Yinling in Huainan is a place with a rather complex terrain. It was here that Xiang Yu got lost and was overtaken by the enemy.
Today, Zhang Liang has also set up his secret camp in an inconspicuous little valley in Yinling.
The environment around Yinling was harsh and sparsely populated. After Zhang Liang arrived, he arrested all the guides. The local people, knowing that a war was about to break out, also hid in the mountains.
Moreover, Zhang Liang altered the road signs and damaged some roads, making the already confusing Yinling even more difficult to navigate. Unless Xiang Yu avoided Yinling altogether, he would inevitably spend a considerable amount of time there.
If all of Zhang Liang's plans had worked and he had been lucky enough, it wouldn't have been impossible for him to capture and kill Xiang Yu at Yinling.
However, plans can't keep up with changes, and the current situation is far beyond Zhang Liang's expectations.
"Chai Wu is dead, and both bridges are lost?" Zhang Liang threw down the bamboo book, his face full of disbelief. If he had known this would happen, he would have preferred to have the man destroy both bridges directly.
“I speak no falsehood. Last night, Xiang Yu first seized the Tu Yi Bridge, and then took the opportunity to destroy the Dong Fu Bridge. Our cavalry attacked from the north bank, attempting to retake the Tu Yi Bridge, but they failed,” the scout said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.
"How many soldiers does Xiang Yu have left?" Zhang Liang asked with a grave expression.
"The exact number is unknown, but according to the soldiers who escaped last night, Xiang Yu did not lose many troops in the battle to capture the Tuyi Bridge. The defeated army at Dongfu Bridge all fled to Huaibei, and their situation is unclear. However, it doesn't seem like they suffered much loss," the scout said truthfully.
"That means Xiang Yu still has at least five thousand cavalrymen. That's quite a lot. It seems impossible to capture or kill Xiang Yu at Yinling. The only option is to use the terrain to delay the Chu army while waiting for reinforcements," Zhang Liang murmured.
Zhang Liang naturally couldn't possibly fight Xiang Yu head-on with his limited troops, and he even began to consider whether he should leave Yinling first.
Although the location he chose for his camp was relatively secluded, what if Xiang Yu found it? More than five thousand cavalrymen was no small number.
However, without his command, it's likely that Xiang Yu wouldn't have been able to be delayed for long. By then, reinforcements wouldn't have arrived, and Xiang Yu's more than 5,000 cavalry would have fled to the riverbank, where even Fan Kuai wouldn't have been able to stop him.
However, with so many troops at his disposal, Xiang Yu might not choose to flee to Jiangdong. Would he be willing to give up such a large territory as Jiujiang Commandery?
Zhang Liang smiled slightly, "Shen Tu Jia, how long until the Nanyang troops arrive in Shouchun?"
"Reporting to the strategist, General Xiahou Ying received orders yesterday to travel from Ruyin County to Shouchun to meet with General Xi Juan. If all goes well, he should arrive in Shouchun in about five days."
Although Shen Tu Jia was only a squad leader in charge of fifty men, and was usually only responsible for protecting Zhang Liang's safety, Zhang Liang felt that this man had some ability and had already begun to use him as his deputy.
"Five days is too long. Let Xiahou Ying march at full speed and try to reach Shouchun in three days, then rush to Yinling as soon as possible. Xi Juan doesn't need to wait for him in Shouchun either; let him march here immediately, the sooner the better. Report back immediately if there is any news from Xiang Yu's side."
Zhang Liang rubbed his forehead. Xiang Yu's swift crossing of the Huai River had caught him somewhat off guard, but it wasn't without a solution; it all depended on Xiang Yu's greed.
"Here you go."
...
Guantangpu, the weather cleared up and then turned to rain.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
Puff puff puff...
Ahhh...
Yang happy, who was full of confidence just a moment ago and thought that the cavalry in this Chu army was not a threat, was now extremely shocked.
Because the Chu cavalry chasing them were clearly elite soldiers with mounted archery skills!
If the Chu cavalry dared to charge and were also skilled in mounted archery, what else could they be called elite?
But where did Xiang Yu get so many elite troops?
Eight thousand Jiangdong soldiers were terrifying enough. Could it be that the soldiers Xiang Yu recruited in the Jiujiang army camp also had the ability to ride and shoot?
How is that possible!
Yang happy led his troops on a five or six-mile march before discovering that the pursuing troops had already retreated.
"Huff, huff... Quickly send scouts to Guantangpu to investigate and see if the Chu army's pontoon bridge has already been erected," Yang happy said, panting heavily.
