Fan Kuai waved his hand, "No need. We can just find a place to hide in Jiangxi. We will definitely attack Jiangdong in the future, and we can't do without a boat to cross the river."
"Yes," Sun replied and turned to leave.
Fan Kuai called out to him, "Wait a minute, hasn't the strategist sent any new orders yet?"
"Not yet, what's wrong?" Sun asked, puzzled.
"Something seems off. The strategist said that 40,000 Chu troops have already crossed the Huai River and are holding the south bank, is that correct?"
"yes."
"Isn't it true that Xiang Yu only took five hundred cavalry with him when he left Yinling?"
"yes."
"The strategist ambushed Xiang Yu at Yinling. Whether it succeeded or not, he should at least give me the next steps, right? Even if he successfully surrounded Xiang Yu, there should be some news."
"yes……"
"Putting all that aside, the Chu army currently has superior numbers in Huainan, while our army is deep in enemy territory, is that right?"
"Exactly."
"If the Han King's army breaks through Xiang Yu's Huai River defense line, where will the 40,000 Chu troops go? They will inevitably head to Jiangdong. Can we hold out until the main force of the Han King arrives? Our army is in danger of being wiped out!" Fan Kuai became more and more agitated as he spoke. He should have thought of this earlier.
“But if the strategist successfully ambushes Xiang Yu at Yinling, wouldn’t this war be over? Without Xiang Yu, how could the Chu army not surrender?” Sun Yi felt that Fan Kuai was overthinking things. Why had General Fan, who was usually brave in battle, suddenly become timid?
"But what if the strategist fails to stop Xiang Yu?" Fan Kuai now recalls that when Zhang Liang decided to set up this formation, it was on the premise that Xiang Yu could lead a small number of soldiers to break through the encirclement.
But now the Chu army in Huainan has 40,000 men. Even if Xiang Yu makes a foolish move and only leads 500 cavalry to Yinling, it will still be far from the original plan.
Most importantly, there's still no news about the outcome of the Battle of Yinling, so how can we feel at ease?
Fan Kuai was a man who made many contributions. He was brave in battle, but he was also a man who was shrewd despite his rough exterior. He was by no means a mindless brute.
"If the strategist fails to stop Xiang Yu, and if Xiang Yu still has five hundred cavalry, he will likely continue towards Jiangdong. We have a numerical advantage, so perhaps we can fight him."
But if Xiang Yu's army was small after passing Yinling, he would probably return by other routes to rejoin the main force of the Chu army, and then head south to take revenge..." Sun Yi's face turned pale as he spoke.
"Pass down the order: the army is to prepare to march to Yinling. Also, send scouts on horseback to Yinling immediately to contact the military advisor." Fan Kuai thought more and more that he could not stay by the river, especially in Liyang.
“Well, but without the strategist’s orders, if we leave this place on our own, what if Xiang Yu escapes…” Sun Yi felt that with the strategist Zhang Liang’s abilities, he shouldn’t have been defeated by Xiang Yu at Yinling, and might not even have given Xiang Yu the opportunity to escape north and rejoin the main force.
"We can't worry about that now. The army will set off as soon as it's ready. If the strategist really blames us, we'll just say we went to his aid because we were worried about his safety. After all, we haven't heard from Yinling for so long." Fan Kuai really hoped to receive news from Zhang Liang before the army set off, otherwise, something terrible might really happen.
"Yes, sir." Sun Yi didn't dare to delay and quickly went out to make the arrangements.
Soon, Fan Kuai's army embarked on the road to Yinling.
However, they hadn't gone far when the scouts ahead turned back.
"Report! General, the main force of the Chu cavalry has been spotted in the east! They are charging towards us!"
"Hiss... What can we do!"
Chapter 65 Where to Escape
The scouts had to switch horses and travel at full speed to deliver the intelligence so quickly, but they still might not be much faster than the Chu army.
"Report! General, the main force of the Chu cavalry has been spotted in the east! They are charging towards us!"
"Hiss..." Fan Kuai gasped. Dongcheng was the only way to Yinling, so it seemed there was no way to get to Yinling.
Of course, now that the main force of the Chu cavalry has appeared here, the strategist in Yinling is probably in grave danger, and there's no time to send reinforcements. There's no need to go to Yinling at all.
"General, what should we do?" Sun Quan asked with a mournful face. He had originally thought that he could capture and kill Xiang Yu and be ennobled and rewarded, but instead, their lives were in danger.
Fan Kuai rubbed his face. "Now we have two paths. One is to go east, bypass the Jianshan Mountains east of Dongcheng, cross the river west of Hongze Lake to Huaibei, or go along the Yangtze River to Guangling, hide in the city and wait for reinforcements."
Secondly, we can head west, first to Liyang, then west to Guchao, passing through Shuxian and Liuxian counties, leaving Jiujiang Prefecture. Alternatively, we can head north to Shouchun. Which route do you think is better?
