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Great General Meng Ao's army is one of Qin's most important and respected, but Meng Ao himself is an incredibly average general. Instead, the main strength of his army lies in his two deputies, Huan Yi and Wang Jian who are rumored to have strength equaling that of the Qin Six. The Meng Ao Army is mostly trusted to attack weaker states like Han or Wei, but also play a key role in defending Hangu Pass during the Coalition War.
After Meng Ao's death, Huan Yi and Wang Jian continue to operate amongst Qin's main military forces.
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General Tropes
- Boring, but Practical: This is the defining trait of Meng Ao Army.
- Your own skills are too mediocre for you to take on world-class generals? Just hire talented commanders as your deputies.
- Your army isn't an offensive powerhouse? Just play defense while your talented vice-generals do the attack.
Leadership
Great General Meng Ao
Meng Ao
Japanese Pronunciation: Mou Gou
An old Qin general who is known for his by-the-book attitude when it comes to battling. This makes him generally unremarkable, but reliable on defeating weaker opponents.
Stats: Strength |89|, Leadership |90|, Knowledge |91|
- A Father to His Men: His men love him dearly, and he returns that sentiment.
- Always Someone Better: Old man can't just beat Lian Po.
- An Arm and a Leg: Thanks to Lian Po.
- Arch-Enemy: He considers Lian Po one.
- Boring, but Practical: He is not one for fancy strategies, always following the basic rules of war. While this means that he has no chance against a substantially stronger opponent, it also means that he has a near 100% chance of defeating anybody weaker than himself.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: He dresses up as a common soldier and chills with his men whenever he is nervous.
- By-the-Book Cop: His reputation is that of a by-the-book general.
- Chekhov's Gun: He is first mentioned in a flashback when Xin and Piao train during their childhood.
- Cool Old Guy: Xin calls him this almost word-for-word. Not only is he an old, seven-foot tall Gentle Giant, he is also capable of fighting on par with Lian Po, one of the strongest warriors in China.
- Doting Parent: He dearly loves his family.
- Deathbed Confession: He hated the famous Six Great Generals of Qin and the Three Great Heavens of Zhao but he also respects them for the legacy they left.
- Historical Badass Upgrade: Inversion, unlike everyone else he got hit with historical badass downgrade instead as most of his historical achievements were attributed to his deputies.
- Let's Get Dangerous!: Finally decides to confront Lian Po head-on after receiving a rousing speech from Xin.
- Perpetual Smiler: It fits his "friendly old grandpa" attitude.
- Signature Laugh: "Fofofoh..."
- Stone Wall: He is excellent at defensive formations as well as siege battles.
- Taught by Experience:
- Getting beaten by Lian Po time and again taught him the moves necessary to ALMOST catch the guy many years later.
- Despite his lack of talent, his experience and "weight" give him the necessary ability to become a legitimate Great General, if well into old age.
Great General Wang Jian
Wang Jian
Japanese Pronunciation: Ou Sen
The leader of the Wang clan and Wang Ben's father who secretly harbors a desire to rule a kingdom on his own. Resultantly, Wang Jian's warfare is pragmatic and defensive, carried by his tremendous strategic talent.Stats: Strength |93|, Leadership |93|, Knowledge |97|, Ambition |Secretly 100|
- Adaptive Ability: The military version of it. Wang Jian has proved himself exceptionally able to adapt to the circumstances time and time again. Be it by ambushing an army of mountain dwellers while fighting in the mountains, building a world-class fort in Shanyang to keep Lian Po busy, or dealing Li Mu's Xingwei plan a death blow by using Zhao's citizens against her, whatever the odds, Wang Jian will beat them all.
- Affair? Blame the Bastard: Well... We don't know. This is what everyone else in the Wang household believes: that his utter lack of care for Wang Ben stems from the suspicion that he isn't actually his blood. But since Wang Jian's thoughts remain as nebulous as ever, we don't know for sure if he believes the rumours, or if he blames Wang Ben for Zhu Jing's supposed infidelity.
