Chapter 2: A Man's Tears

The captain beside Fu Ge spoke with a choked voice, pulling Fu Ge forcefully towards the inner city. There could be no more hesitation; the warriors tasked with blocking the enemy had fallen one by one in battle. They could not be allowed to sacrifice themselves in vain

Black, forever permeating the aura of death

The long-absent governor of Sanchuan, Li You, suddenly appeared before Fu Ge and the others, accompanied by over a hundred soldiers armed with bows, crossbows, halberds, and spears

"Boldly, I am the county magistrate here, the highest commander in this city. Anyone who defies my orders shall be executed without mercy!" Seeing the disdainful expressions on the soldiers' faces, Li You's countenance immediately turned grave and menacing. He raised his right hand, and the soldiers beside him promptly drew their bows and aimed at Fu Ge and the others.

Fu Ge looked in that direction, where the rebels were gathered, flags flying, marking the command center of the insurgents. In front of a military flag emblazoned with the character "Li," Fu Ge saw a long wooden pole, upon which was impaled a bloody human head.

However, the crossbow units meticulously trained by the Qin Dynasty have come to an end just like that

Death—there is nothing to fear. Over these days, Fu Ge has become accustomed to facing death. He is no longer the inexperienced recruit who first stepped onto the battlefield. On the contrary, being able to lie alongside his fallen comrades and fight alongside the admired General Meng Ping is an unparalleled honor

Bravest soldiers of the Great Qin, you cannot go out; you must stay here to defend this city! A sharp voice suddenly rang out, accompanied by a blinding cold light

Brothers, it is time for men to take up arms and follow me to reclaim the general! A cold wind swept in, mingled with the scent of blood, and Fu Ge could not help but be overwhelmed with tears. He could no longer control his excited emotions and shouted as he raised the crossbow high above his head

As the elite of the Great Qin army, none of them hesitated upon receiving the order. The honor of a soldier resides in their hearts, compelling them to march forward without hesitation, even in the face of death

Hurry up and leave!

No matter how solid the defenses are, they cannot withstand prolonged assaults. In order to breach the city gates, the bodies of the rebels have piled up like mountains beneath the walls, and now they have finally achieved their goal

If the supply of provisions could be secured, if Meng Ping still had a reserve force at hand, if the soldiers defending the city could rest even for a moment, if—perhaps the city could be held. A certain intuition told Fu Ge that this fierce assault should be the rebels' last desperate attempt. The prolonged conflict over the past few months had not only exhausted the defending soldiers but had also dragged the rebels into a quagmire.

The surviving soldiers of the Southern Army of the Great Qin number over 300, and nearly all are injured. Faced with Li You's sudden attack, the unprepared crossbowmen stand no chance of victory

Stop looking! The captain's face was filled with sorrow as he let out a long sigh and patted Fu Ge on the shoulder, his expression also somber. Fu Ge was merely a 'regular soldier' who had been enlisted for less than two years, while the captain was a veteran with twelve years of service. The stories Fu Ge knew about General Meng Ping and the Lin Tao unit were all recounted by him. At that time, the captain was just like Fu Ge now, a 'regular soldier' who had recently joined, and General Meng Ping was his captain. The stories Fu Ge knew about General Meng Ping and the Lin Tao unit were all recounted by him. At that time, the captain was just like Fu Ge now, a 'regular soldier' who had recently joined, and General Meng Ping was his captain

After enduring great hardships to retreat to the inner city, what awaited them was such a situation. This not only caught Fu Ge and the others off guard, but it is likely that General Meng Ping, who has already passed away, could not have anticipated this either

To the left of Fugo, at a prominent section of the city wall that was under the most intense attack, were the Seventh and Ninth Squads. Over two hundred soldiers had suffered near-total casualties under the relentless assaults of the enemy, and they could no longer hold their ground. In Fugo's line of sight, dozens of enemy swordsmen had already climbed onto the wall, fiercely charging towards the defending crossbowmen.

Fu Ge suddenly gasped in shock as he saw not far away, the lieutenant Meng Ping fiercely slash his sword across the throat of a rebel officer. Blood gushed out wildly, and the rebel fell down with a scream. However, before he could withdraw his sword, a spear from the rebels pierced through his chest from behind.