"This humble general believes that we should not go to Hongze Lake. The network of waterways there is not conducive to cavalry movement. I think we should go to Guangling instead," Sun Zi said, feeling that it was safer to defend the city.
"Then you shall lead five hundred cavalry to Guangling, and I shall take the rest of the troops to the six counties. Order the five hundred cavalry in front to remain in place, and the rest shall become the vanguard and return to Liyang via the same route!" After saying this, Fan Kuai spurred his horse south, leaving Sun Yi looking bewildered.
Fan Kuai originally planned to go to Guangling, but Guangling is located by the river. What if Xiang Yu took Guangling on his way back to Jiangdong?
On the contrary, the route through Guchao, Shuxian, and Liuxian is quite remote, so Xiang Yu probably wouldn't have chosen this route to cross the river.
Guchao is a town in Juchao County, located south of Juchao City. It is also a ferry crossing where one can cross the river, but it is much less famous than Liyang and Guangling.
Juchao is located right next to Chaohu Lake to the west, and Dongcheng is about 130 to 140 li north of Chaohu Lake. Shuxian is located to the west of Chaohu Lake, and to the east of Chaohu Lake are Juchao City and a low mountain range.
Fan Kuai and his group are currently located between this mountain range and the mountain range east of Dongcheng. To the northwest is Dongcheng, and to the southeast is Liyang, but they need to go around the mountain range east of Juchao.
Actually, Juchao is bordered by Chaohu Lake to the west and mountains to the other three sides. Although there are several exits, they are all very narrow, which makes it somewhat of a natural barrier.
On the surface, Fan Zeng followed Zhou Yin in rebelling against Chu and returning to Han, but when it came to a life-or-death situation, Fan Kuai dared not run to Juchao. This was because Juchao was Fan Zeng's hometown, and there were many loyal Chu people in the city. Moreover, Juchao was geographically advantageous, easy to defend and difficult to attack, so a direct confrontation would not work.
Otherwise, the best option would be to go directly to Juchao City and hold out for reinforcements; there would be no need to go to Guangling or Shuxian.
However, in Fan Kuai's view, there was no need to hide in the city and wait for reinforcements in the current situation. Everyone was a cavalryman, and their speeds were not much different. As long as they did not run into dead ends, their safety could be guaranteed, and it was even better than hiding in the city.
Once inside the city, escape becomes difficult. It depends on whether the enemy can't break through or whether reinforcements arrive soon. If there's no food in the city, then it's all over.
According to Fan Kuai's plan, even if the Chu army ignored the army heading towards Guangling and chased after them, it would simply be that the two armies would circle around Chaohu Lake and the Juchao Mountains, one in front and one behind, moving from Liyang in the east to Shuxian in the west.
The main force of the Han army would inevitably be pursuing the Chu army. It is unlikely that Xiang Yu would not cross the river when he reached the riverbank, and it would be difficult for him to relentlessly pursue Fan Kuai's small force. Moreover, it would not be so easy to catch up with him.
The main risk faced by Fan Kuai and his men was that the Chu army wanted to return to Jiangdong and wipe them out along the way.
Therefore, it is unlikely that the Chu army would pursue them around Chaohu Lake; they should be safe once they reach Shuxian County.
Seeing that Fan Kuai had led his troops far away, Sun Yi finally realized what was happening. "Quick! Throw some things on the ground except for food and weapons, then the whole army head east towards Guangling!"
Their troops were marching from south to north, so the supplies they abandoned were also mostly in a north-south direction, like a large road sign indicating which direction the Chu army should pursue.
Rumble rumble...
Soon after, Xiang Guan and Xiang Han arrived at the place where the Han army had thrown away their belongings.
There were two roads, one heading east and the other south. On the road to the south, there were items abandoned by the enemy, while on the road to the east, one could vaguely see the dust raised by the cavalry.
“Let’s split up, you go east and I’ll go west.” Xiang Guan didn’t hesitate at all.
"Well, my infantry will be there to support us from the east. I'll just take two thousand cavalry with me." Xiang Han said and then headed east.
Xiang Guan didn't hold back and led the remaining three thousand cavalry to continue the pursuit south. Even if Fan Kuai really ran east, Xiang Han wouldn't suffer a loss with two thousand soldiers on each side.
Sun Yi was just feeling smug when suddenly the thunderous sound of horses' hooves came from behind him. The sound was much louder than theirs and was getting closer and closer.
The problem is that they are still a long way from Guangling, but not far from Tangyi.
"Send the order down: the army should advance into Tangyi and take cover!" Sun Yi had no choice; his warhorses were already exhausted and their speed was clearly decreasing. If this continued, they would be overtaken by the Chu army behind them once they passed Tangyi.
