Chapter 32: Breaking Out of the Encirclement (Part 2)

  Although the Zhao cavalry retreated, the Qin army did not dare to relax in the slightest. All the Qin people were very clear that if the Zhao army launched a surprise attack at night and broke into the Qin camp, the Qin army would face a massacre.

  Huyang has become numb to the casualties, and this is just a multi-hour attack. The armies of Zhao and Han have already caused such heavy casualties on their own side. What if it was a whole day? Huyang doesn't know how many Qin soldiers can survive. The military equipment of the Han army is really too powerful, combined with the strong iron cavalry of Zhao Guo, this combination is unsolvable for the current Qin army!

  Of course, the battle just now was not without gains. The giant stones fired by the Korean army's catapults were a solution to the urgent need of the Qin army. Whether it is used to reinforce the camp or for the only five or six remaining catapults in the army, they are all very good.

  However, unpleasant things also happened during the transportation of the giant stones. Countless Qin soldiers died miserably under the stone-throwing carts of the Han army, and such a scene deeply stimulated the survivors, filling the camp with a tragic atmosphere.

  No one spoke loudly, a mood was gathering and brewing in the Qin army. Everyone knew tonight's breakout and understood their own division of labor. Perhaps at the moment of the breakout, this mood would erupt! Whether it was life or death, the Qin army would make the Zhao army pay a bloody price.

  The seriously injured Qin soldiers knew they were not able to break through the siege with their own strength, in other words, they had been abandoned. This was an unavoidable thing. Fortunately, Hu Yang was merciful enough to allow the wounded Qin soldiers to surrender to the Zhao army at the right time, and even personally visited the sick camp.

  One of the surviving Qin soldiers described it like this.

  "At that time, I was desperate, all the seriously wounded soldiers like me knew that the main force would break through at night, and we were unable to keep up with the main force. Many people couldn't walk, and some couldn't even withstand a little bump. We felt abandoned, everyone had given up hope."

  "Just as we were waiting for the fate to be decided, the general came to see us. He looked so tired, with bloodshot eyes all over. We tried to get up and salute him, but he stopped us. Then he said that he had let down the King of Qin and everyone else. Because of his incompetence, many comrades were lost, and many were seriously injured. Now the entire army was surrounded by the Zhao army, and the main forces of Han and Wei were rushing here non-stop. He had no choice but to choose to break through."

  "Breaking through the siege didn't make him feel ashamed, what made him ashamed was that he had to give up more than 3,000 comrades in front of him. He came specifically to apologize and comfort everyone, saying we've done the best a soldier can do, we're the best troops he's ever led. Let's put aside our ideological burdens and choose to surrender at the right time."

  "At that time, we were enraged when we heard these words and felt that the general was insulting us. The Qin army had strict discipline, once captured, our future in the military would be completely ruined, and it might even bring disaster to our families. We all shouted that we wanted to perish together with the Zhao and Han armies, but actually I knew that everyone wanted to survive like me, only heaven didn't give us a chance."

  "He smiled and waved his hand to stop us. He told us that life only happens once, we have already repaid our country, it's time for us to choose our own destiny. All the responsibility of defeat he took on himself, and now the battlefield is chaotic, no one knows how many people can survive, even if everyone surrenders, the country won't be able to verify, so don't worry about being held responsible for surrendering."

  "I've never seen a general like him, he talked and talked for half a day, until everyone fell silent. I knew that actually everyone was moved. Who doesn't want to live? As long as we can live with dignity, we don't mind surrendering. In the end, before leaving, he smiled at us and said, 'As long as you're alive, there's hope.' If he could survive and return to the battlefield, I hope he'll be our general again. At first, we didn't take it to heart, until we found out that he died in battle that night under Wild King City, still shouting 'Kill the enemy! Kill the enemy!' What a pity, by then everything was too late." - "A Little Soldier's Diary"

  At the third watch of the night, the Qin army began to gather slowly. Everything went on in an orderly manner, without any noise or wailing, just like a normal theatrical performance.

  Hu Yang brought out a few jars of fine wine, which were scarce in the army. Originally, drinking was taboo in the military, but regardless of the country, the commander-in-chief had special privileges, and having a small drink would not be a problem.

