Chapter 708: Exterminating the Entire Population |
Learning that the Song Kingdom's forces had retreated and the capital still held, the Imperial Court breathed a sigh of relief.
The people who had defended all night could finally rest.
The enemy troops were resting. Therefore, the city's inhabitants seized the opportunity to sally forth. They cleared the moat below the city, which was filled with corpses.
Inside the city, there were also many corpses and wounded. The injured could now receive treatment.
Provisions were delivered to every unit of defenders on the wall. The poor, who usually starved, could now eat their fill.
Nevertheless, in such times, wealthy families were forced to bring forth everything to supply the defenders. And the capital was not just home to ordinary rich folk. They were likely the wealthiest people in the entire country! And Tong Mo knew them well.
Others might not know much, but Tong Mo instinctively knew approximately how much grain and other provisions each family possessed.
In ordinary times, he would turn a blind eye, but now he had cause and the authority to seize everything. Therefore, he sent notes to the wealthy, demanding they allocate a certain amount of provisions. And if a rich person began to spout nonsense, Tong Mo would dispatch soldiers to conduct a search. If, in such a case, they found provisions in the wealthy families' homes, the family would be accused of treason and completely exterminated.
Thus, selfish families were cut down.
But something still vexed him. These wealthy individuals, it turned out, had been deceiving him when paying their taxes. They had, it seemed, been making a fool of him.
However, now was not the time to unleash his wrath upon them.
"So that's it! This Meng Shan Ming is truly a supreme master!"
In the Qi Kingdom's capital, within the Hall of Wind and Thunder, Hu Yan Wu Hen, standing before a map, whispered.
He had been following the battles and all the news. Fortunately, there were Qi Kingdom cultivators within Meng Shan Ming's camp. That was how he later learned how Meng Shan Ming had moved his men across the river.
Cha Hu, standing nearby, smiled and said, "Is it so difficult to move people across a river? To me, it was harder to flood people with a deluge!"
Hu Yan Wu Hen turned his head, shaking it as he replied, "Is it as easy as you think? Try having someone experience it themselves? Ask someone to swim across a turbulent river? One must wait until the water level rises, so those swimming have a chance to clamber onto the opposite bank. Remember he was waiting for something at the Dong Yu River? And we didn't understand what he was planning. Everyone thought he lacked provisions, but he was waiting for something. I didn't think he was waiting for a downpour!"
After that, he pointed at the map and said, "Boiling Dragon Gorge! Not only did he determine that brave men needed to be ferried across the river for a surprise attack. He also chose the right time, the right place, and even waited several days for the right weather. Time, weather, terrain – it all seems easy. But this is the pinnacle of strategy. One must admit, this Meng Shan Ming is incredibly formidable. He even managed to utilize the weather. To call him a god of war would be no exaggeration! The Yan Kingdom, by not utilizing such a man, has truly disgraced itself!"
At this moment, a commander quickly rushed into the hall: "Great General, the Song Kingdom has begun attacking the Yan Kingdom's capital!"
As soon as he spoke, Hu Yan Wu Hen and Cha Hu were startled. Hu Yan Wu Hen asked in surprise, "Haven't they started negotiations? Why are they suddenly attacking?"
The commander began to report: "Reporting, Meng Shan Ming has ruined the negotiations. He buried 600,000 prisoners alive! This enraged the Song Kingdom's army!"
Buried 600,000 people alive! Hu Yan Wu Hen and Cha Hu were horrified. The commander then handed them the report to read.
After reading, Hu Yan Wu Hen remained silent for a long time. Finally, he sighed and said, "Meng Shan Ming has not lost his decisive heart. He wants to undermine the Song Kingdom's vitality! He acted this way to eliminate the danger to the Yan Kingdom from the east. He will corner the Song Kingdom and force them to jointly oppose the Han Kingdom! This brave man, for the sake of saving the Yan Kingdom and escaping a dangerous situation, did not hesitate to earn such a reputation. He has indeed started acting very ruthlessly. And one cannot speak of whether his actions are right or wrong. He simply acts like a malevolent demon. The Song Kingdom, by attacking the Yan Kingdom, seems to have condemned itself to mass slaughter!"
