Xiang Yu did not hide the fact that Zhou Yin had betrayed Chu from his generals, nor could he hide it from them. Although they were far apart, many people could still recognize Zhou Yin by his figure and voice.
The generals remained silent, and Xiang Yu was also speechless. The reason they dared to set up fortifications at Gaixia was because of the support from Jiujiang Commandery, their rear base.
But now, not only has the support stopped, but Zhou Yin has also betrayed Chu and turned against them, besieging them instead.
This is beyond words like adding insult to injury or adding fuel to the fire; it's a despair akin to the sky collapsing and the earth sinking.
How to break this deadlock? Only by fighting to the death to break through and return to Jiangdong.
However, the enemy had already blocked this route in advance, with 700,000 troops blocking it. Under these circumstances, the hope of successfully breaking out was equally slim...
Lu Matong burst into the tent, "Report! Your Majesty, a large number of enemy troops have appeared on the north bank of the Xiao River, suspected to be Peng Yue's army."
"hiss……"
The generals gasped. Although they had known Peng Yue would come, the sudden arrival of Peng Yue's army at this critical moment, when their lives hung by a thread, was enough to be the final straw that broke the camel's back for the Chu army.
"This proves another one. Could it be that what the ghosts and gods said was true?" Xiang Yu murmured.
None of the generals heard what Xiang Yu said, but they could tell from his expression that it was definitely not a strategy to repel the enemy. In this situation, even Xiang Yu could hardly turn the tide.
"What's there to be afraid of! Peng Yue is a coward, Xiang Yu could crush him with one foot!" Zhongli Mei couldn't hold back any longer, and after discussing for a long time, they still couldn't come up with a decent solution.
"Xiang Yu! Make a decision quickly! Take advantage of the enemy's unstable defenses and break out! Every bit of escape is better than total annihilation!" Ji Bu suggested through gritted teeth. Everyone thought the same thing, but no one dared to bring it up first.
Xiang Bo snorted coldly, "You cowardly rat! The enemy only has two hundred thousand more troops than before. What is there to fear? King Xiang, this old minister has a plan. Why don't we give it a try?"
"Tell me," Xiang Yu said, rubbing his forehead. He wondered if the ghost had said Xiang Bo was a traitor.
"King Xiang, Ding Gu surrendered to Liu Ji but was beheaded instead. Why don't we inform the whole army about this? Let all the soldiers know that surrendering to Liu Ji means certain death, and only by fighting to the death can they survive. At that time, the whole army will fight bravely, and we may be able to defeat the enemy." Xiang Bo said, then gave Ji Bu a disdainful look.
The generals all looked at Xiang Yu. This method did make some sense, and even if they wanted to break through, the whole army fighting to the death would have considerable benefits.
Xiang Yu had to admit that Xiang Bo's plan might actually work, and perhaps the words of that ghost or god weren't entirely true.
"The enemy will certainly be on high alert to prevent our breakout today. Even if the defensive line is not yet secure, with hundreds of thousands of troops blocking our way, it will be difficult for our army to break through. Therefore, I plan to wait a few days before attempting to break out. If we can win another major battle during this period, that would be the best outcome. For now, let's follow your plan, Uncle, and stabilize morale before considering anything else. There's no time to lose, Uncle, please go and do it now."
"Yes!" Xiang Bo replied and turned to leave.
Ji Bu approached Xiang Yu and said, “King Xiang, even if we use Zuo Yi’s strategy to boost morale, the enemy is prepared today. I still think we should break out as soon as possible.”
Xiang Yu looked at everyone and said, "The date for breaking out is still uncertain. Let's discuss the specific route and method of breaking out in detail first. If we are more confident, it is not impossible to break out now."
It's getting late, let's eat and talk in this central command tent. It's been a long time since I've drunk with you all. Lü Matong, have someone bring all the wine, and roast some more horse meat. Oh, and have Yu Ji make some meat soup and send it over.”
"Yes." Lü Matong clasped his hands in a bow and slowly withdrew.
