Diqin Designer

Chapter 371: Dividing the Forces
Everyone in the tent looked at the map hanging on the wooden frame. This map was different from the previous ones of the Qin Dynasty. It was more delicately drawn. Not only were place names marked on it, but also geographical features represented by various symbols. Different areas were also distinguished by different colors.

A special box is drawn in the lower right corner of the map, in which all the symbols on the map represent what they represent.

It was not the first time that Touman and others had seen this kind of map. The maps they bought from Daqin were also drawn according to this standard. However, this was the first time they had seen such a detailed one.

It is said that the standard for drawing this kind of map was set by Master Li Nian. Master Li Nian is truly knowledgeable and talented. As a human being, how could he know so much?

Many of the things they use now are related to that Master Li Nian, such as the jade utensils they use in their daily lives, the honeycomb coal for burning fires for heating, the salt they eat, the tea they drink...

Why was such a great talent not born in the Xiongnu but in the Qin Dynasty?
The Qin State was already very strong, and now with the assistance of such a great talent, the Huns would probably find it difficult to catch up even if they tried their best, and could only follow behind the Qin State and keep a low profile.

Wang Ben didn't know what the Xiongnu were thinking. He pointed at the map with a small wooden stick and said, "There is a saying in the ancient military strategy: 'Know yourself and the enemy, and you will not be in danger in a hundred battles; if you know yourself but not the enemy, you will win or lose; if you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will lose every battle.' This 'know' must not only mean knowing, but also knowing accurately. The Chanyu and the other leaders often interact with the Donghu and Yuezhi, and they know them better than we do. We must not know as much as the Chanyu and the others. Therefore..."

Wang Ben changed the subject and said, "If there are any mistakes or omissions in what I say next, the Chanyu and you must point them out in time so that I can correct them!"

Even if the Qin Dynasty had collected relevant intelligence about the situation of the Donghu and Yuezhi before the war, it certainly did not know as much as Touman and others. After all, they were all nomadic peoples and traveled frequently. They knew more about the terrain and environment of the grassland, the military deployment of the Donghu and Yuezhi, and their living customs.

This was also one of the reasons why the Qin Dynasty asked the Xiongnu for assistance in its conquest of the Donghu and Yuezhi, so that they could provide more accurate intelligence about the Donghu and Yuezhi.

Touman also understood the meaning of Wang Ben's words and nodded solemnly: "Don't worry, General, we will tell you everything we know."

Wang Ben circled two areas on the map with a small wooden stick and said, "As far as we know, in this season, the Donghu and Yuezhi people should be grazing in these two areas."

Both the Donghu and Yuezhi were nomads, and nomads live near water and grass. They need to migrate constantly according to the changes in water and grass with the seasons to ensure the survival and growth of their livestock.

The location of migration for grazing is not chosen randomly. You cannot just move to where the grass grows well. Instead, you need to make good plans to utilize the water and grass resources as much as possible throughout the year. If you violate the plan, it will disrupt the migration plan of the entire tribe, with serious consequences.

Therefore, where to graze is almost fixed in each season, unless the season is abnormal and the plan has to be violated. Even the Huns, although Touman and others now live in Touman City for a long time, the tribes they control are also nomadic in this way.

According to the intelligence collected by Daqin, at this season, the main tribes of Donghu and Yuezhi should be grazing in these two places.

Touman thought for a moment and said, "The main tribes of Donghu and Yuezhi should indeed be in these two places at this time. Does the general intend to directly raid these two places?"

Wang Ben smiled and said, "That's right!"

There was no special strategy or plan in this battle. In real battlefield operations, there were few brilliant strategies and tactics like those in historical novels. Most of them were based on confrontation of strength.

The way to use troops is "In any battle, use the normal tactics to unite the troops and win by using the unusual tactics." Here, "use the normal tactics to unite the troops" comes before "use the unusual tactics to win by using the unusual tactics." And the "unique" in "use the unusual tactics to win by using the unusual tactics" means that the general should be familiar with the battlefield situation and win by adapting flexibly.

Upon hearing Wang Ben admit that he would directly launch a surprise attack on the Donghu and Yuezhi, Touman and others secretly said in their hearts, "As expected!" The Qin people were planning to confront the Donghu and Yuezhi head-on.

A Xiongnu leader asked, "May I ask, General, do you plan to pacify the Donghu first, or the Yuezhi first?"

There are only tens of thousands of Qin troops coming today. With such a small force, the Qin people should choose to pacify one of the parties first, and then return to deal with the other party.

Their roles and those of Wusun were reflected at this time. When the Qin people dealt with one of the parties, they either assisted and cooperated with the Qin people in attacking one party, or helped the Qin people to contain the other party.

It is impossible for the Qin people to send troops to attack both sides at the same time!
Dividing the troops to fight is a taboo in military strategy. Moreover, in the view of Touman and others, the Qin army that came this time did not have many troops. If the troops were divided under such circumstances, it was unclear whether the Qin army would defeat the Donghu and Yuezhi, or the Donghu and Yuezhi would destroy the Qin army.

