Mythical Qin: I, Gao Yao, will never be a eunuch!

Gao Zhe's expression was grave. The Han army was still four days' journey from Xingyang; if they marched at the normal pace, the Chu army would surely overtake them.

"Order the entire army to abandon all baggage, carry only three days' worth of rations, and advance at full speed!" Gao Zhe ordered.

Zhao Ming advised, "Second Young Master, if we abandon our baggage, even if we reach Xianyang, we will have no weapons or provisions to defend the city."

Gao Zhe's gaze was firm: "There must be reserves in Xianyang. Furthermore, since Mr. Zhang has ordered me to defend Xingyang, he must have already made arrangements."

The Southern Army then discarded all non-essential items and advanced swiftly and lightly equipped. The soldiers even removed some of their armor to reduce their load.

Standing atop a high point in the Chu army camp, Yi Xiaochuan gazed at the dust billowing in the northwest, a cold smile playing on his lips. His scheme had been in the works for three months; now, the time for harvest had finally arrived.

"Any new reports from the scouts?" he asked without turning his head.

The adjutant behind him bowed and replied, "General, we have complete control over the troop movements within a hundred miles of Xianyang. In order to achieve a quick victory, Gao Zhe has transferred nearly 70% of the troops from the capital region southward. Now, the defenses of Xianyang are as empty as paper."

Yi Xiaochuan took the sheepskin map and traced the densely marked locations with his fingertips. These marks represented the reconnaissance results of the forty-seven scout teams he had dispatched over the past three months. The increase or decrease in the number of Qin army outposts, the movement of every transport convoy, and even the daily rotation patterns of the garrison on the walls of Xianyang were all meticulously recorded.

“Gao Zhe thought the Qiang rebellion could be quelled in just over a month,” Yi Xiaochuan’s finger finally pointed to the location of Xianyang City, “but he didn’t know that the Qiang themselves were bait, and the Chu army’s surprise attack on Xianyang was the real objective.”

A hint of worry flashed in the lieutenant's eyes: "General, even so, Xianyang is, after all, the capital of Qin, with high and thick walls and ample supplies. Even if the garrison is insufficient, our losses under a direct assault would likely be..."

“So we can’t launch a direct attack.” Yi Xiaochuan turned around, his eyes gleaming with a hunter’s sharpness. “We have to make them open the city gates themselves.”

The Chu army's movement speed far exceeded the marching time of the 70,000-strong southern border army heading south. While Gao Zhe's main force was still struggling through rugged mountain paths, Yi Xiaochuan's 30,000 Chu troops were already heading straight for Xianyang like arrows. Their marching route was meticulously planned—they would hide by day and move at night, avoiding major passes and stealthily advancing along river valleys and dense forests. All villages along the way that might reveal their location were strictly controlled, carrier pigeons were shot down, and post roads were cut off.

When Xiao He in Xianyang finally received the urgent report that the Chu army was approaching, the enemy's vanguard was less than fifty li away from the city.

Xianyang, Prime Minister's Mansion.

The bamboo slip in Xiao He's hand fell to the ground with a "thud." He didn't bother to pick it up and hurried towards the huge city defense map hanging on the west side of the hall. His fingers trembled as he traced the markings on the various sections of the city wall—800 soldiers were needed to guard the east gate, 700 for the west gate, 900 for the south gate, and 600 for the north gate. This did not include the four corner towers, twelve ramparts, and the guards of important facilities such as the granaries, armories, and the imperial palace within the city.

“Five thousand men…” Xiao He muttered to himself, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead. “Five thousand men to guard thirty-six li of city wall, that’s less than one man per zhang…”

The hall door was pushed open, and Gao Yao walked in dressed in a black casual suit, his expression as calm as if he were just attending an ordinary tea party.

"Your Majesty!" Xiao He hurriedly stepped forward, even disregarding the proper etiquette between ruler and subject. "The vanguard of the Chu army has already reached Mount Li, and will be at the city gates by noon tomorrow at the latest. As for the garrison in Xianyang... I have just finished counting them, and there are only 4,732 soldiers in total, of which more than 600 are old, weak, sick, or disabled, and they are hardly fit for battle!"

Gao Yao walked to the main seat and sat down, slowly pouring himself a cup of tea: "Prime Minister Xiao, please calm down. I know the number of troops."

"You understand?" Xiao He's voice suddenly rose. "Then do you know what this means? Xianyang City is 36 li in circumference, with walls 4 zhang high, 12 city gates, and 24 watchtowers. Normally, to ensure a solid defense, at least 12,000 men would be needed, working in three shifts! Now we can't even muster the minimum number of defenders. If the Chu army attacks from all sides, and any section of the wall falls, we will lose everything!"

He approached Gao Yao and almost pleaded, "Your Majesty, I know you must have a plan. But I dare to ask—is your so-called plan to use these five thousand men to fight against thirty thousand elite Chu troops? This is no longer the way of warfare; it is simply... child's play!"

Gao Yao raised his eyes and saw that the usually composed prime minister was unusually flustered. Instead, he smiled gently and said, "Xiao He, calm down and sit down."

Xiao He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down and sat down opposite Gao Yao.

“You’re right. Xianyang is a large city, and it’s not easy to defend.” Gao Yao took a sip of tea. “But it is precisely because of its size and importance that the Chu army has no choice but to attack. I know Yi Xiaochuan well—he is cautious and suspicious, but also shrewd and decisive. If we set up a high-level defensive posture, he will become suspicious and he will surround us without attacking, waiting for a better opportunity.”

He put down his teacup and tapped his fingertips lightly on the table: "So we need to give him an irresistible temptation. A capital city that is utterly empty, an imperial capital that he can easily obtain, a divine gift that can turn his desperate situation around. Only in this way will he cast aside all doubts and attack with all his might."

Xiao He smiled bitterly: "And then what? After he breaches the city gates, we hand them over without a second thought?"

“No.” Gao Yao’s eyes suddenly turned sharp as knives. “We want to let him in, but never let him out.”

Silence fell over the hall. Xiao He looked at Gao Yao, trying to find even a trace of uncertainty on the king's face. But all he saw was absolute confidence, the kind of almost arrogant confidence that had repeatedly led them to turn the tide in desperate situations.

"Your Majesty means..." Xiao He suddenly realized something, his pupils contracting slightly, "Could it be that outside the city..."

Gao Yao raised his hand to stop him from continuing: "Prime Minister Xiao, you only need to know that I will leave you with four thousand garrison troops. These four thousand men must be made to look like tens of thousands on the city wall. There should be many banners, the fires should be burning brightly, and there should be twice as many torches at night as usual. As for the other one thousand elite cavalry, I have other uses for them."

"A thousand cavalrymen outside the city?" Xiao He's recently calmed emotions surged again. "Your Majesty, you promised me you wouldn't personally risk your life again! The Chu army numbers thirty thousand; if you lead a thousand cavalrymen outside and are discovered..."

“That’s why they never expected this.” Gao Yao stood up, walked to the window, and looked in the direction of the palace. “Yi Xiaochuan was certain that whether I lived or died, I had already escaped. He would never have imagined that I would be right under his nose with a thousand men.”

Xiao He also got up and followed to the window, lowering his voice: "What exactly is Your Majesty's plan? At least let me know so that I can cooperate."