latelenovela Chapter 547 Conquest of Chu 3
Chapter 547 Conquest of Chu 3
"Your Majesty, what General Jing Shang said is incorrect," Xiang Yan said in a deep voice. "Wang Jian's move, though seemingly slow, is actually forcing our army to take the initiative. Our army has less than 400,000 troops. If we divide our forces to meet the enemy, we will surely be defeated one by one by the Qin army; if we concentrate our forces, it will give Wang Ben the opportunity to raid our supply lines. In my opinion, we should temporarily avoid their sharp edge, withdraw our main force to the Xiangcheng and Chencheng line, and rely on the Ying and Ru rivers for defense. At the same time, we should send light cavalry to harass the Qin army's supply lines, and wait until their supplies run out before seeking an opportunity for a decisive battle."
"Avoid war?" Fu Chu's face showed displeasure. "The Qin army is almost at our doorstep, and you still want me to avoid war? General Xiang, are you getting old and afraid of the Qin army? Even Wang Ben is wary of you?"
Xiang Yan felt a pang of pain in his heart, but still insisted: "Your Majesty, it is not that I fear war, but that I am thinking of the fate of the Chu state. Although Wang Ben is young, he is already a renowned general with many military achievements. If our army rashly attacks, we will surely suffer a defeat."
Fu Chu, already terrified by the Qin army's might and swayed by the slander of nobles like Jing Qi, was convinced that Xiang Yan was deliberately delaying. He slammed his fist on the table and stood up: "No need for further words! I order you to lead an army of 200,000 men north immediately to meet Wang Jian in battle! If you hesitate any longer, don't blame me for disregarding our past friendship!"
Looking at Fu Chu's resolute expression, and then at the nobles in the hall who only knew how to fight for power and profit, Xiang Yan felt a deep sense of powerlessness.
But as the supreme general of Chu, he could not stand idly by and watch his country fall. "Your subject... obeys the decree." He bowed and accepted the order. As he left the hall, the setting sun was casting a long shadow over the city walls of Yingdu, a scene filled with tragic grandeur.
On the third day of the left wing army's eastward advance along the Ru River, the scouts sent by Wang Ben brought back crucial intelligence: near Xiangcheng on the south bank of the Ru River, a Chu army supply convoy was moving towards Yingdu, with about 5,000 guards and more than 1,000 carts of grain being escorted.
“Xiangcheng is the foundation of the Xiang clan and a key node in the Chu army’s eastern supply route.” Wang Ben stood in front of the map, his finger pointing to the location of Luoma Slope, a sharp glint in his eyes. “This supply convoy is an important source of supplies for Xiang Yan’s main force. If we can intercept it, we can not only cut off their supply route, but also shake the morale of the Chu army.”
His deputy general advised, "General, Xiang Yan must have set up defenses along the supply route. Luomapo is flanked by mountains with a narrow path in the middle, so there may be an ambush."
Wang Ben's lips curled into a cold smile: "If Xiang Yan sets up an ambush, it will save me the trouble of finding an opportunity. Send down the order: eight thousand iron cavalry will advance with me to Luoma Slope tonight to set up an ambush; the main force of infantry will accelerate and follow. When I intercept the supply convoy, we will immediately surround the outer perimeter of Xiangcheng, make a show of attacking the city, and restrain the defenders so that they dare not send troops to rescue it." Opportunities are fleeting. As a commander, one must be cautious, but also decisive.
That night, Wang Ben led eight thousand cavalrymen and, under the cover of darkness, silently arrived at Luoma Slope. He personally climbed the hillside to survey the terrain. The narrow path was less than ten zhang wide, and the slopes on both sides were steep and covered with shrubs, making it an excellent place for an ambush.
"Horse horses are hidden behind the hillside. Soldiers with crossbows are lying in ambush. On my command, shoot the horses first, then attack the men!" Wang Ben gave the order in a low voice, which, though soft, carried an unquestionable authority.
The soldiers moved swiftly and silently—the result of Wang Ben's years of training; his iron cavalry was not only fast but also extremely disciplined. Once everything was in place, the sky was beginning to lighten. Wang Ben lay prone in the bushes, his eyes fixed on the narrow path entrance like a hawk's, patiently waiting for his prey to fall into the trap.
