coobybook Chapter 562 The Demise of the State of Chu
Chapter 562 The Demise of the State of Chu
One command after another was issued silently, and then all that was left was to wait patiently.
Ying Wuyou knew very well that in the war of annihilation, military force was only the final step. Economic strangulation, the disintegration of public opinion, and political division—these three invisible nets had already tightly bound Yingdu before Wang Jian's army arrived, causing it to rot from within.
At the same time, she is also looking in other directions.
Fusu made good progress in the Baiyue region. With his benevolence and courage, he integrated more than one-third of the tribes, forming a loose alliance with himself as the leader. This not only expanded the territory of Qin, but also relieved the Qin state of its worries about the south.
The situation in the Qi and Wei regions was relatively calm. With the Crown Prince of Wei, Ji, held hostage in Xianyang, the King of Wei had no other choice.
Qi's prime minister, Hou Sheng, had already been fed a steady stream of "generous gifts" from Qin. In addition, the "economic trade market" proposed by Ying Wuyou and established on the border had made Qi nobles extremely wealthy. Furthermore, King Jian of Qi was weak and incompetent, so the possibility of Qi intervening militarily was extremely slim.
"The outcome is decided." Ying Wuyou breathed a sigh of relief, refocusing his gaze on the battlefield of Yingdu. Now, it all depends on how Wang Jian makes his final move.
Wang Jian's army advanced with unstoppable momentum.
Having lost Xiang Yan and his elite troops, the Chu army was virtually defenseless against the battle-hardened, well-equipped, and highly motivated Qin army. Cities along the way either surrendered without a fight or crumbled instantly before the Qin army's terrifying siege equipment.
In just over a month, the black Qin army banners appeared in the sight of Yingdu.
An army of 500,000, with camps stretching for hundreds of miles, completely surrounded Yingdu. A chilling atmosphere filled the air, startling even the birds on the city walls into silence.
Wang Jian did not rush to attack the city. He adopted the strategy of "winning hearts and minds first, and minimizing casualties." Qin craftsmen began to systematically build more siege towers and ladders, dig trenches, and construct earthen mounds, creating the impression of a long-term siege.
This unhurried pace, ironically, put even greater pressure on the city of Yingdu.
The Chu army general defending the city was Jing Ju of the Jing clan, a veteran general, but he was facing Wang Jian, an army of 500,000 fierce warriors. More importantly, his soldiers were demoralized, food supplies were scarce in the city, and rumors were rampant.
The latest issue of the *Da Qin Xin Bao* newspaper was shot into the city by Qin soldiers, and its contents quickly spread among the defenders and the populace. The stark contrast between the "generous treatment" of Xiang Yan's surrendered soldiers and the horrific scene of cannibalism within the city severely shook the will of the defenders. Soldiers frequently lowered themselves down the city walls at night to surrender to the Qin army.
Although Jingju killed many who spread rumors and tried to escape, the morale of the army had collapsed, like an anthill under a dam, which could not be blocked by violence.
Inside the Chu King's palace, a final frenzy is unfolding.
Fu Chu, like a trapped beast, would sometimes hysterically order Jing Ju to go out of the city for a decisive battle, and at other times fearfully demand that the palace gates be closed and the defenses strengthened.
The court officials harbored their own ulterior motives. Some secretly contacted the Qin army outside the city to seek a way out; others incited the burning of palaces with straw, to die with the state.
"Your Majesty! We cannot hesitate any longer! The Qin army is besieging us without attacking; their intentions are malicious. They are waiting for our army to collapse on its own! Now, the only way is to concentrate all our forces, leave the city, and fight to the death. Perhaps there is a glimmer of hope!" A radical young general knelt down and pleaded tearfully.
"A decisive battle to the death? Do you all wish to send me to my death?" Fu Chu's eyes were unfocused as he suddenly swept the wine pot off the table. "You are all traitors! You are all traitors!"
Just then, a deafening commotion and the faint sounds of weapons clashing came from outside the palace.
