Chapter 670 Han Xin’s strategy: advance instead of retreat!

Chapter 670 Han Xin’s strategy: advance instead of retreat!

After hearing this, Yang Mao's worries were not completely eliminated, but he also understood that Han Xin's plan was indeed ingenious. He took a deep breath and said, "General, this plan is very good, but the risks are not small. However, I believe in your judgment, and we will definitely do our best!"

Listening to Han Xin's arrangements, Yang Mao's worries grew heavier. Although Han Xin initially commanded nearly 70,000 troops, after conquering Donghui County, he would have to leave some troops to garrison the city to ensure the safety of the rear. In addition, the losses and logistical supply issues in the war would also lead to a reduction in the actual number of troops that could be mobilized. After some calculations, Yang Mao realized that Han Xin probably only had 50,000 troops that he could flexibly use.

Now, Han Xin had to divide 10,000 troops to perform other tasks, so the troops actually used for the decisive battle with Zhao Shuo's main force were even more limited. Faced with such a huge disparity in military strength, Yang Mao couldn't help but worry about the outcome of this decisive battle. However, Han Xin was full of confidence and seemed to have a clear plan for this battle.

Yang Mao saw this, although he still had doubts in his heart, he could not stop it too much. After all, Han Xin was the main general of this battle, and he was just a vanguard officer, so he should obey Han Xin's command.

When Yang Mao remained silent, Han Xin seemed to see through his thoughts and said with a smile: "Haha, I know what you are worried about. However, there is a biggest and most obvious problem here, which you have overlooked - that is the difference in mentality. Do you think Zhao Shuo really wants to fight a decisive battle with our army, or does he have other plans?"

Han Xin's words made Yang Mao slightly stunned, and he could not help but begin to re-examine the current situation. Indeed, what was Zhao Shuo's real intention? Was he really going to fight Han Xin to the death, or was he secretly plotting something else? Yang Mao had not thought deeply about this question before.

"Haha, this is the crux of the problem! Zhao Shuo's real purpose is not to fight to the death with our army, but to force us to retreat. His real target is actually our army's food and grass, and launching an attack is just to cover up his true intention. Therefore, the more we avoid fighting at this time, the more we will fall into his trap." Han Xin explained with a smile.

Yang Mao frowned and said worriedly: "But once the battle really starts, the enemy's number is more than twice that of ours! This huge gap in numbers..." His words revealed his concerns about the actual combat situation.

Han Xin seemed to have anticipated Yang Mao's concerns. He responded calmly, "This is exactly what I am going to talk about next. Although on the surface, the Wei army has an advantage in numbers, in fact, their mentality is completely different from ours. The Wei army may seem strong, but apart from the advantage in manpower, our army has an absolute advantage in all other aspects."

"First of all, in terms of morale, the First Legion has been eager to fight for a long time. The previous battle in Donghui County was a piece of cake for our army, not even an appetizer. From top to bottom, everyone in the First Legion has made full preparations and is eagerly looking forward to a real tough battle."

"Secondly, our army also has a clear advantage in terms of the quality of soldiers and weapons and equipment. This is a real advantage. In a battle of the same scale, as long as there is suitable terrain as a restriction, no matter how many troops the enemy has, the number of soldiers who can attack in the same position is limited. In this case, even if the enemy's number is twice ours, they cannot easily win."

"Finally, there is one more very important point, that is, Zhao Shuo's idea is indeed feasible. However, if we do the opposite, we can achieve quite good results. At present, Zhao Shuo firmly believes that our army dare not take the initiative to attack. After all, our food and grass supply is insufficient. How can we have the confidence to fight? But under the careful training of the Prime Minister, this problem is completely insignificant for our army."

"So I decided, Yang Mao, to hand over the 5,000 cavalrymen of the First Legion headquarters to you. At the same time, the 5,000 black-armored cavalrymen will also be under your unified command. We can't sit and wait for the enemy to provoke us. We must take the initiative and catch them off guard! Since Zhao Shuo is trying to divide our forces to encircle us, we will take the initiative and cut off one of his arms! Come and see..." When saying this, Han Xin's voice was sonorous and powerful, revealing a sense of decisiveness and confidence.

As he spoke, he placed his hand on a location on the map, which was the path where his side might be surrounded by the enemy. Han Xin pointed his finger directly at the location of the Wei army's left wing, as if he had already seen the situation on the battlefield.

"It's here!" Han Xin's voice rose slightly. "This is the place where the enemy's left wing must pass. Although this place is not suitable for an ambush and does not have any natural favorable conditions, it is perfect for a cavalry charge! You see, there are rugged slopes on both sides, making it difficult for the army to move. The only way is through a dry river in the middle. And this is a natural avenue for our cavalry to charge!"

"Yang Mao, you lead 10,000 cavalrymen and you must strike a devastating blow to the left wing of the Wei army with a thunderous force! This will surely terrify Zhao Shuo, and the more he thinks we dare not fight him, the more decisively we must attack! After you defeat the enemy's left wing, Zhao Kuo will surely panic and dare not attack again easily. At that time, I will personally lead the army to face the Wei army head-on."

"However, after you defeat the left wing army, one thing is crucial. Don't rush ahead and attempt to raid Zhao Shuo's camp. Instead, you need to go around the rear of the Wei army and attack its right wing army from behind!"

Yang Mao was puzzled when he heard this. He asked in confusion, "General, why don't you attack the enemy's main camp while taking advantage of the victory? Instead, why do you attack the right wing? Generally speaking, after winning, you should go straight to the enemy's main camp. Now you want me to go far away and attack the right wing. I really don't understand."

The rest of the requests were fine, but Han Xin's request was really puzzling to Yang Mao. Wouldn't it be more likely to achieve brilliant results if we could break through the left wing army and then drive straight into Huanglong? Yang Mao thought to himself.