In order to become a Heroic Spirit, I had no choice but to cause trouble in history.

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Regarding the two-day hiatus in updates

I'm helping out at a classmate's wedding; updates will resume tomorrow.

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Chapter 961 The Gathering of the City Warriors

Without delay, Xiang An mustered 15,000 Chu soldiers early the next morning and led the troops toward Chengwu.

During the march, Xiang An kept thinking about the best course of action for Western Chu.

Liu Ji on the west side needs more time. The army led by Han Xin is obviously much stronger than the army led by Liu Ji himself. The progress of attacking the two Qin states in the north is also not slow. More than two months have passed since the capture of Chencang, and the results have been quite fruitful. Xiang An knows Han Xin very well. The likes of Dong Yi and Sima Xin are no match for him.

However, this does not mean that Liu Ji's own combat strength is weak. On the contrary, with the help of Changshan King Zhang Er and Zhang Liang, Liu Ji's defense line set up in the central plains will be extremely solid. Even if Xiang Yu wanted to break through, it would take him some time, not to mention the harassment from Peng Yue's Three Qi forces at the river to the north.

An individual's power cannot sway the course of the entire war, not to mention that Xiang An is worried about an even more serious situation.

Xiang Yu has lost the hearts of the people.

The Three Qi were not a major problem for either Western Chu or for the kings to its west—King Gong'ao of Linjiang, King Wu Rui of Hengshan, and King Ying Bu of Jiujiang—but...

Unfortunately, none of these three people were willing to come and help.

Wu Rui and Gong Ao were both shrewd men. If Liu Ji had promised them something when the feudal lords gathered in Xianyang, or if they had already formed an alliance, Xiang An would not be surprised. Liu Ji was one of the most powerful feudal lords during the campaign against Qin, and compared to Xiang Yu, Liu Ji's diplomatic skills, or rather Zhang Liang and Li Shiqi's diplomatic skills, were far superior.

After Xiang Yu, apart from Xiang An, Chen Ping, and Fan Zeng, there were no other capable strategists. Fan Zeng was even sent home to "retire," feeling extremely disappointed, and it was estimated that he wouldn't live much longer. Xiang An and Chen Ping were left, but they were also unable to support the army alone.

There was also King Yingbu of Jiujiang, who colluded with Wu Rui and his son-in-law. If Wu Rui didn't come, he wouldn't come either.

“If we want to break out of the current predicament, the north is the key.” Xiang An turned to look at Zijuan and said, “But let’s wait until we get to Chengwu and see my brother before we talk about the specifics. I need to find out what the situation is in the south.”

As he spoke, Xiang An narrowed his eyes.

He wanted to cultivate Zijuan into the next great general of Western Chu, and in Xiang An's view, Zijuan had the potential.

Currently, Western Chu is engaged in a war of attrition, and there are no capable and resourceful generals among its military commanders. Furthermore, its diplomacy has been under intense pressure from Liu Ji during the few days that Xiang An was away from the Central Plains. Xiang An believes it is necessary to cultivate someone who can take over the responsibilities when he is overwhelmed. After all, his elder brother... Xiang An cannot figure him out, so he dares not gamble.

He couldn't help but recall the admonition Han Xin had given him in front of the Xianyang Palace that day, and let out a long sigh.

He knew all too well how unbearable it would be to continue following his mentally challenged older brother, but he still held onto a sliver of hope for him.

Since the two brothers were dug out of the pit in Yin Ruins by Xiang Chao before they were even fully formed, they have been inseparable. Together they went beyond the Great Wall to relieve the troubles of the Central Plains' foreign tribes, together they were brought back to the Central Plains by the Black-Faced Ghost Wen Ju, together they awakened their true humanity under Xiang Liang's command, together...

He still wanted to believe in his older brother.

Let me believe one last time...

“Southward…” Zijuan frowned, pondering the present moment just like Xiang An.

Chengwu.

Xiang Yu frowned, calculating his next move.

He suddenly realized that things were getting out of his control.

The military might of Western Chu instilled fear throughout the world. The strong can unite the weak, thus giving rise to a powerful force that can emerge alongside the strong. This is what is meant by a catfish, and Western Chu is clearly that catfish.

But now, something seems off about that newly emerged powerhouse?

The forces that Liu Ji could unite exceeded Xiang Yu's expectations, and Xiang Yu had a vague sense of unease.

"Where exactly did we miss?" Xiang Yu stroked his beard, leaning back in his chair as he pondered.

After pondering for a long time, Xiang Yu finally settled on a name.

"Han Xin," Xiang Yu murmured, "Perhaps I should have killed him earlier..."

"Brother, who are you going to kill?" A slightly rough voice came from outside the tent. A tall man lifted the curtain and walked in. It was Xiang An.

"Xiang An? It seems that the Northern Fuyu have been pacified." Xiang Yu glanced at Xiang An in surprise and stood up.

