Chapter 17: Attacking Ye City_1
As the stars wheeled and the sun rose in the east, news traveled throughout the Great Wei Empire at an unprecedented pace. Last night, Peng City had fallen. The Great Wei army had suffered devastating casualties; of its two million soldiers, less than one-tenth survived.
"Incompetents! You are all incompetents!" In the imperial palace, the Emperor of Wei roared in anger. His terrifying presence spread fear among the many ministers, causing them to tremble.
"Your Majesty, I deserve death!" Wang Kui knelt in the center of the palace, his body covered in scars. His helmet was nowhere to be found, revealing his disheveled hair, and he cut a pathetic figure.
He was formidable and, under the protection of his subordinates, had managed to survive. He had initially intended to fight to the death against the Qin army, but the thought of his family made him lead the remnants of his defeated army back to Ye City. Pang Juan had died in battle, unable to protect his family, which led to the execution of his entire clan. Wang Kui did not want to repeat that fate; after all, only by staying alive is there hope.
"You indeed deserve to die! You lost the city and caused the deaths of two million troops! Guards, drag him out and behead him in public!" the tyrannical Wei Emperor ordered. In his view, defeat in war necessitated someone bearing responsibility, and the army’s commander was the best choice.
Two squads of soldiers walked in and dragged Wang Kui out. Throughout the process, Wang Kui did not beg for mercy, and none of the civil or military officials in the court spoke.
"My beloved ministers, what should we do next?" After assigning blame, the Wei Emperor became anxious. Peng City was only a little over two hundred *li* from the imperial capital; the Qin army could set out in the morning and arrive by evening, laying siege to Ye City. Ye City was the capital, a matter of national pride, and its loss was intolerable.
"Your Majesty, following the defeats at Anyi Pass and Peng City, we have suffered heavy losses and are now seriously short on troops. Our top priority is to recruit soldiers, strengthen our city defenses, and withstand the Qin army’s attack!" Faced with this national peril, Gongsun Yan stepped forward, his expression solemn, and spoke with a clasped-fist salute.