My father, King Chu, was besieged at Gaixia

Chapter 90: Stop Talking Nonsense
"Woo——"

On the top of Gaixia City, the deep and powerful sound of the horn was like wave after wave, washing away the vast fields outside the city.

Amid waves of continuous trumpet sounds, the three gates of the northern wall of Gaixia were opened, and rows and rows of strong cavalrymen, fully armored and well-equipped with weapons, urged their tall horses to trot out in an endless stream and lined up one after another.

Following the cavalry came the infantry, also wearing armor and holding sharp spears. Each of them was tall and strong, and they ran out in a line and lined up in the area between the cavalry columns.

Just as the army had finished lining up, Xiang Chang, Xiang Sheng, Zhongli Mei and other high-ranking core generals, surrounded by Xiang Ji riding a black horse, appeared at the easternmost end of the line.

Behind him, there was a huge word "Chu" written on one side and "Xiang" written on the other side, with two large dark blue flags embroidered with gold. The huge flags fluttered in the autumn wind.

On the eastern horizon, a huge sun leaped out, spewing out thousands of golden flames, and slowly rose into the sky!

With a burly figure, wearing thick black iron armor, and sitting upright on an extremely majestic black horse, Xiang Yu looks like a god!
For a moment, the entire north of Gaixia City was silent except for the occasional neighing of war horses and the clash of swords and armor of soldiers.

Looking at the Overlord who seemed to be walking out of the giant sun, the god of war in their hearts and the person they worshipped infinitely, the generals, officers and soldiers were all shocked. They felt hot all over and their blood was heating up as if it was about to boil.

With the giant sun rising slowly on the horizon on his back, Xiang Yu took the lead, urging his black horse to trot, and began to review the army that had followed him in battles for many years, which was extremely powerful and arrogant, and could be called the invincible army of the time!

Xiang Chang rode on a big black horse and followed closely behind.

Not far behind them, Xiang Zhuang and Ji Bu each held up the two large flags, waving them and showing off their presence.

"Defeat the Han army and Chu will win!" After jogging a short distance, Xiang Chang raised his halberd high and let out a loud roar at the soldiers lined up.

"Win!"

"Win!"

"Win!"

Under the leadership of the generals and officers in front of their respective ranks, the fierce soldiers simultaneously raised their spears and stabbed their swords into the air. Their chests rose and fell violently, their blood suddenly boiled, and they let out three loud roars!

Looking at the soldiers' red faces and their earth-shaking roars, at this moment, Xiang Chang, the general of the Great Chu, the eldest son, and the son of the Overlord, felt endless pride in his heart!
Sensing the strong fighting spirit surging in the hearts of thousands of generals and warriors, and the loyalty and admiration they exuded for himself, the overlord Xiang Yu, who was leading the way, was also moved. His eyebrows raised, his pupils shone brightly, and a powerful and domineering aura emanated from his whole body.

Xiang Chang followed his father like this, riding his horse and constantly shouting, which led to the soldiers in the line to respond continuously and boosted the fighting spirit in the hearts of the soldiers.

After the inspection of tens of thousands of troops was completed one by one, the morale and fighting spirit were boosted. Xiang Yu urged his black horse to come to the front of the queue.

All the soldiers of the tens of thousands of troops lined up in the north of the city, including all the soldiers defending the city on the city walls, at this moment, all clenched their weapons and focused their eyes on the tall and mighty figure.

At Xiang Chang's signal, Xiang Yu slowly raised the halberd in his hand high up, pointing it directly at the sky. The sharp edge of the halberd absorbed the golden light of the rising sun in the east, blazing brightly. Immediately, he raised his arm and swung it violently towards the Han camp in the north!
"Win! Win! Win!"

On the city wall and on the north of the city wall, the voices of tens of thousands of soldiers converged into one at this moment, turning into a huge thunder that exploded the sky and the earth, and rushed out violently.

In an instant, the clouds dispersed and the autumn wind subsided!
A new round of war between Chu and Han, which had been suspended for more than ten days, slowly began again!
The original 50,000 remnants of the Chu army, plus the 50,000 troops of Zhou Yin who returned, and Ying Bu's 40,000 troops, totaled more than 140,000. After the battle of breaking the siege of Gaixia City, Ying Bu's Jiujiang army now had more than 30,000 troops left. The Chu army and the Zhou Yin army also suffered heavy losses. After Xiang Chang took the trouble to recruit and surrender 20,000 Han prisoners to supplement them, the strength of the army barely returned to about 100,000.

