mtl008 Chapter 539 Attacking Vietnam 4
Chapter 539 Attacking Vietnam 4
"Thank you all for coming." A clear voice rang out.
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young man in blue robes slowly walking into the venue. It was Fu Su, who was using the alias "Qin Su". Tu Sui and Ye Ziheng followed behind him.
"This is Qin Su?" Lin Ziyou looked Fu Su up and down, his eyes scrutinizing her. "She does seem to have an extraordinary air about her."
Fusu bowed slightly to the crowd: "I am Qin Su, and I greet you all, leaders. I have invited you all here today to discuss the grand plan to resist Chu."
"Young Master Qin," Huang Yi said bluntly, "you say you want to unite against Chu, but how exactly will this alliance work? Who will lead it?"
This is the most crucial issue. The various tribes of Baiyue were not subordinate to each other, and none of them were willing to take orders from another.
Fusu had already made preparations: "The allied forces naturally need unified command. I propose that the leader of the Southern Yue, Chen Jian, serve as the commander-in-chief of the allied forces."
This suggestion came as a surprise to everyone. Even Chen Jian himself was stunned.
"Why Chen Jian?" Lin Ziyou asked, displeased.
“There are three reasons,” Fusu said calmly. “First, Nanyue was the first to bear the brunt and had the deepest understanding of the Chu army; second, Chief Chen was highly respected and could command the respect of the people; third,” he paused, “the main battlefield of this battle was in Nanyue, so it should be led by Nanyue.”
This arrangement was ingenious, respecting the status of the Southern Yue as the local rulers while avoiding disputes among the various tribes over command.
Chen Jian glanced gratefully at Fusu, then stood up and said, "Gentlemen, I, Chen, though unworthy, am willing to shoulder this heavy responsibility. I hereby swear that if we win this battle, my Southern Yue will share the fertile fields and marshes with all the tribes!"
This promise moved the other leaders. Zechuan was the most fertile land in Baiyue, and Nanyue's willingness to share it showed their sincerity.
"Alright!" Lin Ziyou was the first to speak up. "I, Yang Yue, am willing to follow Chief Chen's orders!"
The Western Yue and Luo Yue also expressed their agreement.
The Baiyue Alliance was thus established.
On the very day the alliance was established, Zheng Ji personally led the main force of the Chu army in a general offensive against the last natural barrier of Nanyue – the Tianxian Pass.
The Tianxian Pass is situated between two mountains, a strategically important location that is easy to defend and difficult to attack. Chen Jian personally took command of the defense from the pass.
"Fire arrows!"
At a command, a hail of arrows was unleashed. The Chu army, shields raised, struggled forward through the rain of arrows.
"General, such a direct attack will result in too many losses!" the lieutenant advised.
Zheng Ji remained unmoved: "Nan Yue is already at its last gasp; we will surely break through this pass today! Order the siege engines to advance!"
The massive siege engines, propelled by the Chu army, slowly advanced, instantly increasing the pressure on the defending troops at the pass.
At this critical moment, the sound of thunderous war drums suddenly rang out from behind the pass.
"What's going on?" Zheng Ji looked over in astonishment.
Three large armies suddenly emerged from behind the pass, their banners clearly distinguishable: the left wing was Yang Yue, the right wing was west Yue, and the central wing was a combined force of Ou Yue and Luo Yue!
"The Baiyue Allied Forces?!" Zheng Ji's expression changed drastically. "How could they..."
Before he could react, the allied forces surged towards the flank of the Chu army like a tidal wave. Caught off guard, the Chu army's formation was thrown into chaos.
Upon seeing this, Chen Jian, who was standing guard, was overjoyed: "Open the gate! Prepare for the enemy!"
With the gates wide open, the South Vietnamese defenders, like tigers released from their cages, launched a coordinated attack with the allied forces from within.
The battlefield situation reversed instantly. The Chu army was surrounded and suffered heavy casualties.
Zheng Ji was both shocked and furious, but as a seasoned general who had been through many battles, he quickly calmed down: "Don't panic! Form a circular defensive formation!"
Under his command, the Chu army quickly retreated, forming a tight defensive formation. Although they suffered considerable losses, their main force remained intact.
The allied forces launched several attacks, but were repelled by the Chu army's powerful bows and crossbows.
