Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 133 Choice
Meanwhile, the Han and Wei sides had been locked in a stalemate for nearly half an hour, and there had been no large-scale casualties or organized collapses.

The Han army, needless to say, possessed an impregnable Eight Formations formation. Their battle formation of 27,000 men maintained an absolute numerical advantage even after Sima Yi sent 10,000 reinforcements.

Through constant tactical changes and reinforcements, in the half hour following the engagement, they killed or wounded 1,400 to 1,500 Wei soldiers at a ratio of approximately 1:4 to 1:5.

This casualty ratio is almost like that of an ant-like siege.
Firstly, thanks to the formation's combination of offense and defense, and its versatility, Sima Yi and the Wei generals and officers commanding the front lines could not find a way to break through the formation except by overwhelming the enemy with numbers or by using elite troops to break through it.

Secondly, apart from Wei Ping and Jia Xu's troops, which can be considered the core of the vanguard, the other troops sent by Sima Yi, namely Zhang Jing and Shan Jun's troops, were all "medium-level" troops with average training and armor coverage. As for the 10,000 reinforcements that came later, they were the original garrison soldiers of Chang'an. The Han army's Eight Formations method can only be used by elite and trained soldiers.

If the Han army cannot gain a local advantage by using superior horses against inferior ones, then there is no point in fighting this battle.

The sun rose higher and higher, and the weather gradually became hotter.

Just as Sima Yi issued his military order, commanding five generals, including Zhou Tai and Sun Li, to lead ten thousand men, armed with dry grass and oil, to raid the Han army camp on the Lishan Plateau in an attempt to create chaos,

The Han prime minister, who was stationed in the central army "Woqi", noticed the weakness in the Wei army's formation and quickly dispatched Wei Yan's "Qiling" army in the central army to attack Zhang Jing's Wei army from the flank.

Zhang Jing's troops suffered over a hundred casualties in an instant, and a depression appeared on the flank of the army formation. Wei Yan's four hundred elite troops did not retreat, but instead cut deep into the depression like sharp knives.

Zhang Jing's flank was exposed, and he was unable to change formation in time. His left flank was weak and was breached horizontally in less than a quarter of an hour. With his rear flank terrified, he could no longer maintain the line and collapsed and fled.

The two hundred elite armored soldiers who had been locked in a stalemate with the Han army at the front were immediately surrounded by the Han army from all sides and were wiped out in less than a quarter of an hour.

Seeing Zhang Jing's troops routed and flee, Sima Yi sent reinforcements to advance and fill the gaps, attempting to capture Wei Yan's more than four hundred elite troops.

However, the Han army reacted extremely quickly, with hundreds of archers and crossbowmen rushing out of their ranks to provide fire support for Wei Yan's four hundred elite troops who broke through the enemy lines, covering Wei Yan's retreat back into the enemy lines and continuing to preserve their strength.

"Prime Minister, apart from three or four thousand who are capable of fighting, the rest of these twenty thousand Wei bandits are a rabble. In my opinion, we should first focus our efforts on defeating them! This will surely terrify the Wei bandits!"

Wei Yan, who had been watching the battle from the platform with the Prime Minister, looked somewhat excited.

If we had sent out a thousand instead of four hundred just now, we could have captured all the armored soldiers in that routed Wei army formation.

The rabble behind them, clad only in leather armor, were no match for them; they were merely there to make up the numbers.

Just as Wei Yan was devising his strategy, Zhang Jing's troops, who had been routed, raised their flags and beat their drums, regrouping their defeated soldiers. Their battle formation regrouped, and after replenishing their forces by several hundred men, they pressed forward again.

Seeing this situation, Meng Yan, the Tiger-Step Supervisor standing beside Wei Yan with his hair and beard bristling, also offered the same suggestion as Wei Yan:
"Prime Minister, everyone understands Sima Yi's current intentions!"
"They simply realized that the elite of my royal army was all trapped in this Bagua formation!"
"We intend to use their weak forces to exhaust the strength of my elite army, and wait for my army to reveal a weakness in the Eight Trigrams Formation, which is called 'using the right approach'."

"When our royal army is exhausted, its spirit is low, and its weaknesses are exposed, then we will send out our elite troops to fight, which is what we call winning by surprise."

"Our royal army is currently locked in a stalemate with the Wei invaders, which is exactly what Sima Yi wanted!"
"It would be better to first annihilate one of their forces, thus striking fear into their hearts and forcing Sima Yi to send his main force to fight me in a decisive battle!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Yan looked at Zhang Jing's forces, who had just broken up and were now regrouping, and his expression was a mixture of disdain and frustration:

"Prime Minister, that is also my opinion!"

