However, if we ignore these three cities, and if we suffer setbacks in the battle east of the river after crossing, we might be cut off from our retreat by the troops in those cities. This would be even more difficult to deal with than if all the Chu troops withdrew to Jiangdong. That's roughly the situation. Do any of you have any questions?
King Wu Rui of Hengshan stroked his beard. "May I ask, strategist, have the scouts been able to ascertain the strength of the Chu army and the commanders stationed in various locations?"
Chen Ping sighed, "The Chu army has sealed off the city, so the scouts can't find out the exact strength of the troops, but they still know the approximate total strength of some of the defending generals and the Chu army."
Huan Chu guarded Liyang, Xiang Guan guarded Guangling, Xiang Han guarded Juchao, Ji Xin guarded Jiangcheng, and Zhang Ning and Zhao Yu guarded Wuhu and Rushan.
Even including the more than 40,000 troops that Xiang Yu brought back during his breakout, the total number of Chu troops would not exceed 100,000. After deducting the troops left to guard the border towns of Kuaiji Commandery, the Chu army in Jiujiang Commandery would have a maximum of around 40,000 troops.
Xiang Yu had about 8,000 to 10,000 cavalry in Guchao, so each of the other three major cities had about 10,000 troops, which was barely enough for defense. However, the number of troops defending Juchao was probably relatively small, since the terrain of Juchao was more conducive to defense.
Moreover, Xiang Yu's main cavalry force was stationed at Guchao, so when Xiang Yu retreated to Jiangdong, he could send some troops to Guchao. Of course, this is just my speculation, and whether Xiang Yu would make further troop movements after that is unknown.
Please feel free to raise any differing opinions you may have; I will certainly answer them to the best of my knowledge.
Ying Bu frowned upon hearing this. Xiang Yu's formation was truly a headache. The first group to cross the river would inevitably face immense risks, and probably no one would be willing to go. However, if they all went together, they would starve to death in Jiangdong if they didn't capture those three cities. Xiang Yu would never miss such an opportunity, and it would be extremely difficult to break out from Jiangdong to Fanyang at that time.
“If I were Xiang Yu, I would certainly deploy the fewest troops to Juchao, the furthest to Guangling, and then send the most troops to Liyang. If the allied forces had to choose a city to attack, Liyang would be the first choice. Xiang Yu must have thought of this as well, which is why he sent his most capable general, Huan Chu, to defend Liyang.”
“What the King of Huainan said is absolutely right.” Chen Ping nodded with a smile. Ying Bu’s words were merely a supplementary explanation, which was tantamount to acknowledging his point of view.
The others echoed the sentiment. In fact, the Han army had already discussed it before and basically reached a consensus. This time, it was mainly for Wu Rui, Cao Can, Ying Bu, and Cheng Hei, the representative sent by King Zhao Zhang Er. However, Cheng Hei was like a nobody at this meeting. He just echoed the words and didn't dare to interrupt. He didn't even have a chance to interrupt.
"I presume the strategist already has a ready-made battle plan? Why not just tell everyone and let's save time? If there are no major problems, I, Cao, will definitely support it," Cao Can said, taking the lead in expressing his opinion.
“That’s right, that’s what I think too,” Ying Bu echoed.
"General Cao and the King of Huainan are absolutely right." Wu Rui did not object.
Chen Ping smiled slightly, "Then let me explain. This plan was jointly decided by the King of Han, General Lü, General Zhou Bo, and others. It can't all be attributed to me."
In fact, the solution to this impasse is quite simple, so simple that it can be summarized in just two words: destroy the bridge.
Chapter 72 The Decisive Battle of Jiujiang (Part 1)
The so-called solution to break the deadlock is certainly not just those two words. After the meeting, everyone was overjoyed, certain of victory!
Five days later, the anti-Chu coalition launched a general offensive against the Chu army in five routes.
The first route, commanded by Ying Bu and with Cheng Hei as deputy commander, includes the Huainan army, the Zhao army, and a small number of Han troops, totaling 100,000 men. It is to attack Guangling and cross the river south of Guangling to attack Danyang.
