Report! The King of Chu has fled!
Inside the Qin army camp, the scouts' voices startled everyone awake.
Wang Jian rushed to Ying Zheng's central command tent.
"Your Majesty! Urgent report from the Black Ice Guard: Last night, the King of Chu, along with members of the royal family and some elite troops, fled south under cover of darkness!"
"Oh?" A strange light flashed in Ying Zheng's eyes. "Which direction did they go?"
"Your Majesty, scouts have spotted three groups heading southeast, south, and southwest respectively. Judging by their size, they are likely dividing their forces to create a diversion."
"Interesting." Ying Zheng walked to the sand table and carefully observed the terrain. "Southern Chu is mountainous. If they escape to the deep forests, it will be a problem."
He turned to Wang Jian: "What do you think?"
"In my humble opinion," Wang Jian said, pointing to the map, "the King of Chu's actions are nothing more than an attempt to preserve his strength and plot a comeback. Judging from the terrain, they are most likely heading towards Fanyi."
"Fanyi?" Ying Zheng looked at a small town at the southern end of the map. "Surrounded by mountains, it is easy to defend and difficult to attack. It is indeed a good place to take refuge."
"Issue the order!" He pondered for a moment, "Order Meng Wu to lead 50,000 elite troops in immediate pursuit! We must catch up with them before the King of Chu establishes a foothold!"
"Your Majesty is wise!" Wang Jian bowed, "However, what about Yingdu..."
"It's alright," Ying Zheng laughed. "Now that the King of Chu has fled, the morale of the army in the city must be wavering. Order the vanguard to continue advancing, and I will personally lead the central army to press forward. If the Chu army surrenders, they will be treated leniently. If they dare to resist, they will be killed without mercy!"
"promise!"
........
The entourage of the King of Chu was rapidly heading south, and the entire group was exerting almost every ounce of their strength.
"Your Majesty," Zhen Xiong urged his horse forward, "if the Qin army discovers us, how should we counter this?"
"This isn't difficult," Xiong Qi said solemnly. "We'll split into three groups to mislead them. If we can buy them a day or two, that will be enough."
"But Your Majesty, what if the Qin army pursues us with all their might..."
"Don't worry," Xiong Qi said confidently. "Ying Zheng won't disperse his forces. He'll definitely leave the main force to take Yingdu, and at most send an elite force to pursue us."
Meanwhile, the city of Yingdu was in chaos.
"Has the king really escaped?"
"I heard they fled overnight, not even having time to bring the palace treasures..."
"We're doomed! The Qin army is almost here, what are we going to do?"
Panic gripped the city.
Although the general who remained behind tried his best to maintain order, the morale of the army had already collapsed, and many soldiers simply threw down their weapons and mixed in with the civilians to prepare to escape.
"General!" a lieutenant rushed in to report, "The city is in chaos. Should we order order to restore order?"
"No need." The general smiled bitterly. "The king has already left. The only reason we are staying is to buy him some time."
"Pass down the order: prepare for battle!"
Before the words were even finished, the sound of bugles could be heard in the distance. Looking up, one could see the Qin army's banners blotting out the sky, steadily approaching.
........
Meanwhile, Meng Wu had already led his army to catch up with one of the Chu King's forces.
"Reporting to the General! Ahead lies the western wing of the Chu army, numbering approximately ten thousand!"
"Quite a few people," Meng Wu observed, squinting. "Judging by their marching speed... something's fishy!"
He slapped his horse's back sharply: "This force is a feint! The King of Chu won't be here. Send the order: leave a thousand cavalry to keep watch here, the rest of the troops continue pursuing the group heading southeast!"
"promise!"
Meng Wu was indeed a prophet.
Upon discovering that the Qin army was not pursuing them, the western route army immediately accelerated and headed towards the more remote mountainous area.
"General, you have excellent eyesight!" the lieutenant exclaimed.
"So what?" Meng Wu sneered. "Look at their formation and speed; they're clearly traveling light. The King of Chu, with his royal family and high-ranking officials, couldn't possibly be this fast."
As they were speaking, another scout came to report: "General! Chu troops have been spotted to the southeast!"
How many people are there?
"There are about 20,000 men, and they are marching at a slow pace. It seems there are important figures among them!"
"Excellent!" Meng Wu exclaimed joyfully. "This time it should be the real target. Order the entire army to accelerate the pursuit!"
Fifty thousand elite Qin troops launched a charge and quickly caught up with the Chu army.
The two sides chased each other, gradually moving away from the main road and into the mountains.
"Report!" a Chu scout galloped in to report, "The Qin army is hot on our heels and has caught up to within five li!"
"Oh no!" Zhen Xiong's expression changed drastically. "Your Majesty, the Qin cavalry is too fast! At this rate, we'll definitely be caught!"
Xiong Qi looked around. They were in a hilly area with mountains not far ahead.
If we can get into the mountains, we might still have a chance to shake off our pursuers!
"Pass down the order," he decided decisively. "Have the rear guard hold off the pursuers at all costs, the rest of you advance faster! We must reach the mountains before nightfall!"
"But Your Majesty, the rear guard is probably..."
"Stop talking!" Xiong Qi interrupted Zhen Xiong. "Now is not the time to be soft-hearted. For the sake of the Chu kingdom's survival, we have no choice but to make the soldiers suffer!"
Upon receiving the order, the rear guard immediately formed ranks to prepare for battle. These were the elite troops of Chu, and knowing that they were covering the rear for their ruler, each of them was ready to die for their cause.
Seeing the Chu army arrayed in battle formation, Meng Wu sneered, "Trying to cover our retreat? Very well, let me show you the might of my army! Give the order: form ranks and charge!"
A fierce battle broke out.
Although the Chu army fought hard, they could not withstand the Qin army's fierce attack. They suffered heavy casualties and their formation was gradually broken.
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