Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
When Bai Qi received the secret report about Luzi's landing, the movements of Zhao Kuo's Army, known for its infiltration tactics, were also placed on his desk. Zhao Kuo's Army had surprisingly avoided direct confrontation and bypassed the Qin Army's defenses at Yang Gujian, entering the west bank of the Dan River from the northern area of Changping.
Upon receiving this news, Bai Qi sighed inwardly, realizing that his junior indeed enjoyed surprising tactics! However, this was also beneficial as it provided a perfect excuse for the Great Qin Army to withdraw its defenses.
It was well-known that Zhao's Army had gathered hundreds of thousands of troops this time. In addition to over three hundred thousand Zhao soldiers stationed in Taihang Mountain Fortification, the main force of Zhao's Army between the Dan Shui River and Taihang Mountain had exceeded five hundred thousand. With such a large number of troops stationed in this narrow area, it would pose numerous challenges for Luzi's Army to enter secretly. The only viable strategy now was to mobilize Zhao Kuo's Army to vacate this area. Only then could the Qin Army have a chance to cut off Zhao's supply lines.
Since there was already a comprehensive strike plan in place, there was no point in dragging things out. Feeling that everything was under control, Bai Qi immediately ordered the main force of the Qin Army at the Dan Shui River Defense Line to split into two teams.
The original garrison team would maintain their defensive mission and continue monitoring the movements of Zhao's Army across the river. The newly formed team would move southwest on a large scale to prevent being cut off by Zhao's Army, which had already crossed the river stealthily.
Bai Qi was somewhat familiar with Zhao Kuo's tactics. As long as Zhao's Army had not completed an encirclement, they generally would not initiate an attack. Since that was the case, he decided not to allow them to complete their encirclement. He ordered scouts to be deployed widely to ensure he could grasp Zhao Kuo's Army's movements at any moment.
At that moment, Shangdang presented an astonishing scene, as if two armies were not there to fight but to race against each other. As soon as Zhao Kuo's Army pushed outward, Bai Qi commanded the Qin Army to appear around Zhao's Army. It became a game of circles extending infinitely outward.
Bai Qi had long known that Lian Po had not captured West Rampart in Shangdang and initially planned to resolve this matter before attacking Zhao's Army on Taihang Mountain. Unexpectedly, Zhao State replaced their impatient commander with Zhao Kuo in Shangdang, resulting in no opportunities to capture West Rampart.
Now both armies were engaged in a game of drawing circles; Bai Qi immediately ordered the Qin Army to push outward while casually taking control of West Rampart behind them. The operation was extremely simple: while both Qin and Zhao armies were trying to avoid encounters, they aimed to control Zhao's West Rampart in a vacuum zone between the two armies.
How could they establish this vacuum zone? Currently, it was the Qin Army leading Zhao Kuo's Army by the nose. Wherever the Qin Army appeared, Zhao's Army would inevitably push outward several miles for flanking maneuvers. As long as Bai Qi commanded the Qin Army to appear near Zhao's West Rampart, Zhao Kuo's Army would naturally move westward several miles in response.
The Qin Army’s actions were essentially meant for Zhao Kuo’s Army to see. However, what truly caught the attention of the guards at Zhao’s West Rampart was the Qin soldiers dressed in Zhao Military Uniforms. When Zhao Kuo received news from his disoriented infiltrating troops, he quickly realized the true intentions of the Qin Army. He immediately ordered the closest infiltrating unit to West Rampart to halt their actions and provide direct support.
Bai Qi’s years of studying military strategy were not in vain! After deploying troops intended to deceive West Rampart, he promptly commanded Generals Sima Geng and Sima Cuo to lead their twenty thousand men into an ambush at Zhuangtou Village west of West Rampart. They were strictly ordered not to let a single soldier from Zhao’s Army escape; otherwise, they would face severe consequences!
After Sima Geng and Sima Cuo led their troops away, Bai Qi dispatched General Hu Shang with ten thousand Cavalry to raid Shanhou Village, located ten miles north of Zhuangtou Village. As Hu Shang prepared to receive his orders at the Main Tent, Bai Qi commanded the Soldiers to bring out Old General Wang He's Standard Bearer. He handed it over to Hu Shang while providing instructions on how to use the flag in battle. As for understanding the orders, obedience was all that mattered.
Trust on the battlefield is crucial, especially for Bai Qi, who relied heavily on Hu Shang as his right-hand man. Among the generals of the Qin State, Hu Shang was the one who maintained a close and unwavering relationship with Bai Qi. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he followed Bai Qi's commands almost without question. To speak a blasphemous truth, this was something we would only discuss privately. At this moment, Bai Qi would not hesitate to have him carry Wang He's Standard Bearer into battle; he would even do so with the Great Banner of Zhao without a second thought.
Bai Qi's actions were driven by his own calculations. Later generations would label Bai Qi as an extremely ruthless individual, but that judgment came from those who had never experienced the brutality of war. The concept of a Just War has often been romanticized in historical records by scholars over time. When faced with an enemy armed to the teeth, the only way to ensure one's survival is to kill.
A general's success often comes at the cost of countless lives! This statement applies not only to those generals fighting for what is deemed just but also to those battling for so-called evil causes. The age-old saying of "the victor writes history" reflects how quickly right and wrong can shift.
Bai Qi was the kind of person who either did nothing or went all out when he did act. Until he completed his entire battle plan, he would not allow any information about the Qin Army's movements to leak. At this point, the encirclement had not yet solidified; if Zhao Kuo discovered that Bai Qi was leading his forces and caused widespread panic, the hundreds of thousands of Zhao Army troops would be beyond what the current Qin Army could manage.
Zhao Kuo's operational intent was clear: to implement large-scale infiltration tactics aimed at annihilating tens of thousands of Qin Army troops in Shangdang, ideally leaving none alive. Bai Qi's strategy mirrored Zhao Kuo's; he aimed to ensnare hundreds of thousands of Zhao Army troops in a comprehensive trap.
One wonders how history would judge the Shangdang Campaign had Zhao Kuo's plans succeeded. However, history does not entertain hypotheticals; it merely evokes sorrow in its readers.
Zhao Kuo, who had always preferred being at the front lines, now felt a sense of unease as his infiltrating units consistently reported bad news. No matter where they went, places on the map where no Qin Army should be present always seemed to have them active.
Wasn't the main force of the Qin Army stationed around Dan Shui River? Why were they everywhere in Shangdang Region!?
Feeling a twinge of anxiety, Zhao Kuo secretly crossed Dan Shui River with his Army. He decided to personally scout villages near West Rampart, which had yet to be captured by the Qin Army. If conditions near West Rampart were unfavorable, adjustments would need to be made to their battle plans.
The garrison at West Rampart had held out for over two years, but their supplies had long been depleted. What no one expected was that their sustenance came from local civilians living in Shangdang Region who secretly assisted them.
Although the Qin Army maintained strict blockades along their route, they could not overcome the locals' familiarity with their own environment. Secret passages emerged as a result, ensuring that West Rampart remained unconquered. This was why supplies of food and reinforcements continued to flow quietly into West Rampart from Changzi County City.
<div style="text-aliger;margin-bottom:30px">
<a id="pb_shouye" .akxs6.odules article="" addbookcase.php?bid="745&cid=310811"">《</a id="pb_shouye" .akxs6.odules></div style="text-aliger;margin-bottom:30px">
Comment 0 Comment Count