"An urgent report from Zhao Feng?"
Before Ying Zheng could recover, Wang Jian immediately stepped forward and said, "Speak!"
"General Zhao led his seven hundred trusted aides in pursuit. He has successfully captured the nobility of the Zhao Royal Palace and slain a thousand of the Zhao Imperial Guards. He is now on his way back," the messenger replied loudly.
Upon hearing this, a smile immediately spread across Ying Zheng's face. "Good!"
A surge of joy arose in Wang Jian's heart. Zhao Yan has been captured by Zhao Feng, which means the Great King's promise will be fulfilled—the position of Protector-General. The youngest Senior General of Qin.
Thinking of this, Wang Jian struggled to suppress the unspeakable joy in his heart. His son-in-law was going to become a Senior General! And the youngest Senior General in all the land!
"The capture of the King of Zhao is a joyous occasion for our Qin." Wang Jian immediately bowed to Ying Zheng. "Your subject offers congratulations to the Great King."
"Congratulations, Great King!" Tu Sui, Zhang Han, and the other generals also echoed the sentiment.
Ying Zheng smiled faintly and raised his hand. At this moment, he too could hardly conceal his pleasure.
"Zhao Feng," Ying Zheng slowly remarked. "A valiant general of Qin, a blessing to Qin."
Tu Sui and Zhang Han exchanged glances, their faces filled with joy. They were Zhao Feng's confidants, loyal to him. With the King of Qin giving such high praise, their lord might have the opportunity to advance even further.
"Speaking of which, I am very curious," Ying Zheng smiled and looked at the two of them. "What kind of person is Zhao Feng, exactly? You have been following him on his campaigns, can you tell me?"
"Replying to the Great King," Tu Sui said with a serious expression, "your subject does not dare to speak rashly of the general. But there is one thing that all the soldiers under his command know well."
"Let's hear it," Ying Zheng said with a smile.
"Following the general, we are victorious in a hundred battles," Tu Sui stated emphatically. "Back when the general was still a Wanjiang, ten thousand soldiers were loyal to him. When he served as Deputy General, fifty thousand soldiers were loyal to him. Now that he is the Main General, a hundred thousand soldiers are loyal to him."
"In the eyes of all the soldiers, the general is the very soul of our army," Zhang Han added, his gaze filled with respect.
Listening to their words, Ying Zheng's expression also turned serious. "The soul of the army, hmm?"
For a sovereign, the foremost pursuits are governing the nation, managing the ministers, strengthening national power, and expanding the borders to become a wise monarch celebrated throughout the land. And for a War General, training an army with a soul is exceedingly rare.
Now, from the words of Tu Sui and Zhang Han, Ying Zheng could truly envision an army with a soul—a soul forged by the efforts of one man alone.
One man as the soul of the army. Is this Zhao Feng's strength? He was able to distinguish himself among Qin's million Sharp Warriors and can be called a truly exceptional person. Even the former Lord Wu'an pales in comparison. Such an outstanding figure is indeed worthy of heavy responsibility.
"For the Senior General to have such a son-in-law, the Wang Family has a keen eye for talent indeed," Ying Zheng said, turning to smile at Wang Jian.
Wang Jian promptly replied with a smile, "Great King, you flatter us. Perhaps it was fate that brought my daughter and Zhao Feng together."
"Once Zhao has been completely annihilated, I will personally preside over the marriage between Zhao Feng and the Senior General's daughter. This will indeed be a fine tale within our Qin Army," Ying Zheng said with a smile.
"By the way, Great King," Wang Jian said, suddenly remembering something. He hastily walked forward, took out a box, and opened it in front of Ying Zheng.
"The Imperial Seal of Zhao," Ying Zheng said with a cold laugh. "In his flight, Zhao Yan even forgot this. How ludicrous."
Following this, Ying Zheng called out, "Ren Xiao."
"Your servant is here."
Ren Xiao immediately stepped forward, took the Imperial Seal from Wang Jian's hands, and stored it safely. The Imperial Seal was a symbol of monarchal power. Now that it was a relic of the fallen Zhao state, it would naturally be incorporated into Qin. In the past, after annihilating Han, the Seal of the King of Han had been stored in the royal treasury. The Imperial Seal of Zhao would naturally be no exception. In the future, these seals would become a display of Ying Zheng's unification of the realm.
Just then, Wang Ben and Yang Duanhe also hurriedly arrived in the great hall.
"Your subjects pay their respects to the Great King," the two generals said as they entered the hall, immediately bowing deeply to Ying Zheng.
Hearing this, Ying Zheng's gaze lifted, revealing a smile.
"The two generals have worked hard," Ying Zheng said, not taking a seat on the Zhao throne, as if he found the position repulsive. "Rise."
"Thank you, Great King," the two generals promptly responded with respect.
"Tell me about the situation within the city," Ying Zheng said.
"Reporting to the Great King," Wang Ben promptly replied. "The battle within Handan City has now been settled. The remaining Zhao troops in the city have surrendered to our Qin Army and are now being escorted outside the city to be held under guard. However, some Zhao soldiers escaped in the chaos, and others have hidden in the homes of the city's residents. These will need to be identified and sorted through."
"We have already ordered our Sharp Warriors to search house by house for Zhao soldiers and capture them immediately upon discovery," Wang Ben continued.
"In addition," Yang Duanhe immediately added, "we have urgently deployed the Logistics Army to clear the corpses from the city to prevent an epidemic."
Ying Zheng nodded. "In the attack on Handan, the Sharp Warriors from Lantian Camp have hardly rested. Arrange for them to rest in shifts. They are all brave soldiers of Qin, and they have worked hard."
"The Great King is wise," the generals said in unison.
Wang Ben and Yang Duanhe continued to report on the situation inside Handan City. An unknown amount of time passed before a voice called out.
"Report!" The Personal Guard Commander of Wang Jian ran in quickly. "General Zhao Feng has returned with his trusted aides, bringing the escaped nobles of Zhao with them. They have now entered the Royal Palace Square."
"Zhao Yan!"
Ying Zheng uttered the name softly, then, ignoring everyone else, walked towards the exit of the Longtai Palace.
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