"Report—!" A palace attendant scrambled into the hall, his face ashen. "Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened! General Jing... General Jing Ju... he opened the west gate and surrendered to the Qin army!"
"What?!" Fu Chu was struck dumb, jumped up, staggered back, and fell back onto the throne, his face ashen.
The surrender of the Jing clan became the final straw that broke the camel's back. The vast capital of Yingdu, the capital of the Chu state that had been governed for hundreds of years, saw the last thread of order in the city snap completely.
"He's surrendered! General Jing has surrendered!"
"The city gates are open! The Qin army is coming in!"
"Run! Run!"
Panic spread like wildfire, instantly engulfing every section of the city wall and every street. The defending soldiers discarded their spears and halberds, took off their heavy armor, and fled in all directions like headless flies, or knelt in groups on both sides of the street, raising their weapons above their heads, waiting for the conquerors to take them over.
The generosity that once vowed to live and die with the city seemed so pale and powerless in the face of the instinct for survival and the fighting spirit that had long been eroded by public opinion.
Wang Jian stood beneath the central army's banner, his aged yet sharp gaze calmly fixed on the wide-open west gate and the vast city behind it, mired in chaos and despair.
He showed no sign of the elation of a victor, only the calm of someone who had accomplished a difficult task, and the prudence of a commander in the face of this historic conquest.
"Order the entire army to enter the city in an orderly manner according to the pre-determined strategy." His voice was steady and powerful, piercing through the clamor of the battlefield. "Each battalion shall control key roads, treasuries, and government offices according to their assigned areas. Enforce strict military discipline; anyone who dares to plunder civilians, rape women, or kill surrendered soldiers without authorization shall be executed without mercy! The primary objective is to seize the Chu King's Palace!"
"Yes, sir!" the messenger roared in response, spurring his horse and galloping off in all directions.
The black torrent began to surge. The Qin infantry formations marched in unison, with powerful and resounding steps, like a moving steel forest, pouring into Yingdu from the west gate and other city gates subsequently opened by spies within the city.
Their actions were efficient and ruthless, swiftly seizing strategic points, dispersing scattered resistance, and gathering the surrendered Chu soldiers under their guard. Amidst the city's clamor, the Qin officers' commands, the clanging of armor, and the cries of terrified civilians mingled together, composing a tragic lament for the empire's demise.
Meanwhile, the Chu King's Palace—the core of the Chu Kingdom's centuries-old glory and power—is shrouded in the deepest despair.
King Fuchu of Chu slumped on the enormous throne, carved with phoenix totems. The seat, once a symbol of supreme power, now resembled a cold instrument of torture. The shouts of battle, wails, and the crackling of burning palace wood outside grew ever closer, like the footsteps of death.
His magnificent royal robes were stained with wine and dust, and his eyes stared blankly at the sky outside the palace gates, which was bathed in the orange glow of the firelight. His former arrogance and domineering presence had vanished without a trace, leaving only a numbness as if his soul had been emptied and... endless regret.
"It's over...it's all over..." The voice inside him screamed wildly in his mind, "Yingdu...the Great Chu...the state that has lasted for hundreds of years...it has actually fallen at my hands!"
His thoughts drifted uncontrollably. He recalled the ambition he had when he first ascended the throne, and how he had once dreamed of governing diligently and reviving the Chu state's hegemony. But how had things come to this?
"Xiang Yan... Xiang Yan..." This name kept recurring like a nightmare. Yes, it all started with the suspicion of Xiang Yan. At the time, I only felt that that old scoundrel's achievements were too great for the emperor's grasp, that the army only knew Xiang Yan and not the King of Chu, and that those corrupt officials in the court were constantly nagging in my ear, saying that the Xiang clan was too powerful to be controlled... And that damned *Da Qin Xin Bao*! Those seemingly casual, yet every word was a veiled attack on my conscience! Now, thinking back, how could I have been so foolish as to believe those lies!