Simultaneous travel: I am a talented person in all the worlds

Chapter 458 Zhao Tuo: Wang Jian, your father is here!

Just as Qin Shi Moyu led his elite cavalry in a brief clash with Meng Wu's vanguard,

Meanwhile, more than 200 miles away at Yangwu City, the atmosphere between the Wei and Qin armies was also extremely tense.

A few days ago, Qin general Wang Jian led his troops to the walls of Yangwu City, where they were locked in a stalemate with the Wei army.

At that time, Wei general Zhao Tuo held firm and refused to come out, keeping the city gates tightly closed, showing a determination to defend to the death.

However, at this moment, the city gates of Yangwu City, which had been closed for several days, suddenly burst open, and squads of Wei soldiers, in neat formation, quickly spread out on the vast plain outside the city and formed battle arrays.

……

"General! The Wei army has left the city!"

The news brought by the Qin army scouts on horseback quickly reached Wang Jian.

This young Qin general, who had already shown extraordinary potential, had a hint of doubt in his eyes after receiving the message from his subordinates.

"Set up battle formation outside the city?"

His first reaction to the other party's unusual behavior was that it was a trap!
The Wei general opposite them was by no means an ordinary person.

Although he was defeated in the previous battle, he managed to maintain his army's formation and lead it to retreat ten miles with its entire structure intact, preventing the enemy from expanding their gains. In the end, he returned safely to Yangwu City.

The fact that the enemy could remain calm and composed even after defeat is enough to demonstrate their strength.

Given that such an opponent is inferior to us in terms of troop strength, morale, and equipment, why would he recklessly abandon the advantage of a fortified city and take the initiative to leave the city to seek open battle?
Wang Jian rode his horse to the front of the formation, only to see that the Wei army was in a strict formation, with swords and spears standing in a forest. Judging from the size of the army, it was about 30,000, which could be described as a full-scale attack.

Upon seeing Wang Jian appear in front of the Wei army, Zhao Tuo spurred his horse forward and brandished his spear in a provocative manner.

"Wang Jian! Your father, Zhao Tuo, is here. Do you dare to fight me to the death?!"

Before Wang Jian himself could react, his officers and soldiers were filled with righteous indignation upon hearing this, their faces showing anger at being humiliated.

"General! This humble general requests permission to fight!!"

"How dare this defeated general boast here! General, let me take his head!!"

Enraged, the Qin generals drew their swords with a clang and were about to ride forward, but their eyes kept glancing at Wang Jian.

Wang Jian glanced at them indifferently, too lazy to pay them any attention.

They're all seasoned veterans; how could they possibly be provoked by just a few words?

They all pretended to be brutes, but their only thought was to kill enemy generals and gain merit on the battlefield.

"Zhao Tuo is a man of steady mind and would never act rashly. His initiative to come out of the city to challenge us must have a purpose!"

Wang Jian surveyed the surroundings with a calm gaze, considering countless possibilities in his mind, yet he still couldn't grasp the enemy's intentions.

At that moment, Zhao Tuo provocatively spurred his horse past the Qin army's firing range.

"Hahahaha! I've long heard of the Qin state's fierce and ruthless reputation, but I never imagined there would be such a coward as you! The battle the other day was only won because of my carelessness, allowing you scoundrels to escape by sheer luck!"

"If you dare not fight, then obediently dismount and surrender, and your father may spare your life! Hahaha!"

The extremely arrogant shouts and curses, carried by the wind, clearly reached the ears of every Qin soldier.

The Qin soldiers stared at the Wei general who was spewing filth, and a sense of anger rose in their hearts.

It wasn't because of what the other person said.

In fact, in the last hundred years, who has ever dared to be so presumptuous as to speak disrespectfully in front of the Qin army?
All eyes turned to General Wang Jian.

Wang Jian remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he sighed.

For a century, the Qin army had been overwhelmingly superior to the armies of the six states, and each of them held the armies of the six states in utter contempt.

This extraordinary spirit gave the Qin soldiers extremely high morale and bravery, making them as fierce as wolves and tigers, which is why they were feared by the other six states and called the "Tiger and Wolf Army".

But this comes at a price.

For example, at this moment, if he allows the enemy general to hurl insults in front of the enemy without taking any offensive measures.

The Qin soldiers would then harbor resentment towards their commander, which is a classic example of how victorious armies become arrogant.

However, if one is overconfident in one's own combat strength and too contemptuous of the enemy, and if one completely loses rationality and judgment, then an arrogant army will surely be defeated!

How to command these arrogant and fierce soldiers.

How to accurately judge the enemy's thoughts.

That depends on whether the general commanding this army is qualified.

Wang Jian was such a qualified general!
"Pass on my orders."

"All troops, break camp and retreat back to Suanzao City!"

Wang Jian's calm and powerful voice, falling into the ears of these officers who were preparing to charge, drew surprised glances from them.

They stared wide-eyed at Wang Jian, even wondering if they had misheard.

Was the order given by their own commander actually an order to attack?
But Wang Jian's calm eyes seemed to be responding to them, "You heard me right."

"what?!"

"General! Why are we retreating?!"

An impatient officer, unable to suppress his doubts, asked, "The enemy is right below the city walls, challenging us. Our morale is high, and this is the perfect opportunity to capture Yangwu in one fell swoop! Why... why are we retreating back to the city?"

He wasn't questioning Wang Jian's orders, he just couldn't understand them.

Wang Jian's gaze fell on this officer. He knew that this was not just a question on the part of this man, but a source of confusion for all the officers present.

He has just taken command of this large army and his prestige has not yet been fully established. If he does not give a reasonable explanation at this moment, he may not be able to convince the troops and may even affect their morale.

Forcing orders will only backfire.

