Chapter 252: Defending
New Army, Kunyang Camp, Central Command Tent.
Because the siege was not going well, Wang Yi and Wang Xun had held several meetings to brainstorm ideas, but all the solutions they came up with ended in failure.
"Your Excellency, Minister of Works, military strategy dictates 'surround three sides and leave one open.' Since capturing Kunyang is so difficult, why don't we open a gap and let some of the enemy escape? We can also take this opportunity to let them spread the news of their defeat to the rebels in Wancheng, thus deterring them!" Yan Youjin said cautiously.
The strategist remained silent, while the other generals thought the plan was feasible. However, wouldn't this be tantamount to admitting that Wang Yi's previous siege strategy was flawed? Did the Grand Commandant not even understand such a simple tactic as surrounding three sides while leaving one open?
Wang Yi's face was grim. He never expected Kunyang to be so difficult to conquer, but the battle had just begun to show some progress. Wouldn't it be a pity to change tactics at this point?
Just then, a soldier came to report.
"Reporting to the Grand Minister of Works and the Minister of Education, the rebels in Kunyang City request to surrender! Their condition is that none of them be killed!"
"Hahaha... The rebels can't hold on any longer and are about to surrender!" Wang Yi's face lit up with ecstasy.
"Hehe, if only I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have done it in the first place!" Wang Xun was also beaming with pride. The city that Wang Yi couldn't conquer was beaten into surrendering after he arrived. How satisfying!
All the generals of the new army secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This battle was too difficult, and it was not bad that the enemy surrendered.
But the problem is that the condition for surrendering is not to kill a single person. What kind of surrender is that?
Did all the soldiers who died in battle die in vain?
However, upon closer examination, it is understandable that the other side proposed such conditions; no one surrenders to be killed.
However, the decision of whether to kill or not is ultimately made by the victor. There have been precedents of people agreeing to surrender without killing and then reneging and killing the victim.
When Liu Ji attacked Guanzhong, he did something similar. He tricked the guards into leaving the city and then massacred them and their families. And it didn't have much of a negative impact.
"Congratulations to the Grand Minister of Works and the Minister of Agriculture on successfully capturing Kunyang," Mr. Jiao said with a cupped hand and a smile.
"Lord Sikong, are you going to accept their surrender?" Wang Xun asked with a playful smile.
"Hmph! Surrendering now is too late! Conquering Kunyang is just around the corner, why would we need their surrender? Only by taking this city with our own hands can we achieve true glory! I swear to flatten Kunyang!" Wang Yi roared.
"Crush Kunyang!" Mr. Jiao shouted hoarsely, as if he had been injected with chicken blood.
"Crush Kunyang!" The other generals shouted in unison. The time to make their mark had come!
Xiang Yu grinned, somewhat speechless, thinking to himself, "With an opponent like this, it would be difficult for Liu Xiu to lose."
"This is just the beginning. Later, Wang Yi and Wang Xun led only ten thousand men to fight against Liu Xiu's army, which was truly a brilliant move. We'll get used to it. However, if Liu Xiu wins so easily, we won't be able to test his strength." Hao Jiu was a little frustrated. The new army was really a new army, with rookies from top to bottom. It was a bit difficult to lead them.
"Then I, the King, will have the honor of meeting him." Xiang Yu was quite eager to experience Liu Xiu's swordsmanship.
"That would be a tragedy for Liu Xiu. It's a pity he hasn't married his destined wife, Yin Lihua, yet. If we kill Liu Xiu, Xiang Yu will have to help take care of Liu Xiu's sweetheart." Hao Jiu chuckled.
"How should we take care of him?" Xiang Yu asked coldly.
"To take her into Xiang Yu's harem..." Hao Jiu saw that Xiang Yu was about to get angry, so he quickly changed the subject, "Of course not! Yin Lihua was destined to be an empress. Xiang Yu should just marry her off to the emperor of this world. I think Liu Xiu can rest in peace if he has a spirit in heaven."
