"The Hegemon-King of Western Chu is here! Enemy general, prepare to die!" Xiang Yu took the lead, leaving the other Chu troops far behind, and pounced on the enemy general's banner like a tiger among sheep.
This shout not only terrified Cheng Hei, but also greatly frightened the soldiers of Zhao Jun and Huainan Army, many of whom surrendered immediately.
In reality, after Cheng Hei ordered the entire army to advance, there were not many defenders behind him, and Xiang Yu arrived quickly, so there was no time to gather troops.
More importantly, Cheng Hei besieged Danyang from three sides, with each side having less than 10,000 troops. The Chu army was coming with great force, and it was personally led by Xiang Yu. A sense of certain defeat instantly swept through Cheng Hei's entire army.
With a halberd in his right hand and a sword in his left, Xiang Yu was unmatched in both offense and defense. Any enemy soldier who dared to block his way, whether a general or a common soldier, would be killed instantly. He cut through enemy ranks as easily as chopping vegetables.
Hao Jiu stood on Xiang Yu's shoulder, as if watching a fruit-cutting game with human heads on it. It was terrifying and bloody, but on the battlefield, mercy to the enemy was cruelty to one's own people. Xiang Yu understood this principle from the beginning of leading the army. It was impossible to show mercy in battle.
As they fought, no one dared to stop them anymore, and wherever they went, enemy soldiers threw down their weapons and knelt down to surrender.
Hao Jiu kept his eyes on the enemy general, guiding Xiang Yu's direction. If he could capture the enemy leader, why not do it?
Cheng Hei was terrified. In his desperation, he mounted his horse several times. His intuition told him that he had to escape, as staying to fight Xiang Yu would surely mean certain death.
However, the killing god had no intention of letting him go, and the warhorses were not on the same level in speed, so it was only a matter of time before he was caught up.
Behind them, the sounds of battle shook the heavens; all those who fled or dared to resist were targets for the Chu army to kill.
The 10,000 Chu infantrymen brought by Xiang Yu were half elite troops, whose fighting strength and morale were far superior to those of the Zhao and Huainan armies. The first battle between the two sides was a one-sided massacre.
"I'll let you run!" Xiang Yu chased after him, took out his bow and arrow, aimed at Cheng Hei, and fired an arrow.
Whoosh!
puff!
"Ah!" Cheng Hei screamed and fell off his horse, rolling about ten times before coming to a stop.
Xiang Yu then arrived, and with a single flick of his halberd, he turned Cheng Hei into a banner, which he raised high. "Who is this man!"
The Zhao soldiers kneeling beside him, begging for mercy, burst into tears, crying out, "Cheng Hei! General Cheng Hei is dead! General Cheng Hei has been killed by the Overlord! Everyone, surrender!"
Hao Hu had just escaped not far when he heard that Cheng Hei had been killed by Xiang Yu. He immediately gave up his escape and led the Huainan army to kneel down and surrender. This was Jiangdong, Xiang Yu's territory. Where could they escape to?
It would be better to lead the army to surrender; perhaps they could survive, or even achieve some small merit.
The Battle of Danyang ended quickly, with nearly 20,000 enemy soldiers captured and the rest executed.
Zhang Ning opened the city gates and led the other generals of Danyang and some representatives of the people to welcome Xiang Yu. However, in front of Xiang Yu, he knelt on the ground and cried, "King Xiang! This humble general is guilty, sob sob sob... Please punish me, King Xiang!"
"General Zhang, what crime have you committed? Get up. It is I who have arrived late. If anyone should be punished, it should be me first." Xiang Yu helped Zhang Ning up.
"Thank you, King Xiang." Zhang Ning finally breathed a sigh of relief. The losses in this battle were too great, and as the commander-in-chief, he could not shirk his responsibility.
"No need for formalities. It is I who have caused suffering to the people of the city. I am sorry for what I have done to you all." Xiang Yu said, bowing deeply to the elders of Jiangdong.
The people kowtowed repeatedly, expressing their gratitude to King Xiang for saving their lives and for his benevolence.
As for the 20,000 prisoners, those who wanted to join the Chu army immediately changed into military uniforms, while those who did not want to join the army were imprisoned in Danyang City. After their identities were verified, they were either released or enslaved.
But who would willingly become a slave under such circumstances? So the vast majority of them chose to join the army, thinking they could simply switch sides with the victors when the Chu army was defeated. Very few actually requested to be released and return home.
After reorganizing, Xiang Yu's army doubled in size to 20,000 men, not including the wounded soldiers who were willing to join the Chu army.
Hao Hu also joined the Chu army and became a glorious Chu army commander. He also realized that the ultimate victor in the Chu-Han Contention might not be Liu Ji. Both allied forces that entered Jiangdong were defeated, while the Chu army was becoming stronger and stronger.
After lunch, Xiang Yu led his army on another expedition, heading straight for Guangling!
