Munitions Empire-Chapter 1985 - 1863: More and More Surrenders (Part 2)
Since the Tang Army began bombarding Jade City, Paul has only been working here. This once bustling city has now turned into a ruin, with thick smoke and flames persisting day and night, and the sound of explosions thundering like rolling thunder.
"I know, but in this situation, what can I do?" Paul sat powerlessly behind a simple desk, which was piled with maps, documents, and incomplete orders that he had no heart to handle. He looked with a haggard face at the general from the Dorne troops who came to report, his tone full of despair.
He had really tried his best, trying every day to turn the tide. But the current situation is that, no matter what he does, the defense system of Jade City is rapidly collapsing.
This is definitely not a joke, but something that is actually happening: Laines’ troops have actually lost control, and the Dorne troops have already retreated from outside the city into it.
The Tang Army is encircling from both wings, and Jade City will be surrounded in two or three days; what Paul feared most before the battle is becoming a reality, Jade City has lost its value in continuing to defend.
But the problem is... there are still hundreds of thousands of troops in the city, and they are a mixture of Dorne and Laines Empire forces. If all these troops are annihilated here, then the battle...
Well, the battle is actually already lost, the upper and lower echelons of the Laines Empire have already begun openly discussing whether to surrender, and on the Dorne side... what plans they have are already of no concern.
What a joke, even when five countries joined forces to fight against the Tang Empire, they failed. How long can the lone Dorne Empire hold out?
Nowadays, many people are already looking forward to a future where the whole world is unified. Under such a great trend, anyone trying to obstruct everything from happening is just like a mantis trying to stop a cart.
"At least, we should shrink the defense line a bit more; we can’t hand this place over to the Tang People intact!" The general from Dorne apparently didn’t regard Jade City, a city belonging to someone else, as a matter of consequence. In his view, the fiercer the battle here, the safer Dorne will be.
Paul gave the other a glance, clearly not wanting to turn Jade City, a city of his own country, into ruins. Perhaps he thought this way before, but now he has changed his mind.
Earlier, he held on to a sliver of luck, thinking he could block the Tang Army’s attack in Jade City. If he truly succeeded, though the cost for Jade City was heavy, it would still be acceptable.
But now, it’s clear he can no longer complete his initial plan: forget a year or six months, even holding out for another ten days might be impossible... in such a situation, turning Jade City into a ruin once more is obviously not so worthwhile.
After all, he is a Laines native, not a brute. To fight to the death here and lead all the civilians into a pit of death... if he did this, how could he continue to live afterward? Even if he died, would he dare to write his name on his tombstone?
"General! The battle situation has already collapsed, and the troops have begun to descend into chaos. In such circumstances... continuing the war is obviously not a wise choice." Paul spoke out slowly to remind the other party after observing him for a while.
"... I understand, then your troops should at least hold out for another three days! I need to withdraw the Dorne troops from here! At least, I have to withdraw more than half!" The Dorne general coldly announced a decision.
He had anticipated the decision Paul might make before coming; the Laines Empire is obviously no longer reliable. Considering the Suthers Empire, it’s easy to conclude that the Laines Empire is bound to choose surrender when they cannot hold on anymore.
To prevent a repeat of the situation where Suthers Empire surrenders suddenly and the Allied Forces don’t have time to retreat, he must first stabilize Paul, then let the Laines Empire’s troops fight for enough time, allowing the Dorne troops to have time to retreat."
"Okay, three days! But I can only promise not to give the order to surrender within those three days... Moreover, you should also know that the Tang Army has already broken through our defense lines outside the city, and the eastern supply line of Jade City could be cut off at any time. How your people will leave and how many can leave is not something I can decide." Paul agreed to the other’s request; at least, for now, they are still supporting each other as allies.
"Thank you! I will strive to retreat! At least 3,000 people can be evacuated today." The Dorne general turned and walked away, needing to make the most of his time. After all, every minute and second is an opportunity for the Dorne soldiers within the encirclement to escape.
...
The smoke filled the air, covering the sky, painting the once clear sky into a depressing dark red. The air was filled with a pungent gunpowder smell, mixed with the stench of blood and scorched odor, making one nauseous.
In the distance, explosions echoed one after another, like rolling thunder shattering the air, each explosion accompanied by soaring flames and billowing smoke, turning this once flourishing city into a human inferno.
Several blocks away from Paul’s command center, near some broken walls and rubble, a group of Dorne soldiers hid behind a building half destroyed by artillery fire. Each of them was gray-faced, in ragged clothes, their faces full of despair and exhaustion.
"We can’t fight anymore! We don’t stand any chance of winning!" A young soldier helplessly tossed his rifle to the ground, collapsing feebly, his voice carrying a hint of a sob, evidently consumed by fear and despair.
In the previous fight, he had watched a rocket explode on the front armor of the Tang Army’s tank, and afterward, the tank continued to wobble forward as if nothing had happened, crushing the corpses of those Dorne soldiers who had died long ago.
"The firepower of the Tang Army is too strong; we simply can’t resist!" another soldier echoed, his eyes filled with fear, and his body trembled unconsciously, obviously scared out of his wits by the Tang Army’s overwhelming firepower.
"We’ve lost too many comrades; do we still have to continue to die in vain?" a soldier said in a low voice, his voice full of sorrow and despair.
"But, if we surrender, we’ll be executed as traitors!" an old soldier said worriedly, his tone filled with helplessness and fear.
"Instead of dying meaninglessly, we might as well make a last stand! Fight those damned Tang people!" another soldier shouted, his eyes blazing with desperate anger, seemingly trying to use the last burst of madness to cover his inner fear.
However, his words didn’t receive much response; most soldiers had already lost the will to fight and sat there numbly, waiting for fate’s arrival.
"Enough! We’re surrendering!" a young officer finally broke the silence, throwing down a pistol he liked very much: "Find a white bed sheet and hang it out! Tell those guys in the Supervisory Battalion that if they are willing to surrender with us, then fine, but if they dare to cause trouble, we’ll settle things with them first!"
"We’re surrendering too! What a joke; we’re not crazy." Upon hearing the news, the Supervisory Battalion immediately chose to surrender as well. They saw those pamphlets yesterday and, of course, knew what would happen if they continued to resist stubbornly.
They were human too, having trekked from Dorne all the way to Jade City, fighting far from their homeland, risking their lives was clearly not worth it. If they surrendered, maybe they could return home someday and live out the rest of their lives in peace.
"We surrender! Stop fighting!" Quickly, the voices of surrender echoed through the ruins, and other soldiers followed suit, laying down their weapons and giving up resistance.
