The Battle of Gian is a major battle fought between the Kan Ki Army and the Ri Boku Army during the state of Qin's campaign for the regions of northern Zhao in 233 B.C.
Location[]
The battle takes place roughly between the fortified cities of Hango and Hika, on the Gishi plains[2] located on the outskirts of Gian, another large Zhao city.
Background[]
Before the northern invasion[]
After the death of Zhao Great General Ko Chou and the capture of Eikyuu, the armies of Qin continue their invasions towards the direction of Kantan and the Zhao's inner regions in order to capture the fortresses of Bujou and Heiyou. During the campaign Great General, Ou Sen and General, Den Ri Mi discover an unexpected obstacle - a giant wall in the south of Kantan, stretching on to 100 km in both directions. This great wall was constructed by Ri Boku three years ago and the project continued during his exile under Kaku Kai's watch.
Upon observing it, Ou Sen suggests taking advantage of it by taking Zhao's back by attacking Gian in the far north, cutting off the escape route of Zhao's royal line even if they manage to escape through secret underground routes.
Over in Kanyou, his plan is accepted and Shou Hei Kun begins to develop a new strategy and orders its launching two months later:
- The Ou Sen Army and Kan Ki Army will join hands to attack Gian by going through the north and capture Atsuyo on the way.
- The fortresses of Bujou and Heiyou, in the south of Kantan, will be entrusted to Yo Tan Wa and her armies.
- The armies of the north-east of Qin will gather by passing through Taigen to join Ou Sen and Kan Ki in the conquest of Gian.
Qin's grand strategy relies on the surprise effect in order to allow a quick invasion and capture of the northern regions of Kantan. However, Qin's strategy is foreseen by Ri Boku, who planned on using this invasion to trap and destroy large parts of the invading force.
To successfully trap the Qin Army, he planned several steps to ensure his victory:
- Six months before the battle, Ri Boku scouted the regions of Gian in order to find the ideal location for his surprise attack.
- A month later he sends a message to Shi Ba Shou to request Kan Saro and Ji Aga, two of Shi Ba Shou's most trusted vassals, to take command of the troops of the city of Roumou to train them and ambush the Qin Northeast Army, once they march to reinforce the initial invasion force.
- At Atsuyo he stationed the survivor of the Ko Chou Army, who are reinforced by the newly recruited family members of the slaughtered soldiers from Battle of Eikyuu. These soldiers have a very high moral as they want to take revenge for their recently deceased family members and comrades.
- He assembled several armies from the Northern Zhao region at Gian including:
- His personal Army under his own command
- Part of the Seika Army under Gaku Shou and Jyou Ka Ryuu
- The Gian Army under En Kan
- The Ganmon Army under Kotsu Min Haku
Beginning of the northern invasion[]
The capture of Atsuyo becomes much more deadly than expected by Qin. Den Ri Mi, second commander of the Ou Sen Army, and his forces face vicious opposition as the Zhao soldiers, even after being fatally wounded, resort to suicide tactics as they throw themselves off the walls while taking any Qin soldiers with them. This terrifying tactic also works in the favor of their defences as the bodies of any dead Zhao soldier doesn't become a hindrance. The one in charge of the city's defence and the tactic is Shun Sui Ju, the left hand of Ri Boku, as he was ordered by Ri Boku to take command of the city's army itself. As obverse by Den Ri Mi, the Zhao soldiers' morale is exceedingly high. The soldiers in question are revealed to be relatives of the Ko Chou Army soldiers that were executed and beheaded by Kan Ki and his soldiers a year ago from the Battle of Eikyuu. These soldiers, filled by rage and hate for Kan Ki, are able to carry out the tactics with grit and resolve. But the Ou Sen Army is able to weather the tactic, however, foreseeing this Ri Boku also ordered another army to Atsuyo. This army is revealed to be the remnants of the former Ko Chou Army led by Ko Haku Kou and Ryuu Haku Kou as they suddenly charge out one of the city's gates. While merely cavalry units their strength remains intake as they had the "spear" or "sword" of the Ko Chou Army. The Qin, upon the seeing them, try to invade the open gate but they're suddenly close by the Zhao and realize the cavalry don't plan on coming back. After leaving the gate, the two armies use the moment of confusion to carve their way through the Qin and with from orders from Shun Sui Ju they plan to strike and kill Den Ri Mi.
