My father, King Chu, was besieged at Gaixia

Chapter 135 A Fair Battle

A few dozen miles northeast of Xincai County, there is a canyon with steep cliffs. At the bottom of the valley there is a broad official road, which is the only way for Xincai and surrounding counties to Gaixia.

The 30,000 Han troops who came from Jiujiang County set up camp in the canyon and defended it strictly, thus cutting off the road that passed through the canyon.

Inside the commander's tent, Lu Ze sat at the first seat, with Shusun Tong sitting on both sides, as well as his generals Gu Feng, Feng Wuzhe, Guo Ting, Guo Meng, etc. They roasted lamb legs on a charcoal brazier, enjoyed fine wine, and leisurely admired the bleak autumn scenery outside the tent. There was no tense atmosphere before the battle at all.

As for the military advisor Zhang Liang, he was nowhere to be seen.

According to Zhang Liang's plan, Shusun Tong was sent as an envoy to Jiujiang Army to seek an audience with Ying Bu and persuade him, and the progress was indeed very smooth.

When Ying Bu heard that Lu Ze wanted to make peace with him and offered him the entire Jiujiang County in exchange for his withdrawal of troops, he thought that Lu Ze was intimidated by him and was afraid of his reputation. He was afraid that if he continued to fight, his entire army would be wiped out and he would not be able to explain to Liu Bang, so he was very happy and agreed immediately.

At the moment, Ying Bu urgently needed a place to recuperate and rest his tired and exhausted troops. Getting Jiujiang County for free was just what he wanted. Needless to say, he was unaware of Lu Ze's plan. Even if he knew that this was a delaying tactic of the Han Dynasty so that they could turn around and concentrate their forces to deal with Xiang Chang, he would agree without hesitation.

As for whether Xiang Chang lived or died, or whether the Han camp would come to deal with him once Xiang Chang was destroyed and the Chu State collapsed, Ying Bu, who had no foresight and was mysteriously confident in his own military talents, did not care at all.

After the two sides had made arrangements, the Han army immediately withdrew its camp, withdrew from Jiujiang County, and retreated southward to Lujiang County and Yuzhang County.

Of course, in order to contain Ying Bu's army and prevent him from taking over Jiujiang County smoothly, Lu Ze spread his sting throughout Jiujiang County, secretly armed the private soldiers of the noble families, and ordered them to constantly create rebellions to hold Ying Bu back. He kept the eldest sons of these noble families in the army as his own guards, so as not to worry about them having second thoughts.

In addition, he appointed Chen Xi as the general and led 20,000 troops to station at the border between Jiujiang County and Lujiang County to prevent Ying Bu from suddenly rushing into Lujiang County like a mad dog.

Everything was arranged properly. Lu Ze personally led 30,000 troops to make a circle, leaving Jiujiang County, entering Huaiyang County, and began to focus on intercepting Xiang Chang.

By sending out dense scouts, Lu Ze was able to keep track of Xiang Chang's movements at all times, and constantly adjusted the interception locations based on Xiang Chang's marching route. Now he finally blocked him in Xincai County.

Xiang Chang was escorting such a large grain train, but he couldn't be as elusive as he was when he entered the Linjiang Kingdom. It was almost like playing an open card. His every move was seen clearly by the scouts of the Han camp, and naturally all of it was known to Lu Ze.

Lu Zezhi chose this canyon to intercept Xiang Chang's grain team. Besides the fact that this was the only way to Gaixia, he was not afraid that Xiang Chang would run away somewhere else. In addition, he was also strictly implementing Zhang Liang's strategy of "setting up strong camps, defending instead of attacking, and dragging Xiang Chang to death."

Zhang Liang had told him that the Xiang family father and son were good at attacking, especially at using cavalry. Even if they had an advantage in numbers, it would be difficult to guarantee a complete victory in a head-on confrontation. Right now, Xiang Chang was anxious to return to Gaixia to save the army from running out of food, so time was on the side of the Han camp. As long as they were stopped and blocked, so that even if they had food in their hands, they could not transport it back, then the mission would be accomplished. There was no need to fight him for a short period of time.

Lu Ze, who was accustomed to using military force, agreed with this.

Therefore, after much exploration, he chose this place which was easy to defend but difficult to attack, and arrived there two days in advance, set up camp, and had the soldiers cut wood from the surrounding hills to make fences and chevaux de frise to prepare for thorough defense.

According to the scouts' report, Xiang Chang's grain army is expected to arrive here at noon tomorrow. The reason why Lu Ze and the other generals were so relaxed and relaxed, and even had the mind to eat lamb legs and drink fine wine, was naturally because they were extremely confident in this heavily defended camp, and they foresaw that Xiang Chang would be beaten to a pulp here.

Shusun Tong had witnessed Lü Ze's military strategy during this period, which was indeed incomparable to Huang Jizhong's. He felt relieved and leisurely admired the wilderness outside the tent. He laughed and said, "General, you chose this place to bury Xiang Chang's son. It's really a good feng shui site for him, but it's a bargain for him. Let me first toast to the general and congratulate him on this victory and his extraordinary achievements in establishing the foundation of the Han Dynasty."

