The State of Yan's great defeat was unknown to the State of Zhao, who were still awaiting Yan's aid.
However, several days passed with no news from Yan, causing concern among the Zhao leadership in Handan.
"What's going on? Didn't Yan promise to aid our Zhao? Why is there still no news?"
"The situation is indeed strange. So much time has passed. By now, Yan should have captured Yanmen and defeated Lin Tian's army. The lack of news is worrying, could something have gone wrong?"
"Surely not. Yan has a hundred thousand troops. Qin's Lin Tian only has twenty to thirty thousand left. With such a disparity in numbers, how could Lin Tian possibly resist!"
At these words, the Zhao ministers nodded in agreement.
Anyone with common sense knew that a hundred thousand troops were not easily resisted.
Even more so, Yan's force was composed of a hundred thousand cavalry.
For Qin's Lin Tian to resist this force without sufficient numbers would be utterly impossible.
The absence of news was likely just a temporary delay, not an accident.
With this thought, the Zhao ministers felt somewhat relieved.
They decided to wait patiently for good news from Yan, for Yan's reinforcements.
However, Li Mu, who was still stationed in Handan, frowned.
If anyone else were defending Yanmen, Li Mu would have believed that Yan's hundred thousand troops could capture it.
But the defender of Yanmen was Lin Tian, the Sword God of Qin.
The situation was entirely different.
He had witnessed Lin Tian's might firsthand.
He understood perfectly that with Lin Tian's talent, even with only twenty to thirty thousand soldiers under his command, he could still hold Yanmen.
Therefore, the situation was not optimistic. For Zhao to recover, they might have to rely on themselves.
As expected, a few days later, dire news reached Handan.
"Report! Your Majesty, disaster has struck! The Yan army has been defeated!"
"What? How is that possible? Doesn't Yan have a hundred thousand troops? How could they be defeated?"
"It was Qin's Lin Tian! Qin's Lin Tian used a stratagem and utterly crushed the Yan army!"
"Furthermore, Qin's Lin Tian captured a city in Yan, seized tens of thousands of horses, and Prince Dan of Yan suffered a complete rout!"
The words stunned the Zhao ministers into silence, and the King of Zhao slumped onto his throne.
When Yan had mobilized its hundred thousand troops, countless people in Zhao had already seen Yan as their lifeline.
Many among them were awaiting the arrival of the Yan army, hoping to seize this opportunity to turn the tide.
For this, they were willing to pay a heavy price.
But who could have imagined that their last hope would be extinguished like this?
For each of them, this was a devastating blow.
"Damn it, is Prince Dan of Yan a fool? Ten thousand troops against twenty to thirty thousand Qin soldiers and such a crushing defeat! Does such a person deserve to be the Crown Prince of Yan?"
"If I had such a son, I would rather he die in the womb!"
The King of Zhao's roar echoed throughout the palace.
Anyone could see that the King of Zhao was consumed by extreme anger.
Yet, even so, it could not temporarily alter Zhao's current predicament.
For a time, they were at a loss for what to do.
After a long silence, someone tentatively spoke:
"If we continue to seek help from Yan, will Yan still help us?"
"Definitely not! Yan has already lost a hundred thousand troops and is in no condition to fight!"
"Then should we seek aid from other countries?"
"Naturally, we must! We cannot let go of any hope!"
At this point, any country willing to help Zhao would represent a chance for recovery.
Therefore, they were unwilling to abandon any opportunity.
After all, they had no other path left.
Many Zhao generals knew that they were at the end of their rope, with no other options.
Thus, while they outwardly awaited rescue, they secretly sought various means to escape Handan.
They contacted many countries, hoping to be allowed to leave this perilous land.
Among them, those who sought to leverage connections with Qin were the most numerous.
If even one influential Qin person was willing to spare them, they might be able to preserve their lives when the Qin army advanced.
It was even possible to protect their wealth.
Under these circumstances, many ministers' minds began to stir.
Among the most active was the Zhao Prime Minister, Guo Kai.
He was the most corrupt official in Zhao, his household overflowing with wealth.
Moreover, he had already established some contact with Qin previously.
Therefore, he was eager to find someone in Qin who could speak for him.
Then, he could secure his life and his fortune.
However, Qin had blockaded Handan and had no immediate plans to send anyone into the city.
This made Guo Kai increasingly distressed; he did not want to die like this.
But a few more days passed, and the situation in Handan changed again.
Outside Handan, a new army arrived.
It was not an army from another country, but again, the Qin army.
However, the appearance of this individual was not good news for Zhao.
"It's Qin's Lin Tian! Qin's Lin Tian has arrived!"
"Legend has it that Qin's Lin Tian is a god of slaughter, with no less than fifty thousand, perhaps even a hundred thousand, people dead by his hand. If he's here, we're finished!"
"This is heaven's will to destroy our Zhao!"
If it were only Wang Jian, the Zhao soldiers would not have been so anxious.
After all, Li Mu and Wang Jian had fought for many years, and they had extensive combat experience against each other.
Therefore, Li Mu could defend against Wang Jian's assault, and they were willing to trust Li Mu.
But Lin Tian was different.
Previously, Li Mu had been defeated by Lin Tian, and now, Prince Dan of Yan had also been defeated by Lin Tian.
And both were crushing defeats where the victor had fewer troops.
Now that Lin Tian had joined forces with Wang Jian's army and commanded a large number of soldiers, no one could guarantee whether Li Mu could defend Handan.
Even Li Mu himself was exceptionally tense at this moment.
Facing Lin Tian, he too felt the pressure.
Even he was unsure if he could hold Handan under Lin Tian's onslaught.
After all, Lin Tian's fighting style was too unpredictable for everyone.
If Li Mu himself felt this way, it was even more so for the rest of Zhao.
Handan was now in complete chaos.