The second route, commanded by Cao Can and with Chong Da as deputy commander, consisted of 80,000 infantry and 20,000 cavalry, totaling 100,000 Qi troops. They besieged Liyang and crossed the river at the two ferry crossings of Liyang and Wujiangting to attack Rushan.
The third route, commanded by Liu Ji, with Xiahou Ying as deputy commander and Chen Ping as strategist, consisted of 100,000 Han troops who launched a feigned attack from the north of Juchao.
The fourth route, commanded by Lü Ze, with Zhou Bo as deputy commander and Liu You as vanguard, attacked Guchao. It consisted of 300,000 Han troops, including 50,000 cavalry under Guan Ying. They fought a decisive battle against Xiang Yu's main cavalry force. After defeating Xiang Yu, they participated in the siege of Juchao and Liyang, as well as the crossing of the Yangtze River southeast of Guchao, and the attack on Wuhu.
The fifth route, commanded by Wu Rui, with Mei Xuan as deputy commander and Gongshang Buhai as naval commander, will launch a combined land and sea attack on Tongling in Jiangdong with an army of 100,000.
A great battle is about to begin.
To the west of Guchao lies a vast open area, fifty li long from north to south and ten li wide from east to west, perfect for a battlefield, large enough for hundreds of thousands of people to fight.
Eight thousand Chu cavalrymen lined up in battle formation. At the front of the formation stood a burly general, wearing a golden crown and black gold armor, holding a thick halberd, his warhorse with snow-white hooves, his eyes fixed on the front.
Bang bang bang...
The Han army banners gradually became clear in the distance, and countless soldiers marched slowly forward in formation, stretching as far as the eye could see, giving people a deep sense of despair.
However, these 8,001 people showed no fear whatsoever, as if they were already used to winning with fewer troops.
"Halt!" Lü Ze raised his right hand. "Pass the order! The vanguard is to attack!"
Liu You took a deep breath to calm his racing heart, drew his sword, and raised it to the sky, shouting, "Forward!"
The 30,000 infantrymen continued their march in square formation, gradually separating themselves from the main force of the Han army. The further they went, the slower their pace became, and many of them began to tremble.
Nobody's a fool. Aren't the vanguard troops in such a big battle just cannon fodder or bait to be sent to their deaths?
If 30,000 infantrymen could defeat Xiang Yu, then why send 300,000 troops?
Just as Liu You's self-hypnosis and encouragement were beginning to take effect, the Chu army on the other side suddenly made a move!
Rumble rumble rumble...
A stampede of horses gallops straight in!
Liu You was so frightened that he turned around and tried to run away. He felt that as long as Xiang Yu saw him, no matter how far away he was, he was doomed.
However, military orders cannot be disobeyed. The real mission of his vanguard was to lure the Chu army over. Once the Chu army was far enough away from Guchao City, Guan Ying's cavalry would advance straight to the riverbank and cut off the Chu army's retreat route to Jiangdong.
Of course, if the Chu army does not come, Liu You's army will continue to advance until it is engaged in battle with the Chu army, at which point Guan Ying's cavalry will also charge in.
If 300,000 troops went together, it would be strange if the Chu army didn't run away. Fifty thousand cavalry alone would not be easily defeated by the Chu army. Once surrounded, probably only Xiang Yu could break out.
The Han army did not want to scare Xiang Yu away, but to keep Xiang Yu's main force in the north of the Yangtze River or in the west of the Yangtze River. The ideal situation was to surround the Chu army between Guchao and Fuqiao, the next best was to surround them in Guchao, and the next best was to surround them in other places.
"Prepare the shields!" Liu You roared. As a former member of the Xiang family, he knew all too well the power of the Chu cavalry's archery. If Chen Ping hadn't provided each of the 30,000 men with a shield, he would have preferred death to coming. The same was true for these 30,000 soldiers.
Soon, the sound of arrows piercing the air filled the sky. As soon as they entered the firing range, the Chu army's arrow rain arrived, the timing was perfect.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
Clang clang clang...
Bang bang bang...
