After the battle, Princess Ming read over the reports with a tense face, her hand gripping the paper tighter than usual. It was clear that she was shaken. Although she had steeled herself for the outcome, it was harder to accept once it was done. In that regard, she might be the same as her sister. This might be why people said ignorance was bliss!
"The kingdom lost between seven to fifteen thousand soldiers in this battle alone," she said aloud.
"What… about the empire?" Princess Xiuying asked hesitantly.
"…They're still estimating the total casualties but… the empire is expected to have lost anywhere between… thirty to fifty thousand soldiers."
Silence reigned as Xiuying took a step outside. Having known this plan from the beginning, she felt complacent in those deaths, as if she had done it the deed herself. That burden was unbelievably heavy. Her kindness and empathy weighed her down. Ming felt guilty in involving her sister in this mess.
"That means the kingdom's plan was a success," Imperian Qiang replied, his tone even.
Ming nodded. "Our role is next. We'll need to restrain the Li Family for as long as possible for the kingdom to secure the province."
When she thought about the kingdom's plan, she had to admit it was risky but cunning. The Imperial Council rightfully assumed Guanhuang would be the focal point of this battle since it sat at the center of the province. Its logistical network could be the difference between victory or defeat! Hence, Unit Commander Haea based their strategy around the whole idea that the Alzar Kingdom would concentrate their forces in the central front, neglecting the northern and southern fronts. The council could then fortify Guanhuang with a small force, push the other fronts, and corner the kingdom's army in the middle. This was a critical mistake because once their strategy was exposed, it was easy to create a counterstrategy! War was not simply a numbers game, but also a battle of minds. General Petra, Elizabeth, and Princess Ming accurately anticipated the council's movements and plotted against them!
Firstly, they drew the council's attention to the central front. They did this by boldly sending their strongest combatants, also known as the Sword King and his disciples, to Guanhuang. They knew the council would be paranoid about the threat an Instinct Realm could become, especially after the Battle of Liguang. Furthermore, General Petra made her presence known too to emphasize their focus on the central front. However, the reality was quite different.
The truth was that the kingdom sent very few soldiers and simply masqueraded themselves as being stronger than they were. It was not easy to do, because the council would obviously work to confirm the kingdom's numbers, but General Petra planned ahead. She deliberately allocated less soldiers per carriage, thereby inflating her convoy numbers. She brought the correct number of supplies for an army of a hundred thousand. Finally, she attacked aggressively, as though she held the advantage. People struggled to visualize a hundred thousand strong army, which when compounded by the climatic battle between the Sword King and the Featherwind Sect, meant General Petra's scheme worked brilliantly. Using just thirty thousand, she posed as an army of a hundred thousand and Unit Commander Haea completely fell for it.
Secondly, they delayed the southern front using a small elite force. Both Imperian Qiang and Princess Ming understood the Four Great Nobility Families far better than what the kingdom could hope for. They knew the Jun, Jian, and Shui Families would never get along, despite a common enemy. That was how deep their rivalry ran! And this disharmony was precisely what the kingdom targeted. By using the terrain against them, the kingdom impeded their march through the south. The Ten Dawns were instrumental here, because their responsiveness and effectiveness enabled the kingdom to setup in time. Of course, only Commander Christina was privy to their involvements.
The central and southern fronts accounted for thirty and twenty thousand soldiers respectively, whereas the remaining hundred and forty thousand went north. Their goal was simple: annihilate the council's army! They lured Unit Commander Duan into a false sense of confidence and engaged his army on all fronts before closing the net with a double pincer attack. Unfortunately, Unit Commander Duan's instincts were better than expected. He took a conservative approach and retreated, thereby avoiding the worst of the slaughter. Otherwise, his measly thirty to fifty thousand losses might have been a total massacre! This outcome was still favorable though since the kingdom secured the northern front. The next step would be to cut off the central front to capture Unit Commander Haea. Meanwhile, Imperian Qiang and the Imperial Princesses were here to prevent the Li Family's intervention in the matter because the inclusion of a third party would severely hinder the kingdom's overall strategy. It became a race against time!
***
Back in the central front, Unit Commander Haea patiently explained her theories on the kingdom's plans to her subordinates. Despite the few clues she had, she accurately deduced their entire plan! Her intuition was monstrously sharp, as expected of the Third-In-Command of the Xingyuu Empire's Tai Feng Army. She was not to be underestimated!
"Are you sure you aren't overthinking this?" her officers were unconvinced, their faces a mixture of shock and disbelief. They could not believe they could be tricked this easily. This big of a blunder would make them the joke of the army!
"Our messengers should be returning from the other fronts shortly. We can wait for their report," she concluded. Since the option for messenger pigeons died with Guanhuang's destruction, they resorted to mounted messengers instead. It took more time, but it was the only option they had left.
The Battle in Guanhuang continued in the background, but like a fire without wood, it seemed to die out slowly. The intensity dropped at a noticeable rate. Although General Petra played the aggressor, her army was fundamentally weaker than the council's which, when compounded by the few remaining defenses the city had, made it increasingly difficult to breach their final line of defense. Fatigue began to set in, along with morale damage. Anymore and her army would suffer for it. General Petra ultimately made the decision to limit her attacks which confirmed Unit Commander Haea's theories. When the messengers finally returned, she already knew what they were about to say.
"Urgent report from the northern front!" a messenger shouted. "Unit Commander Duan engaged a large enemy army, suffered heavy casualties, and was forced to retreat! Casualties exceed thirty thousand! Estimated enemy numbers exceed one hundred thousand! The enemy is expected to enter the central front soon! Unit Commander Duan is requesting orders!"
"I have another report from the southern front! General Goumeng and the joint army are struggling to reach the Xushi Point on schedule. No enemies encountered yet, but they heavily suspect the kingdom's interference in this. They're also requesting orders!"
"What?"
"So, it was really true?"
"Then we need to retreat from Guanhuang immediately! We can't have them cut off our rear!"
"Contact General Goumeng! We can have them escort us out of the central front!"
The officers panicked under the stress. They had no idea a blade was this close to their throats! However, one of the officers had a sudden stroke of genius when he glanced at the army in the distance. He flashed a devious smile. "We don't have to retreat from Guanhuang… We can just advance and capture General Petra instead!"
Everyone stopped in realization. That was right! Assuming Unit Commander Haea's predictions were true, then it meant they severely outnumbered General Petra's army. It was a golden opportunity to turn the tides! As for the Sword King and his disciples making another appearance, they had not shown up since the Featherwind Sect left. It was fair to assume that their power had a limit, and they would not be participating anymore. Therefore, General Petra's army was currently like a sheep in a wolf's clothing! They could capture her and mount a counterattack!
"That won't be possible. For that plan to succeed, we would need our allies to hold off the northern front long enough for us to capture General Petra, but we can't coordinate with them in time. By the time our messengers arrive, the enemy's army would have marched into the central front already. The timing is too sensitive. Capturing General Petra would change nothing if we're trapped. Besides, I'm sure General Petra would have expected our response too. There could be countless traps or ambushes awaiting us should we take this fight to the field. It's too risky," Unit Commander Haea explained. "I hate to say it but issue the orders. All armies will retreat and regroup at the Quiton Gates! We've lost this battle!"