About an hour later, the sounds of rolling wheels and hoofbeats came from afar. The Chu army's supply wagons slowly approached, the leading cavalryman appearing relaxed, occasionally scolding the lagging laborers, clearly unaware of the danger. The supply wagons stretched for over a mile, end to end, like a slow-moving serpent, entering the narrow road without any warning.
"Wait until the grain convoy enters the narrow passage in the middle section, when the front and rear can no longer support each other, then make your move!" Wang Ben whispered the order.
When most of the grain convoy had entered the narrow passage, Wang Ben suddenly raised his halberd and shouted, "Fire!"
In an instant, countless arrows rained down from both sides of the hillside, and the Chu cavalrymen were hit by arrows and fell from their horses. The horses were frightened and ran amok, overturning the grain carts, and the narrow passage was thrown into chaos.
"Kill!" Wang Ben charged down the hillside, wielding a long halberd, his silver armor gleaming in the morning light. Years of battle had honed his spear skills to perfection; with a single thrust, he pierced the chest of the Chu general, who, before he could even draw his sword, screamed and fell from his horse.
The Qin cavalry charged down the mountain like tigers, cutting down enemies in the narrow pass. The Chu army, already demoralized, crumbled even more after losing their commander. In less than half an hour, more than half of the five thousand guards were killed or wounded, and the rest either surrendered or jumped into the Ru River to escape.
"Light the provisions! Don't leave a single grain for the Chu army!" Wang Ben ordered. The soldiers immediately brought fire, and a raging fire shot into the sky, billowing thick smoke that could be clearly seen dozens of miles away.
Just then, a scout reported that three thousand cavalrymen from Xiangcheng were on their way to the rescue! Wang Ben sneered, "Perfect timing! Let them see the might of my Qin army!" He immediately ordered two thousand cavalrymen to intercept the reinforcements, while the rest continued to clear the battlefield.
The arriving Chu cavalry, seeing their supply train destroyed and intercepted by the Qin cavalry, were immediately filled with fear. Wang Ben personally led the charge, his silver halberd flashing as Chu cavalrymen fell from their horses one after another; none could withstand his onslaught. In less than a quarter of an hour, the Chu reinforcements were routed and dared not approach again.
When Wang Ben led his troops to join forces with the main infantry force, the infantry had already surrounded Xiangcheng and were poised for a full-scale attack. The Xiangcheng defenders kept the city gates tightly shut, and the soldiers on the city walls looked panicked, clearly intimidated by the Qin army's imposing presence. "General, should we take this opportunity to attack the city?" the deputy general asked.
Wang Ben shook his head: "Our mission is to cut off the supply lines, not to attack the city. Holding the camp, containing the Xiangcheng garrison, and preventing them from supporting Xiang Yan's main force will be a great achievement." He then ordered the entire army to set up camp on the spot and strengthen vigilance, while sending someone to deliver the battle report to Wang Jian.
When Wang Jian received the battle report, he was in the central command tent discussing matters with his generals. Looking at the report, he stroked his beard and smiled, saying, "My son has indeed lived up to expectations; his actions were swift yet disciplined!"
He immediately issued an order to commend Wang Ben and instructed him: "Xiang Yan will not be satisfied and will definitely send troops to retaliate. Remember to hold the camp firmly and do not underestimate the enemy or advance rashly."
In Xiang Yan's camp, the news of the intercepted supply convoy struck like a bolt from the blue. Xiang Yan, his face ashen, slammed his fist on the table as he looked at the battle report: "Wang Ben! What a Wang Ben!" He knew all too well the importance of provisions to an army; now that the supply lines were cut off, the army's provisions were only enough to last a month, and morale was bound to waver.
"Pass down the order: the army must accelerate its northward march and reach Xiangcheng as soon as possible to defeat Wang Ben!" A ruthless glint flashed in Xiang Yan's eyes. He knew that Wang Ben had to be dealt with quickly, or the Chu army would be in dire straits.