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When the first light of dawn tore through the darkness, the world suddenly filled with anticipation. Perhaps in the blink of an eye, the earth had already returned to brightness. Wang Jian lay at the edge of Great King Village, gazing outward, feeling not a trace of light within. Ever since he secretly crossed through Zhao Army's encirclement to enter the village, he realized he seemed unable to escape.
Inside Great King Village were genuine Qin Soldiers, who not only did not belong to each other but also had many Wounded. If he was correct, these Wounded Soldiers had discovered during their retreat that they could not cross Zhao Army's defensive line. Accidentally seeing their comrades stationed here, they gathered together.
Due to the chaotic affiliation of the Army, let’s temporarily refer to them as the Wounded Soldiers' camp.
At that moment, Wang Jian did not think much; after confirming that the trapped Qin Army were his own people, he notified Meng Wu outside to prepare for rescue. After sending the signal, he realized that the proportion of injured had already exceeded a safe limit. A military force with Wounded could not fight, especially considering their mobility was severely compromised. If they attempted a rescue, it was likely that even those Soldiers who might escape would be dragged down by the Wounded.
Could he really abandon his brothers?
Seeing one hopeful gaze after another, Wang Jian found it hard to organize a breakout. After receiving news, Meng Wu did not hesitate and directly brought his troops around to the eastern part of Great King Village to confirm their presence.
The outcome was predictable; rescuing people required taking risks. The breakout was without suspense since there was a safe passage available. Even if they successfully broke out, what would happen afterward was unimaginable because Zhao Army would never allow this Wounded Soldiers' camp, which moved slower than a transport unit, to escape.
The two generals held a meeting and ultimately decided to stay behind to protect these Wounded Soldiers. As long as there was even a glimmer of hope, they would strive for it. Leaving with a large number of Wounded Soldiers was clearly unwise; the best course of action was to hold their ground and wait for reinforcements. However, whether those Reinforcements would arrive seemed too uncertain to contemplate at this stage.
Fortunately, there was no need to worry about water sources in the village; several sweet water wells were sufficient for daily use. Meng Wu discussed with Wang Jian that Wang Jian would organize personnel to strengthen the village's defensive works while he would gather all available food in the village for unified distribution. To wage a protracted war, food was key.
It was reassuring that the Soldiers handed over quite a bit of food. Since they were among the last to receive evacuation orders, it was normal for them to have collected supplies discarded along the way. If rations were distributed reasonably, they should be able to last for about a week with some surplus. As for what would happen after a week, they would deal with it then.
Wang Jian also reported back that there were likely very few combat-ready personnel left. This Wounded Soldiers' camp might have had many combatants when initially trapped, but now only a few remained. Whether they could ultimately hold Great King Village seemed reliant on the small number of troops they had brought.
Since they had decided to stay, they would make do with however many people they had!
Wang Jian did not consider giving up due to a lack of manpower. While organizing personnel to block various entrances, he sought out the leader of the Wounded Soldiers. This person was called Rise Up, holding the title of Zan Niao, and was currently the highest official in Great King Village.
"General Gao! We are all in this together now; if we can hold this village, most people will survive. So I need you to help find any Wounded who can still fight."
Understanding the implication of the words, Rise Up did not hesitate. He turned and led Wang Jian into the courtyard to encourage those Soldiers who could still wield weapons to volunteer for battle. As for the severely Wounded, they could stay behind safely.
The Soldiers were clearly terrified by the Zhao Army, staring at each other without anyone speaking up. With only a few hundred of them, how could they withstand the charge of the Zhao Army's main force? What was there to fight for? It would be better to end it quickly rather than live in fear.
"General! We can't escape anyway; you should take advantage of your good arms and legs and leave now! If we drag our brothers down with us, we will be the sinners!"
Where there are Brave Ones, there are also cowards. Upon hearing these words, some couldn't help but start crying.
Seeing the Soldiers like this made Rise Up's anger rise. He shouted, "Generals Meng and Wang decided to stay and share life and death with you all to save you! If everyone speaks so lightly of giving up, they would never have fought through the Zhao Army's encirclement to find us! If we fight, we might still have a chance at survival. If we choose to give up, we won't even have that chance!"
Among the Wounded were Soldiers injured while defending Great King Village, and upon hearing this, they scoffed. "There are thousands or even tens of thousands of Zhao Army outside; we only have a few hundred here. What can we fight with? The odds are impossible!"
Wang Jian did not expect such cowardice among the Qin Soldiers; he had never encountered this among those he had met before. He heavily sighed and explained to everyone about the saying that numbers do not determine victory. The outcome is ultimately decided by whether one has confidence in winning.
The Qin Army's participation in the Old Horse Ridge Battle was an example; despite being outnumbered, they achieved victory in the end. If the Qin Army at Old Horse Ridge had acted like you all today, how could there have been any talk of victory? As long as we unite now, it is possible to turn things around!
Hearing General Wang mention Old Horse Ridge, the previously dim eyes of the crowd suddenly lit up. Yes! There was a real battle example right before them; how could they have forgotten it?
Fighting would lead to death, but not fighting would also lead to death. However, if a miracle occurred, even if they died in battle, perhaps some brothers could survive! Gradually, more Soldiers began to stand up with their weapons in hand, and behind Wang Jian appeared over a hundred brave warriors bandaged up.
Wang Jian knew that this was already a limit; any further deployment would only be to reinforce the defensive structures. He instructed the remaining Soldiers to rest and recover, waiting for the day they could return everyone to Qin State after their victory.
Perhaps this is what hope is! Even if it would soon lead them into a battlefield of relentless slaughter! Rise Up sighed softly, turning to leave with the temporarily organized combat personnel.
Once the determined Wounded from Qidi lined up, Wang Jian checked everyone's injuries and made final adjustments. Those who could not participate in the battle were to stay behind and protect the Wounded Soldiers in the courtyard. Those who were fit enough were assigned to relay messages. Regardless of the dangers from the village, they had to ensure that notifications were delivered promptly.
When the ordered Soldiers all left the ranks to report to the combat team at the village entrance, thirty-two soldiers remained. Wang Jian informed everyone that they would temporarily follow General Rise Up in the village as a Reserve Team. If that direction became critical, he would notify them to provide support there.
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