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Fei Qian hesitated and stammered, "Then... in that case, doesn't that mean individual martial prowess plays a lesser role compared to the overall strength of the army?"
Huang Zhong replied, "Pretty much. The larger the scale of the army in battle, the smaller the role individual bravery plays. Generally speaking, once the forces reach the scale of ten thousand, the outcome largely depends on the army's overall combat capability and the commander's ability to adapt and deploy troops. A fierce warrior may be highly effective in breaking through enemy lines or striking at small units, but the so-called 'one who can match ten thousand'..."
Huang Zhong shook his head, indicating that such a notion was unreliable.
He continued, "There is one scenario—during a field encounter, if the enemy's formation appears well-organized, it's common to send one or two highly skilled warriors to challenge and test them. This is called a 'pre-battle duel.' Apart from the standard clash, there are two other modes of single combat between generals: one is called 'circling,' and the other is 'dragging the blade'..."
Huang Zhong went on to explain that from the late Warring States period up to the Han Dynasty, single combat challenges were sometimes issued to boost the morale of one's own side while demoralizing the enemy.
However, cavalry combat was vastly different from chariot warfare during the Warring States period, as horses were far more agile than chariots. Thus, mounted duels between generals were not limited to a single charge—the so-called "turn-based" duel—but also included the two other modes:
—The first, "circling," involved both horses moving in the same direction in a tight circle, with the radius determined by the reach of the warriors' weapons. In this mode, the combatants engaged in prolonged close-quarters combat.
—The second, "dragging the blade," was a close pursuit where both horses moved in the same direction, one fleeing and the other chasing. The duration of the chase depended on the speed and burst of stamina of the horses.
Fei Qian nodded in understanding. One of Lord Guan's signature moves was the "dragging the blade" tactic...
As Huang Zhong elaborated, Fei Qian came to realize that during the Han Dynasty, the scale of warfare had expanded significantly from the Warring States period through the Qin Dynasty and into the Han. The increasing number of combatants had led to the transformation of many practices from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States eras.
During the Warring States period, the feudal states were constrained by their limited resources and the technological limitations of their tools, making it impossible to mobilize large populations for war. Another reason was the continued adherence to the rituals of the Zhou Dynasty, which gave rise to the practice of settling battles through single combat between champions—later referred to as "decisive duels."
However, by the late Warring States period, as more people were mobilized for war, the objective of warfare gradually shifted from targeting enemy commanders to weakening the enemy's overall combat strength. This shift in goals led to the abandonment of many Zhou-era conventions, and the art of deceptive warfare began to rise.
This trend continued into the Han Dynasty, where pre-battle duels no longer solely determined the outcome of a campaign. The factors deciding victory or defeat expanded beyond individual bravery to include logistics, training, and other aspects...
Especially provisions.
Cut off the supply lines, and morale would inevitably collapse. Even the bravest warrior couldn't hold out for three days without food...
Huang Zhong said, "Therefore, in military formations, not only are the regular combat troops important, but even the support troops are crucial. Sometimes, local laborers and conscripted civilians are also mobilized, though these are generally considered the responsibility of local authorities and thus not counted as part of the army..."
"Regular soldiers and support troops?" Fei Qian asked. "How are they distinguished? The nearly thousand troops we've brought don't seem to be divided into such categories."
Huang Zhong explained, "Our numbers are small to begin with, and all the troops we've brought are regulars. To put it simply, regular soldiers are trained for combat but can also handle miscellaneous tasks. Support troops, on the other hand, are usually untrained and primarily assigned to labor—such as building camps or transporting provisions. They can be pressed into battle if necessary, but their combat effectiveness is far inferior."
Fei Qian nodded, thinking to himself, So the new recruits Cao Cao gathered were likely support troops, while the roughly ten thousand soldiers Bao Xin brought probably included both regulars and support troops...
As for the two thousand troops Zhang Miao assigned to Cao Cao, most of them were likely regulars.
According to Huang Zhong, the ratio of regulars to support troops varied depending on the marching distance and supply difficulty, but support troops typically made up at least thirty percent of the force. This ensured sufficient manpower for tasks like setting up camps and transporting provisions. Otherwise, they'd end up like Fei Qian's group, where regular soldiers had to perform these duties. In peacetime, this wasn't an issue, but during intense battles, forcing regulars to expend energy on labor would create a vicious cycle...
During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the terms "upper army," "middle army," and "lower army" emerged—the earliest origins of the "three armies."
The upper army consisted of professional combat troops, serving as the state's main field force for external warfare.
The middle army was primarily tasked with garrison and defensive duties.
The lower army was a labor-oriented force, handling engineering, transportation, and logistical support.
Of course, by the Han Dynasty, the nature of these forces had changed.
As Huang Zhong explained, so-called regular soldiers initially enlisted as recruits with little to no training, so they were typically assigned labor tasks. After about a year of training, these soldiers would take on urban and rural defense duties. Only under special circumstances would they be deployed for field combat. Regulars, for the most part, referred to soldiers who had served for over a year, at which point they officially took on combat roles as the mainline forces—the troops engaged in direct melee.
Thus, sword-and-shield infantry, spearmen, and halberdiers had to be regulars. These units fought in close combat, and without systematic training, they could easily collapse on the battlefield, leading to a rout.
Specialized units like archers and cavalry were also mostly composed of regulars.
"So that's how it is..." If Huang Zhong's explanation was accurate, then while Bao Xin and Cao Cao's combined forces appeared to number around twenty thousand, the actual regular combat troops likely didn't exceed ten thousand. It seems the issue of inflated numbers is universal...
In that case, could Bao Xin and Cao Cao's alliance even win this battle?
And how would Dong Zhuo's side respond?
Under normal circumstances, once a large army began moving, it was impossible to conceal its movements—unlike in later eras with camouflage techniques. Moreover, the Guandong coalition was marching under the banner of restoring the Han Dynasty, making it even less likely for them to blockade or slaughter villages along their route. Thus, Dong Zhuo's scouts would inevitably detect their advance...
The only question was—would Hua Xiong be the one leading the charge this time?