My father, King Chu, was besieged at Gaixia

Chapter 165 Nothing to be afraid of
Outside Chenggao City.

The sun in the east gradually rose to the sky, casting its golden light on the top of the city. Outside the city, in the Chu army camp, Xiang Zhuang looked up at the towering and heavily guarded Chenggao, his frown showing a hint of deep worry.

After the Battle of Gaixia, Xiang Yu personally led the Chu army, like a flood, and marched straight into the Han camp. Along the way, the army was sharp and invincible, unstoppable, and crossed the Honggou and attacked the outside of Chenggao City today.

As they captured cities one after another along the way, they left soldiers and generals to garrison there. Now that they had arrived here, the Chu army still had 20,000 cavalry and 20,000 infantry, totaling 40,000 troops.

As for the Han army, they gathered soldiers and generals stationed in cities along the way, and Zhang Ao led 20,000 troops to come to the rescue from Zhao. Xiao He also recruited more than 30,000 young and strong men aged between 15 and 55 from Guanzhong, and the strength of the Han army camp once again reached 70,000.

The Han camp, which had been retreating all the way, finally stopped retreating and repeated its old tactics in Chenggao City, building deep trenches and fortifications to block the Chu army.

Since the Han camp had the advantage of geographical location and military strength, the Chu army failed to gain much advantage after repeated attacks, and the two armies once again formed a confrontation.

Xiang Zhuang knew very well why Liu Bang chose Chenggao to attack his Great Chu army.

Last time, Liu Bang took advantage of Xiang Yu's unpreparedness and broke through Pengcheng. After achieving a brilliant victory in the war against the Chu State, he became too proud of himself and was defeated by the Overlord who led 30,000 cavalrymen to defeat his 560,000-strong army in one fell swoop, and all his wealth accumulated over the years was wiped out.

Afterwards, he retreated to the Chenggao and Xingyang line, where he stabilized his position and engaged in a seesaw battle with the Great Chu for more than two years.

During this period, he built deep trenches and fortifications, held his ground, and delayed the main force of the Overlord, creating favorable conditions for Han Xin to conquer Zhao, Qi, and Han, Peng Yue to take Liang, and Ying Bu and Liu Jia to conquer the old Chu. This eventually led to the formation of a siege, forcing the Overlord to retreat to Gaixia.

Now he chose to hold on to this place again and fight the final battle with Da Chu, obviously hoping that this place could bring him good luck again and continue his previous glory.

Xiang Zhuang originally sneered at his thoughts, thinking that Liu Laosan was dreaming.

However, to Xiang Zhuang's surprise, there was another setback in the rear of the Great Chu. Zhongli Mei, Ji Bu and Xiang Guan, who were attacking Jiujiang, were defeated. Not only Ji Bu died in the battle, but Zhongli Mei's whereabouts were unknown. Only Xiang Guan escaped by chance.

That would have been fine, but the key point was that Li Shang personally led an army to launch a surprise attack on Chen County, and with the cooperation of Li Ji, an insider, he retook Chen County in one fell swoop.

As a result, the Chu army under the city of Chenggao was caught in a dangerous situation with its retreat cut off.

"At that time, I also considered that the Chu army was insufficient. In order to stabilize the rear as soon as possible and concentrate the army to attack the Han camp, I chose to trust that bastard Li Ji. Not only did I forgive his previous betrayal, I also advised the Overlord to continue to use him and let him continue to stay in Chen County. This gave this guy the opportunity to betray again."

"The eldest son has said many times, 'I am not afraid of god-like enemies, but I am afraid of teammates who are like pigs.' I used to curse Cao Ju, Sima Xin, Zhou Yin and others as pigs, but now I am not a pig like them? Alas, the eldest son has said many times that the road to final victory is tortuous and difficult, and it is true. But what should I do about the current situation?"

As he thought about it, Xiang Zhuang, with a frown on his face, couldn't help but cast his eyes on the majestic and mighty body of the Overlord in front of him.

Upon hearing the news that Chen County had rebelled and returned to the Han camp, Overlord was not surprised at all. As usual, he led his generals to patrol the camp and spy on the movements in Chenggao City.

Just as Xiang Zhuang was feeling overwhelmed and didn't know how to start, Xiang Ta beside him shouted anxiously:
"Your Majesty, our retreat has been cut off and we can't deliver any food to our army. We only have more than ten days of food and grass. If we continue to delay, the situation will be dangerous. It would be safer for us to withdraw our troops and go back to clean up Chen County first."

Before Xiang Yu could say anything, Huan Chu shook his head and said angrily, "What are you talking about! We only have 40,000 troops at the moment, while the Han camp has 70,000. If we retreat, won't we be held fast? And then Li Shang will lead his troops to launch a surprise attack and give us a head-on blow. If we are trapped from both sides, won't it be difficult to predict whether we will live or die?"

