Su Qian didn't feel that Li Kang's words were deceiving him.
Li Kang was the same as Tang Feng. Although they both had ambitions to occupy a state, compared to Tang Feng's cautiousness, Li Kang was a bit ruthless.
The fact that he dared to leave these words proved that Li Kang was determined to die. At least he wanted to drag Su Qi'an into the water. It was not his style to just leave like this.
Even if Li Kang really ran away, Su Qi'an would have to go to the state capital. Only by occupying the state capital could Jiaozhou City be truly captured and the biggest civil strife in Jiaozhou be over.
After a hand-to-hand fight, almost all the confidants in the room were killed, but Su Yong and about twenty other veterans suffered heavy casualties.
Only seven or eight people were able to move. After this bloody battle, Li Kang's men were not all idiots.
The hand-to-hand fighting in the room ended, but outside, the war continued.
You don't even have to go out, you can feel the fierce fighting outside just standing in the room.
The thundering sound of fighting resounded throughout the city, the sounds of various weapons clashing one after another, and even worse, some arrows pierced the windows of the room and shot in.
Fortunately, Su Yong and others were very cautious and kept a tense expression from beginning to end. The moment the arrow was shot, he cut the arrow into two pieces with one knife.
Taking advantage of the gap, they quickly covered Su Qi'an and hid in a corner of the room. The remaining seven or eight people took off the armor from the dead guard and made a simple shield.
They formed a circle to protect Su Qi'an. Fortunately, the fierce battle outside did not last long, and the door was opened with a kick.
Everyone who was tense at first breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the figure appearing.
These people were soldiers from a regiment. They were covered in blood and looked like they had obviously experienced a tragic battle.
When their eyes fell on Su Yong and the others, the battalion commanders at the head said hello and quickly stepped forward.
Seeing that the protected Su Qi'an was intact, the battalion commanders breathed a sigh of relief and said quickly.
"Master Marquis, according to the plan, we have eliminated the state soldiers on the city wall, and two of the four gates have been breached. The remaining ones can be captured with no more than a stick of incense at most."
Su Qi'an looked at his men covered in blood, nodded, and asked, "What about a group of casualties?"
"Back to Lord Marquis, one regiment suffered one thousand casualties, but it still had fighting strength. The remaining people have taken over the front wall of the state city. The army outside the city entered the city and began to encircle and suppress the state soldiers who were stubbornly resisting."
"Looking at the situation, they are retreating steadily. They have retreated to the inner city of the state capital. We have captured the outer perimeter. It is only a matter of time before we break through the state capital."
After hearing the report, Su Qi'an snorted lightly. Although there was no big emotional change on his face, he felt quite sad in his heart.
The state soldiers who were able to stay in the state city were indeed no ordinary people. The first regiment with the most powerful Dongshan Army suffered an astonishing 1,000 casualties when faced with more than 2,000 state soldiers guarding the main gate.
This is enough to show that the 10,000 state soldiers left behind in the state city are very powerful.
If it were the second regiment, the third regiment, or even the militia, the casualties might not be one to one.
Although the Dongshan Army has been actively training for a year, it does not mean that its soldiers are invincible.
The Dongshan Army is very strong. Similarly, Li Kang, who has occupied Jiaozhou for many years, does not have a vegetarian army.
What Su Qi'an can do is to continue to strengthen training. There is a saying that sweats more in peacetime and bleeds less in war.
Su Qi'an told several battalion commanders, "Take good care of the injured soldiers, have them withdraw from the state city as soon as possible, encircle and suppress the remaining state soldiers, and hand them over to the follow-up army."
"Brothers who died in battle must not be left behind. Find them all, gather them together, take them back, and bury them properly."
"Please rest assured, Lord Marquis, my subordinates will try their best to complete it."
After receiving Su Qi'an's order, several battalion commanders turned around and left, leading the soldiers in their respective battalions to begin their mission.
Taking care of the wounded soldiers, gathering the fallen soldiers, and bringing them all back without missing a single one. This is the purpose of the Dongshan Army and every recruit who joins the Dongshan Army.
, the first lesson to learn.
To put it bluntly, the soldiers of the Dongshan Army are like a big family. Everyone is not only a comrade-in-arms, but also a brother.
Su Qi'an treats every soldier equally. Those who have meritorious service will be rewarded, and those who make mistakes will be punished according to the regulations established by the Soldiers Committee.
The fallen soldiers will not only be gathered together, but also arranged in a place and buried together. This designated place is called the Dongshan Army Heroic Soldiers Cemetery.
Soldiers who can be buried in the cemetery will be given the title of hero.
Every year, local children are regularly organized to visit and their heroic deeds before they died in battle are explained.
In every private school or school established, there is a very important lesson dedicated to introducing these fallen heroes.
It is precisely because of the education and propaganda from top to bottom, from old to young, that all the people living in Qingcheng County have great respect for these fallen heroes.
Therefore, joining the Dongshan Army and becoming one of them is basically engraved in the bones of the local people.
