After leaving the main tent, Chen Cheng sighed.
Fighting Xiang Yu?
Him?
What's the difference between this and the Nine-Headed Bug telling Ben Bo-ba to kill Tang Sanzang and his disciples?
Oh, there is a difference.
Chen Cheng frowned in thought.
His task was merely to deal with Xiang Yu, not to kill Xiang Yu, nor to defeat Xiang Yu.
This was still a very big difference.
If the task Liu Bang had given him now was to defeat Xiang Yu, or to kill Xiang Yu, then Chen Cheng would have left directly.
Then, after cooldown, he would use the "Descent" ability again to possess one of his ancestors, starting over from scratch.
Because killing Xiang Yu or defeating Xiang Yu were both basically impossible tasks.
If this were a game, the complete description of the mission Liu Bang had issued now should be: "Block Xiang Yu's attack and wait for assistance from Han Xin."
Once Han Xin arrived, he naturally wouldn't have to fight Xiang Yu directly.
Wasn't the Military Sage's specialty winning with fewer troops against more, and then encircling and annihilating?
Han Xin couldn't fight Xiang Yu head-on, or rather... there weren't many people in all of history who could fight Xiang Yu head-on and not be at a disadvantage.
Or rather, there were only a few.
Inside the main tent,
Chen Cheng sat there silently, carefully considering how to stall Xiang Yu.
A moment later... he came up with the correct answer.
.... ....
In 203 BC, the fourth year of King of Han's reign.
Autumn.
Liu Bang was besieged in Yingyang, and just as he was on the verge of collapse, a general named Xi suddenly appeared in his army.
This general had never had any reputation before.
But at this moment... he stepped forward, took command of all the soldiers under Liu Bang, and successfully blocked Xiang Yu outside Yingyang using two methods.
There were two specific methods.
First, bribery.
On this point, Liu Bang was very generous, giving Chen Cheng enough money so that one of Xiang Yu's relatives betrayed him again, stabbing him in the back.
This time, this relative named Xiang Bo did not personally block Xiang Yu's advance, but instead delayed Xiang Yu's attack through other means.
For example, provisions.
After Chen Cheng provided enough money, Xiang Bo and a group of Xiang clan members began to drag Xiang Yu down, with provisions being delayed.
The reason Xiang Yu was able to "break the cauldrons and sink the boats" back then was because although the soldiers knew they had no retreat, their path forward was not difficult; as long as they defeated the Qin army, they would have a way forward.
But what about now?
Now that they had no provisions, what was the point of defeating the army led by Chen Cheng under Liu Bang?
They also didn't have enough provisions!
So, very clearly, Xiang Yu's army's soldiers mutinied.
Although under Xiang Yu's pressure, the army regained calm, the plan for Xiang Yu to besiege Liu Bang in the autumn of the fourth year of King of Han's reign almost fell through.
Why say almost?
Because Xiang Yu was stubborn.
In such a situation, he was still unwilling to leave, so he prepared to launch one last attack on the Han army's main tent.
This time he wasn't trying to capture King of Han Liu Bang, but to teach Liu Bang a lesson and, by the way, leave himself some breathing room for his escape.
It was just that, unfortunately again, Chen Cheng had anticipated this point as well.
His method was also very simple.
Water and fire are merciless.
While Xiang Yu led his soldiers to attack the Han army's main tent, Chen Cheng dispatched a small group of detached soldiers to the Chu army's main tent, and then... set a big fire.
With one fire burning, the Chu army was like before.
They could only fight with their backs to the river, because behind them was a merciless fire.
... ....
Outside Yingyang,
Xiang Yu rode on Wu River, his expression gloomy, he coldly looked at everything in the distance and whispered: "Does Chen Xi think such a trick can make me retreat?"
"Could I break the cauldrons and sink the boats back then, but not now?"
He raised the great halberd in his hand, his eyes filled with endless gloom: "Jiangdong lads! Follow me and charge!"
"This time, it's a fight with our backs to the river!"
The facts were as Xiang Yu had expected; those soldiers, seeing the great fire behind them, whether willingly or not, erupted with powerful combat strength!
But... what good was that?
On the path where the Chu army soldiers were preparing to charge, a huge roar suddenly erupted from an unknown source, as if it were a heavenly punishment!
No, not as if, but it was a heavenly punishment!
The surging river water came from an unknown place, and that river water carried endless mud and sand, all the mud and sand, along with the water from the great river, rushed down from the sky!
Like a fierce tiger descending a mountain.
Water and fire are merciless!
Water in front, fire behind.
Where should the Chu army go?
No one knew.
Xiang Yu rode on Wu River, his eyes filled with terror, and he quickly led his subordinates to flee south, constantly urging Wu River to escape quickly.
At this moment, he was like a stray dog!
On a nearby high ground.
Liu Bang rode on horseback, looking at this scene from afar, his face showing a hint of sighing emotion.
He looked at the surging river in the distance: "It's just a pity, if it's as Chen Qing said, this river water should not be able to bury Xiang Yu; he still escaped."
"And... the direction he's fleeing in is probably Wu River."
After sighing, Liu Bang trusted Chen Cheng even more.
Because this time, if it weren't for Chen Cheng, he wouldn't even be able to counterattack, let alone wait for Han Xin to arrive, right?
"Where did Chen Qing go?"
The soldier beside him was startled, then whispered: "Reporting to Your Majesty, General Chen said that the villain dared to besiege Your Majesty, so he must be taught a lesson, and thus he went to pursue and kill Xiang Yu!"
Pursue and kill Xiang Yu?
Liu Bang's face showed a hint of bewilderment.
As Xiang Yu's old opponent, he still had a good idea of how powerful Xiang Yu truly was.
So, after a moment of stunned silence, he quickly reacted, his face showing a terrified expression.
"Quickly order the army to go to his rescue!"
Before he could finish speaking, he saw the strange expression on the soldier's face beside him, he frowned slightly, but did not get angry, instead he also said curiously: "What are you looking at?"
The soldier's face showed a strange and astonished expression as he looked down into the distance and said.
"Your Majesty, look!"
Liu Bang looked into the distance, only to see Xiang Yu, who had already dodged the river water, now being furiously attacked by one person!
That person was still shouting....
"Mere Xiang Yu!!"
"Take a halberd from me!"
"Die!!!!"
PS: These two days have been busy, I published the book but couldn't update on time. Starting tomorrow, it will be 12,000 words daily until the debut.