- Almighty Janitor: Wang Jian's abilities were equal to that of the Qin Six Great Generals as far back as Wang Yi's era, but he was never made a member because King Zhao simply did not trust him. He remained a mere deputy of Meng Ao until the latter's death despite such calibre of talent.
- Ambition Is Evil: Well, it is said to be. So far, unlike his Foil Lu Buwei, he hasn't actually done anything evil in the pursuit of his ambitions. In fact, some of the time, he ends up being more merciful than other commanders. He does hold well-known treasonous intentions, true, but they don't appear to be very active at the moment. The evilest thing he can be charged for, treating his son like utter shit for the crime of being born, doesn't have anything to do with how he feels about Qin.
- Batman Gambit: Incredibly adept at reading foes and predicting their movements- in the battle of Hangu Pass he not only predicts Wu Lu Duo's movements with frightening accuracy, but also predicts he will be too psychologically broken after losing his core troops to stop him from saving Hangu Pass from Wa Lin.
- Big Damn Heroes: The Wang Jian Army arrives in the nick of time to save Hangu Pass from Wa Lin, becoming the decisive factor in Qin's victory. This is an early hint of just how capable Wang Jian actually is.
- Blue Blood: As blue as it gets. His family is described as being "in a league of its own" compared to other noble clans. His conscience of the heights of his family status may play a part in his desire to be king; after all, from where he stands, it's just another step up the ladder.
- The Chessmaster: His style of warfare. His ability to manipulate both enemy and ally, plan moves far in advance, and predict his opponent is unmatched among current Qin generals. Lord Changping hence views him as the most fitting leader for the crucial Ye Campaign against fellow Chessmaster Li Mu. His lieutenant Ma Kuang describes his stratagems as allowing any element to morph into the key to victory.
- Crazy Enough to Work: His plans, surprisingly. Facing Lian Po? Do nothing, preserving your troops will be a decisive factor in winning the battle. Facing a mountain king in the mountains? Ambush him and leave for a more relevant battlefield. Can't hold Xingwei? Don't bother, go deep into Zhao's bosom anyway. Don't have enough food? Force your enemy to starve as well. At the end of the day, Wang Jian may have more in common with Huan Yi than both would like to admit.
- Crazy-Prepared: His Wei Di trap against Jiang Yan is clever, but in case he is Out-Gambitted or if Lian Po showed up he also had a mountain fort planned to ensure his survival.
- Cool Mask: His helmet is adorned with one, and he's not once seen without it.
- Cruel Mercy: He spares the citizens of every city he conquers around Ye, but only so they will starve the entire city when they are forced to take refuge within it.
- Death Glare: Almost constantly.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Despite being the decisive factor allowing Qin to win the Battle of Hangu Pass, being the shield that saved it during its darkest hour, his achievements are not recognised in the award ceremony because he is distrusted. He doesn't seem very bothered by it so far, however.
- Foil:
- To Lu Buwei:
- Both are men who hold well-known kingly ambitions. However, while Lu Buwei is a merchant of insignificant background coming from another kingdom, Wang Jian was born a noble in Qin. Yet, it is Lu Buwei the one who has actually tried to score himself a throne, while Wang Jian seems to be content with waiting for his chance so far.
- Both hide their true thoughts and intentions from pretty much everyone. While Lu Buwei's mask is that of a jolly, smiling fellow, Wang Jian is so utterly unemotional and unapproachable that it comes off as unsettling.
- Both have very complicated relationships with talented young men of Xin's generation. Lu Buwei eventually manages to let go of their rivalry and comes to genuinely respect Zheng as king, even gracefully acknowledging his defeat. On the other hand, if the rumours are to be believed, Wang Jian never forgave Wang Ben for possibly being a bastard, or for Zhu Jing's death in childbirth. Both those relationships were shaped by the feelings they held for a woman they can no longer be with; but Wang Jian is rumoured to still love Zhu Jing, while Lu Buwei's feelings for the Queen Mother have soured over time.
