chapter 97
97 – Battle of Hannae
The spectacle of a large number of people approaching 500,000 on both sides starting to move all at once had a solemnity that could not be explained with poor vocabulary.
With just one step, there was a roar as if some kind of thunder had struck.
The sound of trumpets resounding from all directions broke the morning calm.
The beat of the drums covers the sound of the wind waving the flags and spreads to the other side with the momentum to break even the clouds in the sky.
It can’t even be compared to the first battle. As if to prove that the first battle was to see each other’s liver, the military spirit of both armies spread thickly to the horizon.
Standing on the watchtower high enough to overlook the entire battlefield, I could clearly feel the discipline as if it had physical power. The three new recruits, including me, who had joined the headquarters for the first time, were frozen in that sensation, unable to utter even a small admiration.
“Take a good look at the formations. How the three armies are formed.”
The basic form of troops in the field.
It was three divisions divided into left wing, middle army, and right wing.
While I and Hang-tae hesitated, Sama-sang opened the door first.
“The right wing has the Zhao army, the middle army the Wei army, and the left wing the Yan and Chu armies. If you look at the numbers alone, the right wing has 50,000, the middle army has 70,000, and the left wing has 80,000. I think it’s because he predicted that they would focus on the right wing of the Qin Dynasty, which has excellent breakthrough power, and the Pyo Gong.”
Hearing Sima Sang’s clear voice, the pressure of the battlefield that had been pressing down on his shoulders faded.
Perhaps at this moment, Hang-tae from the side also started to speak out what he was thinking.
“Probably, the layout was arranged considering the emotional relationship of each country. It is relatively far away, so I tied Agu and Yan, who do not have a large Eunwon, and kept Yan and Zhao, who are not on good terms. It’s hard to comment, but it’s reasonable to have it in the middle army as it’s a country at the center of this war.”
Because we had the experience of saving Handan together under the command of Xinling-gun, Hang-tae concluded.
Sama-sang and hangtae. It was like a direct descendant of Imok and Hangyeon, who would stand tall as great generals representing both the Cho and Cho countries.
Since the battle hadn’t even begun yet, there was nothing more to explain about the joint army than the two had done. Instead I saw the other side.
Xinling-gun said herpes, but he did not specifically limit it to the joint army.
Knowing your enemies is just as important as knowing your allies.
I paid attention to the positions of the Qin army.
“The Qin army placed Commander Mong-wu in the middle army, Jangdang on the left, and Pyo-gong on the right. The size of the troops themselves looks similar to all three, but more troops were assigned to both wings to increase the weight. Also, judging from the fact that there are more cavalry on the right wing of Pyo-gong, it seems that they are trying to make that side their main force, as Sang said.”
As I spoke, I quickly looked at the number of Qin army banners. And the number of Qin troops was counted by estimating the surface area of the swords of the Qin army wearing black armor.
If you learn business management, you will learn about the Fermi Estimation.
It is an estimation method that derives an approximate value in a short time through only one’s basic knowledge and reasoning power when given limited information.
“How many ping pong balls do you need to fill an airplane?” Questions such as these were examples of problems using this Fermi estimation.
The pressure of the war also created excitement to overcome it.
My brain, which is running taut, finished the calculation quickly.
“Probably…the two armies have about 100,000, and the middle army has about 80,000. It makes the middle army with a commander-in-chief thin…Are they inducing the understaffed joint army to force themselves to dig in? They have a numerical superiority, so they can withstand enough. It seems to be aiming to encircle with both wings while digging in.”
Xin Leung-kun smiled faintly but with a sense of satisfaction.
“All three of them saw it well. The characteristics of the combined force of various countries, the analysis of the opponent’s camp, and the position of our forces in response to it.”
The moment Shin Leung gave us a short compliment.
Finally, the two armies clashed.
A black torrent reminiscent of the waves of the night sea hit the left wing of the joint army.
The Qin army of the Pyo Gong attacking the Yan and Chu armies.
