In this battle, Dongjin emerged victorious.
Gu Qian always considered the lives and safety of his soldiers.
In war, soldiers must make heroic sacrifices; their lives must not be lost lightly.
Not only did they win, but they also gained nearly 300,000 surrendered soldiers in total.
The remaining enemy troops, numbering less than 100,000, were either dead or wounded, with a large portion becoming scattered and aimless, hiding in all directions.
Indeed, the more than 200,000 Northern Qi troops they surrounded and encircled ultimately surrendered without a fight under Gu Qian's pressure.
If they don't surrender, death is the only outcome awaiting them.
As the saying goes, "To subdue the enemy without fighting is the way to win."
This is unprecedented.
That night in Ganzhou, at the victory banquet, everyone raised their glasses and drank together, having a great time.
Gu Qian forbade drinking alcohol. The victory at this moment was only temporary; they still had a tough battle ahead.
It is believed that Qi Ze will soon discover that their gunpowder supply is insufficient, at which point they will surely return.
Therefore, they used tea instead of wine to celebrate their victory today.
Yue Peng raised his glass, stood up, and respectfully said to Gu Qian:
"General Gu, Dongjin's victory this time is entirely due to your wisdom and courage. I would like to offer you a toast."
He had the least merit in this battle, and in the end, he was rescued by General Gu. He felt ashamed to participate in the victory celebration banquet.
Gu Qian waved his hand, "No, this is the achievement of the entire army."
Yue Peng chuckled awkwardly, "General Gu, there is still one thing I don't understand. Since General Gu has such a brilliant plan, why bother to wear down the enemy? Wouldn't it be better to just reveal your weapons from the start and catch the enemy off guard?"
Captain Qin nodded in agreement, "Yes, General, I don't understand either."
He was a rough and uncultured man, and he did whatever Gu Qian told him to do.
"If we don't wear them down, how can they afford to underestimate us? Throughout history, an arrogant army has always been defeated!"
Although some of the enemy's recruits were simply there to make up the numbers—that is, the initial 100,000 or so men he had recruited—
However, their main force is significantly larger than that of Dongjin.
If they were to engage in battle from the outset, given their insufficient troop strength, it would be difficult for them to defend Ganzhou while also protecting Youzhou.
That's why Gu Qian kept stalling.
What Gu Qian needs to do is create the illusion that the enemy is strong and we are weak, and then launch a surprise attack.
If he had been proactive from the start, the enemy would have been more cautious.
Everyone knows that if this battle were to be fought one-on-one, head-on, it would surely be a bloody and brutal affair.
No one wants to see a life-or-death situation.
"General Gu, there is still one thing I don't understand," Yue Peng continued.
Gu Qian raised his head and looked at Yue Peng, "Is there anything else you don't understand?"
"Since the enemy has been captured, why not kill them quickly?" In Yue Peng's view, killing them with one blow would be both decisive and simple, and would also deter the enemy.
That has always been his approach.
What is there to sympathize with regarding the enemy?
Upon hearing this, Captain Qin shook his head and laughed:
"General Yue, killing them is easy, but if Dongjin wants to conquer Northern Qi, it must practice benevolence and righteousness."
Favorable timing, advantageous location, and harmonious relationships are all indispensable.
This would further highlight the differences between our army and the Northern Qi army, and it would be much easier for us to persuade the enemy to surrender again than before.
These were the words Gu Qian had said to him, and now he was repeating them verbatim to Yue Peng.
After he finished speaking, he looked at Gu Qian.
Gu Qian nodded and said in a deep voice:
As Sun Tzu said, the best strategy for winning a war is to subdue the enemy without any casualties.
However, defeating the enemy and crippling or damaging them is slightly less advantageous.
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