stonecrandall Chapter 869: Respond to all changes with constancy, defend!
Chapter 869: Respond to all changes with constancy, defend!
The scout dismounted, knelt on one knee, saluted, and reported clearly, his voice panting from the rapid galloping:
"Report! Your Majesty, Prime Minister! The Chu army is not advancing towards our city walls. Instead, they have halted approximately ten miles northwest of the city walls and are...are selecting a location to set up camp!"
"What? Setting up camp?!"
Gao Yao and Xiao He asked in surprise almost at the same time, their faces instantly filled with disbelief and shock. Gao Yao's eyes widened, thinking he had misheard.
"Yes! Absolutely!" the scout repeated confidently. "The Chu army numbers around 50,000 men, currently busy felling trees, setting up fences, and digging trenches. Their camp is quite large. Judging by their layout, they've clearly divided the central army into a main tent and the vanguard camps on the left and right wings. Everything is in perfect order, and it doesn't look like they're about to attack the city!"
After receiving a definitive answer, Gao Yao's confusion not only didn't dissipate, but instead snowballed. He subconsciously looked up at the sky. It was just past noon, the sun was still blazing, and it was still several hours before dark!
No matter how you look at it, the Chu army had no reason to abandon the attack at this moment! Xiang Yu and Fan Zeng couldn't fail to see that the battle now was all about timing. Taking advantage of Gao Yao's lack of reinforcements and the exhausted and disorganized defenders, the best option was to seize Yangping Pass in one fell swoop. Delaying time would benefit Gao Yao, but for the Chu army, every moment of delay would increase the risk of failure!
Seizing every opportunity to launch a fierce attack is the right thing to do! But now, instead of attacking, the Chu army has begun to set up camp with great fanfare, even planning the center and the two wings! How can this be a hasty attack? They are clearly prepared for a long-term standoff and steady progress!
This is totally illogical! Gao Yao's brows were twisted into a knot. He found that he had no idea what the other party was up to.
"Xiao He," Gao Yao suddenly turned his head, his eyes sharp as he looked at the prime minister beside him, who was also lost in thought. His tone was filled with unprecedented solemnity and confusion. "What do you think of this matter? What is Xiang Yu's intention in doing this?"
Xiao He, snapped out of his reverie upon hearing the question, a helpless, wry smile playing across his face. King Gao truly regarded him as a know-it-all, capable of calculating everything. He found it difficult to decipher the full implications of such unusual behavior.
He pondered for a moment, then spoke cautiously, "Your Majesty, the Chu army's actions are indeed strange, and I cannot fully understand their intentions at this moment. Judging from the current situation, the most likely scenario is... the Chu army itself is exhausted."
Xiao He gathered his thoughts and slowly analyzed, "Your Majesty, consider this: the Chu army first attacked us over a long distance, engaging in fierce fighting for days. Shortages of fodder forced a hasty withdrawal. Without even a moment's rest, they saw through our ruse and rushed back again. This back-and-forth march, all forced by rapid marches, would tire even the strongest of muscles. Xiang Yu, despite his fierce military prowess, also understood the principle of 'the first surge is vigorous, the second weakens, the third exhausts'. Perhaps seeing our army's preparedness and the strong walls, he knew a hasty assault would be ineffective. Therefore, he chose to stabilize his position, allowing his men to rest and recuperate, waiting until tomorrow or the day after, when they had regained their strength, before launching a thundering attack. This was a cautious and measured approach, slow and steady, but not entirely unreasonable."
Xiao He's words pointed to the most logical possibility at the moment. The Chu army was also human, and continuous high-intensity maneuvers and combat inevitably led to a decline in combat effectiveness. Facing the personal guards at Yangping Pass and Gaoyao, choosing to rest and recover before attacking was, from a military perspective, a reasonable choice.
Despite this well-founded analysis, Gao Yao still felt a vague unease. He felt that, with Xiang Yu's fierce and resolute character, even if his army was exhausted, he would have been more likely to launch a relentless, all-out attack, rather than patiently setting up camp.
Could there be other deeper plans hidden behind this that he has not yet noticed?
Xiao He keenly sensed the lingering doubt and subtle uneasiness between Gao Yao's brows. He knew his master was a meticulous thinker, yet prone to self-imposed traps caused by excessive overthinking. He stepped forward, his voice calm yet reassuringly penetrating:
"Your Majesty, I believe that all of your concerns are unnecessary at this moment."
Gao Yao was immersed in his own deductions and guesses. He was slightly startled when he heard this. He turned his head to look at Xiao He with confusion in his eyes: "Oh? What do you mean?" He was indeed confused. The situation was so strange, why did Xiao He seem so calm and composed?
Xiao He gently stroked his short beard, his eyes clear and his voice steady as he analyzed, "Your Majesty, the logic behind this matter is actually very simple. No matter what Xiang Yu and Fan Zeng are plotting, no matter how shocking their schemes may be, Your Majesty, do we have any other options?"
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the surrounding generals, who also wore worried expressions, before finally resting on Gao Yao's face. He continued, "For our army, the core of our strategy has remained unchanged from the beginning—defense! We must adopt a defensive posture in the direction of Xianyang, using our strong city walls and deep moats to wear down the Chu army. We must hold Yangping Pass with all our might, not giving up an inch of ground! Whether the Chu army attacks the city immediately, sets up camp, rests its troops, or secretly attacks Chencang—all these are changes they must proactively make."
"As for us," Xiao He's tone became more emphatic, his voice filled with unquestionable resolve, "we simply need to remain constant in the face of ever-changing circumstances! No matter how many schemes they employ, we will remain unmoved. If they attack, we will defend the pass walls to the death. If they surround us without attacking, we can happily buy time and await reinforcements from Nanjun! No matter what the Chu army's intentions, as long as we maintain our composure and don't rush out of the pass to engage in a reckless battle, none of their actions will ultimately shake our fundamental deployment. It will have no substantial impact on the overall situation and may even be beneficial to us."
These words, like a ray of light, instantly enlightened Gao Yao. He was stunned for a moment, then a self-deprecating sneer crossed his face and he shook his head. Yes, he had truly been misled by Xiang Yu's unusual behavior, falling into the trap of eagerly guessing his opponent's intentions, forgetting the most fundamental fact: no matter what tricks the other party played, his best and only option was to hold firm!
After figuring this out, Gao Yao's tangled confusion and uneasiness instantly dissipated. His thoughts became clearer: indeed, any strategy based on speculation would be futile and potentially even dangerous.