"God of Wine, please don't joke about women anymore. I have Yu Ji in my life, and that is enough," Xiang Yu said solemnly.
"Oh dear, Xiang Yu, you're really boring. Fine, I won't joke anymore. But Yin Lihua is a really nice woman. It's just a pity that I have nothing right now," Hao Jiu sighed.
"How is the situation back home? May I ask Yu Ji?" Xiang Yu had been feeling uneasy lately, as he was too far from home to be at ease.
"Alright, I've connected with Yu Ji right away, and she answered instantly. Okay, you two can talk directly, so I don't have to relay messages." Hao Jiu grinned. The main function of his awakened supernatural power is a cross-dimensional phone call, can you believe it?
Half an hour later, Xiang Yu and Yu Ji finally finished their long phone call, the main theme of which was showing off their love and being all happy.
Then, Hao Jiu paid attention to the shadow system in the unknown dimension.
Wu Ning, a young hunter from the Yue Kingdom, has finally left home to venture out into the world, and has even heard news about immortals in the nearest town!
...
Inside Kunyang City, Wang Feng was anxiously awaiting a reply from the new army, however...
"Flatten Kunyang! Flatten Kunyang! Flatten Kunyang..."
A new and even more massive siege has begun, and the new army refuses to accept the surrender of the Gengshi army in Kunyang!
Wang Feng slumped down, saying, "General, it's up to you now. You must hold on!"
"Rest assured, my lord! The enemy is so arrogant, I will make them pay a heavy price. It won't be so easy for them to take Kunyang! Brothers and people! Wang Mang is not giving us a way out, he won't even let us surrender. Fight them to the death and defend the city! As long as we hold out until our main force breaks through Wancheng, we can live!" Wang Chang raised his arm and shouted.
"Defend the city to the death! Defend the city to the death! Defend the city to the death..."
The morale of the soldiers and civilians in Kunyang was high. They truly united as one, fought the new army more tenaciously, and displayed extraordinary combat effectiveness.
Wang Yi and Wang Xun were dumbfounded. Weren't they supposed to be unable to hold on? How come their fighting spirit seems even higher than that of the new army!
Everything seemed to have returned to square one. Day after day, they attacked the city, using every means possible, but they just couldn't break through!
Yan You was not giving up and found an opportunity to propose the strategy of surrounding three sides but leaving one side unattended again, but this time the strategist, Jiao You, stepped forward.
"I oppose the strategy of surrounding three sides and leaving one side open. War is not child's play, and theoretical discussions are not worthwhile. The general defending Kunyang City is very skilled in defense. How could he easily fall for such a trap?"
Moreover, after our army refused to let the rebels in the city surrender, they would rather continue to hold out and wait for reinforcements than believe that we would give them a way out.
Opening a breach in one side would only facilitate communication between the rebels inside and outside the city, and it would also save the defenders inside the city the need to rotate troops on one side, making it even more difficult to capture.
Yan You's expression kept changing as he completely gave up hope. The morale of the other generals also plummeted. The battle for Kunyang gradually entered a stalemate. Everyone knew in their hearts that it was impossible to take Kunyang in the short term.
Wang Yi and Wang Xun were filled with regret. If only they had accepted the surrender back then, they could have been ravaging prisoners in Kunyang City by now!
Xiang Yu glanced at the friend and became increasingly suspicious. "This man is indeed a bit strange. He clearly knows a lot, but he rarely reminds his general. He gives people the feeling of... acting on a whim."
Hao Jiu nodded and said, "That's right. He doesn't seem to care at all about who wins or loses this war. It's best to be careful of him."
“The God of Wine is right, so let’s include him as a suspect as well.” Xiang Yu felt that his friend had just glanced back at him; he was indeed quite perceptive.
Hao Jiu had a headache. Yet another suspect had appeared. What kind of world was this? There were just too many extraordinary and powerful people here!
