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墨書 Inktalez
Zhao Kuo had dealt with the Qin Army many times over the years, so he was naturally very clear about their ways. When he saw that several captives did not respond to his temptations, he understood the situation quite well. Just moments ago, when he attempted to persuade these Qin Soldiers, a few of them had stolen glances at one individual.
The person they were all focused on happened to be the highest-ranking officer among the captured Qin Army.
Zhao Kuo silently scoffed in his heart while maintaining an appearance of indifference. After waiting for a moment without receiving a response, he casually walked over to the Qin Officer. "Is it interesting that you remain silent? Whether you agree or not, you should at least show some attitude. I believe you all know that you are not the only captives here. If you refuse, I will execute you immediately as an example! If you agree, you can receive your reward right now!"
It was just death! Ever since he joined the military, he had been prepared for this day! The Qin Officer snorted coldly and said slowly, "Since I am working for your Zhao Army, it is naturally for the benefit of my Qin Army. There is no way! If you want to kill me, do it quickly!"
Zhao Kuo clearly did not care about encountering someone who was unafraid of death; he waved his hand to have this officer dragged out and executed. Once his soldiers brought back the bloody head on a tray, he moved on to the next soldier. He indicated that it would be wise for them to consider the fate of those who were stubborn before speaking.
However, the outcome was unexpected; even after executing several groups of captives, none expressed any intention of defecting to Zhao State. A general accompanying Zhao Kuo could no longer bear to watch and stepped forward to advise the Grand Commander to stop. There is an ancient saying that killing captives brings bad luck. Although he did not know what this bad luck entailed, there must be some basis for such words passed down through generations.
Zhao Kuo, however, did not care about ancient curses; in his view, those who were still alive were not living well enough to worry about what came after! He had already made up his mind to find a soldier who understood the dialect of Qin State. The communication unit of the Qin Army was quite skilled; it was essential to clarify matters in this way.
This was a last resort; after all, Zhao Kuo had his own plans. If he intended to directly encircle and annihilate this Qin Army unit, there would be no need for such trouble. However, if he wanted to seize maps of Qin military operations amidst the chaos, having an insider was crucial. This was because there must be personnel within the Qin Army responsible for safeguarding these maps, and they would never allow such military secrets to fall into the hands of another state.
As captives were dragged out and executed one by one, it ultimately demonstrated that hard work pays off. Just as Zhao Kuo began considering searching within his own ranks for soldiers who spoke Qin dialects, he found one cowardly individual.
This person was Gao from Jiang, known by a single character. His ancestors had received fiefs from Qi State in Gaoyi, thus establishing the Gao clan. Logically speaking, this individual who actively applied to join Zhao State's registry should have been from Qi State; however, it was unclear why he ended up in Qin State.
Zhao Kuo intended for this operation to be secretive and certainly did not want too many people involved. Upon hearing other captives start cursing loudly, he immediately ordered that all those who swore they would never serve Zhao State be dragged out and executed!
The captive being cursed at by his fellow brothers appeared extremely terrified, trembling like a leaf in a storm. His fearful demeanor caught the attention of the surrounding Zhao Army soldiers, who began to look down on him with disdain.
Zhao Kuo naturally looked down on the situation, but he could only act expediently. After all, he had managed to find someone like this; he couldn't just dismiss them because of someone's disdain. So, he encouraged a few words, affirming that the previous promises were all valid. As long as Brother Gao helped Zhao State complete this task, he would immediately send someone to escort him back to Handan.
The golden beauty was magnificent!
Rise Up knelt before Zhao Kuo but then brought up another matter. The Gao family only had one heir, and there was also an elderly mother at home. Once this matter was resolved, the Qin people would naturally not allow her to continue living in Qin State. If the General had the heart, he didn't seek any glory or wealth for himself; he only hoped that the General could bring his elderly mother to Zhao State. As for the rewards, they could be considered as support for his mother's old age.
I see!
Upon hearing that the Defected Soldier had this request, Zhao Kuo couldn't help but nod secretly. He understood well that the Qin State had been burdened by years of warfare, leaving many families without even a strong laborer. Although each Feudal State followed the Zhou system and divided households into agricultural and military categories, it still couldn't guarantee that military households wouldn't need to farm for food.
The private fields of military households could be contracted out to refugees for cultivation, but this depended on the availability of food supplies. The land earned through risking lives could only sustain a limited number of dependents. Due to this unfortunate phenomenon, military households still required extra strong laborers to assist with farming.
Some families had lost their fathers and sons in battle, leaving them with no male heirs at all. The remaining orphans and widows had no means of survival, which was unavoidable. At this moment, Rise Up was likely facing such a possibility; if he were to die in battle, it would leave only his elderly mother behind.
Thinking of this, Zhao Kuo patted his chest and assured him there would be no problem. As long as Brother Gao could help me and the Zhao Army complete this task, I will secretly send someone to Qin State to bring your mother to Zhao State for her later years.
Ancient people valued promises greatly, especially those in high society who paid more attention to their reputation. If one treated promises lightly as a joke, it would lead to disdain from others. Despite the decline of societal morals, some unavoidable customs still needed to be upheld and followed diligently.
With the promise from the Zhao Army Commander in place, Rise Up had no further worries. He expressed that whatever orders the Grand Commander had should be conveyed without hesitation; he would certainly take them seriously!
Now that a suitable candidate had been found, the plan could be implemented immediately. Zhao Kuo dismissed everyone else and kept Rise Up behind for a private discussion about the details. As for when to depart, there was no rush at the moment. He should eat when hungry and sleep when tired; just stay in the camp and wait for news of departure.
After arranging this crucial step in the plan, Zhao Kuo instructed Rise Up to go rest. Watching him leave, Zhao Kuo felt a surge of excitement within him. In comparison, eliminating that faction of Qin Army secretly operating behind Zhao Army was not important because it was a simple task at hand. However, if the plan succeeded in capturing the Military Map of Qin State and distributing copies of it among Zhao's armies, it would mark a leap forward across centuries.
The Military Map cannot be shared with the Feudal States!
The outcome of this operation will be the complete extermination of the entire Qin Army and Communication Camp, including the Defected Soldier involved in this action. As long as the news of Zhao State obtaining the Military Map from Qin State does not leak out, it will be the best outcome without any flaws. From now on, the world will no longer belong solely to you, the Qin People! I, the Zhao People, will have a share too!
Since a suitable candidate has been found, preventing this information from being leaked has become a priority. After Zhao Kuo instructed Rise Up to return and rest, he immediately issued a secret order to execute all remaining Qin Army captives. As for those so-called sayings about killing prisoners being ominous, let those hypocrites preach that!
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