The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

Chapter 308: Peace in the World (Part 3)

All the princes and generals knew about Han Xin's performance in the Battle of Julu. Han Xin defeated Baili Hong's 80,000 troops with an army of 20,000. His strength should not be underestimated.

The smart ones among them have already understood that the 20,000 troops under Han Xin's command are the Qin army, and the 40,000 Chu troops under Xiang Yu are stationed in the south and north of the allied forces' headquarters respectively, forming a pincer attack.

Kuai Che continued, "We have no intention of causing trouble for you, but we hope you will see the bigger picture. Hu Hai and the other princes who have restored their kingdoms have all run out of luck, and unification of the world is the inevitable trend. Prince Fusu is wise and will treat you well if he succeeds. We are not those who seek power; we only wish to quell the chaos of war as soon as possible."

As the princes and generals listened to Kuai Che's words, many of them showed hesitation. They exchanged glances with each other, their hearts filled with contradictions and uneasiness.

Kuai Che continued, "I'm not afraid to tell you all that my general, along with Liu Peigong, has already razed Qi. The fall of Linji City is imminent, and Ying Bu has already led an army of 20,000 to pacify Yan. I'm afraid only the Yan capital remains. The tide of change is now set, and those who resist will be ruthlessly annihilated. It's wise to follow the tide of change."

The princes and generals looked at each other in confusion.

After a long while, a Zhao general finally mustered up the courage to bow and said, "We are willing to surrender. We only hope that the general can ensure the safety of our people."

One person took the lead, and the other generals followed suit.

Seeing this, Xiang Yu's expression softened slightly. "Since that's the case, I will certainly not treat you unfairly. But you must obey my orders and pacify the world."

The generals responded quickly.

Xiang Yu nodded with satisfaction, and then ordered people to prepare wine and a banquet to reward the generals of the princes' army.

At the banquet, Xiang Yu, Han Xin and Kuai Che exchanged glances from time to time, and everything was under control.

The princes and generals gradually let down their guard and began to toast and chat with each other.

After dealing with the matter of the coalition forces of the princes, Xiang Yu had another private discussion with Han Xin and Kuai Che.

That night, inside the tent, the flickering candlelight illuminated the solemn faces of the three people.

Kuai Che was the first to speak: "General Xiang, although the allied forces have temporarily submitted, the hearts of the people are unpredictable and we must be on guard! We need to send capable people to supervise and prevent any changes."

Xiang Yu nodded slightly and said, "Mr. Kuai is absolutely right. I have already thought of a suitable candidate, and I will definitely be able to live up to your trust."

Han Xin sat quietly aside, thinking for a moment before saying, "Brother Xiang, in this campaign, we must not only focus on military strategy, but also pay attention to the public opinion."

Xiang Yu looked at Han Xin, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. He asked, "Brother Han Xin, what do you think?"

Han Xin stood up, walked to the map, pointed to the territory of Zhao, Wei, and Han, and said, "First, spread some favorable news during the march, so that the people will know about our righteous actions. At the same time, treat the enemy with both kindness and force, and strive for their surrender."

After hearing this, Xiang Yu laughed out loud: "Brother Han Xin, you are indeed very wise! I will follow your plan."

In the following days, Xiang Yu began to prepare for war and inspect the camp.

Han Xin and Kuai Che led their troops to the territory of Wei and Han.

During his march, Han Xin devised ingenious strategies and used the terrain to manipulate the enemy, sometimes sending out small groups to harass the enemy, and sometimes setting ambushes to trap the enemy.

The defenders in Han were already in a panic, and were even more vulnerable when facing Han Xin's troops.

Soon, Han Xin conquered many cities.

At the same time, Xiang Yu led the coalition forces of the princes to march towards Zhao.

Xiang Yu still led the troops and the morale of the Chu army was high.

Faced with the resistance of Zhao, Xiang Yu was as brave as a tiger among a flock of sheep, and he made unstoppable progress all the way.

As for the territory of Yan, under the fierce attack of the 20,000-strong army led by Ying Bu and Meng Xin, they advanced unstoppably all the way to Guangyang City.