Shusun Tong's old face was filled with ardent admiration, and he showed his heartfelt respect for Lu Ze's military talent. He didn't show at all that he was resentful of Lu Ze for forcing him to go on a mission to Ying Bu's army regardless of his old life.

During this period, Shusun Tong completely revolved around Lu Ze, flattering him everywhere and complimenting him all the time, with his emotional value maximized. Lu Ze felt that although the old guy was old and ugly, he still spoke very nicely. His impression of him changed greatly, and his resentment towards him for losing the Kingdom of Linjiang also dissipated greatly.

Now, hearing his just-right flattery again, he felt it had touched his heart completely. With a look of reserved complacency on his face, he picked up the wine and drank it in one gulp.

"The cavalry of the Great Chu is the best in the world, so what? The infantry of the Great Chu is able to endure hardships in battle and is not inferior to the Qin army back then, so what? Now facing our 30,000 troops, can they not only sigh in vain and be helpless? The King of Han annihilated the Overlord at Gaixia, and the general destroyed Xiang Chang at Xincai. These will undoubtedly become stories passed down to later generations." The general Gu Feng twirled his short beard under his chin, his expression was proud, and his tone was high. He was not willing to be outdone in praising Lu Ze.

"Doesn't this mean that Xiang Chang's hard work in traveling to Linjiang Kingdom was completely in vain? Even if he conquers Linjiang Kingdom, it will be in vain? He worked diligently to transport food here, but when he took a closer look, hey, it's totally unbearable! - What do you think he is working so hard for? Wouldn't it be better for him to die with his father at Gaixia? At least he will have company on the road to the underworld and not be lonely." General Feng Wuzhe stood up, swaying, and described with a funny expression the predicament of Xiang Chang who had worked so hard but ended up at the end of his rope, making the generals laugh out loud.

"I've heard for a long time that Xiang Chang has inherited the true military tactics from Overlord, and my brothers and I would like to compete with him. Unfortunately, we don't have the chance this time." The proud words of brothers Guo Ting and Guo Meng revealed an inexplicable regret.

Whether it is Feng Wuze, Guo Ting, Guo Meng, Gu Feng, Ding Fu, Chen Xi, etc., they are all generals of Lü Ze's faction, and they are all skilled in military strategy, brave and have made outstanding military achievements. After the establishment of the Han Dynasty, Guo Meng was granted the title of Marquis of Dongwu, Guo Ting was granted the title of Marquis of A Ling, and Feng Wuze was granted the title of Marquis of Bocheng.

The ancestors of these three people were not commoners like Liu Bang.

Feng Wuze's ancestor was Feng Huan, a famous guest of Mengchangjun of Qi during the Warring States Period who "talked about swords and sang songs". He dug "three burrows for a cunning rabbit" for Tian Wen, consolidated Tian Wen's position as prime minister of Qi, and was deeply trusted by Tian Wen.

The ancestors of the Guo brothers lived much earlier, dating back to the Spring and Autumn Period, when they were officials of the Guo State. Later, the Guo State was destroyed by the Jin Dynasty, and the family fled to the capital Luoyang, living outside the city walls, and were called Dongguo and Xiguo. During the chaos at the end of the Qin Dynasty, the brothers Guo Meng and Guo Ting gathered their family forces to start a rebellion against the Qin Dynasty, and later joined Lu Ze and became generals. It is worth mentioning that the descendants of the two brothers continued to multiply and grow, forming five prominent families in Taiyuan, Henan, Yingchuan, Dongjun, and Fengyi, with far-reaching influence, not inferior to Yang Xi, the ancestor of the Yang family.

"We must be cautious with Xiang Chang and not underestimate him." Lu Ze's square face lost its smile, and the majesty he exuded made the atmosphere in the commander's tent solemn. "According to the route, Xiang Chang's food team will arrive at Xincai County tonight. Gu Feng, you and Feng Wuze will stay in the camp. Guo Ting, Guo Meng, you must mobilize 4,000 cavalrymen under your command and follow me to launch a night attack and strike Xiang Chang head-on!"

When the generals heard this, they were greatly surprised.

"Why, surprise? You are all surprised, but Xiang Chang is even less likely to think of it. We cannot use troops by following the rules. If this night attack succeeds, it will not only weaken Xiang Chang's military strength, but also put him in a dilemma and shake his morale."

According to today's saying, Lü Ze can be called a hexagonal warrior, not only good at military strategy and domestic affairs, but also very strategic. In terms of military affairs alone, he is not inferior to first-class generals such as Cao Shen, Zhou Bo, and Guan Ying in the Han camp. "To take the initiative and win the battle, it's great!" The more Gu Feng and other generals thought about it, the brighter their eyes became, and they couldn't help but applaud.

Zhang Liang's strategy was to hold the defense and wear down Xiang Chang. On this basis, Lu Ze launched a surprise attack at night to attack Xiang Chang's grain army, intending to inflict heavy damage on it. However, this greatly weakened the situation. After that, Xiang Chang's army saw that the road ahead was blocked and went berserk. They attacked frantically, which put great pressure on the Han army that was holding on here.

