Guan Ying successfully escaped.
In this situation, Guan Ying was running away with all his might, and Xiang Yu really couldn't catch him. The black horse was faster than ordinary warhorses, but the problem was that Guan Ying had run ahead of him, and there were so many soldiers covering him from behind, so catching up with him wouldn't be so easy.
Even if you wanted to shoot them with a bow and arrow, there were countless soldiers blocking your way. While hurling arrows could ignore obstacles, it was almost impossible to hit a moving target. It was all about luck and didn't make much sense.
Of course, Xiang Yu's real purpose was to repel the enemy and cover the Chu army's safe arrival at the south bank of the Huai River. He did not really want to kill Guan Ying. Chasing down Guan Ying's general and seizing his flag was a method, not an end.
Despite Xiang Yu defeating 20,000 enemy troops in this battle, he actually killed fewer than 500 people. Everything happened too fast.
From the moment Guan Ying launched his final attack to the moment Xiang Yu cut down the banner, the entire process took only a few minutes.
In fact, Xiang Yu originally intended to pursue the enemy further, but after Hao Jiu reminded him that his horse, Wuzhui, was injured, Xiang Yu decisively gave up.
Xiang Yu was known for cherishing his warhorses; he wouldn't trade his severely injured horse, Wuzhui, for Guan Ying's life.
In the midst of chaos, charging forward is bound to lead to accidents. Xiang Yu also suffered some minor injuries, the kind that heal on their own without treatment. It's unlikely that such a large target as the black horse, Wuzhui, would be completely unharmed.
Fortunately, the black horse's injury wasn't too serious this time, and it could continue fighting for another two hours without any major problems.
Xiang Yu, halberd in hand, stood on his horse, ignoring the tens of thousands of enemy cavalry slipping past him. Despite the tempting reward, almost all the Han cavalry avoided Xiang Yu. Occasionally, those who dared to attempt a sneak attack were dealt with by Xiang Yu in a swift and decisive manner.
As the Han army retreated into the distance, cheers erupted from the Chu troops on both banks, especially those on the north bank, who had truly escaped a desperate situation.
Not long after, Xiang Han also led his army to Xiang Yu. They had wanted to follow Xiang Yu into battle, but unfortunately, the enemy was too numerous and they could not stop Xiang Yu, but they could stop the other Chu troops.
"King Xiang, shall we continue to pursue the enemy?"
Xiang Yu glanced at his generals and soldiers, "I will lead two thousand cavalry to monitor the enemy. You all quickly clean up the battlefield and then cross the bridge as soon as possible."
"Here you go!"
...
After Xiang Yu dismissed Xiang Han, he jumped off his horse, Wuzhui, and examined the wound on the horse's leg. A piece of skin had been torn off, and it was still bleeding.
"Are there any veterinarians in the army? Let's quickly call one to treat Wuzhui horse," Hao Jiu suggested.
"No, but I have medicine." Xiang Yu said, taking out a healing pill from his pocket and stuffing it into the mouth of his horse, Wuzhui.
I'm fucking...
Hao Jiu's lips twitched violently. Xiang Yu's actions were too fast; he couldn't stop him in time, and probably couldn't.
Those healing medicines belong to Xiang Yu, and Hao Jiu only has the right to suggest how to distribute them. It's not worth falling out with Xiang Yu over such a trivial matter.
Hao Jiu was heartbroken. That was a magic potion that gave 10 energy points, and it was given to the horse just like that, even though it wasn't a serious injury.
"Hey, Overlord, can we be a little more economical? Don't use it on minor injuries, okay?"
"Yes, I will try my best not to let Wuzhui get hurt." As Xiang Yu spoke, his eyes lit up. The patch of skin that Wuzhui had lost healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, without leaving a single scar.
"Neigh~~~" the black horse neighed happily.
"This medicine is so miraculous..." Xiang Yu murmured, stroking the spot where his horse, Wuzhui, had just been injured.
"Of course, otherwise it wouldn't be called a miracle drug, right?" Hao Jiu said proudly.
He was actually quite curious about the effects of the medicine, and even a little worried, all because of that flawed prop. Heaven knows how little effect the healing medicine (small) would have.
"But if you need to use it for minor injuries in the future, don't eat the whole thing, okay? Why don't you try it on yourself now and cut off a small piece to eat?"
Hao Jiu thought to himself that he was really brilliant. If half a pill could save a life, then why take a whole one? That would be such a waste.
Even if you split one pill in half, nine pills can instantly become eighteen. And if you crush them before eating...