"I didn't expect the Chu army to be so tenacious," Lin Ziyou said, frowning.
Fusu, who was watching the battle from the rear, said to Ye Ziheng, "Send the order to sound the retreat."
"Young master, why not press your advantage?" Tu Sui asked, puzzled.
"Don't pursue a desperate enemy." Fusu shook his head. "Although the Chu army has been defeated, its main force is still intact. Pressuring them too hard will only make them fight to the death."
As the retreat signal sounded, the allied forces withdrew like a receding tide. Zheng Ji dared not pursue them and hurriedly regrouped his troops to tally the casualties.
In this battle, the Chu army lost more than 5,000 men, and more importantly, their morale was severely damaged.
"General, our army's provisions are only enough for ten days," the lieutenant reported, bringing even worse news.
After a long silence, Zheng Ji finally made a difficult decision: "Order the entire army to retreat thirty li and hold their ground while awaiting reinforcements."
He knew that the war had reached a stalemate.
When news of the Chu army's retreat reached the allied camp, there was jubilation.
"The Chu army has retreated! We have won!" The soldiers from all units cheered with joy.
However, the atmosphere inside the Allied command headquarters was far from relaxed.
"Although the Chu army has retreated, its main force remains." Chen Jian pointed to the map. "They occupy the old site of Jumu Village, which is backed by a water source, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack."
Lin Zi nodded in agreement: "Moreover, their combat effectiveness is still very strong. If our army launches a forced attack, we will probably suffer heavy losses."
“Most importantly,” Huang Yi added, “our food supplies are also running low. The allied forces are consuming huge amounts of food every day.”
This is a very real problem. The various tribes of Baiyue already had limited food reserves, making it extremely difficult to support a large army in a prolonged campaign.
Fusu listened quietly to the discussion, then suddenly spoke up: "In that case, why don't we cut off their supply lines?"
"Cut off their supply lines?" Chen Jian's eyes lit up. "What brilliant plan do you have, young master?"
Fusu walked to the map and pointed to a winding mountain road: "According to scouts, the Chu army is transporting supplies along this route. If we can ambush them here..."
"Brilliant!" Lin Ziyou exclaimed, slapping the table in admiration. "If this plan succeeds, the Chu army will collapse without a fight!"
The plan was quickly finalized. Yang Yue and west Yue would each send two thousand elite troops to ambush at designated locations; Ou Yue and Luo Yue would be responsible for feigning attacks to attract the Chu army's attention; and Nan Yue would serve as a reserve force.
However, the plan took an unexpected turn.
The Chu army's supply convoy arrived as scheduled, but the escorting force far exceeded expectations. More importantly, Zheng Ji seemed to have been prepared, having set up a counter-ambush outside the ambush area.
"We've fallen into a trap! Retreat immediately!" General Yang Yue realized something was wrong and hurriedly gave the order.
But it was too late. The Chu army attacked from all directions, surrounding the allied forces in ambush.
"Hahaha!" Zheng Ji laughed loudly from a distant hilltop, "I knew you'd pull this stunt!"
It turned out that after experiencing initial setbacks, Zheng Ji became more cautious. He deliberately released false information to lure the allied forces into a trap.
The situation on the battlefield reversed instantly. The allied forces, caught in an ambush, suffered heavy casualties.
When the news reached the allied camp, the leaders were terrified.
"What should we do?" Chen Jian was pacing anxiously. "Those are four thousand elite troops!"
Fusu remained unusually calm: "No need to panic. General Tu Sui!"
"Your subordinate is here!" Tu Sui stepped forward.
"You shall lead two thousand Ouyue soldiers on a forced march and set off immediately to attack the Chu army from the flank."
"As ordered!"
Tu Sui accepted the order and left. Fu Su then said to Ye Ziheng, "Sir, I would like to trouble you to go to Luo Yue's camp in person and ask Chief Li Tian to send troops to help us."
"Young Master wants to..." Ye Ziheng seemed to understand.
“If we’re going to rescue them, let’s do it thoroughly.” Fusu’s eyes sharpened. “We should do the opposite: instead of relieving the siege, we should encircle and annihilate this ambush force of the Chu army!”
This plan was extremely audacious. Using the besieged allied forces as bait, they would then turn around and surround the Chu army.