Chapter 1166: First Volume, Chapter 1166: The Most Passive Battle

First Volume, Chapter 1166: The Most Passive Battle

All commanders agreed that even if this infantry unit was truly a decoy, it was still worth the risk to send troops, given the immense gains.

Qin Feng's army had only this many infantry left; if they were all wiped out and only cavalry remained, Qin Feng would never again have any chance of shaking the city.

No matter how much he raged outside the city, ignore him completely.

Know this: even the army Qin Feng brought from the Northern Border was pure cavalry.

And for Jingji to send infantry southward for support, it would take at least two months.

These two months are enough for Gusu City to recover and exhaust Qin Feng's vital energy.

In terms of consumption, Qin Feng is no worse off than Gusu City!

Gusu City has fifty thousand defenders, true, but Qin Feng's thirteen thousand cavalry, men and horses alike, will consume how much military rations?

Who will wear out whom first is still uncertain!

Lin Wenwan was not a person who ruled arbitrarily; she had simply never encountered anyone smarter than herself before.

Seeing her officers and soldiers rise in fervor, and knowing the benefits of annihilating this infantry unit were truly immense, even with risk, it was worth taking.

After much deliberation, Lin Wenwan decided to take a gamble; even if she lost, it would only be a loss of morale.

However, Zheng Keng's suggestion of "sending three thousand infantry" was rejected by Lin Wenwan.

"Don't aim for total annihilation—just break them, and we win."

"Destroy one-tenth, wound two-tenths; the remaining seven-tenths will fall into panic on their own, requiring no effort from us."

Lin Wenwan was resolute, for she knew clearly in her heart.

Previous victories came only because we had heaven's timing, earth's advantage, and human harmony.

Sun Bo's elite troops first failed in siege warfare, then suffered heavy losses at the City Gate.

The first time, they were defeated by the city; the second time, they were pushed back by heavy-armored infantry.

The third time, the defenders launched an offensive, catching Sun Bo off-guard while his army was exhausted and unable to rest.

Now, Sun Bo's vanguard has fully recovered; over two thousand infantry are fresh and full of strength. Sending three thousand light infantry against them now would be a near-certain defeat!

Remember, Sun Bo's heavy infantry are all spent, yet his light infantry's armor remains sturdier than the defenders'.

To achieve total annihilation, you'd need at least three thousand light infantry, one thousand heavy-armored infantry, plus one thousand cavalry to cut off retreat—only then could it succeed.

Unfortunately, heavy-armored infantry move slowly; once they leave the city, the enemy will retreat, and very likely face ambush and assault from Qin Feng's cavalry.

Qin Feng's army… still has eight hundred Black Cavalry!

Lin Wenwan and all commanders ultimately reached consensus.

Send two thousand light infantry and five hundred cavalry for a probing attack.

If the enemy retreats, strike hard; if they choose to stand and fight, our defenders are close to the city and can reinforce at any moment, expanding the battlefield.

As the City Gate opened and the defenders slowly marched out, Qin Feng, watching from afar, slapped his thigh.

"I was right again!"

Seeing Qin Feng so excited, Zhao Zhenhai couldn't help asking.

"Your Majesty, the enemy's morale is high, and they've sent a large force—won't we likely lose if we fight?"

Qin Feng merely waved his hand, as if victory were already assured.

"Let me put it this way!"

"For Gusu City, avoiding battle is the best strategy!"

"They've already won too much; they only need to hold their gains, no need to keep fighting us—just stand off."

"And our harassment only increases their resentment; next time they fight, their momentum will be fiercer."

"A full-scale sortie for total annihilation is the middle strategy."

"Because the defenders hold overwhelming advantage; our small force cannot possibly resist."

"If they try to expand the battlefield, we'd have to retreat—fighting hard is simply unrealistic."

"A small force launching a probing attack is the worst strategy."

"For the defenders, the safest option is exactly what we want."

"A probing attack means we can use a small force to challenge Gusu City directly."

Zhao Zhenhai's mouth hung open—he never expected Qin Feng's seemingly desperate move contained so many layers.

He immediately regained confidence.

But…

Even if he was right, what good does it do?

Last night in the Shuaizhang, Qin Feng spoke of total annihilation—how could they annihilate the enemy so close to the city? At least Zhao Zhenhai now had no idea.

Zhao Yuxiong and Liu Ming exchanged glances beside him, equally unable to fathom Qin Feng's intent.

Logically, before battle, Qin Feng should have clearly explained his tactics so subordinates could coordinate tightly and reduce errors.

But given the low morale, even clear plans couldn't withstand rapid changes on the battlefield.

Qin Feng was gambling—but at least now, his odds were better.

At this moment, Sun Bo's vanguard and the Gusu City Garrison had already clashed.

Since neither side had heavy-armored infantry, neither dared charge recklessly; only the front-line troops used long weapons to probe each other.

But Gusu City had five hundred light cavalry in support, and while the infantry clashed, they had already maneuvered behind Sun Bo's vanguard.

Advantage tilted once again toward Gusu City.

Fortunately, Sun Bo's vanguard carried many shields; under their protection, the enemy's light cavalry raids lost much of their effectiveness.

Both commanders observed the battlefield.

Though the combined forces engaged totaled barely five thousand men, the battle was anything but intense.

Both sides were even somewhat passive, with only the front-line platoon soldiers fighting, while the rest waited behind to take their places.

That five hundred light cavalry soon exhausted their arrows, then turned their horses and charged toward Gusu City.

At that moment, Qin Feng waved his hand: "Zhao Zhenhai, lead five hundred light cavalry to ambush."

You finish singing, and I step on stage?

Zhao Zhenhai couldn't help but smile inwardly; had he known this battle would be so half-hearted, he wouldn't have been so anxious.

Not just Zhao Zhenhai—even the generals of Gusu City were remarkably relaxed.

In their view, this battle was merely mutual probing, with neither side truly committing.

As they watched Qin Feng's five hundred cavalry head for the battlefield, the generals showed little reaction.

After all, light cavalry finding it hard to break through infantry formations.

As expected, after Zhao Zhenhai's five hundred light cavalry approached, they could only shuttle back and forth between the infantry and Gusu City, harassing with Bow and Arrow.

Whenever the Enemy Army raised their Great Shields, Zhao Zhenhai's arrows failed to make an impact.

And seeing those long Chang Mao, Zhao Zhenhai had not the slightest thought of launching a Cavalry Charge.

Precisely at that moment, Qin Feng waved again, ordering Zhao Yuxiong to lead the remaining two thousand five hundred cavalry straight into the battlefield.

Three thousand cavalry plus two thousand five hundred Infantry attacking two thousand Light Infantry?

Quantitative change triggers qualitative change.

Lin Wenwan, standing atop the City Wall, immediately sensed something was wrong.