Xiang Yu has already killed Qingzi Junwang, his fame shook the state of Chu, and his reputation also spread to other vassal states.
So he dispatched Dangyang King and Pu General to lead 20,000 soldiers across the Yellow River to aid Ju Lu.
Xiang Yu was very skilled in leading armies.
It didn't take long before the battle achieved some initial advantages, and Chen Xu requested for additional troops.
He cut off the supply lines of the Qin army and defeated them decisively, killing Su Ji and capturing Wang Li.
Shi Jian refused to surrender to the Chu army and committed suicide by burning himself.
At that time, the fighting strength of the Chu army was the strongest among the vassal states.
There were ten or more encampments among the vassal states that provided aid to Ju Lu, but none of them dared to send troops out.
When the Chu army attacked the Qin army, all the generals watched the battle from their own camps.
The warriors of the Chu army could fight with the skill of ten men, their shouts resounded to the heavens and the earth, and the soldiers of the vassal states were filled with fear.
So after defeating the Qin army, Xiang Yu summoned the generals of the vassal states' armies, as they entered the Yuan Gate, all of them crawled forward on their knees, and none of them dared to look up directly.
From then on, Xiang Yu began to become the supreme general of the vassal states' armies, and all the vassal states' armies were under his command.
Qin Dynasty had a famous general Meng Yuan, who after Zhang Han's death took over his position and was as brave and fierce as ever.
Meng Yuan's troops were stationed at Jiu Yuan, while Xiang Yu's troops were camped to the south of Zangshui. The two armies faced off against each other, but had not yet engaged in battle.
The Qin army retreated multiple times, and Zhao Gao was very dissatisfied with this, sending someone to reprimand Meng Yuan.
At this moment, Zhao Gao had almost complete control over the government. He had killed all the old officials in the court and was only matched by Li Si, who was still alive.
There were also some generals, but they were not in the court anymore. Qin Shi Huang only controlled the big direction, and most things were ultimately decided by Zhao Gao.
Meng Yuan felt afraid and sent his Longshi Xin to request Zhao Gao's guidance.
Longshi Xin drove straight into Xianyang, but still waited outside the Sima Gate for three days.
Zhao Gao refused to see him, clearly indicating that he did not trust him.
Longshi Xin felt very uneasy at once, and even dared not return to his original path with his own army.
Zhao Gao indeed sent people to pursue him, but they did not catch up.
Longshi Xin returned to his troops and quickly went to find Meng Yuan to report: "Zhao Gao has taken control of the government, and there is nothing for people below to do."
"Now if the battle is victorious, Zhao Gao will surely envy our merits; and if it is not victorious, he will have even more reason to order our execution."
"We may as well give up directly."
Chen Yu also sent a letter to Meng Yuan: "In the past, there was a famous general of the Qin Dynasty named Bai Qi, who led the southern and northern expeditions, captured cities and territories, numbering innumerable. But he was still executed by imperial decree in the end."
"Your ancestor, Meng Tian, as a Qin general, drove the Huns to the north and opened up several thousand miles of land in Yuzhong. In the end, he was also beheaded."
"Why? Because their merits were too great, and the Qin Dynasty could not fully reward them, so they were legally executed."
"Not to mention your current situation?"
"Now, General, you have been a Qin general for three years, and you have lost countless troops. Who is Zhao Gao, and do you not know?"
"Zhao Gao has always been sycophantic for a long time. Now that things are urgent, he needs to find someone to take the blame. The General would be the best choice."
"The General, you have been away for a long time and have accumulated many internal conflicts. Whether you have merits or not, you will be executed."
"Moreover, the heavens are destined to bring down the Qin Dynasty, a fact that even wise men and fools know."
"Now, as the General, you cannot speak boldly and honestly within the court, and you are standing as a commander who is about to lose the country on the battlefield. To want to live long and survive alone is truly pitiful!"
"Why don't you return your troops and unite with the vassal states, agree to jointly attack the Qin Dynasty, divide its territory, proclaim yourself king in the south;"]
"Is this not better than suffering punishment and having your wife killed?"
Meng Yuan hesitated, secretly dispatched Hou Shi Cheng to travel to Xiang Yu to establish a treaty.
But at this moment, there was an imperial edict from the Emperor Qin Shi Huang:
"Appoint Meng Yuan as the General in charge of the southern region, with three pardons for death, but without confrontation, he may proceed."
"This is the first time in the unified Qin Dynasty that an imperial edict granting a third pardon for death has been issued."
Qin Shi Huang was not the Second Qin Emperor after all, he could see that Meng Yuan was easily persuaded, and that's why he issued the military edict.
Under the influence of Qin Shi Huang, Meng Yuan firmly set his mind and chose not to join.
Meng Yuan chose to adhere to the defensive strategy and held firm to his borders.
Xiang Yu thought that even if Meng Yuan retreated like a turtle, it was fine, as he had his own method to break through.
At this moment, Chu Hui Wang saw Xiang Yu's strength and began to be afraid.
Chu Hui Wang ordered the gong to be struck and told Xiang Yu that they could no longer expand - they needed to pacify the original people, and after Li Si's reforms, the people of Qin Dynasty had land, making them feel injustice.
Many times, every gift of fate is marked with a price in the shadows.
Chu Hui Wang and the other old generals said: "Xiang Yu is a light-minded, arrogant, cunning and fierce person."
Xiang Yu once besieged and massacred the people of Xiangcheng, leaving no one alive in his path.
Moreover, the Chu army has attacked many times before, and the former King Chen and Xiang Liang both failed. It would be better to send older men to uphold righteousness and march westward to inform the parents and brothers in the Qin region.
The people of Qin have suffered for a long time under their rulers. If a delegation of older men is sent, who do not commit violence, they may be able to persuade them to submit.
Xiang Yu is light-minded and arrogant, so it is not appropriate to send him now.
Only Liu Bang has always been generous and stable, and he can be sent.
Eventually, it was not allowed for Xiang Yu to go, and instead, Pu Guang was sent to gather the scattered soldiers of Chen Wang and Xiang Liang.
So Xiang Yu passed through Xianyang, and confronted the Gongli Fugou troops. He defeated both armies.
Yang Xiong fled to Yingyang, and Zhao Gao sent an envoy to behead Yang Xiong as a public demonstration.
From then on, it fell into a stalemate. Later, the reforms of Li Si occurred.
After the reforms of Li Si, the great Chu had already become a chaotic mess.
It seems that the direction of history is all heading towards the great Qin Dynasty.
But at this moment, a turning point in history occurred.
A major epidemic occurred during the warm period of the Holocene.
This great epidemic has remained a mystery to the scientific community to this day. It originated from an unknown source and swept across the entire Eurasian continent.
This great epidemic destroyed countless dynasties.
It originated from rats.
It is called the Plague.
This disease often occurs in extremely prosperous but poor sanitary conditions, as a powerful nation is usually vast in area.
The great Qin Dynasty, under the rule of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, had relatively good sanitation conditions. However, Qi as a newly established country, occupied one of the places where the Qin Dynasty suffered from epidemics.