When Xiang Han saw the Han army entering the city, he couldn't help but sneer. The walls of Tangyi were not only low but also very dilapidated, not at all like a fortified city. The original garrison and food supplies were pitifully scarce. The Han army's choice to enter the city to defend it was tantamount to courting death. Continuing to run might give them a chance to survive, since the Chu army's warhorses were also getting tired.
"Order the troops to split into two groups and surround the city!"
"Here you go!"
...
On the other hand, Fan Kuai led the main force to Guchao, and Xiang Guan was about to catch up with them.
"General! The Chu army is catching up quickly. Let's go into Guchao City to take refuge! Our warhorses are exhausted." Captain Duan Hong suggested.
Fan Kuai's eyes darted around. "Good. Commander Duan, you will lead the troops into Guchaoyi to hold it. Send the order: those warhorses that can still run, keep running with me; those that can't, follow Commander Duan into Guchaoyi!"
Duan Hong, “…”
"What? You disagree?" Fan Kuai glared at him.
"Yes, Your subordinate obeys!" Duan Hong gritted his teeth. He was already too exhausted to run anymore, and continuing to follow Fan Kuai would only cause him to fall behind sooner or later. He might as well stop and rest. What if the Chu army continued to pursue Fan Kuai and ignored them?
However, the Chu army completely surrounded the ancient city of Chao, allowing Fan Kuai's few hundred cavalry to escape...
Duan Hong was filled with regret. If he had known this would happen, he would have had someone else stay behind to cover their retreat.
The walls of the ancient city of Chaoyi were low and dilapidated over the years. The garrison numbered only a hundred men, and the civilian population was only about a thousand, mostly the elderly and weak. Even if they were all mobilized, they would not have much fighting power. But things had come to this point, and they could only try their best to delay. They could hold out for one day at a time, and perhaps the Han King's army would arrive tomorrow?
Fan Kuai looked back and saw that the Chu army had not caught up. He was immediately relieved. Just as he had expected, after passing Guchao, their route began to turn north.
The farther he was from the river, the safer he would be. Once they reached Shuxian, they would be completely safe. However, they had lost quite a few soldiers, and after reorganizing, they had less than five hundred cavalrymen left.
Fan Kuai knew that the soldiers left in Guchao had no choice but to either die in battle or surrender; there was no way they could escape.
"Pass down the order: after we pass that mountain, everyone should rest for a bit before heading towards Shuxian."
"Here you go."
...
Shuxian County, outside the North Gate.
"The walls of Shuxian are high and imposing. Does the strategist have a good plan to capture the city?" Xiang Yu asked, looking at the city gate ahead.
Zhang Liang wore a bitter expression. He never expected that Xiang Yu would withdraw his troops overnight, abandoning the Huai River defense line, and even split his forces into several routes to head towards Jiangdong.
Zhang Liang could naturally guess about 70-80% of the reason; Fan Kuai was probably in grave danger this time!
Among the surrendered soldiers, quite a few knew that Fan Kuai was by the river. Zhang Liang could not keep it a secret for Fan Kuai, so he could only suggest that Fan Kuai be ambushed in the east of the city. However, Xiang Yu did not adopt the suggestion.
What a load of rubbish! Whether it's troop numbers or individual combat capabilities, the Chu army completely overwhelms Fan Kuai's army. Just charge straight in and be done with it.
“Your humble servant has no good plan, and even if I did, King Xiang would not adopt it, would he?” Zhang Liang was most frustrated by Xiang Yu’s move to attack Shuxian, which was tantamount to completely cutting off Fan Kuai’s retreat.
Xiang Yu glanced at Zhang Liang and said, "Is the strategist still angry that I didn't adopt your ambush plan at Dongcheng? Don't be angry. I agree to ambush Fan Kuai right here in Shuxian. However, we must first capture this city."
Zhang Liang's lips twitched violently; Fan Kuai was doomed this time...
"King Xiang, the walls of Shuxian are high, and the garrison commander must be a confidant of Zhou Yin who betrayed Chu and joined Han. It will not be easy to take it. Moreover, we have already arrived here, and the garrison on the city walls must have recognized you, King Xiang. Yet they have no intention of opening the gates to surrender. They intend to hold out. Your humble servant really has no good solution."
"It's alright, I do have a good idea, but I need my strategist to come with me on this risky journey." Xiang Yu said, then turned to look at Zhang Liang.
"Your humble servant is willing to obey King Xiang's orders." Zhang Liang was genuinely curious about what brilliant strategy Xiang Yu had to capture Shucheng.
"Come with me. You should understand how to cooperate." Xiang Yu said, then spurred his horse forward and headed towards the city gate.
This time, Yu Ji was not on his horse, but rode alone on a warhorse, closely protected by Huan Chu and several elite soldiers.
Zhang Liang gritted his teeth and followed, thinking to himself that Xiang Yu was too bold, knowing full well that the other party was hostile yet still risking his life.
"Hey! Who is the commander guarding the city? Do you dare to speak to me?" Xiang Yu pointed his halberd at the city wall.