"How could I not know the danger of retreating? Aren't we forced to do so? Even if we are attacked from both sides, with the king here, we will still have the strength to fight, but it is better than sitting and waiting to die now? - If you don't agree to withdraw, then what do you want to do?" Xiang Ta glared and said with his neck stiffened in indignation.

"Attack! All 40,000 troops should move forward, regardless of casualties. In the shortest possible time, we must defeat the Han camp and capture Chenggao! Taking Chenggao will not only completely defeat the main force of the Han camp, but also make it easier to attack Liu Bang's base camp in Guanzhong and Hanzhong. We will also receive food and grass supplies from the Han camp, and there will be no more worries about food shortages." Huan Chu waved his arms, looked at the Han camp fiercely, and said excitedly.

When Xiang Ta heard this, he shook his head at his radical strategy and was about to refute it again. The Overlord suddenly waved his hand to stop the verbal confrontation between the two and said in a firm tone:

"No need to say more, I have made up my mind. If the enemy does not move, I will not move either. I will confront the Han camp right here in Chenggao!"

Huan Chu and Xiang Ta were stunned.

Looking back at the two generals who looked anxious and tried to dissuade them, Xiang Yu smiled and said, "You are all focused on the present, but you have forgotten that we still have a living army. Whether Chen County in the rear is lost or the situation in Jiujiang is changing, you don't need to worry about it. Chang'er will take care of it."

Not only Huan Chu and Xiang Ta, but even Xiang Zhuang found it hard to believe.

Chen Yezhu is a cunning man who uses his troops cunningly and is not so easy to deal with. This can be seen from the fact that three important generals, Zhongli Mei, Ji Bu and Xiang Guan, all suffered heavy defeats at his hands.

Now he has the upper hand and the advantage of geographical location. All the noble families in Jiujiang are attached to him. Young Master Chang has been rushing thousands of miles from Yan. The soldiers are tired. How can they achieve a decisive victory in such a hurry?
Huan Chu swallowed his saliva and was about to speak when he saw several soldiers leading a panic-stricken general with torn armor, running from behind the formation.

When the distance was still far, the general had already jumped off his horse and knelt on the ground in shame before Xiang Yu.

When the generals saw Xiang Guan, they were all shocked. They wondered what bad news this guy had brought by suddenly coming here.

Overlord Xiang Yu's expression also changed.

Fortunately, Xiang Guan's next words made them breathe a sigh of relief and they couldn't help but feel happy:

"I was defeated and lost Jiujiang. General Ji Bu died in battle, and General Zhongli Mei was captured and jumped to his death in front of the Han and Chu armies in Yinling County! In a rage, Master Chang broke through Yinling in one fell swoop, defeated the Han army, and killed Chen Xi and the noble families in Jiujiang. Now that Jiujiang has been pacified, Master Chang has moved his troops to Chen County to eliminate the capricious villains Li Shang and Li Ji!"

Xiang Guan was also very cunning. After being released by Qu Fu, he knew that he would meet the Overlord as a defeated general. Although the Overlord would not kill him, he would still be severely punished. Therefore, he walked very slowly all the way, sending his guards to go back and secretly inquire about the victory or defeat of the battle in Yinling County.

As expected, the eldest son did not disappoint him. He took Yinling in one fell swoop and killed Chen Xi, giving him, Zhongli Mei, Ji Bu, and the dead Chu soldiers a great vent. Xiang Guan, who was very happy, did not delay any longer and rode his horse as fast as he could to see the Overlord. He changed from asking for forgiveness for defeat to announcing good news!

I have to say, this guy really knows how to do it!
When the generals heard this, they were all delighted.

When the Overlord heard the good news, although he had always been full of confidence in his son, he was still quite happy now that the victory had come. He ignored Xiang Guan's little tricks, and did not punish him severely for his defeat, but only demoted him by one level.

Now that their worries were gone, the Chu army focused their attention and continued to fight against the Han camp.

Chen County, the county magistrate's office.

Li Shang, the general of the Han cavalry, knelt down with his sword in hand, his eyes wide open and his face full of anger.

Under his gaze, the scout who brought the news trembled in fear.

County Magistrate Chen Liji, who was kneeling beside him, also had an anxious look on his face. He swept the dishes filled with mutton, venison, chicken and other delicacies on the table in front of him to the ground with a flick of his sleeve, and shouted at the musicians and dancers who were playing music and singing and dancing, "Get out! Get out!"

He defeated Zhongli Mei's army in Jiujiang in one fell swoop. Then Li Ji, who had his eyes on the Han camp, rebelled, allowing Chen County to return to the Han camp and cut off the retreat of the Chu army.

As a result, Xiang Chang's army was pinned down in Yinling by Chen Xi, and Xiang Yu's army was pinned down in Chenggao by the King of Han. The rebellious Chen County was like a wedge, blocking the Chu army in half, making it impossible for the father and son armies to take care of each other.

