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

Chapter 867 Xiang Yu returns again and attacks Yangping Pass?

Inside the government office at Yangping Pass, the lights were bright, yet the silence was so quiet that only the soft flickering of candles could be heard. Gao Yao slowly stretched his stiff shoulders, neck, and arms. Days of battle and exhaustion had strained his body and mind to the limit. Though he had a moment's respite, seemingly relaxed on the surface, a layer of unwavering solemnity still clung to his brow.

He walked over to the large, hanging sheepskin map, his gaze fixed solemnly on the points "Yangping Pass" and "Xianyang." His fingers drummed unconsciously on the table. This battle was far from a time to rest easy. While Yangping Pass had found a respite, the threat from beyond the pass loomed like a dark cloud, unrelenting. And the pressure from Xianyang hung like a sword overhead, poised to fall at any moment. The burden on his shoulders weighed heavily.

Amidst the grim news, a few glimmers of hope finally shone through. His gaze shifted southward, resting on Nanjun. The latest military reports had arrived, revealing that the three armies he had dispatched had, like tigers unleashed, fully penetrated the heart of Nanjun. Seventy to eighty percent of the vast territory once under the command of Wu Rui, King of Hengshan, had now been repatriated to his own banner. Nanjun, once a place of elaborate planning, now consisted only of the isolated capital of Nanyang and a few surrounding counties, still struggling like candles in the wind, in a state of constant fear and despair.

And this last act of resistance was about to come to an end. Within Nanyang County, Wu Can, the former crown prince of Hengshan, was now gathering the last 20,000 soldiers he could muster, like a handful of sand, tightly confining them within the city walls. He had abandoned all outlying strongholds, his intention clear: to exploit the strength of Nanyang's walls and its deep moats to fight a desperate battle.

Wu Can knew better than anyone that he had reached a dead end after making those foolish decisions. Gao Yao would never forgive him. Surrender meant death, while resistance might have allowed him to prolong his life for a few more days. He chose the most desperate and troublesome option—to resist to the end, dragging out the war for as long as possible.

Looking at Wu Can's current fate, it can be said that he brought it upon himself, having played a good hand badly. Back then, his father, Wu Rui, the King of Hengshan, commanded a force that was no ragtag group. Their ability to cause significant trouble to Gao Yao's southern border troops in Jiujiang clearly demonstrated their combat prowess and resilience.

If everything could proceed according to his brother Wu Yan's brilliantly crafted alliance plan, uniting the four families, integrating their forces, and leveraging their geographical advantages to defend rather than attack, they would indeed be able to construct a solid defensive line on the border of Nanjun that Gaoyao would find difficult to swiftly penetrate. The combined strength of the four families was comparable in numbers to Gaoyao's four major armies. Coupled with the inherent advantages of the defending side, even if they couldn't defeat Gaoyao, they would be able to drag the war into a protracted stalemate, trapping Gaoyao in a quagmire and forcing them to retreat.

Wu Can, overly pampered since childhood, and his mother's family a prominent member of Hengshan County, gave him a high opinion of himself, cultivating a fatal character of self-righteousness, narrow-mindedness, and high expectations but low skills. Jealous of his younger brother Wu Yan's talent and his father's favor, he attempted to assassinate him. Later, he even distorted the facts and accused Wu Yan of the heinous crime of "collaborating with the enemy"!

This incredibly foolish act not only cut short his own strength but also completely chilled public confidence, causing Wu Yan's carefully crafted alliance strategy to crumble in an instant. Wu Rui, already somewhat trusting of Wu Yan at the time, failed to see the situation clearly, ultimately leading to the collapse of the overall situation and complete defeat.

In fact, even at the end of his rope, Wu Can wasn't completely hopeless. When his father, Wu Rui, was defeated and captured, if he had any ounce of common sense and filial piety, he should have actively contacted Gao Yao, attempting to exchange some, or even all, of his land for Wu Rui's return. This wasn't an impossible proposition for Gao Yao. Killing a captured prince was pointless unless used as humiliating cannon fodder; keeping him alive might even lead to chaos. If this could secure the peaceful transfer of Nanjun and the appeasement of Wu Rui's former subordinates upon his return, it would be a lucrative deal for Gao Yao.

But Wu Can, driven by his pathetic lust for power and selfish ambitions, completely ignored his imprisoned father and chose to go all the way, seizing power himself and blindly launching a war. His impulsiveness, arrogance, incompetence, and shortsightedness were fully exposed in this series of choices.

Now, he huddled in the isolated city of Nanyang. Perhaps the only thing he had done right in his life was recognizing Gao Yao's inability to let him go, and choosing to resist to the end, refusing to surrender. This was perhaps the last, pitiful, twisted bit of backbone he had in his failed life.

The momentary tranquility in the Yangpingguan government office was completely shattered by the sound of "Report!" that came from far away, accompanied by the sound of rapid horse hooves and hoarse shouts.

Gao Yao's heartstrings, which had just relaxed slightly due to the good news from Nanjun, suddenly tightened, even emitting a vibrating sound that was almost humming. He turned abruptly, his eyes shooting towards the gate like lightning.

A dusty messenger, his armor stained with dust and dried blood, practically crawled in, his strength clearly stretched to its limit. He knelt on one knee, his chest heaving violently, each breath like the strain of a broken bellows, his face a mixture of extreme exhaustion and unconcealed panic.

"Report... Report to the General!" The messenger's voice was intermittent due to haste and lack of oxygen, but he roared out with all his strength, making sure that every word was clearly heard in the silent hall.

"Outside the city… thirty miles outside the city! A massive Chu army has been spotted! Smoke and dust obscure the sky, and the banners… the banners bear the large banner bearing the Chinese character 'Xiang' (Xiang) in Xiang Yu's name!"

"what?!"

"Thirty miles?!"

"Xiang Yu is back again?!"

Upon hearing this, the several generals and staff members standing by in the government office all paled in shock, their faces trembling with fear. A chill of fear instantly ran up their spines, causing many to shudder subconsciously. Their hearts, which had just been at peace, were instantly raised to their throats, and they felt even more desperate than before. Xiang Yu had returned, no doubt fully prepared, and carrying even more fury!

Gao Yao's expression instantly darkened, but he remained a resolute man, forcing down the turmoil of blood and fear in his chest. He stepped forward, his voice as cold as tempered steel, his voice imbued with an undeniable composure: "Have you seen clearly? Is this indeed Xiang Yu's main force? How many troops are there? What are their movements?"

The messenger swallowed hard, trying to catch his breath, and quickly replied, "No mistake! General! That banner with the 'Xiang' character on it is unique, and the Chu army's uniforms and armor are clearly those of Xiang Yu's elite personal guards! The troops...they are everywhere, far more numerous than before. At a glance, there are probably no fewer than 50,000 of them! They're moving incredibly fast, heading straight for Yangping Pass, showing no signs of detours!"