Chapter 253 Robbing Grain
Although Wang Yi and Wang Xun were not particularly skilled in warfare, they knew the importance of morale for an army.
But at this moment, what morale could the new army generals possibly have? If the officers were like this, what about the soldiers below them?
Something has to be done!
Thinking of this, Wang Xun suddenly stood up and roared angrily, "All of you, raise your heads! You should all be ashamed! Apart from Generals Wang and Ju, you are like a bunch of defeated roosters! Don't forget, our army still holds the absolute advantage! The rebels in Kunyang City are just putting up a fight! They should be the ones who are afraid!"
Upon hearing this, the generals blushed, their attitudes became more composed, and their expressions relaxed somewhat.
Ju Wuba proudly raised his head and disdainfully glanced at the other generals, truly giving off a sense of standing out from the crowd.
Xiang Yu didn't really care about what Wang Xun said. This approach could indeed boost morale to some extent, but it didn't solve the fundamental problem.
Wang Yi nodded repeatedly, "Indeed! Our army has plenty of soldiers and provisions, and little Kunyang won't last long! Moreover, our army still has elite troops that haven't been deployed yet! With the bravery of Generals Wang and Ju, we will surely be able to break through Kunyang!"
However, no sooner had Wang Yi finished speaking than a soldier rushed in to report.
"Reporting to the Grand Minister of Works and Minister of Agriculture! Our grain transport convoy was attacked by rebels near Ziyun Mountain. We lost all our supplies and suffered over a thousand casualties! The grain transport fleet by water has also not arrived on time. Our scouts have been searching along the Shahe River, but there is still no news."
"Hiss...!" Wang Yi gasped. There was no need to ask; how could the enemy only rob the grain by land and not by water?
Moreover, there are few soldiers guarding the waterways. As long as they find a narrow spot in the river to ambush the enemy, they will have nowhere to run and it will be easy to destroy the evidence!
"Where...where did these rebels come from? We didn't find any rebels when we came from Ziyun Mountain..." Wang Xun suddenly remembered something as he said this.
Wang Yi also realized, "It must be the rebels from Dingling, Yancheng and other places. They dare not come directly to reinforce the rebels in Kunyang, but instead take another route to rob our army's grain and fodder. It is extremely despicable and despicable!"
"Strategist, how long will our army's food supplies last?" Wang Xun thought of this crucial question.
"About ten days, or twenty days if supplies are limited. However, if the supply lines cannot be restored as soon as possible, our army will still face considerable trouble. Lord Situ should understand the principle of 'sitting and eating until the mountains are depleted,' and once supplies are limited, morale will likely be low, and the soldiers will be unable to attack the city. We can only besiege it without fighting," Jiaoyou replied truthfully.
Wang Xun frowned. He had finally managed to boost morale, but unexpectedly, there was another problem with the food supplies. If the supply was rationed starting in five days, they could only last for about fifteen days in total.
But the question is, can Kunyang be captured in five days? It's difficult!
"The siege must not stop!" Wang Yi roared.
"It takes at least three days to five days to transport grain from Yingchuan and Xiangcheng to Kunyang. If another batch of grain can be delivered to the Kunyang camp within five days, it will be enough for our army to attack Kunyang," Jiaoyou said, cupping his hands in greeting.
"What if the provisions haven't arrived within five days?" Wang Yi asked instinctively.
"That means another batch of supplies has been robbed, and our army is in grave danger. To be on the safe side, it would be best to suspend the siege. Whether it's transporting supplies from Guanzhong and Luoyang or gathering supplies from various places in Yingchuan, it will take time. If it's robbed again, our 400,000-strong army will collapse without a fight." Jiaoyou's words were startling.
"The supply lines must be restored as soon as possible! Does the strategist have any good ideas?" Wang Yi would never allow the situation of "sitting idly by and running out of resources" to occur.
