The Battle of Ryouyou was a large battle fought between the Qin allies, the Mountain Tribes of the western regions and Zhao during Qin's campaign for Zhao’s Gyou region in 236 B.C. The Qin forces were represented by the Yo Tan Wa Army aided by the Heki Army, whereas Zhao was defending with the Ryouyou Army aided by the Quanrong resident of Ryouyou.
Location[]
The battle started 300 Li southwest of Shukai Plains at Bachi Plains and then moved to the City of Ryouyou.
Background[]
Seeing that the original plan that Shou Hei Kun drew up to take Gyou would be impossible, Ou Sen sent the Yo Tan Wa Army to cover their backs against the Kou Son Ryuu led army of 90,000. Ou Sen then decided to take 9 small cities and flood Gyou with refugees, forcing Zhao to fight Qin on a battle of attrition. Ou Sen then sent Heki with 10,000 men (8000 from Heki army + 2000 from Kanki army) along with rations for 10 days to Yo Tan Wa. As a response to this, Ri Boku sent Shun Sui Ju with 1,000 elites to lead the 90,000 armies against Yo Tan Wa. When Shun Sui Ju arrived at the battlefield, he had the Zhao Army retreat to the City of Ryouyou for additional reinforcements, pushing their combined numbers over 100,000.
Aftermath[]
After securing the city, both the Heki Army and Yo Tan Wa Army and their newfound Quanrong allies were resting. One night, Heki woke up from his dream, involving the Battle at Shukai Plains. Yo Tan Wa assured him that is nothing and warned that Mera Tribe was sensitive when it comes to superstitions.
The Battle[]
1st Day[]
Yo Tan Wa started the battle by charging upon the then Kou Son Ryuu led Army. Despite the disadvantage of having a fewer number of men, it resulted in heavy casualties for the Zhao Army. Later Heki was seen on the battlefield, shortly after that Shun Sui Ju arrived with a few dozen calvaries, dragging some captured mountain tribesmen in front of Yo Tan Wa’s Headquarters. He then has the prisoners executed and personally issues a challenge as he points to Yo Tan Wa. When the Yo Tan Wa Army chased after him he went through the ongoing battlefield to the Zhao Headquarters. At the headquarters, Shun Sui Ju orders Kou Son Ryuu to issue a full-scale withdrawal of the whole army to lure the Yo Tan Wa and Heki’s armies to Ryouyou City.
As the Qin armies followed Zhao, they noticed that the terrain had changed slightly. Soon after, Mountain Warriors from the City of Ryouyou charged at Qin. Shunmen and his tribes intercepted them, but the Mountain Men overpowered them. As Yo Tan Wa saw her army being overpowered by the sudden reinforcements, she ordered her troops to fall back. While Yo Tan Wa is retreating, she noticed a mountain and had the Mera, Tara and Con tribes follow her while the rest of the army continued withdrawing with the Heki Army. Yo Tan Wa and the company charged up the mountain, taking the hill, and used archers to kill the Ryouyou warriors who were overpowering her army. When they trie to take the mountain back, they are then killed by Yo Tan Wa descending from the mountain. The withdrawing Yo Tan Wa Army and Heki Army then reformed a line Yo Tan Wa as sets up a new rallying point.
The evening battle ends with Bajio being evenly matched with Goba, and Yo Tan Wa being enraged at the first day's results.
2nd Day[]
The second day was more even than the first. The king of the Mountain Men was in Ryouyou Rozo, talking to his brothers Goba, Bunen, and Tork about how they went easier on the Yo Tan Wa Army to get a good gauge on their strengths and weaknesses. They determined they needed to watch out for Ba Jio, the Feego Tribe and the Mera Tribe. But the one who stood out the most was the unit led by Yo Tan Wa. Rozo told them to back off and proclaimed he will kill her and that he has not been this excited in a long time. Goba then asked about Shun Sui Ju's whereabouts. Rozo told him that he left first thing in the morning for somewhere outside the battlefield. Meanwhile, Shun Sui Ju was with two soldiers, confirming something about the Heki Army.
Shun Sui Ju was shown later that night using an underground tunnel to burn the Heki Army's rations.
3rd Day[]
The Heki Army charges upon the Quanrong troops with heavy casualties and his request to the Kan Ki Army for supplies was in vain as the messengers were killed by the waiting Zhao battalions.
4th-7th Day[]
The battle was a back-and-forth battle, with neither gaining ground. Also, since the Heki Army's supplies were running out, Yo Tan Wa was forced to share her supplies with him, earning the other tribes' ire.
8th Day[]
The role of the Heki Army on the eighth day was reduced to self-defense, Yo Tan Wa's tribesmen had to give their share of food, and infighting was rife. For this reason, Yo Tan Wa summoned all the tribe leaders for a meeting. She suggested killing 3 Quanrong commanders and deliberately inflict themselves heavy casualties, to conserve their remaining supplies. Katari, Feego King, and Ba Jio would lead the 3 armies against the Quanrong. Heki also volunteered to lead his army in the battle. Yo Tan Wa agreed and made Heki one of the key army commanders instead of Katari.
9th Day[]
The ninth day started with the Heki Army's 10,000 men, which comprised of 5,000 from his personal army, and 5,000 from the Mera Tribe and 12 other tribes. They would attack the Bunen Army of 15,000+ men while Feego King would face Tork's army of 20,000 and Ba Jio would face Goba's army of 20,000. Yo Tan Wa meanwhile summoned the Enshu Tribe's Chieftain Enpo.
