However, the roads in Yinling are all winding around lakes and hills. Even though they are heading southeast, they sometimes have to go southwest or even northwest, which is very illogical.
“God of Wine, although it was a few years ago when I last came to Yinling, I still remember some key road signs very clearly. I just checked again, and it seems that the road has been tampered with.”
Moreover, Zhang Liang's army should have passed through this area not long ago. I tried to determine their route based on their footprints, but I still went the wrong way.
If Xiang Yu hadn't known that Zhang Liang was lying in ambush at Yinling, he probably wouldn't have noticed this at all, and he always felt a chill whenever he thought about it.
If he hadn't encountered the god of wine, even if he had successfully led his army to break out of Gaixia, he would most likely have been trapped in Yinling, with unimaginable consequences.
Hao Jiu suddenly realized, "Then there's no need to ask. It must be Zhang Liang's doing. He's deliberately misleading us. And all the villages along the way are deserted, with no guides to be found. I'm afraid it's all Zhang Liang's doing."
It seems we've already clashed before even seeing Zhang Liang. This battle might be more dangerous than we anticipated, but it's not too late for Xiang Yu to back out. As long as we go back and take the road to Zhongli County, all of Zhang Liang's arrangements here will be rendered useless.”
"It's alright. If we really can't get through, we can always turn back. I remember the way we came very clearly," Xiang Yu said confidently.
"Then let's continue. At least it will prove that Zhang Liang is really in Yinling." Hao Jiu was just giving Xiang Yu a slight reminder.
To be honest, although their troop strength was similar to that of Xiang Yu who marched through Yinling in history, the actual crises they faced were incomparable, because they had no pursuing troops behind them, at least not before the main force of the Han army crossed the Huai River.
Whether the Han army wanted to rebuild the pontoon bridge or build enough rafts to cross the river, it would take at least a day to prepare, and Liu Ji's main force would not be able to reach the Huai River so quickly.
Therefore, at least until noon tomorrow, Xiang Yu and his men's rear will be safe.
Soon after, the scouts returned, having essentially ruled out a wrong path, and the army continued its advance.
The further south they went, the more they found the roads damaged and the more misleading the road signs became, making it difficult to distinguish the true from the false. Zhang Liang's plan was indeed quite insidious.
Helpless, whenever he encountered a fork in the road that he couldn't distinguish, Xiang Yu would wait for the scouts' findings before proceeding. It was certainly slower, but it was better than taking the wrong turn.
Sometimes, however, scouts run a long way without reaching a dead end, making it impossible to rule out which path is wrong. In such cases, they can only rely on luck. It's possible that both paths are correct, or that the one they choose is wrong. If they choose the wrong one, they have no choice but to go back and start over.
However, compared to crossroads, the most difficult choices are made when it's hard to distinguish the roads, especially since this area is mostly hilly and looks pretty much the same everywhere.
Many people think it would be great to have a guide.
"Reporting to King Xiang, this road leads to that small hill, and there are no other forks in the road." The scout had just returned from the front.
"Is the mountain road passable for warhorses?" Xiang Yu glanced at the mountain, which didn't seem too high.
"I've already tried it, and it's quite difficult for warhorses to pass," the scout replied.
Xiang Yu frowned. If they rejected this path, they would have to go back a long way to find another one, and even that path might not be viable.
"Send a few more scouts to explore the way and see if we can go around the mountain from both sides. Be careful of the swamp."
"Here you go."
"Keep moving forward!" Xiang Yu waved his hand and gave the order, then thought to himself, "God of Wine, there are more and more mountains ahead. I'm afraid we've unknowingly strayed from the main road."
"Hmm, the main road may have been destroyed by Zhang Liang. The area ahead is a good place to ambush. Perhaps this is the real Yinling?" Hao Jiuxin thought to himself.
“That’s right. There are hundreds of such small hills to the east of Yinling, and they become more and more dense as you go further east. It’s best not to go east. Once you get here, you should be able to get out of Yinling by going south for another ten or so miles.”
"That means if Zhang Liang wants to ambush us, he can only do so within this area of ten miles or so. Once we leave Yinling, it's a wide open road, and Zhang Liang won't have any chance at all."
“That’s exactly right.” Xiang Yu’s eyes lit up.
Just then, another scout returned.
"Reporting to King Xiang, we encountered an old hunter at the foot of the mountain ahead. He knows the way out of Yinling!"
