Lu Heng was quite worried that if he really let go and allowed the fight against Meng Haigong to happen, and then Meng Haigong delivered a crushing blow, it would let Dou Jiande reap the benefits of a fisherman, and the situation would become difficult to control.

Even if Qin Shubao and Cheng Zhijie defected on Dou Jiande's side by then, success wasn't necessarily guaranteed.

...

As for Dou Jiande's side, Yun Ying, acting as Qin Shubao, and Li Hongyun, impersonating Cheng Zhijie, were also constantly devising strategies for him.

Although the two of them, as surrendered generals, hadn't fully gained Dou Jiande's trust, their suggestions had a high chance of success as long as they aligned with Dou Jiande's thinking.

Yun Ying was busy bamboozling Dou Jiande.

"Lord Xia, at this moment, for some unknown reason, the Zheng Army hesitates and does not advance, missing a golden opportunity. This is a perfect chance for us!

"If your majesty wishes to head south to vie for supremacy, you will need to cross the Yellow River and take possession of the Shandong region.

"If we can now muster our strength and directly annihilate Meng Haigong, carrying the momentum of a great victory, we can certainly crush the Zheng Army in one fell swoop.

"Then, with your majesty holding Hebei and Henan, the two key territories, attacking Liang will bring swift destruction!"

Dou Jiande, looking at the map, furrowed his brows slightly, seemingly hesitant to make a decision.

Actually, he was quite perplexed as to why Wang Shichong would actively come to attack him when there was a larger base of Liang to the west of Zheng Country.

But since Wang Shichong had already come knocking, he had no choice but to meet the challenge.

According to the spies' reports, it was indeed strange that Wang Shichong inexplicably stopped advancing, and it was unclear if some internal issues arose.

It seemed that now was indeed an excellent time to strike at Meng Haigong.

If he could swiftly eliminate Meng Haigong and consume his thirty thousand troops, then attacking Wang Shichong would hold great promise.

Moreover, Dou Jiande had long disliked Meng Haigong; he was the biggest thorn in his path southwards and should have been removed earlier.

But there was a precondition: speed.

If the stalemate with Meng Haigong continued and Wang Shichong suddenly attacked, then the situation would become complicated.

Seemingly sensing Dou Jiande's doubts, Qin Shubao spoke up, "Your majesty, opportunities are fleeting, never to return!

"My coming to join your majesty with Cheng Zhijie is precisely because we believe your majesty to be wise, valiant, and decisive – the rightful ruler to unify the land, as the people look forward to.

"But your majesty, you hesitate so; if a mere bandit strikes fear in us, how can we speak of uniting the realm?

"Meng Haigong's location is crucial, sandwiched between Hebei and Henan. If the Xia Army takes it first, we can hold the advantage. Conversely, if the Zheng Army seizes it before us, we will be at a disadvantage.

"If Wang Shichong reacts and eliminates Meng Haigong first, then we are in peril!"

In truth, there were arguments for and against attacking Meng Haigong.

Many strategies inherently have no absolute right or wrong; what matters is how they are executed.

Take for instance the historical battle of Hulaoguan Pass.

Dou Jiande decided to attack Meng Haigong first, but unexpectedly, after four months of fighting, not only were his troops exhausted, he also missed the opportunity, letting the Liang Army seize Hulaoguan Pass first.

Before the battle of Hulaoguan Pass even began, they were already at a significant disadvantage.

And Lord Qin? He went against common counsel and decided to divide his forces, sending 3,500 elite Black Armor troops to confront Dou Jiande at Hulaoguan Pass.

The final battle led to the capture of both kings, laying a solid foundation for Liang to pacify the realm for good.

In hindsight, Dou Jiande's decision was clearly unwise, while Lord Qin was lucid and left nothing to chance.

But, it could also have gone differently.

What if Dou Jiande hadn't bothered with Meng Haigong and marched south to aid Wang Shichong, only to have Meng Haigong suddenly cut off his supply line?

Then surely someone would've criticized Dou Jiande for being foolish, for ignoring an opposing force like Meng Haigong, leaving his vulnerable logistics exposed to the enemy's blade – a grave mistake.

On the other hand, if Dou Jiande had captured Meng Haigong within a month, then he could have reached Hulaoguan Pass first.

Once past Hulaoguan Pass, with no defensible positions around Luoyang, he might have been able to repel the Liang Army with the momentum of a great victory, seizing the eastern lands and contending for supremacy over the realm.

Had Lord Qin's 3,500 Black Armor troops arrived at Hulaoguan Pass too late, resulting in the pass falling and a crushing defeat, then his strategy of splitting forces would have been ridiculed as well.

Therefore, often the correctness of a decision hinges on its execution.

Players formulated different strategies based on the distinct traits of Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande.

Wang Shichong had already developed significant trust in Lu Heng, so a strategy from Lu Heng that defied common sense had a chance of being accepted.

Conversely, if Yun Ying and Li Hongyun advised Dou Jiande to hold his forces back and not attack Meng Haigong, it would arouse his suspicion.

After all, in Dou Jiande's view, Meng Haigong was no formidable foe.

Rather, it was better to flatter Dou Jiande first, suggesting his ambition to unify the realm depended on eliminating Meng Haigong, which increased the chances of swaying him successfully.

And within the Xia Army, those incompetent generals seemed to agree with the preference to attack Meng Haigong first.

So, Dou Jiande decided: attack Meng Haigong first, then Wang Shichong!

He and Wang Shichong began this grand war, following the script meticulously designed by the players.

...

Outside Jinyang City.

Liu Wuzhou and Song Jingang sat astride their horses, looking towards the distant Liang Army.

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