People in the Qin Dynasty sought good fortune and avoided misfortune.

Chapter 481, Nanyang Surrenders (Bonus Chapter, Please Vote)

After receiving Xu Qing's order, Meng Tian began to mobilize his troops and prepare for the surrender and takeover of Nanyang the day after tomorrow. Meanwhile, Bai Yifei, who had returned to Nanyang, led the White Armor Army to the front line the next day and incorporated the White Armor Army into the Han army camp.

A day passed in the blink of an eye as the army was mobilized, and the day for Bai Yifei to surrender to Qin arrived.

In the military camp in Nanyang.

The sounds of swords piercing armor and screams echoed continuously from inside the tent. Hundreds of white-armored guards surrounded the tent, preventing anyone else from getting close.

Inside the main tent. Bai Yifei was covered in blood, his red and white swords were stained with blood, and the armor of his personal guards behind him was also covered in blood. There were more than a dozen corpses lying on the ground.

"My lord, it's all been cleaned up," the guard said.

“Cut off their heads and take them with you.”

Bai Yifei glanced deeply at the corpse on the ground, sheathed his two swords, and said coldly.

These people were unwilling to surrender, and they were all members of families with their own fiefdoms or clans. They could not possibly give up their prominent status and interests in Han. In order to ensure the smooth surrender to Qin, he had no choice but to personally send them on their way.

These people can be considered his pledge of allegiance to Xu Qing and the Qin state. He is a surrendered general, and even if the King of Qin can tolerate him, he must hand over his pledge of allegiance. Only in this way can the King of Qin feel at ease with him.

Killing these sons of powerful nobles would mean a complete break between him and the state of Han. If he wanted to protect himself, he would have no choice but to rely closely on the state of Qin.

“Mother, I am an unfilial son. For the sake of Nanyang and for your hard work, I have no other choice.”

Bai Yifei's expression was complicated as he silently apologized to his mother.

He faced only two paths: fight the Qin army despite the drought, or face the annihilation of the White Armor Army, which devastated Nanyang and plunged its already suffering people into even greater hardship.

The other option was to surrender to Qin, which would have prevented all of this, ended the drought in Nanyang in the shortest possible time, and provided food relief to the starving victims.

The only thing he needs to sacrifice is his reputation.

Just as Bai Yifei was experiencing a complex mix of emotions, a guard entered the tent, cupped his hands, and said...

"Yes! The Qin general is leading his troops toward the camp."

"Bring your heads and come with me to greet them."

Bai Yifei snapped out of his daze, straightened his blood-stained clothes, and spoke to his guards.

The guards handed Bai Yifei the tiger tally of the army, the seal of the governor of Nanjun, and the map of Nanyang. Bai Yifei looked at the symbols of military and political power on the tray, and walked out of the Nanyang military camp with a group of guards supporting him. Behind him was an army of 100,000.

Meanwhile, outside the Nanyang military camp.

Xu Qing and Meng Tian stood on the chariot, leading the Pingyang heavy armored army closer and closer to the Nanyang army camp. As they got closer, Meng Tian couldn't help but worry.

"Great Minister, will Bai Yifei really surrender? Our scouts reported a disturbance in the Nanyang military camp. What if it's just a ruse by Bai Yifei?"

Meng Tian looked at the powerful crossbows on the walls of Xiangyang and said in a low voice.

Xiangyang City was not a small city like Zhuren or Nanliang; it was the most strategic pass in Nanyang, with high walls and thick ramparts, and the city walls were filled with powerful bows and crossbows of the Han army.

Despite the low strength of the Han army, their powerful bows and crossbows were no joke. Looking at the defenders on the walls of Nanyang and the rows of powerful bows, Meng Tian became increasingly worried.

"Don't worry, Bai Yifei is a smart man, he will make the right choice," Xu Qing said, patting Meng Tian on the shoulder.

Meng Tian is still too young and cannot remain calm in the face of a collapsing mountain. However, young people just need more experience. In the future, when Qin unifies the world, there will be no shortage of wars.

Meng Tian looked at Xu Qing uneasily, and just as he was about to say something more, the gates of Xiangyang opened from the inside.

Bai Yifei, dressed in a red robe, rode a white steed, followed by dozens of personal guards, and then squads of soldiers in white armor walked out of the city gate.

When the two were only a dozen steps apart, Bai Yifei dismounted and took the tray from the guard beside him.

The Qin army's ranks opened, and the soldiers drove their chariots to the front of the formation. Xu Qing and Meng Tian stood on the chariots, looking down at Bai Yifei.

After taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Bai Yifei knelt down in front of Xu Qing and Meng Tian, ​​raising the tray in his hands high above his head. The tiger tally, seal, and map shone brightly in the sun.

"General Bai Yifei has led the people of Nanyang to surrender to Qin!" Bai Yifei said in a deep voice.

After he finished speaking, a complex expression appeared on Bai Yifei's originally cold face, but then he felt a sense of relief.

Meng Tian stared at Bai Yifei in shock. Although he knew Bai Yifei was going to surrender, he still found it unbelievable to actually see this scene.

Bai Yifei was a hereditary marquis of Han, a figure whose fate was intertwined with the state. Yet, he actually surrendered to Qin at Xu Qing's urging. The shock this caused was no less than when Gan Luo, at the age of twelve, went on a mission to Zhao, allowing Qin to gain more than a dozen cities without firing a single shot.

Xu Qing looked at Meng Tian, ​​and Meng Tian also looked at Xu Qing.

After their eyes met, Meng Tian took a step back, signaling Xu Qing to accept the surrender.

