Diqin Designer

Chapter 482 The End of the Remnants
Since learning that the Qin people had arrived on the island, captured their northern water fortress, and witnessed the Qin people destroying their hidden ships, both the former nobles of the six states and the ordinary soldiers of the six states were plunged into a depressed atmosphere of low morale, dejection, and constant fear.

Even if the reason given was that Qu Tong betrayed them and informed the Qin people, allowing them to easily capture the water fortress and find the harbor, it wouldn't significantly boost morale.

Those are Qin people; just hearing that Qin people are there puts them under immense pressure.

Even when their homeland was still intact, they couldn't defeat the Qin people. Now, how can these people possibly defeat them?

If they could win, they wouldn't have fled to this island. They claim they went overseas to seek opportunities to make a comeback and that they would return to restore their homeland sooner or later, but they all know in their hearts that they were chased here by the Qin people like stray dogs.

They couldn't win, they simply couldn't win. Almost no one thought they had a chance to defeat the Qin people!
Moreover, the Qin people seemed to have become stronger during the time they fled to this island. How could they resist with the kind of weapons the Qin people used to destroy their ships?
They are now trapped beasts on this island by the Qin people. As long as they cannot leave the island, they will be destroyed by the Qin people sooner or later.

The Qin people didn't even need to lift a finger; the island's inhabitants and miasma were enough to keep them occupied. The Qin people only needed to wait, and the islanders would gradually perish on their own.

In this situation, feelings of dejection, anxiety, fear, and worry naturally arise. They are dejected because they know they cannot resist the Qin people, and fearful because they do not know what their ultimate fate will be.

In such a depressing and anxious atmosphere, it is only natural that morale is low and people are not enthusiastic. Naturally, they will not be as careful and meticulous as when they are in a normal state.

In the dead of night, the camp was quiet. Apart from the voices of the patrolling soldiers, there were few other voices. These patrolling soldiers were not as alert as usual and did not notice the movements hidden in the darkness.

Suddenly, flames shot up from several places in the camp and quickly grew, followed by cries of alarm: "Fire! Fire! Help! Put out the fire!"

In an instant, the entire camp was awakened by these exclamations. Some people ran outside their tents without even putting on their clothes and shoes properly, and saw the flames that were leaping up.

The patrolling soldiers noticed the commotion and rushed to the fire to put it out.

There is no rain tonight, so it is relatively dry. Moreover, the fire was deliberately started and is growing fiercely, making it impossible to extinguish in a short time.

People were shouting and rushing to put out the fire everywhere. The camp began to fall into chaos, and it was impossible to tell where this group of people came from or which group belonged to which nobleman.

Xiong Xin, who was in the main tent in the center of the camp, was also awakened by the commotion and asked, "What's going on outside? Why is it so noisy?"

A servant reported, "Your Majesty, do not worry, there is a fire outside!"

Is there a fire?
It's not surprising that something like this happens occasionally when the weather is dry, but isn't this a bit too much of a commotion?
Xiong Xin then asked, "Where is the water flowing?"

The attendant said, "There are several places where the fire is quite large, but Your Majesty need not worry. Those fire-prone areas are not nearby and the fire will not reach here."

Xiong Xin immediately sensed something was wrong. Several places were flooded, and the fire was quite large. It was possible that someone had deliberately started the fire.

What was the arsonist's purpose? Was it to burn the grain and fodder, or to incite unrest so that he could take advantage of the chaos to do something?
If the intention is to incite unrest so that one can take advantage of the chaos to do something, then what would they do?
Could it be that they intend to use fire to attract attention, then take advantage of the chaos to attack his central tent, take his head, and then use it to surrender to the Qin people?

Although this was only one possibility, Xiong Xin dared not be careless. He hurriedly ordered: "By my order, all guards shall immediately prepare for battle and guard the central tent. Without my order, no one shall leave their post."

Something's definitely wrong with this fire; it's highly likely someone is trying to take advantage of it.

No sooner had Xiong Xin given the order than shouts of battle came from outside, indicating that someone had indeed set fires and started a rampage.

By creating chaos with fire, he drew most of the soldiers in the camp to fight the fire, thus creating a breach in the camp's defenses, especially for him.

Apart from the soldiers who were already there to protect him, the other soldiers must have been drawn to the fire to put it out, which weakened his protective force.

Moreover, this chaos also makes it difficult for his royal decrees to be conveyed, preventing those loyal to him from immediately mobilizing manpower to support him.

The person who set the fire secretly could then take this opportunity to attack and kill him!
This is not a very complicated plan, but it is very useful in practice.

For him to survive, either his guards must hold off the arsonist's soldiers, or his loyalists must realize the situation and come to his aid.

