Competing

Chapter 415 Zhang Liang's Plan
Yue Wang Yinxu soon received a letter from Feige and learned the result of the Battle of Pengcheng. As expected, the Han army was defeated!

Ten days after Fei Ge sent the letter, Du Shang returned to Shanyin and brought the details of the battle of Pengcheng to the king and ministers of the Yue Kingdom.

"Xiang Yu pretended that the army was pinned down on the border of Qi and Chu, and made public appearances several times, making people think that he was still fighting in line! In fact, he left the army in Qi and handed it over to the commander-in-chief of his confidant. He personally led three Thousands of cavalry rushed back to rescue Pengcheng. It can be said that they had the effect of a surprise soldier, and suddenly appeared near Pengcheng.

At that time, Liu Bang had already occupied Pengcheng. If he had defended the city, Xiang Yu might not have won, or he might not have won so quickly, and the result would not be what it is now.But Liu Bang did not defend the city, but arranged outside Pengcheng to face Xiang Yu's army.As for why Liu Bang left the city, the specific reason is unclear, but it should have something to do with pride and arrogance.

After the allied forces of the princes left the city, they defended in different areas, and it was easy for the Chu army to break through the defense line.It was Yu Ziqi who discovered this and rushed to the camp, causing the coalition forces of the princes to be in chaos.What Liu Bang didn't expect was that Xiang Yu himself had detoured to Xiao County in the southwest of Pengcheng, cutting off the retreat of the coalition forces of the princes.

At that time, Xiang Yu, Yu Ziqi, and Zhongli Mei led their armies to outflank the east and west sides respectively. They were geniuses in killing the enemy, and the Chu army just kept driving the coalition forces away.They made them mess up their own positions, trampled on each other and killed each other, and finally had no way to retreat in valley water, swimming, especially the banks of Sui River, and countless people died, and countless people drowned in the water.So that the river was dyed red, and the Sui River did not flow. "

In the Royal Study Room of the Royal Palace of Shanyinyue, Du Shang told the story of the Battle of Pengcheng in detail.Although the monarchs and ministers of the Yue Kingdom did not participate in the battle, they could still clearly feel the tragedy of the battle, especially shocked by the tragic casualties of the coalition forces of the princes.

"I didn't expect Xiang Yu to be so powerful. He turned 56 against [-] and turned the defeat into victory, and he won so beautifully!" Gao Yi couldn't help but admire.

Standing aside, Zhang Han was also shocked. He had once been defeated by Xiang Yu, and this feeling was even stronger.If it were me, would I be able to reach Xiang Yu's level?
Li Si and Wei Liao looked at each other, feeling very uneasy.It is true that talented people come out from generation to generation, and times have changed.Strategically, Xiang Yu is bold enough, but he is sure that it is just right, especially the use of raising troops is perfect.Even if I am myself, I may not be able to make such a detailed strategic decision in such a short period of time.As for the implementation, I don't know if Wang Jian can reach this level if he does it for nothing?
Yin Xu sighed: "Although Liu Bang's difficulty in winning was expected by us, the result of this battle was a bit unexpected. It can be seen that the foundation of the Western Chu Kingdom has not been shaken. Xiang Yu should not be underestimated!"

"That's right, the key point is that Han's loss this time is really not small, so the battle situation in the north may change direction." Su An thinks so.

"Du Shang, how about the deaths of the armies of the feudal lords and the King of Han? Are you concerned?" Li Si asked softly.

Du Shang replied respectfully: "It's hard to estimate the specifics, but at that time the Chu army was fighting against Liu Bang, the king of the Han, and the Han army suffered the greatest loss. I'm afraid that the remaining 20 troops are less than one-tenth of the two. ..."

Li Si sighed: "The Han army suffered such a big defeat, and the princes of the Central Plains will inevitably fall to Xiang Yu's side again. If Xiang Yu takes the opportunity to advance westward, will Liu Bang be able to withstand it?"

Wei Liao shook his head and said: "Xiang Yu's westward march is inevitable, but Liu Bang may not be completely defeated. After all, he has Bashu and Guanzhong as his foundation. Supplies and soldiers can be replenished. Even if he cannot stand in the Central Plains, the most serious thing is Retreat to Hangu Pass. Don’t forget, Liu Bang still has Han Xin under his command, and it may not be so easy for Xiang Yu to break through Hangu Pass again.”

