Chapter 9 The Battle of Gaixia (Part Two)
"Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, is here!!!"
A long roar shook the heavens, making the hairs stand on end among the soldiers of the Qi-Han allied army. They forgot to shout their battle cries, and their steps became much lighter and slower. They also suddenly felt numbness and pain in their feet!
Hao Jiu shouted "Good!" He never expected that Xiang Yu's roar would reverse the situation and greatly boost the morale of the Chu army.
"Han Xin, you brat, bring it on!"
"Old Liu Ji, bring it on!"
...
The Chu army's confidence soared, and they cheered loudly, believing that with the Hegemon-King in command, the Chu army would never be defeated!
Han Xin's face turned grim, but he quickly recovered. "Send down the order: have the left wing, right wing, and vanguard launch a simultaneous attack from three sides. Whoever breaches the fortifications will be richly rewarded, and whoever slays Xiang Yu will be enfeoffed as a marquis with ten thousand households!"
Soon, the military order was relayed to the three armies at the front, and the Qi-Han allied forces immediately began their attack on the city. Han Xin's main army also pressed forward, ready to provide support.
"Kill them!"
"Kill... Ah!"
On the battlefield, shouts of battle and screams of agony filled the air. Although the Qi-Han allied forces had a numerical advantage, they were unable to maneuver effectively in the limited space. Meanwhile, the Chu army had high ground with its fortified positions. In a short time, the Qi-Han allied forces suffered heavy losses, but Han Xin showed no intention of calling a halt.
"Report! Your Majesty, Generals Kong Cong and Chen He have requested a halt to the siege. Continuing the attack will result in too many casualties. Moreover, the Chu army has poured water on the camp walls, making them icy and slippery, making it difficult to climb with ropes. We are relying entirely on long ladders to scale the walls, which is extremely disadvantageous to our army. The two generals also said that even if Your Majesty were to win a victory at the cost of lives, you would lose the morale of your troops, which is not the act of a great general." The soldier knelt on one knee and clasped his hands in a fist salute as he spoke.
Han Xin snorted coldly, "Pouring water on the camp walls is a trivial matter. When the sun is high in the sky, the ice will melt on its own. Please tell Generals Kong and Chen that mercy is not the way to command an army. Since the decision to attack today has been made, how can we give up halfway just because we are afraid of losing lives? If you are afraid of losing lives, wouldn't it be better to just surround the Chu army and wait for their food supplies to run out?"
Hundreds of thousands of troops came and then retreated—did they want to be laughed at by the Chu army? The King of Han is here not to see a retreat, but a victory! Today I am determined to capture Gaixia. Order Kong Cong and Chen He to continue the attack. Those who are cowardly and afraid to fight will be executed without mercy!
"Here you go!"
"Hmph, a bunch of useless trash," Han Xin muttered.
Han Xin was well aware of how difficult it would be to attack the fortified city of Gaixia where Xiang Yu was stationed. He knew that casualties were inevitable if he wanted to defeat Xiang Yu. If his hundreds of thousands of troops dared not even attack the city, wouldn't he become a laughingstock to the world?
But if they retreat before capturing the city, wouldn't that fulfill Dionysus's prophecy of slightly defeating Xiang Yu? What if, as Dionysus predicted, on the night of the siege of Xiang Yu, he was surrounded by enemies and the Chu army collapsed?
Zhang Liang not only gained most of the credit and fame for defeating Xiang Yu, but what would become of Zhang Liang himself? Should he really join forces with the God of Wine to rebel against Liu Ji?
Therefore, even if it means sacrificing the entire front-line army and using manpower to build up the Chu army's fortifications, we must win this battle!
As time went on, the casualties of the Chu army accumulated to a number that pained Xiang Yu. Han Xin's willingness to exchange blows with the Chu army at any cost was exactly what Xiang Yu was worried about.
