Chapter 3413
Advantages and Disadvantages of Victory and Defeat
...
Cecissarian's ideas and actions directly influenced the Kushan naval forces throughout the Strait of Malacca.
Although every fleet commander was aware of the consequences, they all responded to the corresponding orders when facing Cecislian.
As the creator of the Kushan Navy and the one who made it powerful, Cecissarian had the responsibility and obligation to ensure that the Kushan Empire's navy remained strong, at least until his death.
Based on this goal and direction, Cecislian began to frequently mobilize naval forces in the Strait of Malacca, creating a series of illusions to lure the Han army's naval fleet.
Having fought against the commander of the Han army's naval fleet, Cecislian knew the Han commander's personality and command style well. He knew that if he revealed a weakness, the Han commander would never let the opportunity pass.
Even knowing it was a trap, the Han army commander would not let this opportunity pass.
After all, there was a huge bait involved, and that bait was Cecislian himself.
Although he was not clear about the naval system within the Han Empire, from a soldier's perspective, Cecissian knew very well that certain things were essential, especially for a soldier of an empire.
Victory on the battlefield is far more desirable than victory through underhanded tactics.
The former is the true foundation of the army's morale and the basis of the soldiers, and a necessary condition for building a strong army; the latter is merely a political means and has nothing to do with the construction of the army.
The bait that Cecilie set out had a similar effect.
Defeat Cecilielian, gain corresponding victories on the battlefield, seize corresponding power, turn this momentum of victory into your own, and ultimately build an invincible naval force.
If Cecisarian cannot be defeated on the battlefield, but is instead defeated through underhanded tactics, then the final result will be that Cecisarian dies due to health reasons, and the Han Empire's army wins without a fight.
However, in the subsequent war, the Han Empire's navy did not have an overwhelming momentum or an invincible mentality when facing the Kushan navy.
The Kushan navy knew that the Han Empire's navy could not defeat Cecissian, and that given the comparable strength of both sides, the war could be sustained for an extremely long time.
Therefore, Cecilielian's preparation for the final arrangement was essentially a high-stakes gamble with his last breath.
He won the gamble. He took the Han Empire's best naval commander with him, leaving an indelible memory for both navies and giving the Kushan navy more time.
Even if the gamble is lost, at least the other side can inherit their will and continue the navy's invincible power, dominating the vast oceans.
In doing so, at least the concepts of naval fleets and adaptive cycle systems can be preserved.
Even if it's your opponent, it's good if they can pass on this concept.
With this thought in mind, Cecilielian quietly awaited the last naval battle of his life, or perhaps the last naval battle he would ever fight.
As for this waiting, Zhou Yu, who had extensive experience in intelligence gathering, quickly noticed the unusual activity in the Strait of Malacca. Based on this information, he deduced a large amount of intelligence belonging to the Kushan navy.
With this information, Zhou Yu gained a certain advantage in terms of taking the initiative on the battlefield.
Whether to fight or not, where to fight, and how to fight were matters that Zhou Yu could decide.
However, possessing this initiative does not guarantee ultimate victory in the war. A war may begin because of Zhou Yu's suggestion, but it does not mean it can end according to Zhou Yu's suggestion.
Cecilian was very strong. Even though he was old and had health problems, Zhou Yu could still feel his strength, a strength that came from within, a strength that was almost invincible.
It was like a towering mountain, standing directly in front of them.
But no matter how high the mountain was, Zhou Yu knew he had to cross it.
The difficulty of expanding territory and establishing new borders has been overcome. The core foundation of the nation has been established. Now, the most important task is to eliminate threats, especially those that will come in the future.
Cecilian did indeed offer a good solution, and Zhou Yu was very interested in it.
If we defeat Cecislian on the battlefield and gain his momentum, an invincible aura, then the subsequent course of the war will be completely different from what it is now.
There will never again be a situation where a single Kushan fleet commander dares to lead his fleet to provoke the Han army fleet.
With such a foundation, neither the subsequent further nation-building nor the issue of maritime order will be a problem.
Zhou Yu was well aware of the risks of failure, but he did not refuse.
Ultimately, the initiative in the start of the battle lay in Zhou Yu's hands. Seizing the most opportune moment, securing the greatest benefits, and reaping the greatest rewards was what he, as the commander, was supposed to do.
Therefore, Zhou Yu needed more intelligence to grasp this timeframe and also needed to wait.
Only at the most opportune moment can one obtain the best rewards and benefits at the lowest cost.
...
The hesitation and struggle between the Kushan and Han Empire navies, their probing and waiting, did not affect Guan Yu's army at this time.
A large number of auxiliary troops were left in the Kalmanta city area, while some elite troops were also left to protect the Ganges River basin and strengthen the naval food transport, etc.
When they finally approached Zhanbo City, Guan Yu had only about 200,000 troops at his disposal.
This troop strength is indeed much smaller than the defensive forces prepared by the Brahmins around Champa City.
However, the elite status of these soldiers was enough to make the Brahmins' defensive forces highly vigilant and on guard.
Even with a numerical advantage, the Brahmin soldiers around Jambo City still focused on defense, relying on and watching over each other, refusing to launch an attack, waiting for the Han army's direction and choice of attack, adopting a defensive and counter-attack posture.
Even the Kailash Legion, which led the army at the very front and in the center, did not have the idea or behavior of taking advantage of the Han army's gradual approach to launch an attack. Instead, they quietly strengthened their own defenses without any greed.
The Great Asura Legion is indeed very strong, but the legions under Guan Yu's command are even stronger. Through past attacks and battles, Kailash understands what he needs to do.
After all, their current defensive depth is essentially a delaying tactic, waiting for the commander who can decide the outcome to arrive. (End of Chapter)