"Is Han Wang Liu Bang okay?" Yin Xu asked.

Du Shang replied: "According to your majesty's instructions, wait by the Suishui River, rescue Liu Bang, and send him across the river safely. He must have escaped safely."

Everyone was shocked. This was an order given to Du Shang by Yin Xu alone, and the important officials didn't know it.Now that he said it, he understood and was a little shocked in his heart. Liu Bang's defeat would pass through Sui River, which was expected by the King of Yue.

Li Si, Wei Liao, Zhang Han, and Chen Ping all felt strange. If Xiang Yu was brilliant, what about King Yue?Although he was thousands of miles away in Jiangdong, he knew the situation in Pengcheng very well, and he clearly foresaw the movements of the Chu army and the Han army.In other words, Xiang Yu's strategy and strategy, and the possibility of Liu Bang's defeat and escape were all expected by Yin Xu, so how high is Yin Xu?
Zhang Han sincerely believes that Yin Xu's current status and achievements are not accidental, and he is deeply impressed by his strategy and foresight ability.Thinking about it carefully, I didn't lose to Xiang Yu alone when I was defeated in Julu. Yin Xu also played a huge role in it.Without Yin Xu, he might not be Xiang Yu's opponent.

Yin Xu didn't care about these things at all, he thought in his heart that as long as Han Wang Liu Bang left safely, that would be fine!It seems that I was right to let Du Shang go. In this battle, Liu Bang will not die, and the Han Kingdom will not be destroyed. Behind him, Xiao He will provide logistical support in Guanzhong, Zhang Liang will make suggestions, Han Xin and many other generals will lead the battle.

This is exactly the result he hoped for the most. As long as Liu Bang survives and the Han Kingdom is still there, it will definitely become a serious problem for Xiang Yu.Let Chu and Han continue to fight, across a big river, Xiang Yu won't have trouble with himself for the time being.But Xu Neg said that Xiang Yu might go south, so what should we say about this matter?It seems that some necessary preparations must be made, some defense is it!
……

During the Battle of Pengcheng, Zhang Liang was in Daliang. He was shocked and terrified when he received the news of Pengcheng's defeat.In fact, when he first received Zhou Bo's message that the Han army was going out of the city to meet Xiang Yu's reinforcements, he was worried.Despite his repeated remonstrances, and even more unnecessary instructions before leaving, the King of Han still did not follow his advice.At this moment, the most worrying thing still happened.

Pengcheng has been defeated, and the Han army has died countless times. Zhang Liang is most worried about the safety of Liu Bang, the king of Han. I wonder if he escaped safely?He immediately reported to Xiao He in Guanzhong, asking them to prepare for rescue in time.At the same time, they immediately sent people south to Huaiyin to invite Han Xin, Generalissimo of the Han Army.

Then Zhang Liang ordered the soldiers of the Han army who fled back to be summoned in Pengcheng, and at the same time sent troops to search and rescue Han King Liu Bang. As for Daliang, it has no meaning at all now.Pengcheng was defeated, and it was inevitable for the Chu army to counterattack. With the current strength in Daliang, it was impossible to stop the Chu army's offensive.Maybe... maybe in Xingyang, it seems that Han Xin has already expected such a result, and it makes sense for a large amount of grain and grass to gather in Xingyang.

The state of Han was lucky, and so was Liu Bang, king of Han.

Liu Bang, the King of Han, was rescued by Du Shang and crossed the Sui River. He detoured westward and met Xia Houying not long after. Under the protection of Xia Houying, he escaped the further pursuit of the Chu army. Only then did he temporarily stabilize his position.

When seeing Zhang Liang again, Han Wang Liu Bang was so moved that he couldn't help but shed tears.

How proud and proud he was to go out of Hangu Pass in high spirits, coerce the princes of the Central Plains, and quickly occupy Pengcheng.At that time, he had a feeling of being the supreme and unique in the world.At that moment, he felt that no one in the world looked down on him, and Xiang Yu was no longer his opponent at all.Especially under the flattery of those princes, they went out of the city to fight Xiang Yu without hesitation.

