Mythical Qin: I, Gao Yao, will never be a eunuch!

Chapter 873 Xiang Yu’s impatience, Yi Xiaochuan’s strategic planning!

"Secondly, while the Guanzhong area isn't entirely without danger, it's certainly not completely flat. Our army has deployed troops at key passes. How can we allow their cavalry to freely penetrate? Even if they manage to break through one or two passes, our rear will learn of the situation and be able to quickly mobilize troops to encircle and block them. If their isolated army penetrates deep into our territory and is entangled, they will be in danger of being completely annihilated. Xiang Yu and Fan Zeng are both knowledgeable military officers. How could they not be concerned about this?"

Gao Yao nodded slightly. Xiao He's analysis hit the nail on the head, pointing out the inherent difficulties of cavalry's long-range, flanking operations. But this didn't completely dispel his uneasiness.

"The Prime Minister is quite right. However, warfare is a treacherous art. Yi Xiaochuan is a man of cunning minds, and cannot be judged by common sense. What if he has a special method for securing food and fodder, or is traveling light with elite cavalry and a few followers, taking a risky gamble? Or perhaps his goal isn't to capture cities, but... something else?"

Gao Yao's gaze once again looked into the distance, as if it wanted to penetrate the mountains.

"For example...intercepting and killing the reinforcements coming from Nanjun?"

Xiao He's expression froze at these words. The reinforcements from Nanjun were crucial to lifting the siege of Yangping Pass and ultimately stabilizing the situation in Hanzhong. If this fresh force were ambushed and defeated by the superior Chu cavalry, the blow to Gaoyao would be devastating.

"Send more fast horses immediately!" Gao Yao ordered firmly. "Change the horses, but not the men. Send a message to Nanjun as quickly as possible. Tell General Lu Ze to march with extreme caution and send out scouts to guard against ambushes by the Chu cavalry! At the same time, send a message to Xianyang to expedite the training of new recruits and be ready to support all parties at any time!"

"Here!"

Night slowly descended, engulfing the distant mountains and nearby valleys. Torches lit one after another at Yangping Pass, like a vigilant fire dragon. Inside and outside the pass, total silence reigned, yet beneath this silence surged a suffocating undercurrent.

Gao must know that the battle with the Chu army is no longer limited to the city of Yangping Pass. A larger battle centered on time, intelligence, and strategic deception has already begun. He must race against time to discern his opponent's true intentions, otherwise one wrong move could lead to eternal damnation.

At the same time, in the Chu army camp, inside the central military tent.

Xiang Yu, clad in heavy armor, paced back and forth, his heavy boots rustling the straw mats. His brow furrowed, his face filled with anxiety and confusion, and he repeatedly glanced at Yi Xiaochuan, who was concentrating on the map.

"Xiaochuan!" Xiang Yu finally lost his patience, his resounding voice echoing through the tent. "We've brought tens of thousands of men, fighting day and night, back here, just to bask in the sun and enjoy the scenery at Yangping Pass? All this thunder, no rain, feints all day long, bluffing, but no real fighting. What's the point? Every day of delay means more food and fodder, and a chance to fight slips away! Didn't you repeatedly emphasize this to me?"

His tone was filled with obvious confusion and a hint of suppressed dissatisfaction. According to his temperament, now that the army had returned, he should have launched a massive attack, storming Yangping Pass with overwhelming force before Gaoyao's reinforcements arrived, crushing them completely. Now, with such a blunt knife cutting into his flesh, he felt his strength was wasted and suffocated.

Upon hearing this, Yi Xiaochuan finally looked up from the map. His face was devoid of any anxiety, but instead wore a calm smile, one that suggested a plan. He put down his marker and responded calmly:

"Brother Yu, before we set out, you personally promised that you would follow my orders for this military operation. Why, after only a few days, are you going back on your word?"

"This... I'm not going back on my word!" Xiang Yu choked, his tone softening slightly, but still urgent. "No jokes in the army! I've promised you, and I won't break my word. But... Xiaochuan, on this battlefield, opportunities are fleeting! If we continue to waste time like this, won't we just miss the opportunity and put ourselves at a disadvantage? We've mobilized so many troops, but if we achieve nothing, won't it just dishearten our soldiers and make us the laughing stock of the world?"

Yi Xiaochuan stood up and walked over to Xiang Yu, his expression calm. "Brother Yu, you're right. Opportunity is crucial. I've said before that time is the most crucial factor. But that's based on the premise that we can quickly capture Yangping Pass! If you can break through in one blow, time will naturally be on our side. Every moment faster, our advantage will increase."

He changed the subject, pointing his finger at Yangping Pass on the map again. "But now, the situation is different. This 'critical time' premise no longer exists. In other words, it is no longer the primary factor in determining victory or defeat."

"It no longer exists? It's no longer important?" Xiang Yu's brows knitted even tighter, his voice filled with absurdity. "If it's no longer important, then why did we go through so much trouble to come back? Wouldn't it be better to just withdraw to Pengcheng? That way, we wouldn't have to waste money and food here, and lose manpower!"

Seeing Xiang Yu's growing impatience, Yi Xiaochuan smiled helplessly, his tone remaining steady. "Brother Yu, you're still too impatient. You always habitually put yourself in the role of the commander-in-chief, charging into battle and making the final decision, looking at things from the perspective of 'breaking the formation.' If we could step out of that for a moment and examine the overall situation from a higher level, from the perspective of 'playing chess,' many things would become much clearer."

He pulled Xiang Yu back to the map. "According to my deduction, Gao Yao's so-called reinforcements are likely a bluff. The defenders of Yangping Pass have suffered heavy losses after repeated battles. The number of soldiers capable of fighting is no more than 3,000 to 4,000, and definitely no more than 5,000! This is already the limit."

"Oh? Isn't this a good thing?" Xiang Yu's eyes lit up. "In that case, we should..."

"Brother Yu, you're getting anxious again." Yi Xiaochuan interrupted him and posed a crucial question. "Let's skip the issue of troop strength for now. I'm simply asking you, assuming my judgment is correct and I let you launch an all-out attack, are you confident you can capture Yangping Pass, which is still guarded by Gao Yao himself and well-prepared, within a few days?"

Xiang Yu was stumped by this question. He suppressed his impatience, folded his arms and pondered for a moment, his eyes swept over the marking of Yangping Pass on the map, and recalled the difficulties of the previous sieges. Finally, he said in a deep voice: "Two days! If we have the experience from last time, the soldiers will fight to the death, regardless of the cost. We are sure that we can break through this pass within two days!" This time was a relatively pertinent and confident answer given by Xiang Yu based on realistic considerations.

When Yi Xiaochuan heard this answer, an expression of "as expected" appeared on his face. He smiled slightly and continued to ask, "Okay, even if we take it down within two days. Then what?"

"And then?" Xiang Yu was stunned, obviously not fully following Yi Xiaochuan's jumping train of thought. "After taking Yangping Pass, the natural thing is to seize the opportunity to attack Hanzhong! What else is there to do?"