Just then, a rumbling thunder seemed to come from the east.
Xi Juan looked in the direction of the sound, her eyes widening in horror. "That's... what can we do?"
Rumble rumble...
A force of about six thousand elite Chu cavalrymen surged from east to west!
Huan Chu raised his spear forward and shouted, "All troops, charge! Crush the enemy!"
"Kill!" The Chu army's generals and soldiers were unstoppable, their morale soaring!
Chapter 61 The Battle of Yinling (Part 3)
Hearing the shouts and screams in the distance, Shen Tu Jia knew how intense the battle was, and he became increasingly uncertain about whether Zhang Liang could hold off Xiang Yu.
"Hurry! Faster! Quickly support the strategist in encircling and annihilating the Chu army!"
"Oh... Ouch..."
But the mountain road is not easy to travel, so how fast can we go?
By the time they arrived at the battlefield north of Lianshan, the battle was already over, or rather, the battlefield had shifted.
The Chu cavalry pursued the Han cavalry eastward and southward along Lianci Mountain, leaving behind a trail of Han corpses and warhorses.
Shen Tu Jia's expression changed drastically upon seeing the horrific scene before him. "Strategist, I'm afraid you're in grave danger this time. Then I..."
Just then, a soldier came to report that he had captured a suspicious spy.
Shen Tu Jia took a quick look and realized it was the old hunter who had led the Chu army.
What are you doing here?
"Reporting to the general, this old man almost lost his life! He was nearly killed by those two Chu soldiers, but luckily I reacted quickly and climbed up the mountain while they weren't looking, slipped through the woods, and shook them off." The old hunter thought to himself, the further he went, the more obvious the road became as a dead end. Could he not run?
"Alright, then you can stay in my army for the time being. I heard you're very familiar with the roads to Yinling?" Shen Tu Jia rubbed his chin.
"He's too familiar with me!" The old hunter finally understood. It seemed that the Chu army had defeated the Han army, and this general needed him to lead the way if he wanted to escape.
"If we don't take the north or south routes to leave Yinling, are there any other routes we can take? Ideally, we could go to Shouchun." Shen Tu Jia thought that even if Zhang Liang managed to escape from Xiang Yu, he would probably go to Shouchun.
The old hunter looked troubled. “Reporting to the general, there are too many swamps to the west. If we go directly from Yinling to Shouchun, we will probably have to detour to the south. However, I know the way out of Yinling from the east. Once we leave Yinling, the general can head north to Zhongli County, or detour to Shouchun from the south of Yinling.”
Shen Tu Jia thought for a moment, "Then let's head east. There are many mountains to the east, which will be a good way to shake off the Chu cavalry. As long as you lead the way well, you'll get plenty of benefits once we leave Yinling."
"Thank you, General. I will do my best." The old hunter thought to himself that he was already lucky to save his own life and that of his whole family. What reward did he want? He should have just told Xiang Yu the truth.
"Assemble, let's go!" Shen Tu Jia waved his hand.
If Zhang Liang knew that Shen Tu Jia had fled eastward, I wonder what his reaction would be.
Of course, Zhang Liang was also desperately trying to escape at this time, and he had no intention of caring about Shen Tu Jia, nor could he.
Rumble rumble...
Zhang Liang looked back and counted his remaining troops. There were probably less than two hundred cavalrymen left, but at least he had temporarily shaken off Xiang Yu.
The exit of Yinling was just ahead, but Xi Juan's army was nowhere to be seen.
Zhang Liang had a vague sense of foreboding, but what other option did he have but to keep running?
Not long after, Xiang Yu caught up from behind again. Yu Ji was still obediently lying on the horse's back, but her eyes were already open.
"Zhang Liang, you old man, don't run away!" Xiang Yu roared.
"Leave the last fifty riders behind to delay one or two!"
Zhang Liang cursed inwardly, "This Xiang Yu is truly a persistent ghost. Let him chase after me. Once Xi Juan's reinforcements arrive, we'll see who chases whom then."
"Hmph, here we go again. Charge! Giddy up!" Xiang Yu swung his halberd and accelerated again, not wanting to waste a single second, as he did not engage in a prolonged battle with the Han cavalry left behind by Zhang Liang to cover their retreat.
However, as Xiang Yu charged out of the enemy ranks, he casually killed about ten men along the way, while the rest hid.
