Wubei Zhi (Vol. 10)

catchword: Examination of Official Strategy

...to surround Kunyang. Yan You advised Wang Yi: "Kunyang is a small but firm city. It would be better to strike Wan first. If Wan is defeated, Kunyang will surrender on its own." Wang Yi did not listen and proceeded to surround it with several dozen layers of troops. They arranged hundreds of camps, and the sound of their drums and gongs could be heard for tens of miles. Some used tunnels and battering rams to attack the city, while crossbows fired continuously, with arrows falling like rain. Wang Feng and others begged to surrender, but were refused. Wang Xun and Wang Yi believed that their success was imminent and did not worry about military affairs. Yan You said: "Military strategy dictates that when surrounding a city, one should leave an opening to allow them to escape, so as to frighten those in Wan." Again, they did not listen. Liu Xiu reached Yan and Dingling, where he mobilized all the camp troops. The generals were greedy for their wealth and wanted to divide the troops to guard it. Liu Xiu said: "If we defeat the enemy now, our wealth will be ten thousand times greater, and we will achieve great glory. If we are defeated, we will lose our heads, and what wealth will be left?" He then ordered a full mobilization. On the first day of the sixth month, Liu Xiu led more than a thousand infantry and cavalry as the vanguard, four...