All Heavens and Worlds Modified History System

Chapter 259: The one we are fighting against is your generals
Chang'an City was a military city from the very beginning of its construction.

There are one hundred and eight districts, each of which is a separate military fortress.

In this respect, it is similar to the original Bianliang City.

Of course, the outcome is the same now. Once the city wall is lost, it means the loss of all defensive capabilities.

"Master!"

Qu Duan, with blood stains all over his armor, rushed in holding a copper axe, saluted to Zhong Shidao who was sitting on the chair, and said urgently, "The enemy soldiers are approaching, hurry up and leave!"

"Walk?"

After suffering a great defeat, Zong Shidao did not hysterically want to "go to Hebei Province", but instead said with a smile, "Where else can I go?"

Qu Duan's face darkened, and he immediately responded, "We will escort your husband out of the city and return to Qinfeng Road first."

"Qin Fenglu."

Zong Shidao sighed softly, "We have been in Qinfeng Road for many years. Are you going to bring the fighting to Qinfeng Road? How many people will survive the war?"

If it were someone else, even if they had some guesses in their mind, they would not take the initiative to say it out at this time.

But Qu Duan was different. He said very straightforwardly, "Sir, do you want to surrender?"

"Yes."

Zong Shidao simply responded, "Enough deaths have already occurred. Those attacking the city were all from the Western Army that went to Jiangnan. They have been killing each other for so long. It's time to end it."

Qu Duan simply stood up straight, with an angry look on his face, "These idiots are nothing, they kill like wolves and tigers, how come I never saw them so fierce when I fought Tangut dogs in previous years?"

That was because the Song Dynasty withheld and owed the soldiers food and wages.

If the battle was won, the meat would be eaten by the civil officials, the soup would be drunk by the military generals, and the soldiers would at most get a few hairs.

If they lose the battle, the civil officials will not be in trouble, the military generals will suffer the consequences, but the soldiers will lose their lives!
In such a situation, only a crazy person would risk his life.

"After you surrender, you must never mention the Western Army again." Zong Shidao looked around at the generals. "No matter who Chen Ran wants to fight or kill, or who he wants to use as a raft, we must rectify military discipline and not allow embezzlement or corruption. Let you fight to the death."

"Remember, no matter what order he gives, you must do it wholeheartedly!"

"Only in this way can one stand out from the crowd and become the founder of a country."

"If anyone wants to continue to hang around like they did in the Song Dynasty." At this point, Master Zhong shook his head and said, "You choose the path you want to take."

Qu Duan looked surprised and bowed again, "Sir, you won't surrender?"

"As a general of a region, how can I live in disgrace after such a great defeat?"

Zhong Shidao laughed, "I have been a minister of the Song Dynasty all my life, and I want to change my allegiance before I die."

At this point, he smiled and shook his head, "I still want to save some face."

All the generals bowed and saluted, and no one objected to Zong Shidao's proposal of surrender.

There is really no way to fight, the opponent is too strong.

Once Chang'an City is lost, even if you escape, people will still chase you wherever you go.

By then, there will be no meaning at all except that lives will be lost and the hometown will become a killing battlefield.

After all, if we can’t win in the city of Chang’an with its strong walls, how can we win by escaping back to our hometown?
By then, those who will die will be all your elders, fellow villagers, and relatives.

"Let's go."

Zong Shidao took a step and walked out of the hall, "I have long wanted to meet that great king."

Suzaku Avenue.

Looking at the old general who was riding alone on horseback, Chen Ran raised his hand to signal the people around him to stay calm.

Zong Shidao rode his horse more than ten steps away and stopped. "May I ask if it is King Chen who is here in person?"

"it's me."

Chen Ran looked at the man opposite him and asked, "Master Zhong?"

"It is me," said Master Zhong in a very straightforward tone, "I have come to ask for your surrender!"

"Why don't you say something like, to save the people from being killed, to save the city from being destroyed by war?" Chen Ran said with a smile, "You are too straightforward, aren't you?"

"These are just the generous words of civil officials." Zhong Shidao shook his head, "It's all nonsense."

Losing is losing, surrendering is surrendering.

What is the use of saying these empty words other than allowing those who hold pens to describe themselves as glorious and great?

"Go ahead." Chen Ran shook the reins in his hand. "Tell me what conditions you have. I'll listen to them."

"First, please pardon the soldiers. Second, please do not affect the people. Third, please forgive the gentry. Fourth, please give the civil servants a way out."

When this condition was put forward, Chen Ran smiled.

"It's okay to forgive the soldiers, but not the generals. They embezzled and exploited the soldiers, so they must pay the price for their actions."

"As for the people, there is no need for you to tell them. Not only will I not harm them, I will also give them land."

"As for the gentry." At this point, Chen Ran thought for a moment, but shook his head helplessly, "It's really none of my business. They oppress and plunder the common people too cruelly, and the poor have no place to live. If we don't destroy them and take away their land and redistribute it, the people who can't survive will shout, 'Are kings, princes, generals, and ministers of different races?'"

"You are an old man in the Western Army. Let me ask you, is there one acre and three fen of land outside the city of Chang'an that belongs to the common people?"

Zhong Shidao remained silent, because he knew very well that it was impossible for ordinary people to own land outside the city of Chang'an.

"The same is true for the civil servants." Chen Ran's expression was sincere, and he explained attentively, "They are either colluding with the gentry, or simply being the gentry themselves. Both sides are in cahoots with each other, using power and money to oppress the people. There is no reason to suppress one side and let the other go."