Therefore, Wang Jian did not use his authority as the commander-in-chief to force or coerce, but patiently explained:
"After Yangwu comes the Wei capital, Daliang. However, to attack Daliang, we must cross the two natural barriers of the Ji River and the Dan River. The Wei army has laid out a series of defenses between these two rivers, and the fortifications are very strong. They cannot be breached in a short time."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the officers present, and continued, "Even if our army manages to break through the two rivers and successfully reach the capital of Wei, so what?" "Our army currently has a maximum of only 20,000 troops. Daliang is the most fortified city in the land, heavily guarded. This city is beyond the reach of our small force."

As the art of war says: "Know when you can fight, and fight when you cannot."

"This battle is extremely risky. Even if we win, it will not benefit the overall strategy of our Great Qin. We should not fight a battle that cannot bring benefits to the country."

"What the general said is absolutely true."

The officer's confusion lessened slightly upon hearing this, realizing that Wang Jian's words were true, but his doubts were not completely dispelled.
"But... if we can capture Yangwu in one battle, we can stabilize our position here, and then send a message to the commander-in-chief to request reinforcements from the rear. At that time, Daliang will not be out of reach!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Jian shook his head.

"The main force of the rear army is still more than 200 li away from here. Even if we send scouts to deliver the message, it will take at least a day. Even if General Meng Ao makes a decisive decision to send troops to support us immediately, it will still take three to five days for the army to arrive here."

"And during this time, the Wei army on the other side has been able to mobilize heavy troops, consolidate the defenses of the Ji River and Dan River, and completely cut off our army's possibility of crossing the river."

There was another point that Wang Jian knew, but he did not tell these officers.

Although the Qin state launched a massive attack with three armies simultaneously, it was a formidable force.

In reality, General Meng Ao's strategic focus was always on Puyang.

Meng Wu, as the vanguard, launched a direct attack on Pingyang, which was a frontal assault.

Yang Duanhe and Zhang Tang crossed the Pu River and attacked the flank and rear, intending to cut off the Allied forces' supply lines.

While Wang Jian's troops appeared to be the main force attacking Wei, it was actually a feint. The ultimate goal was to tie down Wei's forces, preventing them from advancing north to reinforce the main battlefield at Puyang.

If they can capture Puyang, then the entire Hanoi region will fall into the hands of the Qin Dynasty.

As for the so-called goals of "destroying Wei" and "destroying Zhao," these are just empty slogans.

Although the six states are weak now, they are far from being that weak.

Although Qin was powerful, it did not yet possess the absolute strength to destroy a country in a single battle.

The immediate priority is to continue encroaching on territory, further weakening the six states, and patiently awaiting the completion of the Zheng Guo Canal to accumulate greater national strength.

Wang Jian's military command ability, coupled with the detailed explanation he gave at this moment, barely convinced the officers and soldiers present.

The resentment and confusion on the officers' faces were gradually replaced by understanding.

Based on this calculation, attacking Yangwu City would indeed have little strategic significance.

Therefore, the generals suppressed their fighting spirit, clasped their hands in salute to Wang Jian, and responded in unison.

"I will obey the general's orders!"

……

Beneath the walls of Yangwu City, the Qin army, which had been brimming with fighting spirit, actually began to slowly retreat under the watchful eyes of the Wei army.

Bugle calls rose and fell, flags moved slowly, and soldiers neatly packed their bags and marched in formation.

Despite their doubts, their fear of Qin law compelled them to resolutely carry out the order.

Zhao Tuo was stunned as he watched the Qin army slowly retreat. He almost dropped his long spear in shock.

"No... I was just joking around with the insults, why did you actually leave?!"

He knew that if he rashly went out of the city to challenge them, Wang Jian would definitely suspect that there was a trap involved. But he never expected that Wang Jian would be so decisive and directly withdraw his troops back to the city!

This was completely beyond his expectations!

If it were Meng Wu, even if he knew there was a trap, he would definitely think of running away and relying on his own strength to crush the opponent in one fell swoop before the opponent could use tricks.

He suffered the same defeat at Yangwu City.

However, having learned his lesson last time, he'll probably remember it better this time.

However, no matter what, they shouldn't have chosen to retreat and return to the city like Wang Jian did!
Zhao Tuo subconsciously reached for the sound transmission ring on his ring finger, and instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

No!

At this point, if Wang Jian, the most important target, were to retreat back into the fortified city of Suanzao...

When the commander arrives, we must use his head as a sacrifice to the flag!
With this thought in mind, Zhao Tuo suddenly raised his long spear, pointed it forward, and let out a roar:

"The Qin army fled in fear of battle!!"

"All troops, listen to my command! Follow me and kill!"

"kill--!!"

Thirty thousand Wei soldiers roared battle cries, emboldened by Wang Jian's retreat.

The order to pursue them further boosted morale.

The war drums thundered, and the Wei army quickly shifted from defense to offense, rushing towards the retreating Qin army positions like a raging torrent.

As the Qin army arrayed itself, Wang Jian watched the Wei army surge forward like a tide, his gaze grave.

The other side was willing to expose their intentions in order to forcefully keep them on this battlefield!

He realized that there must be a trap involved, and that it was a big one!
However, he still couldn't figure out where the problem lay.
What is the other party's true purpose?
Wang Jian frowned, his mind racing, trying to find any weakness in the Wei army's pursuit.

No matter how he looked at it or thought about it, he couldn't figure out what cards the other party had in their hand.

"Could it be a bluff? A deliberate attempt to deceive me, betting that I will be cautious?"

Wang Jian muttered to himself, wondering if he was overthinking things.

However, he still did not order a counterattack, but instead issued another order to retreat.

"Order the entire army to speed up and retreat back to the city! Do not engage the enemy!"

(End of this chapter)