Zhang Liang came all the way to persuade him, and urged him to stick to Pengcheng, but he completely ignored it.Now that I think about it, I was really obsessed with ghosts. I didn’t accept the common advice of the three closest and most talented ministers, but listened to that Wei Bao’s slander. It’s really... Unfortunately, it’s too late to regret it. Liu Bang, the king of Han, was very moved.

Speaking carefully, that Wei Bao didn't know whether he turned to Chu or ran away.Otherwise, how could Wei Jun's position in the northwest corner be breached in an instant? It's really suspicious. I don't have time to investigate these things now, and I must take revenge after I find out in the future.

Revenge seems a bit far away now. The most urgent task now is to stabilize the ground, how to resist the crazy attack of the Chu army, preserve the strength of the Han country, regroup and make a comeback.

"Zifang, I'm sorry for you!" Seeing Zhang Liang, Liu Bang couldn't help crying.Originally, as a king, he should not show these weak emotions in front of his subjects.He shouldn't have lost his face and majesty like this, but now, he is really suffering in his heart, and he really hopes to be able to relieve the sadness and loss in his heart in front of someone.Not only that, he is really sorry for Zhang Liang now, after all, he didn't listen to Zhang Liang's advice and fell into this irresistible situation.

Zhang Liang didn't panic as expected, but sighed lightly: "King of Han, don't be sad, the matter has come to this point, we just need to think of countermeasures as soon as possible!"

"Countermeasures?" Hearing this word, Liu Bang suddenly felt a little mocking.After all, the huge defeat in the Battle of Pengcheng was a huge plan for him. The 20 troops were lost in Pengcheng like this. Thinking of the bright red water in the Sui River and the corpses floating on the surface, he couldn't help feeling nauseated, terrified, and even convulsed.

Moreover, his wife, children, and children originally thought that they could be rescued easily this time, allowing them to live a happy life with high honor and glory.But now?But after a few days of peace, they fell into Xiang Yu's hands again.Especially his wife Lu Zhi and a pair of children, no matter what, in the face of the threat of life and death, the wife still gave up the chance of life to herself.

How are they now?Will he be beaten and humiliated if he falls into the hands of the Chu army?Liu Bang knew very well that he had completely offended Xiang Yu this time. Would Xiang Yu kill his wife and children to vent his anger?Liu Bang didn't know, and didn't dare to think about it.

Zhang Liang saw Liu Bang's depressed mood, and the sadness and defeat in his heart. This is completely human, and he can't just because he is the king of Han, he doesn't have these emotions and desires.

Zhang Liang persuaded: "King of Han, Madam and Young Master will not be in danger, don't worry too much?"

When Liu Bang heard what Zhang Liang said, a look of light flashed in his eyes immediately.Pengcheng's failure is enough to show that Zhang Liang sees things accurately, and the past is the best proof.So what doubts are there at this time?Zhang Liang's words are definitely not wrong, and his magnificence is hope, and it is very possible.

"Mr. Zifang, is this really the case?" Liu Bang was very anxious, and hurriedly asked, eager to know the reason, so as to prove the truth.At this moment, after experiencing huge failures and blows, being chased by people like a bereaved dog, he has fallen to this point, he doesn't want to hear those illusory empty words of comfort anymore,

Zhang Liang said: "The safety of the King of Han, Madam, Young Master, Young Lady, and your parents, brother and sister-in-law depends entirely on you. As long as you are safe and sound, they can live safely in Pengcheng."

Liu Bang thought about it, and hurriedly asked: "Mr. Zifang? What do you say?"

Zhang Liang continued to explain: "It's like this, you want it, the King of Han. When you were in Bashu, the reason why Liu Bang wanted to take your parents, brothers, sister-in-law and children as hostages was because the King of Han was afraid that you would rebel. This time Xiang Yu himself is not here. Pengcheng, we won the city without bloodshed, so the hostage is useless.

But now it is different. Although our Han army has been defeated, you are still there, and the foundation of the Han country has not been damaged.In other words, the Han Dynasty has the strength to continue to confront Xiang Yu.Under such circumstances, as long as you are safe and sound, King of Han, after returning to the Han Kingdom, regroup and make a comeback.At that time, fight against Xiang Yu again. In that case, your parents and family will be useful again and become hostages again.Although they were threatened by Xiang Yu, they were able to save their lives for the time being. Let's think about it in the long run and find a way to rescue them. "

Zhang Liang comforted Liu Bang a little, and regained a little confidence in his heart.In retrospect, even King Yin Xu of Yue went all the way to find a way to save his life, even though he wanted to use him.But that's the way it is, and if you get depressed now, it's all over.There is no other choice now, but to find a way to regroup and make a comeback.

