Chu and Han contend for the throne

Chapter 423
In the dead of night, Xiang Zhuang didn't feel sleepy at all, and was pacing back and forth in the big tent.

At this moment, Xiang Zhuang deeply felt the trouble caused by the inconvenient communication. Bi Shu's 20 troops were fighting with Han Xin and Yingbo's 25 coalition troops in Huainan, but he didn't get any news from his side. Even Wumuya couldn't pass on the news from Huainan in time.

Sometimes, Xiang Zhuang couldn't help thinking, how great it would be if there were telegrams?

However, Xiang Zhuang just thought about it. With the technological level of this era, it is simply a fantasy to make telegraphs. It may be possible to make gunpowder, but Xiang Zhuang really didn’t read well in chemistry, and he had already forgotten it. What are the specific ingredients of gunpowder? As for the formula, it is even more unclear.

The clanging of swords and swords could be faintly heard outside the tent, and Xiang Zhuang became a little restless.

Without going out of the tent to see, Xiang Zhuang knew that it must be the bastard Xiang Zhi who was pestering Huyan to compete again. Xiang Zhi was almost a martial arts idiot, and he had no other thoughts in his mind except for pursuing better martial arts Yes, that's good, at least it won't pose a threat to the throne, and there won't be a blood-thirsty relationship with Xiang Zheng.

After walking for a long time, Xiang Zhuang stood in front of the screen to the north again, staring at the map in a daze.

The situation in the Huainan battlefield is still unclear, but in the Nanyang battlefield, the Chu army has actually fallen behind.

Since the last war suffered a loss, Liu Bang sent a large number of scouts and rangers to strengthen the control of the area around the battlefield for a hundred miles. Since then, hundreds of strangulations broke out between the rangers of the Chu army and the rangers of the Han army. The Chu army didn't take advantage of it any more, and the situation changed slightly until the arrival of Meng's Xiaocavalry army.

After all, Jiangdong is still not suitable for the development of cavalry.

This has nothing to do with national strength, the determination and courage of the monarch, it is completely determined by the environment.

First of all, there is no large area of ​​grassland in Jiangdong, and it is difficult to raise horses. One hundred thousand military horses is already the limit!Although Guanzhong also does not have a large area of ​​grassland, there are large tracts of grassland in Longxi, Hexi, and Jiuyuan adjacent to Guanzhong, and the nomadic Hu people in the surrounding areas have a good relationship with the Han Dynasty. The Han army has almost an inexhaustible supply of horses. .

Secondly, the barbarians around the state of Chu have no cavalry, and it is difficult for the cavalry of the Chu army to find opportunities for training, while the state of Han is adjacent to the mighty Huns. The cavalry of the Han army almost grew up in the bloody battle with the Huns. In terms of combat experience However, the cavalry of the Chu army is far from being comparable to the cavalry of the Han army.

At the beginning, the Chu cavalry could suppress the Han cavalry with the improved Mongolian horses and sharp ring-shoulders, so they gained the upper hand in the strangling of the rangers. However, as time went by, the Han army gradually adapted to the Chu cavalry After gaining the advantage of the army, they quickly found out effective counter tactics, and the rangers of the Chu army gradually fell into a disadvantage.

Chu has more than 6 cavalry, and the Xiao cavalry army can steadily overwhelm the cavalry of the Han army.

The Xiaocai Army has the old foundation of the Great Qin Iron Cavalry, and its combat effectiveness is still very strong. In addition, Xiangzhuang introduced Arabian horses and improved the Mongolian horse breed, which made the Xiaocai Army even more powerful, especially the [-] heavy cavalry in the Xiaocai Army. Whether it is impact, combat experience or training, they are obviously better than the heavy cavalry of the Han army.

However, no matter how powerful the Xiaocavalry Army is, there are only 10,000 cavalrymen. At a certain time, the [-] Xiaocavalry Army may be able to decide the outcome of a battle, but most of the time, the Xiaocavalry Army is facing [-]+ Han cavalry. When the barbarian cavalry is added, it can only be exhausted.

Moreover, the disadvantage of cavalry is only one aspect.

According to Wumuya's information, the Han army is building a large number of counterweight catapults in the camp!
The counterweight catapult was the first to be invented by Xiangzhuang Guidance Bus. Compared with the lever catapult, the structure is slightly more complicated, but the range and lethality are much greater!However, there are advantages and disadvantages in everything. Shortly after the Chu army equipped the counterweight catapult, other countries imitated the same counterweight catapult one after another.

After all, the principle and structure of the counterweight catapult are actually not complicated, and a carpenter with a little experience can basically imitate it just by looking at it.

The two armies of Chu and Han are facing each other in the wild, and the Han army does not need to attack the city. Why did Liu Bang build a large number of catapults?

Obviously, Liu Bang has been instructed by an expert. This expert is either Zhang Liang, Chen Ping or Bai Mo. These catapults are definitely used to deal with the Chu army's Liannu. The Liannu is surprisingly lethal, but it is extremely heavy. The front also needs to be fixed with a special iron braze, and it is indeed difficult to survive the large-scale impact of the catapult.

This brought great trouble to the Chu army. Once the deterrence of the Liannu was lost, Xiang Zhuang could not imagine how the Chu army could resist when the Han army's heavy cavalry charged from the front.trench?Luzhai?Neither is a good strategy!Is it possible to let the two thousand heavy cavalry of the Xiaocai Army carry out a dash-style charge?The effect may not be good, and Xiang Zhuang is also reluctant.

Unless the catapults of the Han army can be killed, this problem cannot be solved.

