20demayo Chapter 928: Heavy losses, the Chu army fled!
Chapter 928: Heavy losses, the Chu army fled!
Yi Xiaochuan followed closely behind, sword in hand, fiercely blocking the blow. While his martial arts skills weren't as good as Xiang Yu's, they were far superior to those of ordinary soldiers. Thanks to a bit of luck, he only suffered a minor wound, a stray arrow slicing his arm. But the shock and remorse he felt were far greater than the physical pain. He hated his own carelessness. If he hadn't insisted on conducting a thorough reconnaissance, how could he have let 30,000 troops fall into such a desperate situation? He watched the loyal soldiers falling around him, and the horrific wound on Xiang Yu's shoulder, and his heart ached.
After paying an extremely heavy price, Xiang Yu's desperate knife finally tore a bloody hole in the Qin army's blockade at the valley entrance with his superhuman bravery and the desperate cover of his subordinates!
"Go!" Xiang Yu, covered in blood, turned around and roared at Yi Xiaochuan and the remaining troops.
The remaining Chu soldiers, grasping at straws, desperately rushed out of the gap. As the last soldier stumbled out of the Valley of Broken Souls, Xiang Yu could no longer hold on. His massive body swayed, and he nearly fell off his horse, but was quickly caught by Xiang Zhuang and Yi Xiaochuan.
The cries of slaughter within the Valley of Broken Souls gradually died down, replaced by the shouts of the Southern Border Army as they cleaned up the battlefield and the cries of scattered resistance being extinguished. Corpses littered the valley, blood flowed like a river, tattered banners and discarded weapons lay everywhere, and the air was thick with the nauseating stench of blood.
Li Zhao, escorted by his personal guards, descended the cliffs and stepped into this living hell. He gazed upon the horrific scene before him, his face devoid of joy, only the grim sternness of a soldier who had completed his mission. In this battle, he had ambushed over 20,000 troops, nearly annihilating the over 30,000 arrogant Chu troops. Only Xiang Yu and Yi Xiaochuan managed to escape with less than 3,000 remnants. Furthermore, Xiang Yu was gravely wounded, and the Chu army was severely weakened, unable to pose a direct threat to Xianyang in the short term. His strategic objective had been fully achieved.
"General, should we pursue?" the deputy general asked.
Li Zhao looked at the direction where the Chu army fled and shook his head: "Don't chase a desperate enemy. Although Xiang Yu was defeated, his power is still there. If you force him into a corner, he may fight like a trapped beast. Our army has achieved its goal. Clean up the battlefield, count the casualties, strengthen the defense of the valley entrance, and be careful of the enemy's counterattack or changes in Xianyang." He knew very well that General Gao Yao's plan had come to an end. Most of his men were infantry, and chasing cavalry was a pipe dream. If he wanted to make merit, this was not the way to make it. It was best to stop here.
The setting sun, like blood, cast a mournful, beautiful light over the Valley of Broken Souls. This meticulously planned ambush ended in a resounding victory for the Southern Border Army, inflicting heavy damage not only to the main force of the Chu Army but also directly altering the strategic dynamics between the Chu and Southern Border Armies.
The smoke of war had subsided, but the corpses were still lingering. Though the smoke from the Battle of Broken Souls Valley had dissipated with the wind, the strategic earthquake it unleashed had only just begun to dramatically reshape the entire power landscape. This battle, far from being simply a victory or defeat, marked a clear watershed, ushering the Chu-Han Contention, and indeed the entire anti-Qin righteous army's confrontation with the remaining Qin court forces, into a new, more complex and nuanced phase.
Before the battle, the Chu army, brimming with momentum after crushing Gaoyao's main force, marched directly towards Xianyang. Their momentum was unstoppable, as if they were determined to annex Guanzhong and establish their dominance in the Central Plains. The 100,000 cavalry under the command of Xiang Yu and Yi Xiaochuan were a sword of Damocles hanging over Xianyang's head, and a colossal weight weighing heavily on Gaoyao's heart. It could be said that the strategic initiative at that time lay entirely in the hands of the Chu army.
Imagine if this battle had ended with Gaoyao's tactical retreat and the Chu army's strategic "victory." Even if the Chu army temporarily retreated to the north, its threat to Xianyang would have remained undiminished. With its immense mobility and superior numbers, the Chu army could readily muster at least 50,000 elite cavalry and storm southward, bringing Xianyang to its gates.
For Gao Yao, this was like a mine waiting to explode, impossible to disarm. He would be completely trapped in the vicinity of Xianyang, constantly required to maintain a massive field army of no less than 50,000 soldiers, constantly guarding the capital. Otherwise, Xianyang's fragile defenses could be ripped apart by the Chu cavalry at any moment.
Even more devastating was the overwhelming threat posed by the Chu army, which prevented Gaoyao from effectively accepting and integrating the counties surrounding Xianyang that had already surrendered or wavered. These regions would remain in a state of semi-independence, unable to effectively draw in tax revenue, troops, and food supplies. This made Gaoyao's rule unstable, as if it were built on shifting sands.
However, the stunning reversal at the Valley of Broken Souls completely changed all of this. Li Zhao's brilliant victory, achieved in accordance with Gao Yao's far-sighted strategy, instantly shifted the tide of attack and defense. The Chu army, no longer a sword hanging high above them, was instead plunged into a profound existential crisis. Xiang Yu and Yi Xiaochuan fled north in disarray with fewer than 3,000 remnants. This was not only a devastating loss of manpower, but also a complete loss of morale, confidence, and strategic initiative.
The Chu army now faced an extremely dire situation. The northern land was already barren and limited in resources, making it difficult to sustain the long-term consumption of a large-scale army. After this defeat, their forces had been drastically reduced, and they could only muster 30,000 combat troops in a short period of time. Even if these 30,000 were all cavalry, they would still be stretched thin against the vast territory they needed to defend and the potential internal and external threats. They were seriously understaffed.
At this point, Xiang Yu and Yi Xiaochuan's primary concern was no longer how to advance into Guanzhong, but how to ensure Gao Yao wouldn't exploit their weakness and, riding on the momentum of their victory, march north to wipe out their stronghold. The strategic situation shifted from "Chu attacking Gao Yao, defending" to "Gao Yao attacking Chu defending," and the Chu army went from hunter to a frightened bird, wary of its prey.
The Chu army's rapid rise in the early stages of the anti-Qin campaign, expanding to a force of 100,000 cavalrymen in a short period of time, was due to unique historical opportunities. A key factor was the successful absorption of the former Qin Northern Frontier Army. The Northern Frontier Corps, once commanded by Meng Tian and Fusu, was one of the most elite troops in the empire. With the perverse actions of Qin II's Fusu, the imperial center collapsed, and the Northern Frontier Army, cut off from military pay and the death of its leading general, fell into disarray and disarray. Xiang Yu and Yi Xiaochuan cleverly exploited this window of opportunity, using the promise of restoring Chu against Qin and the promise of food and pay as bait to recruit a large number of these disoriented Qin troops.
While these northern border troops may not have a deep sense of belonging to the Chu regime, their military prowess, combat skills, and discipline far surpassed those of hastily recruited new soldiers. With minimal reorganization and ideological indoctrination, they could quickly develop into a formidable fighting force. It was this valuable, "ready-made" elite force that formed the backbone and foundation of the Chu army's expansion. This, coupled with continuous conscription within the territories under its control, contributed to the Chu army's former strength.