As a famous general of the Qin Dynasty, Wang Ben would not commit such a major military taboo...

However, after hearing this question, Wang Ben gave the answer: "I don't plan to pacify the Donghu first, nor do I plan to pacify the Yuezhi first. I plan to pacify both at the same time."

After hearing this, all the Huns in the tent couldn't help but look at Wang Ben. They didn't know whether this famous Qin general was underestimating the enemy and being arrogant, or whether the Qin Dynasty really had this ability?

Chen Ping and Jiao Li, who were in the tent, looked at each other with a look of "same as we thought". The Qin Dynasty came here to establish its power and naturally had to achieve a stunning victory.

Some Hun leaders wanted to persuade Wang Ben, but they didn't know how. They were just Hun leaders and could not persuade the generals of the Qin Dynasty.

Moreover, judging from Wang Ben's attitude, the matter of dividing the troops and attacking Donghu and Yuezhi at the same time was not a discussion with them at all, but a notification to them.

But dividing the troops to conquer Donghu and Yuezhi was not a good decision. Are the Qin people so confident that they can win?
What made the Xiongnu people in the tent feel even more aggrieved was that it seemed that they had no choice but to follow the Qin people until the end, because if they lost this battle, the Donghu and Yuezhi would be the first to settle accounts with them.

In the past, they had been bullied by the Donghu and Yuezhi. After this defeat, the Donghu and Yuezhi would bully them even more and might even turn them, the Xiongnu, into slaves.

Some Hun leaders even had a strange idea: Could it be that the Qin people wanted to trick them in this way?

But after thinking about it, he felt that it was impossible, because the Qin people would not murder them at the cost of tens of thousands of elite Qin troops. The Qin people actually sent a large army.

As long as they were not mentally ill, no one would kill their own elite troops, nor would they use their own elite troops to carry out a conspiracy to murder others. Do they think their own army is too large? Since the Qin people did not want to harm them, there were only two possibilities: one was that the Qin people underestimated the enemy and were arrogant, and did not take the Donghu and Yuezhi seriously; the other was that the Qin people really believed that even if they divided their troops, they could still defeat the Donghu and Yuezhi.

As the son of Wang Jian, Wang Ben was able to become a famous general of the Qin Dynasty who was almost second only to Wang Jian. Having fought on the battlefield for many years, he would not commit the cardinal sin of underestimating the enemy. That is, Wang Ben really believed that he could divide his troops to deal with the Donghu and Yuezhi.

Thinking of the chariots that the Qin army had brought today, the Hun leaders in the tent felt relieved again. It must be the mysterious objects carried in the chariots that gave the Qin people confidence.

Could it be that thing was also made by that Master Li Nian?
What exactly is it?
Thinking of the chariots, the Xiongnu leaders felt some strange emotions in their hearts, because some of the chariots were carrying people, and the Qin people actually brought people to watch the battle.

It is because they are confident that they will win this battle that they bring those people to watch the battle. If they cannot be sure that they will win this battle, then why bring those people to watch the battle to see how they will be defeated?
Thinking of this, Touman and others felt more at ease. Now they were not afraid of the Qin people's self-confidence, but they were afraid of the Qin people's lack of self-confidence. Although the Qin people's victory might not be a good thing for them, if the Qin people were defeated, the consequences would be even worse.

Some Xiongnu leaders further thought that if the Qin people could really divide their troops to pacify the Donghu and Yuezhi at the same time, then the Qin people's strength would be stronger than they originally thought. They, the Xiongnu, would probably have to follow the Qin people forever, be the younger brothers of the Qin, and depend on the Qin people for their survival.

In a blink of an eye, the Huns' mental journey in the tent had gone through several ups and downs, from surprise and confusion when they heard that Wang Ben wanted to divide the troops, to thoughtfulness, gradually calming down, and then to feeling heavy about the strength of the Qin people.

Wang Ben also knew that dividing the army to deal with Donghu and Yuezhi at the same time would make the Xiongnu worried, so he explained: "Don't worry, we decided to divide the army after careful consideration. It is not to despise Donghu and Yuezhi."

After listening to Wang Ben's words, Touman and others felt more at ease. This famous general of the Qin Dynasty was not confused and arrogant, and he did not take the strategy of dividing the troops because he underestimated the enemy. Instead, he was quite sober.

This also means that there is no possibility that the Qin people will harm them. The Qin people do believe that even if they divide their forces, they can still defeat the Donghu and Yuezhi!
The Qin people thought that the division of the troops was a foregone conclusion and could not be changed. Another Xiongnu leader asked, "May I ask, General, what do we need to do?"

Wang Ben said: "Your main responsibility is to transport food and grass, and to stop the defeated Donghu and Yuezhi armies. We don't have much food and grass for this expedition, so you have to provide it."

Although the actual purpose of this military expedition was to allow the Qin Dynasty to fight a war to subdue the four barbarians and establish its dynasty, we could not say to the outside world that the Qin Dynasty wanted to beat up the Donghu and Yuezhi and intimidate the surrounding countries and tribes.

