CHAPTER 1518: CHAPTER 1435: THERE ARE ALWAYS PEOPLE WE OWE AN APOLOGY TO

"It seems the messengers have delivered our message...," Prime Minister Ying Ke said with a sigh of relief upon hearing the news that the Tang Army’s bombardment had ceased.

He was truly grateful that he had sent out the messengers in advance, thus sparing Wuyang City from a major calamity. The city was already in chaos, and if the Tang Army’s shelling continued, he would soon lose effective control over the entire city.

It was unimaginable: countless rebels would roam through the city like wolves and pigs, causing more destruction than the artillery shells, turning the entire city into an inferno.

"It seems so, sir," said the officer beside him, also breathing a sigh of relief. They were indeed at a loss for what to do, and if the Tang Army attacked, nobody knew what actions to take.

Zhang Xuan should have had experience, but he couldn’t possibly convey all of his experience to everyone. Those Imperial Guards responsible for the security of the inner city, however elite, were not equipped to deal with field defense tactics.

"Have Zhang Xuan come for a meeting and inform him that it is unlikely the Tang Army will attack again within 48 hours... Let’s come up with a plan together to see if we can resolve this crisis," Ying Ke said, glancing at the few anxious ministers beside him and instructed his confidant, "Just send someone."

"General Zhang Tuo, there’s really no chance of victory in Wuyang City, as you and I both know. There are absolutely no preparations here to face an enemy attack, and under such circumstances, if the battle resumes, the situation will immediately spiral out of control." After speaking, Ying Ke looked towards Zhang Tuo beside him and advised, "Do what you can to convince your brother. Try not to let him feel... that everything he’s done is in vain..."

"I understand." Zhang Tuo nodded; he was actually the first among the Qin Army leadership to realize that defeat was inevitable. His Air Force, from the start of the war until now, had lost more than 1,900 brave pilots, as well as over 4,000 other personnel like navigators and substitute gunners.

In total, the Qin Country lost about 4,000 aircraft of various models, a significant number of which were destroyed on the ground...

Such losses couldn’t be replenished in time. Whatever little reserves were amassed before the war had been nearly exhausted within two months of fighting.

After several failed attempts, the skies over Qin Country were almost devoid of friendly aircraft. Those costly jet planes, even after partially replenishing them, had no qualified pilots to fly them and were almost entirely unable to engage in combat.

Currently, Qin Country had over a hundred jet fighters and several hundred propeller-driven fighters and bombers... But these aircraft were all concealed in rear bases and couldn’t be organized for combat.

As an Air Force Commander, Zhang Tuo was well aware of these issues, and he was even more aware of what losing air superiority meant for a modern war.

"However," he glanced at the minister not far away, motioning for Prime Minister Ying Ke to walk a little further with him. After moving a few steps away, he lowered his voice and continued to speak to Ying Ke: "But sir, General Liu Zhian is desperately trying to return to the defense. His... identity... you know, our actions might put him in danger?"

"I know... I know it all... But his northbound troops are our only bargaining chip. If we halt him, what do we have left to negotiate with Tang Country?" Ying Ke said with a bitter expression.

He sighed and said to Zhang Tuo: "The Empire has reached this point, there’s no choice but to put General Liu at a disadvantage... Or rather, to put some people at a disadvantage. When all is said and done, I’ll make it up to them."

"Sir!" Zhang Tuo started, then suddenly looked at Ying Ke and grasped his arm with anguish: "Please don’t act on impulse... General Liu Zhian will surely understand your difficulties and won’t blame you."

"And what difference does it make? Someone has to take responsibility for the entire affair or this war. His Majesty is naturally a wise ruler... so the blame naturally falls on me, the arrogant Prime Minister. It’s alright... I had already contemplated this two months ago," Ying Ke said to Zhang Tuo, smiling bitterly.

"Alas..." Zhang Tuo sighed bitterly. He suddenly felt very aggrieved. Clearly, the decisions back then were made collectively. Clearly, everyone was advocating for leveling Tang Country and unifying the world... Yet, in the end, how did it come to this conclusion?

After a brief silence, Zhang Tuo continued to ask: "There’s another issue, sir. Before falling into a coma, His Majesty’s decree was to defend Wuyang to the death. The order my brother received was also to rally the troops and fight to the end in Wuyang."

"Defying His Majesty’s decree, this matter could be grave or trivial. If His Majesty wakes up and we have already surrendered the city, then..."

"You don’t need to worry about that... I said, someone has to take responsibility for this. If I can bear the responsibility for the war, I can also bear the responsibility for defying orders. It’s enough for just one person to end this farce quickly." Ying Ke felt tired. Personally, he had already begun to anticipate his own end.

After all, death sometimes offers relief; compared to that long, torturous process, the final outcome isn’t all that terrifying.

...

Inside Zhang Xuan’s command headquarters, after confirming that the Tang Army had only fired two artillery shells, he roughly guessed that someone had stopped the Tang Army’s shelling.

However, the order he received from Ying Duo was to defend Wuyang at all costs, so he naturally didn’t slacken in his arrangements. He ordered the second-line troops to take positions and drove the civilians from the east side of Wuyang City to relatively safe areas.

Moreover, he gathered almost all available forces outside the city, piling them near the southern railway and highway.

If the Tang Army charged from this direction, his troops could intercept them and mount a defense along the railway. If the Tang Army breached his defensive line and advanced to the west side of the railway, his troops could form a pincer movement with the northbound troops of Liu Zhian, pinning down this contingent of the Tang Army.

If a miracle occurred and they managed to wipe out this unit of the Tang Army, the situation in the siege and defense of Wuyang would improve significantly. As long as they held out for a few more days, if His Majesty’s condition were to improve, a rejuvenated Ying Duo could end this war in a more dignified manner.

Indeed, Zhang Xuan wasn’t hoping to turn defeat into victory; he was merely prepared to exhaust all efforts to win the last shred of dignity for the defeated Qin Country. This tiny bit of dignity might allow the People of Qin to live just a little bit better under the rule of the Tang People...