Under such circumstances, it would be difficult to even change shifts and rest, and the corpses outside would pile up higher and higher, eventually reaching the height of the wall. At that time, the height advantage would be lost, and the casualties of the Chu army would increase significantly.
Hao Jiu gained a new understanding of Han Xin. Could this be the legendary cannon fodder tactic? After these 120,000 cannon fodder are used up, the Chu army will be exhausted even if it doesn't collapse.
The key issue is that the psychological pressure will only increase. Even after killing 100,000, the enemy still has 300,000. If we keep fighting like this, can we win?
Flesh and blood flew everywhere, blood flowed like rivers, mountains of corpses and seas of blood—these exaggerated words were so apt when applied to this battlefield.
Hao Jiu secretly approached the wall and took a peek, but after trying to vomit for a long time, he still felt like throwing up.
At this moment, where Liu Ji was, two junior officers of the Han army were crying and pleading.
"Your Majesty! Han Xin doesn't treat our soldiers like human beings at all; the casualties are too heavy."
"Your Majesty is benevolent! This fighting can't continue! Please make Han Xin stop! Waaah..."
Liu Ji cleared his throat and looked at Zhang Liang, "Strategist, what should we do about this?"
“Your Majesty, since we have entrusted the command of this battle to Han Xin, we should trust him. However, if Your Majesty does not wish to suffer too great losses, there are ways.” Zhang Liang smiled slightly.
"Strategist, please tell us quickly!" Liu Ji was overjoyed. He also felt that Han Xin's tactics were too brutal. The key was that both the left and right flanks were occupied by Han troops. If this continued, the Han army would definitely suffer greater losses.
If Han Xin were to become disloyal and take the opportunity to weaken his army, that would be disastrous. It's true that I have a system, but Han Xin could have one if he wanted to.
Although the new system wasn't with Han Xin, it had been hidden within his army formation, and Hei Long wasn't sure if the other side had discovered that they were being monitored.
If they have already discovered it, the other side is very likely to temporarily refrain from binding, taking the opportunity to deplete the Han army's strength.
“There are two methods. One is to withdraw our troops now, establish a defensive line around the Chu army's fortifications, besiege the Chu army, and wait for them to surrender when their food supplies run out. However, our food supplies are also not very sufficient. Every day we delay, many civilians will starve to death. Even if the Chu army's food supplies are insufficient, they can still eat for a few days. We also have to be constantly on guard against Xiang Yu's breakout. If Xiang Yu escapes, the consequences may be more serious than the loss of hundreds of thousands of soldiers in this battle.” Zhang Liang was also very wary of Xiang Yu.
“That’s right. The longer we wait, the more things can go wrong. Now is the perfect opportunity to annihilate Xiang Yu and the Chu army in one fell swoop, even if it comes at a higher cost. What’s the second point?” Liu Ji asked.
Zhang Liang stroked his beard. "Secondly, we should temporarily have Han Xin cease his attack and challenge Xiang Yu to a duel at the city gates. Both sides should field equal numbers for a fair fight. If Xiang Yu disagrees, we should have him shout insults at him. How could a mighty overlord like Xiang Yu be willing to cower like a tortoise? As long as Xiang Yu comes out of the city to meet the challenge, we can suddenly launch a large army to surround him. Even if we can't surround him, we can still follow his army into the camp, and the battle will be won."
"Excellent! Let's use the second plan. Oh dear, strategist, why didn't you say so sooner?" Liu Ji complained.
“If this plan had been used from the beginning, Xiang Yu might not have agreed, but not now. After witnessing Han Xin’s determination to capture the fortress, Xiang Yu will have some doubts about whether he can hold it. Moreover, the Chu army has lost many men, and Xiang Yu will be heartbroken. If we can give the defending troops a chance to catch their breath, consolidate the city’s defenses, and, with equal numbers, dampen Han Xin’s spirit, or even kill him, Xiang Yu will definitely take the risk,” Zhang Liang said confidently.