Flashbacking from before, the cavalries comprise of 300 each from under Ko Haku Ko and Ryuu Haku gather. Empowered from Ko Haku Kou's impassion speech, the Ko Chou Army remnants resolved themselves to die on the battlefield while killing Den Ri Mi and taking Kan Ki's head in order to avenge Ko Chou and their comrades. Shun Sui Ju wishes them luck while remembering his conversation with Ko Haku Kou from before. Now in the present.
With the weakening of the Ou Sen Army, they are unable to continue the campaign towards Gian. Moreover, 200,000 army from northeast Qin that was supposed to join the main invasion force through Tai Gen, suffered a resounding defeat in the surprise attack by the army of Roumou. Only 50,000 soldiers were able to join the main Qin army.
These two setbacks organized by Ri Boku reduced enormously the invasion strength of Qin.
Heki Army captured the city of Sekirei at southwest of Gian, which had been totally emptied beforehand.
Ri Boku emptied all the garrisons around Gian in order to gather his forces for a surprise attack against the remaining forces of Qin that approached Gian.
Story[]
The battle begins with the Kan Ki Army being caught in a surprise attack and encircled by the Ri Boku Army, who had set up this trap for the Qin with preparations that had started over half a year ago after Ko Chou's death and the Battle of Eikyuu. General Heki and his army become the vanguard of the Qin Army and receive most of the initial impact of the Ri Boku Army's onslaught. Heki himself is nearly killed in the insuring attack but is saved by Iarya of the Najara Clan.
Meanwhile over at the Qin's right wing, the Hi Shin Unit engages in a vicious melee with their forces being stretch fine. General Ri Shin concludes their situation is extremely dire, and that they will most certainly be defeated and wiped out if the situation remains the same. He then gives orders to break off and abandon the right wing entirely, traversing through the entire battlefield to join forces with General Mou Ten and the Gaku Ka Army over in the left wing. Joining their combined forces together, they try to create a vantage point so they can break the encirclement and turn the tide of the battle in the favor of the Qin.
Meanwhile, General Fuu Han is able to raise the moral of his 50,000 soldiers, who were remnants of the Qin Northeastern Army. Invigorated by their leader, they slam into the Zhao forces sent earlier by Ri Boku with full force, staving off the inevitable collapse of the Kan Ki Army's right wing. The clash of these two forces dyes the earth red with blood, but due to the vast number of the Zhao military, the Qin Northeastern soldiers eventually began to fell, one after the other.

The coalition between the Hi Shin and the Gaku Ka armies is faced with the opposition of the Sei Ka Army led by Zhao Generals, Gaku Shou and Jyou Ka Ryuu. In an effort to bypass and break through the encirclement imposed by the Zhao, Mou Ten decides to organize their cavalry into a Drill Formation, with him and Shin leading the charge from the front. However, Gaku Shou reads his intuitions and orders their soldiers to do the same and challenged them with their respective Drill Formation that results in huge full-frontal collision between their respective cavalries.

Jyou Ka Ryuu slays Gaku Rai.
Mou Ten and many more are separated from Shin and the others in the insuring melee with the Seika forces, but most noticeable is the death of Gaku Rai, a commander of the Hi Shin Unit and a former vassal of Duke Hyou, who was at the front of the charge when he is slain by Jyou Ka Ryuu himself. As Gaku Rai was beloved among the Hi Shin's soldiers, his demise galvanizes the soldiers with Shin and Ga Ro going into a enrage frenzy, as they both attempt kill and defeat Jyou Ka Ryuu but are hindered with the arrival of his two lieutenants, Un Kei and Un Gen.
Meanwhile, Ai Sen Kyou Kai, and Kyou Rei are trying to break through the melee from the center with their respective units. Kyou Kai, in particular, pushes herself while making quick work of the Seika soldiers in front of her unit. Ai Sen, on the other hand, is worried about his lord Mou Ten's safety to focus on the task at hand. His concerns are proven correct as Mou Ten found himself in a dire situation. Wounded, surrounded, outnumbered by the Zhao, Mou Ten, and many more of the Gaku Ka are faced with Seika General Gaku Shou and his forces. By Mou Ten's side, Riku Sen is preoccupied with fighting for his life against Fuuon, a talented swordsman and 5000-Man Commander of the Seika Army. Gaku Shou eventually hammers through the Gaku Ka soldiers and cuts down Mou Ten while knocking him off his horse, but, fortunately, Ai Sen decides to abandon his post and comes to his aid, saving his beloved lord in the knack of time.