Ahhh...
Thousands of arrows rained down, and some unlucky ones were bound to be hit, but few were actually killed. The shields given to each person weren't given for nothing.
Of course, if they choose shields as their weapons, they can't use two-handed weapons like spears, and in fact, there's no need to. Their mission is to hold out a little longer, not to kill more Chu soldiers.
The Chu army's initial volley of arrows had little effect, so they halted their charge and instead maintained a certain distance from Liu You's vanguard, concentrating their attacks on a portion of the enemy forces while retreating and flying kites.
Liu You inwardly groaned. Xiang Yu had indeed seen through their intentions, and it was unlikely that they would break into the trap. Therefore, he could only order his army to link their shields together and continue advancing.
However, no matter how many shields there are, they cannot achieve an impenetrable defensive effect. After the Chu army's arrow rain became dense, their casualties began to increase.
Some clever soldiers had already started picking up arrows from the ground and secretly sticking them into their thighs, while others even pretended to be dead by tucking them under their armpits.
As a result, Liu You's troops dwindled at an increasingly rapid pace, a consequence of his passive and defensive stance.
If things continue like this, the entire army will probably be wiped out before they even get into a proper fight with the Chu army.
Fortunately, the Chu army's arrows were not endless. After Liu You lost most of his troops, the Chu cavalry finally pounced like wolves and tigers, and fought fiercely with this vanguard.
At this moment, Liu You didn't know whether to be happy or devastated. He could only keep looking back, hoping that the Han cavalry would arrive quickly. If it was too late, his entire army would be wiped out.
However, the Han cavalry did not rush to cut off Xiang Yu's retreat as Liu You had anticipated, but instead advanced slowly along with the other infantry.
Lü Ze was essentially sending those 30,000 men to their deaths. He had previously asked Liu Ji why he had chosen Liu You as the vanguard commander, since Liu You had always considered himself the son-in-law of the King of Han.
As a result, although Liu Ji did not directly tell Liu You to die, it was not far off. Lü Ze had always looked down on Liu You, a scumbag who had even betrayed his ancestors, so he was naturally happy to let Liu You play the greatest role.
That is to take advantage of Xiang Yu's hatred for Liu You, and not withdraw the army until he is killed, so as to buy more time for the main force of the Han army to approach Guchao.
The cavalry was originally planned to charge, but only if they were close enough, and ideally, they shouldn't block the pontoon bridge before Xiang Yu retreated. Otherwise, if Xiang Yu changed direction and ran towards Juchao or Liyang, it would be even more troublesome.
Liu You finally understood that he had been betrayed by Lü Ze. "You old bastard Lü Ze! How dare you disregard the life and death of the Prince of Han's son-in-law! The Prince of Han will not let you get away with this!"
Pooh!
An old soldier next to him spat at Liu You, "You brat! If the King of Han really considered you his son-in-law, would he have sent you here? You should take a good look at yourself in the mirror. What makes you worthy of the Han princess? If you can lead us to defeat Xiang Yu, maybe you can win the beauty's heart. Otherwise, hehe, go to your useless father!"
"Huh? Liu Ji is so heartless! I'm not doing this anymore! I'll lead you all to surrender to King Xiang right now. King Xiang is benevolent and will surely give us a way to live!" Liu You thought to himself that he didn't have that ability. It seemed that Liu Ji never intended to marry his daughter to him from the beginning. Liu Ji just needed a reasonable excuse to break off the engagement.
Just then, a loud shout came from the Chu army, and a blood-soaked killing god rushed towards Liu You, even the four white hooves of the horse were stained with blood.
"Kill them all! Leave no one alive! If you see anyone pretending to be dead, finish them off with a fatal blow!"
Liu You looked in the direction of the sound, "Xiang Yu is so cruel! Wait, that's not... Hahaha... Liu Ji, you broke your promise, you harmed me, you refused to marry your daughter to me, hahaha... To die at the hands of King Xiang, Xiang You has no regrets! King Xiang! Retreat immediately! The Han cavalry is about to seize the pontoon bridge and cut off your retreat! Hurry up!"
