Chu and Han contend for the throne

Chapter 92

Let's not talk about Zhou Bo's army crossing the river, let's talk about Liu Bang.

It was only more than two hundred miles from Xinyi to Puyang, so only two hours later, the urgent report of the Chu army fleeing south through Xinyi was submitted to Liu Bang's desk.

And not long after the first urgent report was delivered, the second urgent report also arrived one after another, and the Chu army was just passing by.

After reading the two urgent reports, Liu Bang asked Zhang Liang and Chen Ping, "Zi Fang, Chen Ping, what do you think of this matter?"

Zhang Liang pondered for a moment, then thoughtfully said: "Judging from the urgent report sent by the garrison in Xinyi, it is undoubtedly the Chu army who passed through there, but it is hard to say whether it is the main force of the Chu army in Xiangzhuang." After this pause, Zhang Liang said again, "After all, it is night. The Chu army only needs 500 men. If we light more torches and increase the marching distance, we can create a momentum of 5000 men."

Chen Ping also echoed: "Brother Zifang is right, this may just be a suspicious strategy of the Chu army."

Having said this, Chen Ping continued: "However, as soon as General Zhou Bo's urgent delivery arrives, Your Majesty will know whether the main force of the Chu army passing through Xinyi, or just a suspicious soldier."

Just as he finished speaking, He casually walked into the hall with a scroll of letters in his hands.

"Your Majesty, General Zhou Bo hastened to report!" Sui He bowed to Liu Bang and said respectfully.

Liu Bang reached out to take the letter, and after reading it hastily, his expression changed slightly: "Zifang, Chen Ping, Zhou Bo's battle report said that the remnants of the Chu army ran in the direction of Xinyi. It seems that the Chu army from Xiangzhuang should pass through Xinyi. There is no doubt about the main force, Zhou Bo also said that the Chu army even abandoned the boats used to cross the river, it seems that Xiang Zhuang'er left in a hurry!"

"Really?" Zhang Liang frowned, "Could it be that Chu Jun really doesn't plan to return to Zhao?"

"Not going back to Zhao?" Liu Bang said in a deep voice, "Isn't Xiang Zhuang's son planning to go to Guanzhong?"

"When the Chu army knows that there is no hope of conquering Guanzhong, they may withdraw to Chu." Zhang Liang nodded and said, "However, this matter is still a bit strange. From a tactical point of view, it is certainly wise for the Chu army to return to Chu. However, from a strategic point of view, once the Chu army returns to Chu, all the previous efforts will be in vain."

Chen Ping nodded lightly. He also felt the same confusion. This doesn't seem to be in line with Xiang Zhuang's behavior style, right?
Since the beginning of Shouchun, Xiang Zhuang has given people the feeling that he is resolute to the point of being cold and even cruel. Will he just give up?
Whether it was a surprise attack on the land of Liang or Qi, the strategy of the Chu army has been clearly demonstrated. The Chu army is going to break the general trend of the King of Han sweeping the world through a series of battles. But this time, the Chu army is uncharacteristically, It seems that they are really ready to fight back to Chu. Before breaking the general trend of the King of Han, will the Chu army really return to Chu?
Liu Bang frowned, and said in a deep voice, "I don't think so much, as long as the main force of the Chu army passes from Xinyi!"

Having said this, Liu Bang gritted his teeth again and said: "In this way, let Han Xin send more secret agents to strengthen the investigation, and then let Zhou Bo and Wang Shui rush across the river to pursue them. I don't care what Xiang Zhuang'er wants to do, this time I must kill him. The remnants of the army were wiped out in Qidi, especially Xiang Zhuang, I must smash his bones to ashes!"

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After dawn, the Chu army did not stop marching, but continued southward.

At noon, the Chu army entered the border of Dong'e. After entering Dong'e County, Qi army's scout cavalry began to appear at various key passes. It began to appear continuously. Obviously, Liu Bang and Han Xin already knew that the Chu army had returned to Qi.

At midnight, the Chu army had penetrated nearly a hundred miles into Dong'e County.

Wei Liao, who was lying on the stretcher, suddenly struggled to sit up, and said to Xiang Zhuang who was urging his horse forward: "General, come here, there is no need to go any further!"

Xiang Zhuang immediately raised his right hand and said loudly: "Stop advancing!"

"The general has ordered that the whole army stop advancing!"

"The general has ordered that the whole army stop advancing!"

"The general has ordered that the whole army stop advancing!"

Xiang Zhuang's order was conveyed quickly, and the Chu army that had been advancing aggressively stopped one after another.

In less than a moment, Huan Chu, Ji Bu, Xiao Kai, Yu Ziqi, Jing Qian, Gao Chu and other generals gathered around Xiangzhuang. Except for Yu Ziqi and Gao Chu who were thoughtful, the rest of the generals were full Confused, according to the usual marching method of the Chu army day and night, now is a good time to march, why stop?

Xiang Zhuang's eyes swept across the faces of generals Huan Chu, Ji Bu, and Xiao Kai, and finally fell on Yu Ziqi.

Yu Ziqi seemed to have realized something, and immediately urged his horse to go forward, bowed his hands to Xiang Zhuang, and said solemnly: "General, if you have anything to do, please give me orders, no matter whether it is going up the mountain of swords or going down the frying pan, the last general will never do anything." Two words!" Yu Ziqi's trust in Xiang Zhuang is unreserved, if it weren't for Xiang Zhuang, how could the Chu army persist until now?
Xiang Zhuang was silent, and after a while he said: "General Ziqi, you have to think carefully."

"You don't have to think about it in the end." Yu Ziqi's tone was very light, and he didn't express his determination with harsh words.

