pappabearbooks Chapter 220 Critical Situation! Wang Li's army is in pursuit! They're trapped in a dead en
Chapter 220 Critical Situation! Wang Li's army is in pursuit! They're trapped in a dead en
Many civil officials nodded in agreement, believing that this move had indeed disgraced the Qin Dynasty.
On the city wall, the atmosphere became tense again.
All eyes were on Ying Zheng.
However, Ying Zheng remained calm and composed, his deep eyes revealing no emotion.
Just then.
Meng Tian, who had been silent all along, suddenly stepped forward.
"Lord Zongyu, you are mistaken."
He first bowed to Ying Zheng, then turned to Zong Yu, whose face was flushed, and calmly said:
As the art of war says, "Warfare is based on deception!"
"When you are capable, feign incapacity; when you have the ability, feign inactivity!"
"Throughout history, military strategists have always considered deception a common practice!"
"Sun Tzu and Wu Qi were not lacking in strategies of using spies and deception."
Meng Tian's gaze swept over everyone present, his voice firm and resonant:
On the battlefield, everything changes in an instant; life and death hang in the balance!
"The sole objective is to achieve the greatest victory with the least cost, thereby preserving the lives of our soldiers!"
"What is dignity? Victory is the greatest dignity!"
"Keeping our comrades alive is the greatest respect we can show them!"
He pointed to the sand table and said in a deep voice:
"Wang Li led two thousand heavily armored elite troops, but Zhang Fan's five hundred light infantry were leading him by the nose!"
"Now we've suffered heavy losses, and our retreat has been cut off!"
"Zhang Fan's troops, at the cost of only three men, captured a city, killed a hundred, and lit the beacon fires again, further shaking the morale of Wang Li's army!"
"Which is superior is obvious at a glance!"
Finally, Meng Tian concluded, each word deliberate and resounding:
"All warfare is based on deception!"
"To sacrifice the lives of countless soldiers for personal fame!"
"That would be the greatest disloyalty to the Qin Dynasty, the greatest disrespect to His Majesty!"
Meng Tian's words were unwavering.
After a brief silence atop the city wall, a voice broke the stillness.
"I wholeheartedly agree with what General Meng Tian said..."
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was none other than Marquis Tongwu!
Wang Ben!
As Wang Li's father, everyone thought he would defend his son.
However, Wang Ben showed no favoritism whatsoever on his face at this moment!
He slowly stepped forward, his gaze piercing.
"My son Wang Li has been well-versed in military strategy since childhood. He has fought against the Xiongnu in the north and is skilled in large-scale frontal assaults, crushing the enemy with his imposing formations."
"But they forgot that on the battlefield, there are not only equally fierce tigers and wolves, but also hunters as cunning as foxes."
A hint of approval flashed in Wang Ben's eyes.
"Master, you're treating this military exercise like a real life-or-death battle!"
"Deceiving the enemy, luring the enemy, feigning weakness, ambushing... they'll stop at nothing!"
"The attack on Tower No. 9 wasn't just about the soldiers, it was about their morale!"
Wang Ben's righteous and awe-inspiring words instantly ignited the emotions of all the generals present!
"What Marquis Tongwu said is absolutely right!"
"Well said! War isn't a dinner party; there's no point in talking about honor and righteousness! Winning is the only true measure of success!"
"That's right! If we all waited for the enemy to get into position before attacking, as Lord Zongyu suggested, the territory of our Great Qin would have been completely devoured long ago!"
"Zhang Fan is a military genius! Holy crap! I'd even like to join his ranks as a soldier!"
"..."
The military officers cheered, their words blunt and unrefined.
Provoked by these words and the gazes of the crowd, Zong Yu's old face turned a deep, purplish-red, and then became ashen.
He suppressed his anger, snorted coldly, and retorted:
"Hmph! You generals are celebrating far too soon!"
"The outcome is still uncertain!"
He stretched out his finger and pointed to the large red dots on the sand table that represented Wang Li's main force.
"General Wang Li has removed his armor and is lightly armed; his main force still numbers nearly two thousand, and their offensive is at its peak!"
"As for Zhang Fan, he has repeatedly used schemes and divided his troops in various locations, and his main force now numbers less than a thousand men!"
"Once the main forces of the two armies meet head-on, faced with overwhelming numerical superiority, all schemes and tricks will be utterly futile and easily defeated!"
"The outcome remains to be seen!"
Zong Yu's words made some civil officials nod slightly, finding them to make some sense.
After all, in the end, war still comes down to hard power!
However, Meng Tian slowly shook his head and spoke!
His voice wasn't loud, but it silenced everyone present.
"What Lord Zongyu said is indeed reasonable!"
"The outcome of this battle remains to be seen!"
He first affirmed Zong Yu's point of view, which made the latter's expression soften slightly.
But then, Meng Tian changed the subject.
"But even if General Wang Li ultimately wins this battle!"
"The abilities displayed by the Immortal Master are evident to all, enough to put even the most talented generals in the world to shame!"
"To be honest, I, Meng Tian, admire the Immortal Master!"
These words were even more shocking than Wang Ben's earlier words!
Who was Meng Tian?
The number one figure in the Qin military!
The pillar that held back the Xiongnu in the north!
What an honor it would be to receive a word of "admiration" from him!
Zong Yu's expression, which had just calmed down, froze instantly. He stared at Meng Tian in disbelief, unable to believe his ears.
Meng Tian ignored him and continued:
"We consider ourselves experts in military strategy and tactics!"
"After this battle, regardless of victory or defeat, all generals of our Great Qin should take this as a warning and learn from it!"
Meng Tian's words resonated deeply!
At this point, Zong Yu was completely speechless.
He could argue about who won or lost, but he couldn't deny the amazing abilities Zhang Fan had displayed.
Even Meng Tian publicly expressed his admiration and desire to learn from him, so why did he continue to dwell on the "despicable methods"?
That's not upholding principles; it just makes you look narrow-minded and incredibly foolish.
To continue would only be to humiliate oneself!
"snort!"
Zong Yu abruptly flicked his sleeve, his face darkening as he retreated back into the ranks of civil officials, his lips tightly pressed together, uttering not another word.
……
Meanwhile, at Gate Tower No. 9.
Zhang Fan, leading over nine hundred main force troops, finally arrived here.
The soldiers' faces still bore the excitement of consecutive victories, and their morale was high.
"Immortal Master!"
Mo Feng saw Zhang Fan and immediately came to greet him.
His face was full of excitement and pride.
"They've been tricked and have surrendered and left the city!"
"That's hilarious!"
Zhang Fan nodded, but his gaze went past him and back in the direction they had come from.
Above that mountain forest, dust was faintly stirred up by the wind, like a thin layer of yellow mist.
Behind him were more than nine hundred soldiers who followed him into battle.
Beneath that yellow fog, ten kilometers away, was Wang Li's large army.
The disparity in strength between the two sides has never been so stark.
Just then, a scout came galloping down the mountain!
He dismounted, staggered a few steps, and knelt on one knee before Zhang Fan, his voice urgent:
"Reporting...reporting to the Immortal Master!"
"The king... the king's army is less than twenty li from here!"
Lieutenant Fang Kui stepped forward and asked eagerly:
What are the enemy's movements?
A hint of despair appeared on the scout's face:
"The enemy...the enemy has completely removed their heavy armor!"
"Everyone travel light and march quickly!"
"We...we...our speed advantage is...it's gone!"