"The saying goes, 'One should strike while the iron is hot, but the second will be weaker, and the third will be exhausted!

"As the saying goes, 'The morning spirit is sharp, the midday spirit is sluggish, and the evening spirit returns. Avoid its sharpness and strike when it is sluggish and returning!'"

"Now that my morale is high and my fighting spirit is strong, instead of using this strong momentum to defeat the enemy, I allow Sima Yi's main force to wait in comfort and attack my exhausted and lethargic spirit. This is the worst possible approach!"

After Wei Yan finished speaking, the two barbarian generals, Meng Yan and Cuan Xi, immediately echoed his words.

Even Fei Yi, Hu Ji, Yang Xi, and other officials around the Prime Minister who were not very knowledgeable about military affairs were tempted and all turned their attention to the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister gazed at the army formation, lost in thought. However, before he could speak, Yang Yi, the Chief Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office, had already glared angrily at Wei Yan and the other generals, and rebuked them:

"Do you think you can just rout these 20,000 troops of Wei so easily?!"

"Leaving aside whether we can successfully defeat them, even if we do, can we really terrify Sima Yi's tens of thousands of main forces from Jing and Yu?!"

"To place the chance of victory on the uncertain event of the Wei invaders losing their courage is no different from being a gambler!"

"Go to hell..." Wei Yan was about to curse, but suddenly stopped.

"You, Yang Gongwei, only need to manage the affairs of military equipment, provisions, and logistics. As for fighting on the battlefield, who gave you the right to spout nonsense in front of me?!"

Seeing that Wei Yan did not utter his usual vulgar curses, Yang Yi remembered the Emperor's warning against bringing personal grudges into military matters, and thus restrained his expression somewhat.
"Hmph, I'm spouting nonsense?"

"If we use all our strength as soon as the war begins, how will we defeat Sima Yi's main force when it advances?!"

"As you can see now, the Wei army's main camp blocked the road, and all those who fled to their camp were killed. The Wei soldiers who had fled had nowhere to escape, so they were able to break through and regroup, determined to die!"
"Given this situation, I must ask you: how much strength and how many weapons do you possess to slaughter these twenty thousand men in half a day?!"

After saying that, Yang Yi snorted coldly again.

Wei Yan stepped forward again, confronting him head-on.

"He can break down and get back together once, but can he break down and get back together ten times?!"

"As for the so-called determination to die... what kind of determination to fight for the country does the Wei bandits have? They were just forced into battle by Sima Yi!"

"After I have slaughtered their heads until they dare not fight or retreat, I will open a path for them to surrender. How could they not surrender then?!"

"Wouldn't that dampen the morale of the Wei invaders?!"

"In battle, courage is paramount!"
"The Wei invaders are demoralized, while our army is in high spirits!"

Even when exhausted, one can still be arrogant and domineering!

Yang Yi sneered inwardly. Wei Yan's words at this moment were exactly the same as the Ziwu Valley plan back then. Both were "anticipating the enemy's moves" and believed that the enemy would definitely act as he thought.

But what is the reality?
Perhaps Sima Yi is just waiting for someone like Wei Yan to lose his composure?
Just as he was about to speak again in rebuttal, the Prime Minister, not wanting the two to continue arguing, stopped Yang Yi with his feather fan and then spoke solemnly:
"Well done, Gongwei, what Wenchang Bogui (Meng Yan) said is indeed true."

"If we can quickly defeat the enemy before us, we can indeed greatly diminish the morale of the Wei invaders."

Meng Yan, this barbarian general, didn't understand the subtle nuances in the Han people's words. He simply assumed the Prime Minister was going to approve his and Wei Yan's plan, and was overjoyed. However, the Prime Minister immediately poured cold water on his enthusiasm:
"But we really can't rush things. Our army can handle these 20,000-plus people with ease."

"Just like before, wait for it to reveal a weakness and then strike with lightning speed."

"In this way, we can achieve the greatest results with the least cost and gradually expand our advantage."

"Judging from the current situation, by midday, these 20,000 Wei invaders will be completely incapacitated and unable to fight."

"As for Wen Chang and Bo Gui's concerns about exhaustion and morale... physical strength is indeed a problem, but morale is unlikely to be depleted."

