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墨書 Inktalez
Zhao Kuo is not the kind of person with a heart of stone. After repeated insistence from the Chief of Staff, he ultimately decided to allocate troops for Flood Control to handle the dispatch. The target is West Rampart. As the leader of Zhao Army at this time, he also faces his own difficulties. When confronted with tough choices, there must always be some trade-offs.
If it were feasible, as the Commander, Zhao Kuo would certainly find a way to relieve the siege on West Rampart. This is not only due to the prolonged resistance of the garrison there but also to express the General's stance. A successful rescue would also serve to reassure those who have fought alongside him that no one would be easily abandoned.
However, the current issue is that the direction for rescuing West Rampart forms a right angle with the direction in which Zhao Army intercepted the Qin Army Commander’s escape. It can be understood that while it seems like a journey of half an hour is not too far, completing the rescue operation and then returning to their current base at Xu Family Village would take at least an hour and a half. If such a long delay occurs, it is likely that Wang He has already returned to Qin State!
Flood Control, being an experienced veteran in the military, naturally understands the Commander’s predicament. It is precisely because he knows this that he proactively proposed a solo operation request to alleviate some of the burden on the Commander. Regardless of what the final outcome may be, at least the attitude towards rescue is clear.
This move is also intended to reassure the garrison at West Rampart so that it does not lead to a mutiny. As for the number of participants in this operation, three thousand troops should be sufficient for a surprise attack!
After bidding farewell to the General, Flood Control gathered the generals from various divisions of Zhao Army that had been newly allocated and explained the situation. However, rather than discussing attitudes, he directly informed them about going to relieve West Rampart.
After all, this action of separating from the main force is considered independent work, and this rescue team composed of three thousand men will remain at West Rampart. Flood Control assessed the situation and collected supplies far exceeding individual carrying limits. A large amount of military supplies and food will accompany them to West Rampart and ultimately remain with the troops to continue holding their ground as essential supplies for Zhao Kuo's Army during their liberation of the entire Shangdang Region. It can also be understood that this independent unit appears to be conducting an offensive operation but is actually providing logistical support by delivering supplies to West Rampart.
Regardless of whether West Rampart is within reach, there must be troops stationed at Xu Family Village occupied by Zhao Army. The captured locations will eventually become Zhao territory, and leaving soldiers behind is an unavoidable issue for any attacking force. Moreover, this location happens to be a central node for dividing forces; thus, Zhao Kuo decided to leave two thousand troops stationed here. One reason is to ensure smooth communication with West Rampart once it is opened up; another reason is as a reception point for subsequent logistical support units.
At Shanhou Village, abandoned by Qin Army, one thousand Zhao Army soldiers are responsible for guarding it. The old generals led by Luzi who captured Great King Village and Zhao Army who crossed Dan Shui River at shallow fords had originally planned to leave soldiers behind as well. However, due to its strategic importance, they were quietly taken over by Qin Army later on.
Without receiving any news, Zhao Kuo now just wants to quickly capture the Qin Army Commander. Sending a messenger to contact the rear garrison seems like an ineffective move. If he had paid a little more attention, he would have noticed that unusual occurrences had begun appearing in Zhao Army's rear lines. The result of this oversight is that Zhao Army's command structure remains unaware that their communication and logistical support have completely failed.
The unspoken rule of survival on the battlefield is not to focus solely on defeating opponents while neglecting the possibility of being defeated oneself. This may sound cliché but it represents the minimum requirement for ensuring one's survival.
At this moment, Zhao Kuo has forgotten that his opponent is also a predator and still naively believes that Qin Army consists entirely of herbivores. The misjudgment may stem from how smoothly things progressed during the early stages of Shangdang Campaign, leading some individuals to let their guard down when they should not have done so.
As the most crucial intelligence gathering operation at the beginning of this battle faced severe delays, the Zhao State's intelligence department bore an undeniable responsibility. Nearly six hundred thousand troops from the Zhao Army went into battle without receiving any timely intelligence feedback. Throughout the entire Shangdang Campaign, all battlefield intelligence was collected by the Zhao forces on the front lines through their own efforts. This led everyone to ponder the same question: who exactly were we fighting for?
According to information later collected by the Qin State regarding Zhao's intelligence department, the number of personnel in Zhao's intelligence division was extremely large. Actual statistics indicated that their registered personnel exceeded the total number of personnel in the Qin State's intelligence department by a factor of two. This does not even account for those unregistered intelligence personnel, whose numbers were significant.
A miracle!
This was the only statement made by all the intelligence personnel from the Qin State involved in the intelligence gathering efforts.
Due to the untimely battlefield intelligence feedback, a Flood Control Unit carrying a large amount of military supplies safely arrived at West Rampart only to discover that the City Wall had already changed flags. By the time they realized and attempted to retreat, they were confronted by Qin Army Commander Sima Geng, who had blocked their escape route.
The Old General Sima Cuo, disguised as a Zhao Army soldier, successfully deceived West Rampart, achieving a level of success that took Sima Legion by surprise. The prolonged siege led to several changes in generals for the Qin Army, but unexpectedly, they managed to capture it upon arrival.
Filled with doubts, Sima Cuo inspected the troop configuration within Stone City, and the results left him in awe. The warhorses inside had turned into food for the soldiers, with hardly any bones left. The emaciated Zhao Soldiers lacked even the strength to stand in formation but persevered until this moment with sheer courage.
Deeply moved, the Old General did not command his soldiers to collect heads as he had done in the past; instead, after confiscating weapons, he immediately ordered the cooking camp to prepare meals. He wanted to convey one message to all those Zhao Army soldiers who had held out until now: your defensive mission is complete! There is no need to fight anymore!
The Qin Army's retreat was not always orderly; some were driven into chaos by the rapid advance of the Zhao Army. This caused significant losses in their supplies, with some units left with only their personal weapons and equipment. The Sima Legion was also unfortunate; this time, they did not carry many supplies. Indeed, they were consumed by the Zhao Army at West Rampart, leaving this Qin State army facing potential starvation.
Prioritizing immediate concerns, Old General Sima Cuo insisted on feeding the captured Zhao soldiers first despite opposition. As for food... there should be a solution! Even he did not fully believe this statement himself. While sitting in a stone house within the city troubled by these thoughts, he suddenly heard that a contingent of Zhao Army had arrived as promised!
Overjoyed, Sima Cuo hurriedly led his team up to the City Wall, and what greeted his eyes was a large supply of provisions outside the city!
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