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墨書 Inktalez
Outside the Chu Army Camp.
The emerald forest swayed gently, and butterflies danced while the fragrance filled the air. On a small path through the woods, an exquisitely decorated carriage slowly passed by, followed by a dozen attendants, among whom were several warriors with swords at their waists. They appeared vigilant and were all strong individuals from the Earth Realm, though not particularly powerful. The rest were just a few maids.
Inside the carriage sat a woman dressed in light clothing, her long hair flowing like water and her skin as smooth as jade. She was exceptionally beautiful, with willow-shaped eyebrows and a cherry-red mouth, looking delicate and fragile. A casual glance revealed her extraordinary grace, captivating those around her. Beside her, several guards dared not look directly at the woman in the carriage.
"Hey, how much farther is it?" the woman complained impatiently.
One of the guards replied coolly, "We're almost there. Stop making noise, or I'll chop you up!"
The woman pouted and kicked the guard's leg, saying, "If you dare to kill me, your Lord Ye Zi Yu will surely slice you into pieces. Just wait and see, you jerk!"
The guard chuckled but remained silent, his gaze scanning the surroundings as if anticipating something.
...
Not long after, a group of light cavalry rushed into the Chu Army camp, led by a burly general with a thick beard. He drew his sword and shouted, "Who goes there? This is the Chu Army camp! Do you dare to come here to seek death?!"
The woman in the carriage stood up and bowed gracefully, smiling as she said, "I am Liu Ruyan from Jiexiu City. I am merely passing through and hope that the General can grant me passage."
Instantly, the burly general's eyes widened in surprise as he became entranced by Liu Ruyan's beauty. He licked his lips and said with a grin, "So it's Miss Liu Ruyan from Jiexiu City! I apologize for my rudeness. May I ask where you are headed?"
Liu Ruyan replied, "My ancestral home is in Taiyuan. I received news that my mother is gravely ill, so I must return to Taiyuan to visit her. I hired some attendants and maids; I hope the General will let us pass."
The burly general laughed heartily and was about to grant her request when one of his swift riders whispered something in his ear. Suddenly, the general's expression changed as he raised his sword and shouted, "Little girl, stop your nonsense! Miss Liu Ruyan from Jiexiu City is a rare beauty in this world. You have entered the Chu Army's camp without permission; you must be a spy here to gather intelligence on our military affairs! Men! Take this group away and hand them over to General Zhang Han for punishment..."
"Yes!"
A group of light cavalry moved forward swiftly. Liu Ruyan's attendants did not resist; they willingly extended their hands to be bound, looking as if they had struck gold.
Half an hour later, they were brought into General Zhang Han's tent within the Chu Army camp. When Zhang Han saw Liu Ruyan for the first time, he was utterly captivated; he could hardly tear his gaze away from her. His voice trembled slightly as he laughed heartily and said, "Miss is truly a beauty beyond compare. In these times of war, being alone puts you at great risk of falling into the hands of bandits. Out of pity for your delicate state, why not stay here with me for companionship? Would you be willing?"
Liu Ruyan was pleased and nodded with a smile, saying, "I am willing to follow your wishes, General. However, I hope you can spare my attendants and maidservants who have been with me for a long time."
Zhang Han looked at Liu Ruyan's stunning beauty and was already captivated. He nodded with a smile, "Of course, that is not a problem. All of them can stay to serve you, and they can eat and live in the camp."
Beside him, a deputy general said, "General, this matter cannot be done. We have not consulted General yet. If General finds out that you are bringing women along during the march, it will surely lead to disaster!"
Zhang Han was slightly angry and glared, saying, "Nonsense! I have surrendered to the Chu Army, yet I am still the commander of two hundred thousand Chu Army troops. What harm is there in bringing a beautiful woman into the camp? If Xiang Yu were to take my beautiful woman away, would that not be too much?"
"General..."
"No need for more words. If you dare to say more, military law will be enforced!"
"Yes, General..."
Thus, Liu Ruyan stayed in the camp, and she and Zhang Han spent every night together intimately. Such delightful nights seemed to make life worthwhile.
Everything proceeded as planned. Liu Ruyan secretly hid letters and other items beneath Zhang Han's bedding, while Ye Yang's soldiers who had come disguised as attendants secretly bribed the spear bearer to inform them of their plans.
They also spread rumors that many of the Qin Army defectors were dissatisfied with their surrender to Chu and were homesick, eager to return but unable to do so, leading to many dissenting opinions.
On the third day, the spear bearer finally found the letters under Zhang Han's bedding. Delighted at what he thought was a contribution, he secretly took the letters to Ying Bu and handed them over while embellishing how Zhang Han was seeking glory for himself and living extravagantly. He described how Zhang Han punished his soldiers daily with cruelty and kept women in the camp while conspiring against Chu with his former subordinates Sima Xin and Dong Yi, intending to execute them.
