The Rise of History’s Most Powerful Empire

"Kill! Fame and fortune is here for the taking. Only one head separates you from a life of wealth and family!" Under the encouragement of officers, the soldiers rushed the wall with increased fervor.

For someone having never been at the bottom couldn't understand the unbridled desire to climb through ranks, to be their own lord and exploit others like the government did to them.

Under someone's thumb, it was easy to fall out of favor with some young master or an official. While this presented a chance at security, at freedom.

As for Han Dynasty's laws, those were made to keep the peasants peasants, to chain them into a life of servitude and obedience. To be whipped into paying exorbitant taxes and never finding value in life as all their owned and more belonged to the emperor.

While those clans and officials exploiting the people would be doing on the moral high ground, fighting against rebellious peasants.

Only for these mere peasants to join the army into common soldiers for the Great Han at the end, with food barely enough to keep them alive, a life worse than before.

However, the Han was in peril these years, with chaos erupting everywhere and the natural disasters only amplified its faults. Then taking these soldiers out on the field to die.

After all the fighting and bloodshed, the people found that the 50 or so fellow villagers they started off with were mostly gone, leaving only a couple of them in the end, the rest buried somewhere or ripped apart by beasts.

It was safe to say, these soldiers had no sympathy for those in power, or the court.

Now that they were presented with the chance of meteoric rise, well, they all jumped at the occasion.

Such a promise hardly ever came, most never hearing of them in their whole service in the army.

They heard whispering that Yu Empire army outside made a promise with Guo Cheng, of making him lord over his own county if he gave up the pass on a silver platter.

They all shot that notion down, not believing the Great Han could fall so low that a clansman with status would just defect.

But many examples convinced them. How others surrendered before them, earning their own stretch of lands to rule over.

And the kicker was, Emperor Yu kept his word. It drove the soldiers in the pass on with new fervor and belief they would make something of themselves, with the enemy. 

What if vassals revolted? His land would be stripped and his lives taken, if not of his entire clan.

With this temptation, the soldiers burned with ambition and desire for status and money, they charged the wall with unified purpose.

Their morale skyrocketed and climbed the ladders without stopping.

The fall of their comrades off the walls and to their deaths did nothing to stem their thirst for power.

The advantage of the guards was slowly chipped away, and having no ranged support led to the collapse of them in the enemy's hands in two-three waves.

In an hour, the 3,000 defenders were taken down to 200, retreating to the general's manor.

Another half an hour later and the last guard fell dead and Lu Zhi with his officials commited suicide in his home.

The soldiers inspected the battlefield, to avoid anyone from escaping and assassinated them.

Guo Cheng came to the manor and chopped Lu Zhi's body. He had people take the head to preserve it for General Han Kai outside to see it and confer his title.

With the business done, he had the manor cleaned up to welcome the now friendly army outside. It wouldn't leave all that blood behind for the general.

An hour later, the grounds of the manor were clear and Guo Cheng had someone inform General Han Kai that he could come in the past to rest.

A new bloody dawn rose on the pass, bringing forth warmth after a gruesome and savage night of infighting.

Yu Kingdom's camp was long since ready to march in the pass, in formation and awaiting orders. 

The gates were wide opened to welcome them, their faces steady and disciplined.

The first three thousand men took control of the walls and gates without a care of the defenders.

The defenders looked on with apprehension, feeling unsettled how little control they had.

While annoyed, they justified it with being free and some of them even rulers on their own in a few days.

With everything under control, Han Kai with his personal guard walked in next.

He held a short speech to calm the officers down and then reassured the promises would be kept. He then took out the decree to read it out. It further helped in dissuading the defenders they'd be stabbed in the back.

The general was given the tour with all smiles and praised following the speech.

When he came to the manor, he found it clean of bodies and even fresh air. 

Satisfied with Guo Cheng, he gave him some praises and found him a sucker for sweet words.

The joyful mood brought a beautiful conclusion to a night of killings.