When Zhang Liang looked back, he was shocked. The terrain was becoming increasingly open, and even if he had a thousand riders, let alone a hundred or so, they wouldn't be able to stop Xiang Yu.
Suddenly, a cloud of dust rose up ahead, and then...
A large Han army banner fluttered in the wind, and Xi Juan charged straight at Zhang Liang, taking the lead.
Zhang Liang's face lit up with elation. "General Xi Juan, you've come at the perfect time! Xiang Yu is right behind us. Quickly surround and kill him!"
Xi Juan also saw Zhang Liang. "The strategist has come to meet me? Something doesn't seem right... Xiang Yu is right behind us???"
"Look, everyone! It's Han cavalry! Our cavalry is saved!"
The Han soldiers under Xi Juan cheered, but they quickly quieted down because there seemed to be too few Han cavalry coming to their aid.
Zhang Liang also noticed the problem at this time. Not only did Xi Juan's troops only number a few hundred and look somewhat disheveled, but there were also shouts of battle approaching from afar.
"General Xi Juan, what exactly happened?" Zhang Liang reined in his horse.
Xi Juan wiped his sweat. "Strategist! I had just arrived south of Yinling when Huan Chu led tens of thousands of Chu cavalry to intercept us from the east. They've been relentlessly pursuing us. The only way to escape this crisis is to retreat into Yinling as soon as possible and hold it to the death! But you just said..."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Liang suddenly realized that Xiang Yu probably already knew about the ambush at Yinling. He could have gone through the east of Zhongli County, but instead chose Yinling. Moreover, he secretly sent Huan Chu to lead a large Chu cavalry force to the south of Yinling to intercept and kill the Han reinforcements.
This is a trap, a deadly trap set against him!
What about defending the Huai River, attacking Zhongli County, and escorting Yu Ji back to Jiangdong with only 500 cavalry? It was all a ruse!
Zhang Liang recalled that Xiang Yu had said something like, "I want to cut off Liu Ji's arm." That's right, killing his strategist would be more than just cutting off Liu Ji's arm; it would practically remove his brain as well.
Xiang Yu once again used the tactic of using himself as bait to lure the enemy, and it really worked every time. Even he himself was blinded by the great victory that was within his grasp.
But how could Xiang Yu have calculated things so precisely? How could he have seen through the guide? Even I, a strategist who is considered a genius, would have found it difficult to do so.
Zhang Liang shook his head vigorously. Was this the time to think about these things?
"General Xi, it's a long story. Xiang Yu has already led his army from Yinling and is attacking us. The only way to turn the tide is to capture or kill Xiang Yu! General Xi Juan, quickly prepare the army! Xiang Yu will be here soon!"
Just then, Zhang Liang heard a scream behind him. He turned around and saw that it was none other than Xiang Yu.
Zhang Liang's remaining hundred or so cavalrymen had mostly fled, and the rest were being killed one by one by Xiang Yu. It was clear that they wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer.
"Doesn't Xiang Yu ever get tired?!" Zhang Liang was practically going crazy. Xiang Yu had actually chased Yu Ji all the way here and still wasn't stopping.
"Zhang Zifang, why aren't you running anymore?" Xiang Yu was no longer in a hurry to charge forward and casually dismissed a few arrogant enemy cavalrymen.
Zhang Liang's face was ashen, his chest filled with resentment. "Run, my foot! Where to run?"
When Xi Juan saw that there wasn't a single Chu soldier by Xiang Yu's side, her eyes lit up. "All of you, charge! Quickly surround and kill Xiang Yu! Once Xiang Yu is dead, the Chu army will collapse!"
However, none of the soldiers behind Xi Juan moved.
Because, rumble rumble...
Huan Chu's main force of Chu cavalry has already charged over. At this point, let alone the fact that they can't kill Xiang Yu, even if they do kill Xiang Yu, would those ferocious Chu cavalry really collapse on their own?
The enraged Chu army would probably tear them to pieces, wouldn't they?
It was too late. If Xi Juan still had 10,000 troops, the Chu army might retreat after killing Xiang Yu. However, he and Zhang Liang together had less than a thousand men. If they could capture Xiang Yu alive, there might still be a glimmer of hope, and they would have to do it quickly.
Seeing thousands of Chu cavalry closing in, Zhang Liang lost all will to flee. The Battle of Yinling was already lost; even a god couldn't save him...
With the dust settled, Xiang Yu, who had only two men and one horse a moment ago, suddenly had nearly six thousand Chu cavalrymen.