Lu Ze stood up in the tent, with his hands behind his back, and calmly issued military orders to the generals one by one:

"Since it is a surprise attack, we must focus on catching the enemy by surprise. First, send out scouts to find out where Xiang Chang's army will camp at night. In addition, we will start the attack at night, with men holding their tongues and horses holding rings, so as to be silent. Our cavalry are also equipped with stirrups and are familiar with the roads, so there will be no problem traveling at night. We will arrive in Xincai at midnight, when Xiang Chang's army should be fast asleep. Guo Ting, Guo Meng, each of you lead an army to attack from the left and right, and I will lead an army to charge in from the front. We will attack from three directions at the same time, and make sure Xiang Chang's army..."

Just as the generals were getting excited and felt that this night attack was a sure thing, a messenger suddenly bowed at the door of the tent and reported:
"Report, General, the Great Chu's rear general Xiang Chang has sent an envoy to request an audience."

When these words were spoken, the generals were surprised and puzzled.

General Lu Ze also frowned.

"Has Xiang Chang already known that we are defending here and ambushing him?" The impatient Guo Tingxian couldn't help but speak first.

Feng Wuze nodded slowly: "It seems so. We can send flying cavalry to investigate the movement of Xiang Chang's grain team. It makes no sense that Xiang Chang would not send scouts to check the road in advance. It is reasonable for him to find us here and intercept us."

Lu Ze waved his robe sleeves, sat down again on his seat, and signaled the soldiers to bring in the envoy from Chu.

The generals sat crookedly in their seats, drinking and eating meat, looking lazy.

The Chu envoy who walked into the tent was a sturdy cavalryman of the Chu army. After greeting Lu Ze, he placed a large brocade box and a silk book on the desk, and said with a cupped hand: "This is a letter and a small gift from my eldest son to the general." After greeting again, he took his leave and left the tent.

"Haha, this gift box looks quite exquisite. Could it be that Xiang Chang is scared and is begging for mercy from the general?" Looking at the silk book and brocade box on the desk, Guo Ting said sarcastically.

Recalling Zhang Liang's judgment on Xiang Chang's character, Lu Ze's eyes were solemn. He shook his head, reached out to pick up the silk book, unfolded it, and his face suddenly became gloomy.

Seeing the generals looking at him with curiosity, Lu Ze snorted and threw the silk book aside to pass it around.

The generals could not wait to take it and saw the following words written on the silk book:

"Recently, I was ordered to punish the criminals. The flags pointed southward, and the generals surrendered. Now I have gathered tens of thousands of elite Chu troops and would like to go hunting with you at night in Xincai!"

The generals looked at each other, all slightly surprised: Could it be that Xiang Chang had the ability to predict the future, and actually calculated that he would attack him tonight? This night attack plan was Lu Ze's sudden idea, and it was just freshly made, otherwise they would have suspected that someone among them had secretly communicated with the Great Chu. It was also because of this that Xiang Chang's estimate of Lu Ze's thoughts made them even more suspicious after careful consideration.

Lu Ze felt a heavy weight on his heart, and a sense of uneasiness that things were out of control arose. Xiang Chang dared to send this letter, which meant that he had taken precautions, and he might even have set up a trap. Therefore, his plan for a night attack came to nothing and died in the womb.

"This kid is so smart that he took a look at the general's military strategy..." Guo Ting was the first to speak, but he stopped halfway and swallowed the rest of the sentence.

Even so, Lu Ze couldn't help but look unhappy.

After glancing at Guo Ting, which made him shrink his neck, Lu Ze opened the brocade box in front of him.

Since Xiang Chang had seen through the night attack and the words in the silk book were so arrogant and rude, there naturally wouldn't be any gifts in the brocade box.

However, even though Lu Ze had expected this, he still couldn't help but be stunned when he actually saw the items in the brocade box.

The generals who gathered around were also shocked. No, to be more precise, they were shocked!
Inside the brocade box was a luxurious long gown for women with a curved hem.

In particular, there are two lines of ink writing on the inside of the brocade box lid:

The mouth of a bamboo snake and the sting of a wasp's tail.

Neither of them is poisonous, but the heart of a woman is vicious.

——What does this mean? Combined with the silk book just now, this is clearly scolding Lu Ze for not being a man, not even daring to fight in an upright manner, and only being able to plot and scheme like a woman to attack at night!

Lü Ze, the great general of the Han Dynasty, did not get his position by relying on his sister Lü Zhi. He followed Liu Bang in the rebellion against Qin, especially in the early battles with the Qin cavalry. He was extremely powerful and had outstanding military exploits. Even the King of Han, Liu Bang, was very afraid of him and treated him with courtesy. But now he was humiliated by the immature boy Xiang Chang. No matter what era, it was unbearable for a man to be called a delicate woman. He roared and kicked the brocade box and the documents underneath to pieces.

"Pass the order and organize the troops. I want to have a fight with this kid in the lower hall of Xincai City! I, Lu Ze, swear I will not be a human being if I don't kill this kid!" Lu Ze was furious, his hair and beard were flying, and he shouted loudly.

(End of this chapter)