Chapter 223
Book 20 Chapter 6 – Battle Of Zuicheng
Huan Qi came about 30 miles out of the city to receive them.
By now, the mounted troops which were originally made up of 10,000 cavalry and 20,000 backups were now left with a little over 20,000 men. From this it can be seen how intensive the battle chase was along the way.
They left the mountainous area and arrived at the wide open plains on the eastern side of Zuicheng where hills surround them on all sides. The Wei River that leads to the Yellow River is about 50 miles north, flowing from the west to the east. Because of the numerous hills, unless one climbs up to a tall spot, one won’t be able to see the grand view of the magnificent river flowing.
From Hangu all the way up north here, it’s a distance of 300 miles.
Xiang Shaolong rode alongside Huan Qi as the army moved towards Zuicheng. The former saw that the defenses were done up very well, at the top of all the high points there were forts made from stones and said with satisfaction, "Xiao Qi is really capable. Just looking at the formation shown here will be enough to cause disappointment to Pang Nuan."
Huan Qi was overjoyed to be complimented, "Great General is risking your life at the frontline, how can I just hide here and enjoy my luxuries. Now Zuicheng has joined the army that had just retreated and the total force is now about 150,000 and everyone has been resting to conserve their energy. They are very clear Great General has now arrived to help them defend Zuicheng and are aware that you are luring the enemy westward to tire them out before giving them a painful blow, so now they’re all rubbing their hands in antic.i.p.ation and are willing to lay down their lives for Great General."
Jing Jun who was behind them had always been very close and open with Huan Qi so he chided jokingly, "So Xiao Qi is so crafty to know how to spread rumors. Luckily these rumors have the effect of boosting morale, otherwise we’ll certainly have you punished under martial law."
Everyone laughed.
Huan Qi waved at Zhou Liang, who was behind Xiang Shaolong and complimented, "Brother Zhou has made a great contribution this time. Now everyone in camp is addressing you as G.o.d of Eagles and once you’re around, no one will have to worry about sneak attacks from the enemy."
Zhou Liang mouth split open into a wide smile as he caressed Eagle King who was on his shoulder and said some humbling words.
Amidst their jokes and conversation, they crossed the drawbridge over the river surrounding the city and went into the city.
The scene immediately gave Xiang Shaolong and the rest a huge shock.
The soldiers and civilians in the city have all gathered at the sides of the main street as they cheered wildly. It’s as if they have already won the battle and returned in pride but in fact, the actual main battle has not even started.
Three days later, the coalition army’s vanguards arrived at the eastern plains of Zuicheng.
Huan Qi made use of the fact that they were still tired from the long travel and their weakness in their unfamiliarity with the terrain to launch continuous attacks at them day and night, burning their camps and supplies. The coalition army was forced to retreat more than 20 miles before they could stabilize themselves but by then they have lose close to 10,000 men and the impact to their morale was especially great.
Xiang Shaolong and the rest made use of this time to rest and recover their strength, practicing their formation all day at Zuicheng.
From the Mohist military stratagems, Xiang and Teng chose the formation that is most suited for their enclosed situation, the ‘crab formation’, which is to abandon the usual way of concentrating their force in the middle upfront but to use ‘Frontal Troops’, and to concentrate their force on both sides to attack using ‘Secondary Troops’.
Because they are fighting with the city behind them, the ‘Frontal Troops’ can make use of the siege machines and archers situated on the high walls to strengthen their defenses so they’re not worried that the enemy will make a frontal full force attack.
As for the secondary troops on either sides, they will be made up of mainly the best mounted troops and with their thick blades, are most suitable in missions such as this that requires them to use slash and a.s.sault tactics.
The enemy came from the west and along the way there are numerous hills so that c.u.mbersome attack vehicles and siege machines will have to be abandoned along the way, reducing the threat to the Qin army. Currently the only factor advantageous to the coalition army is their sheer numbers.
Now it’s slowing going into autumn and if the coalition army cannot take over Zuicheng before the arrival of the harsh winter, they will be stuck in an icy situation or maybe even lose the whole army. That’s why Xiang Shaolong is not worried that they will set themselves up for a long siege.
So as long as Xiang Shaolong is willing to leave the city to battle, Pang Nuan will only thank the Heaven and hope for a swift battle.
Ten days later, the coalition army moved closer to Zuicheng once again, slowing moving into the wide plains about 50 miles across outside the city of Zuicheng, setting up tents and camps on the side of the mountainous range and using war chariots to for defensive barriers.
Xiang Shaolong gave orders to cease all attacks on the enemy and allow them to stabilize themselves.
But the impending arrival of the great battle is looming over both the enemy and their own men, tightening the nerves of everyone.
Another three days later, all the troops of the coalition army arrived. Xiang Shaolong and the rest stood on top of the city wall and looked over and on the surface, their enemy indeed looked energetic without a trace of fatigue at all.
Huan Qi looked more intently and after a while, said with a smile, "If we talk about the quality and training of the generals and soldiers, other than the Zhao army, the other four states in the coalition army are far below our standard. This time, General Meng kept getting defeated is due to the many years of fighting between them and Pang Nuan has already become very familiar with his fighting tactics. Therefore he can easily use various methods to target his weaknesses and hence gain victory."
He paused and added, "General w.a.n.g Jian once said, looking at all the famed generals of the recent generation, only Bai Qi and Li Mu does not have a set formula in all their battles, nor do they follow any rules so others are unable predict their actions. As for the others, there will always be traces to be found. Now, General w.a.n.g should include General Xiang into that list as well."
Xiang Shaolong chided jokingly, "You’re really getting better at boot-licking."
Everyone joked and laughed together and the atmosphere relaxed. Teng Yi said, "Although the enemy suffered losses, they still have about 500,000 men left. But I’m not worried about that because all of them still harbor their own intentions and it’s not easy for them to work together. Besides the weather, water and terrain here is not advantageous to southern armies like the Chus. We’ve also blocked their nearby streams with rocks and sand so that it will make lives even more difficult for their tired soldiers. So although they have 500,000 men, we should take into consideration only 200,000 men, which is not far off from our own numbers. However we have solid city walls to protect us and we’re not worried about an extended war. The other party will have to hastily launch attacks to make the best use of time, so it’s needless to point out who will have the better advantage."
Huan Qi looked far ahead and said, "Messengers are riding towards the left and right from the middle of the enemy camp. Obviously they are going to gather the various leaders to got to the middle army for a discussion. It seems like the enemy is going to launch a full scale attack soon."
Xiang Shaolong had an idea