The two of them exchanged a helpless glance, and the reputation they had accumulated was ruined. By the time news of this battle spread throughout the land, their names would be widely known, but it would only be in ridicule and mockery.

  Order the soldiers to take good care of the two "distinguished guests". The prince smiled and asked Tian Hu, "Has the battle result been counted?"

  "Reporting back to the Crown Prince, the preliminary results of the battle have been tallied. We've captured around 80,000 prisoners and killed over 70,000 enemies."

  "What? So many?" The prince looked at Tian Hu in surprise. Bao Yan also looked at Tian Hu with doubt.

  Tian Hu's expression became tense, fearing that others would not believe him. He pulled over Gong Sunzhong to testify. Gong Sunzhong's face was solemn and serious, saying "I guarantee with my head on the line, the facts are indeed as Tian School Lieutenant said. The Zhao-Wei army was pursued by our troops last night, many people were forced to enter the Yellow River and drowned. The rest all surrendered!"

  Bao Yue and Prince Ran exchanged a glance, both seeing the irrepressible joy in each other's eyes. What an unexpected surprise! However, Prince Ran felt that there was a reason for this, during the Anti-Japanese War, more than a dozen Japanese soldiers could capture thousands of National Army soldiers. Once people panic, they will only follow the crowd to survive.

  "Haha!" The violent bird clapped its palms and laughed loudly, "Good!" But after a word of "good", it was choked with sobs.

  "General!" Tian Hu and Gong Sun Zhong shouted in unison.

  "It's nothing. I'm just too excited. This is a rare great victory in over 100 years since the founding of Korea! Crown Prince, let's hurry up and draft the battle report!. The king must be anxious." Bao Ying was excited all over his face.

  "Good! However, General Bao, there are many captives now, be careful to prevent riots!" The crown prince nodded solemnly.

  "It was I who lost my composure, the prince is right! Tian Hu, has the casualty count from last night's surprise attack been tallied?" Baoying regained his confident and composed demeanor as a general.

  "General! Last night, we lost eight thousand men in battle and over six thousand were injured. Among them, a thousand are seriously wounded, and even if they recover, they will be left with chronic illnesses. It's time to lay down our armor and return to the fields." Tian Hu's voice also became subdued when speaking of casualties.

  "That means we've lost more than half of our men. Tell those doctors to do their best to treat them! If one more dies, I'll hold them responsible. Order the prisoners who are above the rank of Zhang to be taken away separately. Anyone who dares to make a disturbance will be beheaded! Anyone who whispers to each other will be beheaded!" Bao Ying gave the order quickly.

  "I'll add that," Crown Prince Yan was very satisfied with the arrangement of the violent yuan, and it was necessary to use heavy punishment to maintain stability during this period. He said: "Each camp will take 100 people as a unit, count the battle achievements and the list of dead and wounded. When we return to Xinzheng, I will ask my father to set up a monument for the dead and establish a temple of heroes! These people are all Koreans who stand tall and deserve such honor! I promised them that their rewards would not fall short, although they have passed away. But the country will take care of their widows and parents!"

  "Crown Prince!" Bao Yan suddenly fell to his knees without a word, followed by Tian Hu, Gong Sun Zhong, and all the personal guards beside him, their eyes welling up with tears. Feng Ting pretended not to see, hiding to one side, as a civil official, there were some things that still needed to be avoided.

  "The Crown Prince treats us this way, we will swear to die for the Crown Prince."

  "Hurry up and rise, you are the pillars of Korea! Previously, it was the country that owed you, it was your blood sacrifice, and the glory should also belong to you! Don't worry, I will do my best to fight for the proper treatment of the deceased soldiers!"

  "General, was the person who assassinated Li De last night found?" The crown prince hastily changed the subject.

  "Found him. His name is Wei Yun, he's one of our Hu Ji's squad leaders." Tian Hu said with a proud face.

  "Wei Yun?" The crown prince read this name with great curiosity. In the Great Han, there was a great general named Wei Qing, could it be that he would also have a general with the surname Wei? The crown prince suddenly felt some interest.

  Thinking of the great merit of Li De's assassination last night, Taizi Ran also had a mind to love talents, and immediately said: "Tian Xiaowei, you can give up your love and let Wei Yun be mine! Let him enter my personal guard camp. I will promote him to be a traveling general!"

  "Commander of the expedition?" The crowd gasped, from managing 50 people to becoming a commander of 500 people, this leap was too big. Many people can't cross this threshold in their lifetime. Unexpectedly, Wei Yun, this kid, relied on his divine brushwork and won everything with one arrow! It's really enviable!

  "Wei Yun, a native of Xinzheng, was born into a humble family. He loved to read books, but his family was poor and had no means to support him, so he joined the army. After two years, due to his merits, he was promoted to be a commander. In the 23rd year of King Xian of Zhou, the armies of Zhao and Wei with 150,000 soldiers invaded our Huayang, Yun followed the High Ancestor to go on an expedition. That night, they launched a surprise attack on the enemy camp, killing the enemy general Li De, causing great chaos among the enemy troops. As a result, the High Ancestor defeated the combined forces of Zhao and Wei at Huayang. He was promoted to be a commander of a division and entered the High Ancestor's personal guards."