"What's the situation here now?" Xiang An nodded and walked to the side of the sand table. "What's the situation with the three to the south?"

Xiang An was not actually surprised that Xiang Yu wanted to kill Han Xin. If Han Xin hadn't been able to crush the two Qin states with Liu Ji's backing, Liu Ji wouldn't have been able to defend this pass so resolutely.

"With four states surrounding Chu, we can't get out for the time being." Xiang Yu shook his head. "The other smaller states are wavering, seemingly waiting for a gesture or... a temporary outcome."

Xiang An ignored Xiang Yu and simply observed the sand table, applying his own thoughts to its format.

How many soldiers are available for deployment?

"I have mobilized another portion, and now there are about 60,000 troops on the front lines participating in the skirmishes. There will be additional troops to supplement this force, bringing the total to 80,000."

“I also brought 15,000, that’s enough.” Xiang An patted the edge of the sand table and looked into Xiang Yu’s eyes. “Brother, you…”

Xiang Yu said nothing, but calmly looked at Xiang An, as if waiting for Xiang An to speak.

Xiang An wanted to say something, but shook his head, swallowing his words, and continued to ask, "What's the situation in the south? Aren't Ying Bu, Wu Rui, and Gong Ao all willing to provide support?"

Xiang Yu shrugged.

“I asked the third brother to urge them, but Wu Rui said he was old and frail, Ying Bu said he was unwell, and as for Gong Ao, he didn’t let the third brother in.”

"What nonsense about being old and frail!" Xiang An cursed. "When Wu Rui attacked Qin, he was full of energy, but in less than half a year he's already old and frail?"

“It’s just an excuse. We’re currently tied down by multiple countries, and they’re refusing to come to our aid precisely because they’ve identified this.” Xiang Yu rubbed his fingertips against the table and shook his head. “However, they’re also hesitant right now. If we can gain the upper hand, we’ll break the current balance.”

"I'm going to deal with those bastards from Sanqi." Xiang An's tone was tinged with resentment. "I still have a score to settle with that scoundrel Peng Yue."

"...How many men do you need?" Xiang Yu pondered for a moment, then remained silent about Peng Yue spreading rumors about Xiang An.

"Give me the additional troops you need, enough to reach 50,000. Within six months, the Three Kingdoms will be pacified." Xiang An's eyes flashed with murderous intent as he looked outside the tent and snorted coldly.

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Chapter 962 Open and Covert Struggles

"General—!"

Outside Linzi city, an urgent shout broke the tranquility of dawn.

Peng Yue was tidying up his tent when he was suddenly startled.

Seeing the messenger rushing into the tent in a panic, Peng Yue coldly rebuked him: "What's with the panic? What kind of behavior is this!"

"Report! General, I have something to report!" The messenger knelt on the ground, raised half of his body, and panted heavily.

"Speak!" Peng Yue frowned and nodded.

"According to intelligence from the spies the King planted in the Chu army, General Xiang An of Western Chu has returned! He has joined forces with King Xiang Yu of Chu in Chengwu, and they should be mustering their troops to advance north now!" The messenger reported to Peng Yue in a very fast voice.

Rebirth in the Great Era of Surfing Waves

"They're already here? So fast?" Peng Yue suddenly stood up and muttered to himself unconsciously.

"Keep an eye on the next intelligence update." With a wave of his hand, Peng Yue signaled the messenger to leave first, while he himself walked to the side of the sand table and began to observe the situation on it.

Han and Chu actually shared a border, but that border was mostly in the mountains, so it was easily ignored. Peng Yue knew very well that Xiang An would definitely head north to cause him trouble upon his return.

"We need to find a way to get those two lads, Tian An and Tian Bing, to deal with Tian Shi as soon as possible. If the three Qi states can't stand together, they definitely can't stop generals like Xiang An." Peng Yue was somewhat self-aware. He came from humble beginnings and didn't initially respond to Chen Sheng's uprising. Instead, he chose to gather a group of people in the mountains and forests of Juye Marsh and become a bandit. Later, when Xiang Liang led his army across the Huai River to resist Zhang Han, he sent Liu Ji to subdue Peng Yue. Since then, Peng Yue had followed under Liu Ji to repay Liu Ji's kindness in sparing his life.

"If Xiang An intends to attack the Three Qi regions in the north, he will definitely start by targeting Jibei. We need to set up our defenses in advance..."

......

Peng Yue's prediction was correct; Xiang An was already preparing to attack Jibei.

The three Qi states, from west to east, are Jibei, Qi, and Jiaodong, all of which border Western Chu. However, Xiang Yu is currently stationed in Chengwu, and Jibei is the closest to Chengwu, so he will definitely attack Jibei first.

