HCB Chapter 553 Conquest of Chu 9
Chapter 553 Conquest of Chu 9
News from Chencheng quickly reached Xianyang via express courier.
When Ying Wuyou received the battle report, she was flipping through the draft of the latest issue of the "Da Qin Xin Bao" newspaper. When she saw the line "Xiang Yan led his army to break through the siege, bringing some of the grain supplies into the city, and the morale of the Chu army was restored," her beautiful brows furrowed slightly.
"Xiang Yan was indeed not to be underestimated..." She put down the battle report and muttered to herself, "It seems that relying solely on battlefield siege and initial propaganda is not enough to completely crush the backbone of the Chu Kingdom. Is the inertia of history really that strong?"
As a time traveler, she knew that in the original historical timeline, the war to destroy Chu was not smooth sailing, and Xiang Yan was an extremely tough nut to crack. Now, witnessing it firsthand, she felt even more pressure. A vague fear of "preordained history" gripped her—could she, this butterfly, truly change the course of history?
She shook her head, forcibly suppressing her unease. Now was not the time for doubt.
Just then, the door opened slightly, and Cui'er walked in with light steps. She was carrying a stack of Chu newspapers in her hands.
Ying Wuyou slowly took the newspaper, unfolded it, and began to read. The words of Chu danced before her eyes. She carefully examined the text, and as time passed, her smile gradually turned somewhat mocking. In her eyes, Chu's counterattack in public opinion was quite naive.
However, Ying Wuyou couldn't help but admire the Chu people's ability to devise a counter-strategy so quickly. Although their counter-attack was still somewhat immature, their ability to react in such a short time was truly remarkable.
After a moment's thought, Ying Wuyou decided to convene the group of people in charge of the newspaper to discuss the matter. He turned to Cui'er and instructed, "Go and invite Ying Gaoshan, Ying Gaolu, and Ying Yueying over." Cui'er responded and left. Soon after, Ying Gaoshan, Ying Gaolu, Ying Yueying, and the others all arrived in the spacious council hall of Chaohua Palace.
Ying Wuyou looked at everyone with a smile, then handed them the newspaper from Chu and said, "Gentlemen, take a look at this newspaper from Chu, what are your thoughts?" Everyone took the newspaper and began to read it carefully.
Ying Gaoshan spoke first: "The State of Chu has also launched a counterattack using newspapers. They should not be underestimated. Their reaction speed is very fast, and they may have even more powerful methods in the future."
Ying Gaolu nodded in agreement: "Yes, we need to think of a way to completely suppress their public opinion."
Seeing their reactions, Ying Wuyou smiled slightly, her smile revealing confidence and composure. Looking at them, she slowly said, "It's normal for the Chu people to retaliate. This proves they've finally learned a little something, but unfortunately, it's just a facade."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet council chamber. The others looked at her with slight confusion, clearly not understanding what she meant.
Seeing this, Ying Wuyou continued, "Their counterattack, though seemingly fierce, actually gave us an excellent opportunity. An opportunity to completely nail Xiang Yan to the position of 'powerful minister'."
His words made everyone else's eyes light up. Ying Gaoshan was the first to react, and he said thoughtfully, "Jiayang means that we can use the Chu people's counterattacks to let the King of Chu see Xiang Yan's 'ambition and tyranny'?"
Ying Wuyou nodded and said affirmatively, "That's right. Xiang Yan wields immense power in the State of Chu, and his actions have long aroused the dissatisfaction of the King of Chu. We only need to skillfully guide public opinion, and he will soon be suspected by the King of Chu."
Ying Yueying chimed in, "But won't doing this cause resentment among the people of Chu? After all, Xiang Yan is deeply loved by the people of Chu."
Ying Wuyou waved his hand and said confidently, "Public opinion is like water; it's better to guide than to dredge. The land of Chu is filled with lamentations and people's hearts are restless. This is a golden opportunity. We must take precise measures and not give the people of Chu, especially those Chu nobles who are still observing, any chance to catch their breath!"
After speaking, Ying Wuyou didn't give the others much time to think and directly ordered: "The new issue of the 'Great Qin News'."
Ying Wuyou lightly tapped the table with his fingertips. "For the front page, draw a 'family portrait' of the Xiang family—General Xiang Yan seated in the center, with young Xiang Yu standing beside him, emphasizing their family's tradition of loyalty, bravery, benevolence, and filial piety. Then, write the Xiang family's story from the perspective of an observer witnessing the rise and fall of Chu. Highlight how the Xiang family has been loyal and virtuous for generations, how Xiang Yan remained fearless in the face of danger, how he was deeply loved by the soldiers and civilians of Chencheng, and how he was a pillar of Chu, the heart and soul of the army."
“However,” she suddenly changed her tone, her voice becoming deep and somber, “in the writing, one must frequently raise ‘questions’ from the perspective of an ‘observer’: Why has General Xiang’s army been besieged in Chencheng for so long, yet there has been no sign of reinforcements from Yingdu? Could it be that General Xiang’s prestige is too high, and his achievements are so great that they have aroused… suspicion?”
"We should use a lot of 'speculation'—perhaps our Great Qin King Jian is only besieging without attacking, not because he is incapable, but because he is unwilling to perish together with a loyal and virtuous general like Xiang Yu. We should write it in a way that is ambiguous and leaves the truth unsaid, so that every Chu person who reads the newspaper, especially the one in the Yingdu Palace, can 'savor' the unspoken meaning for themselves."
"In stark contrast, the King of Chu was incompetent, arrogant, and extravagant! We must use concrete details to depict the decadent lifestyle of Yingdu—soldiers fighting bloody battles on the front lines, lacking food and pay, while the nobles in the palace indulged in nightly revelry and extravagance. We must stand up for Xiang Yan and for the loyal and brave men of Chu! We must make every Chu citizen see clearly how their heroes were betrayed and let down by their king and court!"
At this point, Ying Wuyou paused briefly before continuing, "Next, the newspapers will devote a large section to 'portraying' Xiang Yu. They'll write that even in Xianyang, he never forgets his respect and longing for his grandfather, and that he 'deeply appreciates the Qin King's benevolence and wishes to stay here long-term to reflect on his mistakes.' But at the same time, they'll also write about his 'sorrow and indignation'—he often laments his grandfather's fate when no one is around, laments that the Chu King's incompetence has ruined his family and country, and laments that Xiang Yan's loyalty has become his death warrant!"
Finally, Ying Wuyou stood up and looked into the distance.
"We must also intensify our efforts to publicize the true plight of the Chu refugees. Avoid vague accusations; focus on specific individuals and events! For example, on a certain day in a certain month, outside the capital of Ying, how a Chu nobleman forcibly conscripted laborers, or how local officials colluded with merchants to inflate grain prices during a famine, leading to widespread starvation. The details must be authentic and deeply moving! Only in this way can the people of Chu truly empathize and find a clear target for their pent-up anger!"
"Get it done immediately! I want to see this newspaper spread like snowflakes throughout the cities and towns of Chu within three days!"
"Yes, sir!" The crowd obeyed the order and quickly withdrew.
Ying Wuyou stood alone in the hall, gazing south, towards the land of Chu. She not only intended to defeat her enemies on the battlefield, but also to utterly dismantle the foundations of Chu on the battlefield of hearts and minds. The loyalty and bravery of the Xiang family, the incompetence of the King of Chu, Xiang Yu's "worries," the plight of the refugees… all would become the sharpest weapons in her hands.
This silent war has only just begun.