The baggage army, including the old, weak, sick and disabled, plus some strong men, totaling more than 30,000, were led by Xiang Sheng and all stayed in Gaixia City to prevent their homes from being stolen. The remaining 70,000 elite Chu troops, who had experienced many battles, had enough food and clothing, had rested for many days, were fully equipped with weapons and armor, and were at the peak of their combat power, lined up in the north of the city and came out in full force to fight a decisive battle with the Han army!

Xiang Chang had 30,000 troops lined up in the east, serving as the right army. The central army had 40,000 troops, 20,000 cavalry and 20,000 infantry, led by the Overlord himself!
He still led Ying Bu's 30,000-plus Jiujiang troops himself, lined up in the west, and served as the left army.

Listening to the roars of the 40,000 central troops behind him and the defenders on the city walls, Xiang Yu's heart was filled with heroic spirit and endless fighting spirit surged in his chest!

Originally, he disagreed with Xiang Chang's suggestion that he review the army before the battle, thinking it was a waste of military strength and too extravagant and flashy!
Who would have thought the actual effect would be so good!
At this moment, he truly and undoubtedly felt the feeling of unity among the people and the solidarity of the soldiers as never before, and he felt that at this moment, he was stronger than ever before!
Don't fear any powerful enemy!

Any army in the world today can be easily defeated, torn apart, and trampled into powder!

Seeing that his father was eager to fight and was once again full of confidence in defeating Liu Bang's Han army, Xiang Chang secretly breathed a sigh of relief and showed a satisfied look. After saying goodbye to his father, he immediately returned to his right army.

"The general's strategies are endless!" Xiang Zhuang, who was holding the "Xiang" banner, felt heroic in his heart and said with emotion as he watched Xiang Chang's leaving figure.

Hearing this, Xiang Yu could not help but look towards the east, where Xiang Chang's right army was.

"Your Majesty, don't worry. The general has many ways to boost morale." Xiang Zhuang saw what Xiang Yu was thinking and smiled slightly.

When Xiang Yu heard this, he realized that was right. The idea of ​​reviewing the army was his, so there was no need to worry that he would not be able to inspire morale. He felt relieved.

"Your Majesty, among the three armies of left, center and right, only the right army led by General Xiang Changhou is the weakest. Han Xin's troops are unpredictable and he will definitely make a military plan against this. We must be on guard against this." Ji Bu, who was holding high the big banner with the word "Chu", could not help but speak.

He really couldn't understand why the king abandoned all of them and chose Xiang Chang, a fledgling, to be the commander of the right army, as Zhongli Mei, Xiang Sheng, and even himself, were all top-notch generals with rich military experience and were qualified to serve in the Great Chu camp.
Although Xiang Chang had proved himself in the night attack on Kong Xi's army, it was a night attack after all, which was equivalent to a clever trick. Facing such a head-on battle between the two armies, he had no experience in commanding a large army and lacked a lot. Could he possibly withstand it?
If it was an ordinary battle in the past, it would be fine, but in this battle, everyone can see that this is the continuation of the siege of Gaixia City. If we win, the Chu State will survive and turn the tide; if we lose, there will be no recovery, and the clan and the country will be destroyed!

The consequences are really too serious!

Hearing Ji Bu's words, Xiang Yu's face was hesitant for a moment. Xiang Zhuang, who was standing next to him, was very anxious, knowing that his brother was afraid of being easily influenced again. He glared at Ji Bu fiercely and was about to open his mouth to dissuade him, but Xiang Yu's face had regained its firmness. He raised his hand and waved it lightly, rejecting his proposal.

Xiang Zhuang glared at Ji Bu and sternly advised Xiang Yu: "The selection of the generals of the three armies is decided by the generals before the battle! Since they have been selected, no one is allowed to make irresponsible comments! Anyone who makes irresponsible comments in private can be executed!"

Ji Bu was horrified and remembered that he had violated the military regulations. He panicked and looked up at Xiang Yu.

Xiang Yu said in a deep voice: "Considering that it is his first offense and it is just before the battle, it would be unlucky to kill a general! Leave it to me. If he commits the offense again, he will be executed!" Xiang Zhuang just wanted to intimidate Ji Bu and tell him to keep his mouth shut and say less nonsense. He then bowed and accepted the order in a deep voice.

Ji Bu really shut his mouth and dared not say another word.

Just as Xiang Yu was reviewing the army, boosting morale and sounding the clarion call for another great war between Han and Chu, a few miles to the north, Liu Bang, Han Xin and a group of important generals and ministers stationed their horses on a small hill, and under the protection of three thousand elite cavalry led by Xiahou Ying, they were eagerly looking towards the city of Gaixia.