At this moment, the only thing left in Yan State was the isolated city of Guangyang. Han Guang, who proclaimed himself the King of Yan, was hiding in the palace, enjoying the last bit of glory and wealth.

In the palace, there was peace and prosperity, and the singing of beautiful women was still the norm.

Although Han Guang was surrounded by people, he was actually extremely anxious in his heart. He was well aware of the strength of Ying Bu's army that had suddenly emerged.

Just as Han Guang was feeling upset, a counselor hurried into the hall and said solemnly, "Your Majesty, the situation is critical now. Perhaps we can seek help from the Donghu people."

Han Guang's eyes lit up, as if he saw a ray of light in the darkness, but then dimmed again. He frowned and said worriedly, "The Donghu people have always been greedy. If we let them in, it will be even more difficult to deal with them in the future."

The counselor stepped forward and lowered his voice, saying, "Your Majesty, this is a helpless move. Ying Bu's army is advancing with such force that if we do not seek external assistance, we will find it difficult to hold Guangyang City."

Han Guang fell into deep thought, his eyes revealing hesitation and uneasiness.

After a moment, he slowly raised his head, looked at his counselor, and asked, "What good plan do you have?"

The counselor took a deep breath and replied, "Your Majesty, we can first send envoys to negotiate with the Donghu people, promising them certain benefits in exchange for their support. At the same time, we must also be on guard in case the Donghu people have any ill intentions."

Han Guang nodded, secretly pondering the counselor's advice. He knew it was a risky decision, but it was also the only way out at the moment.

"Okay, let's do as you say. Send an envoy to Donghu immediately and convince them to send troops to help." Han Guang said with determination.

The counselor took his orders and left, while Han Guang continued to be immersed in anxiety. He knew that the outcome of this war would determine the fate of him and the State of Yan.

On the other side, the armies of Ying Bu and Meng Xin were already at the gates of the city.

Ying Bu rode on his warhorse, staring intently at Guangyang City. He took a deep breath and shouted, "Attack the city!"

For a moment, arrows flew out like locusts, and the shouts of killing were deafening.

The Han army in the city did not show any weakness. They fought hard and engaged in a fierce battle with Ying Bu's army.

"Hold on! We can't let them break through the city gate!" the Han general shouted at the top of his lungs.

However, Ying Bu's army was well-trained, and their attack was as fierce as the tide, and they gradually gained the upper hand.

Just when Guangyang City was about to fall, a cloud of dust suddenly rose in the distance.

It turned out that a cavalry of Donghu came to rescue.

Ying Bu, upon seeing this, calmly directed his troops, shouting, "Change formation! Prepare to meet the enemy!"

Ying Bu immediately turned to Meng Xin and said, "Meng Xin, you lead your men to continue attacking Guangyang City. I will go and meet these Donghu people."

Meng Xin bowed and replied, "I obey your orders!"

Immediately, Ying Bu led 5,000 cavalrymen to meet the Donghu army head-on like a gust of wind.

Soldiers on both sides waved their weapons and shouted and killed.

The Donghu cavalry's horses neighed, and they were as ferocious as hungry wolves.

"Kill!" Ying Bu shouted loudly. His voice was like thunder, inspiring the morale of the soldiers.

During the fierce battle, Ying Bu seized the opportunity, brandished his spear, and personally led his troops to break through the Donghu defense line and attack Huanglong.

Han Guang on the city wall witnessed all this and his face suddenly turned pale as paper.

Han Guang knew that the situation was hopeless. In despair, he drew his sword with trembling hands and wanted to commit suicide.

"Don't even think about it!" Ying Bu shouted, drew his bow and shot an arrow, knocking the long sword out of Han Guang's hand.

The soldiers under his command rushed to the city wall, grabbed Han Guang's wrist and captured him alive.

With Han Guang captured, the State of Yan was completely pacified.

At this time, Han Xin, who was far away in the land of Wei and Han, received frequent news of victory. Han Xin used tactics skillfully and had basically taken control of the Han land and was marching towards the Wei land.

Xiang Yu also achieved brilliant results in Zhao. He appeased the local people while encircling and suppressing the remaining forces.