Chapter 76

In the military camp of Huangfu Song, Zhang Hao had Guo Jia write a stern letter of surrender to the leaders of the Liangzhou rebels, such as Han Sui and Ma Teng. They had just captured a few rebel spies, and Zhang Hao ordered them to deliver the letter.

Huangfu Song and his men were well aware that Zhang Hao was determined to teach the Liangzhou rebels a lesson. They had also heard Zhang Hao's account of the letter, and the tone and wording were more like a scolding than an invitation to surrender.

The letter demanded that Han Sui and Ma Teng arrest the leaders of the Qiang tribes and come to beg for forgiveness, preparing to atone for the suffering of the people. This was something that the once mighty Han Sui and his ilk could never accept!

The officers in Huangfu Song's army were quite looking forward to this. They detested the rebels just as much. Moreover, people like Huangfu Li wanted to personally witness the power of the Da Qian army's various weapons. Apart from Huangfu Song, only the chief of staff Liang Yan had seen the Da Qian army's tactics.

In the main tent, Zhang Hao had Sun Jian and his personal guards explain the Da Qian military system to Huangfu Song and his men, especially the new tactics and weapons. He also explained the martial arts and other aspects of Da Qian, which Huangfu Song could later study through textbooks and materials. Zhang Hao would send him a few advisors.

The various military systems of Da Qian, especially the treatment and honor of the soldiers, excited the officers of Huangfu Song's army.

After a long discussion, a messenger from Han Sui's army brought a reply. The letter was indecisive, both weak and threatening. Zhang Hao threw the letter aside and ordered everyone to prepare for battle. He was ready to teach Han Sui a lesson. He had the confidence and the ability.

The 10,000 Divine Strategy troops led the charge, and the sound of the cannons, which shook the earth for miles, left the first-time witnesses stunned. After the various firearms were fired, the rebels were thrown into chaos, covered by an unprecedented attack.

The encampment was damaged in many places, and more importantly, the tight formations began to loosen due to fear and panic. The horses, frightened by the explosions, ran around wildly, further disrupting the formations.

Many of Han Sui's soldiers turned pale, staring at the landing points of the shells, their bodies trembling.

The cruel scene when the firearms erupted was like a hell on earth.

No matter how brutal the cold weapon battlefield was, it could never turn people into minced meat like the cannon shells. Even veterans felt nauseous at the sight.

Without experience in dealing with firearms, and intimidated by the deafening explosions, Han Sui's army fell into chaos. Many people, enveloped in the rising smoke, could not tell north from south, running around wildly and causing many accidental injuries.

The leaders in the center of the rebel army watched this scene with pale faces and trembling bodies.

Some of the more astute Qiang leaders quietly slipped away, ready to flee. After all, these more superstitious barbarians did not believe they could defeat such divine weapons.

As for whether Da Qian would hold them accountable later, who cared at this moment? They just wanted to save their lives first!

Not just the Qiang leaders, even Han Sui and Ma Teng were uneasy. Han Sui, the pillar of the rebels, gritted his teeth, his face red with frustration, staring at the front battlefield.

"How could such weapons exist?" the tall and robust Ma Teng, with deep-set eyes, said in a hoarse voice. "This is far more powerful than the cannons described in the intelligence!"

But clearly, no one could answer his question. Han Sui was even more frustrated and confused. If Han Sui had been born in a later era, he might have shouted, "This is cheating!" or "You're using cheats!" More elegantly, he might have said, "Why was I born when you were born?"

From the moment he learned about Da Qian, especially after hearing about the power of their weapons, Han Sui began to gather intelligence. He not only wanted to possess such powerful firearms but also planned for the future.

The rise of Da Qian made Han Sui see the weakness of the Han dynasty. He considered himself extraordinary and wanted to rise to prominence. Da Qian was both an ally and a potential enemy.

After that, Han Sui and his men discussed how to deal with firearms like cannons.

But when they encountered them personally, they found that the intelligence they had gathered was of little use. These cannons, in terms of both power and range, far exceeded their understanding, easily crushing their hard-earned army.

This made them even more frustrated. In their plans, they still intended to compete with Da Qian for the empire, and they had some ideas on how to deal with cannons.

