coobybook Chapter 540 Attacking Vietnam 5
Chapter 540 Attacking Vietnam 5
Tu Sui's Ouyue cavalry quickly arrived at the battlefield. These heavily armored cavalry were elite troops secretly trained by Fusu, possessing extremely strong combat capabilities. They were like a sharp dagger, piercing straight into the flank of the Chu army.
The Chu army was caught off guard by the fact that the allied forces had such a powerful cavalry, and their formation was thrown into chaos.
At the same time, Li Tian personally led the Luo Yue reinforcements to arrive and launched an attack from another direction.
The battlefield situation reversed once again. The Chu army, which had originally surrounded the allied forces, was now being surrounded by the allied forces in return.
Zheng Ji, witnessing this scene from the mountain, was both shocked and furious: "Order the entire army to retreat!"
But by then it was too late to retreat. The allied forces attacked from both inside and outside, and the Chu army suffered a crushing defeat, with only a few managing to escape.
In this battle, the allied forces not only rescued the besieged troops but also severely damaged an elite Chu army. More importantly, they captured a large amount of weaponry and equipment.
"Young Master's strategy is brilliant!" After the battle, all the leaders were filled with admiration for Fusu.
Fusu humbly shook his head: "The credit for this battle lies in the concerted efforts of everyone."
After this battle, the morale of the allied forces was greatly boosted, while the Chu army suffered heavy losses.
With its supply lines cut off and its elite troops damaged, the Chu army's situation became increasingly difficult.
To make matters worse, the rainy season has arrived.
The continuous rain made the Chu army camp muddy and difficult to traverse, and disease began to spread. With a lack of medical care and medicine, soldiers were dying of illness every day.
"General, if this continues, our army will collapse on its own without the allied forces even attacking," the lieutenant said worriedly.
Zheng Ji stared at the continuous rain outside the tent, his face grim. He knew he was in dire straits.
"Order the entire army to prepare for a breakout tomorrow."
"Break through? In which direction?"
Zheng Ji pointed to a point on the map: "From here, break through the allied forces' defenses and take Ouyue directly!"
This decision was extremely risky. Ouyue was the stronghold of the "Qin Su," and its defenses would undoubtedly be tight. However, Zheng Ji believed that the main force of the allied forces was in Nanyue, leaving Ouyue vulnerable. More importantly, the key was to capture the leader first; if they could take down the "Qin Su," the Baiyue alliance would collapse without a fight.
However, what he didn't know was that this decision was already within Fusu's expectations.
“The Chu army is running out of supplies and will inevitably fight like cornered beasts,” Fusu analyzed at the allied military conference. “And their target is very likely our Ouyue.”
"Why Ouyue?" Chen Jian asked, puzzled.
“Because I am the bond of the alliance,” Fusu smiled. “Kill me, and the alliance will dissolve itself.”
The leaders suddenly realized what was going on.
"In that case, let's ambush them along the way and annihilate the Chu army in one fell swoop!" Lin Ziyou said excitedly.
Fusu shook his head: "No, let them come over."
"Let them come over?" Everyone was stunned.
“That’s right.” Fusu’s eyes gleamed with wisdom. “We need to prepare a final battlefield for Zheng Ji in Ouyue.”
The plan was carried out quietly. The main force of the allied forces moved stealthily towards Ouyue, while only a small number of troops were left to provide symbolic resistance on the Chu army's inevitable route.
Zheng Ji fell for the trap. He believed the allied forces wouldn't have time to return and defend, and the breakout operation went exceptionally smoothly.
"It seems the main force of the allied forces is still in Nanyue." Zheng Ji was in high spirits. "Order them to advance at full speed and take Qin Su's stronghold!"
Five days later, the Chu army arrived at the border of Ouyue. However, what awaited them was not an empty defense, but the main force of the allied army, which was ready for battle.
"What...what's going on?" Zheng Ji was dumbfounded.
In the valley ahead, the allied forces stood with their banners fluttering and their ranks impeccably disciplined. What alarmed him even more was that their weaponry was clearly a step up, obviously captured from the Chu army.
"General Zheng, how have you been?" Fusu appeared at the front of the battle, his voice calm.
Zheng Ji gritted his teeth: "Qin Su! You cheated!"
"All's fair in war," Fusu said calmly. "General Zheng, the situation is hopeless. Surrender. I promise to treat the prisoners well."
