Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors-Chapter 494 - 265: Counter-Encirclement

Inside the Jin Army’s camp.

"Report! The Qi Army has started to move!"

Wanyan Sheng immediately stood up in surprise, "Oh? They’ve finally made a move! Excellent!"

For Wanyan Sheng, this period had been one of nervousness and indecision.

But thankfully, as long as the Qi Army made a move, it would be easier to deal with!

The Western Army of the Qi had been defending steadfastly without venturing out, and the Jin soldiers had tried several times to attack their camps but had not achieved significant results. Meanwhile, the various forces loyal to the king were hurrying over, merely watching from a distance. Although they dared not attack, their presence greatly annoyed the Jin soldiers.

At this moment, Wanyan Sheng didn’t have many good options.

Attack forcefully? Not worth it. Retreat? Unwilling.

Thus, the Jin Army finally came to a unified decision: battle the Qi Army in the field before anything else!

The Jin believed that in a field battle, the Western Army would surely collapse at the first clash. Once the Western Army was defeated, the forces loyal to the king around them would be easy targets. After dealing with these forces, it would be straightforward to attack the capital of the Qi Dynasty.

And while Wanyan Sheng was becoming somewhat impatient, this battle had finally arrived!

He wasn’t afraid of the Qi Army taking the initiative to fight; in fact, he was more afraid they would not.

If the stalemate continued, it would drag on indefinitely.

If this war turned into a conflict lasting many months, that would be an unacceptable situation for the Jin. Come high summer, the Jin would have to withdraw their forces.

Wanyan Sheng asked, "Who is commanding their troops? Is it Liu Fa, or Zhong Pingyuan?"

The Deputy General reported, "According to our sources, it’s Liu Fa. Zhong Pingyuan seems to have stayed in the capital."

Wanyan Sheng nodded slightly, "Hmm, I guessed as much."

In his view, Liu Fa joining the battle was highly probable.

At this point, the Western Army had only these two top commanders, and in terms of fighting tough battles, Liu Fa was slightly superior. Although Zhong Pingyuan was also good at warfare, he often excelled more in strategic planning and coordinating various forces.

The Qi Army could not send both commanders to battle.

On one hand, their similar statuses would make mutual command difficult and hinder the Western Army from maintaining a unified will. On the other hand, since Prince Yun had just entered the capital and his foundation was not yet solid, they needed one man to maintain the situation in the city.

Although Prince Yun was already emperor, he didn’t just rely on the legitimacy of the emperorship granted by the Supreme Emperor, but also on military power in his hands. And military power had to be wielded by someone.

That person could only be Zhong Pingyuan.

Thus, after much consideration, Wanyan Sheng believed that the Qi Army using Liu Fa for the battle while Prince Yun and Zhong Pingyuan stayed in the capital to stabilize the rear was the most likely choice.

Wanyan Sheng stepped out of his camp, quickly strategizing about the battle.

"Liu Fa is indeed a well-known general of the northwest, but his victories were mostly gained through battles with Xixia.

"Xixia might be a tough bone to chew, but how can it compare to the might of my Great Jin?

"The two forces are not even on the same level.

"Moreover, while Liu Fa is brave, his ability in strategic planning and adapting to changing situations is relatively lacking. His bravery matched against the people of Xixia might make him a worthy opponent, but against my Great Jin, it would be a mismatch, merely adding to our ridicule.

"This battle will undoubtedly be grueling, but once the Western Army is defeated, the capital will be mine for the taking!"

It wasn’t surprising that Wanyan Sheng would make such a judgment.

Because at this time, the people of Jin, although it was just the dawn of their kingdom, were at their strongest in terms of military power.

Historically, the Jin had indeed tried to conquer Xixia and had ultimately failed. However, the reasons for not conquering Xixia varied, including Xixia’s fierce resistance and advantageous terrain. Another important reason was that Xixia wasn’t particularly wealthy, so Jin always prioritized conquering the Qi Dynasty over exerting full national effort to annihilate Xixia.

In actual history, the records also mentioned the disparity in military power between Xixia and Jin.

"Lin and his elder brother, binding their hair, joined the army and fought against the Western Barbarians. The battles would be decided just after one charge. Whereas with the Jin, victory wouldn’t spur them to reckless pursuit, nor would defeat lead to disorder; their ranks stayed organized, with commands strictly followed, tough and enduring, the generals harsh and the soldiers ready to die—each battle would drag on for days, a spectacle unseen in traditional warfare."

That is, battles with Xixia usually ended quickly after a single charge.

But fighting against Jin, the Jin had a trait: they wouldn’t recklessly pursue if victorious, nor would they fall into significant disarray if defeated. Their commanders were strict, and the soldiers were ready to fight to the death, with each battle lasting several days.

Likewise, there’s a saying about the Jin soldiers: "One who cannot fight a hundred rounds is not worthy of being called from the Ma army," indicating just how enduring Jin soldiers were at the time.

Wanyan Sheng’s underestimation of Xixia, and thus the Western Army facing Xixia, was hardly surprising.

Moreover, in this world, before Jin rose to power, Xixia had already been annihilated by Prince Yun. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

Since Xixia and Jin had never clashed, Wanyan Sheng naturally rated Xixia even lower.

Wanyan Sheng was well aware that with his current forces, facing Liu Fa, the odds were greatly in his favor.

...

Meanwhile, inside the camp of the Western Army.

In the past few days, the emperor had already arrived at the camp.

However, this news was strictly confidential, known only to a very few close guards. Anyone who dared to disclose it would be executed without mercy.

And as the large army was mobilized, the emperor’s various orders were also passed down through Liu Fa’s mouth, subtly and gradually changing this military force.

This chapter is updat𝓮d by fre(e)webnov(l).com