Xiang Yu's pale golden secondary pupils inadvertently widened slightly, and his thoughts drifted somewhat. What if that ghost or god were still beside him at this moment...?
Get out! How could a dignified Hegemon-King of Western Chu place his hopes on ghosts and gods?
Fight to the death!
Chapter 18 Surrounded by Enemies (Part 1)
Achoo!
Hao Jiu was completely bewildered by the sneeze. Could a system catch a cold?
That makes sense. I've already caught the virus, so what's wrong with catching a cold?
Hao Jiu raised his left hand and looked at it. That thing was still trying to devour his kindergarten memories. He was a good kid when he was young, and he had never done anything like lifting up a girl's skirt.
Han Xin had gone to Liu Ji's camp at the invitation but had not yet returned. They said they wanted to host a welcome dinner for Han Xin, Peng Yue, Liu Jia, Ying Bu, and Zhou Yin. Hao Jiu had no choice but to stay in the Qi army camp and wait for Han Xin to return.
Normally, they wouldn't be likely to drink too much at this time, since Xiang Yu is most likely to break through tonight. If they all get drunk, who will command them?
But even tigers can have their moments of weakness, and even the wisest can make a mistake. It is possible that Zhang Liang, Han Xin, and others were negligent at this time, just as described in historical records. It is possible that Xiang Yu broke through the encirclement with eight hundred cavalry in the middle of the night, and the Han army only discovered it the next morning, although the possibility is relatively small.
Some so-called experts in modern times claim that Xiang Yu's breakout with 800 cavalry was an act of abandoning his army and fleeing, leaving tens of thousands of Chu soldiers behind. This is truly ridiculous.
In this situation, breaking out would definitely require multiple forces to break out in separate directions. The chances of all of them breaking out together are extremely low. At the very least, Ji Bu and Zhongli Mei's breakout routes must have been different from Xiang Yu's.
Moreover, during the entire breakout process, Xiang Yu's group consisted entirely of cavalry. Although small in number, they were the most prominent and the most dangerous of all the Chu armies breaking out. The Han army would rather let tens of thousands of Chu soldiers go than let Xiang Yu go. It was a miracle that only twenty-odd riders remained when they finally reached the riverbank.
"Sigh..." Hao Jiu felt uneasy at the thought that Xiang Yu would soon bid farewell to his concubine and commit suicide at Wujiang, even though he knew that this was just a Chu-Han Contention world where he was given a mission to complete.
Perhaps if I successfully befriend Han Xin, I can persuade Han Xin to spare Xiang Yu and forge a good relationship? Maybe I can even save Yu Ji before Xiang Yu's farewell to his concubine?
"Han Xin, you'd better be careful! The strongest system is right in front of you, don't wait until you lose it to regret it..." Hao Jiu opened the system panel out of boredom and saw that, holy crap! The system energy only had 48 points left!
Hao Jiu remembered that his initial energy was 100 points. Then he went to find Liu Ji, Xiang Yu, and spent so much time dealing with Han Xin. He was just living off his past achievements.
If Han Xin fails to bind him again, he will have to travel far to the desert to find Maodun, and he doesn't know how long he will have to wait to kill Liu Ji.
Now, Hao Jiu has no better options than to pray that he can successfully bind Han Xin.
Meanwhile, the banquet hosted by Liu Ji for Han Xin and others was coming to an end. Peng Yue, Ying Bu, Liu Jia, Zhou Yin and others took their leave one after another. Zhang Liang even left early after proposing the strategy of being surrounded by enemies on all sides.
From the moment Han Xin heard Zhang Liang mention the strategy of being surrounded by enemies on all sides, his expression became extremely unnatural. Fortunately, after drinking, no one noticed his change.
The concept of ghosts and gods is ethereal and unfounded, yet he actually encountered one who could foresee the future. He might have been able to guess the outcome of Xiang Yu's defeat, but how could the self-proclaimed god of wine have known about the "Song of Chu on All Sides" strategy if Zhang Liang hadn't told him?