If Zhang Hao knew about Han Sui and Ma Teng's frustration and confusion, he would probably smile and say nothing. Confused? Keep being confused. I'll let you stew in it.

The reason for this situation was actually very simple: technological progress.

At the beginning, whether it was the information Zhang Hao gathered in the modern era or the military workshops of Da Qian, there were some shortcomings. But after so much time, how could there be no progress? Zhang Hao not only found more detailed information through various means but also brought some machine tools and steel furnaces from the modern era. Although it took a long time to train the craftsmen, Da Qian's technological level advanced rapidly, like a great leap forward.

With the solid support of the modern era and sufficient funds, achieving these things was not difficult.

Not only were Han Sui and Ma Teng confused, but Huangfu Song was also puzzled. Last year, when he fought Huang Zhong in Nanyang, the power of the firearms was not this great. In just a few months, there had been such a significant change, which shocked Huangfu Song. The previous cannons were already very powerful, and now it felt like cheating.

Zhang Hao briefly explained to Huangfu Song, deliberately mentioning the fabricated story about the Purple Star descending and the myriad worlds, which left Huangfu Song somewhat unsettled. Even before, he did not really believe the claim that the King of Da Qian was a celestial being.

But at this moment, hearing it from Zhang Hao's own mouth, he could not help but believe it. For a moment, he felt only confusion and longing.

"Take your time to see it later. There will be plenty of opportunities for General Huangfu to show his prowess, so take care of yourself," Zhang Hao said with a smile.

Seeing Han Sui's army camp in complete chaos, with people and horses falling and smoke everywhere, Zhang Hao gave the order.

After the massive artillery bombardment, several armored vehicles led the charge, with machine guns and howitzers adding to the chaos. The already disorganized Han Sui army completely collapsed. The leaders, no matter how unwilling, had no choice but to follow the most agile Qiang leaders, gathering the remnants and fleeing toward Liangzhou.

Most of the rebels had one thought: to escape, the farther the better. They never wanted to see the Da Qian army's banners again.

In just half an hour, the battle had reached this point, leaving Huangfu Song and his men speechless. Shocked by the power of the Da Qian firearms and the mysterious steel giants, Huangfu Song did not forget his duty. This was the perfect time to strike the defeated enemy, and they could not miss it.

Huangfu Song, Sun Jian, and Zhao Yun led the army to pursue the Liangzhou rebels. Zhang Hao did not join them and did not leave immediately.

He still planned to have Huangfu Song introduce a few officials. The reason he went through the trouble of recruiting Huangfu Song was because of his outstanding reputation, especially in Guanzhong and Liangzhou. Many officials in Chang'an and other places had close ties with him.

Recruiting Huangfu Song would greatly help Da Qian in taking control of the Guanzhong region.

While Huangfu Song and his men were pursuing the rebels, Zhang Hao took the opportunity to tour the area and see the conditions of Guanzhong at this time.

As the sky grew dark, Huangfu Song and his men returned, bringing a large number of captives. Many rebels had also escaped, and they would need to be pursued and suppressed later, which Huangfu Song would handle.

"These captives should be screened. Those who have not committed major crimes can be retrained and integrated. The others, who have shed the blood of the people, should be sent to labor reform. I am planning to build a grand canal to connect the north and south, and these people can work to atone for their sins," Zhang Hao said to Huangfu Song, looking at the many captives.

Not just these captives, but in the future, when Zhang Hao planned to attack other ethnic groups, he would handle the captives in the same way to avoid burdening his own people.

Over the next two days, through Huangfu Song, Zhang Hao met several officials from Guanzhong, such as Jingzhao Yin Gai Xun. Gai Xun was also a loyal official, but after Huangfu Song's persuasion, he reluctantly accepted the integration into Da Qian.

With the help of Gai Xun and others, Da Qian could quickly take control of the Guanzhong region.

As for Liangzhou, it would be left to Huangfu Song to handle.

With ample supplies, a well-trained army, and smooth communication, Huangfu Song had the experience to handle the situation. Zhang Hao confidently sent Huangfu Song off, believing that the suppression of Liangzhou would be completed quickly.

After dealing with the matters here, Zhang Hao returned to Luoyang through the time portal.