Double penetration: This Three Kingdoms has dragon energy

Chapter 143 War is all about money!
"Order Xu He to adopt Plan B in this battle, with the primary objective of defeating the Beihai army!" Ji Qiu thought for a moment and then gave the order over the walkie-talkie.

Ji Qiu and his advisors knew long ago that Kong Rong would not surrender so easily.

Not only would they not surrender, but Wang Xiu's letter of persuasion to surrender was very likely to anger Kong Rong.

Therefore, they have been keeping a close eye on every move of the Beihai camp.

They not only kept a close eye on every move of the Beihai camp, but also devised two combat plans specifically targeting the Beihai army.

Plan A aims to completely annihilate the Beihai Army.

The other plan is Plan B, which aims to defeat the Beihai Army.

The specific choice of which option to select will be made by Ji Qiu based on the actual situation.

Ji Qiu originally thought that the Kong family, with its thousand-year heritage and being the family of the patriarch of contemporary prominent scholars, must have an extremely powerful private army under its command.

Therefore, I prefer option A.

Previously, preparations were mainly carried out according to Plan A.

Although a general strategy had been formulated to preserve the vitality of the Nine Provinces as much as possible and not give the Heavenly Court and the Witch and Demon races any opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

However, each situation needs to be analyzed individually.

Specifically, regarding the task of conquering the Beihai Kingdom, the first priority is to achieve victory in a clean and decisive manner.

Try not to cause any damage to Beihai County, and use this to intimidate the people so that you can quickly occupy the entire territory of Qingzhou.

Other aspects can naturally be relegated to a secondary position.

However, after actually inspecting the situation of the Beihai Army.

Ji Qiu felt that they could abandon Plan A.

Firstly, the Beihai army is not very strong and is not at all capable of posing a threat to Ji Qiu.

Secondly, even if the Beihai army is defeated by rout, due to the special nature of the gentleman's secret arts practiced by the Beihai army soldiers, they will not become ordinary defeated soldiers who ravage the people.

For these two reasons, and considering the overall strategy, Ji Qiu ultimately decided to adopt Plan B, which involved killing fewer people!
"Here!"

Xu Hegang's resolute voice came through the walkie-talkie.

Meanwhile, ten thousand meters away on the artillery battalion's position, Xu He loudly ordered: "By order of the lord, execute Plan B. The entire battalion will replace its conventional shells with M-240ZH stun shells, GY-240YW high-intensity smoke shells, and ZD-240DN ground-shaking kinetic energy shells!"

Since the objective of the operation has changed, the weapons used must also be changed.

Conventional artillery shells primarily cause damage through violent shrapnel explosions.

Although it is extremely powerful, it is not suitable for use if you do not want to kill too many enemies.

The principle behind stun grenades is to use the strong sound waves and air shock waves generated by the explosion to cause hearing damage, dizziness, and imbalance, thereby breaking up dense formations.

The principle behind high-intensity smoke grenades is to use bright light, loud noise, and irritating smoke to disrupt the enemy's vision and sense of smell, causing panic and disarray.

The principle of ground-shaking kinetic energy projectiles is to use the ground vibration generated by the explosion of a shell to destroy the dense formations of ancient armies (such as square formations and chariot formations).

These are all shells perfectly suited for the purpose of defeating and capturing the enemy.

With Xu He's order, the artillery battalion soldiers began changing the shells for the M1 240mm howitzers.

The conventional shells were slowly pulled out of the cannon barrel, the metallic clanging sound like the prelude to some ancient ritual.

The soldiers knelt down and pushed the M-240ZH stun grenades into the chamber. The diamond-shaped grooves on the surface of the grenades were filled with blue infrasonic oscillating agent, which gleamed eerily under the searchlights.

The propellant cartridge of the GY-240YW high-intensity smoke grenade is wrapped with orange-red warning tape, and the tail of the grenade has a dense array of heat dissipation holes, resembling a menacing honeycomb.

The heaviest ZD-240DN ground-shaking kinetic energy warhead requires four people to push it together. Its blunt, rounded warhead is covered with spiral-shaped ground-touching fuses, resembling a lurking mechanical python.

"Filling complete!" The reports of each team completing the loading echoed through the walkie-talkies.

Xu He took off his tactical goggles, the lenses reflecting the raised barrels of a thousand giant cannons, like a steel forest declaring war on the heavens.

