I am a commoner, but I will lead the empress to unify the world

Chapter 265: The Zhennan Army's surprise attack on the enemy

Shen Changgong nodded and said,

"Yu Huatian is right. If we arbitrarily arrest and kill innocent people, we will inevitably be accused of massacring the city, which is not conducive to stabilizing the people's hearts."

The Southern King had a different opinion and said with a cold face,

"The people of Kun are enemies first, and citizens second. They will not appreciate your kindness, but will instead regard you as weak.

Although you need to appease the people, you also need to use both kindness and force. First, you have to make them fear you, and then they will respect you.

You can't tame a wolf just by giving it food; you also need a stick.

Anyone who dares to rebel must be suppressed with thunder and lightning, and those who do not rebel must be treated with benevolence.

Only when the cost of rebellion is high enough will they not dare to act rashly and become honest citizens.

This prince agrees with this young man Su's opinion. After entering the city, we should immediately seal the city gates and walls, offer a reward while searching for them. We must catch this nest of rats. Otherwise, the rear will be unstable, and what should we do if they incite the people to revolt?"

Shen Changgong smiled and said,

"Okay, you're right. I'll listen to you this time."

"Oh? It's rare for you to listen to others."

"What are you talking about? Am I, Shen Changgong, that kind of stubborn and self-willed person?"

Everyone laughed and then went back to rest.

The next morning, the army continued to advance south.

After six full days, they were still four days away from Boyang City, and they also received news that Nie Bei had arrived in Ziyang County City and sent 20,000 troops each to Xiagu County City and Qiongming City, and then recruited local laborers to continue digging trenches.

Time was short and the task was heavy. Except for 100,000 soldiers who were on guard and scattered in the north of the desert ready for battle, all the other troops were sent to dig trenches.

On the other hand, the King of the South also led the Zhennan Army and set off in a mighty force, heading straight for the desert.

Halfway through the journey, they set up camp in an open space, leaving behind a thousand cavalrymen to defend it, while the rest of the people followed the Southern King into the desert.

Along the way, they bypassed Boyang City and rushed into the desert in a mighty force. Not long after, they ran into a team of 10,000 Kun troops.

The 100,000 alert troops were not guarding only one place. They were scattered in ten areas, with each corps five miles apart. When a corps was attacked, the scouts would immediately notify the other corps and the soldiers digging trenches in the back to prepare for battle.

Nie Bei's tactics were good, but he didn't expect the Yan army to be so bold that they would dare to launch a surprise attack over 200 miles on the first day of his arrival.

And they sent cavalry.

Even if there were 50,000 cavalrymen, they would not be able to return against 400,000 infantrymen.

But at this time, his men were digging trenches.

Those soldiers and civilians were scattered in various areas, digging crisscross trenches side by side, and they were holding hoes instead of swords and guns.

Theoretically, his army had time to react, but the Zhennan Army was too fast.

When the Zhennan Army saw the 10,000 soldiers lined up to meet the enemy in a tight battle formation, the King of Nan immediately ordered them to go around.

It’s not that the fully armed soldiers can’t afford to kill, but the trench diggers behind are more cost-effective.

Those people had no military formation and no weapons, so it was so satisfying to kill them.

When the infantrymen saw them going around, they were horrified and wanted to chase them immediately, but two legs could not outrun four legs.

……

A Kunjun soldier, holding a hoe, dug the yellow earth under his feet fiercely, muttering softly as he dug,

"Damn it, it's so annoying! We joined the army to fight, not to dig ditches. I'm tired of digging ditches every day since I got here. If I had that much time, I could dig a canal in my hometown village."

The companion next to him said,

"That's right. When I was in Qiuxin County, I dug ditches every day for more than half a month, and suddenly it was all in vain.

They made us all rush to Ziyang County to dig ditches on this barren loess slope. The ditches I dug these days are enough to turn over my family's land.

Now, instead of digging the good land at home where we can grow crops, I have to dig this kind of loess that doesn’t produce crops. It’s so troublesome. I really don’t know what we are doing.”

"Well, since your family owns land, why did you join the army?"

"I was conscripted here, what about you?"

"I joined the army voluntarily. My family lost their land. After paying the annual grain tax, we didn't have enough to eat. We owed money to the landlord, so the landlord took away the land.

Last time I heard a learned person say something about...land annexation?

I don't understand these things either. Anyway, I have no land left, and I'm a soldier because I get food and salary, so I just do it.

He's just a common man."

"Yes, he is just a common man, and his life is worthless."

Suddenly, they felt the ground beneath their feet shaking slightly, and the people around them raised their heads, straightened their backs, and looked outside the trench.

In the distance, I saw a vast group of black flags and black armors rushing towards this side at a high speed.

"Is that... the Yan army?"

"right?"

"Didn't you say you wanted to fight? Well, now's your chance."

"Run!"

The soldier roared, crawled out of the trench, dropped his hoe, and even forgot to pick up his knife, and ran desperately towards the south.

Behind him, the Zhennan Army cavalry spread out, leaped over the trenches, swung their butcher knives, and slashed at the unarmed enemy.

"The enemy is coming! Run!"

"The Yan army is coming! The Yan army is coming!"

"Run, run to the camp!"

"Hurry up, hurry up, don't kill me!"

"what!"

The entire desert was filled with Kun's army, making it impossible to form an effective resistance.

The soldiers' shouts spread from one to ten, and from ten to a hundred, and people from other places also dropped their hoes and hammers and ran to the nearest camp or city.

The Zhennan Army had never fought such an easy battle.

Behind them were the ten corps of Kun’s army, desperately chasing them.

In front of them, the enemy troops were fleeing in all directions like a flock of frightened sheep.

These recruits had never been to the battlefield. When they encountered the cavalry, which was as aggressive as a group of wild beasts, they were so scared that they could do nothing but run away.

He had completely forgotten everything the generals and coaches had taught him, such as the military formations, drum beats, and flag signals.

Of course, let alone the new recruits, even the veterans, when they were in a disorganized situation and suddenly encountered tens of thousands of enemy cavalry coming to attack, they would have no choice but to escape.

However, veterans will find cover, such as lying down in the nearest corner of the trench.

There were quite a few smart people who didn't have time to escape, that's how it was.

The Zhennan Army was like a tiger among a flock of sheep, slaughtering the Kun Army they saw along the way like slaughtering livestock.

But Kun's army was too scattered, and many of them had run far away. Some of them couldn't even kill an enemy.