Liu Ji nodded in satisfaction. "That's right. Xiang Yu has always been confident in his military strength. Even if his forces are twice as strong, let alone equal, Xiang Yu would still dare to fight. Hahaha... But what if Xiang Yu doesn't accept the challenge or Han Xin disagrees?"
"This plan is only beneficial to Han Xin. He only needs to keep Xiang Yu occupied with equal troops as agreed. If the Kong and Chen armies break their orders and suddenly attack to surround Xiang Yu, what does it have to do with the King of Qi? Even if Xiang Yu does not fight, Han Xin can gain the reputation of being a hegemon that no one dares to fight. Why not do it?"
Furthermore, if Xiang Yu dares not engage in battle, he will be at a disadvantage in terms of morale, and the Chu army's morale will also decline. Some might even secretly resent Xiang Yu for being cowardly and afraid of death, making the defense even weaker than before, allowing for a continued offensive.
Liu Ji clapped his hands and laughed loudly, "Hahaha... Strategist, this plan is brilliant! Issue the order immediately!"
Chapter 10 The Battle of Gaixia (Part 3)
The situation at Gaixia changed due to several orders from Zhang Liang and Han Xin. The Han army on the left and right flanks withdrew from the battle and retreated to the left and right of the fortifications. The Qi army's vanguard also retreated south.
Then, a junior officer from the Qi army rode a fast horse, holding a scroll of challenge letter, and approached the fortress while shouting.
Hao Jiu thought that the Qi-Han allied forces had stopped attacking the city because they were ready to give up, but he did not expect that Han Xin had challenged Xiang Yu to a duel, with both sides sending an equal number of troops to decide the outcome.
The conspiracy here is too obvious, but Xiang Yu had no choice but to agree. The reason why the Chu army has been able to fight to this point without falling behind is largely because the invincible image of Xiang Yu, the overlord, has given the Chu army great confidence.
Once Xiang Yu backs down, his confidence will inevitably be greatly diminished. From this perspective, challenging Xiang Yu to battle at this time is an extremely clever and open strategy.
Whether Xiang Yu agrees or not, the Chu army's situation will become even more passive; it remains to be seen how Xiang Yu will respond.
At this moment, atop the Chu army's fortifications, the generals were urging Xiang Yu to refuse Han Xin's challenge to battle.
"King Xiang, the enemy is cunning; we must be on guard!"
"Han Xin, that brat, always hides from battle. Now he suddenly proposes to personally lead the charge. There must be a trick involved."
"Everyone can see that this is an enemy trick, so why should King Xiang take the risk?"
"Yes, we can't go."
...
Xiang Yu snorted coldly, "If I don't go, won't I be ridiculed by the world? He's just a mere Han Xin, what's there to fear! Don't worry, I have my own plans. This time, I'll teach that brat Han Xin how to fight..."
South of the fortress, Han Xin waited with a smile for Xiang Yu's reply. He knew that Xiang Yu would most likely agree; Zhang Liang's plan was truly ingenious.
"Send some loud-voiced soldiers to the front lines. If Xiang Yu dares not keep his promise, I'll give him a good scolding. I really want to see how interesting his expression will be when he hears words like 'coward,' hahaha..."
At this moment, the junior officer who had gone to issue the challenge returned.
"Your Majesty, Xiang Yu has agreed to the challenge." The Qi army junior officer knelt on one knee.
"Just as I thought, how many troops did Xiang Yu specify for each side?" Han Xin knew that Xiang Yu would definitely choose to fight, even if two ambushes were already in place.
The junior officer held up one finger and stammered, "One, one..."
"Ten thousand?" Han Xin had previously guessed that Xiang Yu would also lead ten thousand elite troops into battle.
The junior officer shook his head, "No..."
"A thousand?" Han Xin frowned. That's too little. Isn't Xiang Yu afraid of being surrounded and killed?