He gave the order, expressionless: "Fire!"

Boom boom boom!
The first salvo tore through the night, with two-thousand-kilogram projectiles streaking across the sky, trailing plumes of flame, and crashing down like meteors onto the marching Beihai army ten thousand meters away.

The first thing to explode was the stun grenade, which created a silver-blue halo at a height of 300 meters, and the infrasound waves spread out in a tremendous roar.

The soldiers in the front row of the Beihai army formation, clad in plain silk armor, suddenly covered their ears, staggered to their knees, black blood seeping from the corners of their mouths, and fell to the ground along with their swords.

The jade pendants at their waists, symbols of gentlemanly dignity, collided with the ground, the crisp sound of them shattering completely swallowed up by the roar of infrasound.

High-intensity smoke grenades followed one after another, instantly turning the clouds into a blinding white incandescence.

The intense light of 20,000 lumens briefly blinded the entire battlefield. The generals holding ceremonial swords in the center of the formation convulsed violently in the halo of light, their pupils contracting sharply due to the burning effect of the intense light.

Immediately afterwards, pungent orange smoke carrying capsaicin poured down, and these soldiers, who usually adhered to the principle of "not looking at what is improper," were instantly moved to tears. The choking smoke seeped into their nostrils through the gaps in their ceremonial hats, causing them to kneel down and vomit on the spot, and the first crack began to appear in their neat formation.

Finally, the kinetic energy bomb slammed heavily into the earth, and the ground suddenly undulated like a boiling ocean.

The shells exploded three meters into the frozen ground, and the shockwaves that spread laterally instantly overturned the entire military formation.

The soldiers who practiced the Gentleman's Secret Technique were thrown into the air like withered leaves in the wind, along with their shields.

Someone tried to use the salute sword to support himself on the ground and maintain his standing posture, but the violent tremors shattered his wrist bone.

At the very front of the formation, the large banner bearing the character "仁" (ren, meaning benevolence) forged from tempered steel collapsed with a crash, pinning three soldiers to the ground with its flagpole, their blood staining the Confucian maxims on the banner.

The roars and cries shattered the former gentlemanly demeanor, and the once steadfast and unyielding military formation turned into a chaotic mess.

The warhorse broke free of its reins and charged toward the cliff, the plain silk battle flag it carried fluttering in the wind like a funeral banner.

The surviving general brandished his ceremonial sword in an attempt to regroup, but was blown away by the shockwave from the subsequent bullets, and the jade-inlaid hilt of his sword was deeply embedded in his throat.

The 50,000-strong Beihai army was almost instantly rendered incapable of resistance.

All the soldiers curled up helplessly on the ground, groaning in pain.

However, the actual number of soldiers who died was not large; there were only a few hundred unlucky ones who were directly hit by artillery shells.

This should be considered a stroke of good luck amidst their misfortune!

"Iron Cavalry Battalion, charge!"

"Wolf Riders, charge!"

At the same time that the artillery battalion's shells were falling, the Iron Cavalry Battalion and Wolf Cavalry Battalion, located three miles away, also began their charge.

Artillery battalions can smash enemy formations and kill or control large numbers of enemy troops.

But ultimately, it's impossible to completely annihilate or capture the enemy.

Ultimately, the two cavalry battalions will be needed to end the battle completely.

Thus, a total of 20,000 Xiliang Iron Cavalry and Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry, led by Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao, launched an attack on the Beihai army from the left and right flanks.

"Damn it, what the hell is this? Is it some kind of secret technique? But how can there be such a powerful secret technique in this world?!"

In the army of Beihai, Taishi Ci looked around at the scene and was utterly horrified.

He had no idea what had happened to the Beihai army or how it had suddenly turned into this state!

Could it be that Ji Qiu attacked him?

Yes, it must have been Ji Qiu who attacked him.

At this time and in this place, no one but Ji Qiu would dare to attack him!

But how could Ji Qiu possess such formidable strength?
How could such a bizarre attack be launched?
Taishi Ci was filled with shock and disbelief. He had anticipated defeat before leaving the camp, but he never expected to lose so quickly and so miserably!
In his estimation, even though Ji Qiu was powerful, he was not entirely without the ability to fight back.

After all, he was a fierce general with the courage of ten thousand men, and he had fifty thousand strong troops under his command.

Even if he was no match for Ji Qiu, he could still prove his strength to him, thus securing a dignified exit for Kong Rong.