Xiang Yu could not hide his excitement, "Hahaha, excellent!"
Hao Jiu slapped his hand and shouted, "Here they come!"
Chapter 58 Walking Through the Yin Tomb (Part 3)
Soon, Xiang Yu led his army to the foot of the mountain and met the old hunter.
The man carried a bow and arrows on his back and a rabbit in his hand. He was about forty or fifty years old, lean but sturdy.
"This humble man pays his respects to King Xiang." The old hunter bowed deeply.
"No need for formalities, sir. I have a favor to ask of you," Xiang Yu said, bowing.
"Well, I suppose King Xiang wants to ask me for directions. This mountain is called Lianci Mountain. If you want to get out of Yinling, you can either cross this mountain or walk to the right along the foot of this mountain and go around it." The old hunter wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead.
“Oh, you misunderstand. What I seek is not directions. Are you a local hunter from Yinling?” Xiang Yu asked.
The old hunter bowed his head, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed again, "Reporting to King Xiang, I am indeed a local hunter."
"In that case, you must be quite familiar with Yinling. I wonder if you could be my guide and show me the way? I will certainly reward you handsomely after we leave Yinling," Xiang Yu said politely.
Upon hearing this, the old hunter's expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed, "King Xiang is benevolent. I have a seventy-year-old mother at home waiting to be taken care of. I beg King Xiang to let me go home."
As for the road out of Yinling, I was not lying. If King Xiang does not wish to cross this mountain, he can go around to the right. After crossing this mountain, it is only a few miles to get out of Yinling.
Remember, never go to the left. The left side is all mountains, making it difficult for a horse caravan to pass. The right side is easier to traverse, and you can easily exit Yinling without a guide.
Hao Jiu's lips twitched violently. "Overlord, don't listen to his nonsense. We must take him with us. If he tries to harm us, we'll teach him a lesson."
Although Xiang Yu felt that the old hunter's words did not seem to be a lie, since the god of wine had said so, he must have discovered something. This was a matter of life and death for the entire army, and it was better to be cautious.
"This mountain isn't large. According to you, it's only a dozen or so miles from Yinling. Please rest assured, once we're out of Yinling, I will send someone to escort you home. It will only take an hour or two at most. Please do me the honor and don't refuse." Xiang Yu cupped his hands in greeting.
For the mighty King of Western Chu to go to such lengths for a mere commoner, it's not just that the other party is flattered, but at least he has no reason or courage to refuse. To refuse would be to be ungrateful.
"Uh, this..." The old hunter looked troubled. The Chu soldiers around him looked at him with murderous intent. They didn't even give Xiang Yu any face. Did he want to die or was he looking for death?
But……
"Where are the scouts? Take this man and lead the way, and make sure to keep a close watch on him." Xiang Yu made the decision without waiting for a reply.
"Yes, sir!" The two scouts responded and lifted the old hunter up, whose face was unusually pale.
Meanwhile, in the dense forest on the mountain, a pair of eyes kept a close watch on the Chu army's movements until the army advanced to the right and disappeared from sight before leaving.
rustling...
The Chu army's warhorses trod across the tall grass, making a rustling sound that startled many small animals away.
The ants on the ground didn't care and were trampled into the mud by the horse's hooves, ending up crushed to pieces.
"Report!" One of the scouts who had been exploring ahead ran back.
"What is it?" Xiang Yu reined in his horse.
"Reporting to King Xiang, the old hunter said there is a swamp on the right ahead, but as long as we stay close to the mountain, we will be fine. It would be best to travel in two columns," the scout said, clasping his hands in greeting.
Xiang Yu frowned. "You must keep a close watch on the guide for me and quickly scout out the terrain ahead. There are many swamps here, so be very careful. If you find any enemy ambush ahead, do not make a sound. Be sure to bring that hunter back."
"Yes, sir!" the scout replied, turning his horse around.
"Someone, quickly go and scout out the vicinity for any swamps, and how far they are from here." Xiang Yu glanced at the vast grassland to his right, where several patches of water could be vaguely seen in the distance.
While the presence of water doesn't necessarily mean there's a swamp, since a swamp has already been discovered ahead, then this side...
Soon, the soldiers returned from their reconnaissance and found that there was indeed a swamp hidden in the grassland on the right, less than fifty feet away from where Xiang Yu was. Moreover, the further they went, the closer the swamp got to the foot of the mountain, until it narrowed down to a point where only two warhorses could ride side by side, or even narrower.
