stonecrandall Chapter 909: Retreat to advance, this is the bait!
Chapter 909: Retreat to advance, this is the bait!
At this moment, Ying Bu could be described as a "bloody man." Dark crimson blood soaked his battle robes, congealing between the seams of his armor. His face and arms were also covered in bloodstains, whether from the enemy or his own. Yet, he walked with the gait of a tiger and the aura of a dragon, his aura powerful. His tiger eyes, far from fatigue, gleamed with a mixture of excitement and contempt, clearly at the peak of his powers.
"Your Majesty!" Ying Bu's voice boomed, carrying the fierce air of someone who had just returned from the battlefield. Without flinching, he plopped down on a nearby stool, grabbed his water bag, and guzzled several gulps. Then, wiping his mouth, he spoke with a hint of disdain, "This Chu army is truly vulnerable! If it weren't for their cavalry's swift movement and superior mobility, I could have led my troops to crush them in one fell swoop today! They're all show and no substance!"
Gao Yao slowly opened his eyes, not immediately refuting Ying Bu's boast. He was well aware of Ying Bu's bravery, and he was also aware of the inherent risks behind the Chu army's rapid expansion. Xiang Yu's rapid assembly of this vast army in the bitter cold of the north, particularly the staggering 100,000 cavalry, was nothing short of a miracle. But this miracle was achieved at the expense of quality for quantity.
In ancient warfare, the uneven quality of soldiers was commonplace. Military hierarchy was strict, with the lowest ranks often consisting of "suicide squads" or "vanguard battalions" composed of surrendered soldiers, prisoners, or conscripted slaves. Poorly equipped, sometimes even half-naked, they were armed with the lowest-quality weapons and driven to the front lines.
Their purpose was brutal and realistic—using flesh and blood to consume the enemy's sharpest edges, defuse traps, and sustain the greatest casualties, thereby weakening the enemy's morale and creating the conditions for the subsequent decisive strike by the truly elite main force. Kindness is not the key to success in military operations. In this chaotic world where human life is worthless, this is the tacit understanding of many generals. The Chu army expanded so rapidly that the proportion of these "expendable" troops was undoubtedly high.
The real fighting power is often concentrated in the central army, surrounding the main general. These are the core forces that have undergone sufficient training and are relatively well-equipped. Gao Yao's Southern Border Army was cultivated step by step with great effort. Most of the generals were screened through actual combat and gradually promoted, resulting in a relatively stable system. In contrast, Xiang Yu faced a huge shortage of generals.
In history, the Overlord of Western Chu commanded a vast army of formidable generals and counselors, easily commanding an army of 300,000. However, in this time and space, the catastrophic defeat in Kuaiji County dealt a devastating blow to the Xiang clan. Countless clan members, veteran generals, and ministers loyal to Xiang Yu perished on the battlefield, while Gao Yao managed to poach or incite some of these men to defect. This significantly reduced Xiang Yu's pool of generals, and despite commanding an army of 100,000, he felt a deep lack of capable, reliable, and capable generals.
The north was not without its valiant warriors, but recruiting them and conquering them were two different things. Xiang Yu retreated with his remaining troops to the four northern counties, having no real roots there. The Xiang family's prestige was resounding in Jiangdong, but it fell short in the bitter cold of the north. Furthermore, since Xiang Yu's rise to power, aside from participating in the siege of Xianyang and being defeated by Gao Yao at Kuaiji, he lacked any other notable military achievements to attract the allies of powerful individuals.
The foundations of his rule were fragile. The northern region was already sparsely populated and lacked abundant resources. To maintain his army, especially his costly cavalry, Xiang Yu was forced to implement a repressive policy, forcibly conscripting able-bodied men and imposing heavy taxes to purchase warhorses and fodder. Even though the introduction of high-yield crops like potatoes and sweet potatoes alleviated food shortages, survival depended solely on these crops, and the massive military expenditures continued to weigh heavily on the people within his territory. The entire Chu army was like a war machine driven to its limit, operating at full capacity and riddled with internal discord. Any major setback could trigger a chain reaction, leading to a complete collapse. This was the Chu army's most fatal weakness.
Although Ying Bu was brave and possessed some strategic tacticianship, he was also ambitious and daring, so he could see the fragility of the Chu army's formation and declared it "vulnerable." Gao Yao was even convinced that if the battle dragged on, the accumulated contradictions and pressures within the Chu army would be enough to destroy it from within, without the Southern Border Army's full-scale attack.
This, then, is the fundamental difference between Xiang Yu and the "mysterious Yi Xiaochuan" lurking behind the scenes. Though Xiang Yu could sometimes be violent and overbearing, he held fast to his moral principles. He would wield his butcher knife against foreigners, seize their warhorses, and engage in trade, but he would never seek the flesh of a tiger, nor would he sell out the land and the interests of his people for support. This was his pride, and it was his final steadfast commitment as a descendant of the Chu nobility.
In contrast, the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan is unscrupulous and unscrupulous in his pursuit of his goals. In his eyes, everything is negotiable, including principles, loyalty, and even his soul. He will collaborate with any force, employ any scheme, or resort to any means necessary to achieve his goals.
So, in Gao Yao's deep, cold eyes, the "mysterious Yi Xiaochuan," hiding behind the scenes and acting cunningly, was far more dangerous and troublesome than Xiang Yu, the warrior charging headfirst into battle. This man had no moral compass, his methods were sinister, and he would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. He was like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, ready to strike a fatal blow at any moment.
In contrast, the confrontation with the Chu army, while also a life-and-death struggle between states, at least had relatively clear rules, and Xiang Yu possessed a warrior's pride and unbreakable principles. Therefore, while Gao Yao's tactics against the Chu army were fierce, they were largely based on the clash of both sides' hard power. He deployed his troops and arrayed his forces, combining the orthodox and the bizarre, a form of restraint, avoiding overly treacherous tactics that could have wiped out entire clans.
He turned to Ying Bu, who had just experienced a fierce battle and was still full of murderous energy. His tone was calm but unquestionable: "Ying Bu, you should go down and rest and recover your strength. According to my prediction, the main force of the Chu army's reinforcements is probably very close. If my prediction is correct, Xiang Yu has most likely sent a special force to try to bypass our rear and launch a surprise attack at night, hoping to attack us from both sides and make it difficult for our front and rear to take care of each other!"
"What?! Your Majesty, this..." Ying Bu's excitement and contempt were instantly replaced by astonishment upon hearing this. He had just said that the Chu army was vulnerable, but now hearing that they might be surrounded by a large army, even a fierce general like him couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. The Chu cavalry's numerical advantage was real. If they were to be successfully outflanked, with our army consisting entirely of infantry, trapped in this makeshift camp, the consequences would be disastrous! He subconsciously clenched his fists, his tone carrying obvious anxiety, "What should we do then? Should we immediately..."