This is why, even knowing that defeat was highly likely, he still resolutely left the Beihai camp to face Ji Qiu.

It must be said that Kong Rong did have personal charisma. Whether it was Taishi Ci or Wang Xiu, when they could not persuade him, they both used their own methods to protect his interests.

Unfortunately, Wang Xiu's seemingly unreliable plan succeeded.

Taishi Ci's seemingly reliable plan failed.

Taishi Ci glanced at the battlefield and saw that almost all the Beihai soldiers were lying on the ground in pain, while two cavalry units were galloping towards them not far away.

Then, in an instant, he made the judgment that the 50,000-strong army was doomed.

Since it's beyond saving, then there's no need to save it.

The most urgent thing is to think about how to escape.

He has done his best; there's no need for him to die here.

Moreover, Kong Rong also needed him to bring the news back from here.

Although Kong Rong had always been unwilling to face reality, this crushing defeat would likely force him to confront it, even if he didn't want to.

In the current situation, only by making Kong Rong realize reality can he have a glimmer of hope!
Taishi Ci made his decision and, without hesitation, mounted his warhorse and galloped away.

Leaving the battlefield was not difficult for him, after all, he was very strong, and even in this chaotic battlefield, there were not many things that could truly threaten him.

……

Taishan Army Headquarters.

"My lord, Taishi Ci has already fled the battlefield!" Jia Xu reported to Ji Qiu.

Taishi Ci thought he had left without anyone noticing, but little did he know that his whereabouts were always in Jia Xu's hands.

Even his successful departure from the battlefield was inseparable from Jia Xu's covert cooperation.

At least, Jia Xu did not create any obstacles for him.

Otherwise, if a few fierce generals were dispatched, even Taishi Ci wouldn't be able to escape easily.

The reason Jia Xu secretly allowed Taishi Ci to leave was because Ji Qiu gave him instructions in advance.

Ji Qiu chuckled and said, "Let them run away. It's good that they've run away, otherwise who will inform Kong Rong?"

He let Taishi Ci leave for three reasons.

Firstly, since he chose Plan B to deal with the Beihai army, he naturally wanted to minimize bloodshed and capture as many Beihai soldiers as possible to recruit and surrender. Therefore, he also needed to dismantle the Beihai army's fighting capacity in the shortest possible time.

However, Taishi Ci is quite powerful, and if he is allowed to stay, it will definitely take some time to capture him.

This will cause the Beihai army to suffer many unnecessary casualties.

Secondly, allowing Taishi Ci to escape the battlefield would deal a devastating blow to the morale of the Beihai army, causing their fighting will to collapse.

Otherwise, the soldiers of the North Sea Army who had cultivated the Gentleman's Secret Technique would always be in high spirits, and even if they suffered such a huge blow, it would not break their morale and make them choose to surrender.

Thirdly, Ji Qiu needed someone to inform Kong Rong so that he could face reality.

Kong Rong was very useful to Ji Qiu, and at the same time, Ji Qiu did not want to destroy Beihai City with cannon fire if possible.

Therefore, the best outcome would be for Kong Rong to face reality and choose to surrender.

But how can we make Kong Rong see reality?
It was naturally through Taishi Ci!

As for whether letting Taishi Ci go would cause him to miss out on a great general.

Ji Qiu didn't care about this, because Taishi Ci and Kong Rong had an extraordinary relationship. As long as he could capture and subdue Kong Rong, Taishi Ci would not be able to escape his grasp!

So Ji Qiu said calmly, "Notify the Iron Cavalry Battalion and the Wolf Cavalry Battalion that Taishi Ci has escaped. Tell them to inform the Beihai Army to lay down their weapons and surrender to avoid death!"

“Yes!” Jia Xu said in a deep voice.

The news that Taishi Ci had escaped was quickly relayed to Zhao Yun, the commander of the Iron Cavalry Battalion, and Zhang Liao, the commander of the Wolf Cavalry Battalion.

The news was then spread throughout both camps by the two of them.

And so, sounds began to spread across the battlefield like wildfire.

The Xiliang Iron Cavalry soldiers of the Iron Cavalry Battalion shouted in unison, their voices shaking the tattered flags scattered on the ground: "Taishi Ci has fled! Those who surrender will be spared!"