However, Xiang Zhuang clearly felt the decisive momentum of whether there is no return, death and no life from Yu Ziqi: the general has an order, even though there are thousands of people, I will go...

"Okay." Xiang Zhuang nodded solemnly, and said solemnly, "Yu Ziqi listens to the order!"

"Crack." There was only a clear sound, and Yu Ziqi was already clasping his fists on the horse's back, respectfully listening to the military order.

"Lead [-] elite soldiers from the headquarters, light more torches, widen the marching distance, and continue southward with a disguised army. Remember, from now on, you can only march at night, and hide during the day. In particular, you must strengthen your vigilance, and you must not let the Qi army scouts see the truth too early. ! In short, the longer you delay, the more beneficial it will be for my main force, so go!"

"Promise!" Yu Ziqi slammed into the promise, and immediately mobilized five hundred elite soldiers and left.

Xiang Zhuang looked around at the generals again, and shouted: "Every army put out the torches immediately, and take the path back to Xinyi!"

Xiang Zhuang's order was issued quickly, and after the division, the remaining [-] troops extinguished their torches one after another, then turned around and headed north, and fought back towards Xinyi again.

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In the east of Xinyi City, Zhou Bo's army is marching southward along the main road.

A few moments ago, Zhou Bo had just received a report from the magistrate of Dong'e County, and learned that the Chu army had entered Dong'e County, and it was likely that they were approaching Jishui now.

Calculating the distance, Zhou Bo's army has been pulled down by the Chu army for nearly two hundred miles.

Zhou Guanfu said bitterly: "Father, these Chu barbarians can really run away!"

Zhou Bo sighed, and said helplessly: "There is no way, the Chu army is all elite!"

Having said this, Zhou Bo looked at the front, back, left, and right marching ranks again, and saw that the marching ranks of the Han army had already become horrible due to the long-distance and hasty march. Elite, in fact, there are still many old, weak, sick and disabled in the army, if not for this, they would not be dragged down so far by the Chu army, heh."

Zhou Bo, Zhou Guanfu and his son did not know that the main force of the Chu army, which they expected to have run two hundred miles away, was actually hidden in an old forest less than ten miles away from them. He returned to Xinyi before dawn, and then hid in the old forest that had been surveyed long ago.

This way to the north, because of the small road and the forced march, many Chu soldiers fell with bruised noses and swollen faces, and several even broke their arms and legs. Unfortunately, the four thousand Chu troops returned to the vicinity of Xinyi almost without anyone noticing.

Such a situation was actually expected by Xiang Zhuang and Wei Liao.

Due to successive years of wars in Wei, most of the people in Dongjun have fled, and those who have not fled have moved into cities or Wubao to live. The traffickers and pawns have completely disappeared. Now the wild villages are almost empty, living in the barren mountains. There were even fewer people in the mountains, so the Chu army did not meet a single pedestrian when they went northward overnight.

As for the scouts of the Qi army, as well as the secret agents of the Han army, they had already gone to Dong'e with Yu Ziqi's "big army". After all, Yu Ziqi's "main force of the Chu army" was currently in Dong'e County.

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Puyang, the prefect's mansion.

Early in the morning, Liu Bang couldn't wait to walk into the hall of the Sheriff's Mansion.

Seeing that the Chu army was stepping into the desperate situation step by step, and Xiang Zhuang's son was about to be handed over, Liu Bang became excited, and he didn't even have the heart to make out with Mrs. Qi and Mrs. Bo. He wanted to stay in the hall all day and all night. Following Zhang Liang and Chen Ping's constant attention to the latest developments of the Chu army, as well as the latest developments of the Qi army and Zhou Bo's armies.

At this moment, Zhang Liang was analyzing the latest situation with Liu Bang, pointing to the map hanging on the screen.

"My lord, at present, it seems that the main force of the Chu army in Xiangzhuang should have entered Dong'e County."

"Yesterday evening, the main force of the Chu army had already entered Dong'e County, but in the middle of the night, they suddenly turned around and headed east, changing the marching direction, and then at dawn, all the scouts and agents lost the news of the Chu army. The remnants of the Chu army are hiding in a hidden valley."

"The Chu army's change of marching route is just trying to cover up the obvious. I judge that the Chu army is likely to go to Lu County in Xue County. After all, thousands of remnants of Xiang Guan are still entrenched in Lu County."

Liu Bang immediately said: "That's just right, even Xiang Guan has been cleaned up."

Zhang Liang nodded, and said again: "The elite soldiers of Zhou Bo and Mei Yan have passed through Xinyi now, and the elite soldiers of Li Shang, Fu Kuan, and Xia Houying have also crossed the river, and they have already passed the river along the east and west. Once the Chu army suddenly turns around or flees in the east and west directions, they will be intercepted and killed by the elite soldiers of the six routes."

There were six elite soldiers in Zhaodi, but the [-] elite soldiers sucked by Wang were left behind in Huguan and Jingxingguan.

Liu Bang touched the mustache on his lips, and said in a deep voice, "We must find the whereabouts of the Chu army as soon as possible!"

"Your Majesty, don't worry." Zhang Liang smiled slightly, and said again, "I have already dispatched an effective doorman, the hero who found the whereabouts of the Chu army in Dabie Mountain last time. Calculating the time, he should have arrived in Dong'e County by now. I estimate that , it won't be long before there will be a flying report from Dong'e County."

"Okay!" Liu Bang immediately slapped his thigh and said excitedly, "This time, I want to see if Xiang Zhuang'er can escape? Where can he run? Hmph!" PS: Recommend a book "Genius Physician", written by eye, and I ordered the other "Golden Eye" that he just finished.

(End of this chapter)