Therefore, the reason given to the outside world for sending troops was: Donghu and Yuezhi were rude to Daqin and often bullied the Xiongnu. As the elder brother of the Xiongnu, Daqin should uphold justice for its younger brothers, so it sent troops.

The Qin Empire sent out its troops to seek justice for the Xiongnu. As the Xiongnu was its younger brother, it certainly had to show some appreciation. It wouldn't be good for the Qin Empire to provide its own food and fodder, right?
Touman nodded and said, "General, you are leading the army to conquer Donghu and Yuezhi for us, so we will provide the food and grass. General, don't worry, I will ensure that there is enough food and grass so that the Qin soldiers can eat and drink well!"

Even if they had to sell everything they had and let the civilians and slaves eat dirt, they had to ensure that the Qin army had enough food and water.

After getting Touman's assurance, Wang Ben nodded with satisfaction and continued, "The Donghu and Yuezhi are mainly cavalry. Once they are defeated, they will definitely abandon their tribes and flee. You are needed to stop them at this time and prevent them from escaping. After winning this battle, you will be the first to take the Donghu and Yuezhi's wealth."

Although they had been told by Jiao Li and Chen Ping that they would be the first to take the treasure after the victory, Touman and others were still delighted when they heard Wang Ben's personal promise.

They could not help but be happy, as the Donghu and Yuezhi had considerable wealth. Even if they left their best wealth and beauties to Big Brother Qin, the rest would be enough for them to live a life of luxury.

Helping them fight the war and letting them choose the goods first, the Qin Dynasty is truly a model big brother!
Although he wanted to agree immediately in his heart, he couldn't say it out loud. Touman pretended to decline and said, "General, this is absolutely not allowed!"

Wang Ben said, "Why not?"

Touman explained sternly: "If we can win this battle, it is all thanks to the help of Brother Daqin. Brother Daqin should be the first to choose the goods. How can we choose first? Absolutely not!"

Wang Ben said: "What Chanyu said is wrong. Although the Great Qin has sent troops, the food and grass supply for this battle is provided by you. As the saying goes, 'the food and grass must go before the troops move'. Your contribution in supplying food and grass is no less than your contribution in sending troops to fight, and there are still many places where we need to rely on you. How can Chanyu think that your contribution is inferior to that of the Great Qin? Moreover..."

Wang Ben paused for a moment, glanced at Touman and the others, and then continued: "I have heard that Donghu and Yuezhi often bully you. You have been extorting horses and beauties. Donghu and Yuezhi really owe you a lot!"

"As your elder brother, Daqin is raising an army to uphold justice for you and help you take back what belongs to you. How can we take it first? If this gets out, people who don't know will think that Daqin is raising an army for the wealth of Donghu and Yuezhi."

Wang Ben had said so much. Touman knew that if he continued to pretend to decline, he would be disrespecting Daqin and destroying the harmonious relationship between Daqin and the Xiongnu.

Following the steps Wang Ben provided, Touman slid down decisively and smoothly. He stood up and saluted Wang Ben: "The great kindness of the Great Qin, Touman will never forget it. May the Great Qin and the Xiongnu be friends forever!"

Without Touman's call, the Xiongnu leaders who understood the situation in the tent quickly stood up. Seeing them stand up, other Xiongnu leaders also stood up and said in unison: "May the Qin and Xiongnu be friends forever!"

This is the current political correctness between the Qin Dynasty and the Xiongnu: the Qin Dynasty and the Xiongnu will always be friends, and the Qin Dynasty will always be friendly and the Xiongnu will always be respectful, living in harmony and friendship.

Anyone who dares to say that the Qin Dynasty had ill intentions towards the Huns, that the Huns would be detrimental to the Qin Dynasty, and that the relationship between the two could not be maintained for long, and that one side would inevitably be murdered by the other, is violating this political correctness.

Wang Ben naturally understood this political correctness, and responded to Touman in a serious tone: "May the Qin and the Xiongnu be at peace forever!"

Hearing Wang Ben's words, the Qin people in the tent also stood up and said in unison: "May the Qin and the Xiongnu be at peace forever!"

Little Han Xin also stood up and shouted this sentence with the crowd. He knew that this sentence was just empty talk, but people seemed to like to shout such unrealistic and empty slogans. The Xiongnu Chanyu and Senior Brother Wang Ben who said this, they themselves didn't actually believe it, right?
However, the Huns would indeed maintain eternal peace with the Qin Dynasty. When the Qin Dynasty annexed the Huns, the Huns would become a part of the Qin Dynasty, and all the Huns would become Qin people. There would no longer be a distinction between the Qin Dynasty and the Huns, but they would be unified into one "Qin". This would mean that the relationship would always be good.

Nowadays, it is difficult for two countries that are nominally brothers to have long-term good relations. But if they become one country, I will still be me, and you will become me, and of course I and I can have long-term good relations.

(End of this chapter)