My father, King Chu, was besieged at Gaixia

Chapter 157 Rough Treatment
The capital of Zhao State, Xiangcheng. Inside the royal palace.

The elderly King Zhang Er of Zhao lay on the bed, his face gray, his breath dying, looking like he was at the end of his rope.

His son Zhang Ao had a grief-stricken look on his face. He knelt in front of the bed and served him personally.

Zhang Er's life is legendary. He was a witness and living fossil of the rise and fall of the Qin Dynasty. But now this "living fossil" is coming to the end of his life and will be "dissolved" and "buried in peace".

When Zhang Er was young, he was a retainer of Lord Xinling of Wei. After Lord Xinling died, he fled to Waihuang County and married a wealthy widow. With the support of the widow's money, he took Lord Xinling as an example, was generous and generous, made friends with knights-errant, and gathered retainers. He became famous and was appointed as the magistrate of Waihuang County. During this period, Liu Bang also came to live with him for a few months, and the two formed a deep friendship.

After Qin conquered Wei, Zhang Er and his friend Chen Yu were unwilling to serve Qin, so they changed their names and fled. After Chen Sheng and Wu Guang started the uprising, Zhang Er immediately joined them and was appointed as the left and right lieutenants.

It has to be said that in the chaotic times at the end of the Qin Dynasty, Zhang Er was able to seize the right trend of the times. In just a few years, he quickly rose from a humble nobody to the top and finally became the prime minister of the State of Zhao.

That’s right, this State of Zhao was the State of Zhao that Overlord saved by “burning his boats and breaking his cauldrons”.

Facing the fierce attack of the powerful Qin army, Zhang Er killed all those who wanted to surrender, insisted on resistance, actively organized resistance, and sent letters to the princes for help, which won the attention of the Overlord. Later, when the Overlord divided the princes, he made him the King of Changshan.

However, in the following Han-Chu War, Zhang Er sided with the Han camp again. He cooperated with Han Xin to conquer Zhao territory. Liu Bang, thinking of their personal friendship, made him the King of Zhao and married his daughter Princess Lu Yuan to his son Zhang Ao.

"Is the envoy from Yan still in the city?" Zhang Er asked with difficulty.

"Yes, father." Thinking of the severe situation that the kingdom was about to face, the grief on Zhang Ao's face faded a little, replaced by a trace of worry. "According to the envoy, the eldest son of the Great Chu led a large army to surround the Yan capital Ji County and attacked day and night. Ji County is in danger. Yan, Zhao, and Han are in a desperate situation. They should help each other, so they hope that we can send troops to rescue as soon as possible."

"What do you think?" Zhang Er asked breathlessly.

"Of course we have to save him!" Zhang Ao said anxiously, "Our three kingdoms are all under the Han camp, and now Xiang Chang of Great Chu is conquering him in the name of Zang Tu's betrayal. Once they destroy Yan, there is no reason for them to stop. They will only continue to devour us, Zhao and Han! If we are defeated one by one, our three kingdoms will not be able to survive for long, and the only way is for them to be completely destroyed!"

Zhang Er's mouth twitched with a hint of mockery, and he said calmly: "You are right! But let me ask you, if we combine the forces of Yan, Han, and Zhao, how does the force of the three kingdoms compare to that of the Han camp?"

Zhang Ao was stunned, and shook his head without thinking, "Of course they are inferior! Among our three kingdoms, Zang Tu of Yan is the strongest, with 50,000 troops. Our Zhao kingdom has just been established, with less than 20,000 troops. As for Han, it only has 30,000 troops. With only 100,000 troops, and with incompetent soldiers and weak generals, how can they compare to the Han camp? Hiss, father, you mean that even if we go to rescue them, it will be in vain, or even a great defeat?"

Zhang Er closed his eyes slightly and remained silent.

"But, if we don't rescue Yan State, are we just going to sit back and watch it be destroyed? Then how will we cope with the heavy attack from Chu State?" Zhang Ao frowned in confusion.

Zhang Er sighed softly, and opened his eyes with difficulty again, with a bitter look on his old face: "Are you still fantasizing about preserving Zhao even now? Liu Bang had many brave generals and counselors, and a force of 600,000 soldiers, but in the end, he ended up in a dismal defeat and retreated to Guanzhong. What can we do with the small forces of our three countries?"

Zhang Ao disagreed and shook his head, saying, "How many times has the King of Han been defeated by Xiang Yu in the past, but he always turned defeat into victory in the end? With the base camp in Guanzhong and the vast territory as support, it is still uncertain who will win if he regroups and fights against the Chu again."

"You are too superficial. This battle is different from the previous ones. The Han camp was seriously injured and seriously damaged. It should even be said that it suffered a fatal blow! I am afraid that the Han camp will only go from bad to worse in the future."

Zhang Ao did not expect his father to be so pessimistic about the big man. He was shocked and instinctively wanted to refute. However, when he thought about his father's past success in planning and his accurate judgment and views on worldly affairs, he dared not disbelieve him.

