Chapter 23: Brothers in Hardship

  Many heroic men in the army have lofty aspirations, their blood staining the battlefield, never to return.

  Li Yuan recruited soldiers at Baima Crossing for five days, recruiting 561 eligible men, including 16 who had military experience. Five of these men participated in the Qin state's southern expedition against the Hundred Yue tribes. The war against the Hundred Yue was a nightmare for the Qin army.

  In the Lingnan region, where the land was barren and uninhabitable, the Qin army's combat effectiveness plummeted due to the unsuitable climate and water conditions. More soldiers fell ill than were killed in battle. These five men were fortunate to have survived after contracting the epidemic and undergoing treatment, but as a result, they had no choice but to retire from the Qin army that was conquering the south.

  "Great Qin, Great Qin, blood will not dry, war will not cease!" This fluttering black battle flag, as long as it does not fall, is enough to make every soldier who has followed him feel glorious.

  Even in an era more than two thousand years later, when the mighty and majestic momentum of the underground legion is displayed before the world, what we feel is the majesty and invincibility brought by the iron-blooded Great Qin.

  Gu Yun had already become a foot soldier under Zhou Xing's command, disguising herself as a man like Hua Mulan. This was not an easy thing to do, apart from constantly being on guard against exposure, the physical needs of a woman would also make Gu Yun feel extremely uncomfortable. However, these were not things that Li Yuan needed to consider.

  Since you want to come, then be prepared to suffer.

  After the trial, Li Yuan asked about Gu Yun's basic information. He was from Xingyang, eighteen years old, none of which were important details. The key point was the last one: skilled in swordsmanship. Li Yuan had personally witnessed Gu Yun's sword skills, and now he let Zhou Xing, who had fought with him, say a few words about his feelings. Zhou Xing hesitated for half a day before saying, "Nothing else, just feels like a woman's dance technique."

  A decent woman doesn't need to practice any dancing skills. Since Gu Yun is proficient in both swordsmanship and dancing, isn't she just a courtesan from the brothel?

  Li Yuan's guess was actually not far from the truth. Gu Yun, also known as Gu Yanniang, a famous courtesan in Yangcheng, had been rejected by Princess Yu Shui but still didn't give up. After getting approval from Grandmother Gongsun, she decided to come to Baima Town to meet Li Yuan.

  However, Gu Yun's heart began to regret it. The feeling of being mixed with a group of stinky and sweaty men was unbearable. If it weren't for the October weather gradually cooling down, allowing her to wear thicker clothes, Gu Yun feared she would have been discovered already. She hadn't expected that Li Yuan wouldn't show any interest in her at all. Just now, when they were competing, she had already heard some soldiers calling out Li Duwei's name. There was only one person with the surname Li and title of Duwei in Baima Ferry, and that was Li Yuan.

  Since she saw it, her own skills were enough to excel, Gu Yun didn't understand why Li Yuan was unmoved. For Li Yuan who lacked talent, a capable person sent to his doorstep still had to be pushed away, it seemed inexplicable. At this time, Gu Yun hadn't realized that it was her female identity that made Li Yuan suspicious.

  ——。

  Li Yuan rested at Baima for less than ten days, and the situation of Quyu changed irreversibly. Under the attack of several roads of anti-Qin coalition forces, Yang Xiong supported it for five days, but unexpectedly Liu Bang sent Lü Shang to lead a team of elite soldiers to launch a surprise attack on Yaojiazhen, completely cutting off the rear supply line that the Qin army relied on.

  The Qin army, upon learning of this urgent report, became even more disheartened. The 30,000-strong Qin army suffered nearly 10,000 casualties in the chaotic battle against Liu Bang and various anti-Qin allied forces, a loss rate of almost one-third, enough to make Yang Xiong's heart tremble with fear. In fact, if it weren't for the powerful combat strength of the Qin crossbowmen and the desperate breakout by 5,000 cavalrymen, it would be uncertain whether Yang Xiong and Sima Yin could have broken out of the encirclement.

  On October 18, Yang Xiong led the defeated troops to retreat to Baima, and at this time, he could only hope that Li Yuan's garrison in Baima would provide a way out. On the 19th, Liu Bang's army, which had been pursuing Yang Xiong all the way, arrived at Baima. After collecting the ships at Yaojiazhen Ferry, they also moved upstream and blocked the key roads on the north bank of Baima, cutting off the Qin army's retreat route. The action was swift and fierce, and the defenders at Yaojiazhen were almost annihilated in a surprise attack, leaving the Qin army's logistics line in chaos.

  Lu Shang was a man who, in the early days of Liu Bang's army, especially before Han Xin rose to prominence, could be said to be one of the most capable generals in Liu's army.

  The Battle of White Horse, like the inertia of history, after bypassing a detour, still rang out. After experiencing the initial nervousness and tension, Li Yuan's mood suddenly calmed down when he saw groups of defeated Qin soldiers, and saw Yang Xiong and Sima Yin in disarray.

  Being a man, if we must fight, then let us fight. The white horse is not a horse, even if heaven does not sympathize with me, I will still defy the heavens and take action!

  "Commander Li, can the white horse still cross?" Sima Yin's face turned pale, his complexion wan and haggard. Seeing Li Yuan come to greet him, his tense mood finally relaxed a little.

  For Li Yuan, this young man is now admired by him. The ferocity of Liu Bang's rebels has finally made him realize what it means to fight for one's life. After competing with enemy generals such as Cao Shen and Lü Shang on the battlefield, Sima Yin also put away his original disdainful heart.

  The wind rises at the end of Qingping, because of Li Yuan and Fan Kuai's fierce battle, Liu Bang found an opportunity to unite with the anti-Qin forces from all sides, gather capable people from all over the world to serve him, and thus expand his own strength. Lü Shizhi came to surrender, Lü Shang came to offer his services, and there were also Huang Xin, Peng Yue and other powerful men from Wei State. In front of these numerous strongmen, Yang Xiong and Sima Yin's defeat was not surprising at all.

  "The crossing on the opposite bank has been occupied by the rebels, our army is outnumbered, and Xiangyang has not sent troops to reinforce us. Our rear route has been cut off!" Li Yuan said with a serious expression to Sima Yin.

  "What's going on? This place is only thirty miles away from Huanyang, Zhao Bi sent troops to come and can arrive in the evening, why let the rebel army occupy the crossing?" Sima Yin was shocked and lost his color, he and Yang Xiong thought that Baima was closer to Huanyang, retreating back to the city would not be a big problem.

  "What about the situation in Huayang, I don't know. Fortunately, the grain and fodder accumulated in the Baima area have been collected by me, if used frugally, the army should still be able to hold on for ten days." Li Yuan estimated the number of Yang Xiong and Sima Yin's troops, and calculated the collected supplies one by one, and couldn't help but secretly sigh.

  It's not easy to have some savings, but now they've all been contributed again. Yang Xiong's troops retreated to Baima, already exhausted and hungry, probably with little supplies left. At this critical moment when Liu Bang's army is surrounding Baima, it's best to put aside personal grievances and work together against a common enemy. As for petty calculations, it's better not to make them. Li Yuan clearly distinguishes between public and private interests.

  "Commander Li, this... there's nothing else to say. I, Sima, will acknowledge you as my brother from today on." After feeling disappointed, Sima Yin suddenly heard Li Yuan say this and was overjoyed. Compared to the selfish Zhao Bin, although Li Yuan was only a commander and they hadn't known each other for long, it was in times of hardship that true feelings were revealed. Now that Sima's entire army was in distress, facing Li Yuan's offer of help, his emotions overflowed with gratitude.

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