Chapter 277: When Our Banners Blanket the Hills!

Heifu didn't rest idly. He pulled hou — parched millet — from the pouch at his side, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed it down with water.

While eating, Heifu ordered Li Xian and Dongmen Bao: "No time to waste — have everyone eat a little!"

Heifu knew that after the forced march, the soldiers were exhausted. Many felt their legs wouldn't move, unable to take another half-step — what later ages call "hitting the wall." Some even showed dizziness and cold sweats, because their glycogen stores had been massively depleted.

Even a modern person with excellent nutrition burns through a lot of glycogen running a half-marathon, let alone these ancient soldiers. They could handle mountain paths and endure hardship, but in a forced march they truly couldn't match later armies — for one simple reason: terrible nutrition. Looking at their gaunt, skinny frames, they had little glycogen to speak of and pitifully little fat. This was why ancient armies suffered severe straggling and dared march only thirty li a day.

So Heifu couldn't help admiring old General Wang. Whether by design or not, Wang Jian had spent the whole winter letting the troops rest and eat well — not only building morale, but fattening them up!

Besides normally keeping elite soldiers and strong men well-nourished and training their stamina to serve as assault units in battle, there was another method: quickly down some dry rations during rest to replenish sugar.

Chocolate and the like were naturally unavailable; all they had was starch — parched rice, that is…

A few mouthfuls of parched rice washed down with water, and the dizziness and blurred vision finally faded. They could stand straight again and, on Heifu's orders, plant their banners in a row along this low ridge — Heifu had abandoned even his own cart and horses along the way, but had kept every single banner.

As for using a mere thousand weary soldiers to charge the ten-thousand-strong army at Xiang Yan's side? Heifu had absolutely no such intention.

"Has the company commander forgotten his ambition of enfeoffment?"

Five-hundred-man commander Li Xian said quietly: "If you can capture or kill Xiang Yan, company commander, you'll achieve a merit beyond compare — and the rank of full marquis will be that much closer!"

"If we did that, how many of these thousand Anlu men would die? Perhaps even your own life would be thrown in."

Heifu looked Li Xian in the eye and asked in a low voice. Li Xian was capable, but in terms of leading troops, he fell far short of Xiao Tao, even short of Dongmen Bao — because his heart was harder, he didn't value the lives of his subordinates, and while the soldiers might fear him, they did not love him.

A junior officer who cannot show the bearing of one who cherishes his soldiers will find it very hard to earn their devotion unto death.

Moreover, a mere thousand men could play only a negligible role in a great battle of two hundred thousand. Charging down now, they might face threefold or even fivefold the enemy. Never mind merit — avoiding total annihilation would be lucky.

This war was not like the last one, which had been a matter of life and death for them, nor was it like the Chu people's war, a matter of survival for state and clan. It was even a battle destined for victory in the history books.

Heifu, the hired hand, had already fulfilled his promise to Li You by arriving here first. After the battle, he could claim priority in merit assessment within the Southern Commandery Corps. Weighing the pros and cons, there was no need to risk himself and his men.

Besides, rather than charging out in a frantic rush and revealing their numbers, it was better to stop right here, plant banners everywhere, and put on the posture of a Qin force that had already seized this hilltop and might come roaring down like a tiger at any moment!

"Sometimes the arrow not yet loosed is more intimidating than the arrow already flown."

As soon as Heifu said this, Xiao Tao the crossbowman understood. Li Xian, Ji Ying, and the others — whether they understood or not — all nodded in agreement.

Only Dongmen Bao stared blankly at the distant battlefield, where the Qin and Chu armies clashed in earth-shaking slaughter, listening to the faint strains of Chu songs and Qin airs drifting over. The rough fellow's blood boiled with excitement. Gripping his hand-axe, he blurted out: "Company commander, even if we don't go down, let us at least shout something!"

"Fine."

Heifu laughed heartily: "Just shout 'six six six.'"

