Checkmate on the Board is the 267th chapter of the Kingdom manga, written and illustrated by Yasuhisa Hara.
Summary
Duke Hyou's army of 10,000 continue to battle the 100,000 strong Wei army into the fourth day. The duke orders the Hi Shin Unit to take the Qin Regions#Shourai Mountain paths and strike the enemy in their flank. Traveling in the direction of the mountain path, Ka Ryo Ten questions the duke's intuition. Shin reassures her, reminding her that Duke Hyou was able to defeat the strategical Wei great general Go Kei four years ago by not following normal logic.
Sure enough, the duke's instincts prove correct and the Hi Shin Unit encounters a Wei ambush unit and commenced battle. Unfazed, Go Hou Mei looks on as his ambush failed, analyzing that although the duke sends his men to die for nothing, he won every vital clash to even the losses. Just as he prepared to continue the battle, Duke Hyou retreats. The Zhao army had arrived.
Ri Boku and Go Hou Mei greet each other cordially. Go Hou Mei question why the Zhao army changed their route to come here instead of the agreed upon rendezvous point. Ri Boku replies by questioning why the Wei army wasted four days bogged down with the Duke Hyou army, to the annoyance of the Wei soldiers. Go Hou Mei countered that although Ri Boku proposed a coalition, the Wei and Zhao armies are equal in standing and thus were not obliged to obey each other.
Go Hou Mei states that no matter the speed of their advance, the Qin have been checkmated. Ri Boku assures him that the final goal is the complete destruction of Qin. Meanwhile in Kanyou, Shou Hei Kun, Shou Bun Kun, and others collapse from exhaustion after hundreds of battle simulations. Shou Hei Kun tells Ryo Fui that they have a 20% chance of winning, which the latter accepted as an acceptable gamble with a determined expression. Shou Hei Kun then orders every noteworthy general back to Kanyou.
Characters
Qin
- Royal Palace
- Ei Sei Faction
- Ei Sei
- Shou Bun Kun
- Unnamed strategists
- Ryo Fui Faction
- Ryo Fui
- Shou Hei Kun
- Unnamed strategists
- Ei Sei Faction
- Hi Shin Unit
- Shin
- Ka Ryo Ten
- Unnamed others
- Six Great Generals
- Ou Ki (mentioned)
Wei
- Go Hou Mei Army
- Go Hou Mei
- Shu Hi
- Unnamed officers
- Unnamed members
- Go Kei Army
- Go Kei (mentioned)