"Speaking of which, the last time I saw the young master was in Qin thirty or forty years ago. Now that we meet again, I am already very old."
Two hundred miles away from where the Qin Army Pingyu was stationed, in the outskirts of Xi County, hundreds of thousands of Chu military camps were lined up here. The shogunate's military tents stood in the open space.
At this moment, everyone inside gathered together. General Xiang Yan, wearing silver-scaled heavy armor, joyfully raised his hands and bowed his fists, looking at the people in front of him.
Lord Changping!
We had dealt with each other many years ago. At that time, the other person was only about ten years old. But now, time has passed quickly.
Xiang Yan sighed, looking at Lord Changping in front of him, he could vaguely see the shadow of the late king. He grew up under the knees of noble people in the Qin Palace since he was a child, and his temperament was extraordinary.
He is even more like the previous king than the current king.
It is a pity that the late king mistakenly believed and favored Lord Chun Shen, which led to political chaos. Otherwise... the Chu State would not be what it is today, and it will definitely not be what it is today.
"General, there is no need to be polite."
"Qi... is already a homeless and wandering man. He should not be like this."
Xiong Qi had some impression of the famous Chu general Xiang Yan, who was wearing heavy armor in front of him, but it was very vague.
However... Looking at the situation of the Chu Kingdom over the past decades, if Xiang Yan did not exist in the army, it would be even more difficult to survive some crises.
The superior stood up and quickly came forward to help him up.
I... have come to this step, but deep down in my heart, I still feel a little confused, perhaps it is what the Empress Dowager Huayang and the others expected.
But what you think... doesn't matter now?
The State of Qin can no longer accommodate me.
Here in the Chu Kingdom, it is a completely unfamiliar place. Even though the noble blood of the King of Chu flows through his body, one thing is certain.
The general Xiang Yan in front of him is his friend!
Not your own enemy!
He needs himself!
I need him too!
"Young Master, what you said is wrong."
"A few days ago, Xiang Yan secretly sent the document to the king. The king is also very happy."
"Moreover, the document will be announced to the land of Chu in the near future, and the young master will be granted the title of Great Situ, in charge of all affairs north of the Huai River. The land and high titles are what the young master deserves."
"Counting the time, the documents are on the way now."
Xiang Yan stood up slowly and shook her head.
Trying to win over Xiong Qi, Lord of Changping, was his previous plan and the king's full support. Since the death of the previous king, among the heirs left behind, only the current king and Xiong Qi have the purest blood.
Now the king alone is in charge of the affairs of the court, and even though he has done everything in his power when faced with Qu Zhaojing and other aristocratic families, there are still some shortcomings.
Sure enough, with the help of Lord Changping and his bloodline inheritance, he will definitely help the king stabilize the government, rebuild the temples, and reorganize the power of the Chu Kingdom.
With his own support in the army, internal and external integration, and the unity of the monarch and his ministers, he can lead the Chu State to another level.
Moreover, Xiong Qi, Lord of Changping, has been able to do anything as he has been the prime minister of Qin for many years.
Moreover... even Lord Changping himself is an extraordinary person. He has been the prime minister of Qin for many years, so he naturally has his own power and channels.
That is what Chu State needs now.
"Uncle Xiang, Ji Ning, what are you doing standing there?"
"Why don't you come and salute!"
"Don't be surprised, Mr. Changping. It's difficult for people in the military to practice etiquette."
Continuing with the preface, Xiang Yan turned his body slightly to the side, looked at the generals who had been leading the army beside him, and shouted.
There is really no etiquette.
Not even a salute.
Just stood there quietly.
"Uncle Xiang has met Lord Changping!"
"Ji Ning has met Lord Changping!"
"..."
Following Xiang Yan's shout, all the generals in the shogunate's military tent hurriedly approached, each with a loud clasped fist salute, and looked at Lord Changping with curiosity and hope.
"Generals, there is no need to be polite."
"Please get up quickly!"