"As you wish!"
puff!
Xiang You's head flew high into the air, and the vanguard army was completely annihilated!
"Retreat!" The Bloodstained God of Slaughter glanced at Xiang You's severed head. "Go to the underworld and see if the Xiang family ancestors will recognize you!"
At this moment, 50,000 Han cavalry, led by Lü Sheng, Lü Matong, and others, finally accelerated and charged towards the Chu army.
Meanwhile, on the Yangtze River, a fleet of ships was also sailing downstream at an extremely fast speed, heading straight for the pontoon bridge!
The Chu army ships on the river were too few to stop them, as their numbers were far outnumbered.
If this fleet can break the pontoon bridge, the Chu cavalry on the north bank will be doomed. By the time they retreat to the bridgehead and see the broken pontoon bridge, it will be too late to turn back. Guan Ying's cavalry army will definitely be able to stop the Chu cavalry.
Once Xiang Yu lost these 8,000 elite Chu cavalry, the outcome of the battle would be decided, and even if Xiang Yu had the ability to swim back to Jiangdong, it would be in vain.
Of course, it was unlikely that Xiang Yu could swim back to Jiangdong, because this fleet was led by Gongshang Buhai, a general under Wu Rui, and their mission was to blockade the river.
Lu Ze had done everything he could. At this distance, the Chu army would definitely run into Guan Ying's cavalry when they turned back, and the infantry was not far away either. Encircling the Chu army was a sure thing.
"General! The Chu army didn't run towards the pontoon bridge on the river at all!" Zhou Bo saw it clearly, his eyes widening. The Chu army built a bridge but didn't use it. What kind of trick was they playing?
Lu Ze also looked completely bewildered. "Oh no! Xiang Yu must have found out about our army's plan to destroy the bridge! Damn it, who leaked the secret?!"
"Could it be that Liu You told Xiang Yu the plan in order to save his own life?" Zhou Bo wondered.
Lu Ze frowned. "Do you think Xiang Yu would listen to Liu You under these circumstances? Besides, Liu You doesn't know our real plan. Guan Ying's cavalry are all here. Xiang Yu is fully capable of covering the army's crossing of the bridge, just like when they crossed the Huai River at Guantangpu."
Judging from the direction the Chu army is heading, they're probably heading towards Juchao. But is escaping into Juchao city truly foolproof? Hmph! Let's stop guessing. Let's send men directly to the vanguard to find survivors; perhaps someone there knows the inside story.
Zhou Bo's eyes grew brighter and brighter. "That's right. To the north of Juchao is the Han King's 100,000-strong army, to the east is Cao Can's 100,000-strong army, to the west is Chaohu Lake, and we can soon surround it to the south. This time, Xiang Yu will have no chance of escaping."
More importantly, with Xiang Yu trapped here, Jiangdong is leaderless. Who can stop my hundreds of thousands of troops from conquering Jiangdong? Let Xiang Yu hide in Juchao City if he wants; he'll starve to death sooner or later, hahahaha…”
Lu Ze was about to laugh when his expression suddenly changed drastically. He slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Quickly send someone to send a signal! Xiang Yu didn't go to the riverbank, so we don't need to destroy the bridge!"
Chapter 73 The Decisive Battle of Jiujiang (Part Two)
What a joke! It was too late to stop them. A perfectly good free pontoon bridge was smashed into several pieces amidst the cheers of the barbarian army.
To achieve this effect, Wu Rui also ordered the ships to be modified and dispatched one of his trusted generals, Gongshang Buhai, to oversee the battle and ensure that everything went smoothly.
Of course, the pontoon bridge can be rebuilt if it's destroyed; it just takes more effort. As long as Xiang Yu is trapped in Jiujiang County, even if only the barbarian troops from Jiangdong participate in the battle, there is no reason for him to fail.
Meanwhile, Wu Rui's top general, Mei Xuan, had already advanced eastward along the south bank of the Yangtze River and captured the first city on the route from Fanyang to Jiangdong, named Chiyi. His speed was truly astounding.