GBP Chapter 538 Attacking Vietnam 3
Chapter 538 Attacking Vietnam 3
Just as Chen Jian hesitated, Lu Chuan suddenly appeared beside him: "Chief Chen, hold on for another hour. I have already arranged an escape route."
Chen Jian looked at him in surprise: "What escape route?"
Lu Chuan pointed to a hidden path behind the stockade: "We can safely evacuate from there. And..." he revealed a mysterious smile, "we have prepared a big gift for the Chu army."
The gate of the stockade finally collapsed in the fire. The Chu army cheered loudly and surged into the stockade like a tidal wave.
However, what awaited them was not the fruits of victory, but a carefully laid trap.
The village was filled with flammable materials. When most of the Chu army entered the village, the ambushing Nanyue soldiers lit the prepared fuses.
"boom--!"
The towering flames instantly engulfed most of the village, and the Chu army trapped in the inferno cried out in despair, thrown into chaos.
Zheng Ji, witnessing this from the outside, turned ashen-faced. He realized he had fallen into a trap.
"Retreat! Retreat now!" he roared.
Although the Chu army captured Jumu Village in this battle, they paid a heavy price. More importantly, all they got was ruins; the granaries had already been emptied.
The initial setback slightly dampened Zheng Ji's arrogance, and he began to re-evaluate his opponent.
"General, the casualty statistics for our army are in." The deputy general's voice was heavy. "More than two thousand were killed in action, and over a thousand were wounded. More importantly, thirty percent of our supplies were burned."
Zheng Ji remained silent for a long time before suddenly asking, "What do you think of the Nan Yue people's tactics this time?"
The generals in the tent looked at each other in bewilderment. Finally, the deputy general spoke up: "Extremely cunning, unlike the usual tactics of the Southern Yue."
“That’s right.” Zheng Ji stood up and paced around the tent. “There must be a mastermind behind this. Issue the order to halt the advance and allow the entire army to rest. At the same time, send out more scouts. I need to know exactly what happened in Nan Yue.”
This decision demonstrates Zheng Ji's qualities as a general. After suffering a setback, he did not blindly continue the attack, but instead stopped to reassess the situation.
In the following days, Chu scouts brought back important intelligence: various tribes of Nanyue were moving supplies and people into the deep mountains; unidentified people were helping Nanyue train its army; and most importantly, they discovered that Nanyue's resistance was becoming more organized.
"As expected, someone was secretly helping us." Zheng Ji looked at the intelligence report with sharp eyes. "Issue the order to change the strategy. Our army will be divided into three routes: the left route will meander along the mountain path to cut off the retreat of the Southern Yue; the right route will clear out the surrounding villages and seize supplies; and the central route will advance steadily, step by step."
This new tactic proved effective very quickly.
The Chu army's left flank successfully severed the connection between several important villages in Nanyue, while the right flank captured several small villages with stored grain. Although the amount of grain obtained was not large, it at least alleviated the Chu army's supply pressure.
More importantly, Zheng Ji discovered that the various villages in Nanyue lacked effective cooperation and often fought independently.
"Issue the order," Zheng Ji had found a way to defeat the enemy, "Concentrate our forces and defeat them one by one. Attack the weakest stronghold first to intimidate the other tribes."
This tactic was extremely ruthless. Over the next two weeks, the Chu army successively captured seven villages in Nanyue. Although each village put up fierce resistance, they all eventually fell to the overwhelming superiority of the Chu army.
When the news reached the Southern Yue King's stronghold, Chen Jian could no longer sit still.
"This can't go on!" he roared at the assembled tribal leaders. "The Chu army is trying to devour us bit by bit!"
“But what can we do?” an old chieftain sighed. “The Chu army is too powerful; none of our individual villages can stand against them.”
"Then let's unite!" Chen Jian declared resolutely. "We must unite!"
"Ally with? Ally with whom?" another leader sneered. "Yang Yue? west Yue? They'd love for us to be annihilated by the Chu army!"
Silence fell within the tent. The grudges and feuds among the various Baiyue tribes were far more complex than the threat of external enemies.
Just as everyone was at a loss, a guard came in and reported: "Chief, the envoy from Ouyue requests an audience."
Chen Jian's spirits lifted: "Please come in quickly!"
Ye Ziheng entered. He remained as refined and composed as ever, as if the war outside had nothing to do with him.
"Mr. Ye, you've come at the perfect time!" Chen Jian said urgently, "The Chu army's offensive is fierce, and our Nan Yue cannot withstand it alone!"
Ye Ziheng smiled slightly: "Chief Chen, there is no need to worry. My young master had already foreseen today's situation and specially ordered me to come and lend you a hand."
"What good plan does Young Master Qin Su have?"
"Unite as one," Ye Ziheng uttered. "Only by uniting the various tribes of Baiyue can we resist the powerful Chu."
A murmur of discussion arose inside the tent. Several leaders wore expressions of disapproval.
Ye Ziheng remained calm and continued, "Do you all know why the Chu army attacked Nanyue first?"
Before anyone could answer, he asked and answered himself: "Because Nanyue is the richest and has the most grain. But what do you all think will be the next target after the Chu army takes Nanyue?"
His gaze swept over everyone present: "Is it Yang Yue? Or west Yue? Chu is short of food, how could it be satisfied with just Nan Yue?"
These words awakened everyone. Indeed, the threat posed by the Chu army was not limited to Nanyue.
“But,” Yang Yue’s representative hesitated, “we have a long-standing feud with Nan Yue, how can we fight side by side?”
Ye Ziheng smiled and said, "Grievances are in the past, survival is in the future. My young master is willing to act as a mediator to facilitate the Baiyue Alliance. After the war, the various tribes can, under the leadership of my young master, redefine their borders and resolve their disputes."
This proposal resonated with many. The various tribes of Baiyue had been fighting for years and had long yearned for a fair mediator.
"Good!" Chen Jian was the first to speak. "South Vietnam is willing to join the alliance!"
With South Vietnam taking the lead, representatives from other ministries also expressed their willingness to consider the matter.
Ye Ziheng nodded in satisfaction: "In that case, please have all the leaders meet at the designated location in three days. My young master will personally preside over the meeting."
Just as the various tribes of Baiyue were preparing to unite, Zheng Ji also noticed something amiss.
"General, the resistance in the villages of Nanyue has suddenly intensified," the lieutenant reported. "Moreover, our scouts have discovered signs of activity by Yang Yue and west Yue on the border."
Zheng Ji frowned: "It seems they intend to join forces. Issue the order to accelerate the attack; we must crush the main force of the Southern Yue before they can coordinate their attack!"
The Chu army intensified its offensive. In the following days, three more Nanyue villages fell. The situation in Nanyue was extremely precarious.
Three days later, in a secret valley on the edge of the Zechuan Basin, the leaders of various Baiyue tribes gathered together.
Chen Jian looked at Lin Ziyou, the leader of Yangyue, Huang Yi, the leader of Xiyue, and Li Tian, the leader of Luoyue, with mixed feelings. These former adversaries were now fighting side by side.