After reading the report, Zhang Han's eyes were filled with both fury and battle intent.
"Heaven has shown mercy, His Majesty is unharmed," Zhang Han spoke slowly.
"When the assassin was about to succeed, the Supreme General returned to the court just in time and subdued the assassin with a single strike."
"All the assassins from the Yan State have also been shot to death by a rain of arrows."
Hearing this, all the generals in the command tent let out a sigh of relief.
If the current King of Qin had truly been assassinated, the entire Qin State would have been thrown into great turmoil.
For the Wuan military camp and their lord, this would have been a disastrous event.
"Did the Supreme General send this message to warn us to be wary of the Yan State?" Li You asked.
"No," Zhang Han shook his head, his face turning cold. "The Supreme General has issued an order."
With those words, Zhang Han raised the secret edict high.
Inside the grand hall, all the gathered generals immediately stood up and bowed in respect.
"We humbly await the Supreme General's command!"
"The Yan State is treacherous and dishonorable, using the pretense of diplomacy to attempt an assassination against His Majesty."
"This crime cannot be tolerated."
"His Majesty has already issued a decree: Qin shall declare war on Yan."
"Now"
"The Supreme General, in obedience to His Majesty's will, orders our Wuan military camp to strike Yan before they have time to react."
"In the name of vengeance for our nation"
"We shall wipe away Qin's shame and destroy Yan!"
Zhang Han's voice rang out with authority.
Upon hearing this, a glint of anticipation flashed in the eyes of all the generals.
To them, this was undoubtedly great news.
The conquest of Wei had been completed for nearly half a year now, and the army had long since finished recuperating.
Now was the perfect time to march.
Furthermore, the Wuan camp had stockpiled enough provisions to sustain the army for one or two months, and additional supplies would certainly arrive in due time.
"We obey the command!"
The generals responded in unison.
"Has the Supreme General given any instructions on how to deploy our forces?" Tu Sui asked.
"The Supreme General has stated that our cavalry should take advantage of their speed to break through Yan's borders, while the two infantry divisions should attack Yan from two separate fronts."
"If we encounter a city, we take it by force."
"Before Yan has time to organize a response, we must seize as many cities as possible."
"With Yan's current military strength, they cannot possibly withstand the might of Qin." Zhang Han relayed the orders.
"This plan is excellent," Tu Sui and Li You immediately nodded in agreement.
As for the Yan State
A nation that had been unable to fend off Zhao's army, they hardly posed a threat to Qin.
After delivering Zhao Feng's orders, Zhang Han immediately commanded, "Generals, return to your camps and assemble your troops for a war oath ceremony."
"Understood!"
Tu Sui and Li You both nodded, and the subordinate officers also bowed in acceptance of their orders.
Before long
At the primary command camp, in the cavalry division.
With the sound of war drums echoing, 100,000 soldiers gathered in the vast parade ground.
As the headquarters of the Wuan military camp, the area was massive, easily accommodating the assembled troops.
Of course
Beyond this central division, the second and third main camps were stationed on either side of Yunzhong City, also mobilizing their forces.
On the parade ground
Zhang Han strode onto the command platform, clad in his battle armor, exuding authority.
Today, Zhang Han was no longer just a military captain; he was now a leading general, commanding 100,000 troops with full authority.
"General Zhang Han has arrived!"
A loud announcement rang out.
"Salute to General Zhang!"
The 100,000 troops roared in unison.
The sound shook the heavens.
During the campaign against Wei, the Wuan camp had just been established, primarily composed of penal battalions.
But after the conquest of Wei, nearly seventy percent of those penal soldiers had been pardoned, with over forty percent being granted noble titles, transforming into true elite Qin warriors.
With so many former penal soldiers being rewarded, the remaining ones were filled with even greater resolve.
"At ease."
Zhang Han commanded with a powerful voice.
Having reached the Xiantian (Innate) realm, his voice naturally carried an imposing strength.
"Thank you, General!"
