CHAPTER 241: CHAPTER 126: THE QIN WAR GOD STRIKES AGAIN! (PART 3)

"Conquer the cities of Zhao as quickly as possible," Zhao Feng said immediately.

"Let’s wait another ten days," Wang Jian replied.

"Why?" Zhao Feng asked, puzzled.

"Your command has barely fifty thousand Sharp Warriors. Half a month ago, I submitted a report to the Great King requesting new recruits. They are already on their way and will certainly arrive within ten days," Wang Jian explained.

Zhao Feng’s eyes lit up. "How many new recruits?" he asked at once.

"Don’t you know how many men are in a main battle camp?" Wang Jian glanced at him, his tone full of irritation.

"Fifty thousand new recruits?" Zhao Feng ventured.

"Exactly fifty thousand. They have already undergone three months of basic training. As for what comes next, they can gain their experience on the battlefield."

"Moreover, the Great King has granted you command of a main battle camp: the Fourth Battle Camp of the Lantian Camp," Wang Jian said with grave seriousness.

"This general accepts the command," Zhao Feng replied immediately.

He did not linger at the entrance of the barracks, returning to his camp to announce the impending arrival of the new recruits.

Zhao Feng... sigh. His temperament shows no reverence for royal authority. I don’t know if this is a good or a bad thing for our Wang Family. Well, I can only take it one step at a time. I saw this disrespect for the throne back when he declared he was going to snatch a bride. Now, it’s even worse. Does he really believe his personal strength is enough to contend with the power of the throne?

Wang Jian felt both proud of and helpless toward Zhao Feng. He was proud that his son-in-law possessed extraordinary abilities, but helpless because he showed so little reverence for royal authority. The only time he ever displayed respect for the throne was when he was being promoted or ennobled. Wang Jian had no way to change this; after all, he had never met anyone like him before.

「Handan, Capital of the Zhao State!」

"Dammit!" Zhao Yan roared at the courtiers in the great hall. "How could Jinyang have fallen? How could it?! What in the world has Yan Ju been doing? I gave him two hundred thousand troops! Two hundred thousand! He couldn’t even defend a single city like Jinyang! What use do I have for him?"

Evidently, Zhao Yan had just received news of Jinyang City’s fall. His face turned hideous as he panted with rage.

"Great King, calm your anger!" the assembled court of Zhao ministers shouted in unison.

With Jinyang City breached, the faces of many officials turned grim.

"Great King, at this point, we are out of options," Zhao Yi immediately stepped forward to plead. "Jinyang has fallen. Our only choice is to recall the army from Yan to resist Qin. Otherwise, Zhao is in peril."

"Withdraw?" Zhao Yan gritted his teeth, his face filled with unwillingness.

But with Yan Ju already defeated, it seemed he had no other choice. The only armies Zhao had available were the 300,000 in Yan and the 200,000 in Dai Territory.

"How many battle-worthy soldiers does General Yan Ju have left?" Zhao Yan asked, still clinging to a sliver of hope.

"Reporting, Great King," Guo Kai stepped forward. "The situation in Jinyang is still unclear. General Yan Ju is leading his surviving forces in a retreat toward Leiyang City. However, it is clear his remaining forces number less than one hundred thousand."

"Less than one hundred thousand..." Zhao Yan couldn’t help but curse again. "Yan Ju, you have disappointed me greatly."

"Great King," Zhao Yi spoke up once more, his voice booming. "Jinyang was the bulwark of Zhao. With the city’s fall, that bulwark has been breached. Furthermore, Great King, you previously ordered the Prefecture Soldiers from all regions to gather at Jinyang. This means countless other cities are now undefended. The Qin Army will be unstoppable as they advance. Our only option is to have General Yan Ju use his remaining forces to hold the line while we immediately recall our main army from Yan. Otherwise, the consequences will be unimaginable."

This time, Zhao Yi was not fighting a lone battle.

"I concur."

"Given the nation’s crisis, we must prioritize its defense."

"We implore the Great King to issue the edict to withdraw from Yan!"

"If we do not withdraw, Zhao is doomed!"

Many ministers in the court began to speak up one after another. Among them were many members of the royal clan, as well as some neutral court officials. They were all powerful figures in Zhao, compelled to speak out for their own interests. If the state truly fell, all their wealth and power would become a joke. They all knew that if Zhao perished, the lands they had annexed would fall under Qin’s control, to be distributed among its ennobled Sharp Warriors. This was the very reason the various states had formed an alliance to attack Qin in the first place—the threat Qin posed to their noble clans was simply too great. For the sake of their own interests, they had been forced to unite. But now, Qin’s dominance was inevitable; their opportunity was lost.

Seeing that the vast majority of his court agreed on withdrawing the army, Zhao Yan’s expression grew even more unsightly. This time, he truly had no choice. His dream of becoming a monarch who expanded his territory was shattered.

"Nearly half of Yan’s territory has fallen under my control. Must I truly withdraw the army?" he said, clenching his fists in utter frustration. "Given just a little more time, Yan would have been completely destroyed!"

"Great King," Zhao Yi said loudly, "there is no more time! If we do not withdraw the army, Zhao will surely perish!"

"Can we recall Li Mu from Dai Territory to lead the defense?" Zhao Yan asked, turning to Guo Kai.

At this, Guo Kai looked at Zhao Yan with some hesitation, unsure how to respond.

If Li Mu returns, this will not be a good thing for Qin.

"Great King," Guo Kai began respectfully, after a moment’s pause. "If we recall General Li Mu, does that mean we must abandon Dai Territory? That land makes up half of Zhao’s entire domain."

"Great King, we absolutely cannot abandon Dai Territory!" Zhao Yi interjected. "If Dai is lost, Zhao’s Northern Frontier will be in peril! We would have to worry not only about Qin but also about the Xiongnu."