The first reinforcements to arrive were a cavalry force of five hundred men led by Gao Yun.

  When entering the Crown Prince's camp, the gate was already charred, the camp was in disarray, and there were corpses everywhere. There were Han army uniforms as well as Huanan rebel army uniforms.

  "Find out where His Highness the Crown Prince is." Gao Yi ordered with a wave of his hand.

  The bloodstained masses, the deepest and heaviest place from the gate to the camp, then pointed towards the rear camp direction. However, they no longer needed to point the way, Gao Yi had already heard the exhausted killing sounds.

  He galloped his horse, riding it extremely fast, and from a distance saw on the mountain ridge, amidst the heavily guarded Han army, one person prostrating themselves on the ground, one holding a sword, and one wearing white clothes. Upon hearing the sound of his horse's hooves, both of them lifted their heads, with eyes gleaming with wild joy.

  Then a lone arrow shot out from an unknown place, amidst the crowd's cries of surprise, and hit the young man holding the sword right in the shoulder. With a clang, the sword fell to the ground.

  "Charge!" Gao Yi's heart tightened, and he let out a frenzied roar. Hundreds of horses formed a long battle line, charging straight up the mountain slope, pulling both armies into a chaotic melee.

  One hour later.

  Soil drought.

  All dust has settled.

  Underneath the armor, a few strands of disheveled hair slipped out, covering the blood stain on his left cheek caused by the arrow. Liu Ying's appearance was somewhat disheveled. When the arrow cluster was pulled out, it brought out dark blood flowers, which made him hum a sound. With the inner servant wrapping his wounded left shoulder, Liu Ying turned back and smiled, "Thank you, General Gao, for coming to our aid in time." The prince killed me. Letting the prince fall into danger is my fault. I am only doing my duty, so please do not mention it, Your Highness." Gao Xue knelt on one knee and said solemnly.

  The battle was extremely bloody. Only two of the six Northern Army lieutenants survived, and the vanguard general Fan Jie was exhausted and fainted, while deputy general Zhang He was seriously injured.

  Liu Ying forced a smile and turned to ask the guard who was walking by her side, "How is General Zhang now?"

  "Reporting to Your Highness. The military doctor said that although General Zhang's injury looks quite frightening, it will actually heal in just one month of rest."

  Fan Kuai, Marquis of Wuyang, arrived back in the evening of that day.

  On the second day, Taiwei Zhou Bo rushed back.

  The first gate of the city was guarded by 1,800 northern soldiers. Only 132 people survived, including 36 who were seriously injured. Among the three northern army lieutenants, Lieutenant Shi Gan and four others died, Dong Jie's arm was severed, and Lü Bi was seriously injured.

  In the newly set up central army account, the book official is reporting the casualties of the Han army in this battle, with a sad tone.

  "The garrison's border army, 96 people survived, General Fan Qian escaped with his life and fainted."

  The official covered his hands with a bamboo slip and said sorrowfully, "Only sixteen of the imperial guards who were by Your Highness's side have survived. Eleven are seriously injured."

  A vast army of four thousand men and horses, in the end, only these two hundred and forty-four people are left.

  Liu Ying let out a light sigh as she sat down, her face pale and wan.

  "But since Ying Bu has been captured." Zhou Bo raised his military robe and cupped his hands, "then the State of Huainan is without a master. It can be taken in no time. However," he recalled how he had been worried sick for this whole day, and couldn't help but scowl with half his face darkening, "Your Highness really shouldn't have put yourself in harm's way, making us ministers worry, and also worrying the Empress in Chang'an."

  At this time, Liu Ying had already taken off his armor and changed into a soft robe. Unable to withstand the force, he leaned slightly against the back of the couch, his face pale due to loss of blood, with a shallow wound on his left cheek. Liu Ying smiled and said, "Zhou Taizai's words are reasonable. It's just that I think... If Ying Bu can't see me, then these thousands of horses in Huainan will be wandering around. Not to mention disturbing the people, it's also difficult for our army to capture him."

  "What's the big deal?" Zhou Bu was naturally straightforward and didn't understand the implication of his words, waiting to say more. Suddenly, he saw the boy's transparent eyes, his mind racing, and he suddenly took a deep breath.

