"I have no shame before heaven or the imperial court, yet the court cannot tolerate me. This time, upon returning to the capital, I will die unjustly accused!"
"I refuse to accept this! Why must heroes drink bitterly and sing long songs?"
Under the bewildered gaze of the imperial soldiers, Zhou Qichen stepped forward and patted Qin Vice General's shoulder, saying empathetically, "Old Qin, I feel the same way you do."
"After seeing how Pei Changying treated the Zhao family, I suddenly realized he is not an emperor worthy of our loyalty!"
"My Zhou family has been loyal for generations, loyal to the country, protecting our home and the common people!"
"Not to that foolish ruler!"
"A true man born in this world should choose a wise master to serve."
Qin Vice General, overwhelmed with emotion, patted Zhou Qichen back and said with tears in his eyes, "You're absolutely right."
Then, Qin Vice General turned to the bewildered imperial soldiers and spoke, "I won't force you to join the Elder Princess's forces with me. Those who wish to stay can join the Elder Princess with me."
"If you don't want to stay, you can leave."
"We won't coerce you. Make your own choice, to go or to stay!"
As his words fell, the soldiers looked at each other, unsure of how to choose.
Perhaps due to the recent rumors about the benefits of joining the Plague City's army, seeing the satisfying sweet potatoes, and witnessing their comrades spared by the Elder Princess, they found themselves somewhat tempted.
For them, there wasn't much difference between the imperial court and the Elder Princess!
Whoever could feed them,
Clothe them,
And pay them,
Would be their master!
But some people always fail to read the situation. Someone questioned, "Huh, you're all just a bunch of rebels. What right do you have to preach to us?"
"When facing rebels, my principle is always to kill!"
"We have an army of fifty thousand, while you're just a few hundred. Trying to persuade us to surrender is nothing but a fool's dream."
Qin Vice General's eyes turned cold as blades as he looked at the speaker. His usually stern face revealed a cold smile, making people feel even more chilled to the bone.
Qin Vice General said, "A few hundred? Then tell me, how do you think we dare to charge into a camp of tens of thousands with just a few hundred men? What do you think gives us such confidence?!"
"I've already given you a chance. If you still won't surrender, are you all prepared to come and die?"
As these words fell, all the imperial soldiers took a step back, looking around in panic, remembering the terrifying cannons from that day.
Only the man who had just spoken was caught between advancing and retreating, gritting his teeth and glaring angrily at Qin Vice General, looking determined to die loyal to the emperor.
The man swallowed and said defiantly, "Hah! Who are you trying to scare? It's not certain who will die yet! Everyone, don't be afraid!"
"Today is the day these rebels meet their end!"
Qin Vice General's gaze swept over them, seeing some people step out wanting to kill them, but most remained motionless, weighing the pros and cons.
Qin Vice General and Zhou Qichen exchanged a look.
Since these thousand men insisted on coming to their deaths, they might as well kill them all!
It would also show them the strength of the special forces.
"In that case, kill without mercy!" Qin Vice General led his personal guard of about a hundred men in a charge, their blades drawing blood with every strike.
Zhou Qichen led the special forces team. They were close-combat fighters, so Zhou Qichen had equipped them with Emei daggers for assassination.
Any soldier within their attack range was sure to be killed, their throats gushing blood like fountains.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang bang!!"
In just a few minutes, Zhou Qichen's special forces and Qin Vice General had slaughtered all thousand-plus imperial soldiers, leaving corpses strewn everywhere!
The heavy smell of blood wafted through the valley. In the moonlight, the sight of bodies covering the ground cast another shadow over the hearts of the imperial soldiers.
Hiss!
The people from Plague City were so formidable!
A few hundred men could defeat over a thousand in such a short time!
And those terrifying cannons that scared them witless hadn't even been used.
If the cannons were added, their tens of thousands probably wouldn't be enough to fill the graves.
Instantly, all the imperial soldiers extinguished any different thoughts in their hearts.
Qin Vice General's calm and powerful gaze swept coldly over the soldiers: "What about you? What's your choice?"
"I'm willing to follow General Qin and the Elder Princess!"
"I'm also willing to follow General Qin and..."
After the first person bravely stepped forward, more and more followed suit.
The remaining few thousand soldiers hesitated, not stepping forward.
"I... I don't want to fight anymore! The battlefield is unpredictable, I just want to go home to my wife and children."
"Me too, I want to go home."
"I haven't been home for years, I don't know if my parents are still alive..."
Hearing these homesick words, the soldiers were moved, their eyes growing moist.
"I said, if you want to leave, you can leave! I won't force you! This isn't a test, it's sincere," Qin Vice General repeated.
The thousands of soldiers looked at each other.
One after another, they tentatively put down their weapons and took off their armor. Seeing that Qin Vice General and Zhou Qichen truly didn't stop them, they bowed in gratitude with red eyes and ran off.
The remaining soldiers looked conflictedly at their departing comrades, their eyes flashing with envy and a hint of regret.
If they had known, they would have mustered the courage to choose to go home too!
But who dared to step forward now?
However, these moved imperial soldiers didn't know that before long, they would be grateful for joining the army in Plague City, because the benefits were simply unbelievably good.
After returning to Plague City with the recruited imperial soldiers, Zhou Qichen and Qin Vice General went together to the Elder Princess's Mansion.
The Elder Princess immediately appointed Qin Vice General to manage the more than forty thousand surrendered imperial soldiers.
Hearing this, Qin Vice General's heart surged with gratitude and shame, and he refused: "This subordinate is deeply honored by the Elder Princess's trust, but as a surrendered soldier, I'm not qualified to manage these forty thousand troops."
The Elder Princess's gaze was calm, firm, and trusting as she said:
"I trust those I employ, and I believe in General Qin's abilities!"
Zhou Qichen also interjected angrily from the side: "Who dares say you're not qualified? I'll teach them a lesson! I know better than anyone whether you're qualified or capable."
"Old Qin, I believe in you, and the Elder Princess believes in you even more!"
Seeing the Elder Princess and Zhou Qichen trust him so much, Qin Vice General once again rejoiced that he had chosen the right person to follow!
The imperial court distrusted him, the civil officials looked down on him as an uneducated brute, and the emperor, fearing the Qin family's military power, refused to delegate authority to him at every turn.
Even the deputy general he had personally trained, once in a position of power, tried every means to harm him.
On the other hand, the Elder Princess was welcoming to the talented and virtuous. Although a woman, her magnanimity surpassed that of men.
The Qin Vice General was moved to tears, no longer declining her offer. He knew the Elder Princess was in need of capable people, and he was willing to follow her for life.
"Elder Princess, thank you for your trust and favor. I humbly accept your command!" He spoke these words with solemnity and gravity.
"Hahaha, Old Qin, from now on we'll be fighting side by side! Come to my place tonight, let's drink and gather together. It's been a long time since we've shared a drink."