The soldiers responded in unison.
A wave of motion rippled through the ranks as all eyes turned to the command platform.
Even those too far away to see focused their attention on the speaker.
"Let my words be spread throughout the entire army," Zhang Han said calmly.
Below the platform, numerous officers acknowledged the order.
"Just now, I received an urgent message from Xianyang."
"The Yan State sent an envoy to present a tribute to Qin, yet under this guise, they attempted to assassinate His Majesty."
"His Majesty narrowly escaped death."
"Fortunately, our Supreme General acted in time, repelling the assassins and saving the King."
"But the audacity of Yan to commit such treachery, to disguise an assassination attempt as a diplomatic mission His Majesty was nearly slain!"
"This crime shall not be forgiven!"
Zhang Han declared coldly.
His voice carried the full weight of his fury toward Yan.
As his words spread throughout the army, the expressions of all present changed.
"Yan dared to attempt to assassinate His Majesty?!"
"Their audacity knows no bounds!"
"Outrageous!"
"His Majesty was almost killed by an assassin?"
"Unforgivable!"
"Since joining Qin, we have not only been spared but have also received His Majesty's grace he allowed us to communicate with our families, to redeem our crimes through military service."
"All of this was granted to us by the Supreme General and His Majesty, yet that treacherous Yan State dared to plot against him!"
"Yan must be destroyed for this!"
"The Might of Qin Cannot Be Insulted!"
In an instant, the entire training ground erupted with countless soldiers cursing in fury.
For the warriors who were already Qin elites, Zhao Feng was the very soul of the army.
And within the vast territory of Qin, the King of Qin was the supreme ruler.
Now, foreign assassins had dared to attempt to kill their king this was a direct humiliation to them as Qin soldiers.
As time passed, a single, unified chant gradually filled the military camp.
"Revenge! Revenge! Revenge!"
One after another, the warriors raised their weapons high, shouting for vengeance.
A terrifying killing intent spread across the entire training ground.
Even the very air seemed to carry a sense of overwhelming pressure.
Seeing this, Zhang Han's face reflected the same unyielding determination.
He raised his hand and shouted, "The Supreme General's order!"
The cries for revenge slowly quieted down.
"We await the Supreme General's command!"
The entire army responded in unison.
"The Yan State has attempted to assassinate our king this crime cannot be forgiven!"
"The might of Qin cannot be insulted, and Qin's authority cannot be challenged!"
"The entire Wu'an army, hear my command!"
"Today, we march on Yan!"
"We will not return until Yan is destroyed!"
Zhang Han's powerful voice carried throughout the ranks.
The order spread like wildfire.
Within the First Main Camp, every soldier's fury surged to its peak, transforming into an unstoppable killing intent.
"Revenge! Revenge! Revenge!"
A hundred thousand soldiers roared in perfect unison.
"Wei Quan!"
"Luo Hua!"
Zhang Han shouted.
"We are here!"
The two generals immediately stepped forward.
"Gather your troops at once. Take three days' worth of provisions and march directly toward Yan!"
"Anyone who dares to block the path of Qin's army kill them!" Zhang Han ordered coldly.
"We obey!" Wei Quan and Luo Hua responded simultaneously.
"Now that our lord has become the highest-ranked Supreme General of Qin if he wishes to attain the title of National Guardian, he must earn more military merit."
"This conquest of Yan must be won for our lord so that he may rise even further."
"Only then…"
"Only then can our lord take his place as the number one military leader of Qin!"
Zhang Han thought to himself.
As Zhao Feng's trusted officer, he was determined to help his lord reach the highest position possible.
Qin-Yan Border
On the Qin side, there were no military patrols this was the pride of a great nation.
After all, Qin had no fear of an attack from Yan, nor did they worry about any incursion from the Yan army.
Wu'an Camp had deliberately left Yunzhong City unfortified.
Before stationing troops there, Zhao Feng had hoped that Yan would be foolish enough to launch an attack first.