The Bingzhou wolf cavalry soldiers of the Wolf Cavalry Battalion also shouted, their voices piercing the sky: "Taishi Ci has fled! Those who surrender will be spared!"

The sound caused the soldiers of the North Sea Army, who were enduring discomfort and fighting with difficulty, to all turn their gaze toward the position of the central command flag.

Then, upon seeing that Taishi Ci was indeed no longer under the general's banner, all the soldiers trembled.

They had suffered a horrific attack and were in extreme physical discomfort. The reason they were able to continue fighting despite their discomfort was because of their duty and beliefs as soldiers.

But they are still fighting, and their commander, Taishi Ci, has already fled.

What's the point of their fight now?
The fighting spirit of the Beihai Army soldiers suffered a devastating blow.

At this moment, when the will to fight is dealt a devastating blow, there is only one possible outcome.

The army formation of the Beihai forces began to tremble.

The soldiers who had been waving their ceremonial swords just moments before threw them to the ground.

The shield bearers in the front row even dropped their lacquered shields and knelt down with a thud.

Then, like dominoes falling, swarms of Beihai soldiers began to throw down their weapons and press their foreheads to the ground.

They shouted "surrender" in unison, their voices rising and falling, startling flocks of crows in the reeds!
"Congratulations, my lord! The army of Beihai has surrendered!" Xun You congratulated him with excitement and reverence.

This is a force of 50,000 from Beihai.

Although it was known that with Ji Qiu's strength, he was definitely capable of defeating the 50,000-strong Beihai army.

However, Xun You was still deeply shocked and surprised that the 50,000-strong Beihai army was defeated and captured so easily.

Ji Qiu is truly too powerful; the Heavenly Realm behind him has an endless array of methods.

The power displayed by the artillery battalion when it bombarded Pu's Fortress and the army of corpse demons had already deeply terrified him.

Unexpectedly, this artillery battalion also had the capability to fire stun grenades, high-intensity smoke grenades, and ground-shaking kinetic energy grenades.

His choice was indeed correct; compared to Ji Qiu, the other feudal lords were as weak as newborn children.

Even though their bodies seemed enormous, they posed no threat to Ji Qiu and could only be eliminated one by one by him.

The future world will surely be ruled by Ji Qiu!
Even if all the powerful families in the world joined forces, they couldn't change this outcome!
Ji Qiu chuckled and said, "This was an expected result, so there's no need to be too surprised."

For him, this was indeed an outcome he had long anticipated.

Outsiders might not understand, but he knew perfectly well.

Although the battle itself did not last long, it cost him the largest war expenditure since he started his army!
The M-240ZH stun grenade, the GY-240YW high-intensity smoke grenade, and the ZD-240DN ground-shaking kinetic energy grenade are all things that modern Annam cannot produce.

We have to buy it from the international market.

Even though he chose to purchase from Dongda Military Industry Enterprise, which offered the best value for money, it still cost him a huge sum of money.

The price of just the three types of ammunition used in this battle would exceed two billion US dollars!
Indeed, wars are all about money!

Even if we take over the North Sea Kingdom, the direct profits might not even reach two billion US dollars.

He had already spent the money ahead of time!

Fortunately, in the long run, this is still more worthwhile than the expenditure.

Therefore, Ji Qiu's mood wasn't too bad.

"Have the Iron Cavalry and Wolf Cavalry quickly clean up the battlefield. We should head to Beihai City," Ji Qiu ordered.

Xun You quickly replied, "Yes!"

……

Beihai City, the Prime Minister's Residence.

Another grand banquet is being held here.

The glass lanterns hanging from the eaves swayed gently in the night breeze, turning the vermilion corridor into a flowing amber color.

Kong Rong leaned back on the leopard-skin cushion in the main seat, his jade crown askew but his elegant demeanor undiminished.

The wine in the rhinoceros horn cup in his hand had been changed three times, and the bright red wine dripped down his beard onto the brocade, spreading out like enchanting flowers.

"Wonderful!"

He clapped his hands in admiration, his gaze fixed intently on the dancers in the courtyard.

Sixteen girls, dressed in gossamer-like gauze gowns, had golden bells at their waists that jingled softly as they twirled. Beneath the thin gauze, one could vaguely see chapters from the Book of Songs painted in vermilion on their skin.