Judging from Liu Ji's expression, it was clear that this was the first time he had heard of this plan. How could anyone else have known it beforehand? Could it be that what the God of Wine said was true? He had been loyal to Liu Ji all this time, but in the end, he was going to be plotted against and killed by him, and even by a woman?
Just then, a hand was placed on Han Xin's shoulder.
"Ah! King of Han?" Han Xin was startled, snapping out of his thoughts, only to find that there was no one else at the banquet.
"Why is King Qi reacting so strongly?" Liu Ji asked with a smile, staring at Han Xin.
"I suppose I've had too much to drink. Now that the banquet is over, I'll head back to camp." Han Xin rose to take his leave.
“Alas, why is King Qi in such a hurry to leave? I have something to say to King Qi alone.” Liu Ji grasped Han Xin’s hand.
Han Xin tried to pull his hand back, but Liu Ji showed no sign of letting go. "Please speak, King of Han."
"It is truly a pity that we suffered a minor defeat against Xiang Yu today. Does the King of Qi know the reason behind it?"
"Xiang Yu was exceptionally brave..."
Liu Ji interrupted Han Xin, "Alas~ King Qi, you are mistaken. Your extraordinary bravery is merely a facade. The real reason is that Xiang Yu has the assistance of ghosts and gods. Yesterday, a ghost and god tried to tempt me with the promise of immortality and also said that King Qi had the intention to rebel. How despicable!"
"King of Han, you are wise! Han Xin has absolutely no intention of rebelling!" Han Xin was shocked. Liu Ji also saw that ghost? That ghost was helping Xiang Yu? What exactly is going on?
"King Qi, do not panic. Of course I know of your loyalty, otherwise I would not have made you King Qi. I am afraid that the ghost or spirit, having been thwarted by me, will go and bewitch others. I wonder if you have encountered such a ghost or spirit?" Liu Ji asked with a smile.
Han Xin was stunned. He had promised to keep the God of Wine's secret and not tell anyone anything related to the God of Wine, but Liu Ji already knew. If he didn't have some clues, Liu Ji would never have asked him alone. He couldn't hide it anymore!
"I...I think I encountered something. A ghost or deity who called himself the God of Wine was always talking to me, but he's not here now. If Xiang Yu has the help of a ghost or deity, how can we defeat him?"
"Don't be afraid. I am the true Son of Heaven, protected by dragon energy. As long as you do as I say, I can completely eliminate that ghost. Oh, by the way, what did that ghost say to you?" Liu Ji's smile widened. Old Hei, see? Han Xin is so loyal to me. It's too early to kill him now.
"The ghost said that the King of Han would kill me after killing Xiang Yu, but I didn't believe it and just thought he was talking nonsense." Han Xin was cautious and didn't tell Hao Jiu what he had said.
He felt that the ghost and spirit were not there to help Xiang Yu. If that were the case, why didn't they inform Xiang Yu about the siege of Gaixia earlier? Why would they sit idly by and watch Xiang Yu end up in this predicament? Clearly, the ghost and spirit saw that Xiang Yu was in danger and wanted to find another way out!
Moreover, the prophecies of Dionysus regarding Xiang Yu's minor defeat and being surrounded by enemies on all sides have already come true, so it's not impossible that they originated from the future.
But should he really betray Liu Ji based on a few fulfilled prophecies from the spirits? What if all the other prophecies were true, but the one about Liu Ji killing him was false? Wouldn't he have been deceived by these spirits?
One of Liu Ji and the god of wine must be lying. Should we believe the man or the ghost?
"That's utter nonsense! Those ghosts and gods are surely trying to sow discord between us so that Xiang Yu can reap the benefits."
King Qi, rest assured, I can make an agreement with you that I will not kill you if you see the sky, the ground, or iron. As long as any one of these three conditions is met, I will not kill you no matter what crime you have committed. If you break this oath, may you be punished by heaven and earth!
Come, let us drink this wine together, forever united in our friendship, to destroy Chu and share the world!
