Chapter 124
Everyone was waiting for the arrival of the Youzhou soldiers.
When the Youzhou soldiers reached Henan County, news quickly spread to the ears of other rebel forces and to Li Li himself.
Upon their arrival, they learned of the disastrous defeat of the Qin family army and how Li Li had gathered the remnants of their forces.
Yang Zhongfa laughed out loud, "What's the point in boasting if you can't win? Letting Li Li gain thirty thousand prisoners for nothing, it hurts my heart to hear."
Chu Hechao remained calm and casual, lazily smiling, "Isn't this great?"
Yang Zhongfa was surprised, "General, do you think this is great?"
"Of course," Chu Hechao smirked, showing no hint of laughter in his eyes, "If no one is defeated, how can we demonstrate our victorious might?"
Yuan Li nodded in agreement.
The more defeated armies there are, the more the victors' fame grows.
The rebel forces waiting in Jiyin County were overjoyed to hear that the Youzhou troops had arrived. They hurried to Henan County, warmly welcoming the arrival of Yuan Li and Chuhai Chao. Their efforts to please made Yuan Li feel as if their arrival was a breath of fresh air.
These people hosted a lively banquet for Chu Hechao and Yuan Li, where they lamented over how powerful Li Li's army was and how brave their commanders were.
Before Yuan Li and Chu Hechao arrived, these people had tried to defeat Li Li in battle but failed. Yuan Li looked at their lackluster and fearful soldiers and thought to himself, "You guys couldn't even handle it..."
Chu Hechao remained unfazed in his expression, yet his presence alone provided reassurance to the rebel forces.
Unlike others whose reputation was inflated, the young general Chu Hechao, who guarded the northern borders and deterred foreign invasions, truly lived up to his formidable reputation.
His numerous achievements and fearsome reputation gave him a level of intimidation that other commanders couldn't match.
This intimidation even made Li Li's victorious army somewhat wary.
Of course, not everyone in the army that was marching out to subdue Li Li was incompetent. Lü He, the Governor of Liangzhou, was eager to attack Li Li a long time ago.
However, he had fewer troops and supplies and no one was willing to join him in the fight. Now, with the arrival of Chu Hechao and Yuan Li, Lü He saw an opportunity.
As soon as the banquet ended, he went to find Chu Hechao and Yuan Li, and straightforwardly asked, "General, when will you lead the troops? Take me to Liangzhou!"
"In at most ten days, I will set out with the troops," Chu Hechao raised an eyebrow and said bluntly, "How many men do you have?"
"Twenty thousand," Lü He replied shamelessly, pounding his chest, "Don't be fooled by our numbers; the soldiers of Liangzhou are as fierce as your northern border troops. We too often engage in battles with foreign forces, and all of my men are brave warriors."
Chu Hechao asked, "How much supplies do you have left?"
Lü He blushed, "Just enough for half a month."
No wonder he was in such a hurry to attack Li Li.
Yuan Li found this situation somewhat amusing and said, "We have heard of the bravery of the soldiers from Liangzhou. With the help of Lord Lü, we have a better chance of defeating Li Li."
"I like the sound of that, Lord Yuan," Lü He laughed heartily, "It's just that we might be short on supplies. We may need to rely on the General and Lord Yuan for that..."
He rubbed his hands, hinting at their assistance.
Yuan Li smiled as he looked at the other rebel leaders, who were drunk and supporting each other as they left. "There is no such thing as getting something for nothing in this world. We risk our lives leading troops to defeat Li Li, so it doesn't make sense for these people to camp here and expect to gain recognition without any effort. I believe that these heroes will be willing to contribute the resources they have used to support us in attacking Li Li."
Lü He suddenly perked up, admiringly giving Yuan Li a thumbs up. Once the date for mobilizing the troops was agreed upon with Chu Hechao, he went to ask those people for supplies.
In late September, Chu Hechao set out with his army, and Lü He joined him to march towards Li Li for the campaign. The others were too afraid to go and remained in Henan County, where they arranged for a substantial amount of provisions for their two armies.
Meanwhile, Wan Liang had already stationed his troops in front of Chu Hechao's army.
Though Wan Liang had never directly confronted Chu Hechao in battle, he understood his strength and did not underestimate him. When scouts reported that Chu Hechao's troops were approaching, Wan Liang rallied his soldiers and prepared for a fierce confrontation.
Yan Hui hoped that Wan Liang could defeat Chu Hechao's army in one fell swoop, so he gave Wan Liang an army of one hundred thousand men. Chu Hechao also led one hundred thousand men, setting the stage for a large-scale battle that neither side could avoid, with the flat terrain offering no strategic advantages.
They had to face each other head-on, fighting force against force.
Chu Hechao firmly believed that the fierce and daring soldiers of Youzhou and Liangzhou were unmatched by any other troops.
Before the major battle, both sides engaged in brief skirmishes with their cavalry.
The Youzhou cavalry, well-fed by Yuan Li, appeared formidable in their black armor and wielding long spears, resembling bears in their sheer strength. With their feet securely in the stirrups, the Youzhou cavalry swiftly dispatched the enemy riders, scoring five consecutive victories against Wan Liang's cavalry.