The outer city was in disarray, with corpses strewn everywhere. The citizens who could not make it into the inner city were fleeing in all directions, yet they could find no place to hide. Cries of anguish and pleas for help echoed from all sides

Fu Ge stared hard with wide eyes at Da Se and the books, asking where the city gate was. Where was General Meng Ping? Were his brothers, who shared the same kitchen and ate together day and night, still alive?

However, no matter how Ren Fuge searched, he could not find them. The once grand and imposing city gate had collapsed by more than half, with only half of the character "Xing" still faintly visible. There, corpses were piled upon one another, making it impossible to distinguish who was who.

The crossbowmen preparing to retreat halted their steps, their hearts torn between disobeying orders to rescue and executing commands

Black is synonymous with the grim reaper.

Not only the city gate, but also the defenses on both sides have encountered issues. This time, the rebel forces did not swarm towards the city gate as they had in the past; instead, they dispersed to attack the city. As a result, the weakness of the defending Qin army, due to insufficient manpower, has been exposed

Crossbowmen, retreat to the inner city and hold your ground, strongmen, follow me! The situation is dire, General Meng Ping shouted as he rose to his feet. Hand-to-hand combat is not the forte of agile and slender archers like Fu Ge. Without arrows, the crossbows are rendered useless. At this moment, the strongmen responsible for the crossbows all picked up their spears and charged forward.

He did not expect that someone could be pierced by a thick spear and still survive. In a state of panic, he actually let go and attempted to flee, but his throat had already been firmly grasped by a pair of strong hands. The only outcome awaiting him was one of suffocation and death

Although General Meng Ping has fallen in battle and is no longer with us, in the hearts of all the living soldiers of the Lintao division, he remains their captain

"General! Please forgive your subordinate's incompetence." After a long silence of confrontation, the captain was the first to kneel towards the outer city, tears streaming down his face.

Li You's complexion was dark and pale, perhaps due to a lack of exercise. At not yet forty, he had already become somewhat corpulent. If he had been able to send out the guards beside him earlier, he might have managed to hold the city walls. But now, it was all too late

As familiar figures swept past him one by one, followed by cries as they fell, Fu Ge's eyes began to well up with tears

Thanks to the desperate resistance of the concealed troops, Fu Ge and his companions managed to retreat into the inner city. However, when these surviving remnants once again ascended the city walls to survey the battlefield, the last glimmer of hope in their hearts was ruthlessly shattered by the harsh reality

General

Captain, come and take a look! Suddenly, a companion shouted while pointing to the right.

In no time, dozens of powerful warriors fell into pools of blood

Thud, thud—! Over three hundred soldiers knelt one after another. A man’s knees are worth gold, and men do not shed tears lightly. Yet at this moment, the crossbowmen, who once faced death without fear, could no longer suppress the grief and anger in their hearts. One by one, they broke down in tears, weeping uncontrollably.

Everyone charged forward, fighting with all their might! The blood of all the living soldiers of the Lintao Division surged in their chests and hearts, ignited by a single phrase from Fu Ge that sparked the fighting spirit of all.

The rebel soldier holding the spear was stunned

His head was hung on the flagpole by the enemy as a trophy, his eyes looking down from above, still watching Fu Ge and the others, observing whether his soldiers had brought him shame, whether they had tarnished the glory of the Great Qin.

The general has fallen in battle

On the battlefield, it has only one meaning: either you die, or I perish

As for Li You, even though he is the governor of San Chuan County and the son of the Prime Minister of the Great Qin, in the eyes of these soldiers, he is merely a coward who fears for his life.

Brothers, retreat

Blood splattered, the sounds of killing shook the heavens

At the position where Fu Ge and his men were originally stationed, amidst the numerous corpses of the rebels, there were sporadic black spots, the color of the Qin soldiers' uniforms.

"It is the general's head!" shouted all the soldiers of the Qin Dynasty retreating into the city. No matter how far away they were, and even though the head was a bloody mess, the soldiers were still able to recognize it as the head of General Meng Ping

Meng Ping suddenly shouted at the dazed Fu Ge and the others, then abandoned his sword and grasped the spear tightly, surprisingly advancing instead of retreating. His body left a long trail of blood red along the spear shaft.

"Who are you? On what grounds do you command us?" a surviving soldier responded bluntly. Although the crossbowman held a lowly status, on the battlefield, only a brave and fearless commander could earn respect