N-A-A Chapter 901 Send out troops and use yourself as bait!
Chapter 901 Send out troops and use yourself as bait!
But as for Liu Bang… Xiao He frowned. He and Liu Bang had known each other since their humble beginnings. Back in Pei County, Liu Bang was a mere village headman. While heroic, he wasn't anything extraordinary. Xiao He knew him only as an acquaintance, knowing him to be open-minded and sociable, but they didn't share a deep friendship. Where did Gao Yao's intense wariness and hostility toward Liu Bang come from? It seemed to extend far beyond that brief encounter in Pei County.
Whenever Gao Yao mentioned Liu Bang, a complex, inscrutable glint would flicker across his eyes: a flicker of fear, scrutiny, and... a kind of coldness, as if he had foreseen his fate. Xiao He keenly sensed that Gao Yao must know some inside story or secret about Liu Bang that Xiao He was completely unaware of, a secret that made Gao Yao view Liu Bang as a potential enemy far more formidable than the 100,000 Chu troops before him.
However, since Gao Yao wouldn't speak up, Xiao He didn't ask. He knew everyone had their secrets, especially someone like Gao Yao, whose complex past seemed to have emerged out of nowhere and whose rapid rise to power was remarkable. He chose to trust Gao Yao's judgment. Since Gao Yao took Liu Bang's threat so seriously, there must be something extraordinary, even terrifying, about Liu Bang.
The tent fell into a brief silence, the only sound being the occasional popping of a lamp. The air was so thick it felt like water could be wrung out of it.
"I understand." Xiao He finally spoke slowly, his voice a little tired, yet also revealing his determination. "Since that's the case, let's follow General Gao's plan. I will do my utmost to ensure the defense of Yangping Pass. Your Majesty... be careful."
Gao Yao nodded, his gaze returning to the map, his finger firmly pointing somewhere between Yangping Pass and Xianyang. "I'll be careful. Besides, I have a plan..."
At dawn the next day, the sky was slightly light, and a thin mist, like a veil, enveloped Yangping Pass. Amidst the continuous military camps, a low, solemn blast of trumpets echoed. The gates were wide open, and flags were unfurled.
Gao Yao, clad in helmet and armor, rode a mighty warhorse, standing at the head of the army. Behind him, 10,000 elite cavalrymen and 20,000 infantrymen, their helmets shining and their armor gleaming, stood in awe and silence. Ying Bu, like an iron tower, stood guard at their flanks and rear, his face radiating his usual bravery and murderous intent. The army formed its ranks in silence, an invisible aura of murderous intent permeating the air, dispersing the morning mist.
Xiao He stood atop the pass, watching the army, like a giant black python, slowly wriggling, then gathering speed as it wound its way toward Xianyang. The clatter of hooves, footsteps, and the clashing of armor merged into a dull thunderclap, hammering the earth and the hearts of every observer on the pass. Dust and smoke gradually rose, blurring the retreating figures of the troops.
Gao Yao sat upright on his horse, his face composed, but his heart was far from calm. He knew full well that this was a risky undertaking. With the Chu army besieging Xianyang, a siege and attack on the city's reinforcements was a very likely tactic. He was taking a gamble, using his own army as bait. But his bet wasn't just about courage; it was based on carefully calculated variables.
Before setting out, he had handed a secret order to his deputy, Li Zhao. By now, Li Zhao inside Xianyang City must have received it. The order demanded that once the Gaoyao army set out, Li Zhao must immediately dispatch all available elite scouts, spreading out like a net to closely monitor every move of the Chu army camp outside Xianyang, especially the movements of its main force.
If any signs of Chu troops splitting up and moving, especially those attempting to encircle the enemy in a southeasterly direction, were discovered, information must be relayed to Gaoyao as quickly as possible, at all costs. Meanwhile, Li Zhao's troops were to immediately prepare to fight outside the city.
The first key variable Gao Yao calculated was troop strength. According to intelligence gathered from various sources, Xiang Yu's eastern expedition brought with him a main force of approximately 80,000 elite cavalrymen, the foundation of his dominance. At Yangping Pass, the Chu cavalry suffered heavy losses, with over 20,000 casualties. After days of fierce attacks on the fortified city of Xianyang, even the Chu army, despite its formidable strength, would have suffered at least 10,000 casualties under the defenders' barrage of rolling logs, rocks, arrows, and flaming oil.
By this calculation, Xiang Yu could currently mobilize between 40,000 and 50,000 mobile cavalry. He might also have some infantry, but for field mobile operations, the core was still cavalry.
Gao Yao commanded 10,000 cavalry and 20,000 infantry. Facing over 40,000 Chu cavalry head-on on the open plains, his chances of victory were extremely low, and he was even in danger of annihilation. He absolutely could not afford to be trapped in such a situation.
Therefore, the second variable he calculated was terrain. He had already set his sights on a particular area about two days' march from Yangping Pass. The terrain there was slightly undulating, not particularly dangerous, but crucially, it was surrounded by a dense, unusually dense thorn forest.
This thorn, known locally as "iron caltrops" or "inverted spurs," can grow to half a man's height or even a full man's height, boasting lush branches and foliage. Crucially, its branches are densely packed with hard, sharp, and exceptionally tough barbed thorns. A warhorse that ventured into the area would be easily punctured and scratched, causing pain and fright, disrupting its formation and negating any advantage in speed. This terrain created a natural obstacle course, effectively hindering cavalry charges.
Gao Yao's plan was to feign ignorance, leading his troops towards the area, even actively entering the edge of the thorn forest, if he could learn of the Chu army's approaching attack in advance. He would then use his infantry to establish defensive lines within the thorn forest, digging pits and deploying chevaux de frise (barricades), minimizing the Chu cavalry's impact. Meanwhile, he would conceal ten thousand cavalry on the flanks, waiting for the Chu army's offensive to frustrate and disorganize, before suddenly charging out and launching a counterattack. If successful, even if he couldn't completely annihilate the Chu army, he would surely inflict severe damage, disrupting their strategy of encircling a point and attacking reinforcements.
But this is only part of the plan, the ideal scenario. The battlefield situation changes rapidly.
Therefore, Gao Yao had a further backup plan in mind, one involving Li Zhao's Xianyang garrison. If the main Chu army were truly lured away from Xianyang by Gao Yao's "bait" and moved forward to intercept, the siege of Xianyang would be lifted, at least temporarily. At that point, the tens of thousands of troops under Li Zhao's command would no longer be a passive force defending an isolated city, but a fresh force capable of launching an offensive.
The second part of Gao Yao's secret order stated: "Once it is confirmed that the main force of the Chu army has left Xianyang to attack reinforcements, Li Zhao should immediately reorganize his troops and leave the city without hesitation. However, he should not follow the Chu army. Instead, he should fully utilize his familiarity with the terrain to predict the possible routes of the Chu army returning to Xianyang, select a strategic point, march quickly, and set an ambush."
Imagine the Chu army's fierce battle with Gao Yao's troops. Regardless of victory or defeat, they would inevitably suffer losses and their morale would be crushed. If they were victorious, they might return to Xianyang triumphantly, preparing to continue their siege. If they were defeated, or even defeated, they would be eager to retreat to their main camp. In either case, while they were exhausted and their guard might have been relaxed, they would be suddenly ambushed by Li Zhao's well-rested fresh troops... The consequences for the Chu army would be absolutely catastrophic. It could even turn the tide of the war.