Cha Hu furrowed his brows and said, "Mass slaughter is common on the battlefield. But to bury 600,000 prisoners alive, that is truly excessive!"
"Why do I feel he intentionally enraged the Song Kingdom so they would attack the Yan Kingdom's capital!" Hu Yan Wu Hen narrowed his eyes, a glint flashing within them: "Could it be that Shang Chao Zong put him up to this?"
Cha Hu realized something and asked, "Does he want to use the Song Kingdom's troops to destroy Shang Jian Xiong's authority?"
"Ah!" Hu Yan Wu Hen suddenly said, "I understand what he's planning now." Cha Hu asked, "What is he planning?"
Hu Yan Wu Hen merely said with vexation, "He has fought his entire life on horseback, defending the Yan Kingdom. How many people have died around him? Now he sees the state the Yan Kingdom is in. He sees others coveting the Yan Kingdom. This is hard for him to bear. The grief in his heart, you wouldn't understand... I understand him!"
"Report!" Someone cried out from outside again. And again, a messenger entered with a report: "Meng Shan Ming has massacred the entire population of a city in the Song Kingdom!"
Massacred the entire population! The two men were terrified and exchanged glances.
Hu Yan Wu Hen snatched the report and, after reading it, shook his head: "As I expected, Meng Shan Ming will indeed carry out mass slaughter in the Song Kingdom!"
Cha Hu reached out and looked at the report.
When the defensive forces at the river vanished, the Yan Kingdom's troops had no opponent within the Song Kingdom's territory. Meng Shan Ming divided his forces into groups of 100,000 warriors. And these he further divided into units of 10,000. And dispatched them in all directions across the Song Kingdom to sweep away everything in their path. To destroy all.
Wherever the Yan Kingdom's army passed, be it a village or a small town, everything was put to the torch.
Before each attack, he also sent a group of cultivators to surround the city and harass its inhabitants. This prevented the common people from daring to flee their settlements and cities.
In one county town with a population of 30,000, the county magistrate defended the city with his son. Their city was surrounded by the Yan Kingdom's forces. Father and son flatly refused to surrender. They said they would rather die.
Ultimately, the town could not withstand the Yan Kingdom's army. The county magistrate and his son committed suicide. They also killed their wives and children. In gratitude to the great Song!
And the Yan Kingdom's troops, as promised. That after the fall of the city's defenses, they would massacre the entire population. That is what they did. Not even a single chicken was left alive! After this, they burned the city, consigning the corpses to a sea of fire!
The spread-out network of Yan Kingdom warriors acted in this manner. They would first surround a city. They forced the inhabitants to surrender and hand over provisions. Those who surrendered, the common people of such a city, they released from the city. But the city was burned nonetheless.
And wherever their troops passed, the common people of the Song Kingdom fled deeper into the kingdom from those areas.
Not counting now, the Yan Kingdom's troops had already exterminated 3 cities, and burned more than 10 cities everywhere!
"This Meng Shan Ming has crossed the line!" Cha Hu said in a cold tone.
"Crossed the line? Two million warriors have ventured alone into enemy territory. Without any resupply. How long can he last in the Song Kingdom with such provisions? Other than burning and exterminating, what else can he do? Without food, two million warriors will simply perish. And the life and death of the Yan Kingdom rest in their hands. What would you do if you were in his place?" Hu Yan Wu Hen glanced at him askance.
Cha Hu: "But why exterminate cities? And burn cities too. That's just a crime!"