Xiong Qi took a small step forward, held up his hands, and smiled.
…
"The madam, the good daughter, and others are supported by hundreds of powerful people. They should be fine. There is no need to worry, Mr. Changping."
After all the ceremonies were completed, the shogunate's military tent returned to the previous silence.
When Xiang Yan felt something, he gave another courtesy.
"As it should be."
Xiong Qi nodded. The only ones he was worried about now were his wife and the good daughter.
"Report!"
At that moment, the messenger outside the tent spoke loudly.
"pass!"
Xiang Yan waved her hand.
"General!"
"The remnants of the Qin army gathered with Qin general Meng Tian's golden fire cavalry and retreated westward. On the way, they joined Qin's Wuzhenhou and a large number of elite Qin army's cavalry."
"At this moment, they are fighting!"
The young herald spoke half-kneeling.
"How many soldiers and horses can you find out?"
Xiang Bo asked lightly from the side.
"The number of golden fire cavalry under Meng Tian's command should be around fifty thousand."
"The cavalry led by Marquis Wu Zhen of the Qin State are almost the same."
"In a few more hours, we will be able to clearly detect it."
The herald replied.
"That's one hundred thousand elite cavalry."
"At this moment, Li Xin's remnant army has more than 200,000 troops. Father, now that our army has gathered together, we can continue to pursue and drive the Qin army out of Huaibei!"
Xiang Bo looked around, then looked at his father Xiang Yan, and spoke with a look on his face as if he wanted to fight. At this moment, the total strength of the Chu army exceeded 400,000.
Enough to continue to pursue the Qin army.
Let them know that Qin Jun is not easy to mess with.
"What do you think, Lord Changping?"
Xiang Yan nodded, said nothing, bowed his hands, and looked at Xiong Qi, the Lord of Changping, beside him.
"When the Qin State attacked Chu, Li Xin led the main force of 200,000 troops, the left side was led by Marquis Wu Zhen, who led 50,000 troops, and the right side was led by Wang Ben, who led 50,000 troops."
"Jiuyuan Mengtian led 50,000 elite-trained golden fire cavalry and stationed them in Yangxia and other places. Now Wuzhenhou and Meng Tianjin have both arrived with their cavalry."
"If Qi's prediction is correct, then the remaining 100,000 troops from Wancheng in Nanyang County and the left and right divisions will arrive in the near future."
"At that time, the strength of the Qin army will increase by 250,000, and together with the remnants of Li Xin, the military strength will not be far different from that of the Chu army."
"It's not possible to do military affairs, that's what I said."
Xiong Qi shook his head slightly and did not elaborate on the specific military strategy, but he could get a glimpse of the Qin army's situation. In less than half a month, three to four hundred thousand Qin troops would gather in Huaibei.
How to choose depends on veteran Xiang Yan.
"What do you think, sir?"
Xiang Yan also nodded, and then his eyes fell on Fan Zeng.
"The reinforcements of the Qin army have arrived, and they should be able to fight. If they don't fight, we can't hold on to peace."
"At this time, our army should rectify the Yingshui and Rushuichu lands, firmly control them, build fortifications, and rectify the city."
"Next, there will be a big battle waiting for me."
Fan Zeng came forward and spoke slowly.
It is no longer possible to continue to pursue the Qin army. The Qin army is stationed in the city, reinforcements have arrived, and the military supplies and fodder should be enough to hold on until the Qin army arrives one after another.
It's even harder.
In this way, the Chu army should firmly hold the south of Huaibei in its hands, and firmly hold Xinyang, Xixian, Chengfu and other places in its hands.
In the previous battle, those cities were seriously damaged and they had to be renovated as soon as possible, otherwise... there would be big trouble.
"Father, Pingyu is a dangerous place. If it is continued to be occupied by the Qin army, it will become a fortress for the Qin army to attack the Huaihe River when it advances, and to defend the north of the Huaihe River when it retreats."