"Yes, sir." The lieutenant responded and hurried off to relay the order, not caring what the scouts in the army would think when they learned they had to go back.
"Reorganize the troops and have each unit tally the casualties." Yang happy felt that his order to withdraw the troops was timely, and the losses should not be too great.
As expected, only a little over a thousand cavalrymen were killed or wounded in this battle, which was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.
But now that he's escaped, how is he supposed to complete the task Guan Ying entrusted to him of holding off the Chu army?
Moreover, there is another crucial issue. Yang happy has now come to his senses: the Chu army in Huaibei could not possibly have that many elite cavalry. Could it be that he mistakenly regarded ordinary Chu cavalry as elite?
Many people noticed that the Chu cavalry pursuing them possessed mounted archery skills, but not all Chu cavalry had such abilities. Perhaps only the few hundred riders at the front were truly elite, while those following behind were all novices who couldn't even ride horses properly.
If that is the case, then Yang happy bears a heavy responsibility for the defeat in this battle. Due to his command errors, he lost a thousand cavalry and also let the Chu army in Huaibei escape.
This is a huge crime!
Yang happy felt like crying when his good deeds were about to turn into a sin, but it seemed that there was still a way to make amends.
If the Chu army was bluffing, he could make amends by attacking back, and it wouldn't be so quick for the 30,000-strong Chu army to build a pontoon bridge across the Huai River.
The key to confirming whether the Chu army was bluffing lies in whether the pontoon bridge had been completed.
Soon after, the scouts sent to investigate returned.
"Reporting to the general, I have discovered that the Chu army has completed the construction of one pontoon bridge, and the second pontoon bridge will be completed soon."
"Oh, I see. You've worked hard. Go and rest." Yang happy breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
The Chu army has almost finished building two pontoon bridges, which means that the Chu army was not bluffing before, but that the Chu army in Huainan came to meet the Chu army in Huaibei.
Therefore, his command was not flawed; his timely order to withdraw troops prevented even greater casualties.
As for the task of intercepting the Chu army crossing the river, Yang happy could only make a show of it, constantly sending out small groups of cavalry to harass them.
The option of risking the entire army to fight the Chu army to the death is not an option. What if Xiang Yu comes?
...
At Guantangpu, more than 30,000 Chu soldiers are crossing the pontoon bridge in an orderly manner to reach the south bank of the Huai River.
"Many thanks to General Xiang for his timely assistance. If it weren't for your timely arrival, our army would likely be in grave danger," said Zhao Yu, Right Sima, clasping his hands in thanks.
Xiang Han clasped his hands in a fist salute, "We are all under the command of King Xiang, and all soldiers of the Great Chu. Zhao Sima is being too polite. King Xiang has been very worried about you. To be honest, it is fortunate that you arrived quickly, otherwise even with our support, it probably wouldn't have been so smooth. By the way, how did you manage to do that? You were not much slower than cavalry in marching. It truly amazes me."
Zhao Yu smiled wryly, "We were just afraid of holding Xiang Yu back, so we had to sleep less and rush on our way. There's nothing surprising about it. What's really unbelievable is that General Xiang brought a pontoon bridge."
"Haha, what are you two chatting about? The second pontoon bridge is already built, and the entire army will be able to cross the Huai River within half an hour." Left Sima Zhang Ning ran over with a happy expression.
"That's good." Xiang Han secretly breathed a sigh of relief, as crossing the river with just a pontoon bridge was too slow.
Just then, a fast horse galloped by.
"Reporting to all generals, Guan Ying's main cavalry force has crossed the Mohe River estuary!"
"hiss……"
Chapter 49 Both men and horses were alarmed
"hiss……"
Zhang Ning and Zhao Yu both gasped. Mohekou wasn't far from Guantangpu; if the cavalry traveled at full speed, it wouldn't take them long.
"In a moment, the two generals will each lead the army to cross the river quickly, one from the south and one from the north. The faster the better. First, let the people and provisions cross, then other supplies. Do not make a mess of things, and do not fill the bridge completely. Safety is the priority. Then, hand over all those who can ride horses to my command, and I will lead the army to cover the rear." Xiang Han's expression was solemn.
"Yes." Zhang Ning and Zhao Yu also knew that the situation was serious, and this was not the time to be modest. Their legs were almost broken from running, and if they were asked to cover the rear, they probably wouldn't be able to hold off the enemy for much longer.