After saying this, Liu Ji took a cup of wine and handed it to Han Xin, then picked up the wine cup himself and drank it all in one gulp.
Do not kill if you see the sky, do not kill if you see the ground, do not kill if you see iron!
Han Xin was struck dumb; even the God of Wine had mentioned these three things about not killing people…
Chapter 19 Surrounded by Enemies on All Sides (Part Two)
Snowflakes are falling, sometimes heavy, sometimes light.
Han Xin walked forward in a daze, and before he knew it, he had returned to his camp.
Li Zuoche arrived at the camp gate to greet them, saying, "Welcome back to the camp, King Qi."
Han Xin took out a scroll of silk from his bosom. "This contains Chu songs with lyrics written by Zhang Liang. Strategist, have the Chu people familiarize themselves with them first, then teach them to the entire army. Tonight, sing along. This is Zhang Liang's strategy of 'Singing Chu Songs from All Sides.' If any Chu soldiers come to surrender, accept them all and have them sing along as well. I am tired and will return to my tent to rest. Do not disturb me unless it is absolutely necessary."
"Yes." Li Zuoche took the silk scroll, bowed, and took his leave.
Han Xin sighed inwardly and strode toward his bedchamber, followed closely by several guards.
The curtain was lifted, and Han Xin entered the bedchamber. He brushed the snow off his body and sat on the couch, while the guards stood watch outside the door.
"Is the God of Wine here?" Han Xin closed his eyes.
"How's your decision? I see Li Zuoche has already arranged for people to learn to sing Chu songs." Hao Jiu quietly approached Han Xin.
"I acknowledge your extraordinary abilities and believe that what you say makes sense, but a man cannot be without integrity. The King of Han has treated me well and has not wronged me. How could I, Chongyan, wrong him? I will not tell anyone about your affairs. If you wish to leave, then leave quickly. If you do not wish to leave, why not join me in assisting the King of Han?" Han opened his eyes and glanced at the direction of the tent entrance.
Han Xin thought about it all the way, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that the words of ghosts and gods could not be completely believed. Liu Ji had already done everything he could for him, and he had been honest with him and trusted him a lot. He didn't seem to want to harm him at all.
The prophecies of being surrounded by enemies on all sides and the three prohibitions against killing him do not prove that Liu Ji intended to kill him. They only prove that the god of wine has the ability to predict the future. But who can guarantee that the god of wine is not lying?
However, Dionysus didn't seem like a truly wicked person to him; parting amicably was always better than making enemies.
"I understand. In the end, you still don't trust me. As for assisting the King of Han with you..." Hao Jiu stared at the doorway and slowly retreated. Then, he suddenly turned around, leaped through the bed curtains, and immediately severed his connection with Han Xin.
"Trying to leave? Too late!" The black dragon suddenly emerged from underground and bit Hao Jiu's calf!
"Ah!" Hao Jiu screamed as the black dragon dragged him back into his bedchamber.
At the same time, Liu Ji, disguised as a guard, walked in from outside with a grin, saying, "King Qi did a great job. That ghost god tried to sow discord between us; he's just asking for trouble."
"Has the King of Han already killed that demon?" The voice in Han Xin's mind suddenly stopped.
"Rest assured, the evil spirits have been exorcised. I shall take my leave. If the strategist's plan succeeds, Xiang Yu will have few troops left. Tomorrow, when King Qi attacks the city again, he will surely avenge today's humiliation." After saying this, Liu Ji turned and walked out. He had no intention of lingering in Han Xin's camp.
"Han Xin! This is your territory. Quickly have someone kill Liu Ji, and the whole world will be yours! Otherwise, you're not far from death, ah!" Hao Jiu endured the excruciating pain and reconnected with Han Xin's brainwaves.
Black Dragon bit Hao Jiu's calf and slammed him to the ground, mumbling, "Wishful thinking..."
"I'm sorry, Han Xin was originally just a commoner. I'm already content to serve the King of Qi. I don't want to be a traitor," Han Xin said, revealing his true feelings.