I wonder how many people will set this fire tonight, and how many people want to take his head...

Even if they manage to survive tonight's attack, their strength will be greatly diminished, making it even more difficult for them to survive on the island and fight against the Qin people.

Victory is defeat, and defeat is even worse; it only benefits the Qin people.

Before the Qin army had even truly attacked, internal strife broke out among them, with them killing each other.

Shouts came from outside again. Xiong Xin recognized the voice as that of a Chu general named Zhao Yue, who was trying to demoralize his guards.

"General Meng Tian of Qin has agreed to accept our surrender and promised that as long as the false king is killed, he will guarantee our lives and allow us to return to our homeland."

"Put down your weapons immediately and do not resist. Do you not want to return to your homeland? Do you want to continue being the henchmen of the false king and fighting against General Meng Tian?"

A person's name is like a tree's shadow. Although Meng Tian was not as famous as Wang Jian, he was equally renowned among the six states. When the name Meng Tian was heard, many soldiers hesitated.

It turns out that Meng Tian led the Qin army to the island this time. How could they possibly contend with Meng Tian?
Their hesitation emboldened Zhao Yue and his men to launch an even fiercer attack.

Xiong Xin knew that if Zhao Yue continued to shout, the soldiers' morale would change because they were afraid of Meng Tian. No one wanted to fight against the Qin army, especially the Qin army led by Meng Tian!
Faced with life and death, most people would prefer to live if given the chance. Moreover, if they listened to this man and surrendered to the Qin people, the Qin people would not only spare their lives but also allow them to return to their homeland.

That makes it even more appealing!
But for Xiong Xin, if the morale of the army changes, he will have an even greater chance of survival.

He immediately said, "Don't listen to this official's nonsense. The Qin people are cruel and treacherous. How could they accept our surrender? Haven't you heard of the events at Changping? Don't fall for this official's trick!"

These words jolted many soldiers whose morale was wavering back to their senses.

Yes, the Qin people are known to be ruthless and treacherous. In the Battle of Changping, Bai Qi massacred 400,000 Zhao soldiers. If they had surrendered to the Qin people, would they have suffered the same fate and been massacred by them?

Probably!

This was the legacy left by Bai Qi. Although the massacre of 400,000 Zhao soldiers greatly weakened Zhao's war potential, it was beneficial for Qin to conquer the six states and unify the world.

However, this also made people hesitant to surrender to the Qin Dynasty in the future, fearing that they would repeat the mistakes of the Zhao army in the Battle of Changping.

Zhao Yue also heard Xiong Xin's words and saw that the soldiers who had been wavering had regained their resolve. He thought to himself, "This is bad!" and quickly implemented another prepared measure. Two of his personal guards lifted a pole and unfurled a flag from it. Although it was still night, because of the firelight in the camp, those who saw the flag could see a large Qin seal script character "Meng" on the unfurled flag!

The flag fluttered in the wind, and the character "蒙" (Meng) on ​​it also rose in the wind, catching everyone's eye in the firelight.

Which "Meng" could it be in the Qin state?
This is the "Meng" from the Meng brothers' name!
Meng Yi was protecting the King of Qin and would not leave Xianyang normally, so it must have been Meng Tian.

Upon seeing the flag appear, Xiong Xin was slightly taken aback, but he immediately realized that he couldn't let the soldiers think the flag was real. "This is fake; they made it themselves!"

Even if the flag is real, it can only be fake now.

But it was too late. The appearance of Meng Tian's banner made some soldiers believe it: if this really was the banner of Meng Tian, ​​a famous general of Qin, then it was very likely that surrendering to Qin would save their lives!
Not everyone needs to believe, just a few will be enough to shake morale. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zhao Yue and his men quickly attacked, with some soldiers shouting, "General Meng Tian's banner is here! Lay down your weapons and surrender immediately!"

After some thought, some soldiers actually laid down their weapons and knelt on the ground.

During this period, their morale was low, they were anxious and fearful, and their minds were stretched to the limit. Now that they heard there was a chance to surrender and live, naturally some people wanted to seize it.

Seeing this, Xiong Xin was very anxious, but he had no other good ideas, so he could only say, "Even if it really is Meng Tian, ​​who can guarantee that he won't bury you alive like Bai Qi did? The Qin people are the most treacherous; we cannot trust their words!"

His words did little to inspire the soldiers, who believed they were already at their wits' end and that their only way to survive was to surrender to the Qin.

Perhaps the Qin people were indeed deceiving them, planning to bury them alive after they surrendered, but they still clung to a sliver of hope that it might actually be true.