Hearing the thunderous and earth-shaking roar of tens of thousands of Chu soldiers, all the generals in the Han camp changed color and their nerves were tense. The feeling of powerlessness that they had been suppressed and dominated by the Chu army on the battlefield in the past and that it was futile no matter how hard they fought quietly grew again.

For a moment, even Fan Kuai and Li Shang could not help but feel a trace of regret: If they had chosen to obey Han Xin's military orders that day, no matter how heavy the price was, they would have defeated Xiang Yu's 20,000 cavalry, and they would not be facing such heavy pressure today!
Liu Bang saw that except for Han Xin who was calm, all the other important generals looked fearful, and he cursed in his heart: They were all so energetic in the fight for the title of king, and were afraid of being left behind, but now they are facing a powerful enemy and when it comes to overcoming difficulties, they are all like scattered egg yolks, revealing that they were frightened by Xiang Yu and lack courage!

"Why are all of you silent? Are you afraid of fighting?" Liu Bang snorted coldly, pointing his whip at Gaixia. "According to the scouts, the Chu army has only 100,000 soldiers in this battle. The most combat-effective Chu cavalry that Xiang Yu relies on has only more than 30,000 soldiers in total, including Ying Bu's army of more than 5,000. Xiang Yu himself leads 20,000, and his son Xiang Chang leads the remaining 5,000. As for the rest of the Chu infantry, haha, it's just that. And my Han army, now has the full support of the army under the command of the King of Qi. Even if we exclude the baggage army and reserve army left behind in the camp, the elite troops deployed on the battlefield are still as many as 240,000! As for the cavalry, there are 60,000! In this situation of overwhelming advantage, the soldiers can easily destroy the Chu army even if they fight with their eyes closed! They all looked embarrassed, so as not to be ridiculed by the Chu army and Xiang Yu."

At the end, Liu Bang became angry and turned to Han Xin and said sternly:
"General, please pass on the military order. I will be with you in the center of the army this time. If any general dares to fight ineffectively or retreat in fear, I will personally execute him!"

Although Liu Bang's military strategy was not as talented as that of Xiang Yu, Han Xin, Ying Bu, Peng Yue and others, as a professional rebel, he fought for many years, rebelled against Qin and then against Chu. He relied on his rich experience in defeat and constantly summarized and grew step by step, and reached his current first-class level.

Therefore, he had already seen the importance of this battle, which must not be lost!

If we lose this battle, the war with Da Chu will probably continue to drag on, and there will be no hope of completely destroying Da Chu in a short period of time!

All the important generals were frightened, knowing that the old man was furious, and they did not dare to be negligent. They all bowed and responded solemnly, expressing that they would strictly follow Han Xin's military orders.

Han Xin's face was solemn and stern. Without saying a word, he began to assign generals and mobilize troops.

"According to the report from the scouts, the Chu army was divided into three armies: left, center and right. Xiang Yu personally led the center army, the left army was Ying Bu's Jiujiang army, and the right army of 30,000 was led by the rear general Xiang Chang.

The king and I will be stationed in the central army, commanding Zhou Bo, Chai Wu, Jin Xu, Fu Kuan and other generals, and will personally fight against Xiang Yu.

The Jiujiang army that fought against Ying Bu was led by Cao Shen, who led 70,000 troops and supervised the armies of Fan Kuai, Zhou Chang, and Li Shang. They must destroy Ying Bu in one fell swoop!
As for the commander of the right army against Xiang Chang..."

Hearing this, all the generals became excited and looked at Han Xin eagerly.

I don't know what Xiang Yu was crazy about, he actually let his son, a child who was still wet behind the ears, be the commander of the right army of the Great Chu. I heard that recently all important military information of the Great Chu Army had to be discussed by the generals and ministers together. Is this the final result of the discussion? Haha, isn't it still Xiang Yu's arbitrary idea, and isn't it still the practice of nepotism? It can be seen that this public discussion of military information is just a name.

Although Xiang Chang had the legendary feat of "persuading three kings in one day" and had won a great victory in the night attack on Kong Xi's army, there was no doubt that no general in the Han army camp really took him seriously.

Among the three armies of the left, center and right of the Great Chu, both Xiang Yu's central army and Ying Bu's Jiujiang army are undoubtedly hard nuts to crack. If one fails to chew them well, breaking a big tooth is the least of the consequences, and even one's life may be lost if one is not careful.

Only the 30,000 right troops led by Xiang Chang looked like soft tomatos. Fighting against them with an absolutely superior force was like picking up credit with your eyes closed. Winning would be too easy, so all the generals couldn't help but get ready to move.

