My father, King Chu, was besieged at Gaixia

Chapter 137 Condescending
Xiang Chang knew that the journey would not be peaceful after escorting the military rations out of Linjiang Kingdom. The main force of the Han army under Liu Bang was held at Gaixia by his father, and the biggest threat was Lü Ze who was stationed in Jiujiang. In addition, the king of Hengshan Kingdom, Wu Rui, who was adjacent to Linjiang Kingdom, had also surrendered to Liu Bang, so he also needed to be on guard.

Xiang Chang thought about it again and again, and chose to avoid the places where the Han camps in Jiujiang and Hengshan counties were concentrated, and went north from Linjiang Kingdom to Nanyang County, crossed the Mian River and Ru River, and returned to Gaixia via Huaiyang County. The Han camps along this route were empty of troops, and the only thing to be prepared for was Lu Ze's army to intercept.

The military food convoys were all carried by ox-carts and mule-carts, and the roads between counties were all flat and solid Qin Chi Roads that had been repaired by Qin's civilian workers. The speed was extremely fast, and except for resting the animals, they did not stop, easily covering a hundred miles a day, and the progress was extremely smooth along the way.

As expected, after entering Huaiyang County and arriving at Xincai County, the scouts discovered that Lu Ze's army had set up camp in the northeastern canyon of Xincai County, ready for battle. They looked as if they were going to intercept their food convoy and trap the local people.

Xiang Chang took this opportunity to try out his skills and used a series of strategies to destroy the geographical advantage that Lu Ze had worked so hard to build.

On the second day, just as he had imagined, dust rose in the northeast, the earth shook, and Lu Ze led an army of 30,000 and slowly appeared on the horizon, pressing towards his grain-escorting troops.

"This old thief is the elder brother-in-law of old thief Liu Bang. It is said that he made outstanding contributions during Liu Bang's rise to power, especially in the battles with the Qin army. If he were to die here this time, would old Liu Bang be heartbroken?" Xiang Xi stared at the scarlet "Han" and "Lü" flags with bright eyes, touched his chin, and said greedily.

"I don't know whether the old villain Liu will be heartbroken, I only know that whoever can kill him in the battle formation will not escape the title of a heavy marquis." Tian Jian still had a cold face, but his tone was extremely hot.

Generals Meng Xia and Han Hu next to them moved their throats at the same time and swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

Born as fierce soldiers of the Great Chu, they originally looked down upon the Han army and despised it. But now they have grown into generals, each with a group of powerful soldiers under their command, and their arrogance has swelled. Even though the Han army has three times as many people as theirs, they still don't care. Instead, their minds are full of thoughts about military exploits.

"Lü Ze is skilled in military tactics and has been in battle for a long time. His personal bravery is also first-class in the world. We must be careful and not underestimate the enemy." Xiang Chang shouted.

The generals did not dare to be negligent and all bowed their heads and bowed in response.

Looking from afar at the west of Xincai County, the Chu army escorting grain and 8,000 infantrymen were waiting in strict battle array with their backs against a mound. Gu Feng, a general under Lu Ze, felt very strange: it was obvious that his army had occupied the advantage of terrain and was on the defensive, but now the Chu army that came from afar has taken advantage and is taking the defensive. It seems that this boy Xiang Chang has some skills and has grasped the essence of "military strategy".

As for Xiang Chang's two flags, they were guarding the grain team at the back, away from the battlefield, surrounded by two thousand cavalrymen of the Chu army. The four thousand civilians, seeing that the battle was about to begin, had already unloaded their oxen and mules, pressed them to the ground, and hid behind the carts loaded with grain.

When Lu Ze saw Xiang Chang placing the food at the back of the battlefield and personally leading two thousand cavalry to guard it, he breathed a sigh of relief and pointed with his whip: "Today's battle will not only kill Xiang Chang's son, but I will also secure this batch of military food. In the battle later, you must be careful not to damage it."

The Han generals were undoubtedly very jealous of this batch of military rations. If they could really capture it intact, it would be a real military achievement.

Guo Ning laughed strangely and said, "I think this batch of military rations is destined to belong to the Han army. But, if that's the case, then Xiang Chang will become a grain escort officer who works hard to transport grain for the Han army, right?"

The generals were startled when they heard this, and they all burst into laughter. The embarrassment of being burned to ashes by Xiang Chang yesterday was swept away. Even Lu Ze couldn't help but smile. For a moment, the air was filled with a happy atmosphere.

Shusun Tong, who had truly witnessed Xiang Chang's terrifying power in front of Jiangling City, saw that the generals were still quite contemptuous even after being taught a lesson by Xiang Chang yesterday, so he could not help but say, "Linjiang Kingdom's General Huang Jizhong led 25,000 of the most elite northern troops to fight against Xiang Chang's hastily organized 10,000 city gate defenders, but was defeated. Xiang Chang's military tactics are quite learned from Xiang Yu, so the general needs to pay more attention and be on guard."

