But he was wrong, and so was Pang Xuan.
The King of Qin hates Zhao Yan to the marrow of his bones. If Zhao Yan escapes, the King of Qin will surely be extremely disappointed. He must not be allowed to escape. I will suppress this matter and keep Zhao Yan in the dark about the current defensive situation. By the time the Qin Army storms the Royal Palace, it will be too late. Guo Kai sneered inwardly.
Currently, the Zhao Royal Palace was guarded by ten thousand Imperial Guards. Aside from Guo Kai, who had Zhao Yan's decree to report the battle situation at all times, all other civil and military officials were inside the palace. This was also to prevent these courtiers from sending intelligence to Qin.
But no one could have guessed that the Prime Minister of the Zhao state had already betrayed his country.
「The Outer City Frontline!」
Zhao Feng's battle armor, hair, and face were all stained red with blood. From a distance, he looked like a man who had emerged from a sea of blood.
In this battle, Zhao Feng had no idea how many Zhao soldiers he had killed or how many defensive lines he had breached with his Sharp Warriors.
The result was now clear to see. The outer city of Handan had been completely conquered, leaving only the inner city. Compared to the Zhao army, the morale of the Qin Army was still high, and the Sharp Warriors led by Zhao Feng were even more spirited.
"General," Tu Sui and Zhang Han said as they approached Zhao Feng. "You have rested for two hours."
"How many casualties do we have? Is there an estimate?" Zhao Feng asked the two generals.
"General, this battle was tragic," Tu Sui said, a flicker of sorrow in his eyes. "Originally, we had over eighty thousand troops, but now we have less than forty thousand. Our army has suffered nearly forty thousand casualties, and two generals have been killed in action."
"Who?" Zhao Feng's brows furrowed.
"General Liu Wang and General Qi Sheng," Tu Sui said through gritted teeth.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Feng fell silent for a moment, a hint of sorrow flashing in his blood-drenched eyes.
"Remember the promises we made to them. We will win this battle," Zhao Feng spoke slowly as he rose to his feet.
His gaze swept toward the inner city, where the Zhao Royal Palace stood.
"The morale of the Zhao army has collapsed. Our forces have eaten their fill and are well-rested; we must press our advantage. This is the final battle. Our target is the Zhao Royal Palace! Capture the King of Zhao, and this war can be brought to an end! Generals, are you still able to fight?" Zhao Feng looked around and roared with authority.
"We can fight!"
The generals and the Sharp Warriors sitting on the ground raised their blood-stained weapons, looking at Zhao Feng with fervor.
"One battle to decide it all! Brothers, follow me and charge!"
Without any hesitation, Zhao Feng once more led his troops toward the inner city of Handan.
The city of Handan, which had been quiet for little more than two hours, once again erupted with the clamor of slaughter.
「Outside the City!」
"Senior General, General Zhao has begun attacking again," the Personal Guard Commander reported to Wang Jian.
"In a few days, Handan will change hands," Wang Jian said, looking up at Handan City with a relieved smile on his face.
This battle. He had finally done it, all thanks to his son-in-law.
Without his son-in-law, who could have imagined that the formidable Handan City would be breached in merely four days? Wang Jian could not have foreseen this, nor could anyone else.
"I've just received news," the trusted aide reported again. "The Great King is less than a hundred miles from Handan. At the speed of the Imperial Guard Army, he could arrive the day after tomorrow."
"Thanks to Zhao Feng, I can finally give the Great King a satisfactory report," Wang Jian said with a smile.
Wang Jian had initially been anxious about the King of Qin's impending arrival. But with Handan City breached and its complete capture only a matter of days away, he was now exceptionally relieved and felt he could finally face the King of Qin.