  Ying Bu wanted to capture the Han prince Liu Ying as bait, to restrain the Han army. Then, why couldn't Liu Ying turn the tables and take advantage of the situation, using himself as bait to tie down Ying Bu's three thousand rebel troops in this small military camp on the north bank of the Huai River?

  With 4,000 Han soldiers fighting against 3,000 rebel troops, it was inevitable that they would suffer losses. This military achievement, if attributed to any other Han army, would be considered unremarkable and nothing to boast about.

  But the one who led this army was none other than Liu Ying.

  This young nobleman, previously not known for his bravery as a general, was not a true warrior in the classical sense, unlike his father. He had never truly experienced the battlefield, and when faced with life or death, he didn't need any lofty or desperate reasons to make this decision; simply having the courage to do so is worthy of praise and admiration.

  However, he fought and defended with a military strength roughly equivalent to that of the Huainan rebels, withstanding the desperate attack of the Huainan army until the arrival of the Han reinforcements.

  Under Zhou Bo's silent gaze, the young man in black robes stood up and walked out of the camp, looking at the front of the main tent, where two days ago, the land was stained with the blood of countless Han soldiers. Now it has become a desolate and clean place, and the corpses that were piled up all over the ground have been buried by the green grass.

  Liu Ying looked and looked, as if she would look until next spring, this land that had been watered with blood would take root and sprout, new green grass would grow, the green grass would grow long into midsummer, a group of Han men wearing armor would walk out laughing, kneel down on one knee to worship, and say in unison, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince."

  "Does Zhou Taigong think he's been tricked?"

  Liu Ying's attention was focused on him, and he had never spared half a glance for the old general who stood beside him with great honor.

  "No, ah, no, it's not dare." Zhou Bo said awkwardly.

  If it were any other general, facing the enemy on the battlefield would be a matter of course, nothing to say. Liu Xing's difference lies in his identity, which destined him not to make any mistakes, otherwise it would involve too many people.

  But putting aside his status as Crown Prince, this battle itself was not fought well, but the post-battle effect was very good.

  Capture Ying Bu, and the remaining heroes of Huainan will not be enough to worry about. The conquest of Huainan is just a matter of time. The Han people in the territory of Huainan will suffer less from the war. And more soldiers on both sides who should have lost their lives in this war will survive.

  "Gu also felt that Gu was reckless." Liu Ying seemed not to have heard his words, and said in a soft voice, "If I hadn't insisted on going my own way and fleeing to the border town, perhaps these three thousand Han soldiers wouldn't have lost their lives on the banks of the Huai River."

  The first time on the battlefield, the first time to kill someone, no one will be unmoved as if nothing had happened. Perhaps at that time, the situation was urgent and there was no time to think carefully. But afterwards, thinking of the person who lay in front of you with blood flowing from his body, he still stretched out his hand when he died, staring at you with a dead gaze, how can you eat and sleep peacefully, and have a good night's rest?

  Zhou Bo frowned, looking at the young man in front of him. He was also a soldier and naturally knew that Liu Ying was the thorn in his heart. A 16-year-old boy who had just seen the bloody battlefield for the first time, he was originally a gentle and weak-minded master.

  No.

  Zhou Bo made an iron-clad decision in his heart.

  They greatly esteem and store up (the teachings of) Confucius, benevolent yet not weak.

  How can a weak person suddenly decide the fate of the nation and generously welcome the enemy? How can a weak person hold a sword against the ferocious rebel army without panicking in times of crisis?

  Zhou Bo stood against the light, his head tilted back as he faced the young man in black standing at the entrance of the tent. His profile was lean and slender, a weakness he had always looked down on. However, there was already a hint of respect in his eyes.

  What kind of crown prince do the brave generals who have fought on the battlefield want? He doesn't have to personally take the field, be crowned with bravery among the three armies; but he must have the courage to bear the burden of war.

  He doesn't have to be a genius or a master strategist, but he must be able to make decisions and understand the situation clearly.

  In the army, there's no need to be so particular. Those who are afraid of blood and death can be dragged out and given a good beating with a board. After that, they won't think about it too much. But Liu Ying is a noble, and it's really not suitable for him to do such things. Zhou Bo was in a difficult situation for the time being, furrowed his brow, and just didn't know what to do when he suddenly heard a mocking laugh from outside the tent.

