When the Shang soldiers saw their commander captured in the blink of an eye, their morale collapsed completely. Everyone panicked, all fighting spirit gone, and their formation instantly fell into chaos.
Nangong Kuo reined in his horse and stood before the formation, looking at Chao Lei, who was bound tight and livid-faced, then shouted loudly for the Shang troops to lay down their weapons.
The remaining Shang soldiers, like a flock of dragons without a head, knew they had no strength left to fight and threw down their arms one after another in surrender.
At this point, the Shang Dynasty army collapsed without a fight. Chao Lei was defeated and taken prisoner, and Xiqi won a sweeping victory in its first battle.
Nangong Kuo reorganized his troops and, escorting the captive Chao Lei, returned to the city in triumph, high-spirited, leading his army back to report to Jiang Ziya at the chancellor's residence.
Nangong Kuo escorted Chao Lei back to the chancellor's residence. In the Great Hall, civil and military officials stood in rows, solemn and silent.
Chao Lei, defeated and bound, stood in the hall with a gloomy expression. His armor was entirely gone. Though his heart was unwilling, he knew he had lost and was powerless, unable to escape this situation.
Huang Feihu stood to one side. Thinking of their old ties as former fellow servants of the Great Shang, both military generals of Yin Shang, he could not bear to see a colleague die on the battlefield and become a condemned prisoner beneath the steps, so he stepped forward and gently advised him.
Jiang Ziya, at the side, also wore a calm expression and slowly began persuading him to surrender.
His words were sincere. He used no threats, spoke nothing of punishment, and only discussed the cycle