When Lu Ze heard this, before he could say anything, Guo Ning beside him already had a look of disdain on his face: "Old Confucian, just read your Confucius and don't talk about military strategies. You compare those weaklings in Linjiang Kingdom with the elite and powerful army of our Han Dynasty? Ridiculous! Even if we take a step back and assume that the Chu army is really as strong as you say, and they have traveled a long distance from Linjiang Kingdom to here, without expending physical strength? How much combat power can they still have? Our Han army has been waiting for a long time. In a real fight like this, Xiang Chang's trick yesterday will be difficult to implement. Let's see how our Han army defeats them in one fell swoop."

The Han generals nodded repeatedly, all showing expressions of deep agreement.

Who was Shusun Tong? He was a rough-skinned and thick-skinned scoundrel who was no less than Liu Bang. He was mocked for his sincere words and scolded and humiliated by a young general who could be his son, but he remained calm and laughed.

"Gu Feng, you lead 4,000 cavalry and stay put to guard against the Chu cavalry and wait for my military order. Feng Wuzhe, you lead 10,000 infantry to attack head-on and tie down the main force of the Chu army. Guo Ning and Guo Meng, the two of you each lead 7,000 infantry to attack the left and right flanks of the Chu army respectively, and make sure to tear them apart and destroy them in one fell swoop." Lu Ze pointed with his horsewhip and spoke very quickly. He threw down military orders one after another, and it was obvious that he had thought them over carefully.

After a night's rest, he had completely controlled his anger. He no longer showed any sign of anger, but only calmness and composure. This military arrangement brought out the absolute advantage of the Han army's strength to the fullest.

Of the 30,000 Han troops under Lu Ze's command, 4,000 were cavalry, and the remaining 26,000 were infantry. 2,000 were left in the valley to guard the military rations, and now there were 24,000 troops on the battlefield. 24,000 strong soldiers against 8,000 Chu infantry, with a force three times as large, they were able to fight even against the elite Chu soldiers led by Xiang Yu. For these weaklings from the Linjiang Kingdom, it was simply bullying for the Han camp generals. If they didn't win cleanly, they would feel ashamed.

As the attack horns sounded, Feng Wuzhe, Guo Ning and Guo Meng led their troops into their respective attack territories and rushed towards the Chu army, whose numbers were so small compared to their own.

Under the half-hidden autumn sun in the sky, the three Han armies were like three giant pythons, swimming swiftly in the wilderness. Facing the square and motionless Chu army, they opened their huge mouths and bit down suddenly from three directions at the same time.

"That's not right! When did the Chu army become so cowardly? Why are they standing there in a daze, as if they are about to be beaten? Is this a trick?" Shusun Tong, who was sitting on a warhorse and watching the battle from afar, thought of the Chu army who faced an enemy force several times their size in front of Jiangling City but abandoned the advantage of the city walls and chose to fight outside the city. He felt that the Chu army in front of him had become unrecognizable, and muttered to himself.

Gu Feng was amused when he heard his doubts, and couldn't help but teasing, "A trick? You, an old scholar, know military strategy? General Guo Ning just said it clearly enough. How can our elite Han army be compared with those weaklings in Linjiang Kingdom? It is obvious that Xiang Chang is also a flexible person who knows how to adapt. He knows that he should be cautious and defensive when facing a strong army, unlike the stubborn Ji Sijun."

Shusun Tong instinctively felt that something was wrong, but he had no way of explaining himself. He swallowed his saliva, bared his big teeth, and nodded repeatedly with a flattering look on his face.

Now he was not in Linjiang Kingdom, with the dazzling title of Han envoy, and everyone looked up to him. But now in the Han camp, these arrogant soldiers and brave generals did not take him, an old scholar, seriously. And he could only accept it.

Lu Ze remained silent, but seeing his pleased expression, he kept nodding slightly, and it was obvious that he felt that what Gu Feng said was very true.

The subsequent situation on the battlefield also verified the accuracy of Gu Feng's words.

Facing the fierce attack from three sides by the Han army, which was several times their size, the Chu army was like paper, and they collapsed at the first blow. The ranks were scattered, and they fled in panic. This scene completely stunned Shusun Tong.

Gu Feng laughed out loud, glanced at him and said, "Is this the mighty Chu army that Ji Sijun mentioned that can tear apart enemies three times its size?"

Lu Ze also looked relieved. He stroked the horse's mane with his left hand and whipped the horse whip with his right hand. However, he did not forget to shout to Gu Fengchen, "Be prepared to prevent Xiang Chang from being forced into a corner and leading the cavalry to go crazy."

"Just wait for him to come!" Gu Feng laughed loudly, his expression was high, and he pointed his spear in the air, "With these... Damn it, what's going on?"

Gu Feng's wanton laughter and arrogant words were halfway through when it suddenly turned into a scream, as if someone had kicked him hard on the butt.