"Huh?" Dongmen Bao and all the other officers failed to get the joke.

It was Ji Ying who smacked his own head and said, with self-appointed cleverness: "How foolish. Six — that means sixty thousand. The company commander means for you to shout, 'General Meng Wu's sixty-thousand-strong army has arrived!' — to intimidate the enemy!"

"Oh!"

A murmur of sudden understanding arose. Dongmen Bao immediately picked the sturdiest men from his five hundred, had them plant their hands on their hips, stand atop the ridge, and bellow at the top of their lungs!

"General Meng — sixty-thousand-strong army has arrived!"

Yet these faint voices were quickly swallowed by the unending drumbeats, the clash of metal, the shouts of men and neighs of horses rolling across the battlefield…

Though their shouts stirred not the slightest ripple, the battle situation did shift a little with the arrival of this thousand men: three thousand Chu soldiers detached from Xiang Yan's main force and formed ranks below the ridge, while farther away on the southern front, the ten-thousand-plus Qu clan troops, even as they held off the Qin assault, kept glancing back, terrified that Heifu's men might suddenly charge!

After Heifu and his men had rested for a quarter-hour, he spotted in the distance the scout-messenger he had sent to the central army making contact with Wang Jian's own scouts at the edge of the battlefield; together they raced toward Wang Jian's camp, which sat as steady as a boulder.

At that very moment, another Southern Commandery unit also reached the battlefield!

Though it was only five hundred men.

"Company commander!"

Compared to the year before, Gong Ao now had a trace of soft whiskers above his lip. He came running over, panting: "The five hundred from Yan County have arrived too!"

The implication was obvious: the other five hundred had already fallen behind on the road…

Heifu nodded and asked: "Where is your five-hundred-man commander?"

Although Gong Ao, a hundred-man commander from Yan County, acted as if Heifu were his direct superior — and over the past half-year had often brought his troops over to drill and train with the Anlu soldiers — he was, after all, someone else's subordinate.

Gong Ao's face showed smug satisfaction: "I am! That five-hundred-man commander had the misfortune to fall from his horse! Unable to lead the troops, the Yan County company commander made me acting five-hundred-man commander and had me bring the fastest marchers ahead first!"

This kid's luck was truly something. Heifu clicked his tongue in wonder and told Gong Ao to have his men quickly eat something to restore their strength, and to plant all the banners they carried across the ridge — even to cut nearby brush and saplings and stick them among the ranks, making a mere fifteen hundred men look like five thousand!

Gong Ao rested for half a quarter-hour, then came back and asked urgently: "We've rested enough — shall we attack?"

"Did Commandant Li order us to attack?" Heifu countered. "He only ordered us to reach the battlefield first and seize a position."

Gong Ao was growing anxious: "Commandant Li has probably only covered half the distance — he's still far away!"

Heifu pointed to the other end of the battlefield: "I've also sent a man to request instructions from old General Wang. If the general orders us to strike, these fifteen hundred soldiers will come roaring down like fierce tigers — straight for Xiang Yan's command banner!"

…

At the other end of the battlefield, beneath Wang Jian's command banner, old General Wang faced the ceaseless, tide-like assaults of tens of thousands of Chu soldiers with perfect composure. He knew well that with tens of thousands of elite Qin troops from Guanzhong holding the enemy, the Chu men could never come within a single bowshot of him.

Observe the enemy's exterior to know his interior; watch his advance to know where he will halt. Assess the foe thus, and victory or defeat can be determined.

Within half a shichen of the battle's start, Wang Jian had already calculated every move Xiang Yan would make and turned it into a counter-ruse. Right now Qin and Chu seemed locked in stalemate, but the scales of victory were tipping, bit by bit, toward the Qin army.

What was more, to the southeast, a heavy counterweight had already been placed on the scale!

"How many have come?" Wang Jian looked at his messenger-scout and spoke with terse brevity.