Wan Liang was incredulous and fearful at his five defeats in a row.
He knew the prowess of the Youzhou soldiers and had sent out his elite cavalry to face them, yet they proved powerless against the Youzhou forces.
This crushing victory shattered Wan Liang's and his soldiers' arrogance, plunging their morale to new lows.
Taking advantage of this moment, Chu Hechao decisively led his troops to attack Wan Liang's army.
The difference in leading soldiers between Wan Liang and Chu Hechao was like night and day.
It wasn't about experience or rank but rather the ability to command and coordinate soldiers effectively.
Leading a force of one hundred thousand men in battle was a monumental challenge for Wan Liang. The coordination and allocation of every detail, ensuring no waste of manpower, and fostering cooperation among soldiers—it was an extremely difficult task.
Wan Liang was just a Senior Captain and had only led a maximum of fifty thousand men in battle before, but a force of one hundred thousand soldiers was twice that size! This was his first time commanding such a large army, and despite his efforts, the coordination within the army seemed stiff and chaotic.
In comparison, Chu Hechao was completely at ease.
Eight years ago, Chuhai Chao had led an army of eighteen thousand soldiers to defeat the Wumang tribe. Now, leading one hundred thousand soldiers in battle was a walk in the park for him.
The various types of troops coordinated seamlessly, with swift and precise responses, encircling Wan Liang from all sides, leaving no dead angles and pressing in on him relentlessly like the king of Hell.
Within five days, Chu Hechao had dispersed Wan Liang's one hundred thousand troops, causing them to flee!
When the news reached Li Li, he was furious, slamming the table and cursing, "How can a force of one hundred thousand be defeated within five days?!"
The scout who brought the news appeared disheveled, explaining, "Chu Hechao has a formidable heavy cavalry unit, their power is immense, and they are practically invulnerable. We have no cavalry that can match theirs, and even our shield-bearing soldiers couldn't withstand them. This heavy cavalry tore through our formations repeatedly, causing heavy casualties among our infantry. Their momentum was too fierce, and each time they charged, our soldiers were terrified and fled, unable to resist. The chaos grew, and to prevent further losses, General Wan had to lead a retreat."
Li Li exclaimed, "Invulnerable? Do they wear armor that covers every vulnerable spot from head to toe?"
"Your Excellency is right," the scout nodded in affirmation, his face filled with genuine fear at the memory of facing this heavy cavalry. "They are really covered in armor from head to toe."
"This, this..." Li Li was speechless, looking to Yan Hui for guidance, "Can't we win if we send more soldiers to Wan Liang?"
Yan Hui's expression turned serious, responding, "Chu Hechao is a skilled tactician, even if we gave Wan Liang another one hundred thousand men, he couldn't match Chu Hechao's prowess. It would only lead to disarray. This battle has shown that Wan Liang is no match for Chu Hechao; he cannot win."
Li Li felt a growing sense of dread, his face darkening, "What should we do?"
Yan Hui made a resolute decision, "The only one who can rival him is me. Let me personally go and meet him."
*
On the battlefield, Yuan Li and others were clearing the area.
Chu Hechao, covered in blood, sat on a rock, cleaning his serrated sword with a piece of cloth.
He led the charge, and as he cleaned the sword, he noticed the blade was chipped from contact with skull fragments.
Yuan Li brought him a jug of water, still filled with adrenaline and smiling, "Drink some water."
Chu Hechao's brow was stained with dirt and blood, his face still emanating a lingering aura of aggression and fierceness. After taking a sip of water, he asked in a low voice, "Are you scared?"
Yuan Li shook his head. He wasn't frightened; instead, his eyes sparkled with excitement and admiration. "Brother, you're incredible!" he exclaimed.
He could understand why Chu Hechao's subordinates both feared and revered him. On the battlefield, Chu Hechao was a true "God of War." Enemy soldiers scattered in terror before his might, his banner plunging deeper and deeper into enemy territory, like a merciless knife piercing enemy flesh.
Even when his soldiers were so exhausted that they could barely lift their arms, Chu Hechao fought on like an untiring machine, his ferocity growing with each kill, his spirit rising with each blow.
If Wan Liang hadn't fled quickly, the entire army would have been shattered by Chu Hechao's assault, and Chu Hechao would have personally captured Wan Liang's banner.
Chu Hechao couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, feeling the fatigue melt away from his body. He stood up and followed Yuan Li to inspect the battlefield.
The task of clearing the battlefield was arduous, requiring them to check each enemy corpse, finishing off the wounded, and looting the dead for weapons, armor, and other spoils of war.
Yuan Li made a quick survey of the scene and noticed something odd about the soldiers who had fallen at the forefront. Not only did they lack any spoils of war, but they weren't even wearing armor. In their hands, instead of weapons, they held simple wooden sticks.
His brow furrowed, he randomly flipped over a corpse. The soldier was emaciated, his skin tanned and weathered, his eyes wide with terror. He wore a patched farmer's garment, and his fingernails were still caked with soil from the fields.
A surge of anger coursed through him. Yuan Li took a deep breath and sneered, "These aren't soldiers. They're farmers dragged onto the battlefield to die."