In ancient warfare, field battles were the most difficult because a unit would essentially collapse if its casualties exceeded 70%.
This was unavoidable; only a very few elite troops could fight to the death. Those who could hold out until more than 50% of their troops were considered elite!
Even the strongest elite troops are still human; they experience fear, and collapse is perfectly normal.
Even modern armies can collapse, let alone ancient armies.
Therefore, when Lu Ming and Jiang Qin launched their joint surprise attack, the Yellow Turban rebels already showed signs of instability.
With the wind at their backs, they were as strong as dogs; against the wind, they fled quickly. This was the characteristic of rebel troops; when they gathered in groups, they simply swarmed forward without any strategy or organization.
No wonder regular army officers looked down on the Yellow Turban army; to an expert's eye, these rebels were not a threat at all!
"You scoundrel! Who do you think you are! Take this from General Tianlong!" Hu Long roared, slashing at Jiang Qin. He was enraged by being ambushed and surrounded.
If he lost this battle, even if he escaped, without soldiers, he would be nothing more than a dog, worse than dead. Internal factional infighting, coupled with all the enemies he had offended, would surely tear him to pieces!
Jiang Qin was a second-rate general, but even among second-rate, he was still top-tier.
Those with a martial prowess ranking between 80 and 90 were considered second-rate generals.
Even a second-rate general was a rare find, one in ten thousand, and still a formidable figure.
Therefore, seeing Hu Long dare to challenge him to a duel, he was overjoyed. He raised his broadsword to meet Hu Long head-on!
Bang!
Swoosh!
Jiang Qin remained unmoved, while Hu Long was forced back, his hand throbbing with pain, a trickle of blood seeping from the split opening. A single clash had been enough to split his hand; such strength was terrifying!
Before Hu Long had finished retreating, Jiang Qin stepped forward and, in Hu Long's despairing eyes, cruelly severed his head!
"No!" Hu Long screamed as his head was decapitated. He held it in Jiang Qin's hand, his consciousness fading into endless darkness.
Jiang Qin held Hu Long's head, took a deep breath, and roared, "The bandit leader has been killed! Those who surrender will not be killed!"
Lu Ming severed Pang Bo's right arm with a spear thrust, ordered his men to tie him up, and also roared, "The bandit leader is dead! Those who surrender will not be killed!"
Of the more than 1,200 bandits, only a little over 200 died before surrendering.
They lacked any backbone, and each one looked at Lu Ming with fear in their eyes, clearly terrified by his slaughter.
Despite wielding a long spear, he created a chaotic, fragmented spectacle, like a killing freak.
"Tie them up. Leave some to dig pits. Cut off the heads of the dead bandits; that's our achievement. Bury the bodies on the spot to prevent plague," Lu Ming ordered, then took Pang Bo aside for interrogation.
This ambush would have been completely undetectable if he hadn't seen the red dot on the map.
Who would have thought that bandits would ambush officers even within Luoyang territory!
"Yes, my lord," Jiang Qin, still somewhat fired up, ordered his soldiers to tie up the surrendered bandits to prevent them from surrendering again, and also instructed them to supervise the surrendered bandits in digging pits.
At first, the bandits hesitated, thinking they were being buried.
This wasn't unprecedented; Dong Zhuo had done it before, and even Zhu Jun and Huangfu Song had buried prisoners alive.
Firstly, there wasn't much surplus food, and secondly, these rebel soldiers were already inhuman, so killing them wouldn't hurt, saving energy.
Jiang Qin also had his soldiers relay a message: they were only burying the dead, not burying them alive; they still had a chance to redeem themselves.
If they behaved well, they could even join the government troops and clear their names.
This statement made people somewhat skeptical; while they couldn't completely believe it, it at least stopped them from having wild thoughts.
Pang Bo, with his arm severed, was sweating profusely from the pain; the blood at the stump had dried, making it look incredibly gruesome.
Lu Ming's spear was pressed against his throat. "Who sent you? Tell me, and I'll give you a quick death. I'll spare your family; they don't deserve to die. If you hide anything, or refuse to speak, I'll kill everyone you know. Starting with your family, your brothers, cousins, uncles, and then your village—kill everyone you know, and finally, kill you!"
These vicious words stunned Pang Bo. The Han soldiers he'd fought before were never this ruthless.
They'd at most kill him outright; they never threatened him, never acted with such cruelty.
Looking into Lu Ming's cold eyes, Pang Bo, sweating profusely, was at a loss for words. He moved his lips, and only after noticing Lu Ming's impatient gaze did he burst into tears, wailing, "My lord, spare me! I truly didn't know. Two days ago, someone delivered a message to our mountain stronghold, saying it was for me and Hu Long. It said that you, my lord, would be passing through here, and instructed us to ambush you, kill all the soldiers, and seize the gold and silver you were transporting. We really don't know who it was, or who that person was, but it must be one of the powerful clans in Anyi City. There are only two powerful clans in Anyi City, the Jin clan and the Yang clan."
Lu Ming stroked his chin, unsure of the truth. If it was true, then it meant one of the two clans, the Jin or the Yang.
The Yang clan was a branch of the Hongnong Yang clan. The Yang clan had many branches, and these branches controlled a portion of the power in a region. Each year, they had to pay a substantial stipend to the clan, and outstanding individuals were recruited into the clan, enshrined in the ancestral hall, and worshiped by future generations.
"Hmph, I'll spare your life for now. If you're right, I'll release you. Take him away." Lu Ming waved his hand, ordering his personal guards to take Pang Bo away.
He wouldn't die anytime soon; if he did, so be it, he didn't care.
Shortly afterward, the dead rebels were buried, and the wounded were bandaged.
Lu Ming then brainwashed these prisoners, promising them that if they behaved well, they would be rewarded with joining the government army to fight bravely. Upon returning to Luoyang, they could choose to stay or leave, or join his businesses to work and avoid starvation.
These weren't unconditional; they had to earn them through hard work.
If they didn't perform well, they would face beheading, after all, they were rebelling!
This was a capital offense!
It was perfectly reasonable, even flawless!