My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 536 Harvest and Casualties
Although the scene was chaotic, it had no effect on Gao Yu.

After their morale collapsed and they became a group of defeated soldiers, the elite troops were no different from ordinary farmers.

Especially when more and more people saw head coach Hebasheng turn and run away, running faster than anyone else, they all rushed to follow him and run away.

Being ambushed while marching lightly equipped was already a blow to morale, and now with the added blow of the commander fleeing in the face of battle, it would be a miracle if morale could hold up.

They all fled in panic, like headless flies.

Duan Shao reacted quickly, gesturing to his personal guards to shout along with him, "Those who surrender will not be killed! Lay down your weapons, squat in place, and await your fate. Anyone who runs away will be killed without mercy!!"

The guards joined in the shouting, which brought the chaos to a slight halt.

Having already run far away, they couldn't stop and continued to flee towards the rear camp.

Those who are caught in the middle and those who are trapped in the same place due to the chaos are the ones who suffer the most.

There was no way to escape after hearing this.

Having no weapons or armor, he simply covered his head with his hands and squatted down on the ground.

Gao Yu caught a glimpse of this scene out of the corner of his eye and was very satisfied. "Xiao Xian is so mature at such a young age. After experiencing a few more fierce battles, he can be entrusted with important responsibilities."

Warfare.

The upper limit depends on talent. To achieve the level of a military genius like Han Xin, who could command large armies as easily as his own hands and strike wherever he was told.

Or like Huo Qubing, the champion, who started using 'blitzkrieg' tactics at a young age.

These are all things that require talent and are things that can't be forced or sought after.

More often than not, we look at the lower limit.

For example, the 'Invincible General' Cheng Bushi.

Why was it difficult for Li Guang to be granted a title?

What's the use of handing over the army to you if you can come back alive but all your soldiers are dead?

Elite soldiers are a valuable asset to any empire. The reason why the Northern Wei Dynasty declined so quickly was largely due to the Battle of Zhongli, in which Emperor Xuanwu lost all the elite Xianbei troops in the central army of Luoyang. The Battle of Zhongli had a huge impact on the Northern Wei Dynasty.

From then on, the core military force that maintained the Northern Wei's rule, the elite central army in Luoyang, began to decline drastically, and in just 20-30 years, it had fallen into such a state of decay.

People are always the most precious treasure.

It is truly remarkable that Duan Shao is so composed at such a young age and knows this.

Even if he were a complete stranger to Gao Yu, his composure and calmness would allow him to reach an extremely high level. Even if he had to memorize the knowledge taught in the Military Academy, he could still push his military skills to an extremely high standard.

Not to mention that as the 'first of the three heroes of Northern Qi,' he had ample potential.

He is a rare 'commander' under Gao Yu's command.

As the situation gradually came under control, Gao Yu turned his attention back to Li Bi in front of him, whom he had a somewhat vague impression of.

The period after the Three Kingdoms period left him with some impression.

They were either described in historical records as top-tier cavalry generals comparable to Xiang Yu of their time, or as shrewd individuals like Gao Huan and Yuwen Heita.

Judging from Li Bi's courage and bravery, he was at least a rare cavalry general. Gao Yu took a liking to his talent and took the initiative to recruit him.

"You said your name is Li Bi. Do you know whether your ancestors were from the Li family of Longxi or the Li family of Zhao County?"

"The Li family of Longxi".

A hint of disappointment flashed in Gao Yu's eyes. The Li family of Longxi.

Then you won't be able to claim kinship with them.

If he were to say that he came from the Li clan of Zhao County, Gao Yu could instantly claim kinship with him.

Ah, I've been leading troops in battle for a long time.

Suddenly thinking of the sisters Li Zu'e and Li Zuyi, I couldn't help but feel a little flutter in my heart.

Gao Yu spoke calmly, "Since you come from a prestigious family, why would you submit to a thief?"

"thief?"

Li Bi sneered, "Who exactly is the thief?"

Gao Yu chuckled lightly, "Naturally, it's the traitor Erzhu Rong! The previous emperors of the Great Wei Dynasty have treated the Li family of Longxi well. Instead of serving the legitimate court, you choose to submit to a traitor. If you go to the underworld one day, how will you face your ancestors of the Li family of Longxi?"

"Don't try to glorify yourself."

"Then let me ask you, where are the imperial seals used by the emperors of the Great Wei Dynasty?"

Li Bi froze, unable to answer the question.

Gao Yu pressed on, "Then let me ask you again! How did the late emperor die? The contents of his will have long been made public!"

Li Bi had no answer to this question either. He could only snort coldly and turn his head away. "I am a defeated general, and I will not argue with you. I cannot win against you either. Kill me or torture me, it is all up to you!"

"I am a person who cherishes talent, how could I kill you?"

