The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

Chapter 304: Westward Journey to Wuguan (Part 1)

Chapter 304: Westward Journey to Wuguan (Part 1)

The development of history is like a wheel rolling forward, and its progress usually follows certain established laws and destinies.

However, when Meng Yi accidentally traveled to this era, everything seemed to begin to change quietly.

Although he successfully changed the original fate of Liu Bang, unexpectedly, the mysterious and powerful inertia of history still played a role.

The road that was once led westward by Liu Bang was now replaced by Xiang Liang leading a huge army westward under the invisible influence of Meng Yi. Their goal was extremely clear - Hangu Pass!

Xiang Liang led a group of brave generals, including Xiang Tuo, Huan Chu, Lu Chen and Xiang Zhuang. This team was like an indestructible sword, defeating all enemies along the way and being invincible.

Wherever the army passed, the enemy was terrified and fled.

Xiang Liang's army took advantage of the situation and quickly captured the strategic city of Xingyang with lightning speed.

Immediately afterwards, they continued to march westward without stopping and captured Yingyang in one fell swoop.

However, in this Yingyang City, Xiang Liang made a jaw-dropping move - he ordered a massacre!

However, it should be noted that the targets of the massacre were limited to the government troops in the city. As for ordinary people, they were spared and not implicated.

After all, in those years of constant war and chaos, it was either you die or I die, and everyone had more or less uncontrollable anger and resentment in their hearts.

In such a chaotic world, who dares to say that he or she has no temper?

Xiang Liang led a huge army westward with high morale.

When they reached the area east of the Xiong River, they encountered the army led by Lu Qi, the prefect of Nanyang County.

In an instant, shouts of killing and the sounds of swords clashing resounded through the sky, and the two sides launched a thrilling and fierce battle.

The battlefield was filled with smoke and blood.

Xiang Liang held a long sword at his waist and commanded with confidence; the soldiers under his command were also brave and fearless, fighting bravely against the enemy.

After a bloody battle, Xiang Liang's army gradually gained the upper hand and finally defeated Lu Qi's army with an overwhelming advantage.

However, Lu Qi led his remaining troops to retreat to Wancheng, closed the city gates, hung up a sign prohibiting war, and no longer left the city to confront Xiang Liang's army head-on.

Xiang Liang stood outside the city, looking at the impregnable walls of Wancheng with a frown on his face.

This city is obviously easy to defend but difficult to attack, and a forced attack will inevitably result in heavy losses for our side.

After weighing the pros and cons, Xiang Liang decided to lead his army around Wancheng and continue advancing westward.

At this moment, Fan Zeng rode up in a hurry, his face full of worry, beads of sweat even oozing from his forehead.

"Brother Xiang!" Fan Zeng shouted breathlessly, "Although you're hell-bent on breaking into Guanzhong as quickly as possible, the Qin army is still quite powerful, and they're relying on the strategic terrain to defend it. If we don't launch a strong attack on Wancheng now, but instead choose to bypass it, then once our army is attacking other cities, the Wancheng defenders will seize the opportunity to launch a surprise attack from behind. At the same time, there are still a large number of Qin troops waiting covetously in front of us. In this way, our army will be caught in a dangerous situation with enemies from both sides. The consequences are unimaginable!"

There was a hint of urgency in Fan Zeng's words.

Xiang Liang listened quietly to Fan Zeng's analysis, and his originally relaxed brows gradually frowned slightly.

After a moment, Xiang Liang slowly spoke, "Brother Fan is absolutely right. It was I who acted impulsively and was not thoughtful enough. However, Wancheng is so strong, easy to defend but difficult to attack. How can we conquer it?"

When Fan Zeng heard Xiang Liang's words, he smiled confidently.

He replied, "Brother Xiang, don't worry too much. In my opinion, this Wancheng may appear impregnable, but it actually has a fatal weakness—its water supply. If we can quietly send troops to cut off the water supply upstream, the soldiers and civilians in the city will soon face the dilemma of no water. Within a few days, the city will surely fall into chaos. Once that happens, we can launch a siege and achieve twice the result with half the effort."

When Xiang Liang heard this, his eyes suddenly lit up. He couldn't help but clap his hands and praise, "Brilliant! This is a brilliant plan! Brother Fan is truly a man of extraordinary wisdom!"

Then, without hesitation, he ordered, "Okay, then let's act according to Brother Fan's plan!"

So Xiang Liang made a prompt decision. He first sent Xiang Tuo and Lu Chen to lead a large number of troops to attack quickly under the cover of night. They surrounded Wancheng and set up several layers of encirclement, making it impossible for the people in the city to escape.

At the same time, Xiang Liang immediately dispatched Huan Chu to lead an elite army to quietly bypass the front line of defense of Wancheng, go back to the rear to explore the location of the water source, and be responsible for cutting off the water flow.

As expected, in less than three days, the people in Wancheng were in panic and chaos.

Due to the long-term water shortage, the soldiers and civilians in the city had long lost their former calmness and order. There were panicked figures running around everywhere, shouting, and quarreling.

Seeing this scene, Lu Qi was extremely anxious. However, even if he racked his brains, he could not think of any solution to reverse the current unfavorable situation.

At this moment, the deafening sound of war drums was heard. Xiang Liang led a large army, rushing towards the city like a tide and launched a fierce attack.

Xiang Liang even led the way, personally climbing onto the platform and beating the drum vigorously to cheer on the soldiers.

The inspired soldiers were all brave and fearless, and rushed towards the city wall without hesitation.

Lu Qi watched helplessly as his own defense line was breached step by step. Knowing that the situation was hopeless, he could not help but sigh, his face full of despair.

In despair, he began to think of dying for his country.

At this critical moment, the attendant Chen Hui hurriedly tried to dissuade him, saying, "Your Excellency, please do not commit suicide! It is premature to speak of death now. I, a humble servant, am willing to act as an envoy to Xiang Liang's army in your place and try to persuade them."

Upon hearing this, Lu Qi was slightly stunned and a look of hesitation appeared on his face.

"You...are you really willing to go? It's a life-threatening trip!" Lu Qi asked with a trembling voice.

"Don't worry, my lord. I will definitely fulfill my mission." Chen Hui straightened up and looked at Lu Qi with a firm gaze. "Although I am not talented, I also want to do my best to help you solve your problems."

Lu Qi looked at Chen Hui's determined eyes and felt moved.

"Good! Good!" Lu Qi held Chen Hui's hand tightly. "If you can successfully persuade Xiang Liang, it will be a great achievement."

"I understand." Chen Hui nodded, then quickly tidied his clothes and walked out of the city gate calmly.

Lu Qi silently watched Chen Hui's departing back, praying in his heart that he would return safely.