Furthermore, they had never heard of Meng Tian killing prisoners. If it were Bai Qi who said he was willing to accept their surrender, they would never dare to gamble. Upon hearing Bai Qi's name, they would not only not lay down their weapons and surrender, but would also pick up their weapons and fight desperately.

This is thanks to the good reputation Meng Tian has built up over the years of leading troops in battle.

While Zhao Yue and his men were taking the opportunity to attack Xiong Xin's main tent, some former nobles from the six kingdoms also reacted and quickly summoned their soldiers to come and provide support.

Seeing figures running from all directions and hearing the approaching sounds of battle, Zhao Yue and the others knew they had to deal with Xiong Xin as soon as possible to establish a fait accompli.

They had no choice but to either kill or capture Xiong Xin and use the power of the Qin army to intimidate the others, or they would be surrounded and killed!

When it came to a life-or-death moment, Xiong said urgently, "Stop them! Quickly stop them for me! Stop these traitors, and I will reward you handsomely!"

Zhao Yue and his men were also promising their soldiers rewards: "Kill one person, and you'll be rewarded with ten gold pieces; capture or kill the false king, and you'll be rewarded with ten thousand gold pieces."

Regardless of whether these rewards can be fulfilled, let's make the promises first to boost the morale of the soldiers.

A generous reward will surely attract brave men, especially since they are now on the side of the Qin people and are killing the false king for the Qin. The morale of Zhao Yue's soldiers is far higher than that of Xiong Xin's guards.

With the Qin people backing us up, why should we fear these people?

By beheading the false king and securing this achievement, the Qin people would surely guarantee not to kill them, and might even allow them to return to their homeland.

To save their lives and return to their homeland, they're nothing but a false king, kill him!

One side was demoralized and its soldiers were unstable, while the other side was full of morale and fought bravely. Although the soldiers protecting Xiong Xin were stronger and used better weapons, their defenses were still breached by the soldiers under Zhao Yue and others.

When the guards' defenses were breached, Xiong Xin did not flee, nor could he, nor did he beg for mercy.

Because he knew that others might survive, but his chances of survival were extremely slim.

If I don't die here today, I will be captured and killed by the Qin people.

He scanned Zhao Yue and the others, and questioned them: "'Zhao Clan', along with 'Qu Clan' and 'Jing Clan', are the three great noble clans of the Great Chu, holding high positions and great power. I have always treated you well, so why have you betrayed me?"

"Do you think that by surrendering to the Qin people you will be treated well? I tell you, no, your very birth has destined you to be viewed with suspicion by the Qin people!"

Faced with Xiong Xin's questioning, Zhao Yue and the others remained silent for a moment. They knew all too well that even if they successfully surrendered to the Qin people, the Qin people would no longer grant them the status and power of nobles.

But the six states have already fallen. These remnants never had a true noble status, and they don't want the Qin people to give them noble power and status. They just want to survive.

Zhao Yue said, "Your Majesty, the Great Chu has already perished, and we are no longer the three great noble families of the Great Chu!"

Upon hearing Zhao Yue's words, Xiong Xin's eyes glazed over, and his expression dimmed. The Chu Kingdom had already perished three years ago. Since then, the three major royal families of Chu no longer existed, nor did the true King of Chu.

These people are nothing but remnants of the six states that were destroyed, a pack of stray dogs. Their dream of restoring their kingdoms should have ended long ago.

Without wasting any more words with Xiong Xin, Zhao Yue and several generals who had rebelled with him escorted Xiong Xin into the main tent. Shortly afterward, Zhao Yue walked out of the tent carrying a freshly severed head.

At this moment, many former nobles of the six kingdoms had gathered outside the tent with their soldiers, and they were all shocked when they saw the head Zhao Yue was holding.

The elder at the head of the group pointed at Zhao Yue, trembling with shock and anger: "You...you dare to murder the king!"

Facing an enemy force several times their size, Zhao Yue showed no fear. Instead, he raised his head high and shouted, "You false king Shouji, why don't you surrender? General Meng Tian of Qin has decreed that anyone who is willing to surrender will be guaranteed a life!"

Two guards raised the Mongolian flag, and the character "蒙" (Meng) written in Qin seal script fluttered in the wind.

Upon hearing Zhao Yue's words, the furious old man ordered his soldiers: "Kill him! Kill them all!"

Seeing the Mongolian flag and the severed head Zhao Yue was holding, not a single soldier dared to move.

"Traitors! You're all a bunch of traitors! If you won't go, I'll take action myself!"

The old man stepped forward with his weapon, but Zhao Yue shouted, "Take them down with me!" The soldiers who had disobeyed his orders immediately moved and captured the old man instead.

(End of this chapter)