But the catapults of the Han army must be hiding in the rear. How easy is it to kill them under the premise that the cavalry is not dominant?
Xiang Zhuang was thinking hard for no time, when Qu Bucai's slender figure suddenly came out from the shadow of the corner of the big tent, bowed to Xiang Zhuang, and said: "Your Majesty, urgent report from Ziling!"

Xiang Zhuang casually took the secret letter from Qu Bucai's hand, read it hastily but his expression changed instantly.

Qu Bucai paused in his heart, he hadn't read this letter yet, could it be that the battle situation in Huainan has changed?Qu Bucai was in shock, Xiang Zhuang suddenly turned his head and shouted: "Huyan!"

Amidst the hurried footsteps, Hu Yan had already lifted the curtain and entered, followed by Xiang Zhi.

As soon as he entered the account, Hu Yan bowed his hands to Xiang Zhuang, and said proudly: "What's your order?"

Xiang Zhuang flicked his sleeves and held his belt again, and said loudly: "Quick, quickly go and invite the military advisor to the widow!"

"Here!" Hu Yan responded with a bang, and went to take the order, but Xiang Zhi came up and asked, "Father, what's the matter?"

"The Huainan War has come to an end." Xiang Zhuang patted the back of Xiang Zhi's head, then reached out to brush off the grass clippings on his shoulders, and said suppressing his excitement, "Han Xin and Yingbo were defeated, and our army won a complete victory, haha Ha ha."

Xiang Zhi didn't react too much, he only thought about the move he lost to Hu Yan just now.

After a while, Bai Lixian stepped into the big tent in a hurry, and as soon as he entered the tent, he asked: "My lord, did you win the Huainan battle?"

"Ziliang, you're right." Xiang Zhuang reached out his hand to stop Bailixian from saluting, and then pulled him to the north screen, pointing to the map and said, "Huainan won a big victory. On the way here, you must have given Jin Xiang all the tricks in your bag, can you pass on the letter to Gao Chu Feige now?"

Bailixian said: "Since the Huainan War has been won, it is indeed time for Bashu to send troops."

Xiang Zhuang immediately took out another kit from his bosom, unwrapped it, and took out a secret letter from it to Qu Bucai, and solemnly urged: "Old Qu, send this secret letter to Gao Chu immediately , the sooner the better!"

"Here!" Qu Bucai took the secret letter, turned around and hid in the shadow of the corner of the big tent.

Only then did Xiang Zhuang pull Bai Lixian to sit down, and at the same time ordered Huyan: "Huyan, call the generals immediately, and then arrange for people to roast a few whole sheep. I want to drink with the generals, hahaha..." Huainan The war has come to an end, and Xiang Zhuang's worries have been put aside halfway. Now, it's just waiting for Bi Shu to arrive.

But Bai Lixian frowned, and persuaded in a low voice: "Your Majesty, be careful of the Han army jumping over the wall in a hurry."

"Huh? Dog jumping over the wall?" Xiang Zhuang was startled when he heard the words. He was too excited just now. As soon as Bai Lixian reminded him, he immediately came to his senses. Han Xin and Yingbo were defeated, and Liu Bang's foreign aid It will no longer exist, and foreign aid from the Chu army may appear. After the news spreads, Yanzhao South Korea will definitely be moved by the news!

In this case, if Liu Bang doesn't want to stand still, he can only act first!

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The weather is getting hotter and hotter, and it is difficult for Liu Bang to sleep at night. He will be inspecting the supply camp accompanied by Zhang Liang.

Although it was already late at night, the main camp was still brightly lit and crowded with people. Thousands of craftsmen with their upper bodies exposed were sweating profusely and building catapults overnight. Hundreds of catapult pylons, those are already built catapults.

"Ziliang." Liu Bang asked Zhang Liangdao while walking, "You said these catapults can really destroy the Chu army's Liannu?"

"It's definitely possible." Zhang Liang replied firmly, "The Chu Army's Liannu is heavy and difficult to move, and it needs to be fixed when firing. As long as hundreds of catapults are concentrated for continuous bombardment, the Chu Army's Liannu will definitely be destroyed. .”

"I hope so." Liu Bang shook his head and sighed softly, obviously Liu Bang still had doubts about this in his heart.

As he was walking, Liu Bang stopped suddenly, and asked quietly, "Ziliang, do you think Han Xin can win Bishu?"

Zhang Liang smiled and said: "Han Xin is very familiar with the art of war, and has experienced hundreds of battles. Although Bi Shu is a member of the Guigu sect, he is still a little tender compared with Han Xin. What's more, the Qi-Huai coalition forces still have an advantage in strength. In the battle of Huainan, the minister I thought the Chu army would be defeated!" Zhang Liang had worked with Han Xin for many years, and he still had great confidence in Han Xin.

However, this is nothing more than Zhang Liang's wish after all.

Soon, Zhang Liang's assertion was ruthlessly shattered by the cruel reality!

Almost as soon as Zhang Liang's voice fell to the ground, Chen Ping's figure hurriedly appeared in Liu Bang's and Zhang Liang's field of vision. Seeing the rare panic on Chen Ping's face, Liu Bang and Zhang Liang's hearts suddenly felt a little bit After a pause, he thought to himself that the Huainan War probably had a result, and it might be a bad result.

Sure enough, Chen Ping walked up to Liu Bang, bowed hurriedly, and said, "Your Majesty, disaster has happened!"

After finishing speaking, Chen Ping took a deep breath again, and then continued: "I just received a message from Feige from Pengcheng that the Qi-Huai allied forces fought a decisive battle with the Chu army three days ago, but they were defeated by the Chu army. King Han Xin of Qi Already killed in battle, Huainan Wang Yingbu was defeated and left Xiangxian County, Huainan Kingdom and Qi Kingdom are gone..."

(End of this chapter)