novelhk Chapter 823 This plan is indeed difficult to implement, but it also has risks!
Chapter 823 This plan is indeed difficult to implement, but it also has risks!
His fingertips tapped heavily on the sign of Yangping Pass: "What does Xiang Yu rely on? It's the iron cavalry that is unrivaled in the world! It charges into battles in the field and crushes everything in its path! But what is Yangping Pass? It's a dangerous pass! It's a cliff! It's a siege!" Gao Yao's voice was filled with cold sarcasm.
"If the Chu army attacks Yangping Pass, it will have to give up its greatest advantage in mobility and use those precious elite cavalry as mere infantry, filling trenches and climbing ladders! Using their own weaknesses to attack the enemy's strengths! Within the narrow and steep fortress, the cavalry's impact is negated, leaving them vulnerable to the defenders' crossbows, rolling logs, and pounding stones! Every assault paves the way for Xiang Yu's lifeblood—the blood of those elite knights! How many times can the Chu army truly withstand such losses?"
Time! Time is the lifeline! "Time is even more crucial!" Gao Yao's eyes flashed like lightning. "After a long raid, the troops are exhausted. A quick decision is crucial! They must smash the gates of Yangping Pass with a thunderous force before the defenders react and reinforcements arrive! Otherwise..." He snorted coldly and drew a line on the map. "If the offensive is frustrated and a stalemate occurs, even if it's only for three or five days, it will be a disaster for this isolated army deep behind enemy lines and far away from its base!"
The food supply route! The weak link! "The Chu army is rushing to attack Yangping Pass. How can we ensure the food and supplies? It must be a long and fragile supply line!" Gao Yao's mouth curled up with a cold smile. "And the thing that our Southern Border Army fears least is the loss of information! Our carrier pigeons have already spread all over the place! Xianyang doesn't need to send a single soldier to Yangping Pass to confront them head-on! Just a single order can mobilize troops from the counties along the way, or even send elite squads to attack their food supply route! Burn their food and supplies, and cut off their water supply! By then, tens of thousands of elite Chu troops will be trapped at Yangping Pass. With a strong city in front and no food and supplies in the back, the army will be in chaos! Even with the courage of Xiang Yu and the strategy of Fan Zeng, it will be difficult to turn the tide! Either retreat in panic, or... starve to death at the gate!"
"Even if they manage to retreat despite the heavy casualties and supply pressure, how much of their invincible prestige can those exhausted, underfed, and underequipped cavalry retain? Our Southern Border troops are well-rested, relying on cities or pre-positioned positions. Are we still afraid of them?"
Gao Yao's analysis was like a bucket of cold water, waking Xiao He from the immense sense of crisis he was feeling. He reflected on it carefully, and it was indeed true! This plan seemed unconventional and directly targeted the vital points, but the enormous risks behind it were almost fatal to the Chu army! This completely overturned their previous understanding of the Chu army, and especially Fan Zeng's strategic style.
"Your Majesty is absolutely right!" Xiao He took a deep breath, his thoughts suddenly clearing up. "The Chu army's consistent style is to rely on powerful cavalry as their core, leveraging their mobility to seek opportunities to annihilate the enemy in open battles, or to harass exhausted enemy forces, eroding territory and accumulating strength, striving to achieve the greatest results at the lowest cost. Preserving their manpower is the foundation of their survival in troubled times! Fan Zeng is mature and prudent, and Han Xin is well versed in military tactics. How could they... suddenly resort to such a risky tactic, practically gambling everything on their own?"
Gao Yao, Xiao He, and even Han Xin, who was far away on the front lines, had previously focused their deductions and defenses on the core assumption that the Chu army would "preserve its strength, leverage its cavalry advantage, and engage in a protracted war of attrition." No one could have anticipated the sudden abandonment of their best tactics and the high-risk, high-reward "decapitation" strategy! Gao Yao even anticipated the possibility of a Chu army surprise attack on Lü Zhi and her family troops during the capital relocation, arranging a heavy troop escort. However, he overlooked Yangping Pass, a strategic juncture seemingly at the rear, but a vital point.
"So," Gao Yao's eyes grew penetrating, revealing a profound understanding. "The person who could come up with this plan, which transcends conventional thinking and carries a strong modern 'special operations' or 'decapitation operation' theme, must be none other than Yi Xiaochuan!"
Gao Yao's thoughts raced. This was the fundamental difference between the mindsets of ancient generals and modern time travelers. No matter how formidable Fan Zeng and Han Xin were, their strategic thinking was deeply rooted in the logic of warfare from the cold weapon era.
Even with his limited historical knowledge, Yi Xiaochuan was undoubtedly influenced by the various war concepts of the modern information explosion. This approach of "unconventional tactics," "concentrating forces on key nodes," and "high risk, high reward" is more in line with the adventurous spirit of modern people.
"Yi Xiaochuan isn't stupid!" Gao Yao thought to himself. His previous "lower intelligence" was largely the result of "plot inertia" and the secret guidance and suppression of the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan. His own knowledge and wit were not bad among time travelers. More importantly...
"It's this chaotic world, it's me, and that mysterious Yi Xiaochuan... that forced him into this state!" Gao Yao's eyes were complicated. Yi Xiaochuan used to talk about morality, but in reality he was hypocritical and cowardly, indecisive, and lacking the ability to take responsibility. He often did foolish things that harmed others and himself.
But the continuous blows - being plotted against by Gao Yao, being manipulated by the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan, witnessing the cruelty of war and Xiang Yu's tyranny, and the complete loss of his own value... these were like tempered iron hammers, repeatedly beating Yi Xiaochuan.
Under the pressure of life and death and cruel reality, his "virtuous heart" and "hypocritical magnanimity" that once appeared on the surface are being replaced by a colder, more pragmatic and even "unscrupulous" desire to survive and prove himself.
He was no longer a naive person who passively accepted fate or the arrangements of others. He began to think proactively, trying to influence the battle in his own way and prove his worth. This change made Gao Yao feel a little wary, but he also felt that... this was more like the behavior of a time traveler struggling to survive in troubled times.
"It seems my 'old friend' has truly 'grown up,'" Gao Yao muttered to himself, his tone unclear whether it was praise or a deeper fear. The crisis at Yangping Pass became clearer now that the opponent had been identified, but Yi Xiaochuan's "growth" added a new, unpredictable layer to the future.
Xiao He's thoughts were interrupted by Gao Yao's whisper about Yi Xiaochuan. Although he didn't fully understand the underlying meaning, the imminent military crisis didn't allow for any hesitation. He took a sudden step forward, his finger practically poking at the location of Yangping Pass on the map, his voice rising slightly with urgency:
"Your Majesty! This is a matter of urgency and cannot be delayed! We must immediately send an order to all the garrisons in the counties of Ba and Shu to rush to the rescue of Yangping Pass! Every moment of delay may cause the city to fall into irretrievable destruction!" He knew very well that there were only three thousand defenders in Yangping Pass. Facing the thundering attack that the Chu army might launch, this amount of troops would be nothing but a drop in the bucket.