"Will the inhabitants willingly hand over their provisions? Believe it or not, if not exterminated. The inhabitants will either carry away the provisions, or the city leaders will burn them. Heh, heh. On the battlefield, such things are normal. The Song Kingdom, when it attacked the Yan Kingdom, should have been psychologically prepared for this!"
Hu Yan Wu Hen approached the map and, pointing at the Yan Kingdom's capital, said, "Meng Shan Ming is plundering and killing within the Song Kingdom. But his true target is the Song Kingdom's forces stationed outside the Yan Kingdom's capital! Meng Shan Ming is, first, gathering provisions for himself. Second, he is creating large-scale panic in the Song Kingdom. He wants to clear the territory, driving the common people out!"
"Clearing the territory?" Cha Hu did not understand.
"I heard a large amount of provisions also appeared in the capital."
Outside the city, which was now raging with fire, Meng Shan Ming, sitting in his wheelchair, conveyed a report to Gong Ling Ze.
Gong Ling Ze nodded his head: "That's true. This Tong Mo is resourceful. This time, he has offended many people!"
Meng Shan Ming: "I'm not interested in how resourceful he is, nor in how many people he has offended. Report to the people of the three sects in the capital. Tell them to gather the provisions in one place. And if the capital falls, they are to set the provisions on fire. The provisions must not fall into the hands of the Song Kingdom's army!"
Provisions, and burning them! Gong Ling Ze sighed to himself again. But he understood that General Meng spoke correctly. He nodded his head and said, "General Meng, do not worry. Everything will be done. Whatever happens, we will not make concessions to the Song Kingdom's troops!"
Inside the Song Kingdom's Chancellor's residence, Zi Ping Xu was hastily returning.
A slender man with intelligent features was strolling in his courtyard. He had long whiskers, and a refined scent emanated from him. He cupped his hands in greeting: "Chancellor!"
This man was Zi Ping Xu's close advisor, Gu Wu Chun.
Zi Ping Xu, raising him by the shoulder, said with a smile, "Master Gu, you have finally returned." He gestured with his hand for them to speak inside the house.
After the two men sat down at a table in the house, Zi Ping Xu smiled and asked, "Master Gu, you have traveled far, and finally returned?"
Gu Wu Chun smiled faintly and said, "I thought of visiting a few more cultivator shops. It was only at the Ice and Snow Palace that I heard what happened back home, and so I returned. I hear the Chancellor has appointed Cheng Shao Tong as commander against Meng Shan Ming?"
When this was mentioned, Zi Ping Xu became uncomfortable. He sighed and said, "I truly didn't think it would turn out this way. Because of selfish thoughts, I wanted to strike a deal. In the end, I dropped a raised stone onto my own foot. A word spoken before His Majesty cannot be taken back. All that remains is to act according to the circumstances. Master must understand my hardships!"
Gu Wu Chun: "Chancellor, you did well. Let Cheng Shao Tong lead the troops. If Cheng Shao Tong goes up against Meng Shan Ming, Meng Shan Ming will lose!"
"Cheng Shao Tong can be an opponent to Meng Shan Ming?" Zi Ping Xu doubted. He did not believe it.
"That's for later!" Gu Wu Chun waved his hand, dipped his finger into a teapot, and divided the table into two borders. And left drops on both sides. Pointing to the west at one drop, he said, "The Yan Kingdom's Capital! The Song Kingdom's army must not impulsively attack the Yan Kingdom's capital. Chancellor, you must convey this to the Emperor. Let His Majesty issue an edict recalling Luo Zhao's army! The Yan Kingdom's capital must not fall. Shang Jian Xiong must retain power in the Yan Kingdom. We must not help Shang Chao Zong. If Shang Jian Xiong falls, then the three sects of the Yan Kingdom will enthrone Shang Chao Zong. Chancellor, Shang Jian Xiong, with his current group of people, will bring the Yan Kingdom to a favorable position relative to the Song Kingdom. If they continue to rule this way, then without Ning Wang, without his support, Meng Shan Ming will not last long!"