I feel very confident that I understand military tactics and know history better than the average jamoke off the street. But I’m far from an expert, that’s even more certain. Nevertheless to my eye, it was hard to view this week’s opening skirmish as anything other than a pants-down ass-whuppin’ for Zhao. We know Li Mu is reputed to be a genius at both tactics and strategy (and even I know they’re not the same thing), so I’m not writing this week’s events off at face value yet. But the early rounds certainly seem to have gone to Wang Jian.
Yang Duanhe has seemingly been dealt a short straw in dealing with a Laoyang army twice her size “for days”. But she seems pointedly unconcerned. Both sides have reinforcements on the way, though hers – 10,000 men under our man Bi – are more numerous. Yet she chooses not to wait for them – instead she attacks the enemy where they stand. Zhao’s forces lack a true understanding of just what these “savages” are capable of. And while Li Mu’s commanders are smart enough not to write them off, that knowledge is seemingly going to come at a very heavy price.
Yang’s job is relatively simple in the big picture – keep the Laoyang army away from Ye while the Qin forces try and outlast their resources. But the main fight is going to be with the Yangxie army, because that’s what will see Li Mi face off against Wang Jian. It’s fated to take place on the vermillion Zhuhai Plain, a site of many great battles in the past (thus the name). If other commander falls in this battle it will surely be a devastating blow to their nation’s chances in this battle of existential survival.
Again, the numbers appear to favor Zhao – the Yangxie army numbers about 200,000, and the invaders only about 88,000. Wang Jian deploys the Fei Xin force in the rear of the central army, behind his own forces. Xin is none too thrilled about this, as it’s hardly a guarantee of glory in battle. But Wang Jian certainly has a plan for them – he always seems to have a plan for everything. Wang Ben and his troops are on the right flank, and Meng Tian is on the left. It’s here that the hostilities will commence, as the young commander has only 5.000 troops at his disposal.
This is an interesting picture Wang Jian has painted for Li Mu. By deploying such a small force on his left flank, it seems clear he’s inviting Zhao to attack him there. But how can Li Mu not take the bait? His massive advantage in numbers allows him to sic a force large enough to crush Meng Tian’s five thousand without weakening his line elsewhere. Theoretically. But Meng Tian is stoic about this, and in the end he – like Yang Duanhe – doesn’t wait for the enemy to take the battle to him. He charges in with his cavalry, draws a fair bit of blood, and then draws back.
Eventually Meng’s tactics draw out Ma Cheng, Li Mu’s strongman, and his cavalry. Meng is cautious here, ordering a retreat, while at the same time recognizing that taking Ma Cheng’s head would be a huge blow to Li Mu’s army. The full extent of the plan is not laid out yet, but clearly Meng Tian wants Ma Cheng to follow on his heels. And seemingly out of nowhere, more Qin cavalry comes – and infantry too. Waves and waves of it, crashing against the enemy with devastating force. It falls to Ji Hui to turn the entire right flank of the Yangxie army to face this enemy – which was surely what Wang Jian was after all along.
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