Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
At the same time that a meeting was being held at the Qin Army Camp, Zhao Kuo summoned the Zhao Generals to the Main Tent for a conference. Faced with the sharp Qin Army Arrow Formation, the Soldiers responsible for charging into the Qin Army's formation suffered heavy casualties.
On the surface, it seemed that the Qin Army was trapped, but in reality, it had also kept Zhao Kuo's forces pinned down without needing to move. Zhao Kuo had another plan: first, he aimed to capture the Supply Base established by the Qin Army in the Daliangshan Basin. As long as they secured these supplies, the Zhao Army could continue fighting against the Qin Army even until the first snowfall of the year.
However, a difficult problem lay ahead. If they did not quickly resolve the issue of this trapped Qin Army, they risked losing everything. For this reason, Zhao Kuo ordered the entire Zhao Army to launch an assault.
Those who breached the Qin Army's formation would be rewarded with gold!
The battle thus entered a heated phase, with casualties rising sharply on both sides. Even so, any breaches in their formation were promptly filled by the Qin Army. As evening approached, their numb minds had turned into machines.
Faced with ineffective attacks, Zhao Kuo gathered his generals before nightfall to discuss strategies. He truly could not think of anyone who could take his place in commanding the Zhao Army; if only Lu Jian had not died and Zhou Zhi had not been injured!
Overwhelmed by various suggestions from his generals, Zhao Kuo felt a headache coming on. Some suggested halting the attack, while others advocated for a Night Battle; opinions were scattered and did not align with what the Commander wanted.
Zhao Kuo raised his hand to silence all the Generals in the Main Tent, urging everyone to listen to the rumbling War Drums outside. "You have all served in my Zhao Army for quite some time now, so you should know what those drums signify. Each beat represents our brave soldiers from Zhao charging into battle."
The generals were puzzled about what their Grand Commander was trying to convey and looked up at Zhao Kuo for further explanation.
Zhao Kuo sighed inwardly and glanced toward the entrance of the Main Tent. Each drumbeat represented another batch of soldiers falling in battle. How many dreams had once existed there? Yet they all came to a sudden halt! He thought about this while looking at the generals standing before him.
"You may not fully understand our current situation; should I explain it to you?"
Hearing that it was likely bad news, the Generals exchanged confused glances. If he was correct, there were a million Zhao troops in the entire Shangdang War Zone. Although they were unsure of some units' original affiliations, at least they wore Zhao Army Military Uniforms. Meanwhile, there were only about 450,000 Qin troops on the other side—this was a two-to-one ratio!
Zhao Kuo raised his hand to silence the noise, and once the Main Tent was quiet, he said, "I believe many of you generals have some fields at home, so you should know that our Zhao State has been engaged in a prolonged battle with the Qin State. Considering the time that has passed and the losses suffered by our hundreds of thousands of Zhao Army, the food supply in our country is no longer sufficient!"
Hearing this, the generals became agitated again. A food shortage for the military is not a good thing. Should they consider retreating? If they continued to hold out, a food shortage would lead to unstable morale. If that happened, they would lose without even fighting.
Zhao Kuo clearly did not want this outcome, as it was not the purpose of this meeting. Ignoring the passionate beats of the War Drum from outside, he waited for the generals to stop discussing the topic of food shortages.
"Before I set out on this campaign, I consulted with our king, and his attitude was quite clear. That is..." Zhao Kuo suddenly paused, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the generals standing on either side. After a moment, he continued, "Zhao Army! Qin Army! Only one army can leave Shangdang! And only one nation can subsequently accept this land!"
Since the various divisions of the Zhao Army followed Zhao Kuo away from the eastern and western fortifications, the generals realized that Zhao Kuo had not left them a way out; even those stationed at the Dan Shui River Defense Line were redeployed to the west bank of the Dan River.
Was this a strategy of burning bridges? Or was it a gamble for survival? Our army is said to be a million strong! Such an all-out approach to battle goes against common sense! Hearing that this was King Zhao's decree made any thoughts of questioning it fade away.
In those days, a royal decree was seen as divine will; it was something that could not be disobeyed. It could instantly elevate someone from a commoner to a shining star or plunge them into hell with no chance of recovery.
The purpose of Zhao Kuo mobilizing the entire army into the Shangdang War Zone had already been validated through continuous combat: even with all their strength, the Zhao Army still found itself in a precarious position. If the situation outside were reversed, it would be clear who would win. If it were the Zhao Army surrounded now, the Qin Army would already be cleaning up the battlefield!
His decision to commit all main forces also had another goal: to seize the Qin Army's supply base by leveraging their numerical advantage. Rather than waiting outside for supplies to run out and face defeat, it was better to take a risk and strike at their center. As long as they could capture the supplies left by the Qin Army in the Shangdang Region, life would become difficult for them as well.
It can now be understood that whoever can hold out until the last moment will be the ultimate victor. The foundation for holding out lies in securing sufficient supplies from the Qin Army!
To put it simply, at this moment, the supplies of the Qin Army are like an acre of land. Whoever seizes it will have a chance to survive. Farmers who lose their land will face two choices: either quickly leave in search of new land or wait to starve.
Faced with the formidable Arrow Formation defense of the Qin Army, for the Zhao Army to achieve victory, they must possess unyielding courage!
Zhao Kuo informed the generals of the current unfavorable situation of the Zhao Army, hoping they would understand that the surrounded Qin Army was actually a stumbling block. The existence of this Qin Army would directly hinder the Zhao Army's path to victory. Moreover, this Qin Army was also an obstacle preventing the Zhao Army from capturing the Qin Army Granary!
Just now, there was a decree from the king, instructing the generals that retreat was not an option; they could only fight. Now, with a glimmer of hope thrown in, the generals could see a chance for survival. This was Zhao Kuo's strategy and the only way to break through the Qin Army's Defensive Formation.
Without supplies, they would soon starve. Rather than waiting to die of hunger, it would be better to die fighting! Just as the generals were determined to lead their troops into a suicidal charge, they suddenly heard good news brought back by the Grand Commander that offered a chance to survive.
The feeling of seeing dawn breaking was truly wonderful! It was the light of victory!
Thus, they all expressed their determination to seek a decisive battle, declaring that anyone who dared to obstruct their army from obtaining supplies was a scourge to the world! Since they were a scourge, they should be kicked aside fiercely! Those who attempted to block the relentless march of history would surely be crushed into dust!
Then let us fight!
Zhao Kuo stated that he would wait for news of victory here, watching as the appointed generals left one after another...
Comment 0 Comment Count