"If not, we will force the Qin army to continue marching northward. Even if we cannot drive the Qin army out of Huaibei, we will have to drive them away from Pingyu."
Xiang Liang took a step closer and spoke.
Maybe the Qin Army's next reinforcements will arrive, but it will take time. For now, they still have enough advantages over the Qin Army.
Better to drive them out of Pingyu!
"Father, our army has a great victory over the Qin army, and our morale is at its peak. We can indeed drive the Qin army out of Pingyu. There are many benefits."
Xiang Bo heard this and agreed with his brother's words.
"General, the Shadow Tiger Army is willing to be the vanguard!"
Ji Ning came out. The Qin army was only about 200,000 strong at the moment. The Chu army doubled, and there was sufficient food, grass and equipment, so it was time to continue the march.
"General!"
"Our department is also willing to be a pioneer!"
"..."
For a time, all the generals in the camp were suddenly happy, and then each went out to ask for a battle. The Qin army was besieged this time, which was a big deal in their hearts.
It is a pity that the various ministries did not achieve much results.
Now, it would be even better to continue to attack the Qin army.
"The fighting spirit can be used!"
"But can you possibly break through Zhao Tuo's military formation?"
Looking at the generals asking for battle, Xiang Yan couldn't help but feel happy. This is the true nature of the Chu army, and this is how it should be when facing the Qin army.
The Qin army is a tiger and a wolf.
But the Chu army is no longer a lamb.
Although the fighting spirit is strong, problems still remain.
In particular, Zhao Tuo's military formation first damaged more than half of the Tenglong Army, and then was unable to hold on, so that Qin General Meng Tian arrived with reinforcements.
Now they are sitting in Pingyu, with more than 200,000 troops on their side, and there is no shortage of food, grass and baggage. With the army arrayed out, it is a difficult problem to break it.
At this moment, there are no great talents in their army who are familiar with military formations.
"This..., father!"
"Mr. Fan, Zhao Tuo'er's military formation is really weird. The Tenglong Legion has one hundred thousand elites, and if one of them is not noticed, more than half of them will be damaged."
"Isn't it possible that even with your strength, sir, you can't break through such a military formation?"
Upon hearing what their father said suddenly, the expressions of Xiang Bo and others changed slightly.
Zhao Tuo is no longer a stranger to him now. There are too many soldiers who have died directly or indirectly at his hands.
The key point is that the military formation deployed by the opponent is different from what their military strategists have told them. It is more complex and more subtle. If they attack rashly, they will be trapped in a dead end.
If they are trapped and killed, the Qin army now has nothing to fear.
Uncomfortable!
It’s really uncomfortable!
It’s really tricky!
His eyes fell on Mr. Fan Zeng. He has always been full of scheming, and he is familiar with Yin Yang and the Five Elements. He should be able... to break through?
I don't know what to do.
"Zhao Tuo!"
"Although he was young, he and Zhang Han once obtained the formation map secretly taught by Marquis Wuzhen in Longxi. It was called "The Complete Map of Eight Formations". It is said that it contains three magical skills and is of great use to military strategists."
"When the Wei Dynasty was destroyed, Zhang Han used formations to fight against Guigu Weizhuang without losing."
"Zhao Tuo has won the heart of Marquis Wuzhen even more. I am afraid that he has a deeper understanding of the "Complete Picture of Eight Formations". In the past few years, during the Longxi War, Zhao Tuo repeatedly performed military exploits and was promoted to the general of the Six Pass Guard Army!"
Before Fan Zeng could say anything, Xiong Qi, the Lord of Changping, spoke to Zhao Tuo.
I still have an impression of Zhao Tuo. He was brought back by Marquis Wu Zhen. He grew up in Guowei's mansion and later went to Longxi to practice.
Although Nian is weak, it is enough to be able to win the favor of Wuzhen Hou Xuan Qingzi by virtue of... and it is enough to prove his excellence, which was first shown in the previous battle between Qin and Chu.