Long Years of Consideration is the 227th chapter of the Kingdom manga, written and illustrated by Yasuhisa Hara.
Summary
A thousand Wei soldiers head towards Ren Pa's location. Additionally, there are a thousand of his own personal troops. Making the force attacking Mou Guu HQ consisting out of 2,000 soldiers. The Qin soldiers see that Ren Pa didn't came alone after all. The greatest purpose of the HQ comprised of a commander and his staff officers is the task of dictating the plan encompassing the battlefield as a whole so as to lead their forced to victory. Within the two battle plans illustrated by Wei and Qin, there existed a few points which were shared by both.
Mou Gou's plan was to use his main center army as a shield to weather the opposing center army's attacks. During which the heavily offensive armies led by his vice generals on the flanks would act as the Qin's main method of attack. The two flanks would go on to defeat their respective enemies before ultimately bringing down the Wei HQ.
On the other hand, Ren Pa's main offence core was comprised of Rin Ko in Wei's center army. Ren Pa's left and right armies were charged with either destroying or pushing back their respective opponents and then circling around to hit the Qin HQ from its rear. In other words, for both sides of this conflict, the battlefield was split into the three lanes of left, right and center.
The difference lay in how each of them chose to deal with the enemy's attacks. While Mou Gou gave the order for his men to dig in and defend, Ren Pa instead met the enemy attacks with his own attacks. Ren Pa's strategy could be likened to using a sword to stop another sword, and though it might have been a risky gamble, ultimately it had paid off. Though he had lost Gen Bou early on in the clash, the Kai Shi Bou army that immediately followed up was able to knock out the Kan Ki army, one of Qin's two offensive elements. Following that event, the most important game changer was what had occurred on the right battlefield. The sudden appearance of Ren Pa had caused the Ou Sen army to withdraw deeply into the rear. For Mou Gou HQ, this could be considered a huge misstep. Not only had they lost their other offensive arm, but now, their rear was also exposed to attack. That Ren Pa allowed Haku Ki Sai the seat of Commander-in-Chief was also due to his plan. All that remained was for Rin Ko, who he had the utmost faith in, to break through the Qin center and they would have sandwiched the Qin HQ between them. The passive Mou Gou and the active Ren Pa. Ultimately the battle would unfold according to the latter's designs. Up until now that is.
Mou Gou is laughing. He says that there is no need to panic. As far as the man is concerned, he says that he away's considered a loser. He tells them to have all their soldiers stationed here moved to the rear. One of the soldiers is surprised and asks if he means all of them. He tells Mou Guu that then, if the enemy breaks through their center, they will have nothing to stop them. Mou Gou responds that it doesn't matter. Mou Gou tells that having lost to Ren Pa time and time again in his youth, he had long predicted that this would happen once more. And that he was able to predict his coming meant that he was also able to deal with him now. Mou Gou deploys his anti-Ren Pa definitive formation.
The Wei soldiers and Ren Pa's personal soldiers notice that the Qin army prepared something in the rear. They comment that Mou Gou is quite well versed in defense and has only a few openings. However, they notice something odd. One of the soldiers tell the others to take a closer look. It actually looks like pretty shoddy, there's also a few wasteful spots. However, Ren Pa says no. This isn't bad at all. For such a mediocre pissant, looks like he improved. Mou Gou tells of course. This is a formation of his own design stemming from years and years of consideration. All for the purpose of defeating Ren Pa, where he ever to encounter him on the battlefield someday once more. Ren Pa says that it looks like he can't blindly charge into this one.
Ren Pa gives the order for the Cavalry to dismount as there is too many of them. He gives the order to Den Toku to take his Archers and do the usual. He also gives the order to send the shield soldiers out first to block the enemy fire. Ren Pa smiles and tells that it is time to get things rolling. He also tells him to watch his neck because he is coming to send his head rolling with these hands.
The Qin army sees that the enemy has begone to move. They are trying to deduce where Ren Pa is going to attack them from. Mou Gou tells to just try it. You will be the one to die the moment you enter this fortress.
Somewhere else Heki tells his men to not forget to keep their eyes peeled. There are enemy units wandering around in this region just like them. Heki is sweating as he thinks that they may have succeeded in their rearguard duty, but it resulted in them getting split up from Ou Sen's main unit and now they're lost in the woods. Having absorbed the remnants of the other units, they're still combat ready, they just need to hurry and return to the front lines. Suddenly one of the soldiers says that there something over there. Heki then sees Mou Gou HQ. With this Heki now knows where they are. However, he is shocked as he then notices that the Mou Gou HQ might be under Wei attack.
The Qin and Wei army are engaging each other. People are dying left and right. Ren Pa however is watching. Suddenly he moves as well. The Qin soldiers notice that he is headed towards the left. Soldiers stationed at the left are seeing that Ren Pa is headed for them. They say that he is an idiot as they were expecting him to do this. Coming from the side to avoid enemy archers is a no brainer. Which is why a commander dispatching more archer teams to lie in wait in the opposite forest from the very start. Even if it's Ren Pa, he will be utterly helpless if he is barraged from two different directions. He laughs as he expected this from the legendary Ren Pa. His tactics are already a relic of the past. Then he gives the order to open fire.
However, they are shocked as Qin seemingly are shooting their own allies. They notice however that the opposite bank has already fallen to enemy control. Suddenly Ren Pa is charging into Qin's defensive line. Qin soldiers are shocked as he did it so easily. They are also being notified that the right has been breached as well. They see no other way but to retreat to the top. Mou Gou tells that there is however no need to worry. This fort's true terror begins from here.
Characters
Qin
- Mou Gou Army
- Mou Gou
- Unnamed officers
- Unnamed HQ defending soldiers
- Ou Sen Army
- Kan Ki Army
- Kan Ki (mentioned)
Wei
- Haku Ki Sai Army
- Haku Ki Sai (mentioned)
- Ren Pa Army
- Rin Ko Army (Center Army)
- Rin Ko (mentioned)
- Kyou En Army (Right Army)
- Kyou En (mentioned)
- Kai Shi Bou Army (Left Army)
- Kai Shi Bou (mentioned)
Chapter Notes
- Ren Pa attacks Mou Gou's HQ with two thousand soldiers.
- 1000 soldiers are from his personal troops.
- Mou Gou's and Ren Pa's plan share some points.
- Both armies plan is revealed.
- Everything went to Ren Pa's design.
- Mou Gou orders all the men stationed at the HQ to go to the rear.
- Mou Gou deploys his anti-Ren Pa definitive formation.
- Ren Pa gives the order to attack the Mou Gou HQ.
- Heki's unit are lost in the woods.
- Heki absorbed the remnants of other units.
- Heki tries to get to the front lines.
- Heki locates the Mou Gou HQ.
- Heki notices that the Mou Gou HQ is under attack.
- The forest on one bank has already fallen to Ren Pa's control.
- Qin's right of Mou Gou's HQ has been breached.
- Mou Gou tells that the true terror of this fort begins here.
Trivia
- Den Toku is introduced.