Chapter 692 Wang Ben’s choice, surrender?

Chapter 692 Wang Ben’s choice, surrender?

After spitting out a mouthful of blood, Wang Ben's face turned pale as paper, as if the breath of life was taken away in an instant. His body was shaky, and if it weren't for the last bit of willpower holding on, he would have fallen off the horse like a puppet with its strings cut.

"General! General!" "Protect the General!" This sudden scene terrified the guards around Wang Ben. They screamed and rushed towards Wang Ben desperately, fearing that something might happen to him.

The entire army instantly fell into a state of tension, with soldiers raising their weapons and preparing for battle, ready to launch an attack at any time. The originally orderly marching team became a little chaotic at this moment, and everyone's face was filled with anxiety and uneasiness.

All this happened only because of a shocking news - Wuding Pass was really lost! This news was undoubtedly a heavy blow to Wang Ben. The loss of Wuding Pass meant that he not only lost an important strategic stronghold, but also put him and the entire Hanzhong area into a desperate situation.

Even if he could break through the siege, he would only be lingering on. The Qin Empire, the once glorious empire, was now really coming to an end. And Wang Ben, the general who had been trying to maintain the last bit of face of the Qin Empire, had already tried his best, but was still powerless to save the situation.

The important city of Hanzhong actually fell into the hands of the Southern Border Army, which was undoubtedly a heavy blow to the Qin Dynasty. The Qin Dynasty had no room to retreat, and the other princes would never come to rescue the Qin Dynasty for the sake of Xianyang City. After all, in this chaotic world, each prince had his own interests and calculations.

What's worse is that the entire city of Xianyang can only muster an army of 20,000 at most, and this is the case when Hanzhong is not lost. Once Hanzhong is lost, I'm afraid the army will be completely demoralized. By then, how many people are willing to continue to follow General Lu to maintain the defense of Xianyang? This is really a worrying problem.

This is why when the princes negotiated, the Qin sent Wang Li instead of Wang Ben. Although Wang Li was also a famous general, his ability and prestige were much inferior to Wang Ben. It can be said that the last bit of Qin's backbone is now almost entirely supported by Wang Ben.

The loss of Hanzhong made the situation extremely serious. Even if General Lu managed to break through, it would be difficult for him to escape the pursuit of the Southern Border Army. No matter how hard he struggled, in Wang Ben's view, it was no longer meaningful. Failure was already inevitable.

At this moment, after a long period of panting and adjusting, Wang Ben finally slowly recovered some strength. He took a deep breath, then straightened his body and stared at the direction of Zhang Liang with a sharp gaze.

"Heaven wants to destroy our Great Qin!" Wang Ben's voice echoed in the air, with endless grief and resentment. His words revealed an indescribable heaviness, as if the fate of the entire Great Qin rested on his shoulders.

"I, Wang Ben, have fought on the battlefield for the Great Qin for decades, conquering the south and the north, and have never slacked off. I am loyal to Your Majesty, and I have a clear conscience towards the late emperor!" Wang Ben's voice became more and more passionate, and every word was like a flame erupting from the depths of his heart, burning his loyalty and love for the Great Qin.

This impassioned speech not only shocked everyone present, but even Zhang Liang, his opponent, could not help but admire Wang Ben. Although they were in hostile camps, this did not affect Zhang Liang's recognition and admiration for Wang Ben's character.

Zhang Liang assassinated Qin Shi Huang to avenge his country, while Wang Ben protected Qin Shi Huang because he had a heavy responsibility and could not shirk his duty. It is understandable that each party serves its own master. Even though the times have changed, to this day, both parties still serve their own masters and have clear positions.

However, what really made Zhang Liang respect Wang Ben was his loyalty. Since the tragic death of Prince Gao, the Qin Dynasty had actually existed in name only. In addition, the princes of the world were constantly fighting, and it was a pipe dream for Wang Ben to reverse the decline with his own strength.

But even so, Wang Ben still chose to continue. This alone was admirable. Zhang Liang had to admit that if he were in the same situation, he was not sure whether he would be able to persist. So just for this loyalty, Zhang Liang naturally admired him very much.

"Soldiers, listen up, I have failed in this battle. Gao Yao is a man who keeps his promises. Just lay down your weapons and surrender. Do not resist!" Wang Ben's voice echoed on the battlefield, with a hint of helplessness and unwillingness.

As soon as he finished speaking, the army behind him was suddenly stunned. No one expected that Wang Ben, a general who had always been brave and fearless, would say such a thing at this critical moment.

"General! General..." The deputy generals looked at Wang Ben in astonishment, with expressions of disbelief on their faces.

"General, we can definitely protect you and get out!" a lieutenant general shouted loudly, his voice revealing firmness and determination.

"General, your reputation as an illustrious man will never be ruined here. Don't worry, we will protect you even at the risk of our lives!" Another deputy general echoed, his eyes burning with anger, and he was obviously very dissatisfied with Wang Ben's decision.

"General..." The soldiers around him spoke out to persuade him. They could not accept that Wang Ben gave up so easily and chose to surrender. In their hearts, Wang Ben was their leader and their pride. They would rather die on the battlefield than surrender.

Wang Ben was unmoved, he looked at the soldiers in front of him quietly, his heart full of guilt and helplessness. He knew that his decision might disappoint them and even ruin his lifelong wisdom.

But he knew that it was meaningless to continue fighting. Gao Yao was much stronger than them, and if they continued to fight, more soldiers would die in vain.

"Shut up!" Wang Ben turned his head suddenly, his eyes wide open, and shouted in a loud voice, "Are you guys trying to disobey military orders?"

His angry rebuke was like a bolt from the blue, exploding in the crowd. The originally noisy surroundings suddenly became completely silent, and even the sound of a needle falling to the ground could be heard clearly.

The soldiers looked at each other, no one dared to say a word, because they all knew clearly that Wang Ben did this just to let more people survive.

Seeing that the surroundings had finally quieted down, Wang Ben slowly turned his gaze in the direction of Zhang Liang. His eyes were as cold as a knife, as if he wanted to eat Zhang Liang alive.