stonecrandall Chapter 918 Trap, continue the pursuit!
Chapter 918 Trap, continue the pursuit!
"Yes!" The generals were intimidated by Yi Xiaochuan's momentum, and also knew that the military situation was urgent. They responded in unison and quickly turned around and left the tent to make arrangements.
Yi Xiaochuan walked outside the tent, gazing at the hastily assembled troops, his mind racing. He quickly grasped Gao Yao's intentions and the enormous risks they faced. Yes, Gao Yao's move had indeed caught them off guard, leaving both him and Xiang Yu with a bitter loss. But the risks were equally stiflingly high.
Abandoning the nearby barrier of Yangping Pass and opting for a long-distance assault on Xianyang meant that Gaoyao's army would be completely isolated. Losing their stable logistical support, they were exposed on the vast plains and could be overtaken and surrounded at any moment by the faster Chu cavalry. Even if the Xianyang defenders emerged to provide support, the Gaoyao coalition would still be at a significant disadvantage given the current overall strength of the Chu and Han forces.
"Gao Yao, Gao Yao, you are indeed a madman..." Yi Xiaochuan muttered to himself, but his eyes were burning with fighting spirit, "But this time, your gamble is doomed to fail! Order the vanguard light cavalry to use all their horsepower and physical strength to bite Gao Yao's rear guard! The entire army will follow, the target is Xianyang, full speed ahead!
The setting sun dyed the sky a bloody crimson, akin to the tense nerves of the Southern Border Army soldiers. Gao Yao reined in his horse and gazed back at the long, winding column behind him. Days of rapid marching had already exhausted the troops, but the fire of survival gleamed in every man's eyes, as did his trust in their commander, who remained calm in the face of danger.
"General, all unnecessary baggage has been dumped at three forks in the road ahead as you instructed." The deputy general's voice was tired, but he was unambiguous in executing orders.
Gao Yao nodded, his gaze sweeping sharply over the abandoned tents, tattered armor, and even the few deliberately left-behind flags bearing the insignia of different tribes. A cold smile curved his lips. "Very good. Remember, the locations of the abandoned items must be meticulous, and the traces must be realistic. Especially the two paths leading northwest and northeast. They should be embellished with more detail, so the Chu scouts will think we're splitting up into multiple routes, with unpredictable intentions."
This was Gao Yao's second tactic beyond his "light travel" strategy—a deceptive strategy. Under normal circumstances, facing an army headed directly for Xianyang, this tactic might have had limited effectiveness, a perceptive commander easily seeing through the deception. But now, the situation was different. Gao Yao knew that his previous "reverse breakout" had, like a poisonous sting, pierced the hearts of Yi Xiaochuan and Xiang Yu. They had suffered two consecutive setbacks at Gao Yao's hands: the embarrassment of the ambush, and the humiliation of being easily deceived and his attack on Yangping Pass was in vain.
"Once bitten by a snake, one fears ropes for ten years," Gao Yao muttered to himself, his eyes etched with understanding. For an adversary who had just suffered a loss, doubts would grow like weeds. What would they think when they caught up and saw these deliberately left traces pointing in different directions? Would they conclude that Gao Yao's attack on Xianyang was a feint, his true purpose concealed, waiting to divert the main force of the Chu army before launching a surprise attack back to Yangping Pass? Or was this a larger trap, designed to lure them into splitting up and then defeating them piecemeal?
This uncertainty was exactly what Gao Yao wanted. He didn't need to completely deceive Yi Xiaochuan; he simply needed to plant a seed of doubt in his heart, making him "afraid to gamble." As soon as Yi Xiaochuan hesitated, the pursuit would inevitably slow. He had to dispatch a large number of scouts, combing through every suspicious path to confirm the true destination of the main force. This process of investigation, reporting, and decision-making consumed exactly what Gao Yao needed most at that moment: time.
"Our goal isn't to defeat them, but to outrun them," Gao Yao once explained to his generals. "Every hour we delay the enemy brings us closer to Xianyang, and our chances of survival increase."
Things unfolded just as Gao Yao had anticipated. The Chu cavalry, led by Yi Xiaochuan, quickly closed in on the enemy thanks to their speed advantage. But when their vanguard scouts reported finding multiple traces of the enemy's advance, the atmosphere in Yi Xiaochuan's central camp suddenly grew tense.
The map was spread out, revealing several forked roads prominently marked. Yi Xiaochuan's brow furrowed, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table. In the past, the confident Yi Xiaochuan, certain Gao Yao was merely playing tricks, might have scoffed at this, dismissing it as Gao Yao's last-ditch effort. Without hesitation, he would have chosen the main route to Xianyang in pursuit.
But now... the series of defeats had been like a cold shower, cracking his inherent confidence. He had become cautious, even paranoid. Gao Yao was a man who played by his own rules, his mind cunning and unpredictable. What if? What if this was another trick? If he misjudged and rashly pursued him, only to find himself empty-handed again, while Gao Yao slipped back to Yangping Pass or attacked the Chu army from another direction? What would the consequences be... How would Xiang Yu view him? How would the Chu army's officers and soldiers view him?
"I can't make another mistake..." A voice in Yi Xiaochuan's heart warned him. This pressure not only came from him, but also invisibly passed on to the soldiers below him. The officers and soldiers at the grassroots level had just experienced a defeat and were still in shock. Naturally, they were more cautious on the march and were extremely sensitive to any sign of trouble. This collective mentality made it impossible to speed up the march.
"Send out three teams of scouts, each with fifty light cavalry, to carefully explore the northwest, northeast, and north directions! The main force... hold off and await accurate information!" Yi Xiaochuan ultimately issued this conservative order. He no longer dared to gamble the fate of the entire army on Gao Yao's intentions.
This order meant that at least half a day was wasted on reconnaissance and waiting. And this precious half day was the chance of survival that Gao Yao's army had fought so hard to win.
The Chu army was, after all, elite, especially Yi Xiaochuan's cavalry, which was extremely mobile. Even after being delayed for half a day, their pursuit remained astonishingly rapid once they had reoriented themselves. Gao Yao, despite his utmost efforts, even considered leaving behind a rearguard unit to slow down the pursuers.
But the moment the thought came to mind, he decisively rejected it. Leaving behind would mean splitting up the army, which would mean sacrifice. With the army already at a significant disadvantage, further splitting up would be tantamount to cutting off one's own arm. More importantly, leaving behind a visible rearguard would clearly signal to Yi Xiaochuan: Gao Yao's main force is ahead, and we're short on manpower. Give chase! This would only incentivize the Chu army to recklessly accelerate their pursuit, potentially leading to a more rapid collapse.