"King Xiang, I have failed you... Waaah." Xiang Bo wiped away his tears.
"Uncle, there's no need to blame yourself; this is Ding Gu's fault," Xiang Yu said, suppressing his anger.
“Alas, who could have imagined that Ding Gu would do such a thing? But King Xiang, Han Xin’s army is coming with great force, and with the addition of the Han army, the disparity in strength between the enemy and ourselves is too great. Even if this fortress can hold out for a while, it probably won’t be of much use. It would be better to retreat to Huainan as soon as possible,” Xiang Bo suggested.
The generals all looked at Xiang Yu. Logically speaking, abandoning Gaixia and retreating to Huainan was definitely the best choice.
Xiang Yu sneered, "Are you scared?"
"What's there to be afraid of!" Zhongli Mei shouted.
“Yeah, what’s there to be afraid of!” Huan Chu and Xiang Zhuang echoed.
"Even if we're going to retreat, we should at least take a piece of Han Xin's flesh before we leave! At the very least, we should kill that traitor Ding Gu!" Ji Bu roared.
Xiang Yu looked around at everyone and said, “Excellent! Since no one is afraid, let’s go all out and have a decisive battle with Han Xin and Lü Ze at Gaixia. As long as we show the same spirit as in the Battle of Julu and the Battle of Pengcheng, what are we afraid of with a mere 500,000 or 600,000 chickens and dogs? My mind is made up. We will defend Gaixia to the death and will not retreat for the time being!”
Xiang Bo sighed, "Very well, since we're going to have a decisive battle at Gaixia, it would be best to inform the Grand Marshal to lead his troops here as soon as possible."
"Indeed, the day the Grand Marshal's reinforcements arrive will be the day Liu Ji and Han Xin are destroyed," Xiang Yu said confidently.
The generals all showed their delight. If Grand Marshal Zhou Yin's reinforcements could arrive in time, a pincer attack would surely inflict heavy losses on the Qi army, and defeating them in one fell swoop was not impossible.
"Gentlemen, time is of the essence. Let's quickly prepare for the great battle. I hereby order that before the Qi army arrives, all the trees around Gaixia be felled, and the camp walls be widened and reinforced by at least twice their original size. Any excess timber be stored on the north bank of the river. This order must be followed without fail."
"Yes, sir." The generals responded and took their leave, except for Xiang Yu and Xiang Bo, who remained in the central command tent.
"Does your uncle have something to say to me?" Xiang Yu asked, puzzled.
Xiang Bo walked up to Xiang Yu and said in a low voice, "King Xiang, that traitor Ding Gu is the younger brother of Ji Bu's mother. It's hard to guarantee that Ji Bu and Ding Gu aren't in contact. In my opinion, it would be better to hand over the troops under Ji Bu's command to me..."
Snap!
Bang!
Without warning, Xiang Yu slapped Xiang Bo away, sending him flying two and a half times before he landed on the ground.
Dust rose and then settled. Xiang Bo struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, his face filled with terror.
"Xiang, King Xiang, what does this mean?"
"You still want military power? Uncle, I respect and trust you, but is this how you repay me? Han Xin's army of 300,000 crossed the river, and you only had 15,000 men. Instead of bringing them back to me, you sent them to fight against overwhelming odds to retake the riverbank? You caused me to lose so many soldiers for nothing, and caused those Chu soldiers to die in vain. What is your crime?" Xiang Yu said angrily.
Looking back now, Xiang Bo's actions since the Feast at Hongmen really seem like those of a traitor, especially his act of killing Ying Bu's family members on his own initiative, which completely cut off any possibility of Ying Bu changing his mind and benefited Liu Ji for nothing.
However, Xiang Yu couldn't understand what he had done wrong to his uncle. His own uncle had become a traitor, which was utterly ridiculous and unbelievable.
"This old minister deserves to die ten thousand deaths, Your Majesty, please forgive me..." Xiang Bo's face changed drastically, and he hurriedly knelt down. How could Xiang Yu treat him like this? He had always been extremely respectful to his uncle before, otherwise he would not have dared to risk coming back.
"Hmph!" Xiang Yu glared at Xiang Bo fiercely, then turned and left.
Xiang Bo rubbed his swollen cheeks, his eyes filled with resentment. He thought bitterly, "Hmph, in the future I will not only become the King of Chu, but I will also become related to Liu Ji by marriage, while you will only die without a burial place!"
At this time, Han Xin was personally leading an army of 200,000 men, lightly equipped, straight to Gaixia, while the remaining 100,000-plus troops were under the command of Li Zuoche, who was escorting the grain and supplies slowly forward.
"Hehe, forgive my bluntness, but it's all for nothing that you're rushing there. Xiang Yu won't run away at all, so who are you going to ambush on the way?" Hao Jiu and Han Xin have become quite familiar with each other, and Han Xin is also very curious about him.