"Pick it out? Hmm, I'll try." Xiang Yu said, then picked off a small piece with his fingernail and put it in his mouth.
Then, the scabs on the small wounds on my body fell off, revealing smooth skin, and the experiment was a success.
Of course, Xiang Yu's injury was rather minor, which only proves that it is effective even without taking the whole pill, but it is hard to say how serious the injury can be treated.
Hao Jiu wanted to ask Xiang Yu to find a seriously wounded soldier to try, but he was afraid that if half a pill couldn't save him, the whole pill would be wasted, so he simply didn't bring it up.
Besides, using miracle drugs to treat ordinary soldiers would be such a waste of money; Hao Jiu would be heartbroken.
...
At this moment, Guan Ying's heartbeat finally returned to normal, and he finally understood why Xiang Yu had risked his own safety to attack him.
Because Xiang Yu and the Chu army had the Huai River flowing behind them with nowhere to retreat, even if Xiang Yu was still invincible in a normal battle, the Chu army would definitely suffer heavy losses.
Therefore, Xiang Yu could only win this battle by charging straight at the vital point with the spirit of "breaking the cauldrons and sinking the boats," killing the commander-in-chief, or cutting down the banner.
Unfortunately, Guan Ying realized this too late. If it had been Han Xin, he would have commanded his army to form ranks and fight while retreating from the very beginning.
Of course, Xiang Yu attacked suddenly, and he broke through his 10,000-strong cavalry too quickly. In just a short time, he cut down the commander's flag. Guan Ying didn't have time to form a battle formation. In other words, he was a step behind Han Xin in terms of command.
If Xiang Yu hadn't come, Guan Ying's army could have easily crushed them, but Xiang Yu did come, and he did so in such an extreme way.
However, if Guan Ying ordered a retreat at this point, his life wouldn't be in danger. If he had stayed and commanded from the banner, he would most likely have perished along with the banner.
"Reporting to the general, not counting the rear guard escorting grain and supplies, we still have 20,000 troops here," said Captain Wang Shang, clasping his hands in greeting.
Guan Ying's eyes lit up. "Not counting the rear guard, our army only has 20,000 men, right? The losses are so small... You've included Yang Xi's troops too, haven't you!"
"Uh, yes, General. The two armies are mixed together. Should I separate them?" Wang Shang asked, bowing his head.
"No need. Where is Yang happy?" Guan Ying felt a pang in his heart. Another six thousand cavalry had been lost in this battle? Was this a pursuit or a suicide mission?
"Well, General Yang happy happened to be crossing the bridge when Xiang Yu was crossing it, and was immediately killed by Xiang Yu." Wang Shang sighed inwardly.
“Yang Xi actually…” Guan Ying’s eyes widened, his chest burning with rage. “Xiang Yu is going too far! He’s despicable! Send another scout to the pontoon bridge to investigate. This general will meet Xiang Yu again and avenge our fallen soldiers!”
"Look." Wang Shang gasped. General Guan Ying wanted to fight back again? Did he think the losses were too small?
Guan Ying looked towards the pontoon bridge and smiled coldly. "Xiang Yu, Xiang Yu, this time I will make you pay a heavy price. If you have the guts, don't try to run away!"
Chapter 52 Close-Range Projectile
Guantangpu, the pontoon bridge is still bustling with activity.
Warhorses and supplies were continuously transported from the north bank to the south bank, while the soldiers on the south bank began to set up camp.
Not to mention that the infantry hadn't slept much for two days in a row, there were also quite a few wounded in this battle. Their wounds needed to be treated properly, otherwise serious injuries would be fatal, and even minor injuries might slowly turn into serious ones.
In addition, Xiang Yu also intended for his army to set up camp on the south bank of the Huai River, making it appear as if they were determined to defend the Huai River to the death.
As time went on, the number of Chu troops on the north bank dwindled, and all the spoils that were to be transported to the south bank were moved there, leaving only Xiang Yu and the two thousand cavalrymen used to cover the rear.
However, Guan Ying suddenly turned back at this moment!
Xiang Yu's ability to lead his army to defeat Guan Ying was due in part to his own bravery, but the role played by the more than 10,000 Chu troops on the north bank should not be underestimated.
But now Xiang Yu can only rely on two thousand cavalry or even less to deal with Guan Ying's twenty thousand cavalry.
Guan Ying came prepared, and his army lined up in battle formation, pressing forward step by step. It was no longer possible for Xiang Yu to break through the pass alone and directly attack the enemy's capital. His hopes of repelling the enemy were also slim.
