Man Cang ordered the soldiers to clean up the governor’s mansion, and none of the treasures inside were to be taken without permission. These were all items of great value. The Prefectural Governor and Commander retreated without taking these things, clearly leaving in haste. If we send troops to chase them, we might just catch them.

"By the way, has Zheng Lang been found?" Man Cang shouted. When the gate was breached, Zheng Lang hadn’t yet descended the city walls, so he couldn’t have escaped through the tunnels. Surrounded by the Chu Army outside, he couldn’t possibly have fled, leaving only the explanation that he was in hiding, potentially among the citizens.

"No, General Man, we didn’t see him during the breach. None of the brothers saw him."

"Everyone, go find him. Anyone who captures Zheng Lang alive will be made a Chiliarch and rewarded with a hundred gold pieces. Go quickly."

"Yes."

"Yes."

Meanwhile, the four walls of Wan City had already been occupied by the Chu Army. The remaining Qin Army soldiers were retreating into the city. Ye Shikai gave the order to clear out these Qin soldiers within two hours. None of the divisions dared to relax; following the retreating Qin soldiers into the city, they cut down countless fleeing soldiers, spilling blood everywhere.

"Report to General Ye, General Man has just led his troops to capture the governor’s mansion. The Qin Dynasty officials inside have fled through the tunnels, and General Man has already ordered a pursuit."

"I expected as much. These people wouldn’t leave without a means of escape." Ye Shikai wasn’t surprised, having spent a long time in the Qin Army and holding a high rank, he was well aware of these situations. In those days, if a city was breached, as Prefectural Governor and Commander, capture meant certain death. So, when defeat loomed, they gathered their valuables and slipped away.

Ye Shikai wasn’t concerned about those who escaped; they were inherently cowardly. Even if caught, they were of little use. The key was Wan City; as long as they captured it, this northern expedition would be deemed successful.

"Report, General, enemy leader Zheng Lang has been captured by us."

"What, is this true?" Ye Shikai exclaimed excitedly upon hearing the news. Zheng Lang was indeed a decent general; at least he hadn’t fled beforehand and fought until the city fell. Conversely, if Zheng Lang were cowardly, Ye Shikai wouldn’t have had to fight so hard.

"Absolutely true, he’s right up ahead."

"Let’s go."

Ye Shikai turned his horse and came to an alley in front. Sure enough, Zheng Lang was already tied up by more than a dozen soldiers and brought before him.

"General Zheng, we meet again." Ye Shikai dismounted; Zheng Lang’s conduct had earned his respect.

"Traitorous rebel, the court has treated you well, yet you betray the court and conspire with rebels." Zheng Lang cursed, and if not restrained by several soldiers, he might have lunged to bite.

"Everyone, step back." Ye Shikai signaled the guards to release Zheng Lang. Initially worried, as Zheng Lang was in a desperate situation, who knew what he might do in panic.

"Release him."

"Yes."

"Yes."

Zheng Lang did not lunge to "bite," but instead glared fiercely, staring intently.

"General Zheng, I was once a Qin General and earned many honors. Not to boast, but even if I retired, my personal wealth would suffice for generations."

"Then why did you rebel?"

"The court may have treated me well, but they regard the lives of common folks as insignificant, slaughtering indiscriminately over a falling star and baseless prophecy. Such a court would eventually be overthrown by righteous warriors even if I don’t rebel." Ye Shikai spoke calmly.

"The lives of a few commoners cannot be compared to the court’s stability," Zheng Lang retorted.

"In that case, there’s nothing more to say." Ye Shikai waved, signaling the guards to take him away. He and Zheng Lang were on completely different "frequencies"; perhaps Zheng Lang was overly loyal, or perhaps Ye Shikai’s ideas were too "advanced" for his time.

Arriving at the governor’s mansion, Man Cang had already let the Iron Armor Army take over the place, with rows of soldiers outside standing in neat formation.

"Salute to General Ye."

"Salute to General Ye."

Seeing Ye Shikai arrive, everyone shouted in unison.

"General, now that we’ve taken the governor’s mansion, the remaining enemy forces will soon surrender."

"Well done." Ye Shikai patted his shoulder and entered the mansion.

"They hid so many treasures in the mansion, but now they’re ours," Man Cang displayed a large collection of "treasures" on the table.

"Register all gold, silver, and jewels from the treasury; no one is to take them privately. Also, after we captured Wan City, the soldiers must not raid civilian homes or seize their property, nor harm them. Violators will be executed," Ye Shikai had no interest in the treasures; they had just captured Wan City, unlike Deng County. Wan City was the seat of the prefecture, far exceeding it in scale, population, and resources. Moreover, after a bloody battle, the city’s residents must be on edge. If soldiers plundered now, chaos would ensue, which was not the outcome he wanted.

"Understood, I’ve already given strict orders to the soldiers; there will be no issues."

"Good."

"Report to the General, the remaining Qin soldiers in the city either surrendered or died; we’ve captured over six thousand prisoners now detained in the camp."

"Good." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Ye Shikai felt slightly relieved hearing the news. Wan City had already been captured, and divisions were entering the city one after another. He also instructed the soldiers to quickly repair the city’s defenses; with deep trenches and high walls, they might soon shift from attackers to defenders, turning these defenses into their shield.

"How are things with General Zhang Lan and General Wang Lian? Are the battles progressing smoothly?" Ye Shikai inquired.

"Uh... no updates yet, and General Wan Qi Yuan hasn’t sent a messenger either."

"If they didn’t send someone, can’t you go find out? Investigate this for me," Ye Shikai said loudly.

"Yes... I’ll go immediately."

Ye Shikai was perpetually restless; there were 15,000 Qin heavy cavalry. If they crushed them, they couldn’t retreat to the city quickly.

"Man Cang, how many troops are left in each division?" Ye Shikai continued to probe.

"After two days of fighting, we’ve suffered over ten thousand casualties, and many units are severely weakened. Moreover, we have to take over the city defenses, maintain order, and guard the prisoners, leaving very few troops available to mobilize now."

"Notify and gather all remaining troops; have them muster at the city gate, ready to assist outside."