Azure Heaven Saber
Chapter 1155 - 1155 51 Meng Shuais Military Record 7

Chapter 1155: Chapter 51 Meng Shuai’s Military Record 7 [4-in-1]_2 Chapter 1155: Chapter 51 Meng Shuai’s Military Record 7 [4-in-1]_2 It was then that Meng Fang made a further change, issuing the command, “Wherever the great army goes, those who surrender shall be spared death. Soldier captives shall be dispersed into the populace. As for the resisters, celestial might shall spread everywhere, and both the innocent and the guilty shall be punished alike!”

When this order was given, the people of Han State, already chilled to the bone, surrendered en masse upon seeing Meng Fang’s flag, with few choosing to resist.

“Is General Meng here?”

“The general is here.”

“We wish to surrender, but we require the general’s golden promise.”

The people of Han were frightened, chilled to the marrow, to the extent that without Meng Fang’s personal promise, they didn’t dare to surrender.

Others’ assurances… who knew if they would count for anything with General Meng!

This time, Meng Fang showed readiness to be receptive, gracefully stating, “Agree to surrender.”

And as soon as General Meng’s approval was secured, the Han Army opened the city gates, disbanded their forces, and when the Qin Army entered the city, they committed no further violence and did not resume killing with swords.

Under the extreme threat of death, coupled with the total destruction of Han’s border defense forces, the garrison strength of each city could not match Meng Fang’s great army.

Indeed, faced with confrontation, they had been utterly slaughtered before, and now, with the option to surrender and save their lives, naturally, the number of surrenders grew.

In another twenty days, Meng Fang led an army of six hundred thousand to besiege the Han capital, and after three days of fierce battle, the city of Han fell.

With the conclusion of this battle, the complete annihilation of Han State was declared, and the entire Han royal family was escorted to Great Qin’s Xianyang.

Afterwards, Meng Fang did not halt his military campaign but led his army in a sweep across the entire territory of Han State, eradicating any remnants of Han’s power, turning the whole region into a land for the Qin Army’s cavalry.

This campaign of annihilation against Han took only ten days from the mobilization of forces, immediate engagement upon reaching the battlefield, and twenty-three days to obliterate a kingdom!

General Meng’s reputation soared once more, reaching new heights across the world, at the pinnacle of military commanders, with no others capable of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him.

Not to mention the invincible general Wu Tiejun, even Wang Jian, the leading general of Qin, had to take a step back in terms of prestige, falling slightly short!

Following this battle, the nations also came to understand something of General Meng’s temperament.

This man was truly heartless in the face of battle, caring only for the lives of the soldiers under his command.

He would not tolerate any defeat, showing not a hint of mercy towards the enemy.

Serious, stubborn, astute, adaptable—his keen grasp on military situations was maddeningly sharp.

He epitomized swift and decisive action!

A single sentence from him was enough to determine the course of battle for five hundred thousand troops; his word followed the law, his commands as unshakable as mountains.

The military discipline under his command was impressively strict, and with an army of a million under his control, his troops were sincerely and wholeheartedly devoted to their commander, willing to give their lives for him.

All of Meng Fang’s experiences were laid bare for everyone to see, clear as water, without any shortcuts; each was hard-won through the struggle for survival on the battlefield.

Ironically, it is precisely this kind of person that the army respects the most—whoever earned military credit received it, thus revealing true heroic qualities.

Meng Fang even went as far as to forgo his own merit, to provide maximum consolation for the fallen comrades.

It is likely because of this, after so many years in the army, aside from the rare few awards sent home, the rest were mostly shared by the soldiers or used to console the bereaved families of the slain.

Especially the latter, which commanded genuine respect from the entire army.

Even the most unruly troublemakers dared not so much as bristle in front of Meng Fang!

To speak plainly, it is because Meng Fang has no ulterior motives, and also because he governs his troops with exacting discipline, that should he call upon his ranks to rebel now, at least half of his generals would raise their banners with him!

A fearsome commander!

On this point, even Wu Tiejun and Fei Xinyu, and even Wang Jian, could not rival the esteem he held within the army.

Because he rose from the lowest ranks, undefeated in battle, loved his soldiers like children, and strictly enforced military law.

Everything that was crucial to the relationship between a soldier and a commander, he did perfectly, and with genuine sentiment, not a mere show or affectation.

Meng Fang, such was the legend who arose from the grassroots, a pure village commoner!

But know this: most soldiers come from grassroots origins, how many are not village commoners themselves?

This sense of identification is already a powerful tool.

While it is not to say that Wu Tiejun and Fei Xinyu are much weaker than Meng Fang, they indeed lack the background experiences rooted in the grassroots.

What do soldiers talk about together in the barracks?

Conversations about military exploits are actually quite rare; more often than not, those in the army chat about childhood experiences, how they starved, were beaten, suffered, ate grass, fed pigs, touched a girl from the village, peeped at someone bathing, who was pretty, how every part of her was pretty… and so on.

Such are the truly shared topics because everyone has lived through them, and their shared experiences evoke a profound sense of empathy.

Rich people have their own exciting experiences, but the hardships of the poor are generally of a similar nature.

One and a half months later.

Meng Fang had thoroughly subdued Han territory, with Qin officials taking up their posts in succession. Only a small contingent of troops remained to enforce Qin law, deter petty criminals, and suppress remnants, while the million-strong army led by Meng Fang once again surged like a torrent into Wei State.

Meng Fang’s move was so abrupt that he did not even consult with General Wu Yun, who was then facing off against Wei at the front, but simply broke into the battlefield from another front.