“Zhang Er is definitely trying to persuade Wei Bao right now. If Changshan and Wei, or rather Han and Wei, can unite, then the balance between the two Qin regions and Han Xin will become very fragile.” Xiang An, as before, used the horseback as a classroom to explain to Zi Juan, “Wei Bao is easily swayed, so Zhang Er probably won’t have to put in much effort to win him over. Xiao Si, what should we do next?”

Zijuan gently touched her chin with her calloused hands, her eyes slightly narrowed.

“Second Brother, I think Prince Zhao Xie of Dai should be the key this time.” After a moment of thought, Zijuan raised her head and looked at Xiang An.

“King Zhao Xie of Dai and King Zhang Er of Changshan have already fallen out because of their elder brother’s enfeoffment. Now they are wavering between independence and submission. Seeing Zhang Er so openly serving Liu Ji, they must be dissatisfied and send people to advise Wei Bao as well. After all, although Zhao Xie is far away from our Western Chu, he is closer to us than Zhang Er and Liu Ji.”

Zhao Xie could not forget, nor dared to forget, the desperate rescue he had undertaken at the gates of Julu City that day.

"I'm afraid Zhao Xie will become a target of public criticism..." Xiang An shook his head and sighed.

The situation north of the river is now chaotic. The two Yan states are constantly fighting amongst themselves, and the feudal lords of Dai, Wei, Changshan and other states are wary of each other. Han Xin's attack on the two Qin states is like a wolf entering a flock of sheep. To make matters worse, the Great Wall in the north of the two Qin states has been demolished because it was not guarded. Large numbers of Xiongnu are coming south to plunder winter supplies. The extent of the internal and external troubles makes Xiang An gasp in astonishment.

“Old Han…” Xiang An couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret every time he mentioned his old friend who was now doing very well.

"Don't overthink it, Second Brother. Right now, the only thing we can do with him is fight to the death," Zijuan reminded Xiang An.

My second brother is too loyal and sentimental.

“I know, the key right now is still Jibei.” Shaking his head, Xiang An focused his attention.

"We won't issue a challenge; we'll just launch a sneak attack. Since Peng Yue is shameless, I won't give him any more face," Xiang An sneered. "I don't care about myself, but I'll tarnish the reputations of all the soldiers who came out of the pass with me. Such a despicable scoundrel will be executed without mercy!"

"Xiao Si, you lead an army to cover my attack on Xing County from the flank. Within a month, I will march straight to Boyang!"

"Your subordinate obeys!"

......

After a seven-day march, Xiang An led 40,000 troops to suddenly attack Xing County at the southern end of Jibei. Xing County did not last a day before Xiang An breached the city and planted the flag of Western Chu.

King Tian An of Jibei angrily issued a document denouncing the villain Xiang An for his sudden attack without any prior warning. However, Xiang An ignored this and, centered on Xing County, continuously sent out small groups of troops to harass several surrounding small counties. At the same time, he actively intercepted any potential spies and blocked intelligence from the Three Qi in the south.

While Xiang An and Ji Bei were locked in battle, Peng Yue, together with Tian Bing, stormed into the capital of Jiaodong.

"You bunch of treacherous scoundrels!" Wang Tianshi from Jiaodong, his hands bound behind his back, his head bleeding, glared at Peng Yue, who stood in front of Tian Bing, with gritted teeth.

"You, King of Jiaodong, were the one who betrayed us from the very beginning," Peng Yue sneered, his tone blunt. "Besides, you don't even have a capital anymore, so what makes you think you can convince me?"

"Don't tell me I'm unethical. I'm a former bandit, I don't care about such things."

Although Tian Shi was kneeling, he sneered: "If you want to kill me, then kill me. In this chaotic world, everyone is risking their lives. If you lose, you lose. Do you think I'm afraid of death? Don't pretend to be kind to me."

"Then die." Peng Yue shrugged indifferently, drew his long sword from his waist, and struck Tian Shi on the head. Instantly, blood splattered everywhere, and Tian Shi was beheaded.

"We need to quickly reorganize the troops in Jiaodong. Tian An won't be able to hold out in the west for much longer. They've already sent a plea for help." Tian Bing stood at the back with his arms crossed, unmoved by Peng Yue's killing of Tian Shi.

"It's alright, there's enough time, and with the support from Changshan, there's no need to worry too much." Peng Yue wiped the blood off his longsword, sheathed it, and walked out of the Jiaodong Palace.

Tian Bing frowned: "Didn't you consider that if the King of Changshan mobilizes troops to support Jibei, the defense line of Han will be breached? At that time, King Xiang Yu of Chu, who has been trapped for a long time, will not leave us any chance."

“But we can only gamble once.” Shaking his head, Peng Yue didn’t say anything more. “Besides, now that Xiang An has taken away most of Xiang Yu’s troops, Xiang Yu may not be able to break through the defenses and continue westward. Are our Han troops just paper tigers?”