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Chapter 737 Madness (I)

Only by standing on the battlefield can one deeply understand the heaviness of the words "human life is as worthless as grass".

Song Yuan was born into a military family. He entered the Nanyang Palace at the age of fifteen and served as the commander of the personal guards for more than twenty years. He was good at obeying orders and protecting the master's safety. It was also common for him to follow his master to eliminate mountain bandits and vagrants.

However, all those abilities and skills that they were proud of in the past, or the self-confidence, disappeared once they arrived outside the city of Yuzhou.

People kept falling from the city wall. There were children, women, old people, and soldiers defending the city. Bloody scenes were everywhere.

Soldiers of the British Guards on the ladders were often shot down by the sharp arrows flying from the Great Wall. They fell to the ground from a height of three meters, with a bang, either breaking their limbs or hitting their vital parts and dying.

Everywhere you look, there are corpses, and it’s lucky to find an intact corpse. The ground is soaked with blood, and the thick bloody smell is nauseating.

General Zuo remained calm, turning a blind eye to the hellish scene before him, turning a deaf ear to the wailing and screaming in the field, and continuously issuing military orders.

The messenger waved the flag in his hand and passed on the commander-in-chief's order. Two more ladders were slowly pushed forward, and the attack became more and more rapid and fierce.

Song Yuan was extremely grateful at this time that the emperor had entrusted the important task of suppressing the rebellious army to General Zuo. When the two armies were fighting, they needed General Zuo who had walked out of the mountains of corpses and seas of blood. He felt ashamed that he was far inferior to him.

At least, he couldn't turn a blind eye to the deaths and injuries of the elderly, the weak, women and children.

On the first day of the siege, the troops were not called back until dusk.

The Yingwei Camp retreated without disorder. When they left, they even picked up the corpses on the ground to avoid delaying the siege the next day.

Song Yuan sincerely praised: "General Zuo has a good way of managing the army, which is admirable."

General Zuo didn't care: "This is just the beginning, just wait and see! I will capture the city within half a month."

The battle strength of the Yuzhou army could be roughly judged from the siege on this day. General Zuo's claim that the city would be captured within half a month was definitely not an exaggeration.

Song Yuan also relaxed his brows: "Then I wish General Zuo success in his mission, and hope he can quell the rebellion and return to the capital as soon as possible."

General Zuo was also very polite to the low-key and modest Song Yuan, and replied with a smile: "After the city is conquered, Zheng Chen's head will be left to Commander Song. However, Zhao Wu will be left to this general."

The last sentence was said with murderous intent and gnashing teeth.

Zhao Wu, who was standing on the city wall, shuddered suddenly and his legs began to tremble.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the personal soldiers around him immediately reached out to help: "General!"

Zhao Wu calmed down and whispered, "Help me go back."

The two guards responded, and one on each side supported Zhao Wu as they slowly walked down the city wall. On the way, they stepped on several arms and stepped into a pool of blood, with the wailing of the wounded soldiers filling their ears.

Zhao Wu's expression became increasingly ugly.

Of course, he knew how powerful General Zuo was, and he was mentally prepared. However, the fierce attack of the British Guards today still frightened him.

If Zhao Wu was like this, Lu Cheng would be even more unbearable.

"Uncle!"

Lu Cheng chased after him, covered in dust, and called him by his private name: "Uncle, wait a minute."

Zhao Wu turned around and was shocked by Lu Cheng's miserable appearance: "Why are you covered in blood? Are you injured?"

Lu Cheng took a few deep breaths and wiped his face vigorously: "I have been guarding the city wall for half an hour and was not injured. This blood belongs to someone else."

However, he was also frightened. He had been in the Yuzhou Army for seven or eight years, leading troops to train and kill refugees and bandits, and never lost a battle. After the rebellion, he killed the rich, robbed silver, and oppressed the people, and unconsciously developed an arrogant spirit. He did not take the imperial army seriously at all.

Today's battle made him fully realize a fact.

The Yuzhou army was simply unable to resist the imperial army.

No matter how high the city wall is, it can't give him a sense of security.

Lu Cheng grabbed Zhao Wu's hand, his face a little ferocious: "A lot of people were executed on the city wall today. We haven't counted the number of people yet, but at least four or five hundred people died."

"These were the original elite troops of the Yuzhou Army, and one tenth of them died today."

"If this continues, I'm afraid Yuzhou City won't be able to hold on for much longer."

Seeing that Lu Cheng was frightened, Zhao Wu had to cheer him up and comfort him: "Don't worry, we have water, food, weapons, and 30,000 soldiers. Send more people to guard the city wall tomorrow, and we will definitely be able to hold it."

Lu Cheng was no fool: "The newly recruited soldiers have never seen bloodshed. If we send them to the city wall, they will be frightened and immediately defeated."

"No! I have to go find the Master immediately to discuss countermeasures!"

Zhao Wu had no choice but to nod in agreement. Surrounded by their personal guards, the two of them barely regained a sense of security and hurried all the way to Zheng Chen's residence.

Zheng Chen lived in the Yuzhou Governor's Mansion. He stayed on the city wall for half a day today, then went down the wall and has not been seen since.

Zhao Wu and Lu Cheng came together, so Peng Sihai naturally couldn't stop them: "Please wait a moment, I'll go in and report first."

Peng Sihai entered the study and whispered, "Sir, General Zhao and General Lu are here."

Zheng Chen didn't even raise his head: "Let them wait."

Peng Sihai thought about it and whispered: "The two generals are very anxious, so you should meet them!"

Zheng Chen raised his head and said solemnly, "I am writing a reform plan for the Daliang court in the next ten years. What could be more important than this?"

Peng Sihai: "..."

Peng Sihai looked at his own master for a moment and confirmed that his master was serious.

Peng Sihai was silent for a while, then walked out.

Peng Sihai used all his words to coax Zhao Wu and Lu Cheng away. Then, Peng Sihai quietly waited outside the study.

It was not until four o'clock in the morning that Zheng Chen finally finished writing a thick stack of plans, which amounted to nearly ten thousand words.

Zheng Chen was very satisfied. He read it over and over again, called Peng Sihai over, and said excitedly: "Sihai, when I conquer the world and sit on the throne, I will definitely create a new dynasty with peaceful seas and rivers. I want to be the greatest emperor in history! Respected by all the people!"

Peng Sihai looked at his son's radiant face, feeling extremely bitter, but he smiled and agreed: "There will definitely be such a day."

Zheng Chen laughed heartily: "When that happens, I will make you the Imperial General and give you the entire Imperial Guard."

"Wait, we need to change the dynasty, and we can't call it Daliang anymore. This plan needs to be revised. Let me think carefully again, what character should the new dynasty be named after? Call it Zheng Dynasty? No, no, no! I have broken up with the Zheng family, and we can no longer use Zheng as the country's name. I have to think of another way..."

Zheng Chen's smile faded, and he frowned as he thought hard. Then he rushed to the desk, picked up a pen and started writing. He kept muttering to himself.

Peng Sihai didn't dare to speak.

He watched his son fall into an absurd, bizarre and crazy dream.