The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

Chapter 276 Idiot’s Dream

On the other side, Wang Li led a large army and launched a fierce attack on Chen County.

Chen Sheng was extremely anxious. He knew the importance of Chen County, so he immediately sent Shangzhuguo Cai Ci to lead the army out of the city to fight Wang Li.

Cai Ci led the troops and fought bravely, but unfortunately he died on the battlefield.

Without any pause, Wang Li led his troops to attack Zhang He's troops stationed west of Chen County.

This time, Chen Sheng went to supervise the battle in person. He stood on the city wall and watched every move on the battlefield nervously.

However, despite Chen Sheng's personal presence, Zhang He was killed in the fierce battle, and Chen Sheng had no choice but to lead his remaining troops in retreat.

Chen Sheng looked at Chen County, which was gradually receding, and his heart was filled with despair. He knew that Chen County could no longer be defended, so he decided to flee eastward.

Chen Sheng led his troops to flee first to Ruyin and then to Xiachengfu.

Although Chen Sheng failed in this battle, he did not give up hope. He believed that he still had a chance to gather his strength again and make a comeback.

However, Chen Sheng's coachman Zhuang Jia did not give Chen Sheng another chance.

Zhuang Jia was tempted by Wang Li's "surrender order". When Chen Sheng was on the run, he suddenly drew his sword and stabbed Chen Sheng in the back.

Chen Sheng screamed and fell into a pool of blood. Zhuang Jia looked at Chen Sheng's body, a trace of guilt flashing in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by greed. He picked up Chen Sheng's head and surrendered to Wang Li without hesitation.

When the news that Chen Sheng, Wu Guang and their rebel army were killed by Zhang Han and Wang Li reached Xianyang, Hu Hai, Zhao Gao, Feng Quji and other civil and military officials in the court all breathed a sigh of relief.

Hu Hai sat upright on the dragon throne, a smug smile on his face. He said contemptuously, "Haha, these two ignorant rebels. What do you mean by kings, princes, generals, and ministers? It's just a foolish dream! The lowly are the lowly, yet they still dream of becoming kings and dominating the world. Aren't they all dead by the sword? They actually dared to openly resist me. Humph!"

But Yao Jia frowned slightly and said, "Your Majesty, although Chen Sheng and Wu Guang have been eliminated, the unrest among the people should not be underestimated."

Hu Hai was displeased after hearing this, "My dear minister, please don't exaggerate. Once these two are dead, the rest will be nothing but a mob."

Yao Jia lowered his head and said nothing more.

Zhao Gao walked obsequiously to the center of the hall, bowed his body, and smiled broadly: "Your Majesty is wise and powerful. This great victory is entirely due to your great fortune."

Chen Yun and Wei Zhuang also quickly echoed, "Yes, Your Majesty, now that the rebels have been eliminated, the world can be stabilized."

Hu Hai listened to the flattery and felt more and more proud. He felt that his throne was finally secure. He waved his hand and signaled everyone to be quiet.

Immediately, Hu Hai issued an order to reward: "Promote Wang Li, the Marquis of Wucheng, to the Lord of Wucheng, and promote Zhang Han, the Minister of the Imperial Household, to the Marquis of Xingyang."

However, at this moment, Feng Quji stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, five of the six states in Shandong have now revived their independence. Although their power is no longer the same as before, they are still rebels. I hope Your Majesty will make plans as soon as possible."

After hearing what Feng Quji said, Hu Hai put away his smile and a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes.

He stared at Feng Quji, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction: "Don't worry, Prime Minister Feng. Those who want to restore their country are just a mob. As long as Lord Wucheng and Marquis Xingyang lead the army to conquer them, they will be wiped out in one fell swoop."

Feng Quji remained undeterred by Hu Hai's words. He continued, "Your Majesty, do not underestimate the enemy. Although these restorers are less powerful than before, their rebellious spirit remains strong. We should adopt a more cautious strategy to avoid being caught in a passive position."

