Way of Overlord
Chapter 154: Art of War

Chapter 154: Art of War

Genghis Khan did not attack the Chinese dynasties until he had unified the Steppe.

But Genghis Khan situation and his situation is different.

The Song dynasty in Genghis Khan times are weak.

And even then there is still the Jin empire and Xixia to the west. And the political climate at that time is different than what he is experiencing today.

While Yan bore some similarities to the Han dynasty and shared certain historical events, it was by no means an identical counterpart.

The people, their customs, and even the flow of events had diverged from the course of history Aeryon knew.

So, even though Aeryon boldly set up this raid, he also knows there is always a possibility that he would lose.

And so, to not lose, what should he do? Examine his position and examine the position of his enemies.

Mayeux has his own plans and Aeryon also have his own plans.

Right now, Aeryon is strategizing and developing dozens of plans for the assault in his tent alone.

These blueprints encompassed a comprehensive spectrum of considerations, including the meticulous identification of key points of entry into Nurshira defense.

The crucial decision of whether to strike under the cover of night or with the break of dawn weighed heavily on his mind.

Simultaneously, he assigned roles and responsibilities to the various units within his tribe, aiming to optimize their collective efficiency.

Questions swirled within his thoughts.

Should he target the city’s northern wall, exploiting its perceived vulnerability?

Was the cover of night the ideal shroud for their approach, or would the surprise of dawn provide the advantage they needed?

Who should assume the mantle of leadership in the impending assault?

Should he wait for reinforcements from allied tribes, or did the situation warrant the immediate deployment of Belarion and Mayeux, or even his own charge into the fray?

With each inquiry, Aeryon embarked on a mental journey through the myriad scenarios that could unfold on the battlefield.

"Ah"

And he remember something

The art of war is governed by five constant factors, to be taken into account in one’s deliberations, when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field.

Moral Law, Heaven, Earth, Commander and Method of Discipline.

The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger.

"Without constant practice, the officers will be nervous and undecided when mustering for battle; without constant practice, the general will be wavering and irresolute when the crisis is at hand."

Heaven signifies the changes of the world, signifies night and day, cold and heat, times and seasons.

The general economy of Heaven including the five elements, the four seasons, wind and clouds, and other phenomena.

Earth comprises distances, great and small; danger and security; open ground and narrow passes; the chances of life and death.

The Commander stands for the virtues of wisdom, sincerity, benevolence, courage and strictness.

By Method And Discipline are to be understood the marshalling of the army in its proper subdivisions, the graduations of rank among the officers, the maintenance of roads by which supplies may reach the army, and the control of military expenditure.

These five factors should be familiar to every general: he who knows them will be victorious; he who knows them not will fail.

Therefore, in your deliberations, when seeking to determine the military conditions, let them be made the basis of a comparison, in this wise

Which of the two sovereigns is imbued with the Moral law? Who among them is in harmony with his subjects?

Which of the two generals has most ability?

With whom lie the advantages derived from Heaven and Earth?

On which side is discipline most rigorously enforced?

Which army is stronger? Morally as well as physically.

On which side are officers and men more highly trained?

There is some things that Aeryon had to modify. The Art of War is dead but people are alive and as such he made changes.

Because if there is anything is constant about an affair such as war, is that change is constant and change is also dependent on the circumstances

Sometimes, it is better not to change and sometimes changes are necessary. A good leader knows when to change and when to stay still and wait.

Unlike the leaders of the Yan dynasty, he did not need to have so many justifications to wage war. Especially against Yan. He simply had to call a raid, and a riad is formed.

But is there nothing to be learned? That would be a stupid take.

Aeryon has always been a reader when he is in his previous world. And one of his favourite genres is historical novels.

And of course, he reads books like the Art of War, the Book of Five Rings, and many other books about strategy

Of course, when he reads those books, he never thought of using it and simply reads it to have more immersion when reading historical novel.

He takes which he could use, and abandon which he could not use. Aeryon himself did not realize it but he has a suitable trait for a warlord.

He takes the things he need, and abandoned which he doesn’t need and apply it to his current situation and make it suitable so that the theory match reality and not the other way other around.

"Mayeux himself had done half the job for me" he mutters to himself. When Mayeux first arrive here, he started with the practice of making his army appear larger

"It seems Mayeux reading of strategy books is not like Zhao Kuo

Armchair strategist, military strategy on paper

Who is Zhao Kuo?

Zhao Kuo, read military strategy since he is a child, would often debate military strategy with his father Zhao She over a game of chess.

Zhao She was a famous bureaucrat and strategist in the third century BC for the state of Zhao.

The Qin State attacked the Zhao State with around 550,000 soldiers.

Zhao State managed to hold their position for three years due to the military strategy of general Lian Po.

He was playing the waiting game and did not allow himself and his army to be lured by the Qin State.

The king Xiocheng of Zhao was sick of the status quo, so he found a replacement for Lian Po.

That was general Zhao Kuo

After replacing general Lian Po, Zhao Kuo launched an offensive with a force of about 450,000 men and attacked the Qin State.

In the beginning he was successful, but it was all merely a tactic by the Qin State to lure Zhao deeper into their territory.

Zhao’s army was becoming vulnerable. The Qin State army soon attacked Zhao’s army from behind, forcing him to surrender.

The result?

Lian Po managed to hold his position for three years; Zhao lost just under half a million men in a month and a half. That is an armchair strategist.

Mayeux however shows his fangs and Aeryon could not be happier.

Mayeux uses a deception tactic that the tribe never used before.

It is because in the Steppe, the battle between tribe is very simple. Just look at how Aeryon take the tribe of Duhai. One battle and the entire tribe surrenders.

To do such a thing in Yan would be absurd.

Only now, that Mayeux is allowed out of the steppe, that he could show his true talent by fighting against people who also learns the art of strategy.

Aeryon actually wanted to give this idea to Mayeux but even before he could tell such a thing, Aeryon found out that the people would find a way to solve a problem and think of matters in their own even if he dd not give them a nudge.,

And what exactly that Mayeux did?

Mayeux uses deception tactic.

Long before he reached Nurshira, when he got news that Nurshira would only take a day, he ties tree branches and leaves behind the horses of his army

And then as they ride, they dragged the tree branches and that create dusts storms making it appear to the scout of the city as a much larger attacking army is coming toward them.

"It is a pity that the fear is not enough"

but this tactic is enough to scare the villages.

They were many villages that quickly surrendered.

Aeryon did not want to follow Genghis Khan method entirely.

Those who surrender is turned into captive and free labour.

"And Mayeux is dedicated to his deception"

Mayeux even let the prisoners to ride the horses for a while so that he could deceive the scouts of the cities.

Aeryon had hoped seeing such a large army surrounding the city, they would surrender but clearly the level of such a huge city is different from small towns and villages that surrender the moment they saw such a huge number.,

"Mayeux need to be polished even more. But he is slowly understanding the methods of psychological warfare"

The sight of numerous Mongol camps surrounding the city would indeed strike fear into the hearts of the city’s residents and defenders.

Psychological warfare tactics, such as making a show of strength through large-scale displays and the use of intimidation tactics, can weaken the resolve of the enemy.

"And I need every point that I could get" he thought. Even small things could lead his army to victory. So, he appreciated what Mayeux had done.

Aeryon take a sip of water from the goblet and take a breath

His head is pulsing a bit and take a seat for a moment before finally calming down a few minutes later

Thinking also requires energy and unlike in his own world, he does not have a candy to chew so that it would get his brain active and energetic.

"Haish" he sighed. There is a pressure around him that nobody could understand.

"This is a big gamble. But if I succeed, it would be easier in the future"

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