It is precisely because of the support of the people that the Dongshan Army has such a strong combat power. Even if they die, they are willing to do so.
Among them, there are many veterans, Youzi, who also had service experience in other armies before joining the Dongshan Army.
But there has never been an army that can be like the Dongshan Army, which not only has iron-clad discipline, but also has the love of the local people. Even if it dies, it is a supreme honor to have its affairs taken care of.
Being called a hero was something that was unthinkable before. In the past, they were either called soldiers or veterans.
Unexpectedly, they would also be respected sometimes, and even after death, they were not forgotten, but even more respected.
With such an army, they themselves would like to fight with their lives to prevent them from discrediting the Dongshan Army.
In this atmosphere, the Dongshan Army is outstanding both in recruiting new soldiers and bursting out in combat effectiveness. The relationship between Su Qi'an and them will only become deeper and deeper.
These people are not only Su Qi'an's subordinates, but also his brothers, but this is war. As long as there is a war, no one will die. Everything is for a more stable life in the future.
After calming down, Su Qian walked out of the room under the protection of Su Yong.
At this time, the main entrance city wall was covered with dead bodies, and some of the indigenous people who had been left behind were cleaning the battlefield in front of them.
As several battalion commanders said, the main entrance has been completely taken over, and the siege team has entered the city and is pressing forward step by step.
An army of 70,000 is no joke, especially when the city gates in both directions were taken down, and at least 40,000 troops poured into the city.
No matter how strong the state soldiers guarding the city were, they only numbered 10,000 people. In the battle with the First Regiment, they lost more than 2,000 people.
Now, with pressing pressure, there are less than 7,000 elite state soldiers in the city.
If we continue to defend by dividing the city, these 7,000 people will be eaten sooner or later. Therefore, after the city gates in two directions were breached, the elite state soldiers decisively abandoned the remaining two city gates.
Fully shrink, rely on the massive defenses established in the inner city, and try their best to resist.
This kind of resistance was in vain after all. The 70,000 troops who entered the city surrounded one area, and at the cost of 5,000 casualties, the inner city was finally breached.
Now in the entire state city, only an area of less than 150 feet near the state capital is still in the hands of the state soldiers, and the rest of the city has been conquered.
These state soldiers who stubbornly resisted were indeed Li Kang's confidants. Even if there were only three or four thousand soldiers left, half of the troops, they still fought to the death.
Huang Wenyan, who was in charge of commanding these state soldiers who refused to surrender, did not tolerate them and directly mounted heavy ballistae and catapults to attack.
Under such a fierce attack, only the three-hundred-foot island of the state capital was still holding on, and the attacking army was like a tide, encircling it in an instant.
Next, as long as they continue to attack fiercely, it will take at most two quarters of an hour for the city to be captured, which is certain.
Just when the army was pressing down on the city and preparing to completely end the Jiaozhou Rebellion, Li Kang's voice suddenly sounded.
Just like what he said before slipping out of the secret door, if he wanted him to surrender, it was not impossible to let Su Qi'an show up. He would only talk to Su Qi'an.
Moreover, in this conversation, he did not ask Su Qi'an to enter the state capital. As long as he could see him, he would surrender.
Li Kang's request made Huang Wenyan a little uncertain. Not to mention him, even the three elders and several county guards who usually dealt with Li Kang were quite confused.
On the surface, Li Kang did not have any intention of ambush. Even if he did, with his current military strength and current situation, what ability would he have to conduct an ambush?
It seemed that everything he did was to see Su Qi'an, and after seeing him, he would surrender.
This is what they don't understand the most. If they really want to meet, they have already met just now. What kind of trouble is this time.
But if Li Kang could be captured alive and asked to surrender, the temptation would be great. Not only would it reduce casualties, it would also allow Su Qi'an to ascend to Jiaozhou in an upright and legal manner.
Therefore, Li Kang's proposal did cause some changes in everyone. Just as everyone was preparing to discuss how to arrange personnel to the greatest extent possible to protect Su Qi'an.
Su Qi'an led Su Yong and others to the state capital in such a clear manner.
Seeing Su Qi'an's arrival, everyone quickly realized that Su Qi'an's location must be at least fifty feet away from the state capital.
At the same time, a large group of shield bearers surrounded him quickly to protect his safety.
Under such strict protection, there is no possibility of shooting.
Su Qi'an looked at Li Kang standing on the top floor of the state capital in the distance, and said softly, "Li Kang, I am here. Fulfill your promise and surrender. This is also for your own good."
At this time, Li Kang, even in the face of what was now a desperate situation, still had a smile on his face and did not pay attention to the army besieging the city at all.
After looking around, his eyes fell on Su Qi'an, and he laughed out loud, "Master Su, you are a talent if you can turn the Hongmen Banquet into a coordinated one, with the whole state cooperating."
"But Honshu has been in charge of Jiaozhou for thirteen years. You are not the first to want Honshu to die. But those who said this will eventually die in front of Honshu."
“So, it’s not certain who will win until the last minute.”