Being the commander of an army in a glamorous and beautiful manner, defeating the enemy in one fell swoop, winning the victory and gaining supreme glory, is there anything more satisfying than this as a general?
Han Xin's cold eyes passed over the generals standing in the front and fell on the last general who lowered his head and looked depressed. He said calmly: "Kong Xi!"

Kong Xi was stunned, slowly raised his head, and looked at Han Xin with a blank look.

Han Xin's next words shocked the other generals: "If I ask you to be the commander of the left army and fight against Xiang Chang's army, would you dare to accept it?"

Kong Xi's eyes instantly turned red, and a crazy and bloodthirsty aura surged through his body. He quickly jumped off the horse, strode forward a few steps, knelt on one knee, clasped his fists, raised his head and shouted: "General, if you let me be the commander of the left army, I am willing to sign a military order. If I cannot destroy Xiang Chang's army and kill Xiang Chang in one fell swoop, I will commit suicide to thank you!"

When the generals heard this, their faces were moved and their eyes were filled with admiration. Some even raised their thumbs and gestured to Kong Xi vigorously, but in their hearts they all cursed him as "shameless".

During this period, Kong Xi had a hard time in the Han camp. As a general with outstanding military achievements, he was defeated by a kid at night and became a stepping stone for others to rise to the top. This was not only a huge blow to him who was arrogant, but also made the generals in the Han camp laugh at him. They would definitely be sarcastic when they saw him.

Night Fight with the Lame Leopard is the new honorary title he earned from this battle.

The word "leopard" comes from Han Xin's evaluation that he "uses troops like a leopard". "Fighting with a lame leopard at night" is a mockery of the fact that when faced with a night battle, he is like a lame person and is vulnerable to any attack.

I have to say this is quite damaging.

This was not the end. In the end, some malicious rumors were even spread, saying that he was in the Han camp but admired Chu, and wanted to become a lackey under Xiang Yu, so he deliberately went easy on Xiang Yu's son. This made Kong Xi even more depressed and angry, and he felt like there was a fire in his heart every day.

Of course, Kong Xi also knew that the defeat in this battle was too outrageous and too tragic. If nothing unexpected happened, he would completely lose the qualification to lead an army alone and could only be used as a minor general.

Yes, the battle that was won by Xiang Chang in a night attack was equivalent to destroying all the military achievements he had accumulated over the previous ten years in one fell swoop.

However, Kong Xi never expected that Han Xin would unexpectedly give him this opportunity to avenge his previous shame. He was naturally grateful to Han Xin!

Liu Bang, who was standing nearby, looked at Kong Xi kneeling on the ground, expressing his gratitude to Han Xin and wishing he could acknowledge him as his real father. He remained calm on the surface, but his old eyes slowly narrowed.

Next, in response to Han Xin's question, "Do you have any objections to the arrangement of the army and the generals?", the commander of the right army, Cao Shen, hesitated for a moment, then urged his horse forward and said in a deep voice:
"General, we all know that Xiang Chang's army is the weakest among the Chu armies and is completely vulnerable. So why don't you lead the left army and defeat it in one fell swoop? Without the right flank, even if Xiang Ji has the ability to traverse the sky and the earth, he will still be defeated and will not be able to achieve anything!"

When Liu Bang, who was standing next to him, heard this, his eyes lit up. He looked at Han Xin and was about to speak, but when he looked at the sword in Han Xin's hand, he finally closed his mouth.

Han Xin sneered and said proudly:
"I will lead the left army myself, OK! Who will lead the central army? Xiang Yu will lead 40,000 elite troops, especially 20,000 of the world-famous Chu cavalry! Before the Gaixia city, the 20,000 cavalry, exhausted from the long battle, had amazing combat power. You have all fought against them and know very well! Now that they have eaten well for several days, their fatigue has disappeared, they have recuperated and have prepared their weapons and armor. Who is sure that they can withstand the impact of Xiang Chang's army and not be defeated before I destroy it? As long as they can do it, we can implement it according to General Cao's military strategy."

All the generals, including Cao Shen, lowered their heads and said nothing. It was obvious that no one was sure of this!
Han Xin paused for a moment, and seeing that no one volunteered, he said coldly: "The 240,000 troops in the Han camp have an absolute advantage. We can defeat the Chu army step by step. Why take such a risk? Next, according to the established military order, everyone quickly go back to prepare, enter your respective positions, and wait for the Chu army! Today, let us end the victory in one battle!"

(End of this chapter)