And this was exactly what Zhao Feng wanted.

These routed troops are about sixty or seventy thousand strong. As they charge towards the city from all directions, our pursuing army will surely throw Wu'an City into utter chaos. No matter how well Pang Xuan has arranged his defenses, he will ultimately be overwhelmed by these routed soldiers.

Zhao Feng smiled inwardly.

Then, with a wave of his hand, he commanded, "Daqin Elite Soldiers, heed my order! All forces, pursue and kill!"

"Wind! Wind! Wind!"

"We swear to follow the General to the death! Kill!"

Countless Sharp Warriors responded with a roar.

With Zhao Cong's death, the West City of Wu'an had fallen entirely. As Zhao Feng led the Qin Army's charge toward the inner city, the fall of Wu'an City became a foregone conclusion.

Meanwhile, at the East and South Gates.

"Report, General!"

"The West Gate has fallen! General Zhao Cong has been killed in battle!"

"A large number of routed soldiers are surging this way! Please give your orders, General!"

The Deputy General reported to the generals commanding the East and South Gates. The death of Zhao Cong and the fall of the West City naturally led to the complete collapse of Zhao's defensive line.

At the East Gate and the South Gate, the Daqin Elite Soldiers' offensive was still fierce, but the morale of the Zhao troops defending the walls had clearly changed.

"Senior General."

"We've just received news. General Zhao Feng has breached Wu'an's West City and personally killed Zhao Cong. Now, General Zhao Feng is continuing his attack into the heart of Wu'an City," the excited Personal Guard Commander reported to Wang Jian.

Zhao Feng... He is indeed worthy of being this general's son-in-law. Wang Jian laughed heartily.

"Report!"

"The East Gate has been breached by General Yang!"

"Report!"

"The South Gate has been breached by General Wang!"

"Our Sharp Warriors have already stormed into the city!"

Two more messengers came running to report to Wang Jian.

Upon hearing this, Wang Jian's smile grew even broader. "Hahaha! Zhao Feng has penetrated the inner city, causing a total collapse of the Zhao defenses. Pang Xuan has lost."

The Personal Guard Commander nodded vigorously. "General Zhao Feng is truly formidable! To think he broke through a city garrisoned by 300,000 Zhao troops in just one day."

"Indeed," Wang Jian said. "Originally, I thought breaking this city would require at least half a month and nearly 100,000 casualties. But now, the casualties have been halved, and the speed of this conquest is astonishing."

"Once the city is secured, immediately draft a military report and send it to Xianyang."

"With this city's fall, the destruction of the Zhao state has become inevitable. Handan City is less than a hundred miles from here. Once Handan falls, Zhao's doom will be sealed," Wang Jian laughed aloud.

This glorious achievement of destroying a nation was destined to be credited to his Lantian Camp once again.

「North City Gate of Wu'an!」

Pang Xuan's troops were stationed here.

"Senior General," a trusted aide reported to Pang Xuan. "The West Gate has fallen; General Zhao Cong was killed in battle. Routed soldiers are storming towards all the other gates. I'm afraid the East and South Gates won't hold for much longer."

"Zhao Cong... How could this happen?" Pang Xuan's expression turned ugly in an instant, partly due to Zhao Cong's death and partly because Wu'an City was on the brink of falling.

"Senior General, this city... it might be indefensible now," one of the generals said, his voice trembling.

"One day. Just one day," Pang Xuan laughed loudly, his laughter tinged with bitterness. "A city I was defending with 300,000 soldiers was breached in just one day. A laughingstock. I'm the laughingstock of the world."

Before returning to Zhao, he had led an army of 300,000 on relentless campaigns against Yan, even conquering half of its territory. Now, in his first battle back, even while defending a fortified city, he had been defeated in a single day.

"Senior General..." The surrounding Zhao generals looked at Pang Xuan with deep concern.

"Wu'an is the gateway to Handan. If we retreat, Handan will have to face the Qin Army directly, and our state of Zhao will be in grave danger."

"But if we don't retreat... Handan has only 50,000 soldiers in its Imperial Guard Army. If I fight to the death here, at most I'll wear down the Qin Army somewhat. Ultimately, Zhao will be left with no military strength, with no army left to defend it."

"I can die. But Zhao must not perish."

Sigh...

At that moment, Pang Xuan weighed the pros and cons. Ultimately, he bowed his head to reality.

"Open the North Gate. Order Yan Ju to lead the rearguard. The main army will retreat to Handan to defend it."

"Furthermore, request that the Great King immediately dispatch the armies from the Dai Territory as reinforcements for Handan," Pang Xuan said in a somber voice.

Having issued this order, Pang Xuan seemed to lose all his strength.

***

「Inside Longtai Palace in Handan!」

With Pang Xuan returning as reinforcement, Zhao Yan's worries had eased. However, as long as the Qin Army did not withdraw, Zhao Yan dared not become too complacent.

"How is the battle for Wu'an going?" Zhao Yan asked Guo Kai.

"Please be at ease, Your Majesty," Guo Kai replied with a fawning smile. "Wu'an is personally overseen by Senior General Pang Xuan and defended by Zhao's mighty army of 300,000. No matter how powerful the Qin Army is, they cannot possibly break through General Pang Xuan's defenses."

"I naturally have confidence in old General Pang," Zhao Yan said. "But I am not thinking merely of defense. I wish to annihilate every last one of the invading Qin soldiers to quench the hatred in my heart."

"One day," Zhao Yan seethed, "I want to see Ying Zheng kneeling at my feet."

It was all Ying Zheng's fault, all Qin's fault. If not for Ying Zheng's interference, the state of Yan would have already been conquered by him, and he, Zhao Yan, would have become a great king who expanded Zhao's territory.

Ying Zheng had ruined everything. How could he not hate him?

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