Chapter 609: The shocked Zhao Shuo and Gao Yao’s appetite!

Chapter 609: The shocked Zhao Shuo and Gao Yao’s appetite!

Moreover, Zhao Shuo also realized that Gao Yao's ambitions might not stop there. Langya and Dongjiao were also very likely in his plan. After all, once Dongjiao was occupied by Gao Yao, with the exaggerated naval navigation and landing capabilities of the Southern Border Army, the entire northern coastal counties would face a huge threat.

Even someone like Zhao Shuo who had no experience in naval warfare could clearly understand how dangerous this was. Once Dongjiao fell into Gao Yao's hands, all the coastal counties in the north would be within Gao Yao's attack range, which would undoubtedly bring tremendous pressure to all parties.

"Report--" Along with this loud shout, a scout rushed to the city wall like a gust of wind. His figure seemed a little small on the city wall, but the news he brought exploded in everyone's ears like thunder.

"A large number of Southern Border troops appeared thirty miles to the south, with a number of about 20,000 people, and they are flying a large flag with the word "Han" on it!" The scout's voice was a little breathless due to his rapid running, but his words were extremely clear and echoed on the silent city wall.

Zhao Shuo was originally sitting on a chair. When he heard the scout's report, he jumped up from his seat as if he had been electrocuted, his face full of shock.

"So fast!" He cried out, his voice full of disbelief. According to previous intelligence and analysis, the Southern Border Army's target was indeed Xiayuan, but Zhao Shuo estimated that they would need at least another day to arrive here. However, the reality was so cruel. The Southern Border Army's marching speed far exceeded his imagination, which was undoubtedly a huge variable.

Various possible situations quickly flashed through Zhao Shuo's mind, and he couldn't help muttering to himself: "The flag with the word Han on it? General Han Xin?" This name made his heart tighten, and an ominous premonition came to his mind.

Han Xin, this name is well-known in the world today. A few years ago, he was just an unknown general, but since the battle with the Qin Dynasty, he became famous and became a famous general in the world. Now, Zhao Shuo learned that the opponent he was about to face was Han Xin, and the pressure in his heart instantly doubled.

At this moment, Zhao Shuo's heart was like being hit hard by a heavy hammer. He instantly became nervous and completely lost. Facing such a huge pressure, he really couldn't bear it. After all, people are afraid of being famous and pigs are afraid of being fat. The other party was the famous Han Xin! He was a person who was praised by Liu Bang. How could he compare with him?

Moreover, the gap between the two sides was too obvious. Han Xin's army was coming with great momentum, while the defenders on his side were pitifully few. Zhao Shuo originally expected that he could hold out for at least seven days, which was considered his best effort. After all, Xiayuan's original defenders only had more than 10,000 people, and Feng Yu took away another 2,000 people when he left, which made the already insufficient troops even more stretched.

Not only that, Zhao Shuo had to allocate 2,000 men to carry out a surprise attack in order to disrupt Han Xin's deployment. As a result, the troops that could really be used for defense were only 6,000 men. Compared with Han Xin's 20,000 troops, this was a world of difference, and Zhao Shuo couldn't help but feel dwarfed.

"Probe again and report again!"

After a slight hesitation, Zhao Shuo made a prompt decision and immediately gave orders again, asking the scouts to continue to investigate the specific situation.

At this moment, Zhao Shuo's uneasiness became stronger and stronger. He keenly noticed that the development of the matter was somewhat unexpected. Especially when he learned that the army led by Han Xin had only 20,000 people, he felt that there must be something fishy.

What exactly did these 20,000 troops mean? Zhao Shuo couldn't help but fall into deep thought. Was Han Xin planning to risk a forced march in an attempt to capture Xiayuan City in one fell swoop? Or did he have other plans, such as bypassing the county town and rushing directly to Xiayuan? Questions circled in Zhao Shuo's mind, making it difficult for him to make a decision.

If the enemy really chooses to bypass the county town and wait for the right time to take Xiayuan in one fell swoop, then Zhao Shuo believes that this strategy is not completely unfeasible, and there is even a glimmer of hope. After all, the biggest weakness of a forced march is that it is difficult to keep up with logistical supplies. As long as he can hold on for a few days, he may be able to wait for a turning point.

Zhao Shuo had already made arrangements for this. He specifically instructed the generals who were leaving the city to conceal their whereabouts and not to reveal their targets. At the same time, they were to secretly search for the enemy's food supply troops. This was the key to Zhao Shuo's counterattack. Once the enemy's food supply was successfully cut off, the enemy would naturally be forced to retreat due to insufficient food.

Zhao Shuo knew very well that this opportunity would only come once. If he was not careful, he might lose everything.

Therefore, he had repeatedly instructed the generals who were going out of the city to ambush, to confirm the location of the enemy's food and grass again and again before launching a surprise attack. This was also a solution that Zhao Shuo came up with after putting himself in a desperate situation. Whether he could hold on or not depended on this.

However, less than half an hour had passed when another scout came to report the news: "Report, a large number of Southern Border troops were spotted thirty miles east of the city, with a number of no less than 20,000!"

Soon after, another scout also rushed over and reported: "Report, thirty miles west of the city, a large number of southern border troops have also appeared, and the number is no less than 20,000!"

This sudden news was like a bolt from the blue, and Zhao Shuo's mood instantly became extremely heavy. He realized that the worst situation had already happened - the enemy had actually adopted a tactic of encircling them from three or even four sides, leaving them no room to breathe.

However, this also confirmed Zhao Shuo's previous speculation about Han Xin. He secretly sighed that Han Xin was indeed worthy of his reputation and was worthy of being a famous general. Zhao Shuo roughly guessed that the enemy had probably divided their troops into three groups at the first moment of action, and with the addition of the navy in the southern border, their purpose was obviously to completely besiege Donghui County and make it impossible for them to escape.

According to this reasoning, Zhao Shuo could almost conclude that at this moment, except for Xiayuan City, other places in Donghui County might have fallen into the hands of the Southern Border Army.

At this moment, Zhao Shuo could not help but sigh at the exaggerated marching speed of the Southern Border Army again. Could it be that they did not eat, drink, or sleep? No wonder he did not receive any news from other counties before. He originally thought that they had been defeated at their doorsteps and had no time to take care of them. Now it seems that they have been captured long ago. If they do not take action, it is fine. Once they take action, they will be swift and resolute. Now the Southern Border Army is racing against time.

Before the coalition forces of the princes could react, Gao Yao's ambition was really big. He wanted to catch the coalition forces of the princes off guard. Once he occupied Dongjiao, the pressure on the coalition forces of the princes would be much greater. The key was that he could also check and balance the King of Wei, Wei Bao!