The scout dismounted, knelt, and reported: "It is the Southern Army's Li You division — company commander Heifu with a thousand men! He says Commandant Li's troops are arriving one after another, but with a single order from the General, this thousand men can also strike the enemy line and, for the Grand Councillor, cut down the general and seize his banner!"

Grand Councillor was Wang Jian's rank of nobility; after the fall of the two lords, Lü Buwei and Lao Ai, he was now the highest-ranked noble in Qin.

"Heifu…" In Wang Jian's mind surfaced the image of that dark-skinned, sturdy young man with gleaming white teeth. He remembered him well — Heifu's "soldier's ball" was quite popular in the army, his speech was proper and measured, yet never brash or reckless. Wang Jian rather appreciated this young man.

According to the scout, Heifu had spread banners thick across the low southeastern ridge, even cutting trees and planting them everywhere, creating the appearance of several thousand men arrayed in formation — yet he had not rushed to attack.

On the Eight Gong Mountains, every bush and tree looked like a soldier — though that event had not yet occurred, Wang Jian could see the intent behind Heifu's bluff. It would make the enemy hesitate, sap their morale, and make them look over their shoulders, while his own troops, seeing reinforcements arrive, would surge with fighting spirit and fight without further worry.

"This Heifu truly knows how to use troops…"

Wang Jian nodded appreciatively, but then shook his head and thought to himself: "Only, he's not quite honest enough — a bit of a sly one!"

So old General Wang gave his order with some exasperation: "Ride fast and tell him — if he doesn't attack soon, this old man won't need his merit in this battle!"

Wang Jian had his reasons for saying this.

He paid no attention to the nearby main Qin and Chu forces, still locked in indecisive combat, but instead turned his gaze toward the southern front.

When the enemy is before you and battle is joined, nothing is more taboo than soldiers glancing left and right — and even more taboo than that is soldiers looking backward. Yet the Qu clan troops of the Chu army, locked in bitter combat with twenty thousand Qin soldiers, were now wavering and falling into disorder — all because of the bluff Heifu had drummed up.

Ten thousand men holding off twenty thousand was already desperately hard; they could break and flee at any moment. And now, with "five thousand" enemy reinforcements behind them, it was truly like a sword pressed against their backs!

In a moment, the ten thousand Qu clan soldiers, looking anxiously forward and back, began to show signs of collapse!

The scales of victory, after a long, deadlocked stalemate, now plunged swiftly toward Wang Jian's side!

……

Meanwhile, over on Heifu's side, Gong Ao had come asking to fight again, and he grumbled with great displeasure:

"The whole way here I kept thinking that our Commander would act just like last time at Tongyang, saying 'How can you catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger's den,' and lead us in a resolute strike to capture and kill Xiang Yan and become a hero!"

This young man had no fondness for Qin laws and ordinances, nor for Chu nobility, and was even rather indifferent to winning merit — yet he had a deep streak of heroism.

He was someone who had faced life and death together with Heifu, and he lacked the usual Qin man's rigid reluctance to overstep bounds. Heifu had no need to hide his thoughts, so he laughed and said:

"A'Ao, in my view, this campaign against Chu is not like the last one. Last time, General Li Xin wanted to be the hero who destroyed a kingdom, and it ended in a miserable failure. We were forced into bitter fighting at Tongyang. You think that when I left the city to feign surrender and roused the troops, that made me a hero? I had no desire to be any hero — I was forced into it. Back then, to survive, to make it home, nothing short of a hero's deeds could inspire the soldiers…"

Gong Ao nodded as though he half-understood.

Heifu continued: "But in this campaign against Chu, from the moment the old general Wang was made commander and demanded six hundred thousand men, this great battle was already one-third won. From the moment we built high ramparts and used our national strength and numbers to press and crush Chu, refusing to contest them for momentary pride, this battle was already half won."

"And at this very moment, when our banners cover the hills, this battle is already near total victory! This is what is meant by: the skilled warrior's victory brings no fame for wisdom, no merit for courage. That is why the Qin army has no heroes — and needs none."

