Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors

Within Wang Shichong's military tent.

Lu Heng, disguised as Wei Zhen, stroked his beard with a smile, fully exuding the demeanor of a wise person.

Wang Shichong, looking at the topographical map, was somewhat puzzled. "Sir, why have you urged our army to charge ahead so fiercely all the way here, only to stop at this place?"

Since the beginning of the military campaign, Wang Shichong had fully adopted Wei Zhen's advice, rarely raising any questions.

But this time, Wei Zhen's strategy had left him somewhat baffled.

Along the way, Wang Shichong's army had surged forward, uprooting several of Dou Jiande's fortresses.

At the same time, scouts dispatched by Wang Shichong continuously spied on Dou Jiande's movements, learning that Dou Jiande had also amassed an army of a hundred thousand, ready to face them in battle.

However, Wang Shichong had certainly seized the initiative, so the best choice now seemed to be to continue the fierce charge, to seize more territory and strategic locations, choosing the most appropriate place to decide the battle with Dou Jiande.

Yet, Lu Heng, in the guise of Wei Zhen, had halted the army.

They stopped in the regions of Caozhou and Daizhou State.

That is, near Shandong, at the border between the Summer and Zheng states.

From then on, they didn't move; they neither advanced to attack fortresses nor retreated but instead fortified their camp every day, seemingly prepared for a long-term standoff.

But the problem was… Dou Jiande's forces hadn't even arrived yet.

So Wang Shichong was very confused.

However, it was only confusion; he hadn't begun to doubt Lu Heng, disguised as Wei Zhen.

Because thus far, the entire situation had unfolded entirely in line with Wei Zhen's deductions.

The state of Liang indeed had no plans to attack eastward so far; although there were signs of troop movements within the country, this was clearly for the purpose of battling Liu Wuzhou and Song Jingang to the north.

And just as Wei Zhen had predicted, after Song Jingang was defeated by Dou Jiande, he sought refuge with Liu Wuzhou, and the two joined forces to attack Jinyang.

The Liang Army, possibly lacking confidence or perhaps having suffered setbacks in previous encounters, merely took a defensive position in Jinyang, consolidating the expanding influence of Liu Wuzhou and Song Jingang.

According to common logic, it would take several months for the state of Liang to win this battle.

This provided Wang Shichong with an excellent opportunity for combat.

Of course, Wang Shichong was not entirely at ease; he still left some forces to defend Luoyang, just in case.

It was precisely because Wei Zhen's previous predictions had all come true that Wang Shichong did not start doubting him but instead came to inquire.

Lu Heng smiled, stroking his beard. "Mr. Zheng, this is the best place for the decisive battle. To advance further would put us at a disadvantage."

Wang Shichong was stunned for a moment. "Why?"

Lu Heng pointed at the map. "Because of the powers here."

Wang Shichong, filled with curiosity, looked at the place Lu Heng was pointing to, in the regions of Caozhou and Daizhou State. "Are you referring to Meng Haigong? Oh, Sir, you are mistaken!"

Wang Shichong thought there must be some significant reason, and he couldn't help but slap his thigh in frustration, wearing an expression of annoyance.

"Sir, this Meng Haigong is nothing more than a bandit king in the mountains! At most, he commands a ragtag force of thirty thousand.

"Our army has the advantage of timing. It will take some time for Dou Jiande's large army to assemble. If our side can swiftly crush Meng Haigong, taking these thirty thousand troops for our own, wouldn't it make the battle against Dou Jiande even smoother?"

Lu Heng couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.

Eliminate Meng Haigong first?

Yes, Dou Jiande had thought the same thing, and then he ended up captured at the Battle of Hulaoguan Pass.

Meng Haigong was a hothead of the era. He had no political sense whatsoever, but he was fiercely combative.

He started his rebellion early, and although his power never grew too large, he remained entrenched in the areas surrounding Caozhou and Daizhou State, with more than thirty thousand troops.

In actual history, Dou Jiande decided to come to the aid of Wang Shichong, but on the way, he passed through Meng Haigong's territory.

Dou Jiande also thought, with my hundred-thousand-strong army marching on, wouldn't your mere thirty thousand disorganized troops hurry to join my side? If you don't, I'll swiftly take you down, enlist your men, and then continue to rescue Wang Shichong.

As it turned out, Meng Haigong wasn't intimidated at all and fiercely resisted Dou Jiande tooth and nail.

Clearly, both men were incredibly stubborn.

Dou Jiande had originally thought he could quickly defeat Meng Haigong, but unexpectedly, the battle dragged on for a full four months.

Precisely because of these precious four months, Lord Qin seized the opportunity to capture Hulaoguan Pass first, and the situation of the Battle of Hulaoguan Pass was instantly reversed.

Lu Heng was well aware of Meng Haigong's combat strength, which is why of course he wouldn't let Wang Shichong go and fight.

If Wang Shichong truly went to battle, he would have fallen into a trap.

Of course, this did not mean that Lu Heng was siding with Wang Shichong; it was simply to balance the power between the two sides.

The fruits of Wang Shichong's lack of political acumen were beginning to show.

Wang Shichong was adequate in leading troops into battle, but his domestic governance was a complete mess. Historically, after occupying Luoyang and defeating Li Mi, he was fixated on usurping the throne, resulting in many talented individuals abandoning him.

In this alternate history, Lu Heng encouraging him to campaign against Dou Jiande ironically covered up his weaknesses to a certain extent, allowing him to focus his energies on military matters, rather than causing chaos in Luoyang and driving people away.

However, old habits die hard, and Wang Shichong was such a man; even during the course of military campaigns, his arrogance gradually resurfaced.