At this moment, the atmosphere in the Persian tent was heavy and no one spoke, fearing that any more words would anger the emperor who was already on the verge of exploding.
During the day's fighting, the Persian army made slow progress, which almost exhausted Nadir Shah's patience.
"King of kings, I have a plan."
Then, a great general who had fought with Nadir Shah for many years finally broke his silence.
"I think we need to change our strategy."
Nadir Shah just gave him a cold look and said, "Speak."
The general bowed and began to choose his words carefully.
"I believe that the terrain of Thermopylae is too dangerous. A frontal attack would incur a huge cost and would probably delay the opportunity to fight."
"Using elite troops and divine messengers would be a humiliation to us."
"So, I think we can consider other ways to bypass this bottleneck."
When Nadir Shah heard this, his words showed obvious sarcasm: "Any other way?"
"Do you think I haven't considered this? Long before the attack began, I had already sent people to survey all possible passages in the surrounding area."
“Except for Thermopylae, other places are either steep cliffs or dense jungles and swamps, making it impossible for a large army to pass through.”
The general hurried to explain.
"King of Kings, I am not suggesting that the main force be diverted. Instead, I suggest sending a smaller force to find a feasible path around the enemy's rear."
"If we can strike the Spartans from behind, their defenses will collapse."
"After all, their formation is forward, and they can't take care of both the front and the back at the same time."
Nadir Shah frowned. "You mean to ask me to send an elite force to take the risk of taking those unknown and dangerous paths?"
The general hurriedly shook his head. "No, King of Kings, that's not what I meant!"
"My idea is that we can select a suitable force from the vassal army, such as the Medes or Assyrians, who are equally brave and capable, but not our precious Persian elites."
Then, he pointed to the northwest corner of the map and said, "Look, my scouts reported that there might be several ancient narrow paths in this mountainous area. Perhaps one of them could lead to their rear."
"If that's true, then we only need a lightly armed mountain force to pass through there and get around to the rear of Thermopylae."
Nadir Shah thought for a moment and narrowed his eyes slightly.
This proposal is indeed worth a try. Instead of continuing to confront head-on and causing more casualties, it is better to try a roundabout tactic.
After all, he originally just wanted to scare the Spartans, but now, those guys not only did not show any fear, but also made Persia lose face.
However, there are also risks. If the trail does not exist or is too dangerous, the troops sent out may be wiped out.
Nadir Shah asked, “How can you be sure there is actually a viable path there?”
The general then explained, "Lord of Kings, the shepherds here have discovered several shortcuts through these mountains that allow them to travel in a single day what would normally take three days."
“So, I think if these routes were available, it would definitely be of great help to us.”
Nadir Shah pondered for a long time, and several generals looked at each other secretly, not daring to break the silence.
Nadir Shah finally nodded.
"good."
"First, the exploration operation must be kept secret. We must never let the enemy discover our true intentions."
"Second, the force must be composed of the most reliable and experienced people, and I want to ensure the accuracy of the information."
"Third, and most importantly, if a feasible route is confirmed, the flanking troops must strictly follow orders and not act rashly."
"They must wait until the agreed signal is given and coordinate with the frontal attack force."
Many generals immediately bowed: "I understand completely, King of Kings."
Nadir Shah nodded with satisfaction: "Very good, I now appoint you to be in charge of this task."
"You have the authority to mobilize the necessary resources, but you must proceed with caution and not alert the enemy."
The general bowed deeply. "Yes, I will make arrangements immediately. If all goes well, I believe we'll have results within the next two days."
Nadir Shah frowned slightly. "Two days? Faster!"
"The mountainous terrain is complex and marching at night is extremely dangerous," the general explained.
"Our warriors will also need ample time to conduct exploration, but I promise that we will complete the mission you have assigned us as soon as possible, even at the risk of everything!"
Nadir Shah thought for a moment and nodded reluctantly: "Two days then."
"But remember, if there's no good news by then, the responsibility will be on you."
The general bowed again: "I am willing to guarantee with my life that I will never let the King of Kings down!"
......
The team set out soon in the evening.
Meanwhile, in the main Persian camp, Nadir Shah was listening to battle reports from other generals.
A general with a bloody face brought another report at this time.
"King of Kings! We have lost approximately 3,500 men, and have only advanced less than 30 paces!"
"The Spartans' defense is incredibly strong, their shield wall is almost impenetrable!"
Nadir Shah narrowed his eyes and his chest began to rise and fall violently.
"My imperial army actually lost 3,500 soldiers in a tiny place?"
Another general then added: "However! We have noticed that the Spartan formation is also beginning to show signs of fatigue!"
"Their weapons are blunt, and their shields are damaged in many places!"
"If we continue to exert pressure, they will eventually collapse!"
Nadir Shah looked at the two generals at this time and just raised his hand slightly.
Then, several guards carried them out.
"King of kings! King of kings!"
"It's not that we failed to lead the troops. Please understand! King of Kings!"
“…”
Not long after, the guards came in carrying two heads.
Nadir Shah had already killed four generals, who were the leaders of the vanguard troops.
In Nadir Shah's view, the incompetence of soldiers is the incompetence of generals.
Therefore, anyone who was still alive and dared to come back to report to him was beheaded by Nadir Shah.
......
On the other side, Lin Ke, who was still observing from a high place, opened the civilization panel.
Sure enough, what he expected began to happen.
He clearly saw on the civilization panel that Persian troops were exploring the roads near Thermopylae at night, and were even getting closer and closer to Thermopylae.
"It's time."
"Pass on my orders. Have the army prepare and wait for my signal before approaching the coast."
"Ramesses, come here, I have something to tell you."
“…”
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