"Xiang Yu is still so obsessed with saving face. Even in this critical situation, he considers fleeing without a fight a disgrace. He will die because of this sooner or later. I also guessed that he most likely wouldn't run away, but even if there's only a slight possibility, I don't want to give Xiang Yu the chance to escape. Even if the ambush fails, we can ensure that Xiang Yu can't escape," Han Xin said confidently.
Hao Jiu scoffed, "How are you any better than Xiang Yu? You gave up the world that was within your grasp, choosing instead to be Liu Ji's dog. What use is your loyalty? Liu Ji will never believe you. On the contrary, the greater your achievements, the less Liu Ji will tolerate you. Remember, when the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked; when the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away."
“Please stop here. The King of Han is a kind and generous man. He is not like Goujian. You don’t need to say anything more.”
After saying this, Han Xin frowned, closed his eyes, and began to mentally rehearse the great battle with Xiang Yu the next day. Of course, it was also possible that the battle would break out tonight. Xiang Yu always liked to use surprise tactics to win battles, so we had to be on guard.
However, knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory. I am already familiar with Xiang Yu's tactics, but Xiang Yu knows nothing about me. There is no reason for me to lose this battle. The overlord Xiang Yu is destined to be defeated by me, Han Xin, and will bring me fame!
...
Chapter 8 The Battle of Gaixia (Part 1)
The main fortification of the Han army was the central command tent.
"Report! Your Majesty, Han Xin's army has crossed the Xiao River!"
"Excellent!" Liu Ji exclaimed, clapping his hands. He had been waiting for this news for a long time.
Zhang Liang smiled slightly, "It seems there will be a fierce battle at Gaixia tomorrow. Won't Your Majesty go and take a look?"
"Of course I'll see him. I haven't seen Han Xin in a long time. This is a good opportunity to welcome him back and celebrate his achievements, and also to have a heart-to-heart talk with him about the future," Liu Ji said with a smile.
"That's good. There should be no fighting tonight. Your Majesty should rest early. We'll set off at dawn tomorrow." Zhang Liang said before leaving the military tent.
Liu Ji snorted coldly, "Old Hei, is that new system really that important? Is it really necessary to kill Han Xin as well?"
"If I devour him, I'll gain at least one more function. Do you think that's important? If I'm not mistaken, the new system's target is us. From the day I violated the rules set by the system's ancestor and became a traitor, law enforcers will inevitably come knocking on my door. Moreover, I've already devoured one, so law enforcers will be even less likely to let me go."
Although there aren't many powerful experts in this lower plane, the system I encountered today, which was hit by my deadly virus attack, is still alive and kicking. It must be a subsystem of a high-level enforcer.
These high-level subsystems that aren't bound to a host are much harder to deal with than those low-level law enforcement officers who are bound to a host. Those guys really think highly of me.
Once he finds a suitable host and develops his power, our lives will be in danger. That guy is very good at choosing hosts; Han Xin is currently the biggest threat to you.
Don't think I don't know that you already planned to get rid of Han Xin when you made him a king, right? It's just a matter of sooner or later.
Only by seizing Han Xin's military power can your empire be secure. Who wouldn't feel at ease having a weapon in someone else's hand?
Black Dragon spoke in a tone that resembled that of a real human, but in reality, he showed no emotional fluctuations; his statements were based on absolute rational analysis and judgment.
"But we'll have to wait until we eliminate Xiang Yu, right? Without Han Xin, Xiang Yu will be much harder to deal with." Liu Ji has been fighting Xiang Yu since he rebelled in Hanzhong. Especially after the Battle of Pengcheng, he was truly afraid of Xiang Yu. If it weren't for the Black Dragon's help, he would have died at Xiang Yu's hands long ago.
"Although my virus failed to destroy the new system, it was able to track and locate it and find out who it had bound to as a host. That guy should be by Han Xin's side, but the binding was not successful. It is possible that Han Xin has already rejected it, but that guy is still pestering him."
If that's the case, Han Xin naturally won't be in a hurry to kill him. But if Han Xin is still hesitating, or if he's concealing the fact that the system contacted him, not killing him now will inevitably lead to a major problem sooner or later. At that point, forget about gaining eternal life and controlling the plane; even the emperors of this world will be irrelevant to you. You'd better decide what to do."
Liu Ji chuckled sheepishly, "Old Hei, don't misunderstand. It's just Han Xin; killing him is fine, it'll just earn me some lucky points. Nobody can stop me from dominating the world forever—not Xiang Yu, and definitely not Han Xin!"
...
At Gaixia, the Chu army's fortifications were in Xiang Yu's sleeping tent.
Xiang Yu suddenly opened his eyes from his sleep, turned his head to look at the door, and asked softly, "Who comes to visit?"