"Then, then what should we do next?" Zhang Ao asked hesitantly, feeling guilty.

"Let's go! Let's go cleanly and decisively! Let's just abandon our fiefdom and leave!" Zhang Er said decisively.

"Ah?" Zhang Ao was shocked and couldn't help feeling reluctant - he hadn't even sat on the throne yet, and he was going to give up such a big kingdom?

"If you don't leave and continue to stay here, the end result will be the destruction of your country and your clan. Do you want that?" Zhang Er said in a gloomy tone, his expression bleak and melancholy.

Zhang Ao's body trembled, his face turned pale, - compared to that, life was undoubtedly more important. But then he thought again, a new problem came up: "Father, even if we abandon the country, we are the princes appointed by the King of Han. If we flee without a fight, will the King of Han be furious? Moreover, you just said that the Han camp will be in decline and will not be able to fight against the Chu. If we go to surrender, won't it be..."

"Therefore, only you will lead your wife and family members to go, while I will stay in Zhao. Liu Bang appointed me as the King of Zhao, not you, so how can you be guilty of abandoning the land? You can use the excuse that your wife misses her mother, Lü Zhi, and select the best soldiers from the fiefdom to take with you. Then Liu Bang will have no excuse to punish you, and for the sake of these elite soldiers, he can keep you and your family safe."

"As for what you said about the critical situation in the Han camp, if we surrender, our future is unavoidably worrying. But what can we do now? You married Liu Bang's daughter, and our Zhang family has been tied to the Han camp. The whole world belongs to the king. If the Han camp is really defeated and the Chu State takes over, where will we be able to stay in the world? Therefore, we can only gamble now, betting that Liu Bang can use the danger of Hangu Pass to stop the attack of the Chu State, just like the Qin State stopped the six countries in the past."

After speaking so much at such a long speech, Zhang Er's breathing became heavy, his spirit became more and more listless, and a layer of waxy yellow appeared on his ashen old face.

"Do you understand?" Zhang Er said with difficulty.

Zhang Ao held back his tears and nodded vigorously: "Father, I understand!"

"Listen carefully, leave quickly! Leave quickly! I will hold on for a few more days. Once I die, you won't be able to leave! Leave quickly!" Zhang Er closed his eyes slowly due to exhaustion, but kept muttering to urge.

Zhang Ao cried out in sorrow, knelt down and bowed several times, then stood up, covered his face and hurried out of the palace. After an unknown amount of time, Zhang Er slowly gathered some energy, opened his eyes slowly, looked at the curtain above his head with empty eyes, and murmured in confusion: "In the Battle of Gaixia, the Han Dynasty had the upper hand, how could they lose? This shouldn't be the case!"

After a brief rest at the foot of Jixian City, the siege equipment such as nest carts, chariots, battering rams, etc. were quickly assembled. Accompanied by the powerful sound of trumpets, the Chu army finally began the siege.

With these weapons, the offensive of the Chu soldiers was extremely fierce.

As the most trusted general of Yan Wang Zang Tu and the chief general of Jixian City Defense, Gao Mao was barely second-rate in terms of military strategy and personal bravery in the chaotic times at the end of the Qin Dynasty. Facing the attack of the Chu army, he was unable to cope with it and was almost defeated by the Chu army several times.

Fortunately, two generals under his command, Wang Zhou and Ji Bi, had rich experience in defending the city and fighting the enemy. They assisted him wholeheartedly in finding loopholes and assigning soldiers to defend. He was able to turn danger into safety several times and barely hold on.

The Chu army seemed to be aware of the stubbornness of the defenders. After attacking for a few days, their momentum gradually weakened and their siege force became weaker day by day.

Upon hearing the news, Zang Tu, with his son Zang Yan, climbed to the top of the city wall. Accompanied by generals such as Gao Mao, they checked the situation of the Great Chu Army outside the city. They found that the Great Chu Army was indeed in low morale and their military appearance was disorganized, and they could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"Your Majesty, the Chu army no longer has much will to fight. They won't be able to delay for much longer and will retreat soon. After all, a harsh winter is approaching, and it will be even more disadvantageous to attack the city then." Gao Mao bowed and said confidently.

Zang Tu nodded repeatedly.

Zang Yan was also very excited. He stared at the scattered Great Chu army camp outside the city and couldn't help but ask, "General, if we lead the army to launch a surprise attack now, will we be able to defeat the Great Chu army in one fell swoop and achieve a great victory?"

When Zang Tu heard this, his eyes lit up and he looked at Gao Mao.

Gao Mao was startled and turned to look at Generals Wang Zhou and Ji Bi behind him.

Ji Bi stepped forward, shook his head, and said firmly: "No! The Chu army has 50,000 soldiers, especially 20,000 cavalry. Their combat power cannot be underestimated and it is difficult to defeat them in one fell swoop. Once we fail, the current good situation will be lost."