"Sima Yi's intention to attack the weary from the comfort of his own position is clear, but north of the canal, there are still more than 20,000 General Zhen Dong resting and recuperating."

"If Sima Yi attacks our exhausted army, then General Zhen Dong can quickly attack his flank. We only need to hold our ground and not be defeated, and we will have won this battle."

Upon hearing this, Wei Yan opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated for a moment and then shut up.

He understood that once the Prime Minister had made up his mind, there would be no going back.

In the end, he could only stride down from the platform and return to his own camp.

Seeing this, Meng Yan, the Tiger Step Supervisor, followed closely behind, and only after reaching Wei Yan's formation did he offer his advice:
“General Zhenbei, in my opinion… the Prime Minister’s words also make sense.”

"There is a General in the north, waiting for an opportunity to act."

"If we can simply hold off Sima Yi and hold our ground, we will surely win this battle. We don't necessarily need to resort to reckless and dangerous tactics." Wei Yan, sitting imposingly in his chair, leaned forward slightly, hands on his knees, and responded with a cold snort and indignation:

"Kongming sought stability; how could I not understand that?!"

"But who am I, Wei Yan? How could I willingly serve as a general guarding the lines!"

"As for holding firm and remaining undefeated?"
"Today's battle is the first real battle since the Han Dynasty's Northern Expedition, a decisive battle!"
"It will determine whether the Han Dynasty can recapture Guanzhong and return the old capital!"
"Who doesn't know that whoever wins this battle and shines brightly will greatly enhance the military's prestige! Whoever will be remembered in history and have their glory last for generations!"
"Why should I, Wei Yan, stand here with Kongming to withstand the pressure, while the General Who Guards the East sits on the sidelines and watches the tigers fight, easily reaping the greatest victory in this battle?"

Upon hearing Wei Yan's words, Meng Yan paused for a moment.

General Zhao was a trusted advisor to the late emperor and a pillar of the nation. His reputation was renowned throughout the land. Unlike Wei Yan, who was arrogant and domineering, General Zhao was dignified yet humble, and respected and loved by everyone in the court and among the people.

It's true that Wei Yan and the old general are vying for military merit, but to say it so bluntly is a bit too much...

"Hmph, General Zhen Dong is old and riddled with injuries. I wonder how long he will live!" Wei Yan continued indignantly, unaware of the complex emotions in Meng Yan's heart.

"If the country loses its great general, wouldn't this supreme military prestige be wasted? And at that time, would it really benefit the Han Dynasty?!"
"Kongming just wants to suppress me and doesn't want to give me a chance to stand out!"

Upon hearing this, Meng Yan turned pale and hurriedly looked around nervously.

Seeing that he was surrounded by Wei Yan's personal guards, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and then stammered:
“What General Zhenbei said makes sense…I…I’ll go back to the camp first.”

Wei Yan paused for a moment upon seeing this, realizing he had spoken out of turn, but he didn't take it to heart. He knew that Kongming wouldn't care about what he said.

Thinking of how his plan to break through the enemy's defenses in the Ziwu Valley had been rejected, and how his strategy to launch a fierce attack to defeat the enemy had also been rejected, he was filled with resentment. He looked up at the sky and roared angrily, "Late Emperor, when will I, Wei Yan, be able to rise above my circumstances?!"

After asking the heavens, his resentment only intensified. He immediately rose, snatched the helmet from the shelf, and led two hundred personal guards to charge into the enemy lines.

On the three-zhang-high platform, beneath Zhuge Liang's banner, the Prime Minister, along with Yang Yi, Fei Yi, and others, quickly discovered Wei Yan, who had ventured out of battle without authorization.

Yang Yi immediately roared in anger:

"Prime Minister, Wei Yan has absolutely no idea what the big picture is!"
"The risky strategy we just devised was just as bad as our unauthorized deployment now!"

In my opinion…

Before the man could finish speaking, the Prime Minister silenced him with a feather fan, then sighed helplessly.
"No matter when, as long as one is a subject of the Han Dynasty, one has the right and responsibility to offer advice."

"Now that things have come to this, neither Wen Changbo Gui's bold and decisive strategy nor Gongwei's prudent strategy of refuting the two of them is right or wrong, but only a matter of choice."

"Your Majesty has granted me the power to raise the flag and establish the banner, so the responsibility for making the decision rests solely with me. You must not cause any further discord over the proposed strategy."

“But Prime Minister…” Yang Yi still believed that Wei Yan and Meng Yan’s risky plan was completely worthless.