- Both have their minds as their greatest weapons: Lu Buwei as a court manipulator, and Wang Jian as a - so far - purely strategical general. Still, Wang Jian is at least willing to put his neck on the line by going into battle himself, while Lu Buwei is happy enough amassing influence at court for Meng Wu's successes. This is reflected in how they dress: Lu Buwei is never seen wearing anything but the finest robes money can buy, while Wang Jian was never once seen without his armour and helmet.
- Both are men of immense talent that ended up being deeply mistrusted by kings of Qin because of their ambitions: Wang Jian was never made one of the Six Great Generals, while Lu Buwei's downfall was a consequence of his conflict with Zheng. Yet, Zheng and his court still have enough trust in Wang Jian to give him tasks of kingdom-saving relevance. Lu Buwei was ready to sell Qin to the Coalition to save his skin, but Wang Jian has, so far, seen every opportunity of betrayal and opted to ignore it.
- Both have a wealth of resources to draw their influence from, and are, consequently, supported by some of the kingdom's most influential men. But while Lu Buwei has to buy loyalty from courtiers that are happy to turn on him whenever it is convenient, Wang Jian's men are ready to die in his name any day.
- To Meng Wu:
- Both are stoic military men that have, as a result, very complicated relationships with their sons. However, Meng Wu was fully shown being very trustful of Meng Tian's skills and abilities, and completely flipped his shit when Han Ming seriously injured his son. On the other hand, during the Battle of Zhuhai Plains, Wang Jian had every opportunity to acknowledge Wang Ben's talents, but ignored each and every one of them. Plus, after Wang Ben received a life-threatening wound, he didn't even bother asking about his well-being.
- Both are leaders of some of the kingdom's most relevant families. The Wang family has prestige and influence going back generations, but the Meng family started as refugees from Qi that were all but stated to have fled with only the clothes on their backs. While much of the Wang family's prestige comes from their bloodline, the Meng family's standing is due solely to their military deeds.
- Meng Wu is a very physical soldier that has little use to strategical endeavours; Wang Jian is a remarkably cunning man that has, so far, won battles due to his smarts alone. However, both have had to face nearly impossible odds that forced them to radically reshape their approaches to war to win a battle: Meng Wu had to employ a high-level strategic formation to win against Chu, while Wang Jian had to rethink the plan for Ye on the spot upon being faced with the obstacles of holding Xingwei. In both cases, they were met with resounding success where it seemed most unlikely.
- Wang Jian is the one rumoured to want a kingdom for himself, but it was Meng Wu of all people who got his hands into politics by allying himself with Lu Buwei. However, neither case involved much politicking on their parts.
- Both have starred at arcs focusing on some of Qin's largest military endeavours ever, and succeeded even when all odds pointed to failure. In both case, their victories dealt vicious blows to Li Mu's plans and further destabilize the political situation in China as a whole: Meng Wu's utter defeat of Han Ming and his men shattered the superstate's illusion of invincibility, while Wang Jian's conquest of Ye pretty much signed Zhao's death sentence.
- Speaking of Chu, both have handed some of her foremost generals their asses with strategies that absolutely blindsided them: Han Ming didn't see the true effectiveness of Meng Wu's Echelon Formation plan until it hit him in the face, while Wang Jian's interference on Wa Lin's attack to Hangu Pass couldn't have been predicted by anyone.
- Both have frequently been paired with more lively, unorthodox generals of their time: Meng Wu with Teng, Wang Jian with Huan Yi. Meng Wu has very little patience for Teng's antics, but fully trusts him as a general; on the other hand, Wang Jian and Huan Yi admittedly don't give a damn about each other. The first pairing's contrast is used in a lighthearted way to stress their differences, while Huan Yi and Wang Jian have in common the fact that they will stop at absolutely nothing to win their battles.
