The soldiers in the city were like madmen.
They stopped everyone they saw and asked.
"Do you know persimmons?"
"Have you seen persimmons?"
"Have you heard of persimmons?"
All they received were shaking heads.
By nightfall, they hadn't found any news about persimmons!
Outside the city, Fang Er wiped the oil from his mouth.
"Old Ba! Time to get to work!"
Tie Lao Ba rolled up his sleeves and smiled at Fang Er, saying,
"Your Lordship, rest assured!"
After speaking, he turned to look at the others in the artillery battery.
"Brothers! Bomb them with all you've got!"
Thirty artillerymen grabbed loaded shells with fuses and tossed them into the barrels.
"Persimmons?"
"What a joke!"
From their Lordship's tone, they had already figured it out.
These Silla and Baekje kingdoms had no persimmons at all!
Shell after shell was released.
Sliding down the barrels.
The primers were ignited, and then with a roar.
The shells flew out again.
Towards the distant city walls of Jinseong.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.
Explosions erupted all around the city walls.
Wood chips, brick fragments, stones, and shrapnel flew everywhere!
Soldiers on the city walls were wiped out, piece by piece!
A severed leg, belonging to someone unknown, splattered across Jin Daan's face.
Snapping the stunned Jin Daan back to reality.
He screamed to the other soldiers with all his might,
"Get off the wall! Everyone get off the wall!"
He didn't raise a white flag to surrender.
Because the defeated Goguryeo remnants had previously said that the Tang army soldiers were inhuman!
They would ignore white flags and keep bombing!
By the time all the soldiers had gathered at the city gate.
Jin Daan looked at the five thousand soldiers before him, their numbers reduced to just over four thousand.
Hundreds had been lost in such a short time.
Those cannonballs were too ferocious!
Jin Daan cleared his throat and said with a self-mocking smile.
"They wanted persimmons! We couldn't provide them!"
"Now the city is engulfed in cannon fire, and we cannot fight back."
"This general wants to lead you to escape, but we can't outrun them. Look, Read."
"You've all seen those seven iron monsters outside the city. They move faster than horses at full gallop!"
"Therefore, now, if anyone is willing to surrender, open the city gate for this general."
"If you want to flee, this general will not blame you."
"If you want to die with this city, this general will offer sacrifices for you next year!"
"Someone! Open the city gate!"
The more than four thousand men, their eyes red, gritting their teeth, their faces filled with hatred!
"Damn them!"
"Where did those Tang soldiers find out Silla had persimmons!"
"Don't let us find out!"
"Otherwise, even if we die! We will push open our coffins and jump out to settle the score with that bastard!"
A few soldiers near the city gate slowly opened the great gate of Hanseong.
Then they stepped out of the gate and lined up on either side.
Making way for Jin Daan.
Jin Daan walked out of the city, step by step, towards the Tang army.
His feet felt as heavy as if they were filled with iron and lead!
The whistling cannonballs flew over his head, continuing to bombard the city walls.
His expression remained unchanged; everything behind him was no longer his concern!
He now only hoped that the Tang army would spare his life, so that he might have a chance to see his newborn child at home!
As he shuffled along, he discarded his weapon.
Then, his leather armor.
He threw them away as he walked.
Fang Er, seeing this, raised his hand to stop the bombardment.
It seemed this Jin Daan was quite cunning.
During the previous assault on the city, he could have used the excuse of not seeing the white flag raised on the city walls.
But if he were to kill surrendering soldiers who had laid down their arms and armor and walked out of the city,
Once that news spread, perhaps no one would surrender in the future!
That would only create trouble for himself.
And Fang Er feared trouble the most!
Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Jingde's mouths twitched!
"Damn!"
"No fun!"
It felt like a two-hundred-pound strongman bullying an infant!
Not satisfying!
The soldiers behind Jin Daan also followed suit.
As they walked.
They tore off their bamboo armor and rattan armor, tossing them aside casually.
They also threw away their weapons.
When everyone had reached a distance of two hundred paces from the Tang army.
Fang Er drew his pistol and fired a shot at them.
Although the bullet fell to the ground after flying only a hundred paces.
Jin Daan knew this was a warning to his side.
The Tang army feared that their more than four thousand men would suddenly attack after approaching.
A bitter smile appeared on his face.
He waved to those behind him, signaling everyone to stop.
Fang Er said to Liu Meng,
"Take a hundred men, bring the ropes, and have them tie themselves up!"
The purpose of this expedition was to conquer countries and capture laborers.
Ropes and the like would certainly not be lacking.
Liu Meng led his men, each with a bundle of hemp rope on his horse's back.
They arrived in front of the surrendered Silla troops.
The hemp ropes were thrown in front of Jin Daan.
"Everyone! Tie your hands yourselves! Link them together!"
"If anyone dares to have any crooked thoughts, hehe! I'll be waiting for you!"
After speaking, Liu Meng and his men retreated several dozen paces.
They watched the Silla surrendered soldiers opposite them.
Tears welled up in Jin Daan's eyes.
Tears of shame!
But thinking of his fragrant child at home, and then of his beautiful wife in the inner chamber.
He gritted his teeth so hard they made a grinding sound.
His gums began to bleed.
Swallowing the saliva mixed with blood.
Jin Daan said to the soldiers behind him.
"What are you all standing there for! Get to it! Tie this general up first!"