"It was one; Xiang Yu only brought one personal guard into battle." The junior officer finally finished speaking.
"One?" Han Xin was stunned on the spot, then cursed angrily, "Xiang Yu, you scoundrel, you've gone too far!"
Just then, the gates of the Chu army's fortifications at Gaixia slowly opened, opening them to their fullest extent.
Xiang Yu rode out on his black horse, holding a long halberd, amidst the astonished gazes of countless people. Beside him was a stable boy responsible for leading the horse, but neither of them carried a weapon.
"Han Xin, you little brat, do you dare to fight?" Xiang Yu shouted.
Hush... A gentle breeze blew by, and those who were originally looking at Xiang Yu all turned their gazes toward the direction where Han Xin was.
Han Xin was at a loss for words, so much so that he was digging his nails into his flesh. He never expected that there would be such a loophole in the agreement.
Although everything would be fine as long as Xiang Yu was lured out, the more soldiers Han Xin had, the less danger he would face. What difference was there between bringing only one personal guard and fighting one-on-one?
Perhaps Xiang Yu's original plan was a one-on-one duel? But due to the rules of the duel, he only symbolically brought one soldier.
Xiang Yu was the most valiant warrior in the world. Not to mention Han Xin, even if you selected the two strongest generals from all the generals in the world to fight Xiang Yu, they would probably find it difficult to win.
"Han Xin, you brat, do you dare to fight?" Xiang Yu asked again, but still received no answer.
"Han Xin, you coward!" Lü Matong shouted, mustering his courage, though he was actually terrified inside.
"Han Xin, you little brat, dare you fight! Han Xin, you cowardly turtle!"
The Chu soldiers echoed his sentiments, while the Qi soldiers wished they could disappear into the ground. Of course, some volunteered to fight Xiang Yu to the death.
Han Xin initially wanted to order Kong and Chen to launch a surprise attack to kill Xiang Yu, but Xiang Yu only sent two men out, making it extremely easy for them to retreat to the fortress. This was the advantage of having fewer people; if there were more, they would crowd at the entrance, but this problem would not occur now.
For Zhang Liang's plan to work, the Chu army would need to number at least a thousand so that the Han army could reach the camp gate before the Chu army had completely retreated into the fortifications, or it could hold Xiang Yu back for enough time. But neither of these conditions could be met at present.
Therefore, if the armies of Kong and Chen were to rush over and surround Xiang Yu at this time, not only would they fail to surround Xiang Yu, but they would also confirm their conspiracy, lose both men and battle, and the morale of the Chu army would be even stronger, and the soldiers lost in the previous siege would be completely wasted.
Han Xin glanced back in the direction of Zhang Liang. If it weren't for Zhang Liang's terrible plan, things wouldn't have come to this.
Of course, if the number of participants in the battle had been specified by them, Xiang Yu's side might not have fallen for it. The armies of Kong and Chen were already there, and the encirclement was obvious. Without a countermeasure, how could they come out to their deaths?
Just then, a soldier came to Han Xin with a silk scroll in his hand.
"Your Highness Prince Qi, a secret letter from Military Advisor Zhang."
Han Xin took the document and his eyes lit up instantly. "Send the order: quickly muster two hundred elite warriors, two hundred swordsmen and shieldmen, two hundred heavily armored infantry, two hundred elite cavalry, and two hundred archers, a total of one thousand elite troops, to form ranks and accompany me into battle!"
"Here you go!"
Soon after, Ding Fu's vanguard split into two groups, and Han Xin led a thousand elite troops forward in formation.
"Aren't the numbers equal? Is this an attempt to outnumber the enemy?" Hao Jiu thought for a moment. Han Xin was good at commanding tactics, but he was not good at fighting alone. If he were to bring a soldier out to die, that wouldn't be Han Xin.
"Does Han Xin, that brat, want to break the agreement? How despicable!"
"Shameless! They set the rules themselves and then changed them at will!"