Chapter 81 The Decisive Battle of Jiujiang (Part 10)
South of Guangling, the Huainan Army's main camp.
After returning to Jiangbei overnight, Ying Bu was exhausted and ended up sleeping until late morning.
When Ying Bu woke up, he was filled with lingering fear. Fortunately, everything in the camp was normal and no Chu army attacked.
Of course, Ying Bu also felt that he was overthinking things. Even if Xiang Yu came today, he should have gone to Danyang to fight Cheng Hei first, and it shouldn't have been Guangling's turn.
However, after Cheng Hei is killed by Xiang Yu, Guangling may really be in danger.
The tragic thing is that Ying Bu now wants to withdraw his troops, but he doesn't dare to. It's ridiculous! Liu Ji ordered him to raid Jiangdong to lure Xiang Yu over, and he already went too far by running back to Guangling. If he were to withdraw his troops from Guangling, Liu Ji would skin him alive.
Therefore, even if the troops were to withdraw, they would have to obtain Liu Ji's consent, or they could hold out in Guangling for a period of time before withdrawing.
If Xiang Yu hasn't even attacked yet, and he's already retreating, that would be a laughing stock. No matter how scared we are, we have to hold on.
"Pass on my order to send more men to guard the riverbank." Ying Bu had already ordered the defenses to be deployed along the riverbank when he returned, but he still felt it wasn't safe enough.
"Yes, sir." The soldier responded and slowly withdrew.
Ying Bu sighed, "I hope Cheng Hei can hold out for a few more days. No, if Xiang Yu comes, how can Cheng Hei stop him? I still hope that after Xiang Yu finishes fighting Cheng Hei, he can quickly return to Wuhu to deal with the main force of the Han army."
...
As night fell, the river surged even more vigorously.
In the Chu army camp in Wuhu, the Chu soldiers quietly lined up in formation. Then, a masked, burly general gave Ji Xin a few words of advice before leaving the camp and heading east.
This scene was witnessed by Han scouts, who promptly sent this urgent military intelligence to the Han army camp in Jiangxi that very night.
...
"Just as the strategist predicted, Xiang Yu has already set off under the cover of night. He thought he could deceive our army. How naive he was." Lü Ze sneered.
"Then I will immediately send someone to inform General Zhou and General Cao to prepare to cross the river," Lü Shizhi said excitedly.
Lu Ze glared at him. "What's the rush? We've only just left Xiang Yu and we're already making moves. What if Xiang Yu comes back? Wouldn't all our efforts be wasted? It's not too late to act tomorrow morning. Let Xiang Yu get away from us first."
"Well, brother is right," Lü Shizhi said, cupping his hands in greeting.
"However, it wouldn't hurt to inform General Zhou and General Cao in advance. We should also send someone to inform the King of Han and the strategist about this matter. Let's get on with it quickly." Lü Ze was in high spirits. He was determined to get plenty of rest tonight and succeed in one fell swoop tomorrow.
"Well," Lu Shizhi murmured after leaving the tent, "Ying Bu and Cheng Hei are probably in grave danger now. But if they knew Xiang Yu was coming, yet still couldn't find a safe place to hold their ground before he arrived, then who can they blame?"
...
Soon after, a fast horse arrived at the south bank of Chaohu Lake from Guchao, handed the intelligence to the soldiers responsible for relaying military information by the lake, and then traveled by water from Chaohu Lake directly to Liu Ji's camp. This route was much faster than going around the mountains from Liyang.
Liu Ji and Chen Ping were naturally delighted to learn that Xiang Yu had gone to relieve Danyang. They also discussed the next moves of Ying Bu and Cheng Hei. The ideal scenario was that Jiangdong would be left vulnerable, and Ying Bu and Cheng Hei's army would sweep through and capture many cities, preventing Xiang Yu from conquering them after a prolonged siege.
The worst-case scenario would be that Ying Bu and Cheng Hei would disobey orders and return to Jiangbei to defend the river in order to save their lives, making Xiang Yu's trip in vain, or that Xiang Yu would receive the news halfway and turn back. But the time it would take for Lü Ze and his army to cross the river would be enough.
In either case, the successful landing of the army in Jiangdong was a foregone conclusion, and Xiang Yu's strongest cavalry force was trapped in Juchao. Was there any suspense left in the outcome?
but……
"God of Wine, do you think Liu Ji and the others will realize our true intentions?" Xiang Yu asked in his heart, gazing at Jiangbei.
"Don't worry, King Xiang. If Liu Ji really had that ability, he wouldn't have ended up like this. The only chance they could cause us trouble was when Ying Bu and Cheng Hei's army abandoned Guangling and made a desperate gamble by advancing into the heart of Jiangdong, committing all sorts of atrocities such as burning, killing, looting, and pillaging."
