"Hmm? The Overlord wants to stay and monitor Liu Xiu? But why would he be so kind as to let Ju Wuba go? It doesn't make sense. Surely he doesn't really want to save him for the Battle of Kunyang and have a decisive battle in front of the world?" Hao Jiu asked suspiciously.
"He said that if he could block that attack, they could have a decisive battle at Kunyang. Perhaps he is a man of his word. With his strength, silencing them wouldn't be difficult. Those soldiers can't be Ju Wuba's protectors," Xiang Yu guessed.
"Xiang Yu, be careful. It's still uncertain whether the enemy can see ghosts," Hao Jiu warned.
At this moment, Liu Xiu was running through the jungle, trying to find a safe, deserted place as soon as possible.
"System, could you be mistaken? I don't feel any discomfort. Besides, you saw it yourself, the snake's fangs were broken. How could I be poisoned? Not only did I waste an antidote pill, but I also let that giant Wu Ba escape." Liu Xiu stopped and observed the surrounding environment. There wasn't a single animal, let alone a person.
"I just suspect that the snake isn't from this world. Although its fangs are broken, its venom came into contact with your skin, so you have to be careful. The dimension is already sealed off; are you worried about not having a chance to kill it?"
"Alright, let's head back to the main camp now. It's not bad to save it for the final battle at Kunyang." After saying that, Liu Xiu opened an air portal in front of him, jumped into it, and disappeared.
...
"An air door?" Hao Jiu grinned. This time, he'd really bitten off more than he could chew.
"That's the only way I can describe it. He suddenly appeared in front of him, and then disappeared as soon as the other person jumped in," Xiang Yu said helplessly.
"This is truly an amazing skill. There must be another dimension inside that door. It's not necessarily true that you can travel hundreds or even thousands of miles just by stepping through the door, but it's definitely easier and faster to move around in another dimension, making it perfect for a sneak attack."
Xiang Yu frowned. "So, Liu Xiu may not be able to fly, but he's even more difficult to deal with than someone who can."
Hao Jiu gave a wry smile. "They are definitely difficult to deal with, but that doesn't mean they can't fly. If using air portals to travel is more convenient and faster, why would anyone bother to spend extra time flying?"
"Then let's settle this on the ground," Xiang Yu said, and began his domineering cultivation.
At this moment, a commotion suddenly broke out in the Ziyun Mountain camp.
"Where is the army doctor! General Ju is injured! Someone come quickly to save the general!"
A group of people carried the unconscious, foaming at the mouth Ju Wuba into the camp. What should have been a great victory had turned into this.
When the military doctor first arrived, he was almost scared to death. A penetrating heart injury, how could this person survive?
However, upon testing, he was still breathing. At that moment, they understood what was going on: Ju Wuba's heart was located on the right side. He was truly an extraordinary person.
The medic frantically treated Ju Wuba's wounds. He was unconscious, probably due to excessive blood loss, but the reason he was foaming at the mouth was unknown. They decided to try anything, even if it seemed hopeless.
A moment later, Ju Wuba suddenly opened his eyes and ordered, "Send down the order to take the provisions and return to Kunyang."
The soldiers of the new army were overjoyed to see that Ju Wuba had woken up, but...
"Reporting to the general, we did not find much grain. It is far less than the grain that the Gengshi army seized. Did the Gengshi army take it all away? Did they not hide any grain at all?" the deputy general said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.
Ju Wuba snorted coldly, "They didn't take everything. The Gengshi army that left first still had to fight Kunyang, so they couldn't have carried too much grain. They must have hidden the grain."
"But General Ju, we've searched the entire camp!" The deputy general initially thought so too, but they indeed couldn't find it.
"I know where it is, follow me." Ju Wuba stood up, looking nothing like someone who had been seriously injured.
"Yes, sir." The lieutenant was overjoyed. It seemed that General Ju's injuries had not been in vain, as he had obtained such important intelligence!
...
The next morning, Wang Yi, full of energy, went to the central command tent, where he met Wang Xun at the entrance. The two exchanged a nod and a smile before entering the tent one after the other.
Wang Yi was quite looking forward to Wang Xiang's participation in the siege today, and felt a strange sense of trust in him.
Wang Xun had always heard Wang Yi boast about how amazing Wang Xiang was, and he was also eager to see for himself how Wang Xiang could conquer Kunyang when so many others couldn't.
"We pay our respects to the Grand Minister of Works and the Minister of Education!"
Wang Yi scanned the crowd, finally fixing his gaze on Xiang Yu. "Today, the siege will be led by General Wang Xiang. Everyone should give their full support and strive for victory in this battle!"
"Yes, sir!" the generals replied in unison.
"This humble general will certainly do his utmost." Xiang Yu indeed intended to capture Kunyang today.
Since the new army is now an asset to him, Xiang Yu naturally does not want the new army to fail. Taking Kunyang as soon as possible can prevent being attacked from both inside and outside by the enemy, and then the new army can focus all its efforts on dealing with Liu Xiu.
