Chapter 182 Battle of Liyang - Part 12 (2/2)
”Listen up, Imperial soldiers! If you still want to live, surrender! I will treat your wounds and keep you away from this battle! You have done enough. You don't have to fight anymore!” Tong attempted to end this combat in a civilized manner.
The 3,000 surviving battered and injured soldiers on the shore glared at Tong in resentment, yet, they hesitated. As a human, it would be a lie if they said they were not afraid of death. They all wanted to live. Even the soldiers who drown their friends to push themselves ashore wished to live.
”I surrender.” An injured soldier lost his patience and shouted.
With only one shout, chain reaction followed suit.
”I surrender.”
”We surrender.”
”Don't kill me. I surrender!”
Three thousand injured men gave up fighting as they could not see the hope of winning. Saving their skins was the priority.
Tong clenched his fist. After thwarting Zhu Jun's ploy, he gained the control of this battlefield. Zhu Jun and the rest of his men still got stuck on the other side of the river while the weather was getting colder each day.
If he could hold the line until the end of the month, Zhu Jun would be in deep trouble.
”Escort the prisoners back to the city!”
The surrendered soldiers sighed in relief that at least they survived.
…
…
Zhu Jun looked at the surface of the river with a horrified expression. The calm river sudden displayed a sign of flash flood along with various irregularity.
The color of the river was a mixture of dark brown murky substances, red blood, and the light brown of muddy water. There was white smoke coming out of the river, and the water temperature seemed to be at the boiling point.
Furthermore, cooked white corpses of his men floated along with the river current! Their bodies bloated from the water intake and the boiled human fresh odor made half of the men on the shore threw up their lunch.
Zhu Jun worriedly gazed toward the west. Something unexpected had happened with his detached force.
”Don't tell me … they failed!?”
It did not take long for a messenger from the detached force to rush in and gave Zhu Jun the report.
”Report! The rebel force used sorcery against us! All soldiers on the other side of the shore have been annihilated!”
The scout continued reporting the incident in details, the approaching horsemen, the sudden flash flood, the boiling oil, the arrow rain, and the other surge of boiling water.
Zhu Jun's face lost its color. He was unable to think straight for a whole minute.
”The assistant commander has ordered the survivors to regroup with the main army. We've estimated that we've lost over 15,000 men from this fight. We've also concluded that the enemy's general can use sorcery!”
Zhu Jun gulped before he asked, ”How's our enemy? What're their casualties?”
The scout trembled as he was afraid of the punishment. He mustered his courage and told Zhu Jun the truth.
”None, my lord.”
Zhu Jun inhaled a deep breath and slowly breathed out. Several disastrous news almost gave him a heart attack. His hands and fingers could not stop shaking from the nervousness and the heart-pain from the losses.
”Go back and have them regroup with the main army. Treat the injured, and give me the number how many of us left.”
The hoarse voice of Zhu Jun scared the scout. ”Y-Yes, my lord!”
The messenger scrammed away in a hurry as he was scared of the current general. Meanwhile, Zhu Jun watched the leaving frantic soldier with a heavy heart.
After the scout left for a minute, Zhu Jun coughed and spat a mouthful of blood.
Such a reaction was known as battlefield syndrome. When someone faced an unexpected disastrous situation, warlords tended to stress themselves which lowered their immunity system, causing hypertension, heart disease, or depression. Several warlords in many countries in history died because of such backlashes. And Zhu Jun had tasted it for the first time.
”I … will … not … fail … here.”
”Yizhen, please look after me. I will complete our duties!”
”Han Dynasty will prevail!”
”Even if Liu Ping is shit, we will not fail!”
Zhu Jun's eyes were bloodshot. The pale face of his became red, then blue. He clenched his fists and staggered to his tent, planning to get some rest first.</your>