Shuhan

Hebei City finally succumbed under the iron hoofs of the Han army. Under the afterglow of the setting sun, this ancient city looked particularly desolate.

The city walls were filled with the smoke of war, which had not yet dissipated, and the air was mixed with the smell of dirt and blood.

The once bustling streets are now in ruins, with broken debris, torn flags and scattered weapons covering the ground, silently telling of the fierce battle that had just ended.

The victorious Han soldiers walked through the ruins, their armor covered with dust and blood, their faces filled with fatigue and pride.

Some soldiers were still immersed in the joy of victory, high-fiving each other to celebrate, while others were silently gazing at the city that had once put up a tenacious resistance, with complex emotions surging in their hearts.

The people in the city fled in panic. They huddled in dilapidated houses or hid in the corners of the streets, their eyes filled with fear and helplessness.

The children clung to their mothers' hands, fearing that they would lose the protection of their loved ones, while the elderly prayed in a low voice, hoping that the disaster would end soon.

The wind gradually grew stronger, blowing away the smoke in the city, but also bringing bursts of chill.

However, on this cold night, the Han army soldiers did not stop their advance. They continued to patrol, maintain order in the city, and ensure the safety of the people.

Although Hebei City at this time had lost its former prosperity and tranquility, it was gradually regaining its vitality under the iron fist of the Han army.

Boom boom boom~
Outside Hebei City, the sound of thunder could be heard from time to time, and bursts of shouting and killing in the distance seemed to indicate that the war was not far away.

In Hebei city.

The tidied county government residence was temporarily requisitioned by Zhang Bao as the residence of the general of the front army.

At this moment, a sand table has been set up in the lobby of the county government office.

This is something unique to people who graduated from the Military Academy.

On the sand table, the Han army’s garrisons and movements were clearly marked.

The location of the Han army fort discovered by Han army scouts has also been marked on the sand table.

"The three forts near Hebei City have all been captured today."

Liao Hua and Ma Zhong led their troops to fight separately, and now they have both returned.

Zhang Bao nodded.

"Now waves have formed on the calm surface of the water. Next, we need to wait for some time for things to brew. Let the people from the Military Affairs Department spread the news. If anyone dares to defend the fort again, after the thunderbolt breaks through the fort, everyone in the fort will be slaughtered. If they surrender, they will be disbanded and organized into the volunteer army. They will not be treated as captives or slaves and enjoy the treatment of auxiliary soldiers!"

In a few days, everyone on the entire Hongnong defense line will probably hear the news.

Next, it’s time to harvest.

"How many thunder bombs are there?"

Zhang Bao looked at Huang Quan.

“Only half is left.”

"Used it up so quickly?"

Zhang Bao exclaimed.

Originally, I thought that the Thunder Bomb could take down half of the forts on the Hongnong defense line, but now it seems that it is impossible to take down half of the forts.

I've only played a few and half of it has been used up!

"Although the gate of Hebei City is a wooden gate, a large number of thunder bombs were used to achieve excellent results. The same was true when attacking other fortresses."

Whether it was attacking Hebei City or the Wei army forts surrounding Hebei City, the purpose was to publicize the power of the thunder bomb.

The amount of thunder bombs used was naturally excessive.

"Use the logistics department to expedite the delivery of the thunder bombs, so that they are not available when we need them."

There must be many diehards in the Wei army who are not afraid of death.

And these thunderous bombs are reserved for these diehards!

The efficiency of Jianjunsi was extremely high. It only took three days.

The people of the entire Hongnong County City all knew the news that Hebei City had fallen and that the Han army had thunder bombs.

"Have you heard? Hebei City was captured by the Han army within one day!" A middle-aged man said to the person next to him in panic.

"What? Within one day? How is that possible!" The old man next to him was full of disbelief.

"It's absolutely true. I heard that the Han army has a weapon called Thunder Bomb. It's extremely powerful and no one can stop it." The middle-aged man lowered his voice, as if he was afraid of being heard by someone.

The old man asked in a trembling voice: "Then what should we do? This place is not far from Hebei City. Will the Han army..."

"I don't know either, but I see a lot of people have started to flee. Shouldn't we also make preparations early?" The middle-aged man looked around, as if looking for an escape route.

Not far away, a young mother holding her child anxiously said to her husband: "We have to leave here quickly. I don't want the child to be frightened in the chaos."

The husband nodded and said, "Yes, let's pack up and go to Luoyang to stay with our relatives."

Such conversations were common on the streets of Hongnong County. Fear was like a silent storm, sweeping across the city.

The people, dragging their families with them, hurriedly packed their luggage, preparing to flee this place that might become a battlefield.

In the prince's residence.

Cao Rui's face was pale, and he held a battle report tightly in his hand, the paper rustling as he squeezed it. The battle report clearly stated that the Han army had used thunder bombs to capture Hebei City within a day.

"This...how is this possible?" he muttered to himself, his eyes full of horror.

Cao Rui stood up suddenly and began to pack his things in a panic, "Hurry, we have to leave here immediately and return to Luoyang!"

He came to Hongnong to win over the people and to gild himself.

Instead of coming here to die.

The most important thing now is to save your life.

The prince's tutor Zheng Cheng hurried forward and said, "Prince, please be patient. If you flee now, I'm afraid it will cause even greater panic."

"Do you want me to stay here and wait for death?" Cao Rui roared, his expression almost out of control.

Xiahou Xuan also stepped forward and said in a deep voice: "Your Highness, we should analyze the situation calmly at this time. Although the Han army has thunder bombs, our city is strong and our troops are not weak. We may not be powerless to fight."

Cao Shuang also echoed, "Yes, Prince, we can't lose our composure. The most important thing now is to stabilize the people's hearts, strengthen the city's defenses, and at the same time ask the court for help."

Zheng Cheng said cryptically, "If the prince escapes now and goes to Luoyang, he will be punished by His Majesty. Hongnong is indeed in danger now, but crises also contain opportunities. Isn't this an opportunity for the prince?"

After hearing this, Cao Rui's panic calmed down a little. He took a deep breath and sat down slowly. "You are right. I can't just run away like this."

The escaped prince.

It's uglier than the prince liking men.

Liking men can be said to be a problem with his behavior.

But if he runs away, then he, as the prince, is incompetent.

The prince's tutor Zheng Cheng nodded, "It's great that the prince has calmed down. The most urgent thing is that Your Highness should go to the Governor's Mansion to see what countermeasures the Governor Sima Yi has. If the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. Why should Your Highness carry the burden on your shoulders?"

"Your Highness."

Xiahou Xuan added: "The key point is what exactly is this thunder bomb? Since the Han army has it, my Wei army must also have it, otherwise how can we fight this battle?"

Cao Shuang also agreed, "Yes, only by knowing ourselves and the enemy can we win every battle. The school affairs office must act as soon as possible."

If he could get the secret recipe of the Sky-shaking Bomb, Cao Rui would have made a tremendous contribution in this battle!

But how to get the secret recipe of this thunderbolt? (End of this chapter)