Ying Bu was furious and rushed with the spear bearer and the letters directly to Xiang Yu.
"Wow!"
The tent opened as Ying Bu hurried in. Xiang Yu was plotting with Fan Zeng when he saw Ying Bu enter and immediately smiled, "What brings you here in such a hurry?"
Ying Bu rushed forward and placed the letter and other items on the Table, saying, "General, we must eliminate the traitors; otherwise, our death is not far off!"
"Mm?"
Xiang Yu raised his sword-like eyebrows, picked up the letter, glanced at it, and with a trembling arm, slammed the letter down on the Table in anger, exclaiming, "Damn old thief! I treat him with such courtesy, and he actually harbors treachery and wants to surrender to Ye Yang. Hmph! He even dares to aspire to be crowned as Qi King? I spit! How dare this shameless old fool claim kingship?"
Fan Zeng said, "Yuer, do not be angry. What is the matter?"
"Father Ya, look at this!"
Xiang Yu handed the letter to Fan Zeng. After reading it, Fan Zeng furrowed his brows and pondered aloud, "This is indeed Zhang Han's handwriting. However, that kid Ye Yang is quite clever; we cannot easily trust this document. How about we summon Zhang Han to test him?"
Xiang Yu waved his hand: "No, Father Ya, there is no need to ask further. The old thief Zhang Han harbors discontent against me and has colluded with Sima Xin and Dong Yi. I have known about this for a long time; I just didn't realize that the three of them have also colluded with the Colonels and Deputy Generals of the Defected Troops. This is truly bold! If the two hundred thousand Qin Army show any signs of rebellion, our army will be caught off guard and face imminent danger!"
Fan Zeng took a deep breath: "Yuer, what will you do then?"
Xiang Yu clenched his fists: "Killing Zhang Han, Sima Xin, and Dong Yi will easily provoke the Defected Troops' resentment and make it even harder to subdue them. In my view, these two hundred thousand Qin Army are like a poisonous thorn; they must not be underestimated!"
"You... you..." Fan Zeng's mouth fell open in shock as he exclaimed, "Yuer, you actually want to kill all two hundred thousand Defected Troops?"
Xiang Yu's sword-like eyebrows furrowed: "Those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trivial matters; this is what you taught me, Father Ya."
"Good!"
Fan Zeng nodded: "However, killing all two hundred thousand Qin Army is indeed a major matter that requires careful planning. What good strategy do you have?"
Xiang Yu shook his head: "None yet."
At this moment, Ying Bu suggested: "Tonight, under the pretense of weapon repairs, we can confiscate all weapons from the Qin Army so they have no power to retaliate. Then we can dig traps to the south, east, and west of the main camp and set fire in the forest. After that, we can drive the Overlord Cavalry to scatter the Qin Army into chaos so they trample each other and fall into traps or into the forest where we can set it ablaze. We can annihilate these two hundred thousand Qin Army without losing a single soldier!"
Xiang Yu exclaimed, "This plan is excellent, Ying Bu. I leave this matter to you. Summon back the hundred thousand Qin Army heading to Xianyang overnight. Be sure not to alert the enemy. Before dawn, we must eliminate these two hundred thousand Qin Army!"
"Yes, my lord!"
That night, a thunderous roar shook the surroundings, and the sounds of battle erupted. The Overlord Cavalry stood ready, and Ying Bu, clad in armor, raised his long-handled blade and shouted, "By the General's order, the Defected Troops are in disarray and must be eliminated. Overlord Cavalry, heed my command! Annihilate the Qin Army and leave no one alive!"
The Overlord Cavalry charged forward, causing a group of Qin Army soldiers to panic. They knew the strength of the Overlord Cavalry and dared not engage in battle. One by one, they fled in all directions, trampling over each other with countless casualties.
Not far into their escape, the ground suddenly sank beneath them. Countless blades emerged, and a barrage of arrows filled the air. Blood splattered everywhere as thousands perished in the traps. More soldiers fled into the dense forest, but as they ventured deeper, flames erupted from all sides. The entire forest turned into a sea of fire, forcing the two hundred thousand Qin Army to flee in terror with nowhere to escape, only to perish in the inferno.
The fire raged until dawn, and finally, the two hundred thousand Qin Army were reduced to ashes.
Watching the flames engulfing the forest, Fan Zeng's murky eyes revealed a hint of pity as he sighed, "Such slaughter only adds to our sins. Yuer, oh Yuer, all these sins will fall upon your father. I hope you can achieve a great legacy!"
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