Chapter 1503: Chapter 1420: The Spreading Impact

The issue of the 93rd Corps rebellion due to food shortage is far from resolved; a greater storm is brewing. The Qin Army, short on food and ammunition at the front lines, is watching to see whether their Emperor will give them justice and restore their bright future.

However, the development of events soon diverged from their expectations: first, the 93rd Corps, which had suffered grievances, was completely disbanded, with all rebellious soldiers executed on the spot as a warning.

This sudden turn blocked a vent of resentment for the hungry front-line soldiers, leaving them with nowhere to unleash their anger, which only rolled in their chests.

Subsequently, the logistics supply worsened: although the Qin Army was getting closer to their homeland, the supplies they received were dwindling.

The reason was simple; the rear production couldn’t keep up, so fewer supplies were made and naturally couldn’t be sent to the front lines. Without provisions, the army’s resentment grew heavier.

The third issue causing widespread complaints among Qin Country soldiers was the higher-ups hadn’t dealt with any of the so-called culprits. Ten thousand tons of grain vanished without a trace, yet the matter faded away without resolution.

No one cared for the starving soldiers, the lives lost in battle were uncomforted, and the nobility partying on the funds of the nation—who could tolerate such a situation?

Soldiers unable to swallow this resentment encountered officers deeply influenced by the Great Tang Empire, resulting in incredibly subtle chemical reactions.

Sometimes, the influence of a nation might erupt unnoticed in such unremarkable places, eventually having a tremendous impact on the situation.

For years, Tang Country admitted foreign students, nurturing military talent for various countries, and even exposed these students to many new theories and technologies of the Great Tang Empire, which was far from futile.

On the surface, these people would strengthen their own country once returning, resisting the expansion of the Tang Empire. But in reality, if these “Tang Expert Faction” members were utilized properly, they could have astonishingly significant effects in unexpected places.

Think about it, if Huaxia’s economy hadn’t significantly changed, wouldn’t those public figures influenced by Lighthouse Country keep sparking controversy, controlling opinions to fuel anti-national sentiments? Nowadays, how many running online drones are deceived into follies by these public figures?

Qin Country is different; it truly began to decay due to rapid expansion and quick defeat. Previously, aggressive advances obscured many problems, but with repeated failures, all of these are starting to emerge.

The invincible Qin Country was united; the feeble Qin Country is certainly not the same. How many who admired strength broke down their faith amidst consecutive failures, starting to despair?

As Chen Li reorganized defenses in Shahun, another troop rebelled! Unlike the previous time, this troop’s rebellion was organized and planned.

Under the officer’s command, hungry Qin Country soldiers performed a sharp backstab, breaking through their forces’ defenses, and amidst numerous confused Qin Army soldiers, surrendered to the Great Tang.

The defection in battle led to tremendous chaos, with the Tang Army seizing the chance to launch a rapid assault, even deploying special forces and paratroopers to disrupt the Qin Army’s deployment.

Soon afterward, the Qin Army’s defensive line completely collapsed, and masses of hungry soldiers surrendered, turning the Shahun defense into a mockery overnight.

Originally planning a cautious approach, Tang Army’s front-line commander, Marshal Tagg, abruptly changed his strategy, instructing commanders Strauss and Bolton to advance swiftly.

Thus, the March offensive unfolded. Over 300,000 Tang Army troops fiercely advanced 110 kilometers within a day and night, penetrating Qin Country’s territory before halting.

Seeing the great tide had passed, Chen Li, who planned to hold Shahun, could only lead the retreat, abandoning most of the hard-transported supplies from Great Xiguan, fleeing embarrassedly back to Qin Country.

With this, the old regions of Dahua Empire completely fell into Tang Army’s hands, with the Great Tang Empire sprawling across Dahua and Zheng Country, stretching from Qi territory in the north to Shu territory in the southwest, immensely vast.

Even with advanced transportation like airplanes, traveling from the east to the west of the Great Tang Empire is still not an easy task. Similarly, reaching the south from the north of the Tang Empire requires an airplane to fly for quite a while.

On March 13th, two Tang Army group armies crossed Qin Country’s border entirely; Guangmian in Qin Country now has become a frontline city, with Chen Li commanded to hold fast, not to retreat a step.

Meanwhile, perhaps due to the disastrous defeat in Shahun, Qin Country voluntarily abandoned Huai Mountain, which was fought for over twenty days, with the main force of the southern troops rapidly retreating towards the homeland.

The remaining Qin Army abandoned large lands, shrinking back into Shu Mountain City, constructing defenses with a posture of determined resistance.

Meanwhile, a massive purge was conducted within the Qin Army against officers who studied in Tang Country, resulting in the deaths of thousands, briefly recovering a slight vitality; the organizational structure plunged back into personnel chaos.

Until now, the impact of the 93rd Corps rebellion continued. If not for Ying Duo, Prime Minister Ying Ke, and the military leaders realizing the expanding problem was destroying the army, the disaster of purging Tang Country-trained officers might have lasted longer.

While Tang Army attacked the Qin soldiers fiercely, internally investigations were aimed at their own side, resulting in executions based on speculation with negligible evidence—a chaos ceasing after several days filled with curses.

Belonging to practically self-destroyed Great Wall Qin Country, with Chen Li and Zhang Xuan’s efforts, they gained a foothold in Guangmian. Despite the homeland combat recovering some strength, they managed to stabilize the front.

Unfortunately, they had lost far too much, retreating from Wangdu to Guangmian, the northern troops practically lost nearly all their heavy weapons. Their hard-accumulated assets were again wasted by themselves…

Upon learning of the total collapse at the frontlines, Emperor Qin Ying Duo felt a sharper headache, grabbing the medicine bottle beside him, stuffing a handful of pills into his mouth, quickly regaining a bit of spirit upon swallowing.

As the scene before him blurred and twisted, he felt a seductive pleasure. This joy temporarily relieved the pain of defeat, allowing a sick smile to spread across his face.

Sadly, happiness is always short-lived, and illusion eventually fades. Returning to reality, Ying Duo still faced the fact that Guangmian was surrounded by Tang Army on three sides.