"Dream on!" Zheng Ji roared. "The Chu army has only warriors who die in battle, not cowards who surrender! All troops, listen to my command, attack!"
The final battle has begun.
With a do-or-die mentality, the Chu army launched a frenzied charge. The allied forces, relying on their advantageous terrain and superior numbers, put up a tenacious resistance.
The battle raged from dawn till dusk, leaving corpses strewn across the fields and rivers of blood.
Zheng Ji personally led his personal guards to attack the central army where Fusu was located. He knew this was his last chance.
"Protect the young master!" Tu Sui shouted, leading the Ouyue cavalry to meet him.
The two torrents collided violently. Zheng Ji, a master of martial arts, killed several Ouyue generals and advanced directly towards Fusu.
"Young master, be careful!" Ye Ziheng cried out urgently.
At that critical moment, a stray arrow shot from the side, striking Zheng Ji's horse squarely. The horse neighed and fell to the ground, and Zheng Ji tumbled off.
He looked up and saw that the archer was Lu Chuan. This "barbarian" he had always disregarded had dealt him a fatal blow.
"Protect the general!" The Chu soldiers rushed forward at the cost of their lives to protect Zheng Ji.
But the tide had turned. Under the heavy encirclement of the allied forces, the Chu army's last resistance was crushed.
Zheng Ji looked at the dwindling number of soldiers around him and knew it was all over. He raised his sword and faced north.
"Your Majesty! I have failed in my duty!"
With a flash of sword light, a great general of Chu committed suicide.
With their commander killed in battle, the remaining Chu soldiers laid down their weapons and surrendered. The Chu-Yue War, which lasted for nearly two months, ended in a complete victory for the allied forces.
The war is over, but many things are just beginning.
More than 20,000 Chu soldiers were captured and needed to be resettled; the borders of the various Baiyue tribes needed to be redrawn; and the post-war order needed to be rebuilt.
Fusu handled these complex affairs with extraordinary political wisdom. He allowed prisoners to participate in the construction of water conservancy projects and the reclamation of wasteland, promising to send them back to their hometowns after several years; he presided over the alliance of various tribes to resolve disputes fairly; and he promoted the advanced technology of Qin to various parts of Baiyue.
Under Fusu's rule, the Baiyue region experienced unprecedented prosperity. The barriers between the various tribes gradually dissolved, and a united Baiyue alliance was taking shape.
When the news reached the Central Plains, the whole country was shaken.
Shouchun, the Chu King's Palace.
"Crack!" The exquisite jade cup shattered violently on the ground. King Fuchu of Chu was deathly pale, his body trembling slightly with anger and fear. "Fifty thousand...fifty thousand troops...gone just like that? Zheng Ji has ruined me! Ruined my Great Chu!"
Inside the palace, the officials were completely silent, each one feeling insecure. A huge shadow of defeat loomed over the State of Chu. The famine within the country was exacerbated by the complete failure of this military operation, and the people were filled with anxiety, with rumors spreading like wildfire.
General Xiang Yan stood at the forefront, his face grave, yet showing little surprise. He stepped forward, his voice low and powerful: "Your Majesty, the most urgent matter is not to regret what has been lost, but to prepare for the future. The Baiyue have just won a victory, and their power is at its peak. The Qin people... I fear they will take advantage of our predicament!"
In the Xianyang Palace, King Zheng of Qin looked at Fusu's report with a complex expression.
“Fusu has done a great job,” he said to those around him. “His benevolence has spread throughout the southern borderlands, turning this barbaric land into a paradise.”
In another corner of Zhangtai Palace, ten-year-old Ying Wuyou listened to the battle report with a smile on his lips.
"My brother has indeed lived up to my expectations," she murmured to herself.
After the ravages of war, the Baiyue region entered a period of relative peace. Fusu, with his immense prestige from the war against Chu and the benevolence and ability he displayed, was naturally elected as the leader of the various Yue chieftains.
He promoted the successful terraced farming and irrigation techniques of the Ouyue people, and encouraged the tribes to exchange resources to alleviate the food problems caused by previous wars. Ye Ziheng assisted him in formulating simple alliance laws to prevent the tribes from attacking each other without cause. Tu Sui and Lu Chuan were responsible for training a standing army composed of warriors selected from various tribes to adapt to more complex combat environments.
Fusu's camp became the de facto political and military center of the Baiyue alliance. Envoys from various tribes came and went daily to discuss affairs and learn technologies.