Xiang Han only brought two thousand cavalry with him, and with the rest of the cavalry who could mount horses, they barely made five thousand cavalry. However, two thousand of them were barely capable of fighting, and they were not good at mounted archery.
However, these people were also issued bows and arrows, and they looked no different from the elite troops.
Five thousand Chu cavalrymen formed a square formation to prepare to meet the enemy, while Xiang Han placed his two thousand elite troops at the front.
Meanwhile, soldiers on both pontoon bridges were running frantically.
"Quick! Use all your strength! Run as fast as you can! Get across the bridge!" Zhao Yu shouted at the top of the bridge.
Zhang Ning was equally busy on the south side of the bridge. "Those who have already crossed the bridge, move away before resting! All squad leaders, quickly lead your men away and don't block the way! Do you want to kill our brothers on the north side of the bridge?! Hurry up!"
However, it wasn't just the Chu army that was racing against time.
After Guan Ying's army reached the vicinity of Mohekou, it suddenly accelerated, abandoning all its food and supplies and heading straight for Guantangpu.
"Full speed ahead!" Guan Ying was shocked when he received the news that the Chu army had reached the north bank of the Huai River and begun to cross it. Both were 30,000-strong armies, but the Chu infantry had reached the Huai River before them.
Of course, Guan Ying's vanguard of 30,000 men did arrive at the Huai River before that Chu army, but at that time Guan Ying had not yet planned to attack those 30,000-plus Chu infantrymen.
When he finally decided to move, he was shocked to find that the Chu infantry had already reached the Huai River, specifically the Guantangpu area, which took him quite a surprise.
Xiang Yu's cavalry army had already crossed the Huai River. If these 30,000 infantrymen were to escape as well, it would be a huge failure. Hundreds of thousands of troops besieging tens of thousands of Chu soldiers, and then they escaped with little cost. Where would that leave his face?
"General Guan!" Yang happy rode up to greet him.
"Oh, it's General Yang happy. What's the situation at the front?" After receiving the intelligence that Yang Xi had given him, Guan Ying knew that the Chu army on the south bank was coming to support the infantry, so he did not blame Yang Xi for being afraid to fight.
To be honest, if Guan Ying's army had traveled at full speed earlier, they should have arrived before Yang happy. However, the main force of the army had a lot of food and supplies, so they couldn't march too fast under normal circumstances. It was unlikely that they would abandon everything unless absolutely necessary.
"Reporting to General Guan, the Chu army has already built two pontoon bridges and is crossing the river at full speed. They have already crossed more than half of them! In addition, there are more than 5,000 cavalrymen lined up to block our army. I can see that the Chu army's banners have the character 'Xiang' written on them," Yang happy said anxiously.
"Xiang? Could it be Xiang Yu?" Guan Ying's breathing became erratic for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure.
"It doesn't look like it. Perhaps it's Xiang Zhuang or other members of the Xiang clan," Yang happy said truthfully.
"Hmph, that Xiang Yu is quite shrewd; he's lucky. Send down the order: the army will line up two miles from the Chu army and prepare for a frontal attack! General Yang, when our army engages the Chu cavalry, your army will rush over, seize the pontoon bridge, and kill all the Chu soldiers who dare to resist!" Guan Ying said coldly.
"Yes, Your subordinate obeys!" Yang happy slightly raised the corners of his mouth. Now the Chu army was completely finished.
...
Guantangpu.
Xiang Han glanced back at the infantry crossing the river and gripped his bow and arrows tightly. In the end, they still couldn't cross the Huai River before the enemy arrived.
However, most of the remaining troops are transporting supplies and provisions. As long as he can buy some more time, there shouldn't be any problems.
Rumble rumble...
As the sound of enemy hooves grew closer, Xiang Han saw that the enemy had already formed ranks and couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed.
He had originally planned to give the enemy a taste of their power before they could establish a firm foothold and form a complete formation, but it seems the enemy has learned their lesson.
"Send the order! Two thousand cavalrymen in the vanguard will charge forward with me, while the rearguard will remain here to provide support!" Xiang Han said, spurring his horse forward. The warhorse leaped off, followed by the Chu cavalrymen beside him.
Guan Ying held his breath as he watched the Chu army charge towards him from afar, but then relaxed. It seemed that only a portion of the Chu army was charging towards them, and since it wasn't under Xiang Yu's command, it wasn't a cause for concern.
"Full-force launch followed by a horizontal shot and a turn!" Xiang Han raised his bow and arrow. "Ready...fire!"
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...