"King Xiang, I have returned from scouting Peng Yue's army in the north," someone whispered outside the tent.
"Let me go out first." Xiang Yu said, slowly got up, covered Yu Ji with the quilt, and then dressed and quietly left the bedchamber.
"King Xiang." The scout bowed respectfully.
"Come with me."
Xiang Yu led the scout to a nearby campfire, dismissed several patrolling soldiers who were warming themselves by the fire, and the two of them each found a log to sit down.
"Speak."
"Reporting to King Xiang, Peng Yue's army of 100,000 has reached Xiangyangyi, thirty li north of Gaixia. They may be less than thirty li away now. If there is no delay, they will surely arrive at Gaixia before noon tomorrow," the scout reported, bowing.
"Don't spread this news yet. Summon Xiang Zhuang here, and then go and rest." A strange feeling welled up in Xiang Yu's heart. The current situation had indeed been predicted by that ghost god in several ways.
"Yes, sir." The scout replied and turned to leave.
Looking at the roaring campfire, Xiang Yu suddenly smiled. "Want to come at me all at once? Then let's go!"
...
The following morning, the Chu army's central command tent was abuzz with discussion.
In just one night, a 500-foot-long, arc-shaped moat appeared in the Chu army camp at Gaixia. To avoid obstructing passage, three drawbridges were built on the east, south, and west sides.
They all knew how to dig trenches outside the fortified walls, but digging trenches inside the main camp was something they had never seen before.
Xiang Yu, fully armed, strode in.
"There's no need to guess anymore. I plan to build another defensive line in the camp, because Peng Yue's troops will arrive at Gaixia today."
"hiss……"
The generals all gasped in shock. Peng Yue was truly despicable. He had been constantly harassing the Chu army's supply lines from the rear, attacking and then running away, never engaging the Chu army in direct combat. Yet, the results were surprisingly good. If it weren't for Peng Yue's presence in the rear, the Chu army wouldn't have been stuck in a stalemate with the Han army in Xingyang for so long.
"What should we do? If it were yesterday..." Xiang Bo immediately shut his mouth when he saw Xiang Yu's murderous gaze, and subconsciously rubbed his swollen old face.
Xiang Yu scoffed, "You all haven't forgotten what I said yesterday, have you? It's just another coward like Peng Yue. Believe it or not, as long as we defeat Han Xin, Peng Yue will immediately tuck his tail between his legs and run back to his bandit den in Dayeze."
"letter!"
"I believe it too much! Hahaha..."
After laughing, the generals felt relieved. Even if Peng Yue came, what could he do? He was too afraid to fight head-on and was too concerned about his reputation.
"Pass down the order to make sure everyone is well-fed, and prepare more dry rations for any eventuality. Perhaps we'll have to drink the enemy's blood while eating lunch today," Xiang Yu said solemnly.
"Here you go!"
...
Soon after, the armies of Qi and Han completed their formation several miles south of the Chu army's fortifications at Gaixia.
Kong Cong's 40,000 Han troops formed the left wing, Chen He's 40,000 Han troops formed the right wing, Ding Fu's 40,000 Qi troops formed the vanguard, Han Xin personally led the main force of 100,000 Qi troops as the central army, Chen Xi led 40,000 Qi troops as the left rear army, and Jin Xi led 40,000 Han troops as the right rear army.
Further back, there were 100,000 Han troops led by Liu Ji, Zhang Liang, Lü Ze, Guan Ying, and others, serving as a reserve force.
The Battle of Gaixia was essentially a battle between 70,000 Chu troops and 400,000 Qi-Han allied troops, a huge disparity in troop strength.
Han Xin sat on his chariot and waved his hand to give the order to advance. Immediately afterwards, horns sounded one after another.
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!..."
Clang clang clang...
The Qi-Han allied forces marched forward in formation, shouting slogans and stomping their feet heavily, displaying an extraordinary momentum that was enough to intimidate the enemy.
Han Xin nodded in satisfaction, then a confident smile appeared on his face. "If the Chu army were to surrender simply because of their momentum, that would be too boring, wouldn't it? Hmm? Is the God of Wine no longer here?"
Hao Jiu did not follow Han Xin, but hid in the army to avoid being caught by the mutated system.
To be honest, only those who are deeply involved in such a massive force of hundreds of thousands can truly feel how terrifying it is. Hao Jiu couldn't help but feel a little worried for the Chu army.
As the Qi-Han allied forces gradually approached the Chu army's fortifications, the pressure on the Chu soldiers was bound to increase. Even before the two armies had officially clashed, the Chu army's situation was already precarious.
Faced with such a formidable enemy, the Chu army must find a way to boost morale, otherwise...
Just then, a long howl suddenly came from the Chu army's fortifications at Gaixia, and the allied forces all turned pale upon hearing it!
"Hey! Han Xin, you little brat! You dare come at me! Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, is here!!!"