"Besides, if I don't destroy them, where will I get the land to distribute to the people and appease them to concentrate on farming? Where will I get the land, houses and wealth to reward the meritorious soldiers? You can't let me pay for it myself. I can't pay for it."

"I won't agree to your terms. I came to Guanzhong to defeat you generals."

Chen Ran responded sternly, "Let's continue fighting."

The generals behind Zong Shidao all looked unhappy.

In fact, they were all mentally prepared to change their allegiance and become Chen Ran's dogs.

As long as I can gain the merit of following the dragon, it doesn't matter even if I have to spend all my family wealth to support the king. Anyway, my descendants will always earn it back a thousand times.

But now these people just look down on them!

Hearing something strange in the words, Zhong Shidao was also panicked. He didn't expect Chen Ran to refuse.

He quickly said, "As long as the king is willing to treat the soldiers in Guanzhong well, one word can conquer the six routes in Guanxi and get 200,000 soldiers!"

"I'll take the six routes to Guanxi myself." Chen Ran said proudly, "As for the 200,000 bear soldiers, forget it."

"I am willing to write a letter to persuade my brother to surrender." Zong Shidao gritted his teeth and threw out the last card, "That's 50,000 elite soldiers from Qinfeng Road!"

"You've fought many battles, too." Chen Ran responded with a frown, "How could you not know what the situation is in Tongguan now? Tens of thousands of troops are stuck in the mountains, with their food supply cut off. They've been starving for ten days or half a month, and then they sent people to persuade them to surrender. The whole mountain is filled with surrendered soldiers!"

Zhong Shidao was speechless in the end.

The world has really changed. We can’t even surrender.

"Still surrendering?" Chen Ran laughed and said, "Those who are willing to surrender, drop your weapons and stand aside. Those who are unwilling to surrender, form a battle formation, and we will continue to fight."

There was silence on the Western Army side.

They are what Chen Ran called the generals who withheld military pay, the gentry who annexed land, and the civil servants who exploited the people.

A family of generals with many descendants.

Some became generals, while others studied and became officials.

Some ran farmland and shops at home, while others worked in the government office.

The family's tentacles extend throughout the interior and exterior, and the families and clans intermarry with each other and support each other. They have already managed the Guanzhong area like an iron barrel.

Chen Ran is trying to dig up their roots, how can they surrender!

In the unspeakable silence, there was a sudden sound of a weapon falling to the ground, attracting everyone's attention.

"I was born into a military family. I was only three years old when my father died in battle. Everything in my family was taken by my clansmen. I almost starved to death."

Qu Duan threw down his weapon and walked towards the side of the Imperial Street. "Whether they live or die is none of my business."

With Qu Duan taking the lead, many generals who were not from military families put down their weapons and followed.

The Western Army has a strict hierarchy. If you are not from a military family, being able to become a captain is the limit, and they have long been full of complaints.

They don't have a large family to exploit the people, so naturally they choose to surrender without any pressure.

As for the more numerous ordinary soldiers, there was no need to say more. They almost all ran to the other side of the Imperial Street in unison.

He is bullied in the army on a daily basis, so how could he risk his life for his enemies at such a critical moment!

In the end, the ones left were the generals who came from military families, and their personal guards who were usually their relatives.

Chen Ran stretched out his hand and waved towards Zhong Shidao, signaling him to move aside and not delay the fight.

Zhong Shidao laughed while crying, with a strange expression, "The world is going to change."

He reached out and took out a letter, and handed it to his personal guard. "This is a letter of persuasion. Send it to my brother in Tongguan and ask him to leave a way out for the children of Qinfeng Road."

After saying that, Zhong Shidao drew out his sword and placed it across his neck, looking up to the sky and shouting, "It's not a crime!"

A trace of blood splattered out and Zhong Shidao fell off the horse.

Firstly, he hated the eunuch Tong Guan for killing the elite troops of the Western Army; secondly, he hated Yao Gu and his son for being as stupid as pigs and losing the Puzhou Ferry so easily.

If all the elite troops of the Western Army were there, and they defended Pujindu and Tongguan, and then persuaded Sichuan and Shu to send support, he would be confident that he could have a good fight with Chen Ran.

Unfortunately, it is not a crime of war~~~
"If you die, how can your brother live alone?" Chen Ran frowned and told his attendants, "Find him a coffin."

After that, he called on the soldiers to "form a formation and go forward to kill the enemy!"

There was no suspense about the outcome of the battle.

Most of the generals and bodyguards who were unwilling to surrender or unable to accept Chen Ran's surrender conditions were killed. A small number of them tried to break out of the city, but were chased by cavalry. It was almost impossible for anyone to successfully break out of the siege.

After the battle was over, Chen Ran instructed the generals to go to various places in the city to recruit the remaining soldiers, eliminate the rioters, pacify the people, control the warehouses, block the city gates, etc., and then he rode his horse to the front of the surrendered soldiers.

He looked at the first person who had abandoned his troops and asked, "Who are you?"

"Qinfeng Road Warden, Qu Duan."

"Have you ever withheld military pay?"

Hearing this, Qu Duan laughed and said, "Your Majesty, how can a white lotus grow in this big dye vat of the Western Army? Anyone who does not follow the crowd will either have no chance to make a name for himself or be killed on the battlefield."

"That makes sense." Chen Ran nodded. "According to my rules, all those above the rank of captain will be beheaded. But since you have surrendered, I will give you a chance to live. If you join the Death Soldier Camp and are the first to enter the battle, and you get the fifth level of armor, you can escape punishment."

"Are you willing to follow it?"

(End of this chapter)