"I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness for my lateness!" Huan Chu clasped his hands in apology.
"It's alright, it's just right." Xiang Yu naturally couldn't blame Huan Chu. In fact, Huan Chu arrived earlier than scheduled, but Xiang Yu's side was just faster.
Huan Chu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. When he heard that Xiang Yu had charged into the enemy ranks alone, he wanted to slap himself twice. His 6,000 cavalry should have arrived here long ago, or at least before Xi Juan's defeated army.
How could Xi Juan's defeated army possibly outrun Huan Chu's cavalry? The Chu army simply followed behind the Han army, gradually nibbling away at their forces, without rushing to annihilate them.
Of course, the six thousand elite Chu cavalrymen devoured the enemy at a rapid pace, or rather, it shouldn't be called devouring; it would be more like wolfing them down.
It's already quite remarkable that Xi Juan's army of over ten thousand has managed to hold out until now, with only a few hundred remaining.
In fact, Huan Chu did not expect Zhang Liang to have been defeated so quickly, nor did he expect Xiang Yu to have chased him here alone. Therefore, he did not rush to annihilate the enemy army, thinking that he should play it safe and reduce casualties. As a result, he almost made a big mistake.
Although it wasn't the first time Xiang Yu had single-handedly taken on thousands or even tens of thousands of people, how could a subject repeatedly allow his lord to put himself in danger?
What's more, this time they brought Yu Ji along... well, speaking of which, Yu Ji's riding posture is quite strange...
"Yu, you can get up now. Are you alright?" Xiang Yu patted Yu Ji's back.
"No, it's alright, King Xiang, I'm fine." Yu Ji tried to sit up again, but she had been lying down for too long, and her legs, waist, and the area between them were all a little sore and numb.
Xiang Yu put his arm around Yu Ji's waist to steady her, then looked at Zhang Liang in the Han army's circular formation.
"Zhang Zifang, do you still want to continue fighting? Dare to come forward and answer me?"
"How could I dare refuse the invitation from King Xiang?" Zhang Liang smiled bitterly. Was it really a matter of daring or not? He had no choice but to go.
"Put down your weapons," Zhang Liang said to Xi Juan and the soldiers behind him.
With a clatter, weapons fell to the ground. Xi Juan secretly breathed a sigh of relief; their survival depended on how well Zhang Liang and Xiang Yu negotiated.
Looking at Zhang Liang's forced smile, Xiang Yu felt a sense of unreality. Just a few days ago, he was in dire straits, but now he could manipulate Zhang Liang at will.
All of this was brought to him by the god of wine. Without the god of wine's intelligence, Xiang Yu would have had no idea that Zhang Liang would be so bold as to ambush him in Yinling. Even if he hadn't fallen into the ambush, he would certainly have missed his chance to meet Zhang Liang.
Capturing Zhang Liang alone is better than killing a million enemy soldiers. Zhang Liang was Liu Ji's true right-hand man, and cutting off one of his arms was enough to reverse the situation.
Thus, the plan to cut off the arm was a great success. When Liu Ji finds out about this, he'll surely cry himself to sleep in the bathroom...
Chapter 62 The Battle of Yinling (Final)
The Battle of Yinling was a great victory, but how to deal with Zhang Liang and the surrendered soldiers was a difficult question.
"Overlord, you don't still want to recruit Zhang Liang, do you? He has ulterior motives. Keeping him by your side would make him the next Xiang Bo, no, he might be even more dangerous than Xiang Bo."
Hao Jiu knew that Xiang Yu valued talent, but Zhang Liang, besides being knowledgeable in military strategy, was also a ruthless strategist. Like Chen Ping, he only cared about results and would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, without any regard for benevolence or morality.
Poisonous strategists like Zhang Liang and Chen Ping were a perfect fit for Liu Ji, and could truly play their role. However, such strategists would find it difficult to be of use when they were by Xiang Yu's side.
Given Xiang Yu's personality, he was unlikely to heed those treacherous schemes, which would have been tantamount to unwittingly inviting trouble.
Moreover, Zhang Liang is still very loyal to Liu Ji, and it is not easy to get him to willingly betray Liu Ji.
Liu Ji would only take action against his meritorious officials after he became emperor. Only then could Zhang Liang see Liu Ji's true character and from then on, he stayed at home ill and never offered Liu Ji another plan.