I switched allegiance to Zhang Han and rebuilt the Qin Dynasty; Liu Bang was heartbroken.

"These Qin traitors are nothing but a bunch of rats!"

"A group of thieves."

"They stole the grain that should have belonged to the Han army in Guanzhong."

"Now they even dare to directly send troops to plunder the spoils of war from the Han army!"

"They came to escort the Han army into Sichuan, but they were the Han army's greatest enemy."

Liu Bang was venting his boundless rage.

This time, the Han army suffered a truly devastating blow.

The Guanzhong region lost 15,000 elite troops, and with this latest loss, the Han army's total losses may exceed 30,000.

Moreover, the impact of this battle was significant.

Without supplies, the morale of the Han army will waver even further!

Now, let alone conquering Bashu, let alone marching back to Guanzhong.

If this continues, by the time he reaches Hanzhong, who knows how many of his 100,000 troops will be left?

This is the capital for conquering the world. It is the army he has accumulated over the years since he raised his army. It is difficult to replenish it quickly once he arrives in Bashu!

He was terrified, terrified of the power and prestige of the King of Han!

He was afraid of losing all the status he had now!

"Damn Qin army, all they dare to do is play these rat-like tricks."

"The Qin army used to be as fierce as tigers, but now it's as cunning as rats!"

As Liu Bang spoke, he became even more furious.

If it were a real battle with the Qin army, he would accept defeat even if he lost.

However, the Qin army remained on the sidelines without launching an attack.

Even looking back, it seems like they were the ones who gave the Qin army the spoils for free each time.

In the end, they lost a large number of troops for nothing, while the Qin army gained a lot of benefits!

Since Liu Bang raised his army, he had rarely been this angry. At this moment, only Xiao He dared to speak up.

He looked at the green soup on the ground and spoke softly.

"Your Majesty, this wild vegetable soup was something the soldiers found with great difficulty; this is the last bowl."

Liu Bang remained silent for a moment, then sat on the overturned table, his eyes bloodshot like a beast's, without uttering a word.

Time seemed to pass for a long time before Liu Bang finally calmed down and spoke.

"Gentlemen, I have also received news that many of the Yi people in Bashu are descendants of the ancient Shu Kingdom. These people are now taking advantage of the Qin army's weakness and are plotting to enter Bashu from Hanzhong."

"Now we are surrounded by fierce tigers in the mountains and forests, and wolves from Guanzhong in the rear. What do you all think the Han army should do?"

With tigers in front and wolves behind, this is the current predicament of the Han army.

"This Qin army looks quite ferocious, but for some reason their methods are as ruthless as rats. This must be a plan devised by the new mastermind in the Qin army. This kind of method reminds me of an old friend."

Zhou Bo stood up and spoke; he was a Han general who rarely spoke on his own initiative.

This time, however, he truly couldn't hold back.

Ignoring the angry looks in everyone's eyes, Zhou Bo continued, "I have no intention of provoking everyone's anger towards this traitor. I just want to tell you all that when Zhao Long was in the camp, he always emphasized deception and strategy, combining the orthodox and the unorthodox."

"Even if the Han army does not fully adopt his strategies, it is rare for the Han army to fall into a crisis."

"The Qin army now uses this method, and it's even more ruthless than Zhao Long's."

"The Qin army always retreated in order to advance, without considering the facts or feigning anything, and directly resorted to ingenious strategies. They were extremely ruthless and targeted the weaknesses of the Han army repeatedly."

These men were all fierce generals of the Han army who had fought alongside Liu Bang, and they were capable of independent thinking.

Even in anger, one can understand what Zhou Bo meant when he said that Zhao Long's past methods had preserved the minimum standard for the Han army.

This master strategist in the Qin army employed similar methods, all emphasizing avoiding direct confrontation, but his approach was far more ruthless.

The Qin army's backup plan left the Han army with no limits!

"Zhou Bo, what exactly are you trying to say?" Cao Can asked, extremely dissatisfied.

He was the one who ordered the pursuit and killing of Zhao Long in the first place, and now they want to blame him?

"I just want to remind you all, if Zhao Long were here, what kind of plan would he come up with right now? You might as well think about it carefully."

After Zhou Bo finished speaking, everyone fell silent and began to ponder.

Xiahou Ying was the first to speak again: "I understand!"