Of course, under normal circumstances, even if you surrounded Liu Xiu with an army of 400,000, it would be impossible to kill him. On the contrary, Liu Xiu alone might be able to defeat him.
However, since the enemy is in the open while we are in the dark, if Xiang Yu and Ju Wuba were to blend into the main army and participate in the encirclement and killing of Liu Xiu, they might achieve unexpected results by taking him by surprise.
Just then, a soldier came to report.
"Report! I have learned from the Grand Minister of Works and the Minister of Agriculture that General Ju has returned victorious! He has annihilated two thousand enemy soldiers and brought back a large amount of grain!"
"Excellent!" Wang Yi was overjoyed, not expecting Ju Wuba to have retrieved the grain so quickly.
"Grand Minister, let's go and welcome the meritorious official together!" Wang Xun was also extremely excited. It seemed that he had underestimated Ju Wuba before. He didn't expect that Ju Wuba was really capable.
“That’s right, that’s how it should be. Let’s go and welcome the meritorious official together. This is a good omen, and we will surely succeed in attacking the city today!” After saying this, Wang Yi took the lead and strode out of the central command tent.
Soon, the generals saw the returning army of Ju Wuba at the entrance of the camp.
"Haha, General Ju, you've worked hard!" Wang Yi looked around and saw that the soldiers carrying grain and fodder stretched as far as the eye could see.
"Oh dear, General Ju is injured?" Wang Xun quickly walked a few steps closer to examine him carefully.
"I was only stabbed once, nothing serious," Ju Wuba said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.
The generals all grinned. How could someone who had been stabbed in that spot be unharmed?
"General Ju is truly a fierce warrior!"
"General Ju has led his army in a great battle and traveled all night. The entire army must be exhausted. I suggest that the soldiers in the camp take turns transporting the provisions back to the main camp so that General Ju and his troops can return to camp and rest as soon as possible," Jiaoyou said, bowing.
Wang Yi nodded and said, "That's right. General Ju must be exhausted and injured to be able to return so quickly. Pass down the order that General Ju's troops leave the provisions where they are and return to camp to rest immediately. General Yan, I'll leave the provisions to you to transport back to camp."
"Yes." Yan You had no choice but to agree, even though he was extremely unwilling.
Just then, another soldier came to report.
"Reporting to the Grand Minister of Works and the Minister of Education! The rebels are attacking from the east!"
Chapter 264 The Decisive Battle of Kunyang (Part 1)
"Your Excellency, Grand Minister of Works and Minister of Education, the commander of this Gengshi army must be Liu Xiu, who stole our army's supplies. If he hadn't led the main force away from Ziyun Mountain, our army wouldn't have been able to reclaim the supplies so easily," Ju Wuba said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.
"Liu Xiu? Liu Yan's younger brother?" Wang Yi frowned.
"Could it be that he got wind of it and came to steal the supplies again? General Yan! Quickly send troops to escort the supplies back to camp!" Wang Xun knew that Ju Wuba's army was no longer able to fight. If the Gengshi army attacked at this time, they would definitely suffer heavy losses.
"Yes!" Yan You didn't dare to delay and hurriedly returned to his camp to call for reinforcements.
"Grand Minister of Works, Minister of Education, Liu Xiu is extremely brave and adept at launching surprise attacks on enemy generals. You two should return to camp immediately to avoid him taking advantage of any openings," Ju Wuba warned.
"Hmph! If that brat Liu Xiu dares to come, I, the Minister of Works, will surely cut him down!" Wang Xun roared.
From Emperor Wang Mang to commoners, the Xin Dynasty hated Liu Yan the most, but Liu Yan was also extremely difficult to deal with. If they could kill Liu Yan's brothers, they could vent their anger.
“Indeed, if Liu Yan comes, we will deal with him carefully. But as for Liu Xiu, hehe, I, the Minister of Works, am not afraid of him either. Men! Prepare 10,000 troops. I, the Minister of Works, and the Minister of Agriculture will personally fight him!” Wang Yi did not take Liu Xiu seriously either.
Hao Jiu's lips twitched violently. Where did these two old geezers get their confidence?
"My lords, the current situation is extremely favorable for our army. Liu Xiu should be left to other generals. It would be better for the Grand Minister of Works and the Minister of Education to personally lead the troops when that leader of the Gengshi clan, Liu Xuan, arrives. Otherwise, how can we demonstrate the prestige of our great Xin Dynasty?" Xiang Yu said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.
Wang Xun thought about it and agreed. With so many generals under his command, wouldn't it be too much of a favor to Liu Xiu to personally take charge?
Wang Yi nodded repeatedly. "Yes, General Wang is right. Liu Xiu is indeed not worth our personal attention. However, General Wang wants to attack the city, and General Ju is injured and needs to rest. Who else is willing to go?"