That way, Qin would have an irrefutable excuse to wage war.
On the Yan side, however, daily patrols were conducted without fail.
Each patrol consisted of at least a thousand Yan cavalrymen.
Though such numbers were insignificant in the face of an actual Qin invasion, they still served as a precautionary measure.
"Sir Military Officer,"
"When will we be rotated out?"
"We've been patrolling this border for almost four months now. If the Qin army attacks, we're finished!"
A company commander looked anxiously at his superior, worry evident on his face.
The same concern was reflected in the eyes of the other Yan soldiers.
Border patrol duty was no easy task.
The danger of guarding the border against Qin far exceeded the risks of the northern frontier, where they faced the nomadic Donghu tribes.
Ever since Qin had conquered Zhao and Wei, its borders were now directly pressed against Yan.
Rumors throughout the kingdom suggested that Qin could invade at any moment.
They remembered how Qin had crushed Zhao.
They remembered how Zhao's once-mighty army had been powerless against Yan.
That alone was enough to strike fear into the hearts of the Yan soldiers.
To them, the Qin army was an even greater nightmare than the Zhao forces they had once fought.
This was why morale in the Yan army was already at rock bottom.
If a battle broke out, even the slightest casualties could cause a complete collapse of their ranks.
"Sigh…"
"This deployment was assigned from above,"
"Every day, I ask when we'll be rotated out, but headquarters has yet to send replacements. No one wants this assignment."
The leading military officer sighed helplessly.
If he had a choice, he wouldn't have accepted this duty either it was practically a death sentence.
"But when will this end?"
"I was supposed to retire in a few months and return home, but now the court has issued a new conscription order no veteran soldiers are allowed to leave the army."
"They want us to fight until we die!"
"Exactly!"
"And our pay is barely enough to survive. I hear Qin's soldiers are paid much more than we are if only our court could match their wages, that would be great."
The patrolling Yan soldiers continued their discussions, voicing their grievances one after another.
But suddenly!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Out of nowhere, the ground began to tremble violently.
"Stop!"
The Yan military officer raised his hand.
The patrolling Yan cavalry immediately pulled on their reins, halting their patrol.
All the soldiers instinctively turned their gaze to the ground.
The earth was shaking furiously.
Pebbles and dust bounced wildly on the trembling surface.
"Q-Qin cavalry… So many Qin cavalry!"
A Yan soldier let out a terrified cry.
All the patrolling Yan cavalry instantly turned their eyes toward the Qin territory.
The sky was clear, yet beneath it, an overwhelming murderous aura seemed to be gathering.
Countless black-armored cavalry were charging at full speed, thundering toward the borders of Yan.
Endless Qin banners fluttered in the wind.
Beneath those banners, thousands of Qin cavalry roared as they galloped forward.
Their monstrous presence loomed over the land like a devastating flood, pressing closer and closer to the Yan border.
"This… this is Qin's elite cavalry!"
"Are they launching an attack on our Yan Kingdom?"
"They just conquered Wei less than half a year ago why are they mobilizing against us already?"
"Aren't they afraid that we will ally with Qi and Chu against them?"
"What should we do?"
"There are too many of them!"
"We can't stop them!"
"What now?"
The thousand Yan cavalry patrolling the border were completely overwhelmed with panic.
At this moment, their faces were drained of color, their minds blank with terror.
Flee?
Against such a formation, could they even escape?
Fight back?
Even just looking at the approaching force filled them with dread.
Facing the Qin cavalry head-on was nothing short of suicide.
They wouldn't even need to engage in combat the sheer impact of the cavalry charge would crush them into a pulp.
"Hurry! Ride back and warn the border camp tell them the Qin army is attacking!"
"And… perhaps they are not attacking. Maybe we can negotiate, and see what the Qin army wants."
The Yan officer spoke with uncertainty, his voice trembling.
But as soon as he said it, he glanced at the overwhelming force of Qin cavalry and couldn't help but doubt himself.
Could they negotiate under these circumstances?