At the same time, the battle between Jyou Ka Ryuu and his "arms" Un Kei and Un Gen, against Shin and Ga Ro continues as the fight with the Seika forces is also going badly for them. Shin is targeted repeatedly by the Zhao General and is put on the defensive with the enemy fighting ferociously and in unison. As Un Kei finally found a breach in Shin's defenses, he is struck down by arrows from archers, Sou Jin and Sou Tan, as they attempt to avenge Gaku Rai Firing again, they are able to injure Jyou Ka Kyou's arm. This small moment of respite is all that the Qin General needs to strike down the Jyou Ka Ryuu, knocking the old Zhao General off his horse as he injures him further. At that moment Ga Ro tells him that he should press forward and break through the encirclement, while he and the arriving infantry led Suu Gen keep the injured Jyou Ka Ryuu and his remaining lieutenant, Un Gen occupied while also injuring him.
Entrusting Ga Ro and his soldiers, Shin and his personal unit presses forward with all their remaining strength. However, Seika soldiers proved themselves to be no pushovers as they rain down arrows in path of the general of the Hi Shin Army, who, exhausted, fully stops in front of Gou Za Kou, a hulking Zhao commander. The Zhao savor the moment, proclaiming that they will go no further. Little did they know that Kyou Kai and her unit had been able to break the encirclement from the center and were now coming on a Pincer Attack against their rear in order to meet with Shin at that exact location as he set himself as bait to lure the Zhao out.
Turning back with a puzzled look on his face and shocked expression, Gou Za Kou has little time to react before he is swiftly beheaded by Kyou Kai's Ryoku Sui. As she finally fulfills her role in the strategy, she runs completely out of breath and is rendered defenseless, but she is caught and embraced by Shin with the rest of his soldiers covering them. The Seika commanders Gaku Shou and Fuuon arrive as they try to block the escape of the Hi Shin and Gaku Ka armies, but they are repelled and injured by Shin, Ai Sen, Riku Sen, and Kyou Rei, allowing the Qin's left wing to escape from the encirclement that Ri Boku had prepared for over a half of the year.
Ri Boku sends the general Kotsu Min Haku to chase the armies of Ri Shin and Mou Ten to prevent them from joining the battlefield again and now gives his full attention and focus on eliminating Kan Ki.
He reveals that Kan Ki's weak point is his inability to use conventional tactical methods. Kan Ki is a genius in anticipation and psychological warfare but in a situation where there is no room for cunning, he would be helpless, such as a plains-based battle with little to no terrain to use in his favor. Ri Boku, therefore, chose an encirclement where the topology is nothing special and avoided big maneuvers in order to slowly destroy his army by attrition.

On his side, Kan Ki lets the armies of Fuu Han and Heki fight on the defensive as they're slowly destroyed before finally setting up a strange formation of his army to the Great Heaven and all his commanders' surprise. The weaknesses of this unusual cross formation are quickly understood by Ri Boku, who chooses to nibble the 4 ends and avoid the four valleys.
Ma Ron despairs at the slow but certain disappearance of their army but Kan Ki, with his signature smirk, reveals that his goal was from the beginning to gain time for the advantage of the night because his army of former bandits is experienced in night attacks and retreats. The strange troop movements in the four valleys were intended to find out which side of Zhao's army is less responsive. So, he launches a general attack on his right flank, opposite to the fleeing armies of Ri Shin and Mou Ten.

Kan Ki's main army manages to break the encirclement but the Zenou Clan is totally annihilated in the operation, with Zenou being the sole survivor.
Aftermath[]
After the battle, the remaining forces of the Hi Shin Unit and Gaku Ka Army regroup and meet up with the Saki Clan. After reaching an agreement of cooperation, the Qin led a siege on Gian city and successfully capture it, while the remaining Kan Ki Army make their way towards the city and regroup. However, due to Ri Boku's preparations all the civilians were evacuated while Qin's separated allies are poisoned and captured in Seikirei. This forces them to abandon the city all together and make a new plan to ambush Ri Boku in Hika.
[]
References[]
- ↑ Kingdom Manga: Vol.66 Chapter 714, page 20
- ↑ Chapter 737, page 12