Obviously, Kuai Pu was also deeply dissatisfied with Chen Tao and Zhao Tuo's decision to leave Wei City with their troops.
"Good. Very good," Zhao Feng said, his face contorted with fury. "To think they would dare to leave with their troops without authorization during Wei City's moment of crisis. It seems they truly no longer wish to live."
Originally, while Zhao Feng distrusted Chen Tao and Zhao Tuo, he wouldn't have gone as far as to hunt them down. As they were generals of Qin, he would at most suppress them in a tit-for-tat measure. So long as they submitted, Zhao Feng would have let the matter drop. But now, they had deserted in the face of the enemy, an act Zhao Feng could not tolerate. If he did not punish them, he would be failing all the soldiers who had died defending Wei City.
"Zhang Ming," Zhao Feng called, suppressing his rage.
"Here!" Zhang Ming ran over, his body covered in blood and bearing several fresh wounds.
"Order Chen Tao and Zhao Tuo to lead their troops back to the city at once," Zhao Feng commanded coldly.
"Yes, sir!" Zhang Ming acknowledged. He immediately found a warhorse and galloped off to deliver the order.
Zhao Feng then surveyed the battlefield, taking in the bloody scene before him. "Zhang Han," he called out.
"Your subordinate is here," Zhang Han immediately responded.
"Lead your soldiers to clean up the corpses outside the city. During the process, finish off any Wei soldiers who are injured or pretending to be dead," Zhao Feng ordered.
"Your subordinate obeys," Zhang Han replied at once.
"Wei Quan, Qi Sheng, Liu Wang," Zhao Feng continued.
"Your subordinates are here," the three generals responded in unison.
"You will lead your men to join the cleanup. Bury all the Wei corpses in pits to prevent an outbreak of plague," Zhao Feng said gravely.
"Yes, General," the three generals answered.
"As for the rest of you, let your men eat and rest," Zhao Feng announced. "Tomorrow night, you will relieve the soldiers who are cleaning the battlefield."
"As you command," Tu Sui and the other generals replied.
"Sima Kuai Pu," Zhao Feng said, turning to him. "There is one more matter I must trouble you with."
"Please give your orders, General Zhao," Kuai Pu said with a ready smile.
"This battle has lasted twenty days. The Wei army suffered heavy casualties, but our own losses are also significant. I need you to compile the casualty figures for our army," Zhao Feng said.
"Leave it to me," Kuai Pu nodded immediately.
"Alright, that is all. Generals, let us proceed to the council hall in the city," Zhao Feng said to the assembled officers.
He then swung himself onto his horse and, holding his bloodstained spear, rode toward the city. The other generals followed in his wake.
「South of Wei City.」
A scout galloped up to Chen Tao and Zhao Tuo. "General Chen, General Zhao! The sounds of fighting from Wei City have died down significantly. I fear the Wei army has breached the walls!"
"With Wei City fallen, Zhao Feng will surely be charged with a grave crime," Zhao Tuo said with a cold laugh.
"Our turn to defend is next," Chen Tao said immediately. "We must hold this position and send for reinforcements from General Li."
"But, General," Liu Wu asked, looking puzzled, "if the battle is over, why haven't any routed soldiers fled this way?"
"Indeed," Chen Tao agreed, his expression also one of confusion. "Why are there no routed soldiers?" If the Wei army had truly broken through the city's defenses, there should have been fugitives, but so far, not a single one had appeared.
"Perhaps they are still fighting to the death against the Wei army inside the city," Zhao Tuo said grimly.
If they really are still fighting a bloody battle, is it right for us to just wait here? Chen Tao was still hesitant.
"Everything is for the sake of Qin," Zhao Tuo stated firmly. "Wei City was no longer defensible."
Hearing this, Chen Tao could only nod. But at that moment, an unsettling feeling crept over him, a premonition that something was about to happen.
Just then, a fast horse was spotted galloping from the direction of Wei City.
"Someone's coming!" Liu Wu shouted.
"Archers, ready!" Chen Tao ordered, raising his hand. The ranks of archers behind him instantly drew their bows.
"It's one of our own," Liu Wu said. "It looks like the captain of Zhao Feng's trusted aides."
Zhang Ming? Chen Tao and Zhao Tuo exchanged a look, a flicker of panic in their hearts. What could Zhang Ming's arrival mean for the situation in Wei City?
Meeting no resistance, Zhang Ming rode his horse right up to their formation.
"Chen Tao! Zhao Tuo! Show yourselves at once!" Zhang Ming barked, reining in his horse.
"Captain Zhang, what is the situation in the city?" Chen Tao asked, his heart pounding with panic, though he maintained a calm facade.
"The General has routed the Wei army. Wei City is secure, and their forces have fled," Zhang Ming announced coldly, his eyes fixed on the two men. "By order of the General, Chen Tao and Zhao Tuo are to return to Wei City. Immediately."
Seeing Zhang Ming's frigid expression, Chen Tao and Zhao Tuo glanced at each other, each seeing undisguised panic in the other's eyes. This was a development they had clearly not anticipated. They had expected Wei City to fall; they had never imagined the Wei army would be routed.
"Wei Wuji was defeated?" Chen Tao asked in disbelief. "That's impossible. He had tens of thousands of Wei Wu Troops and an army of nearly two hundred thousand men. How could he have been defeated?"
"Exactly," Zhao Tuo quickly chimed in. "Two hundred thousand Wei troops, personally commanded by Wei Wuji—how could they possibly be routed? This sounds like complete nonsense, doesn't it?"
They had imagined a thousand ways Wei City could fall and had even considered that they might hold out. But the Wei army being utterly routed? That was an outcome they had never conceived of—a one-in-ten-thousand chance, surely.
"I will say it one more time," Zhang Ming repeated, his voice like ice. "By order of General Zhao, you, Chen Tao, and you, Zhao Tuo, are summoned to Wei City. At once."