"This humble general is willing to go!" Two young generals stepped forward from the ranks of officers. They were Wang Song and Wang Cai, two generals under Wang Xun.
"Excellent! You two will each lead five thousand troops to attack Liu Xiu from both sides and make sure to capture and kill him here!" Wang Xun waved his hand.
"Yes!" the two replied in unison.
Wang Yi looked at Chen Mao, who seemed hesitant to speak, and said, "Just in case, General Zhizong will also lead 10,000 troops to fight together and annihilate the enemy!"
"Yes!" Chen Mao replied happily, his credit was secured this time.
Xiang Yu remained expressionless. Whether according to historical records or the strength of Liu Xiu in this world, these people were just there to be delivered to their deaths.
Therefore, the best way to gain the upper hand in the Battle of Kunyang is to quickly capture the city.
Wang Yi then looked at Xiang Yu, "General Wang, when do you plan to begin the siege?"
"Attack the city immediately!" Since Xiang Yu had already decided to take Kunyang, there was no point in hesitating.
"Reporting to the Grand Minister of Works and Minister of Education, this humble general is willing to lend General Wang a helping hand!" Ju Wuba's words were astonishing.
Everyone looked at Ju Wuba. He was injured like that and he wasn't going to rest? He was practically a god!
"General Ju's loyalty is undeniable, but is his stamina up to par? Perhaps he should rest for a few days and fight again once he's fully recovered," Wang Yi said, feigning concern for his soldiers.
"It's nothing! It's just a minor injury, nothing to worry about. Why don't we take Kunyang in one fell swoop today and then rest?" Ju Wuba insisted.
"Excellent!" Wang Xun nodded approvingly. "With such a fierce general in our army, how can we not annihilate the rebels? Grand Minister of Works, I think we should let General Ju lend General Wang a hand."
“In that case, General Ju shall go with us to attack the city. But you must be careful of your injuries. If you don’t take care of a small wound, it could turn into a serious one.” Wang Yi originally hoped that Ju Wuba would attack the city with Wang Xiang, but due to the incident of the grain being stolen, he had no choice but to let Wang Xiang attack the city alone.
"Yes!" Ju Wuba bowed and accepted the order, then added, "However, before attacking the city, there is one more thing that the Grand Minister of Works and Minister of the Interior need to inform the entire army in case of unforeseen circumstances."
"What is it?" Wang Yi asked, puzzled.
"The enemy has held out for several days and their morale is wavering. They will definitely try to stabilize their troops. I believe the best way is for the rebels outside the city to come and harass our army, and spread the news that Wancheng has been captured and that the main force of the rebel army is heading north. This move will not only boost the morale of the rebels in Wancheng, but also damage the morale of our army. We must be wary of this," Ju Wuba said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.
Wang Yi and Wang Xun gasped in shock. If Wancheng fell, the situation in Kunyang would be dire. It was truly surprising that Ju Wuba had considered this; was he perhaps a man of both literary and martial talents?
"Strategist, the rebels are cunning. How can we defeat them?" Wang Yi asked.
Jiaoyou laughed heartily, "My lord, General Ju just said that as long as we inform the entire army in advance that this is a rebel trick, it will be useless for the rebels to spread rumors. The main force of the rebels in Wancheng will definitely not come. At most, they will send a small group of soldiers to harass us. What is there to fear?"
"Excellent!" Wang Yi and the others were delighted. If they could nip the rebels' plan in the bud, how could they not win this battle?
At this time, Liu Xiu's three thousand soldiers, together with Song Tiao's more than one thousand men, had arrived five miles east of Kunyang.
"General Liu, how are we going to fight this battle?" Li Zhi was a little scared. This small force was not even enough to fill the gaps in the New Army's teeth.
"I will personally lead a thousand soldiers as the vanguard, General Li will lead two thousand main force soldiers to follow, and General Song will lead a thousand soldiers to provide support. When we fight, we should spread the news that Wancheng has been captured by our army throughout the battlefield, and it would be best if our friendly troops in Wancheng also heard about it. The enemy's morale will be low, while our army's morale will be high, and we will surely win!" Liu Xiu waved his hand.
"Your subordinate obeys." Li Zhi had no reason to disagree. Liu Xiu was leading the charge, so what did he have to fear?
Song Tiao pondered for a moment and said, "The first battle is the most important. If we win every battle, a thousand soldiers are too few. It would be better to select elite troops from the army and send them, and then have Generals like Ma Wu assist you."
"Well, that's fine too." Liu Xiu didn't refuse Song Tiao's kindness.
The other generals had no objections. After the formation was completed, a force of about 10,000 soldiers rushed out from the new army camp.
"Form ranks! Send two thousand men to scout out the enemy's strength!" Chen Mao ordered, and his soldiers began to form ranks. Another deputy general led two thousand troops to launch the first attack.
At this moment, Wang Feng, Wang Chang, and the others all climbed onto the top of Kunyang City Wall, gazing towards the battlefield, all looking extremely tense.