Heki used his heavy shield troops and archers to cut down as many Quanrong horsemen and repair the defense holes left by their charges. He also commanded Mera Tribe's cavalry to charge against the Quanrong detachment.
Then Bajio and Danto begin their own battles.
The battle reports as follows:
Bajio's army that was initially bucked under Goba's first wave, stood their ground and pushed their enemies thanks to Tajifu's unit.
Feego King's tribe was also having progress, despite heavy casualties.
Heki Army is having their enemies pushed the farthest. Even though their strength was evenly matched, their ferocity was stronger. Bunen's HQ was near reached by Heki Army itself. But upon reaching the HQ, Bunen's elite troops led by Geeli one-sidedly kills Heki's men, and himself was cornered when the Mera Tribe arrived but Bunen called his archers and fire on both Mera Tribe and his men.
As the arrow rains in both Quanrong, Heki Army and Mera Tribe, Kitari tried to rally the men but was wounded. Heki tried to save her but was wounded in the process. Katari meanwhile, charged upon Bunen. Geeli charged through him and was stabbed but he held Kitari enough time to Bunen stab him.
As Katari dies, Kitari tried to charge through the enemies, and her fellow tribesmen were caught into despair, leading to a one-sided massacre. Heki was forced to retreat and regroup.
Feego Tribe, however, accomplished their task. Despite their numbers was culled in half, Danto managed to corner Tork. He just taunted Tork, which the latter swings his sword, but was stabbed by the Feego King.
On Bajio's side, Bajio made progress against Goba, but the wise Quanrong commander commanded a retreat. Yo Tan Wa tried to block them, but Shun Sui Ju appeared on her rear alongside Rozo.
Not only that, Kou Son Ryuu Army appeared on the side. Yo Tan Wa created blocking forces and charged right to Goba. She amputated Goba's hands and was killed and ordered a full retreat while the Quanrong and Zhao combined armies pursued them.
Kitari became the Mera Tribe chieftain and reorganized their forces, but Bunen stopped chasing them and decided to join other Quanrong and Zhao armies in chasing the Yo Tan Wa Army, but the Mountain King has her plans despite being trapped in, with her forces reorganized, they charged upon the encirclement.
She led her forces against both Quanrong and Zhao forces, Ba Jio broke the encirclement and amputated Kou Son Ryuu's sword hand. But the chase for Yo Tan Wa was unrelenting. She was cornered into a corner with Gan Clan, a group of scouts and several Quanrong when Ba Jio arrived and held her to escape the pursuers and jumped through the cliff.
Despite jumping the cliff, both of them had enough strength to fight off the Quanrong soldiers until Yo Tan Wa was knocked out and Ba Jio was knocked out, but he fought on until he reached the Mountain King.
Meanwhile, her men are rallied towards a spot and waited for the signal. Enpo and his Enshu Tribe went upon and climbed a cliff near Quanrong's City, Ryouyou.
Bajio meanwhile used his feral instinct to buy the other tribesmen's time to come to Yo Tan Wa's position. Tajifu and Shunmen with their men arrived and rescued the Mountain King, but Shun Sui Ju's and Rozo's men arrived at the outskirts, but Danto and his tribe, with the head of Tork charges through them.
As Yo Tan Wa exits the forest, Rozo and Shun Sui Ju are busy fighting Danto's men, but Bunen and his men arrived at the scene and charged through with his chosen riders while pouring the rest upon the fight, but Kitari and Heki arrived, the former charging to chase Bunen, the latter going to assist Danto. The Feego King just said that the Mountain King just played her cards while the barbarians and Zhao are led too far from Ryouyou, as the Enshu Tribe started decimating the Quanrong city.
Day 10[]
The battle on Ryouyou was fierce, with Enshu Tribe fought Quanrong guards with wanton strength, while Yo Tan Wa herself was on the Saha Gorge. Danto has difficulties fighting Rozo, while Bunen faced Kitari, the latter killing him after amputating the Quanrong commander's hand.
As Danto was dueling with Rozo, Heki tries to break through rough Quanrong lines, the Feego King suffering blows of Quanrong King. But the king used this to make Heki kill Rozo. After their Quanrong King was defeated, the other Quanrong men surrendered themselves to Yo Tan Wa. Shun Sui Ju went to Ryouyou but was halted by Enshu Tribe, other Yo Tan Wa Army members and Both the Mountain King and her newfound men, the Quanrong on their tail. The elder of the Quanrong that someone who holds Ryouyou holds their lives, the Mountain King referred to, that Yo Tan Wa liberated them from Rozo's tyranny and the Zhao commander's blind eye to their pleas, Yo Tan Wa gave their freedom. And warned Shun Sui Ju that he can retreat, but not attack Gyou, or else, the Quanrong will be his enemies. He retreated. And the Qin, Mountain Armies and Quanrong's first move towards the city, is to eat and regain strength. Despite Kitari distrusting the newfound ally, Mountain King replied that she trusted the Mera Tribe when Heki was brought to her face.
She praised Heki for slaying Rozo when Shunmen joked about Bajio died of wounds.
She said that the Battle of Ryouyou was just a piece of the main mission, that is preventing both Shun Sui Ju, Zhao and Quanrong to attack Kan Ki Army on Gyou. They succeeded, but instead of moving to Gyou, Shun Sui Ju opted to reinforce Retsubi and seal all efforts of escaping Zhao. She commanded her troops and Heki's men to hold the position on the city in case Zhao made any stupid maneuvers before she leaves.
Heki meanwhile, thinks of supply delivery on both Ou Sen Army, cooped up fighting Ri Boku Army and Kan Ki Army besieging Gyou, with Zhao defending supply lines, when Kitari knees him.