- To Lu Buwei:
- It's All About Me: He's described as a general who cares about nothing else but himself. One can argue that even his desire to protect his troops above all others stems solely for how they can possibly be useful to him.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: Will never fight a war which he sees no hope of winning. So when he actually commits, enemy generals are wise to be afraid.
- Lightning Bruiser: The general equivalent of one. Wang Jian is extremely adept at achieving impressive feats in record time; during the Shanyang Campaign, for instance, it took him just as much time to conquer eight cities as it took Huan Yi to conquer five, and Meng Ao to conquer three. He has repeatedly proved himself able to adapt to the environment and his circumstances in very short timespans, such as when he managed to built one hell of a fort during the Shanyang Campaign. Come the Ye Campaign, his ability to work against the clock sure comes in handy.
- The Lost Lenore: Heavily implied to be the case with his wife Zhu Jing. But, then again, we don't know: we know what the Wang family vassals think and gossip about. We have no clue of what Wang Jian himself truly thought of her. However, Zhu Jing's death in childbirth, as well as the circumstances of Wang Ben's parentage, would both certainly explain why their relationship is the way it is.
- Maternal Death? Blame the Child!: There's a strong case to be made that his emotional distance - or perhaps absence - from Wang Ben's life was born out of resentment - after all, infidelity or not, Zhu Jing did die bringing him to the world.
- Nerves of Steel: Sits down with a map to calmly come up with a new strategy to take a heavily fortified city after the previous plan falls to pieces. In viewing distance of said city. Within earshot of said city's soldiers. While being attacked directly by said soldiers who outnumber his own group two to one. All without so much as a wasted word or his trademark Death Glare leaving his face.
- Open Secret: Pretty much everybody in high command already suspects his ambitions. Given how nonchalant he is about recruiting talented enemy generals, he himself doesn't seem to care about hiding it either.
- Parental Neglect: Doesn't give a shit about Wang Ben; if his son lives or dies, it is none of his business. Case in point, after Wang Ben nearly died during the Battle of Zhuhai Plains, not only did Wang Jian never visit him, he didn't even bother asking about his well-being. In many ways, Pan Yang can be argued to be far more of a parental figure towards Wang Ben than Wang Jian ever was. And, even if he may not be exactly aware of the why, Wang Ben certainly has noticed, to the point that his strained relationship with his father is one of the driving issues of his character arc during the Western Zhao Invasion arc.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: When Xin lashes out in anger about being kept in the dark during the battle of Ye, Wang Jian calmly and sensibly explains to him why they had to do so. Or at least he calmly says something cryptic about the plan that no one really understands at the moment.
- Spotlight-Stealing Squad: If Wang Jian is part of a campaign, he'll find his way to make it all about him somehow. In Hangu Pass, his last-minute intervention literally saved the kingdom - and he came from a different battlefield altogether. Even in Shanyang, the arc where he can be argued to have held the least screen time so far, ended up being deeply influenced by his actions: after all, as Lian Po himself admits, had it not been for the fact that his army stood unscathed to the end of the conflict, Wei may not have lost the battle after all.
- The Starscream: Comes with the territory. But, then again, so far, this is only reputedly so. He served under Meng Ao for years, yet there was never talk of him betraying his commander.
- The Stoic: Frighteningly so. Wang Jian's utter lack of emotion - or at least his lack of emotionally charged acts - is so extreme that it makes him seem downright alien.
- The Strategist: Yes. Everytime we see Wang Jian achieve something in battle, he does it through wits alone. We don't even know what sort of weapon is his favourite. And he proved himself to be just as good at it as Li Mu himself.