"Even though the Qin army has used many tricks, we have not yet broken ties with them. The Qin army is currently escorting us into Hanzhong, but their real purpose is to make things difficult for the Han army and force us into the Bashu region."

"At this time, why don't we also retreat in order to advance, and avoid the sharp edge of the Qin army and the Yi people?"

"Go and request the Qin army to come to our front, otherwise the Han army will not leave."

"The Han army is not in a hurry to go to Hanzhong. Let the Qin army fight a major battle with the Yi people first!"

Zhou Bo felt that the plan was a bit strange, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong with it.

The generals of the Han army all echoed this sentiment.

"Lord Xiahou is right."

That's definitely a brilliant plan.

"Since the Qin army is escorting us, we can ask them to go first."

"With tigers in front and wolves behind, let's just take a step back and let the tigers and wolves fight each other."

"When the Qin army is engaged in fierce fighting with the Yi people, the Han army will then launch an attack, seize Ba and Shu, annihilate the Yi people, and establish a foothold!"

"Hanzhong belongs to our Han army, and no one can take it away!"

Guan Ying also spoke up.

The generals of the Han army all agreed with this plan.

Liu Bang nodded in agreement: "Indeed, this Qin army looks valiant, but it only numbers ten thousand. How can it compare to my hundred generals and one hundred thousand Han soldiers?"

"As soon as the Qin army and the Yi people start fighting, that will be the time for our Han army to attack!"

"The Qin army wants to be like rats, but I will not let them have their way!"

"Once I have taken Hanzhong, I will make the Qin army kneel down and beg for mercy, so that they will regret being enemies with the Han army!"

"Then, with the strength of Sichuan and Chongqing, we will march north to Guanzhong!"

Liu Bang kept talking about his own strength, stating that he still had an absolute advantage over the Qin army. He confidently raised his head again, his expression resolute.

His protruding belly, however, shattered his image of a ruthless and domineering figure.

"Quickly, go and get me another bowl of wild vegetable soup."

"Even if we have to eat wild vegetables and tree bark, as long as we persevere, final victory will surely belong to us!"

……

Zhao Long, having rested overnight in the Qin army, felt refreshed once again.

Wang Yuanyuan thoughtfully helped Zhao Long put on his clothes.

Zhao Long was still a little unaccustomed to it: "I didn't know you could do these things, Yuanyuan. I could do them myself."

"It is my honor to serve you, young master!"

The most breathtaking moment was Wang Yuanyuan's radiant smile at that instant.

Zhao Long shook his head and left the tent. If he hadn't stopped her, Wang Yuanyuan would have put on armor and followed Zhao Long as his personal bodyguard.

"Don't worry, with General Zhao here, no one can hurt me."

Zhao Long, in a rather good mood, walked toward a large tent in the Han army camp.

Zhao Ben accompanied him, a smile as warm as that of a loving mother.

"Uncle Zhao, where exactly did you find Yuanyuan?"

Zhao Long and Wang Yuanyuan had become acquainted for a few days.

This person is exceptional in both literary and martial arts; his demeanor and speech suggest he could not possibly come from an ordinary family.

Zhao Ben chuckled, "Young master, rest assured, Yuan Yuan's intention to take care of you is absolutely sincere."

The two stopped walking as they were talking.

Zhao Long suppressed his smile and walked inside.

Among them was Li Shiqi, the Han envoy who had come earlier.

When Zhao Long learned that Liu Bang had sent this person, he ordered Zhang Han to intercept him.

For the past few days, Li Shiqi has been unable to eat or drink, as he has no idea what the Qin army's intentions are.

Just then, Li Shiqi heard footsteps outside and instinctively stood up.

Zhao Long walked in, looked at the pale-faced sixty-year-old man, and smiled: "Lord Li, have you been resting well these past few days?"

He wasn't very familiar with Li Shiqi. Although Li Shiqi wasn't from Huaiyin, he was a key figure in Liu Bang's uprising.

Not long after Liu Bang raised his army, the Li family spent all their wealth to recruit thousands of soldiers to join Liu Bang.

This sixty-year-old man, from then on, offered advice and strategies to Liu Bang, and his name will be remembered in history!

Moreover, this person has another characteristic: arrogance, extreme arrogance.

He even cursed Xiang Yu to his face back then!

When Li Shiqi saw Zhao Long, he was so shocked that his eyes widened and his pupils sunken.

"Zhao Ziyun, how could you be a traitor?"