As dawn broke, a thick morning mist filled the valley.
"Report! Your Majesty, Qin troops have been spotted ahead!" A scout rushed to Xiong Qi in a panic.
"What?" Xiong Qi and Zhen Xiong's expressions changed simultaneously. "How come they're up ahead?"
"Your Majesty, it appears to be a surprise force, flanking us from another direction. They number about ten thousand and are arrayed at the mouth of the canyon!"
Xiong Qi gasped. They had trekked through the mountains all night, hoping to cross this canyon before dawn. Little did they know the Qin army had already laid an ambush!
"Your Majesty!" Zhen Xiong cried anxiously, "Meng Wu's troops are still pursuing us; we're attacked from both sides!"
"Send the order!" Xiong Qi decisively ordered, "The entire army will turn west and break through before the Qin army can encircle us!"
Just then, the scouts from the west reported: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Qin troops have been spotted on the western mountains and are occupying advantageous positions!"
Xiong Qi's face was ashen. Had the Qin army anticipated their escape to this place and laid a trap beforehand?
"What do we do...?" Zhen Xiong looked around anxiously, wringing his hands. "We're surrounded!"
Xiong Qi looked around. They were now in a valley surrounded by mountains on three sides, with the only exit being the gorge in front of them. The Qin army occupied a favorable position, overlooking the entire valley. Meanwhile, Meng Wu's pursuers had blocked their path.
"Have the personal guards form a protective line, the rest of the soldiers prepare for a desperate fight!" Xiong Qi gritted his teeth and said, "No matter what, we must fight our way out!"
Before he finished speaking, horns blared from all around the valley.
The thick fog gradually dissipated, revealing the densely packed Qin army on the hillside.
They have completely taken control of the terrain and are slowly closing in the encirclement from three directions.
"Report!" Another scout ran up, "General Meng Wu's army has caught up! They're forming ranks behind us!"
"It's over!" Xiong Qi's heart sank. Their 20,000-plus men were completely surrounded by the Qin army. This time, escape was truly impossible!
"Your Majesty!" A young general rushed forward, "Let me lead my elite troops in a desperate charge to clear a path for Your Majesty!"
"No!" Zhen Xing stopped him. "Now is not the time to fight to the death. Your Majesty, perhaps..."
Before he could finish speaking, a booming voice suddenly came from the mountain: "King of Chu, listen! I am Wang Ben, the general of Qin. You are surrounded and have no way to escape. Those who know what's good for you will surrender quickly to avoid unnecessary casualties!"
It turned out that the troops blocking the canyon were Wang Ben's forces. He had been ordered by Ying Zheng to take a shortcut and ambush the Chu army ahead of them. Now, with their forces aligned, they had formed an encirclement.
"Don't even think about it!" the Chu soldiers shouted in unison. "Kill us or torture us, it's up to you. You think we'll surrender? Dream on!"
"Fine!" Wang Ben laughed loudly. "Since you're courting death, don't blame us for being impolite! Archers, prepare!"
On the hillside, countless Qin archers drew their bows and aimed at the Chu army in the valley.
"Your Majesty!" Zhen Xiong tugged at Xiong Qi's sleeve, "Quickly, hide behind the chariot formation!"
"No need," Xiong Qi said sadly. "At this point, what's the point of me hiding anymore..."
With that, he dismounted and stood at the front of the army: "Listen, Qin generals! Kill or torture them, come at me! These soldiers are all under my control; they have nothing to do with them!"
"Your Majesty!" The soldiers all wept, "Your Majesty, you mustn't!"
Just then, someone shouted, "Look! Up the mountain to the east!"
Everyone looked up and saw that the Qin army on the eastern hillside had suddenly become restless. Immediately afterwards, a force charged out from behind the hill, heading straight for the Qin army's flank!
"It's the Western Route Army!" Zhen Xiong shouted excitedly. "Our Western Route Army has returned!"
It turned out that the western army that had feigned a move had not actually broken away, but was secretly observing. Seeing that the main force was surrounded, they immediately attacked from the rear of the Qin army, attempting to break the encirclement.
"The opportunity has arrived!" Xiong Qi roared. "All troops, listen to my command! Charge out!"
The Chu soldiers roared and charged eastward. The western army attacked from the outside, while the main force rushed out from the inside, creating a breach in the eastern flank.
"Not good!" Wang Ben exclaimed in alarm. "Quickly! Block the breach! Archers, fire! Cavalry, prepare to charge!"
A dense rain of arrows poured down, inflicting heavy casualties on the Chu army, yet they continued their relentless charge. Their flesh and blood unleashed astonishing power at that moment.
"Kill them!"
"Charge out!"
"Protect the King!"
Shouts of battle and screams of agony echoed through the valley. The Chu army fought desperately and finally broke through the encirclement on the east side. Under the protection of his personal guards, Xiong Qi broke through the gap and escaped the encirclement.
"Chase!" Wang Ben ordered urgently. "Cavalry, give chase! We must catch up with the King of Chu!"
But then, the situation changed again.
"Report!" A messenger galloped in, "Urgent report from Yingdu! The city's defenders have suddenly launched a counterattack, declaring they will defend the city to the death! Our advance has been halted!"
"What?" Wang Ben frowned, "At this time..."
When the general of Yingdu learned that the King of Chu was trapped, he decided to fight to the death.
This caught the Qin army completely off guard.
"General!" the lieutenant asked, "Should we continue pursuing the King of Chu, or turn back to reinforce Yingdu?"
Wang Ben hesitated. Although they had temporarily released the King of Chu, they had annihilated the main force of the Chu army. At this moment, the most important thing was to capture Yingdu as soon as possible.
"Send the order!" he decided immediately. "Leave one cavalry unit to pursue the King of Chu, and the rest of the troops return to Yingdu immediately!"
Thus, the King of Chu led his remaining troops to escape, but at an extremely heavy cost; of the more than 20,000 men, less than 3,000 escaped.
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