Hu Hai frowned, somewhat dissatisfied with Feng Quji's suggestion. He felt that Feng Quji was too cautious and lacked courage and decisiveness.

"Prime Minister Feng, do you have any doubts about the abilities of Lord Wucheng and Marquis Xingyang?" Hu Hai's voice was filled with a hint of questioning.

Feng Quji quickly replied, "Your Majesty, I have absolutely no such intention. Lord Wucheng and Marquis Xingyang are both formidable generals of the Great Qin. Their abilities are unquestionable. However, war is a highly unpredictable affair, and we must not let our guard down."

Hu Hai was silent for a moment, as if he was thinking about Feng Quji's words.

In the end, he decided to trust his own judgment: "Okay, Prime Minister Feng, I have made up my mind. Lord Wucheng and Marquis Xingyang will definitely bring me victory."

Feng Quji shook his head helplessly, knowing he could not change Hu Hai's decision. He could only hope that Wu Chengjun and Xingyang Hou would live up to Hu Hai's expectations and put down the rebellion as soon as possible.

Let’s talk about the other side.

After Li Xin and Zhang Ping led an army of 10,000 to escape from the encirclement of Ren Qi and Zhao Tuo, they suffered heavy losses and had many wounded and sick soldiers, so they hurriedly hid in the mountainous area north of Wuyi Mountain.

After the army had rested, Li Xin learned that uprisings had broken out in various parts of the Guandong region, and that various countries were restoring their own states. He frowned, thinking to himself: The situation is already in chaos. If we want to go north to Jiuyuan, it may not be easy.

Li Xin turned to Zhang Ping and said, "With the chaos in Guandong now, it will be difficult for us to go north to Jiuyuan to join Prince Fusu and Meng Tian's troops."

Zhang Ping sighed and agreed, "General, you're absolutely right. So what should we do now?"

Deputy General Peng Cheng stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "General, why don't we rest here first, closely monitor the development of the situation, and then head north when the opportunity arises."

Li Xin shook his head and said worriedly, "The army has lost more than 2,000 men. We are now short of food, supplies, and herbs. This desolate mountain is not a place to live for long."

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Ping suggested, "General, I heard that there's a small town in the northeast called Taimo County that has been captured by rebels. Why don't we go there to quell the rebellion and replenish some food and herbs along the way?"

Li Xin's eyes lit up and he said, "There's no time to lose, let's set off immediately!"

So the army packed up their bags and, following Li Xin's order, they marched towards Taimu County. Their figures gradually moved away in the mountains and forests.

After arriving in the forest outside Taimo County, the scouts hurried over and reported to Li Xin: "General, flags are flying on the city walls. The rebels' defenses seem to be very strong."

Li Xin frowned slightly and went to observe it himself. Standing high in the forest, he gazed at the city wall and pondered in his heart.

Returning to the camp, Li Xin summoned all his generals and said, "Tonight we will raid Taimo County. We must succeed!"

As night fell, Peng Cheng led his soldiers and sneaked to the foot of the city like a ghost.

They used simple ladders to climb up swiftly.

"Kill!" For a moment, the shouts of killing shook the earth. The rebels in the city were frightened by the sudden attack and lost their composure.

Zhang Ping brandished his sword and led the charge into the enemy camp. He shouted, "Brothers, follow me and kill the enemy!" Seeing this, the soldiers' morale was greatly boosted, and they all fought hard.

However, the rebels were few in number and mostly a motley crowd. Seeing the Qin army coming at them like a tiger descending from a mountain, they realized they could not resist and fled in panic, abandoning their armor and weapons.

Li Xin took advantage of the situation and led his army to attack with all their might, and finally succeeded in recapture Taimu County.

Li Xin appeased the people, opened the granaries to release grain, and at the same time replenished a large amount of grain and herbs, as well as a small amount of weapons.

But he knew that this was only a temporary relief to the crisis.

The situation in Guandong remains complicated, and the lives of Prince Fusu and Meng Tian in the north are unknown.

After Li Xin reorganized the team, he decided to continue looking for opportunities to move north.