Wen Zhong began analyzing the crushing defeat three days earlier, with Deng Jiugong occasionally chiming in.
The two had watched the entire battle from atop the pass, and both were veteran commanders. Their analysis hit the mark.
"The overall strategic situation comes first. Beneath it are opportunities, commanders, territory, and battles. Opportunities may be delayed, commanders may die, territory may be abandoned, and battles may be lost, but the overall strategic situation must never be forfeited."
"Our army has just suffered a defeat, but we have not lost the strategic advantage. They might drag things out for a year, two years, perhaps even another three to five, but Baiyue cannot escape destruction."
Wen Zhong opened with a shot in the arm, and Deng Xiu and the others soon perked up.
"I have three points to make. First, know yourself and know your enemy. Although we won a small engagement three days ago and captured two generals, had anyone ever encountered the invulnerability to blades and spears those two displayed?"
"On the battlefield, the unknown is unavoidable, so you must act with greater caution. You managed to deal with them through luck, yet rashly pursued them afterward. Just how much do you know about Nanyue, Young General Deng?"
Deng Xiu sighed repeatedly. Knowing yourself and your enemy sounded simple, but putting it into practice was exceptionally difficult. He had known that the abilities of Nanyue's soldiers and officers had changed, that there was something strange about them, yet he had still pursued them rashly and ended up walking into an ambush.
"Second, secure victory before going to war. Only after thirty years in the army did I understand this principle. Do not fight unless you can win; when you fight, you must win. If a battle offers no prospect of victory,