The situation was very good, and the Han Dynasty's destruction of the Chu State was just around the corner. There was no need to continue the attack, as long as they waited quietly for the two armies to run out of food, they would naturally usher in the final victory.

Therefore, Li Ji and Li Shang, who were in a good mood, cooked mutton and feasted, enjoyed dancing and music, and had a great time.

But just when their feast was about to reach its climax, this scout brought the news of death, and plunged them into the bottomless abyss:
Xiang Chang captured Yinling in one battle, captured Chen Xi alive and killed him, and the Han army defending the city was completely wiped out. The Chu army changed direction and marched day and night to Chen County City, and will arrive at the city tonight...

The two generals only thought that the Han camp would be revived this time, but after hearing this news, they realized that it was just a last gasp!

Musicians, dancers, and scouts all tumbled and crawled out of the main hall.

The neck is long and thin, the body is long and thin, the head is round like a winter melon, and the growth is very unique. After drinking enough wine, the rosy little lips turned waxy and yellow. He shivered and said, "It's bitter! What can I do?!"

At this moment, he wished he could slap himself to death.

I have clearly rejoined the Chu State and gained the King's forgiveness, so why did I rebel again? The Chu State would never give me a chance to be so fickle. They would just wipe me out, no, they would definitely exterminate my entire clan!
Thinking of this, Li Ji couldn't help but shiver.

"What can you do? You have no way out. Just hang yourself on this crooked tree in the Han camp!" Li Shang glanced at him and said with a warning.

"Of course I know! What I mean is, in Chen County, we have your 10,000 troops and my 3,000 troops. How can we defend ourselves with only 13,000 soldiers facing the siege of tens of thousands of the Chu army? Let's abandon the city and leave before the Chu army arrives!" Li Ji smiled bitterly and spoke earnestly.

"Go? Where to? If we lose this battle, no matter how big the world is, there will be no place for you and me to stay. Humph, you just stay in the county town honestly, and I will lead the army to meet Xiang Chang. I don't believe that this kid is really that powerful! As long as we can kill him in battle, we still have a chance of winning!" Li Shang's firm words were full of murderous intent. He threw down the sharp stick and went straight out of the county magistrate's mansion.

He trusted Li Ji more than himself and was not afraid that he would cause any trouble.

Not long after, Li Shang gathered his only 7,000 cavalrymen, and after it got dark, they quietly left the city and set up an ambush at the mouth of a canyon thirty miles south of the city.

He knew the terrain around Chen County very well, and this place was the only way for the Chu army to attack Chen County.

He had chosen the ambush site when he defeated the armies of Ji Bu, Xiang Guan and Zhongli Mei in Jiujiang that day, and now he was obviously trying to recreate the glory of that battle.

Li Shang lined up the 6,000 cavalrymen, stood at the front of the line, holding a spear horizontally and riding a strong horse with brown fur. He took a long breath and exhaled slowly, his heart filled with anticipation and excitement before the battle.

The Chu army had come a long way, and Xiang Chang would never have thought that the Chen county garrison with only a few thousand soldiers would dare to abandon the advantage of the city wall and attack him head-on. Therefore, he was fully confident that he could catch the Chu army off guard in this battle.

"Xiang Chang, you are just like Zhongli Mei. You both become arrogant and conceited once you win. You actually dared to march at night to attack Chen County. I will teach you a good lesson!"

Just as Li Shang was secretly turning his thoughts, the sound of horse hooves rolled in like a tide, countless points of fire appeared, and countless Chu cavalrymen, holding torches, kept rushing out of the canyon.

"Kill!" Li Shang gave the order without hesitation, and then personally led hundreds of escort cavalry to charge forward.

The 7,000 Han cavalry, who had been on full alert for a long time, immediately took action like a startled beast, and launched an attack closely, with the speed gradually increasing, as they attacked the more than a thousand Chu troops who were rushing out with great force.

"Enemy attack--" The Chu cavalry who rushed out first blew the horn immediately, and then while cursing, they quickly formed into a formation without panic, and ignited rockets on torches and fired them continuously, illuminating the night sky to see how many cavalry were attacking.

"The Han cavalry has only 7,000 people. They are nothing to be afraid of. Immediately pass the message to General Tian Jian in the rear. The rest of the soldiers follow me to charge and buy time for the brothers behind." After the cavalry general who rushed out first gave the order, he called out and led more than a thousand cavalry to launch a suicide sniper attack on the Han cavalry that was rushing towards them in a black mass.

"How come these Great Chu cavalry are completely different from the cavalry under Zhongli Mei and others? Could it be that all the cavalry under Zhongli Mei are fake?"

Seeing this scene, Li Shang's heart sank.

(End of this chapter)