In this way, the people of Jiangdong will suffer. If Xiang Yu cannot bear it and insists on saving them, Liu Ji can escape this calamity. But if Xiang Yu ignores the people of Jiangdong and moves to Jiangbei as originally planned, then Liu Ji will still die.
Liu Ji had no idea what the key to this great battle was. If Zhang Liang were still by his side, he might have figured it out, but Chen Ping was far behind; by the time he realized it, it was too late.
Hao Jiu had already carefully analyzed this major battle. The worst-case scenario was that Liu Ji would escape, and Xiang Yu would severely damage the Han army and recapture Jiujiang County.
If everything goes smoothly, Liu Ji is doomed, and this 'simple' beginner's task will be completed.
Xiang Yu asked himself, if Ying Bu and Cheng Hei really did go all out to burn, kill, and plunder in the heart of Jiangdong as Dionysus had suggested, he might have really given up this opportunity to completely defeat Liu Ji.
This choice might displease Dionysus, or it might cost him several more years to deal with Liu Ji, but so what?
In pursuit of victory, how can one disregard the lives of their fellow countrymen and elders, failing to save them when they could? How can one's conscience be at peace? Even if one were to successfully kill Liu Ji, upon returning to Jiangdong and witnessing its devastation, how could one face the surviving elders of Jiangdong?
Fortunately, Ying Bu and Cheng Hei did not have the courage to risk everything and sacrifice themselves for others, so Xiang Yu did not have to make a choice between two difficult options.
"Then let's begin, light the fire! Board the ship!" Xiang Yu waved his hand.
"Here you go!"
With a whoosh, a bonfire was lit on the south bank of the Yangtze River.
Then, one bonfire after another lit up the entire riverbank, burning brighter and brighter.
Hao Hu also participated in lighting the fire, but he couldn't understand why this would be tantamount to telling the defenders on the north bank that Xiang Yu was going to attack.
Wouldn't it be better to launch a surprise attack under the cover of night?
Could it be that Xiang Yu is now embracing those useless rules of battlefield etiquette again?
Just as Hao Hu had feared, the garrison on the north bank immediately guessed that the Chu army had arrived, and Shen Tu Jia, who was in charge of defending the riverbank, immediately sent someone to report the matter to Ying Bu.
"Hiss, could it be Xiang Yu? This is not good..." Ying Bu had a feeling. Only Xiang Yu could do such a thing, and there must be a deeper meaning to this move, but what exactly is it?
When Xiang Yu arrived at the riverbank, he was bound to cross the river. Lighting a fire certainly wasn't for warmth or light, so it must have been a signal... Who was he signaling to?
The Chu army of Jiangbei?
Ying Bu slammed his fist down. "Men! Immediately notify the besieging army to be on high alert! The Chu army inside Guangling City might come out to help Xiang Yu cross the river!"
"Yes, sir!" the soldier replied and hurriedly went to relay the order.
Ying Bu breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, he had thought of this, otherwise he might have been caught off guard by the Chu army in Guangling.
However, now that we are prepared, we are not afraid of the Chu army in Guangling charging out again. We might even be able to seize Guangling and defend the city. At that time, what can Xiang Yu do to me?
Ying Bu felt much more at ease. With 20,000 troops besieging Guangling City, there was no way their defenses could be breached if they were prepared.
As for the riverbank, Shen Tu Jia's nearly 20,000 troops should be able to hold out for a while. At that time, our army will use a counter-strategy to capture Guangling, and then everything will be fine.
However, compared to the other side, Guangling City is less secure. After all, the number of troops there is relatively small, and there are many wounded soldiers. They can only scare the Chu army in Guangling City, but they would probably have a hard time in a real battle. It would also be difficult to take Guangling City by taking advantage of the situation.
Thinking of this, Ying Bu decided to personally go to the outskirts of Guangling City to take command. He was determined to seize the opportunity to capture Guangling. Should he create a weakness for the Chu army in Guangling and lure them out as soon as possible?
"Men! Assemble the Imperial Guard and march! I, the King, will personally go to the walls of Guangling to oversee the battle!"
...
At this moment, the city of Guangling was brightly lit.
With his helmet and armor fully on, Xiang Guan gazed at the twinkling lights along the riverbank, a slow smile spreading across his face. He then turned and took a few quick steps towards the soldiers in the city, saying, "Brothers, prepare for battle! From tonight onward, your exploits will astound the entire world!"
"War! War! War!"
The Chu soldiers inside the city shouted in unison, and the sound reached the outside of the city, making the hairs on the heads of the Huainan and Zhao soldiers stand on end.
If Ying Bu could see the scene inside Guangling City, his first reaction would definitely be to flee! To flee at all costs!
Because Xiang Yu not only placed 10,000 infantrymen in Guangling City, but also hid 10,000 cavalrymen!
Of course, the real eight thousand Jiangdong men were indeed besieged in Juchao, but who says Xiang Yu only had those eight thousand cavalry?