Pengcheng, the main camp of the Chu army.
Xiang Yu is listening to the report of his spies that
“Your Majesty, the Qin army has been showing signs of increasing troops in the past few days in the three directions they are besieged.”
“And outside Long Tho, Ying Bu has not been able to break through with a messenger, I am afraid…”
The scout did not finish his words, but everyone understood what he meant.
The Chu army outside, without Pengcheng as a fulcrum, I’m afraid it wouldn’t be able to hold up for long.
Xiang Yu frowned and waved his hand, saying to the scout that
“Scout again, send people disguised as civilians to go out through the gates released by the Qin army, make sure to get in touch with Long Tho and Ying Bu!”
The scout immediately led the order and left.
When the scout had left, Xiang Yu only felt a deep sense of annoyance and could not help but ask
“Yafu…”
Only just before he said it, Xiang Yu stopped.
Fan Zeng was now being held in his prison cell.
Looking down at the empty tent, a feeling of powerlessness appeared in Xiang Yu’s heart for the first time.
He had no fear of any battlefield or open enemy, even if he was now besieged, he was not discouraged.
When he followed his great-uncle Xiang Liang in his rise to power, they sometimes faced situations that were not so good.
After all, not all the nobles of the Chu lands were obedient from the start either.
It was all him and his great-uncle, who led the troops and fought out.
But now, he could feel that there was an invisible net around the Chu army, wrapping around them in a deadly way.
Then little by little, they were pushed backwards.
This was the case in the previous defeat at Julu, and it was also the case in this battle at Pengcheng.
Xiang Yu exhaled at this time, hesitated, and then prepared to walk towards the location where Fan Zeng was being held.
Now, apart from Fan Zeng, there was no one else who could give him advice.
Just then, a figure hurriedly walked in and shouted evenly that
“Yu’er, Yu’er!”
When Xiang Yu saw the person coming, he immediately returned and said
“Young Uncle, what is the matter in such a hurry?”
The visitor was naturally Xiang Bo, who was originally placed in the rear of the city by Xiang Yu, but the other side was trapped in the transit of grain and grass.
Bo Xiang took a slow breath, then said with a bit of anxiety that
“Yu’er, the rations and straw in the city are running low, there is only enough for half a month, you must make preparations early!”
Xiang Yu froze slightly and said.
“How can this be?”
He knew that there was originally only enough food and grass left in the city to last the army for about a month.
But there should have been a subsequent increase.
At this time, Bo said with a bitter smile.
“The scouts have reported long ago that there have been extremely many bandits in Chu recently, and those bandits are like crazy, and the whole grain route has been obstructed.”
“As early as half a month or so ago, there was no more military grain entering Pengcheng!”
Hearing this, Xiang Yu could not help but freeze for a moment at this time.
He did remember that the scouts had reported it at the beginning.
It was just that there was still enough food and grass at that time, so he did not care.
But he hadn’t expected that such a problem would actually arise now!
For a while, Xiang Yu’s face was a little ugly.
Looking at Xiang Yu’s expression, Xiang Bo at the side once again had some small thoughts in his heart.
Now the Chu army seemed to be in a desperate situation, and Xiang Yu was isolated and helpless.
This seemed to be a good opportunity to persuade him to surrender, after all, he did not want Xiang Yu to die.
Gritting his teeth, Xiang Bo spoke out and said
“Yu’er, little uncle has something he wants to say to you.”
Xiang Yu nodded his head and returned, extremely patiently
“Uncle, but there is no harm in saying it.”
Now Xiang Bo is the only person he can trust and not much to rely on.
Bo Xiang took a deep breath and said that
“Yu’er, actually…”
Just at that moment, a Chu soldier hurriedly ran over and reported that
“Your Majesty, a group of deserters who wanted to mix with the people were caught in the city today.”
“What should be done with them?”
Hearing these words, Xiang Yu’s face was cold and without the slightest hesitation, he said.