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Qin cavalry grew closer and closer.
In no time, they reached the border of Yan.
Upon spotting the patrolling Yan soldiers ahead
Zhang Han raised his spear and bellowed, "Kill!"
With that single command, the order was given.
"Wind! Wind! Wind!"
"Great Wind!"
A deafening battle cry shook the heavens.
Immediately after
The vanguard of ten thousand Qin cavalry raised their bows.
There was no hesitation.
No negotiations.
They lifted their bows
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A storm of arrows tore through the air.
Like a torrential downpour, the arrows rained down mercilessly upon the Yan soldiers patrolling the border.
"The Qin army is attacking!"
"We're doomed!"
As the sky darkened with the overwhelming barrage of arrows, the Yan cavalry on the border fell into absolute despair.
Even those who reacted quickly and tried to flee had no chance.
The rain of arrows engulfed them.
A vast stretch of land was instantly covered in blood.
In the blink of an eye
Just a moment.
The thousand Yan cavalry were turned into pincushions, their bodies riddled with arrows.
Even their warhorses were pierced through.
A single instant.
A thousand Yan cavalry perished.
The border was now littered with corpses.
Blood soaked the earth.
"Advance!"
"The Kingdom of Yan dared to assassinate our king this crime cannot be forgiven!"
"Only the destruction of Yan can bring justice!"
"The might of Great Qin must not be challenged!"
"Kill!"
Zhang Han roared.
Commanding the Qin cavalry forward.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
Tens of thousands of Qin cavalry roared in unison.
They trampled over the corpses of the fallen Yan soldiers.
They crushed the lifeless bodies of the warhorses that had died in the arrow storm.
The thunderous charge of a hundred thousand Qin cavalry surged into the Yan Kingdom like an unstoppable flood.
Trampling the bodies of the fallen into nothing but blood and mud.
One hundred thousand Qin cavalry invaded Yan, heading straight for the Yan border camp!
At that moment, in the Yan border camp
Several returning Yan cavalry rushed in, screaming in terror:
"Defend! Quickly, prepare for defense!"
"The Qin army is attacking! The Qin army is here!"
"Qin has declared war on our Yan Kingdom!"
Their frantic cries echoed through the border camp.
Before Zhao's invasion, this border camp had not existed.
But after Zhao withdrew its forces, the King of Yan ordered the construction of this camp to serve as a defensive outpost.
It housed ten thousand soldiers, meant to delay enemy advances and buy time for the cities behind it to prepare for war.
"What?!"
"The Qin army is attacking?!"
"How can this be?"
"There was no prior intelligence of this!"
"Our diplomatic mission just left for Qin a short while ago and hasn't even returned yet. Why would Qin suddenly attack?"
The stationed Yan general was utterly shocked.
"I don't know!"
"But the border scouts reported it themselves the Qin army is indeed attacking!"
"And… and it's the Qin elite cavalry!"
The deputy general trembled as he spoke.
"Hurry! Quickly form ranks and prepare for defense!"
"Close all the gates of the camp!"
"Archers, ready your bows! Deploy the barricades immediately!"
"And… send an urgent report for reinforcements!"
The commanding general frantically issued orders.
"Understood!"
The deputy general, still shaken, rushed off to relay the commands.
Even after the deputy had left
The commanding general remained in a state of disbelief.
"How… How could this be?"
"This shouldn't be happening!"
"The king said that Qin would never attack without reason!"
"Qin just conquered Wei! They haven't even fully integrated the territory yet, so why would they suddenly march against us?"
"Besides, we sent a diplomatic envoy to seek peace!"
"Unless… something happened to the envoy?"
Unease gnawed at the general's heart.
At that moment
The entire Yan border camp was on high alert.
But every single Yan soldier was filled with fear.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A hundred thousand iron cavalry stormed into Yan.
The entire border camp trembled under the terrifying force.
"This is real… This is Qin's cavalry!"
"They are truly attacking our Yan Kingdom!"
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