  "Your Highness's words, however, sound wrong to Xiang."

  Xu Xiang walked over in a white robe, with a purple silk pouch hanging from his waist. He smiled and said, "As the saying goes, 'Righteousness does not guard wealth, benevolence does not wield arms.' And also as the saying goes, 'Small benevolence is the enemy of great benevolence.' After this battle, the people of Huainan will remember Your Highness. The other Han armies will also remember Your Highness. You must understand that these soldiers' lives are human lives too."

  "The soldiers fought to the death, which was their fate. They exchanged three thousand lives for thirty thousand Han troops and brought peace to three hundred thousand people in Huainan. These three thousand soldiers," Xǔ Xiāng's face slowly turned solemn, "died as they should."

  Zhou Bo looked at the young man dressed as a Confucian scholar with interest. He had never studied literature and always disliked Confucians, but now he found this young Confucian's words to his liking.

  There were also some talents around the crown prince.

  "Sir is right," Liu said, stunned for a moment, then bowed and said, "It was Ying who made the mistake."

  In the autumn of the eleventh year of Han, in September, Huainan King Ying Bu led 2,800 men to take a shortcut and attack the prince's central army camp. The upper and lower ranks of the central army were all brave, and they held out for half a day. When the Han relief troops arrived, they captured Ying Bu.

  Huainan kingdom was in chaos, Ying Bu's two sons Ying Zhun and Ying Fan led the army, but could not control the masses. That month, they went down to Jiujiang, Lujiang.

  Twenty-sixth year, Emperor Gao issued an edict to the whole country, enfeoffing imperial son Liu Chang as Prince of Huainan, with his capital at Lu'an, and appointing Zhang Qing as Chancellor of Huainan.

  "What kind of person is this Lu Zhi? I seem to have seen his name before." Liu Bang flipped through the military report, asking Zhao Yao, the imperial historian beside him.

  "Your Majesty has a good memory." Zhao Yao bowed and smiled, "This Lü Bi is a captain of the Northern Army, who once served under the Longle Gate General, guarding the front hall of the Longle Palace. Oh," he added casually, "it turns out that he is also the son of Chen Liu's Lü Sheng."

  "Lu Sheng? Which Lu Sheng?" Liu Bang couldn't think of it for a moment.

  "It's Lisheng who eats his food."

  "It's him." Liu Bang sighed.

  Lü Sheng ate it and had made great contributions to the great Han dynasty, but died before the Han unified the world.

  At that time, when he was still a minor force among the many anti-Qin righteous armies, he passed through Chenliu and Lü Chen came to surrender. And helped him capture Chenliu City. Later, he even made the achievement of surrendering 72 cities in Qi, but because of the betrayal of Han general Han Xin at that time, he was boiled alive by the people of Qi with five tripods. It seems that I am indeed old, Liu Bang sighed, only to have some distant memories of those old friends.

  "Well, let's make him a marquis then."

  "But," Zhao Yao said in surprise, "Your Majesty, Lu Sheng's military achievements are not enough to be enfeoffed as a marquis."

  "Alright," said Liu Bang with a wave of his hand, "I'll spare him for his father's sake."

  Then Bei Junxiao Wei Lu E was sealed as Gao Liang Hou, and Ben He was sealed as Qi Si Hou.

  For military merit, Wu Yang Hou Fan Kuai was given an additional 5,100 households in Quzhou. Xinwu Hou Jing Xu was appointed as the General of Chariots and Cavalry, with an additional seal of 5,300 households. General of Chariots and Cavalry Gan Yiren was appointed as the Vanguard, with an additional 2,500 households. It was decreed that Yiren would be given 5,000 households in Yingyin, excluding his previous fiefs.

  At the same time, Zhang He, who was injured in his left eye during the Battle of Huainan, was granted the title of Marquis of Guannei.

  Next October, I will conquer Ruyucheng, Hengshan, Yuzhang and Liu'an. Ying Quan will be killed in battle, Ying Hao will flee to Vietnam and die in Fan Yang.

  By the end of October, the rebellion in Huainan had been put down. At this time, the vassal kings had returned to their respective domains, and Crown Prince Liu Ying was about to lead his troops back to Chang'an.

  Note: Guannei Hou is an honorary title without a fiefdom.

  Celebrating with flowers after winning the fight.