“At such an opportune moment, daring to shake the army’s heart and betray this King, there is no need to condone it!”
“Drag them to the city head and behead them!”
Xiang Yu thought to himself that there was nothing wrong with this disposition.
No matter which army one is in, desertion is the downfall of being executed.
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
Only after the Chu army had led the order to leave, did Xiang Yu turn back to Xiang Bo and look again at him, saying
“Young Uncle, what did you want to say to me just now?”
At this time, Bo Xiang was staring blankly at the Chu army who had left, and only when he heard Xiang Yu’s words did he come back to his senses.
“Ah? Ah!”
“That, that, uncle just wants to talk to you…”
“Ah! That’s right! Yu’er, look how thin you’ve become these days, uncle just wants you to take good care of your body. ”
Hearing Bo Xiang’s caring words, a touch of emotion surfaced in Xiang Yu’s heart, now, I am afraid that only his little uncle cares for him, and returned that
“Uncle don’t worry, nephew didn’t have such an accident.”
After reassuring Uncle Xiang, Xiang Yu quickly said.
“Uncle, get ready in the next two days, we are going to break out.”
“Go back to Wu Zhong and regroup!”
He himself certainly understood that with not enough provisions, the only way out was to break out of the siege.
Wu Zhong was Xiang’s old nest, where there was still plenty of provisions, and weapons.
As long as he could re-recruit some soldiers, Xiang would still be able to fight!
Xiang Bo nodded with a complicated expression at this time.
Having said that, Xiang Yu left the place and walked in the direction of the city gate, he wanted to show everyone what happens to betrayers!
At the city gates.
A group of cold-looking Chu soldiers escorted a group of Chu soldiers dressed in the clothes of the people to the city head.
All the Chu troops around them could not help but look over.
They naturally understood what was happening.
One of the Chu soldiers exclaimed that
“Defectors! Die!”
Having said that, he waved down his hand fiercely.
The other Chu soldiers did not hesitate to swing their swords down!
In a flash, heads rolled on the city walls.
At the sight of this scene, all the Chu soldiers were somewhat saddened.
Just then, a familiar voice rang out from the air.
“Those who defect in this battle will die! And bring down your family!”
“Those who do as they are told will be rewarded!”
“Yu Zizhi, who has served in the rear, will be rewarded with gold and a title!”
Xiang Yu rode his horse and said in a loud voice.
At times like this, absolute authority must be established!
Otherwise, if escape becomes the wind, then the Chu army will be defeated without a fight.
He had read so many military books, this was still clear to him.
So he would not only punish those who defected, he would also take the opportunity to reward a group of men and use it to boost the army’s morale!
This is how to reward and punish!
Sure enough, seeing this scene, the surrounding Chu troops shouted
“The Overlord is wise!”
Morale, which had just been somewhat declining, rose almost immediately!
Only then did Xiang Yu nod his head and leave satisfied.
In the army, he is invincible!
Only that Xiang Yu did not see that the defenders on the city walls looked puzzled.
They were on the city walls these days, standing high and could see the Qin army’s camp.
Others were now actually eating three meals a day!
Whether the food was good or not, it was still better than their two meals a day, and they were only just half-full these days in order to save on food and provisions.
What’s more, they could still see the Qin army’s wounded battalion.
There was a patchwork of light-coloured cloths that stood out.
Looking at it, all the wounded soldiers of the Qin army were able to receive excellent treatment.
The Chu army, on the other hand, did not have a single seriously wounded soldier.
This was not a good thing, for the seriously wounded soldiers were all abandoned!
Now, watching their former companions being decapitated by their own men, even if it was because they had fled.
There was some empathy in their hearts.
When these law enforcement Chu soldiers had left with the corpses, all were silent as they began to clean the city walls.
All this blood would soon stink if it wasn’t washed away.
In the silence, one of the young guardsmen said to his own wu-jun.
“Father, why are they…”
The Woodmaster glared at the other man and said that
“Call the Woodsman!”