Chapter 1249 - 308: The Grand Ceremony

Chapter 1249: Chapter 308: The Grand Ceremony

At this moment, contrary to what was imagined, the atmosphere inside the hall was not oppressive, but rather bright.

Seven dancers were gracefully performing, the Regent sitting on the steps below the dragon throne, grabbing a handful of dried fruits with his left hand, eating while enjoying the show;

Nian Yao walked in, and the dancers continued without stopping.

Xiong Tingshan, who was seated in the corner, beckoned Nian Yao to sit together, and Nian Yao complied and sat down beside Xiong Tingshan.

After a long while,

The dance ended,

The Regent smiled,

and said:

"Reward."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Once the dancers departed, the Regent leaned back, rested his arms on the steps, looked up at the carved beams and painted rafters above.

Xiong Tingshan approached after getting up and said:

"Brother Emperor, what good mood."

The Regent shook his head and said:

"Winning is planning ahead, having an abyssal mind, immovable as a mountain; losing is indulging in pleasures, unwilling to make progress, living in a drunken dream.

Actually, listening to music and watching dance have nothing to do with it."

Xiong Tingshan nodded and said; "That’s exactly it, winning, everything is right, losing, eating an extra bowl of rice is a great crime."

The Regent gestured beside him for Nian Yao to sit.

Nian Yao sat down.

The Regent continued lying on the steps and said:

"The matter, is just such a matter, although the news from Phoenix Nest is simple, it is actually enough, it seems that since that Yan State Emperor issued a clear decree in the capital, this battle must be significant.

It’s interesting too, just recently held a grand welcome for Liqing, bestowed the title princess, immediately turned around to declare war on our Chu, that Yan Emperor handles domestic and state affairs clearly.

But no matter what, since they decided to fight, we can only accept the challenge.

Town South Pass is crucial, the Yan people, if they fight, will definitely attack from that route, Nian Yao, you stationed there, speak of your strategy."

"In reply to Your Majesty, my strategy is to fight stubbornly."

The Regent laughed and said to Xiong Tingshan: "Fifth brother, look at this official, alas."

Xiong Tingshan then said: "Doing less means making fewer mistakes."

The Regent nodded and said; "I understand this reasoning, but still feel uncomfortable."

Nian Yao immediately prostrated: "Your servant is guilty."

"Not because of you, it’s because I also understand clearly, our Chu wanting to compete with Yan State cavalry in field battles, is indeed at a disadvantage."

Xiong Tingshan then said; "Brother Emperor, our Chu infantry, even when encountering Yan cavalry, doesn’t necessarily suffer, using infantry phalanx well, along with our Chu’s not numerous but still elite cavalry to assist, even in open fields, fighting the Yan, victory or defeat, is still uncertain, the premise is elite."

Nian Yao then spoke: "Your servant is guilty."

Xiong Tingshan smacked his lips and said: "This is a discussion in front of the monarch, no need to hide and count identity, you are after all our Chu’s top general, the backbone should be tougher."

"Fifth brother is right, we are all family, be casual."

"Yes, Your Majesty, yes, Your Highness. Your Highness, as you mentioned earlier, your servant does not dare agree, indeed, our Chu’s elite infantry all are warriors who fought against Shanyue people, combined with our Chu’s long-standing infantry tactics and formations, when setting battle formations, even your servant dares to command and face the Yan openly.

But, this deal, isn’t worthwhile.

The Yan cavalry are most formidable, and that Southern Marquis of Yan, including representing various Yan leaders like Lord Pingye, they’re best at cavalry maneuvering and tactics.

After the Yan annexed Jin land, they lack no horse breeding ground, taking in Three Jin riders, cavalry, after all, with four legs, naturally run faster than our two-legged infantry, hence, can gain advantage on the battlefield;

And the bypass tactics your servant mentioned earlier, are divided into major bypass and minor bypass.

Major bypass, is like when Yan’s north-south marquises attacked Jin, Helian Family and Wenren Family’s main forces attacked Yan cities along Horse Hoof Mountain, but then Yan’s two strongest cavalry merged, looped far to appear behind them, then lead to ten-day battles spanning thousands of miles ending two families’ forces.

Minor bypass refers to during battle formation, Yan cavalry relying on well-trained and seasoned tactical coordination;

The second Battle of Wang River, although Tian Wujing successfully deployed a feint to lure the main force of wild people’s elite into decisive battle, then, the wild main force, still far outnumbered Tian Wujing’s main forces.

Yet on the battlefield, when both sides have over ten thousand troops, chaos begins, each having a hundred thousand, such a huge scale, unimaginable, if one side fortifies in defense, layered protection, that’s okay, but when battling openly in wasteland, main general hardly manages overall situation, at most tries guiding with reserve center.

Yan people, relying on this method of chaos fighting chaos, during charge divides into multiple paths, multi-directional piercing, forced to disrupt wild people’s main force, then collapse, ultimately defeating and scattering!

This is minor bypass method.

Actually, when battling head-on in formation, the deaths among soldiers don’t count for much, but once wild people’s main force collapses, even if Snow Sea Pass wasn’t taken beforehand by Yan’s Lord Pingye, few main force may retreat back to snow plain. For our Chu infantry, in external war, even if victorious, Yan can leisurely withdraw, our army finds pursuit hard, even catching up hardly encircle and annihilate, also must beware of Yan pretending defeat, ambushing during our pursuit;