Gao Yu smiled.

Great talents are like wild horses; if they can be tamed, they will be a tremendous asset!

Gao Yu has the patience to slowly work things out with him.

"Somebody come!"

Several Xuanjia soldiers immediately came to Gao Yu's side.

"Keep a close watch on this man and bring him back to the camp. Do not humiliate or beat him."

"Here!"

Gao Yu didn't want to waste any more time here.

He didn't know the situation in Yewang City yet, and he needed to hurry back to get firsthand military intelligence.

He summoned Duan Shao. "Xiaoxian, release all the surrendered men, take their warhorses and armor, and then you take your men back to camp. I have to go first."

There weren't many prisoners to begin with, and these terrified prisoners would only be good laborers if taken back. It would be better to release them and let them continue to spread the fame of "General Tian Ce" in Erzhu Rong's army camp.

Moreover, Hebasheng and his men have already escaped. If they return to the camp and bring back another group of armored cavalry, it will be a troublesome matter.

It's not that we can't beat them.

Instead, there's no need to waste time, increase casualties, or fight a meaningless battle.

With the fall of Yewang City, the overall situation is already decided!

Gao Yu's immediate concern is how to quickly set up a defensive line, secure the fruits of victory, and lay a solid foundation for continued progress next year.

"Here!"

Duan Shao nodded.

Gao Yu then led dozens of Xuanjia soldiers away hastily, heading south towards Yewang.

When Gao Yu rushed back to Ye Wang.

In fact, it has already entered the final stage.

The auxiliary soldiers were clearing the battlefield; the corpses at the city gate had been mostly cleared away and piled up to the side.

Armor, weapons, and other items were scattered all over the ground...

Every single one of them tells of the brutality of the siege.

Gao Yu arrived at the governor's mansion in the city and saw thick black smoke billowing from afar. The governor's mansion was in a mess, and many soldiers were gathered outside.

Seeing Gao Yu approaching.

Gao Ang, Gao Yang, and others hurriedly came to him.

"What happened?"

"Prime Minister..."

Gao Ang cupped his hands and said, "The enemy commander-in-chief, Chilie Yanqing, refused to surrender, set fire to his residence, and then committed suicide by burning himself inside the house."

Gao Yu remained expressionless, but couldn't help feeling a little sad inside.

Chi Lieyanqing and he were old friends.

It's truly regrettable that it ended in this way.

This also made him think.

I will eventually have a battle with Erzhu Rong, and a victor will surely emerge.

"After the fire is extinguished, see if we can find his body. If not, bring out his clothes."

"Here."

Gao Yu shook his head and then beckoned Gao Yang over, "A-Yang, take some men and compile a list of casualties in this battle."

"Here!"

Gao Yu also ordered several of his personal guards to patrol the city, mainly to prevent the soldiers from taking their anger out on the civilians.

He then hurriedly left the city and headed to the camp outside the city.

A large number of the surviving wounded were sent to the camp outside the city for treatment.

Before even entering the tent, Gao Yu could hear various cries of agony from outside, and his heart sank.

He defeated the jungle king in just one day.

The casualties certainly wouldn't be crippling, but it was still a fierce siege, and the losses wouldn't be small.

"When we get back, we need to urge the craftsmen to work harder. If we can get the trebuchet out soon, although attacking a city will still be difficult, it will reduce casualties to some extent."

The trebuchet was indeed a powerful weapon, but it was not invincible.

In fact, by the Ming and Qing dynasties, the city walls had been reinforced to defend against the trebuchets, which were super-large catapults with added counterweights. There was no situation where the city walls were blasted down by the trebuchets. It can be said that the offensive weapons forced the upgrade of the defensive fortifications.

But right now, if we could really blast a section of the city wall down with a single shot...

That kind of understanding, far beyond what is common in this era, might really mean that firing a trebuchet once would force the other side to surrender, thus achieving victory without bloodshed.

After all, people are filled with fear of the unknown, and fear can make the other party submit.

Of course, if we could get it right the first time, we could just bring out artillery...

That person would probably be revered as a god.

Gao Yu did attempt to explore gunpowder technology.

But he himself was a novice, and the artisans of the present era had not accumulated much knowledge of artillery technology.

As a result, Gao Yu even had many Taoist priests skilled in alchemy captured and sent back to tinker with them.

However, the current progress is only limited to the stage where mountains can be blasted to open roads, which is one of the reasons why Gao Yu dares to undertake large-scale water conservancy projects.

It's still a bit lacking when it comes to using it on the battlefield.

There's no rushing when it comes to advancing in science and technology; we can only move forward step by step.

Take back your thoughts.

Gao Yu shook his head.

In order to ensure that these people did not sacrifice in vain, the follow-up work is of paramount importance.

We must preserve these hard-won gains.

(End of this chapter)