The prime minister knew what he was going to say, so he shook his head:
"As Wen Chang and Bo Gui said, the 20,000 troops that Sima Yi sent out were not in high spirits and were poorly equipped, so they were obviously not elite troops."

"And Wen Chang's statement that one should strike while the iron is hot, then lose momentum, and finally exhaust oneself is also correct."

"Our great Han now possesses an elite army and a vigorous spirit. If we adopt an aggressive and courageous strategy, there is indeed a considerable chance that we can quickly defeat these 20,000 Wei invaders and make them lose their courage and spirit."

"If we adopt a prudent and defensive strategy, and prolong the war against the Wei invaders, as they have said, it is very likely that our troops will be worn down and our morale will be low."

"Warfare is based on deception, and victory or defeat is unpredictable."

Until the very last moment, no one knows whether these choices are right or wrong.

"I can't calculate everything. In the end, I can only choose one option based on my feelings. I dare not say that I will be without error. I only hope that I will not ruin the overall situation."

After speaking, the Prime Minister ignored Yang Yi and turned his gaze toward the Lishan Plateau.

At this time, the 10,000-strong force that the Wei army had sent to set fire to the Lishan plateau had all reached the plateau.

A moment later, they all disappeared from the Prime Minister's sight and entered the heart of the plateau.

About fifteen minutes later, thick smoke finally rose from the platform and blew down into the area below. The smell of burnt grass and wood gradually filled the air, making it difficult to breathe.

Chen Shi stepped onto the platform and asked urgently, "Prime Minister, a fire has broken out on Mount Li. Should we send out our troops to join forces with Wu Ban on the platform to surround and kill the Wei bandits who have climbed the platform?"

Upon hearing this, the Prime Minister looked towards the Lishan Plateau once more.

Although the extent of the fire on the platform could not be seen, thick smoke was already billowing into the sky and, driven by the southeast wind, was heading straight for the central army of the Wei forces where Sima Yi was located.

Therefore, the fire was not set by the Wei army that ascended the platform, but by Wu Ban, who was left to guard the platform.

"The key to today's battle is not on the flanks, but within our Bagua formation."

"Whether we win or lose there is irrelevant to the overall situation. Since Sima Yi has already sent people there, he has already lost a point. If we launch a strong attack there, it will be more advantageous for us. Therefore, we don't need to pay attention to it and we can just hold our position."

...

North of the canal.

On the platform.

Liu Shan saw the platform suddenly burst into flames and felt a sudden tension: "General Zilong, why doesn't the Prime Minister send someone to stop the Wei invaders from climbing the platform? Could it be that the Prime Minister has already abandoned that platform?"

Liu Shan couldn't help but be nervous. He knew that the reason the Prime Minister had established a camp on that plateau, besides blockading Xin Feng, was...

Another reason is that the plateau is high up, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and has a superior field of vision, allowing for calm command.

So logically speaking, according to Liu Shan's thinking, the prime minister should be on that plateau!

Zhao Yun put aside his own worries and comforted him:
"Your Majesty need not worry. I think the Prime Minister is probably not on that platform, but is directing operations from the center of the Bagua Formation."

"This is to be expected. Although Wei Yan has practiced this Bagua Formation for two or three years, his military tactics are fierce and aggressive, which is not compatible with the steady and methodical approach of the Bagua Formation at present."

Upon hearing the old general's words, Liu Shan, who was tense due to the fire on the plateau, felt slightly relieved and immediately removed the lion-shaped mask and hung it on his waist.

However, after a moment, his heart tightened again. Looking at the wrinkles on the old general's face, he slowly asked:

"General Zilong, that plateau is only one mile north of Xinfeng City. If the Wei army occupies it, they can use it to launch a surprise attack and completely liberate the garrison in Xinfeng City."

"If the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry in the city were released and allowed to ascend the platform, the resulting advantages of their superior position would significantly impact the battle..."

Zhao Yun's expression froze.

The Emperor's words are indeed reasonable.

After a moment, he finally realized:

The reason the Prime Minister abandoned the terrace was probably to make Sima Yi certain that the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty was in that Bagua formation, hoping to lure Sima Yi into attacking with all his might!
In the Wei army formation.

The generals were overjoyed to see the fire on the plateau.

Sima Yi also shifted his gaze from the military formations of both Han and Wei, looking at the thick smoke billowing from the plateau. For some reason, he felt not joy but worry, and a sense of foreboding arose inexplicably in his heart.

(End of this chapter)