Mythical Qin: I, Gao Yao, will never be a eunuch!

Chapter 1037 Taking Advantage of the Situation, Utilizing the Qiang People!

Xiang Yu stopped in his tracks, the ecstatic look on his face gradually fading, replaced by surprise and uncertainty. Yi Xiaochuan's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, which was burning with hatred. He wasn't completely ignorant of strategy; it was just that hatred had clouded his judgment. Now, reminded by Yi Xiaochuan, he also realized the strangeness of the situation. The news of Gao Yao's "death" came too suddenly, too coincidentally.

"But... what if... what if it's true?" Xiang Yu's voice lowered, tinged with a struggle of unwillingness. "If I miss this opportunity, I... I will die with regrets!"

"Even if it's true, going now would be suicide!" Yi Xiaochuan said decisively. "We only have less than 30,000 men, exhausted and short of supplies. There must be heavy troops deployed near Xianyang. If Gao Yao is dead, whether it's Xiao He or Han Xin in power, their first priority to stabilize the situation is to eliminate any possible threat, and we'll be the first to bear the brunt! Going now would be playing right into their hands!"

He placed his hands on Xiang Yu's shoulders, looked directly into Xiang Yu's double pupils, and said earnestly and heavily, "Brother Yu! We can't afford to lose! These last 30,000 brothers are the last spark of Chu! If you lead them to their deaths, Chu will truly have no hope left! Is the revenge for our father's death to be avenged through such pointless sacrifices?"

"Father..." Upon hearing these two names, the flame in Xiang Yu's eyes was finally replaced by immense grief. He staggered back a step, his massive body seemingly losing its support, and he slumped heavily onto the low couch behind him, burying his face in his hands and letting out a low, mournful sob like a trapped beast.

Seeing his pained expression, Yi Xiaochuan felt a mix of emotions. He knew that Xiang Yu's hatred ran deep in his bones. But he also knew that impulsiveness would only lead to destruction.

In the following days, Xiang Yu was like a caged tiger, restless and agitated. Sometimes he roared towards Xianyang, sometimes he remained silent, frantically polishing his Overlord Halberd. Yi Xiaochuan stayed by his side almost constantly, repeatedly explaining the advantages and disadvantages, analyzing the situation, and doing everything he could to suppress his urge for revenge. He listed Gao Yao's past treacherous tactics, analyzed the possible ambushes in Xianyang, and emphasized the extreme importance of preserving strength.

This was undoubtedly a difficult tug-of-war, a brutal struggle between reason and emotion. Several times, Xiang Yu almost broke through the barriers and forced his way out, but was firmly persuaded to stop by Yi Xiaochuan and a few other relatively calm generals. The atmosphere in the camp became even more oppressive as a result.

On the seventh night after successfully stopping Xiang Yu's reckless actions, Yi Xiaochuan stood alone by the ramparts of the earthen city, gazing at the dark wilderness in the distance, his thoughts churning.

Hailing from the modern era, he once harbored unrealistic fantasies, attempting to influence his time with ideals of benevolence and peace. He saved many lives and believed in the goodness of humanity. But reality taught him the cruelest lesson.

“In this chaotic world where people devour each other, mercy is cruelty to oneself and one’s followers.” Yi Xiaochuan murmured to himself, his eyes gradually turning cold and resolute. He remembered what Gao Yao had once told him—“Xiaochuan, you will change.” Yes, he had changed. He was no longer the naive Yi Xiaochuan who had stumbled into this era.

A ruthless, even vicious, plan slowly took shape in his mind.

He turned and strode toward Xiang Yu's tent.

Inside the tent, Xiang Yu remained seated like a stone statue, his eyes vacant.

“Brother Yu,” Yi Xiaochuan’s voice was eerily calm, “We must avenge Gao Yao. But we can’t go and die ourselves.”

Xiang Yu raised his eyelids, glanced at him, and said nothing.

“We need to leverage our resources.” Yi Xiaochuan walked to the map and pointed to the northwest, at that vast and unfamiliar region—the “Qiang Land.”

"The Qiang people?" Xiang Yu frowned. "Those barbarian tribes beyond the Great Wall are brave and skilled in battle, but they have never had any dealings with my Chu army, and they are fickle. Why would they be willing to lend me their strength?"

"There are no permanent friends, only permanent interests." Yi Xiaochuan's lips curled into a cold smile. "We offer them terms they can't refuse."

"What conditions?"

"After this is accomplished, we will divide the spoils of Xianyang among ourselves." Yi Xiaochuan made a startling statement. "Tell them that if they help us conquer Xianyang and wipe out the Gaoyao forces, they can receive 30% of the treasures in the imperial treasury; furthermore, we promise to grant them some of the fertile lands of Longxi and Beidi counties for their nomadic grazing!"

"What?!" Xiang Yu stood up abruptly, glaring at Yi Xiaochuan. "Are you insane?! To distribute the wealth and land of Qin to foreign tribes? How is this any different from treason?!"

"A country?" Yi Xiaochuan sneered and retorted, "Xiang Yu, is the current Qin state your country? Is it the country of Chu? Neither! It is the country of Gaoyao, the country of Huhai! It is the country of our mortal enemy! What's wrong with using the wealth and land of our enemy to exchange for the power of revenge, to exchange for the space for our Chu army to survive and develop?"

He stepped closer, his gaze intense: "Those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles! King Goujian of Yue endured hardship and humiliation, even tasting excrement to inquire about the health of his subjects—how humiliating! Yet, in the end, he still destroyed the state of Wu and achieved hegemony. We are weak now. If we do not know how to leverage our power and utilize all available resources, we will only be gradually devoured by Gao Yao! At that time, let alone revenge, we will not even be able to save our own lives or the lives of these 30,000 brothers!"

Xiang Yu fell silent. Yi Xiaochuan's words, though cold, were incredibly realistic, like a dagger dissecting the bloody truth. His double pupils flashed, a fierce internal struggle raging within him. As a descendant of nobility, he possessed his own pride and principles; cooperating with barbarians to carve up Chinese territory was something he instinctively rejected. But… the thirst for revenge, coupled with the oppressive pressure of his current predicament, forced him to re-examine everything.

"But...would the Qiang people believe that? Would they be willing to send troops?" Xiang Yu's tone had softened.

“Therefore, I need to go there in person,” Yi Xiaochuan said decisively. “I will bring enough sincerity, and let them see our value.”

A few days later, Yi Xiaochuan, accompanied only by a few close followers fluent in the Qiang language, and carrying a batch of silk, fine wine, and a small amount of gold carefully selected from the remaining military supplies as a gift, ventured deep into the heart of the Qiang people's territory, risking his life.

This is a world completely different from the Central Plains. The sky is high and the clouds are vast, the grasslands are boundless, and the snow-capped mountains stretch endlessly. The Qiang people's tribes are scattered throughout the land. They live in tents, wear fur coats, and are known for their fierce nature and superb horsemanship.

After some twists and turns, and even several small-scale conflicts and tests, Yi Xiaochuan finally met the leader of the largest tribal alliance of the Qiang people—Ehe Shaoge. He was a tall, robust, rugged-looking middle-aged man with eyes as sharp as a hawk. He sat on a huge chair covered with bearskin, surrounded by warriors and shamans of the tribe, and the atmosphere was solemn and heavy.