"Commander, do you mean that just by standing here, we can subdue the enemy's troops without fighting?"

Gong Ao's face was full of disbelief.

"If you don't believe me, look!"

As if prophetic, Heifu pointed to the Chu troops on the southern line nearest to them. Those Chu soldiers, who had just been fiercely resisting a Qin force twice their number, had — at some unknown point — already begun to crumble and scatter! Even the tens of thousands of Chu soldiers attacking the Qin central army head-on were now steadily falling back.

Gong Ao was dumbstruck. He could see that these Chu soldiers were not weak — just moments ago, hadn't they been fighting with vigor and skill?

"Attacked front and rear, their morale has collapsed. That is why we, merely standing here, have achieved the effect of five thousand men with only fifteen hundred!" Heifu said.

As the two spoke, the Qin army on the southern line broke through that Chu army's formation. One part fell to slaughtering the fleeing and the stubborn resisters; the other part drove fiercely toward Xiang Yan's own command banner!

"Yet this war does have its heroes. Look there!"

Heifu pointed again at Xiang Yan's crimson banner. Gong Ao now saw with a start that Xiang Yan's command banner, which had held steady in place for so long, was slowly moving forward!

The northern line was at a disadvantage, the chariots were spent, and the main central force had failed to achieve anything after long effort. At that moment, enemy reinforcements arrived, and the southern line suddenly collapsed. The battle was already decided — but just then, Xiang Yan made a choice.

He did not flee in panic, did not stand frozen in bewilderment, and did not even follow instinct and turn to meet the Qin troops on the southern line charging toward him…

Instead, his banners pointed forward — straight at Wang Jian's main force opposite him!

"Heroes — sometimes they belong to the defeated as well."

Amid the fluttering banners on the hill where every bush and tree seemed like a soldier, Heifu let out a long breath. He could not help but admire the final choice Xiang Yan had made.

This Supreme Pillar of State, his defeat already sealed, took his last remaining ten thousand motley reserves and resolutely drove them toward the thirty thousand main-force troops who had long held the center against the Qin army but were now showing signs of collapse and about to break and flee!

He was going to join them, letting his blazing command banner ignite one final wave of attack.

Ignoring the rear, ignoring the left, ignoring the right — only forward, forward, forward! In a mad charge, to end it all!

In the depths of desperation, with a heart resolved to die, seeking a sliver of hope for rebirth from the ashes.

And if that failed? Then better to shatter like jade than to remain intact as mere tile!

Such was the manner of a Chu-style hero. This eight-hundred-year-old ancient kingdom was steeped in the colors of tragedy.

From Qu Yuan to Xiang Yan, and on to Xiang Yu in history — the grandfather and the grandson were cut from exactly the same cloth!

This grandfather and grandson pair seemed both to roar at the heavens: "In life, be a hero among men; in death, a hero among ghosts!"

So the hero of this war was Xiang Yan — and the Chu people, who fought with all their might yet could not win, who could only end in a blaze of tragic grandeur, their kingdom lost, their homes lost, their altars lost.

Heifu, who had watched from the margins for so long, was now stirred by this tragic atmosphere and suddenly grew solemn.

When the scout arrived to relay Wang Jian's orders, Heifu once more raised his hand high and had them beat the one war drum his side had brought!

Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!

The Qin army had already formed an encirclement on all sides. Xiang Yan's rear formation was now wide open toward Heifu and his men.

It was time to end all this.

"Let us go, my lads. Raise the banners, the whole army charges — strike hard at their rear."

Heifu looked to Gong Ao, to Dongmen Bao, to Li Xian, to Ji Ying, to Xiao Tao, and to the fifteen hundred soldiers from Anlu and Yan County at his side. They had rested enough and had been waiting long.

He drew his sword and pointed at the surging tide below the hill: "Let us go and put an end to the hero!"

PS: Another big chapter of four thousand characters — begging for monthly tickets.

(End of chapter)