As the lead dancer leaped before the table, her wide sleeves brushing against the wine cup, Kong Rong suddenly reached out and grasped her wrist, his drunken eyes slightly narrowed: "Could this dance be called 'Guan Ju'? I have heard of 'Guan Ju' and am delighted to have a virtuous lady paired with a gentleman..."

Before he finished speaking, a burst of laughter erupted from below the hall, and the guests raised their glasses one after another, filling the room with the strong smell of alcohol and perfume.

Just as the music was reaching its climax, the carved wooden door suddenly shattered.

Taishi Ci's armor was stained with blood, and a broken halberd in his hand was still dripping blackish-red liquid. His cloak fluttered in the night wind, resembling a tattered battle flag.

He kicked over the gilded food table laden with delicacies, the sound of jade cups and saucers shattering startling the dancers, who screamed and huddled together.

"My lord, stop drinking! You should sober up!"

Taishi Ci walked up to Kong Rong, his voice as sharp as tearing silk, causing the glass lamps hanging from the beams to shake violently.

Kong Rong, his eyes still blurry with drunkenness, stared at Taishi Ci, not yet fully catching on. He asked hesitantly, "Ziyi? What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to go and ask Ji Qiu for Wang Xiu? Did you get Wang Xiu back so quickly?"

"What need is there for Wang Xiu! I had just led my troops to the Beihai camp when we were ambushed by Ji Qiu."

The 50,000-strong Beihai Army has been completely wiped out. In just one more day, the Taishan Army will be at the gates of Beihai City in late autumn!

I fought my way out of the encirclement to deliver this message to you, my lord!
"My lord, please leave Beihai City with me immediately, or it will be too late!" Taishi Ci said urgently.

Bang!

The rhinoceros horn cup in Kong Rong's hand fell to the ground, and the wine flowed like a river on the blue bricks, reflecting his suddenly pale face.

The usually carefree prime minister staggered backward, knocking over the bronze incense burner behind him. Incense splattered out and ignited a ghostly blue flame on the ground.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible! How could Ji Qiu defeat the Northern Navy? You must be joking with me!"

Kong Rong's voice trembled and became incoherent. His robe sleeves brushed against the still-wet manuscript on the table, and the ink smeared into hideous bloodstains.

Taishi Ci strode forward, the clanging of armor like a death knell. He suddenly grabbed Kong Rong by the collar and lifted him into the air: "What time is it? You're still pretending to be stupid!"
Kong Rong, even if you don't want to live anymore, shouldn't you at least think about the Kong family?

The banquet hall fell into a deathly silence, with only the night wind carrying in the distant sounds of battle shouts.

As Kong Rong gazed at the bloodstains seeping from the gaps in Taishi Ci's armor, he suddenly recalled the scene several months ago in this very banquet hall when he personally presented his sword to this fierce general.

But now, the despair and anger in their eyes are even more scorching than the flames of war outside the city.

"What can be done now that things have come to this?" Kong Rong's bewildered eyes finally revealed a few glimmers of clarity, and he sighed softly.

Taishi Ci put Kong Rong down and said in a deep voice, "Now there are only two choices: surrender or run away."

The former can save your family and the people of Beihai City, but it will damage your reputation.

The latter could preserve your reputation, but the Kong family and the people of Beihai City would likely suffer losses.

"How can my reputation cause harm to my clan and the people? I am willing to surrender," Kong Rong said after a long period of contemplation.

Taishi Ci sighed and said, "Alright, since you've decided to surrender, then hurry up and write the letter of surrender."

I'll deliver it before the autumn army arrives in Beihai City, which will allow me to negotiate some better deals for you!

Kong Rong then wrote a letter of surrender and handed it to Taishi Ci.

Then, Taishi Ci, carrying the letter of surrender, quickly left the Prime Minister's residence, left Beihai City, and headed to intercept and visit Ji Qiu on the only road he could take to Beihai City.

……

A day later, Ji Qiu arrived at Beihai City with his army and Taishi Ci.

Kong Rong ordered the gates of Beihai City to be opened, and then led the civil and military officials of Beihai out of the city to prostrate themselves and surrender to Ji Qiu.

Ji Qiu kindly helped Kong Rong up, saying, "Master Wenju is a descendant of a sage and a renowned scholar throughout the land. How could you bow to me? Such an act would be too much for me!"

"I am not bowing for myself, but for the people of Beihai City. I hope that Your Excellency will keep your promise and treat the people of Beihai City well!" Kong Rong said.

(End of this chapter)