The Prodigal Son

The battle at Changxi Plain was short, but the cleanup of the battlefield took an incredibly long time.

The battlefield was not cleaned up until almost dusk.

There was no other way; we had too many prisoners!

Preliminary statistics show that they killed nearly 10,000 enemies, but captured more than 15,000.

This was only because Qin Yu ordered his men not to pursue the fleeing soldiers who had gone far away.

If they pursued further, Yan Mu's troops would truly be wiped out.

However, given the current outcome, Yan Mu's situation is not much different from a complete annihilation.

On their side, the unit led by Zhang Sheng, which suffered the most casualties, was the vanguard.

Zhang Sheng's two thousand elite cavalry suffered nearly eight hundred casualties.

The total number of casualties among all units in Daning was only over 230.

This was partly due to Zhang Sheng's troops leading the charge, but also because Zhang Sheng's troops were relatively new and unable to fully utilize the advantages of cavalry.

But regardless, this is a resounding victory worth celebrating.

Moreover, they also captured a large amount of grain and supplies, as well as several hundred warhorses, which could make up for their loss of warhorses.

Upon receiving this news, Qin Yu was in high spirits and quickly issued the order.

"Order those prisoners to line up immediately!"

"Yuan Dingguo, you will personally lead your troops to intimidate the prisoners. Anyone who dares to escape or cause trouble will be executed on the spot!"

"I order Zhang Sheng to come see me immediately!"

Under Qin Yu's orders, the prisoners who had been disarmed and stripped of their armor were forced to line up.

With Yuan Dingguo leading the Wudang Flying Cavalry on patrol, they dared not cause any trouble.

Soon, the wounded Zhang Sheng arrived in front of Qin Yu.

"Greetings, General Qin!"

Although Zhang Sheng was injured, his face was full of smiles.

Even though the battle had ended a while ago, he was still extremely excited.

A big win!

This single battle completely resolved the crisis that Yan Mu's troops had brought to Dongyuan.

Next, all we need to do is defeat Liang Jingzhe's troops, and the crisis in Dongyuan will be completely resolved!

"How are your injuries?"

Qin Yu looked up at Zhang Sheng's arm, which was wrapped in white cloth.

"fine!"

Zhang Sheng smiled nonchalantly, "It was just a bite from a stray arrow, a superficial wound, nothing serious!"

"That's good!"

Qin Yu nodded slightly. "I called you over to ask you what you think should be done with these prisoners?"

"Of course, you'll be assigned to my department!"

Zhang Sheng answered without even thinking.

That's over 15,000 people!

If these people are incorporated into their ranks, their military strength will increase dramatically.

With this shift in power, the traitor Yu Wu will surely meet his end much sooner!

Qin Yu frowned slightly. "Your idea is good, but have you considered how we can quickly launch a surprise attack on Liang Jingzhe's troops if we incorporate them into my unit?"

"Ah...this..."

Qin Yu's question really stumped Zhang Sheng.

Yes!

Liang Jingzhe led an army of 50,000 to attack Dongyuan, which must have put Dongyuan under tremendous pressure.

They must launch a swift raid on Liang Jingzhe's forces to reduce the pressure on His Highness the Crown Prince.

These prisoners were almost all infantrymen. By the time they arrived with these prisoners, Dongyuan would probably have already fallen.

Zhang Sheng thought for a long time but didn't know how to answer, so he could only tentatively ask, "General Qin, what do you intend to do?"

Qin Yu pondered for a moment and replied, "This place isn't far from Shouchong. After Yan Mu's defeat, he certainly won't be concerned about Shouchong. I'll lead my troops to escort all these prisoners and captured grain and supplies to Shouchong. You can take your men and reorganize these prisoners in Shouchong. However, your troops' warhorses must be handed over to me. I will select one or two thousand from the prisoners to supplement my army and lead them to attack Liang Jingzhe's forces!"

"this……"

Zhang Sheng looked troubled.

He did agree with sending the prisoners to Shou Chong for reorganization.

But he didn't want to give all the warhorses to Qin Yu!

Qin Yu glanced at him and said sternly, "I'm not discussing this with you! This is an order!"

Order!

Zhang Sheng knew there was no room for negotiation, so he could only grit his teeth and say, "This subordinate obeys!"

"Are you dissatisfied?" Qin Yu asked calmly.

"This humble general dares not!"

Zhang Sheng quickly straightened up and suppressed his resentment.

"That would be best!"

Qin Yu glared at him, annoyed, and said in a deep voice, "You're brave and strong, but your vision is far too short-sighted!"

"Shouchong is the gateway to Xuanzhou Prefecture. Now that Yan Mu has suffered a major defeat, he should be unable to muster the strength to attack Shouchong in a short time. You have plenty of time to reorganize these prisoners!"

"Even if we take a step back and Yan Mu were to gather another large army and attack, as long as you hold Shou Chong firmly, they will not be able to advance into Dongyuan!"

"If I don't have enough troops to fight against Liang Jingzhe's 50,000-strong army, Dongyuan will be in danger..."

Qin Yu quietly analyzed the situation for Zhang Sheng.

If Zhang Sheng didn't still have some value, he wouldn't bother saying all this to him.

Sending Zhang Sheng to Shouchong to reorganize his troops was also an extra layer of insurance for them.

Yan Mu suffered a crushing defeat this time. He would not be able to withstand the attack if the Yan army came.

Sending Zhang Sheng to guard Shou Chong was also to slow down the Yan army's advance and prevent them from stealing the fruits of their victory.

Listening to Qin Yu's analysis, Zhang Sheng's face gradually showed understanding, and he quickly apologized, "It was my narrow-mindedness! General Qin's foresight is admirable!"

"Alright, if you understand, go and prepare!"

Qin Yu nodded in satisfaction. "We don't have that much time to waste here. Let's head to Shouchong tonight!"

"yes!"

Zhang Sheng loudly accepted the order.

After watching Zhang Sheng leave, Qin Yu ordered his men to bring over the eight captured generals and officers.

The worst among these people was a thousand-man general.

Qin Yu glanced at the eight men and said in a deep voice, "I led my troops into the territory of Min Kingdom this time to help Crown Prince Yu Jing of Min Kingdom kill the usurper Yu Wu! You are all generals of Min Kingdom, there is no need for you to follow the traitor Yu Wu to the bitter end! I will not say anything more. Those who are willing to surrender, step forward!"

As soon as Qin Yu finished speaking, four people eagerly stepped forward.

"I am willing to surrender my sins!"

"This sinner is willing to serve His Highness the Crown Prince and atone for his sins through meritorious service!"

Qin Yu smiled with satisfaction.

This result is not surprising.

They are all serving the royal family of Min Kingdom. Doesn't it make a difference who they serve?

After the remaining four men pondered for a moment, two more stepped forward: "We are willing to surrender!"

"very good!"

Qin Yu nodded in satisfaction, his gaze falling on the remaining two. "Are you sure you won't surrender?"

He actually admired those who refused to surrender at this point.

I admire them, but if they insist on not lowering their prices, then I'll grant their request!

"A loyal minister does not serve two masters! He would rather die than surrender!"

"Kill me or torture me, it's all up to you!"

The two men stubbornly refused to budge, disregarding their own lives.

"Alright, I'll grant your wish!"

Qin Yu, too lazy to waste words, ordered his men to untie the two men who would later surrender, and coldly commanded, "You may execute these two men yourselves!"