  Now Hu Yang used clear water to mix with fine wine, distributed to the whole army, as a pre-expedition toast. Thirty thousand people were too many, and each person only got a few mouthfuls of "fine wine" that had no flavor at all, but no one complained. There were still two thousand people who were guarding the camp and couldn't even get a drink! They were already very satisfied.

  "Depart!" With a single order from Hu Yang, the entire army gathered and broke through in the predetermined direction.

  In the military tent of Zhao Jun, Lian Po was having a heated discussion with Prince Rui. The two had made a small bet, betting on whether the Qin army would make a surprise attack tonight. The stakes were not high or low, if Prince Rui won, he could borrow 10,000 iron cavalry from Lian Po for three days, of course, the commander would still be a general of Zhao; if Prince Rui lost, then he would provide Lian Po with the secrets of building siege crossbows and catapults, something that Zhao had been yearning for.

  "The prince is so certain that the Qin army will break through tonight?" Lian Po spoke up, although he didn't know if the Qin army would break through or not, but as a seasoned veteran, Lian Po had considered all possibilities and specially strengthened the defenses for tonight.

  "General Lian is a renowned general in the world, but I dare not show off my skills in front of him." The crown prince smiled and replied after taking a small sip of wine.

  "It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. Tonight is just a test, the prince only said it doesn't matter."

  "Let's just end it here, I hope the general won't laugh at me." Prince Yan said under Lian Po's encouraging gaze, "The Qin army has been defeated repeatedly, their morale is already low. Now that the general's 100,000-strong army has surrounded the Qin army, they have become isolated. Just now, in this one battle, the Qin army lost no less than 5,000 men, and they will surely be even more fearful. Our Han and Wei armies must have received news by now, and reinforcements are already on their way. At that time, the situation for the Qin army will be even more unfavorable, so breaking out of the encirclement is the only choice left to them."

  "That Crown Prince should know that the Qin army's cavalry is completely lost, and the remaining Qin troops are all chariots and infantry. Even if they break through the siege, it would be difficult to withstand the mighty Zhao iron cavalry's pincer attack. In my humble opinion, breaking through the siege is the way to go, defending the camp still has a glimmer of hope."

  He paused, and then continued: "The prince must have forgotten that Wusui is only one hundred and eighty miles away from Ye Wang, and Yiguan is even closer to Ye Wang, with a distance of only one hundred and thirty miles. Both Wusui and Yiguan are garrisoned by the Qin army. If Huyang decides to hold out and wait for reinforcements, wouldn't the chances of winning be greater? I have received military information that Bai Qi's army of 100,000 has set out many days ago."

  When he heard that the White Emperor's army was about to arrive, Prince Ran's face changed, but he quickly covered it up. He smiled and said, "What General says is true, but for the Qin army's abandoned heavy troops, a hundred miles away is just a day's journey. If the Qin army breaks through in all directions at night, your country's army can't guarantee that there won't be any Qin army breaking through successfully. One night's work is enough for the Qin army to run far away, and with the support of the two local garrisons, the chances of a successful breakout are more than half!

  "General, don't forget that Bai Qi will need at least six or seven more days to arrive at Ye Wang City. This is a case of distant water not being able to extinguish the fire nearby. Wu Su and Yi Que both have 5,000 Qin soldiers each, with your iron cavalry intimidating them, they won't dare come from afar to rescue. The most important point is that the Qin army has no source of water, this is their Achilles' heel."

  Lian Po's face changed, and he secretly thought to himself that he had indeed overlooked this point. He had placed too much emphasis on the Qin army's military strength, forgetting that with limited water sources, how long could the Qin army hold out?

  This afternoon's fierce attack by the Korean army has exhausted all its giant stones and crossbow arrows. Tomorrow, such an intense attack can no longer be sustained. At that time, the Qin army will have another chance to breathe.

  Wait, I know this but the Qin army doesn't! If the Qin army thinks they will suffer another blow like yesterday's storm, won't that force them to break through?

  As he thought of this, Lian Po looked up to see Prince Ze smiling at him. As if they shared a telepathic connection, Prince Ze nodded in agreement, indicating that what Lian Po was thinking was exactly what he wanted to say.

  At this moment, the two heard a loud noise outside the camp and walked out of the tent. The Qin army's charge and shouting voices came rushing towards them. The Qin army had really started to break through!