Chapter 824: Together!

"Your Majesty, there is no need to say more. I already know everything."

"Failure is not a big deal. Even though we lost 60,000 or 70,000 troops, as long as Jiangdong is still there, there is still hope!"

Fan Zeng spoke in a steady voice, trying his best to make his tone sound calmer.

When Xiang Yu heard this, he was stunned. He thought Fan Zeng would severely reprimand him and accuse him of underestimating the enemy and advancing recklessly, but he did not expect Fan Zeng to be so tolerant and understanding.

"My king, do you remember how heroic you were when you led an army to conquer the south and north in Jiangdong, overcoming all obstacles along the way and winning every battle?"

"It's just a setback now, how can it make you so depressed?"

Fan Zeng looked at Xiang Yu's somewhat depressed face, sighed slightly, and continued.

"Failure is not a big deal! Isn't it just 60,000 or 70,000 troops? The Jiangdong disciples are still your backers and can still prepare another 100,000 troops for you!"

"Now, stand up straight!"

"You are Overlord Xiang Yu! The god of war who roamed the land of Jiangdong, was invincible and invincible!"

"Rather than being a coward who seeks death and loses his spirit after failing once!"

When Xiang Yu heard this, an indescribable emotion surged in his heart. He tried to straighten his chest to make himself look more energetic, and looked at Fan Zeng with a firm gaze.

"Father, am I Xiang Yu the kind of person who would easily admit defeat?"

"This defeat is just a small setback in my life. I will stand up again and become the invincible king again!"

Fan Zeng nodded in approval, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes.

He knew that Xiang Yu had an indomitable tenacity in his bones, and as long as he was given some time, he would be able to pick himself up again.

"My king, although we lost this battle, it is not entirely without gain."

"At least it allowed us to see clearly the strength of Han Xin in the Jiuxiao Army, and also let us understand our own shortcomings."

"Next, what we have to do is to adjust our strategy and re-plan the battle situation."

Fan Zeng spoke slowly and turned the topic to Han Xin, the current archenemy of their Chu army.

"Father, what good ideas do you have?"

Upon hearing this, Xiang Yu nodded quickly and looked at Fan Zeng with some expectation in his eyes.

Although Xiang Yu had always been a little impatient with his nominal father-in-law.

However, Xiang Yu had complete trust in Fan Zeng's thinking. It was just that sometimes, even if he knew that something was right, he just didn't want to listen.

Fan Zeng pondered for a moment, and the solemn expression on his wrinkled face became more and more intense, as if water could drip out of it.

"My lord, the Nine Heavens army is much stronger than it used to be."

"Besides, they now have the support of the overlord of the Daqian Dynasty, the Duke of Zhenguo, who owns three states. This man is a man of great talent and extraordinary means. He is a rare hero in the world."

"In addition, Yunzhou, which is adjacent to Wenzhou, is the base of the Jiuxiao Army. In addition, they won a great victory in the battle of Wenzhou and have actually controlled half of Wenzhou."

"Now, the war potential that the Jiuxiao Army can mobilize is a combination of the right time, the right place, and the right people. It should not be underestimated."

He paced slowly, weighing the heavy situation in his mind. Finally, he stopped, turned around, and spoke to Xiang Yu with a serious face.

"Have you ever thought about why the Duke of Zhenguo, who is behind the Jiuxiao Army, was able to rise so quickly?"

"He controls three states, has a strong army, sufficient food and grass, and countless talented people have joined his army."

"This man is extremely ambitious and wants to conquer the world. The Jiuxiao Army is just a pawn in his quest to achieve his hegemony." "If we only rely on the land of Jiangdong and the newly captured Quezhou to face the attack of the Jiuxiao Army alone, it would be like hitting a rock with an egg. Our chances of winning are slim."

At this point, Fan Zeng's expression became even more solemn. He stroked his long beard and continued.

Upon hearing this, Xiang Yu frowned and looked solemn.

He now realized the importance of Fan Zeng and naturally knew that what he said was true.

The strength of the Jiuxiao Army and the ambition of the Duke of Zhenguo are realities that he has to face.

After all, not long ago, he was just beaten to death by a war god that the Duke of Zhenguo casually picked out.

Otherwise, he might still not accept it, thinking that if he had not underestimated the enemy and was careless, he would never have suffered such a great defeat.

But he was defeated head-on in terms of force, which left him speechless.

He was silent for a moment, then asked, "Father, in your opinion, what should our army do?"

"Your Majesty, although our Chu army is in a difficult situation, there is still hope."

"As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. We might as well start from this aspect."

Fan Zeng lowered his head and pondered for a while, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes, then he slowly raised his head, looked at Xiang Yu, raised the corner of his mouth, and said calmly.

"What do you mean, father?"

When Xiang Yu heard this, a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes and he asked in confusion.

"Does Your Majesty remember that in the southern part of the Great Xuan area adjacent to our Jiangdong area, the Great Yong Dynasty also has thirty-six rebel kings and other rebel forces? Although these rebel kings fight on their own, their overall strength should not be underestimated."

"However, they have been suppressed by Yang Jian, the Duke of Sui in Daxuan, who has relied on various strong cities, huge strategic depth and strong logistical capabilities to the south of Daxuan. They can only advance with difficulty."

Fan Zeng smiled and explained.

"Your Majesty, our Chu Army and the thirty-six rebel kings in the south of Daxuan are actually all anti-bandit forces."

"Although we each have our own ambitions, our current goal is the same, which is to overthrow the corrupt dynasty and establish our own hegemony."

"In that case, why don't we bring some of the thirty-six rebel kings in the Great Xuan Dynasty into the Great Yong Dynasty, join forces with them, and fight against the Great Yong Dynasty and the Jiuxiao Army together?"

Seeing Xiang Yu nodded, indicating that he knew about this, Fan Zeng continued.

"Father, this plan can relieve some of our pressure, but the thirty-six rebel kings have their own agenda and it is difficult to coordinate them in a unified manner."

"Besides, they have never had any dealings with our Chu army, so how could they trust us so easily?"

When Xiang Yu heard this, a light flashed in his eyes, but then dimmed again and he hesitated.

"Your Majesty, you are worrying too much. Although the thirty-six rebel kings have their own agenda, they are also facing strong pressure from Yang Jian."

"Therefore, they must be very eager to break through the status quo and find new ways out."

"If we extend a helping hand to them at this time and propose to join forces to fight against the Great Yong Dynasty and the Jiuxiao Army, they will certainly accept it with pleasure."

Fan Zeng shook his head and smiled.

"Since my father is confident, then I am relieved! If we can join forces with the thirty-six rebel kings, we will be able to break the offensive of the Jiuxiao Army and give our Chu Army a chance to catch its breath."

After hearing the solemn promise, Xiang Yu stopped hesitating and nodded in agreement.

(End of this chapter)