Their momentum was destructive. The tanks of the Qin Dynasty broke the battle line, and the cavalry swarmed the flanks that were building squares.
If the commanders of the two countries, Xiang Yan and Geuksin, hadn’t held their ground and held on, it would not have been strange if the victory or defeat had been decided with just that one blow.
Nevertheless, death spread.
In front of the spears and swords of the Qin Dynasty, those who called me the Prince and laughed were dying.
Realizing that someone I had been saying hello to until yesterday was dying, I closed my eyes tightly in a sense of misery.
Shin Leung gave me a cold blow.
“Don’t look away. Watch them all die.”
At those words, I desperately strained my eyes and faced the horrors unfolding.
The Yan and Chu armies, which succeeded in recovering from the shock of the first clash, were still fighting against the Qin army, although there were still casualties.
“The fighting power of the Qin army is the strongest in all countries. Soldiers on the front line will surely die. Even knowing that, they are standing there. Why do they stand in a position where death is certain and raise their weapons. Think about that.”
A limb that will inevitably die.
Why are they standing there, even though the Hapjonggun does not require military service as fiercely as the Qin Dynasty?
“Some for glory, some for success, and some for revenge against Qin.”
Sinreung-gun pointed out the motives of those standing there one by one.
No matter how you say it, life is more important than anything else.
How many people will fight against the Qin army just because they received an order, to the brink of death from limb to death?
“But the most common category is to protect.”
Therefore, Shin Leung-gun’s words are the source of their determination to give their lives.
“To defend my hometown, to defend my country, to defend my family. They stepped forward willingly and willingly to give their lives. That it won’t be.”
The Qin army is harsh.
Even the lives of their own troops are so despised and considered expendable, so there is no such thing as mercy to be shown to the enemy.
They kill them all.
They slaughter the enemy soldiers who resisted them, annihilate the prisoners, and even make no exceptions for the people who did not participate in the battle.
Just like that, hundreds of thousands and millions of people have died, will die, and will die.
Even if you save your life, there is only a life waiting for you because you can’t die.
The law of the Qin Dynasty is harsh, and it is even harsher for those who have been incorporated into the people as conquered people.
Descendants of the six kingdoms will have to pay more taxes than the people of Qin, will have to bear longer military service, and will be mobilized for harder labor.
Knowing that, they fight.
“And to fulfill the wishes of the people, we have gathered here.”
The moment any one of the six kingdoms collapses at the hands of Qin, the balance is completely destroyed.
The fall of the Zhou Dynasty, which had become obsolete, was also a tragedy that had a great aftermath across the world.
However, the destruction of a part of Chilwoong, who turned the Zhou state into a mere name, becomes a more devastating event than that.
Jin will no longer hesitate in a war of conquest against the six kingdoms, and will annihilate the country without hesitation and treat its people like slaves.
Realizing that and sharing a sense of crisis, the joint military arose.
“Ha-ha-oh, Shin-leung-kun! The power of the Jin army right now…”
Even though he had Hang Yan, the great general of Chu, and Xiang Yu, the king of the kingdom, who would last for thousands of years, the reason why he failed to leave a name was because of his lack of skill, rather than simple bad luck.
Hangtae shouted in surprise as he saw the Hapzong army gradually being pushed back by the Qin army.
However, the complexion of Shin Leung-gun, the commander-in-chief, was calm without the slightest wavering. He went one step further and even increased his evaluation of his enemy, Mong-oh.
“Mong-oh. He is an excellent general. Although his military management is not as clever as many famous generals have shown, he never makes any mistakes. He takes advantage of a large army and brings victory with honesty. The greatest army among nations. He is more suitable than anyone else for the Qin Dynasty’s Sangjang Army, which has . But.”
The prayers of Shin Leung-gun have completely changed.
“Lee Mok defeated Mong-Oh. Despite being inferior. How was that possible?”
Sinreung-gun looked back at us as he questioned whether it was a question he was asking us or an advice he was asking himself.
“I will teach you that from now on.”