Chapter 513 The Huns are ready to move south!

Chapter 513 The Huns are ready to move south!

Originally, Xiang Yu had never encountered a rival who could rival him, and his martial arts skills were already at the peak of this era, so he was naturally a little slack. Now that he had an opponent, Xiang Yu was naturally unwilling to admit his failure, and he continued to improve his martial arts skills. His martial arts skills were also steadily increasing without him noticing.

"Yu'er!" At this moment, accompanied by a call full of concern and urgency, Xiang Yu, who was waving his weapon rapidly and vigorously, suddenly stopped. He panted slightly, and beads of sweat on his forehead slid down his cheeks, soaking his broad chest. Xiang Yu slowly raised his head, and his sharp eyes like a hawk were cast directly at Fan Zeng who was walking in at the door.

On weekdays, when no one was around, Fan Zeng always affectionately called Xiang Yu "Yu'er".

When there were other people present, Fan Zeng would observe etiquette and either respectfully address Xiang Yu as "King of Chu" or "General."

Xiang Yu also called out respectfully, "Father!" After that, he casually put the heavy weapon in his hand aside, and then a smart maid hurried forward and presented a white towel with both hands. Xiang Yu took it and wiped the sweat off his face and neck casually and quickly.

Xiang Yu strode towards Fan Zeng, and before he even stood still, he asked impatiently, "Is there any news about Xiaochuan?" His words were full of anxiety and expectation.

Hearing this, Fan Zeng couldn't help but shook his head and sighed, "Xiaochuan must have left on his own. As for where he went, I really don't know. But based on my understanding of him, he was seriously injured but lucky enough to survive this time, so he will not be easily defeated by this setback. Maybe it was just because the trauma in his heart was too severe that he couldn't face everyone for a while, and he chose to leave quietly for the sake of face. But I think it won't be long before he adjusts his mentality and maybe he will come back on his own. With Xiaochuan's wit, there will be no problem, don't worry!"

Fan Zeng would naturally not tell Xiang Yu that he intended to let Yi Xiaochuan die on his own. Knowing Xiang Yu's character, Fan Zeng would naturally not act rashly.

"Well, what is the situation in each county?" Xiang Yu listened to Fan Zeng's words, sighed heavily, and then eagerly asked about the detailed conditions of each county.

Fan Zeng looked solemn and said slowly, "It's really not optimistic! The imperial court sent a large army to conquer the southern border, which almost exhausted the last assets and resources of the entire Qin Empire. At present, not only are the food reserves in the counties extremely scarce, but even trying to maintain the current situation has become stretched and difficult. The reason why we can still hold on to this point is that we decisively executed some of the Qin nobles and obtained some food supplies, but even so, we must not continue to kill indiscriminately. Otherwise, once a civil uprising is aroused, the consequences will be disastrous."

Fan Zeng unreservedly told Xiang Yu about the difficult situation the Chu army was facing. After all, things had come to this point, and there was nothing they could do. The current situation was so serious that even the most capable people could only sigh in despair and be helpless in the face of such a situation. As the saying goes, a good cook cannot cook without rice! It was already extremely difficult to maintain the current situation.

In fact, Fan Zeng was well aware of Xiang Yu's eagerness to mobilize troops for battle, but the current reality was that even if he tried his best to raise food and fodder, he could only barely scrape together enough food to sustain the army for about a month. Therefore, the Chu army had no choice but to wait patiently until the autumn harvest of the following year, when they would have enough supplies and strength to send out troops again.

"That is to continue to recuperate, but... have you seen the news sent from the northern border recently?" Xiang Yu looked at Fan Zeng solemnly and said slowly. He knew that recuperation was the top priority in the current situation, but he could not let go of the northern border.

Upon hearing this, Fan Zeng frowned slightly, his eyes deep and worried. He certainly understood Xiang Yu's intention in mentioning this matter, so he nodded and said in a deep voice: "I naturally know. The Northern Border Army has fallen into disintegration due to the shortage of money and food. I am afraid that this situation has long been noticed by the Huns. According to the latest intelligence, 30,000 Hun cavalry have stationed outside the Great Wall, eyeing our Chinese land covetously, and their sharp momentum is frightening. They are like hungry wolves, ready to cross the Great Wall at any time, invade the south, burn, kill, plunder, and do all kinds of evil!"

At this point, Fan Zeng could not help but sigh and said worriedly: "If we cannot solve the dilemma of the northern army as soon as possible and stabilize the border defense, once the Xiongnu army marches straight in, the consequences will be disastrous. By then, the people will suffer and all lives will be destroyed."

Xiang Yu clenched his fists, a trace of anger flashed in his eyes, and he gritted his teeth and said: "These hateful Huns barbarians dared to take advantage of the fire! When my Chu army has rested, I will make sure they never return!" Xiang Yu also knew that the Chu army's strength had not yet recovered, and he had to be patient for a while.

Fan Zeng described the current situation of the Xiongnu in detail with a solemn expression: "Jiuyuan County is adjacent to Beidi, and there is a high possibility that Xiongnu troops will wait for an opportunity to launch an offensive on the west side of Beidi County. Although nothing has been detected yet, it does not mean that the Xiongnu will not show up. Today's Jiuyuan County is still under the jurisdiction of Daqin on the surface, but in fact it has already fallen into chaos. Since the officials directly under the court evacuated, it has lost effective governance. Not only that, food and officials' salaries have not been paid for more than two years. The salary cut can barely support it for a while, but the lack of food has become the most difficult problem."

When Xiang Yu heard this, he couldn't help but look worried, and said anxiously: "Right now, there is only Jiuyuan County between the Huns and us. Should we prepare for a rainy day and make preparations in advance?" Facing Xiang Yu's question, Fan Zeng slowly shook his head.

"Even if the Xiongnu intend to invade the south, the North will definitely not be their primary target. After all, the North is vast, but the population is sparse, and all kinds of materials are relatively scarce. If the Xiongnu really decides to go south, their route will definitely be to go all the way from Yanmen and Daijun, pass through Taiyuan, and go straight to the rich places such as Hanoi and Shangdang. Only such rich places can become the Xiongnu's first choice of attack. So for now, we don't have to worry about it at all, we just need to concentrate on seeking our own development."