More importantly, Xiang Yu still had two thousand cavalrymen on the north bank of the Huai River, and he couldn't possibly abandon them and run away first.
According to Hao Jiu's estimate, even if the two pontoon bridges could accommodate four riders per second, it would still take nearly ten minutes for all two thousand riders to cross the Huai River, while Guan Ying's cavalry army could charge across in just two minutes!
"King Xiang! This humble general requests to stay behind to cover the rear! Please, King Xiang..." Xiang Han clasped his hands and bowed.
"Xiang Han, listen to my command!" Xiang Yu said, looking at the enemy army.
"Your subordinate is here!" Xiang Han clasped his hands in a fist salute.
Xiang Yu turned his head and looked over, "I, the king, grant you permission to cover the rear. These two thousand cavalrymen are not allowed to cross the bridge, and you are not allowed to cross the bridge either. There must be no mistakes!"
"Yes! Please cross the bridge quickly, Your Majesty. This place is in my hands!" Xiang Han secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He was really afraid that Xiang Yu would risk staying on the north bank.
"Did I say I wanted to cross the bridge first? You cover their retreat, and I will cover yours. If you don't want me to die here, get the army across the Huai River as soon as possible."
Remember this: never let the enemy take the pontoon bridge. Even if there are still people on the north bank, even if I am on the north bank, if the pontoon bridge is in danger, you must cut it down. Do you understand?
"All troops, listen to my command! The first thousand cavalry will follow me to meet the enemy. General Xiang Han, you are responsible for organizing the following thousand cavalry to cross the bridge as quickly as possible! The vanguard, prepare your bows and arrows, and form a wedge formation as you advance. Charge with me!"
After Xiang Yu finished speaking, he glared at Xiang Han, spurred his horse on its flanks, and the black horse neighed and charged forward, followed closely by a thousand riders, while Hao Jiu remained perched on Xiang Yu's shoulder.
With bloodshot eyes, Xiang Han roared, "Line up on the bridge immediately and get across! Hurry! Hurry!"
...
"General Guan, shall we charge now?" Wang Shang's heart trembled as he saw Xiang Yu charging towards them again.
"The army should maintain its formation and continue advancing. Anyone who breaks formation and disrupts morale will be executed without mercy!" Guan Ying looked at the dense formation, which was three layers deep and had no blind spots, and felt somewhat relieved. This time, even if Xiang Yu was capable, he wouldn't be able to break through.
"Launch with full force! Release!" Xiang Yu commanded, and a thousand and one sharp arrows hurtled towards the enemy formation.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
Puff puff puff...
Ahhh...
With the Han army's formation so dense, the Chu army's accuracy was greatly improved, and a single volley of arrows reaped six or seven hundred heads.
Keep in mind that this is a projectile. Although projectiles have a long range, they are impossible to aim at. Usually, the hit rate depends on luck and experience; to put it bluntly, it's all about guessing.
However, thanks to Guan Ying's strict orders, the Han cavalry formation continued to advance steadily, without any sign of panic, only their speed of advance was slightly faster than before.
Guan Ying smiled coldly. Even if Xiang Yu fired ten more rounds, the loss would only be six or seven thousand cavalry. But did Xiang Yu have that opportunity? They were about to reach the banks of the Huai River. The Chu army should go into the Huai River to shoot arrows.
"Pass down the order: once the Chu army turns back, launch a full-scale attack!"
"Look!" Wang Shang's eyes lit up. General Guan Ying's plan was brilliant.
In fact, after Xiang Yu finished firing a round of projectile shots, he didn't stop at all and continued with a second round of horizontal shots.
A horizontal shot is easy to aim and has a much higher hit rate than a projectile shot. So when the distance is far enough to use a horizontal shot, no one will choose to use a projectile shot. In fact, if the distance is close, if you use a projectile shot, you might not be able to control the force and shoot the arrow behind the enemy.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh... Arrows flew everywhere.
The Han cavalry in the front ranks ducked on their horses to avoid the attack, but the Han cavalry behind them were not so lucky. This time, the hit rate was over 90%, with only a few deflected arrows failing to hit the enemy.
However, the two armies were already very close at this point. According to Xiang Yu's usual tactics, the Chu army should have turned their horses around and split into two groups to retreat, and then continued to fire at the enemy while retreating.
However, this time, Xiang Yu changed his tactics.
"Full force, launch! Fire! Change weapons!"
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
"Kill!" After shooting the arrow, Xiang Yu held his bow in his left hand and his halberd in his right, and immediately clashed with the enemy.