However, the safe zone behind Xiang Yu's army did not widen, but remained at a width of forty or fifty zhang.
Now that I think about it, there were grassy areas and puddles like this near the crossroads where I first met the old hunter.
However, it was just ordinary grass and puddles, not a swamp, and no matter whether you went around the left or right side of the mountain, you would pass through the grass.
The difference is that going to the right, or west, leads closer and closer to the center of the swampy grassland, while going to the left, or east, starts with grassland but eventually leads into the mountains. Although the path is difficult, it is much better than the swamp.
If there were no swamps to the west, Xiang Yu would have been right to follow the hunter's advice and head west. It was also a matter of habitual thinking, stemming from the instinct of cavalry to avoid mountainous terrain.
"God of Wine, it seems you're right again. This is most likely a dead end. I have no grudge against that old hunter, how could he... Alas! I don't like killing, but there are always people who seek death."
Xiang Yu's anger burned ever brighter. Even though he had known this possibility beforehand, it was still hard to accept that it had actually come true.
"So what if there's no enmity? Some people and some things, even knowing they're wrong, they still do. There are too many people who are greedy and unscrupulous. But people have to be responsible for their words and deeds. If they deserve to be killed, then kill them. Besides, I think that person was most likely sent by Zhang Liang. What a load of rubbish hunter."
Hao Jiu didn't believe in the idea of someone bringing you a pillow when you're just dozing off.
Moreover, the reason why Xiang Yu got lost in Yinling in history was because he was tricked by an old farmer. But Yinling is a desolate place, how could there be an old farmer there?
The hunters are somewhat reliable, but the problem is that it's all too coincidental.
If Xiang Yu hadn't realized that Zhang Liang was behind it all, he would probably have considered it a great treasure at this crucial juncture when he needed a guide the most.
"If there is indeed an ambush ahead, I will tear him to pieces!" Xiang Yu clenched his fist. "Stop advancing and rest for a while before continuing!"
...
The scout team continued forward, but there was no trace of Xiang Yu's army behind them.
There are more and more puddles outside the mountains. The water looks shallow and clear, but once a person steps on it, they will most likely fall into a bottomless mud pit immediately.
"Uh, young man, why hasn't Xiang Yu's army caught up yet?" The old hunter turned around and glanced back.
"Is this any of your business... Ah!"
Before the Chu scout carrying the old hunter could finish speaking, he fell off his horse.
It turned out that the patch of grass the warhorse had just stepped on had sunk, causing it to lose its balance.
Swamps usually form where there is water, but if the water level suddenly drops for some reason, the exposed peat will grow wildly with weeds, forming a grassland.
While this grassland may appear safe on the surface, beneath the dry, hard topsoil lies a swamp. Small animals can run across it without any problems, but when heavier animals or people step on it, the dry topsoil crumbles under the weight, and the muddy water below immediately gushes out.
"Help me!" The scout struggled to his feet, but sank deeper and deeper.
"How did you lead the way!" The other scouts dismounted, some angrily berating the old hunter, others throwing ropes to rescue him.
The old hunter also dismounted from his horse, but he didn't fall into the mud.
"I'm innocent! I didn't know the ground would collapse. Maybe it was too heavy for two people to ride on one horse? I've walked this way before, and it was perfectly safe. I'll walk it again and show you." The old hunter said, and then he was about to walk around the edge of the mud pit and continue on his way.
"Stop right there! What's the use of just letting people pass if the horses can't? Send two men on horseback to follow him. Be careful, and bring him back immediately if you spot any problems." The scout leader pointed to two scouts.
"Yes, sir." The two men responded and then led the warhorse over to the old hunter.
"I can't ride a horse..." The old hunter swallowed hard.
"Then you can lead the way and scout ahead!" the scout leader roared.
The old hunter gritted his teeth and had no choice but to lead the warhorse ahead. Fortunately, the ground did not sink again, and the two men riding behind him were also safe and sound.
Soon after, the scout team caught up from behind, glancing up the mountain every now and then. This forest was perfect for an ambush...
"My lord, am I right? What happened just now was probably an accident, and I really didn't lead you astray. However, for safety's sake, I suggest that when the army passes through this area later, it would be better for everyone to lead their horses forward like I have, or simply line up in a row and walk along the foot of the mountain. I guarantee you will be safe and sound," the old hunter said, bowing.