Jiaoyou smiled slightly, "This raiding party must be small in number, and they need a place to hide the stolen grain. Therefore, this group of rebels should have settled in Ziyun Mountain. Generals Wang and Ju once defeated the enemy army in Ziyun Mountain. Sending them there will surely wipe out the enemy army."
At the same time, Yingchuan should assemble 20,000 troops to escort the grain supplies overland to be transported as quickly as possible, passing near Ziyun Mountain. Generals Wang and Ju can also provide support from the side, ensuring absolute safety!
"Uh... Strategist's plan is brilliant, but could one of Generals Wang Ju stay behind to participate in the siege?" Wang Yi thought to himself that solving the problem of food supplies would only bring them back to the original situation. Generals Yan You and others still couldn't take Kunyang. Did they have to keep attacking until the food supplies in Kunyang City ran out?
“Of course, the Grand Commandant has given the order, how could Generals Wang and Ju not obey? However, I think General Ju’s beast army is more suited to mountainous terrain, so let General Wang stay and participate in the siege.” Jiaoyou nodded to Xiang Yu.
“In that case, let’s proceed according to the strategist’s plan. Generals Wang and Ju, listen to my command! General Wang will participate in the siege tomorrow, and General Ju will immediately lead the army to Ziyun Mountain to suppress the rebels and restore the supply lines!” Wang Yi said solemnly.
Ju Wuba clasped his hands in a fist salute, "This humble general obeys!"
"Yes," Xiang Yu replied expressionlessly, though he was reluctant to stay in Kunyang to attack the city, in case it was accidentally breached.
The key point is that Liu Xiu is at Ziyun Mountain. Last time, Ju Wuba and Liu Xiu fought to a draw. If they have the chance this time, these two suspects will definitely have another fierce battle.
Once the target is identified, Xiang Yu can conveniently rescue the other person as well. But if he stays in Kunyang, he will probably only be able to wait for the victor to return.
However, Xiang Yu's split soul encountered an unexpected new situation.
On Ziyun Mountain, Liu Xiu had just received some exciting news, which led him to temporarily change his strategy.
"Gentlemen, my elder brother has already captured Wancheng and has sent Generals Liu Ji and Fu Jun as vanguards to provide support! The time has come to attack the enemy forces in Kunyang!" Liu Xiu said excitedly.
In fact, he didn't know whether Wancheng had been captured or not, but he could deduce from the messages sent by Liu and Fu that Wancheng would be captured in the next few days.
"Excellent!" The generals all showed excited expressions. They had just seized the new army's supplies, and now Wancheng had been breached. The morale of the new army must be unstable, making it a good opportunity to attack.
"I order that a portion of the troops remain to continue sabotaging the new army's supply lines, while the rest will follow me to Kunyang to join forces with Liu and Fu's troops to attack the new army there!" Liu Xiu waved his hand.
"Then who should stay behind? There are still so many captured grain and supplies hidden in Ziyun Mountain, and they need someone to guard them," Li Zhi asked.
“Leave a deputy general in each unit. The new army will definitely be heavily escorted when they transport supplies here again. Be extra careful with the troops left in Ziyun Mountain. If you can rob them, do so. If you can't rob them, burn them. If you can't burn them, delay them. If you can't delay them, retreat. Xiang Ji, you stay behind on my behalf. After you complete the interception, go to Kunyang to find us.” Liu Xiu said solemnly.
"God of Wine, is it a good time to leave Liu Xiu?" Xiang Yu asked in his heart. If he clearly expressed that he did not want to stay in Ziyun Mountain, given his friendship with Liu Xiu, it should not be difficult to change Liu Xiu's decision.
Hao Jiu thought for a moment, "It doesn't matter. Liu Xiu is going to Kunyang anyway, so Xiang Yu himself can keep an eye on him. Besides, Ju Wuba is going to Ziyun Mountain, and he's also a suspect, so it's good to have a clone monitor him."