As the Chu army retreated rapidly on the battlefield, the Han army on three sides followed closely and rushed forward, eager to defeat the Chu army in one fell swoop. However, they could not fly far before thick dust rose up with a "boom" and "boom" sound, and huge pits suddenly appeared on the battlefield, and the Han infantry fell into them one after another.

Apparently there was something else at the bottom of the pit. The Han soldiers who had fallen into it let out miserable howls, loud and high-pitched, reaching the sky.

It seems that the Chu army that arrived at Xincai County was not idle last night. They dug a trap for the Han army all night, and now they have successfully tricked them.

The lightly spinning whip in Lu Ze's hand drooped limply. The veins on the back of his hand that was holding the whip were throbbing, and uncontrollable anger emanated from his body.

Xiang Chang used rockets to burn away the geographical advantage of his own army and lured them into an active attack, but he secretly dug a big pit and buried the Han soldiers. This was really too much.

Fortunately, the Han army had an absolute advantage in numbers, and under the loud shouts and commands of the generals who were on the front line, the panicked troops quickly stabilized, regrouped, bypassed the pit and continued to rush forward.

However, a new problem soon emerged. At this time, the Chu army had retreated to the middle of the mound and firmly established their position. They placed tall and heavy iron shields on the ground, forming an iron wall that exuded a despairing solidity. Also, thick and long spears protruded from the gaps, like a dense forest, with sharp blades emitting a terrifying sharpness.

The most crucial thing is that the Chu army was firmly stationed halfway up the mound, commanding the enemy's high ground and having every advantage, while the Han army had to attack upwards, which consumed much more energy.

"Come here! I have made all the arrangements for you. Let's see if I can skewer you like meat!"

"If you don't want to die, leave it to me. It's a pity that you joined the army just to have a full meal. It's not worth sacrificing your life for it."

"Brothers of the Han army, don't work for old Liu Bang anymore. There is no future for you. He has a good life and enjoys music every night, but you are not allowed to have a share. You are working so hard, but aren't you stupid?"

……

The strange words of the soldiers of the Great Chu came out one after another through the heavy shields.

"What are you standing there for? Charge! Charge forward! Anyone who dares to retreat will be killed without mercy." Seeing that the Han soldiers were frightened and hesitated to move forward for a moment, the officer became furious. He roared loudly and personally wielded his sword to kill the retreating soldiers.

The Han soldiers had no choice but to charge forward, using their flesh and blood to crash into the iron wall and forest of spears set up by the Chu soldiers.

Suddenly, shouts and cries of killing rang out from the middle of the mound. The battle lines of the Han and Chu sides were intertwined, and the fight was brutal, directly entering the meat-mincing mode. Limbs flew everywhere, screams filled the ears, and the blood sprayed quickly soaked the yellow earth on the ground into pulp.

The Chu army utilized the heavy shield formation and the advantages of the earthen mound to the extreme. No matter how many soldiers the Han army rushed forward, no matter how violent the attack was, it was all in vain and they were defeated powerlessly.

Lu Ze's face was gloomy. These heavy shields and spears were obviously looted by Xiang Chang from the Linjiang Kingdom's arsenal. This kid took advantage of the terrain and weapons to make up for the disadvantage of the Great Chu Army's fatigue after a long journey, and fought a stalemate with his own army, which was three times larger than his own army.

Shusun Tong's eyes rolled around, and he had a feeling that Xiang Chang had completely defeated Lu Ze, the general of the Han camp, but he dared not say a word.

Although he shrank back and said nothing, Lu Ze still felt as if there were needles pricking his back. He felt even more uncomfortable when he thought of Shusun Tong's reminder just now. He pretended not to notice it and shouted, "Order all the generals to lead the cavalry guards to the battle and break the line."

If the fighting continued, it was unknown how many soldiers would be killed or wounded. Lu Ze adjusted the battle formation in time and wasted expensive war horses and cavalry in order to forcibly break through the heavy shield defense line of the Chu State.

Feng Wuzhe, riding on a tall horse, looked at the tragic and messy battlefield. No matter how many soldiers rushed forward, they were just serving food. It was difficult to break through the solid defense line built by the heavy shields and spears of the Great Chu Army. He looked anxious and howled like a wolf, but there was nothing he could do.

As the flying cavalry came with the order, Commander Lu Ze ordered his generals to lead the escort cavalry to charge and open up a bloody path. Feng Wuzhe also knew that continuing to delay would only waste the lives of the soldiers, so he immediately reorganized the hundreds of cavalry around him and rode forward together.

Hundreds of cavalrymen charged at the same time with a terrifying momentum. They easily crossed the halfway point of the mound with a "boom", and with a rolling strong wind, they rushed towards the heavy shield and spear defense line of the Chu army.

Feng Wuzhe was also a fierce general. He rushed to the heavy shield line in one breath, waving his spear and chopped it wildly, "crackling", constantly chopping away the dense spears that kept poking at him. Then he roared like thunder and stabbed the heavy shield like an iron wall with his spear.

(End of this chapter)