Liu Bang asked in a deep voice: "Mr. Zifang, what should we do now?"

Seeing this, Zhang Liang felt a little relieved in his heart, nodded and said in a deep voice: "King of Han, for the present plan, we should gather the remnants first, choose a large and strong city in the Central Plains to defend, and confront Xiang Yu's army."

Liu Bang asked: "Where do you choose to defend?"

Zhang Liang replied, "Xingyang!"

reason?Liu Bang didn't speak, but there was such a question clearly in his eyes.

Zhang Liang replied: "King of Han, Xingyang is a big city in the Central Plains. Relatively speaking, it is closer to Guanzhong, and farther away from Pengcheng. In this way, the Chu army will fight over long distances, and the route for food supplies will be longer. It is easier to get supplies from Guanzhong. You can also quickly get rescue and support from Guanzhong, which is conducive to continuing to deal with the Chu army.

As for Daliang and Luoyi, although these cities are tall, they are too close to the state of Chu.It is no longer possible for us to organize forces to defend.Now that the Chu army has won a complete victory, it can be said that the soldiers are in full swing. Under such circumstances, we cannot resist now.Only those who continue to retreat, retreat further, exchange distance for time, and have a chance to recover.

Moreover, Xingyang and the nearby Chenggao are both important military towns. When we station troops in the two cities, we can serve as horns and echo each other, and it will be easier to deal with the Chu army.To be honest with the King of Han, Marshal Han seemed to have expected it before. Therefore, after our army's grain and grass were transported from Guanzhong to the East, it was mainly gathered in Xingyang. "

Liu Bang couldn't help but sigh with emotion, it seems that the important ministers under him are really extraordinary!Both Han Xin and Zhang Liang deliberately saw the matter so thoroughly, but they couldn't help themselves... But the matter has passed, and there is no point in blaming yourself.Now it's time to continue to make good use of several confidants and recover from failure as soon as possible with their help.

Liu Bang nodded and said: "That's how it is. Our army retreats as soon as possible, at least around Xingyang, and gathers our troops as soon as possible. Inform all generals to rush to Xingyang to defend the city as soon as possible. We must try our best to stop the advance of the Chu army. , we can arrange it calmly.”

"By the way, Mr. Zifang, I'm afraid it's not enough, what else is needed?" Liu Bang thought for a while and continued to ask.

Zhang Liangdao: "Yes, now that we have food and grass, we have cities, the most lacking is soldiers. After all, we have too few troops now..."

Speaking of this, everyone couldn't help but feel a little sad. After this battle, the 20 main force of the Han army was almost destroyed, and there were not many left.Now if you want to whisper about the attack of the Chu army, the strength of the troops is undoubtedly a very important aspect.

Zhang Liang continued: "Now Prime Minister Xiao needs to recruit troops from Guanzhong as soon as possible, and send as many troops as possible to support, so as to maintain our defense line at the front line of Xingyang. Otherwise, it is safe to return to Guanzhong, but we will think about it later and obtain such a The good situation is not easy. There is also a lack of a commander, and now it is best to invite Marshal Han back as soon as possible, and ask him to preside over the overall situation!"

Han Xin!Liu Bang couldn't help but sighed in his heart, it seemed like a mistake that he didn't believe in Han Xin before.If Han Xin led the army to fight this battle, would it be a different result?Is it time to ask him back?I just don't know if he is willing to come back?

Zhang Liang saw Liu Bang's thoughts and said, "Don't worry, King Han, Zhang Liang has already sent people to Guanzhong to report to Prime Minister Xiao, and also sent people south to invite Marshal Han. I believe Han Xin will definitely come back at this time!"

Liu Bang sighed with emotion: "Mr. Zifang, why do you worry about the big things not being done?"

Zhang Liang stood up and said, "The King of Han is serious. As a minister, Zhang Liang should try his best to plan for the King of Han. Now everything is ready, but..."

"Just what?"

Zhang Liang said in a low voice: "I'm afraid that the minds of the princes of the Central Plains are about to change..."

(End of this chapter)