The King of Chu’s heart was filled with regret. He regretted his embezzlement of funds, which had caused Chu to lose so many soldiers.
Meanwhile, the ministers of Chu were in a state of extreme panic.
“Two hundred thousand troops have surrendered! Our two hundred thousand troops have surrendered! How can we possibly resist the Qin army now?”
“We can’t! We absolutely cannot! How can we possibly resist Lin Tian’s army? We have so few soldiers left with any fighting capability!”
“Ah! Our Chu is heading towards its demise! Is Chu finished?”
Not long ago, they were scheming against each other for power within the army. They had thought that their families could replace the Xiang clan and become the new nobility of Chu.
They even believed their families might gain control and enjoy endless wealth and prestige.
But in just over ten days, the army they sought to command was gone.
The very state of Chu, their foundation, was in grave peril and could be destroyed at any moment.
Such a situation was a devastating blow to them.
Each of them was in a frenzy, their minds racing with countless thoughts.
The most prevalent thought was to flee Chu.
Chu was already in such a dangerous predicament; if they remained, they could face annihilation at any moment.
However, they soon realized that the world was no longer the seven warring states of the past. Now, only Qin and Chu remained.
If they wished to flee Chu, their only option was to go to Qin.
But how could Qin possibly offer a place for nobles like them to establish themselves?
If these people went to Qin, they wouldn't be establishing themselves; they'd be delivering themselves right into enemy hands.
This thought only made the Chu ministers more frantic.
“What do we do? What do we do now? Our two hundred thousand troops are gone, what else do we have to resist Lin Tian’s army?”
“General Xiang, quickly recall General Xiang! Have General Xiang return to command the army!”
“The front lines are devoid of soldiers, Lin Tian’s army will likely march straight towards our capital. We cannot sit idly by; we must mobilize our forces, or we will be finished!”
“Recruit soldiers! We must recruit soldiers immediately. We need more troops to protect us, we cannot be without our army!”
With the army defeated, these people finally realized the importance of Xiang Yan and the significance of the military.
This late realization only highlighted their ignorance.
And it wasn’t just them who were slow to realize; the King of Chu was no different.
Even with a vast fortune in his hands, he felt no security.
He felt that Lin Tian’s army could descend upon them at any moment.
If that happened, his fate might be even more tragic than that of the monarchs of other states.
Therefore, his first instinct was to abandon his wealth and seek self-preservation.
“Mobilize the army! Summon all the troops of Chu back to protect our capital!”
“Recruit soldiers! We must recruit a large number of soldiers. The expenses for this recruitment will be borne entirely by me. I am willing to offer a hundredfold the payment! As long as soldiers come to defend our capital at this time, I am willing to pay a hundredfold the military stipends!”
A hundredfold military stipend was an astonishing proposition.
If ten thousand soldiers were recruited, the King of Chu would have to pay ten million soldiers’ worth of stipends.
The sheer magnitude of this figure was terrifying to contemplate.
If soldiers could receive such a large sum of money, they would undoubtedly flock to enlist and join the army.
However, it was too late for the King of Chu to offer such immense wealth now.
At this time, Chu did not have many young and able-bodied men. A large number of Chu citizens had fled to Chu’s borders, all wishing to escape the state.
Even those who hadn't fled were already in the army.
However, they were not near the Chu capital; they were with Xiang Liang’s army.
Xiang Liang’s forces numbered two hundred thousand new recruits!
Under these circumstances, it was incredibly difficult for the King of Chu to rally an army.
In three days, they had only managed to recruit three thousand men.
Three thousand soldiers were like ants before Lin Tian’s army of 150,000, easily crushed at any moment.
Thus, the King of Chu was desperate. He urgently needed people to protect him.
“What is happening? Why has Xiang Liang’s army not appeared? Is his Xiang clan truly contemplating treason?”
“That can’t be right; after all, Xiang Yan is returning in a few days!”
“Hmph! If Xiang Liang doesn't bring his army back soon, I will execute his father, Xiang Yan, in a few days, making him a man devoid of loyalty and righteousness!”
At this moment, the King of Chu was using Xiang Yan’s life as a threat to force Xiang Liang to quickly reinforce the Chu capital.
This was because intelligence from the Chu front lines indicated that Lin Tian’s army was rapidly approaching.
If Lin Tian’s army reached the Chu capital without any reinforcements arriving to aid the King of Chu, the King would surely perish.
This made the army under Xiang Liang’s command exceptionally crucial.
However, the King of Chu did not realize that he would never be able to wait for Xiang Liang’s army.
Currently, Xiang Liang’s army was completely surrounded.
Upon receiving the order to reinforce the Chu capital, Xiang Liang had unhesitatingly decided to lead his army back.
However, as soon as they moved, Meng Tian’s army also mobilized.
With virtually no hesitation, Meng Tian’s army closed in.
Meng Tian’s army consisted of elite soldiers and was the true Meng family army. Their combat effectiveness was far superior to the new recruits under Xiang Liang.
After only a few charges, Meng Tian’s army forced Xiang Liang’s troops back into the city, preventing them from exiting.
In such a predicament, Xiang Liang was naturally unwilling to yield.
Therefore, he also led his army in a charge, attempting to break through Meng Tian’s forces and escape.
However, his intentions were noble, but the combat power of his army could not support such an ambition.
After suffering tens of thousands of casualties, Xiang Liang stopped charging. He remained faithfully within the city, wringing his hands in frustration.
Even after losing tens of thousands of men, they had still not broken through. Under such circumstances, a forceful charge would likely result in their complete annihilation.
If the entire army was wiped out, he would be useless even if he reached the Chu capital.
The King of Chu was initially unaware of the situation of Xiang Liang’s army.
However, after a few days, he learned of the situation on the front lines.
When he realized that Xiang Liang’s army was completely trapped and could not come to the capital’s aid, he fell into despair.
“Ah! I hate this! Why can’t these good-for-nothings protect my state!”
“Worthless! All of them are worthless! Xiang Yan is worthless, Xiang Liang is also worthless, and those officials are even more worthless!”
At this moment, the King of Chu blamed countless people but not himself.
Even though he knew that Chu’s current predicament was related to his earlier confiscation of the people’s wealth, he still begrudged blaming himself.
However, as he watched Lin Tian’s army drawing ever closer, he had no choice but to devise a plan.
“No! I cannot die! I cannot die here!”
“I am the King of Chu, how can I die at the hands of soldiers? I can only die of old age; only heaven can take my life. I want to live!”
“Escape! Escape from here! Go east! The east is full of waterways. I will surely survive!”
With this thought, the King of Chu abandoned any idea of resisting Lin Tian’s army.
He no longer concerned himself with recruiting soldiers.
He was indifferent to whether the Chu capital would be breached by Lin Tian’s army.
What he cared about was whether he had enough ships to flee with his wealth and his concubines.
…