Wang Zhou also nodded and said, "That's right! Besides, hasn't Han Wangxin sent a message personally leading 30,000 troops to rescue us? When the Han army arrives, we will attack from both inside and outside. Even if we can't defeat them in one fell swoop, we will be able to give them a severe defeat."

Zang Tu looked at the two generals, then at Gao Mao, nodded slowly, and looked at the Chu army outside the city. His copper bell-like eyes flashed fiercely, and he said viciously: "When the time comes, generals, don't hold back, and you must do your best. It would be best if you can kill Xiang Chang here! It is said that the reason why Liu Bang, who had an absolute advantage in the Battle of Gaixia, was finally defeated was because of this boy. As long as this boy is killed, the remaining Xiang Yu, a brave man, will not be worth worrying about. By then, hehe, I, Zang Tu, may not be without the hope of becoming an emperor! And if that day really comes for me, all generals will surely be crowned kings!"

Gao Mao and the two generals Wang Zhou and Ji Bi were overjoyed, their faces flushed, and they knelt down and responded generously.

Then, under the weak and sparse offensive of the Chu army, time slowly came to an afternoon seven or eight days later. In the southwest of Ji County, a loud horn suddenly sounded, and an army of 30,000 people gradually appeared on the horizon. On the gorgeous flag waving like a slut, a big "Han" was written!

——King Xin of Han mobilized the entire country's army, led the army personally, and traveled a long distance, and finally arrived at the city of Ji County that he was trying to rescue.

Upon hearing the news, Zang Tu, overjoyed, left the palace again, gave up the pleasures of wine and women, and climbed up to the top of the city wall, panting, dragging his fat body to check.

Seeing the boundless and majestic army of the Great Han army, which showed no signs of fatigue even after a long journey, Zang Tu was all smiles and couldn't help but feel happy. However, when he thought of the report from the envoy to the State of Zhao that King Zhang Er of Zhao ignored his request for help and had no intention of sending troops to rescue, his face darkened again.

By this time, the Chu camp had apparently already detected the arrival of the Korean army, and the army was reorganized, lined up in strict formation, and on alert.

Under the violently fluttering flags, the tall and strong Han Wangxin rode on a tall horse, looking majestic. Even though there were as many as 50,000 Chu troops besieging Jixian City, he remained unconcerned and looked arrogant.

Han Wangxin was the grandson of King Xiang of Han during the Warring States Period and the son of Prince Zishi. He was eight feet and five inches tall and was born strong and powerful, making him a top-notch general at the time.

As a Korean noble, he joined Liu Bang's army in the anti-Qin wave and was immediately appointed as a general. After that, he followed Liu Bang all the way to Guanzhong. After the fall of Qin, Liu Bang was named King of Han by Xiang Yu, and he followed Liu Bang to Hanzhong.

Later, Liu Bang led his army to fight against the Chu Kingdom for the whole country. The princes appointed by Xiang Yu all returned to their respective fiefdoms. Only Han Cheng, the King of Han, did not follow Xiang Yu in the war and had no military achievements. The King of Han appointed him as Marquis Rang, but soon after, he was killed. Therefore, Han was left without a king. Seeing this opportunity, Liu Bang appointed Han Xin as the Grand Commandant of Han, sent him to lead troops to conquer Han, and promised to appoint him as the King of Han in the future.

At that time, King Xin of Han could be said to have been appointed in a time of crisis, but he was unafraid. When he arrived in Han, he lived up to Liu Bang's expectations and performed brilliantly. Not only did he successfully capture most of the territory of Han, he also forced Zheng Chang, the new King of Han established by the Overlord, to surrender. Therefore, he was truly established as the King of Han by Liu Bang because of his merits.

It has to be said that being able to conquer such a vast territory and establish a country in troubled times, even if one took advantage of one's birth, one's own talents are still considered top-notch in the world.

It was precisely because of his extraordinary military strategy and self-confidence in bravery that Han Wangxin, who was afraid of Xiang Yu, went to pursue Liu Bang and did not take the young Xiang Chang seriously at all, that he immediately reorganized his army and rushed to the rescue after receiving Zang Tu's letter for help.

Although he was arrogant, he was not reckless. Han Wangxin knew that it was a taboo to lead a long expedition, so when he was still a hundred miles away from Ji County, he stationed his troops and took a day to recuperate. Now that he had arrived at the city of Ji County, he looked at the rather disorganized Chu army with disdain and was about to send someone into the city to meet Zang Tu and discuss the matter of both armies attacking the Chu army from the front and back at the same time.

But at this moment, the lazy and depressed Chu army, including 20,000 cavalry, suddenly moved, like a divine weapon that had been wiped off the rust and became cold and shining again, without saying a word, and in front of the Yan king, ministers and generals on the city wall, they launched a fierce attack on Han Wangxin's 30,000 Han army.

(End of this chapter)