Although he was the commander-in-chief of the Pingyang Heavy Armor Army, Xu Qing was the Grand Chancellor of Qin, holding a higher position than him, so it was most appropriate for him to accept the surrender. Xu Qing nodded slightly, then reached out and took the tray. After confirming the tiger tally, seal, and map on it, he took the tray and held it up.

The Qin soldiers, seeing the tray in Xu Qing's hands, immediately shouted in unison.

"May the Great Qin Dynasty be victorious! May the Qin army be victorious!"

The Qin army roared to the heavens, their banners fluttering, their momentum soaring to the sky.

On the contrary, the white-armored soldiers were all dejected, some with tears streaming down their faces. Bai Yifei's face was also filled with sorrow. He stood up and said to his personal guards beside him...

"Issue the order: Surrender to Qin, lay down your armor!"

The guards clasped their hands in a fist and conveyed the military order: the order to remove armor was relayed throughout the Nanyang military camp. Wherever the order reached, the soft rustling sound of armor hitting the ground could be heard. As the Han banner crashed down, the 100,000-strong army surrendered.

Upon seeing this, Meng Tian began to arrange for his soldiers to receive the 100,000-strong army. He separated them and put them into the military camp, where they were strictly guarded. Now that they had surrendered, it was inevitable that they might suddenly rebel and incite the surrounding people to riot.

With the weapons and armor received, a black Qin dragon flag fluttered above Xiangyang City.

After the strategic pass of Xiangyang was captured, the once prosperous and renowned Nanyang became easy prey for the Qin state.

Looking down at the white-armored soldiers under his command, Bai Yifei stood with his hands behind his back. His blood-stained clothes had long since been replaced with armor. He looked at the Qin army filing into Xiangyang and asked in a deep voice...

"What are your plans for dealing with the soldiers of the White Armor Army? And what are your plans for dealing with Nanyang?"

"What Qin wants is a prosperous and stable Nanyang, so the Qin army will open the granaries to help Nanyang get through the drought. As for the soldiers of the White Armor Army, that's up to them."

"If they want to stay in the army, they will receive the same treatment as the Qin soldiers, and will be rewarded with titles and honors based on their military achievements. If they do not wish to do so, they will be arranged to return home to farm."

Xu Qing looked at the situation inside Xiangyang City and said.

In order to change the image of the Qin army and to make the people of Nanyang integrate into the Qin state without resistance, appeasement was inevitable. Relying on iron-fisted methods could only instill fear in the people, but could not make them completely integrate into the Qin state.

Moreover, Xu Qing wanted to set a good precedent for the future. With the example of Nanyang, it would be much easier to persuade people to surrender in the future, and the resistance from the people would not be so fierce, which would be of great benefit to future governance.

Inside the city, Meng Tian personally led a supervisory team to inspect the area, ensuring that the Qin army would not dare to invade the people of Xiangyang.

Bai Yifei breathed a sigh of relief after receiving Xu Qing's reply.

With Bai Yifei leading the White Armor Army to surrender in Xiangyang, Meng Tian began to divide his troops to take over the various cities of Nanyang, and the news of Nanyang's surrender spread at the fastest speed.

The State of Qin, Xianyang.

A scout rode a fast horse into Xianyang City and headed towards Zhangtai Palace.

Meanwhile, a court meeting was being held inside Zhangtai Palace.

Ying Zheng sat on the throne, his face somewhat somber, his cold gaze sweeping over the assembled ministers below, his hands gripping the armrests of the throne tightly.

“Your Majesty, the Marquis of Guannei is the symbol of our Qin army. He should be enjoying his retirement, but he returned to Xianyang from Yongcheng for the sake of Qin.”

"His death is now shrouded in mystery, and I believe we must investigate thoroughly and severely punish the murderer!"

"I beg Your Majesty to order a thorough investigation and severely punish the murderer!"

A dozen or so Qin officials stood in the center of the hall, their expressions solemn, and their voices passionate and stirring.

The Qin state's grandmaster and many military generals also looked at Ying Zheng, their eyes filled with anticipation and excitement, as if waiting for Ying Zheng to give an order.

The other officials watched this scene with varying expressions. These dozen or so officials were not relatives or retainers of Zhao under Lao Ai, but rather military nobles and old gentry from Qin's own territory. Although they were not as powerful as before, the force they unleashed was still considerable.

These people appear to be seeking justice for the Marquis of Guannei, but a closer look reveals the underlying intent of their actions—a coup d'état.

Everyone in Xianyang knows that the Marquis of Guannei was murdered by Lao Ai and Zhao Ji in a joint plot. If Ying Zheng orders an investigation, it will surely lead to Lao Ai. If Zhao Ji then steps in to protect Lao Ai, Ying Zheng's authority will be completely destroyed.

Ying Zheng looked at the ministers below who were petitioning for the throne, his gaze moving over them before finally settling on Lao Ai, who was standing next to Zhao Ji.

Lao Ai stood submissively beside Zhao Ji, a half-smile playing on his lips. Noticing Ying Zheng watching him, he raised his head slightly to look at Ying Zheng, his gaze lacking respect and instead carrying a hint of provocation.

These dozen or so ministers were all recruited by him, and it was his idea to make Ying Zheng look bad in court today.

If Ying Zheng chooses to investigate the murder of the Marquis of Guannei, the end result will be a complete loss of prestige. If Ying Zheng does not investigate, not only will the other party's relationship with the royal family deteriorate further, but it will also shake the prestige the other party has established in the army.

"Now that you're in such a dilemma, I'd like to see what you can do without Xu Qing's help."

Lao Ai's lips curled up, his gaze towards Ying Zheng filled with mockery, as if he could already see the scene of Ying Zheng losing his authority and the hearts of the people.

(End of this chapter)