- Undying Loyalty: A complicated case. Outsiders such as Lian Po and Bi both believe, not without reason, that Wang Jian sees anyone and everyone around him as replaceable. And, to some degree, they're not wrong: he treated Bi and his men as meatbags during the Shanyang Campaign, used Meng Tian as bait without having the grace of even asking his opinion on the matter, and gave both Huan Yi and Yang Duanhe herculean tasks in the Ye Campaign. In all those cases, he was correct in his belief that those people would prove themselves useful, but that happened at the cost of numberless casualties on their sides - while his own personal troops walked away nearly unscathed. On the other hand, however, his closest personal vassals are among his most steadfast supporters. Ma Kuang and Ya Guang were ready to die in his name at any second, and so were the remaining commanders under him. So if you're someone on the outside, he will throw you under the bus in a heartbeat, but if you're one of those he favours, you'll gladly accept backbreaking tasks in his name. One can say that Wang Jian worries about his troops first and foremost, and only sacrifices them when necessary; in Shanyang, for instance, he let all hell break loose while his army remained all but untouched. Whether this is out of pragmatism or out of genuine concern for his men is not known. However, if it does come to pass that he will have to send his men to the line of fire, he won't hold back on expecting the impossible from them.
Great General Huan Yi
Wang Jian Army
Wang Jian's personal army. For most of the series, Wang Jian sought to hide his true strength, only revealing his hands when he was placed in command of conquering Ye.
General Ya Guang
Ya Guang
Japanese Pronunciation: A Kou
Wang Jian's right-hand man and the most trusted of his vassals. Ya Guang is a powerful offensive who leads the right wing during the Battle of Zhuhai Plains.- Almighty Janitor: Li Mu notes that had he not chosen to serve under Wang Jian he could have risen to become supreme commander of a large army.
- Asskicking Leads to Leadership: The strongest warrior and highest ranking of Wang Jian's vassals.
- Attack! Attack! Attack!: His preferred style of warfare is to charge head on at his opponents with nothing under his sleeve. That being said, he will use tactical maneuvers and formations if the situation insists.
- Death Glare: His default expression.
- Good Is Not Nice: Besides his personal strength and that of his soldiers, his cavalry charges are also so powerful and successful because he and his men are perfectly willing to trample over their own allies and friends if they falter or are injured, hence having a psychological advantage over their foes.
- Hot-Blooded: While he isn't an idiot, he enjoys an entirely straightforward approach and battling his foes head on without tactics, in contrast to Ma Kuang who enjoys using tricks and feints. As he displays later, his tactics are highly formidable as well, he simply doesn't enjoy that style of warfare.
- Genius Bruiser: Initially appears to be Dumb Muscle due to his preference for straightforward charges, but as the battle progresses he proves a very able and flexible tactician as well who simply prefers a head-on approach. Li Mu notes how talented he is and how he could have risen to become a supreme commander if not for his loyalty to Wang Jian.
- I Am Not Left-Handed: His preference of simply bullrushing his opponents means the Zhao army are mistaken into believing he is only good at offense. They certainly did not expect him to be able to perfectly replicate Wang Jian's defensive formations which are virtually immune to brute force.
- Number Two: Wang Jian's second in command and placed in charge of the right wing.
- Perpetual Frowner: He has never been seen to smile once.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: An objective, reasonable man who calmly hears out Wang Ben's immature complaints about his role in the right wing, explains to him that he is not being given any sort of special treatment or disrespect and that their opponents are far too strong to trifle with. Huan Chang notes his carefully chosen words to make Wang Ben understand his family issues are not a factor. When Wang Ben proves critical to winning the second day, he allows him to join the main strategy table.
- Scars Are Forever: Has one across his mouth that is almost a Glasgow Grin, only it makes his frown even more pronounced.
- Worthy Opponent: Is highly respected by both Ma Nan Ci and Zhao E Long for his abilities and decision making.
General Ma Kuang
Ma Kuang
Japanese Pronunciation: Ma Kou
Widely considered Wang Jian's left-hand man, Ma Kuang is placed in charge of the left wing during the Battle of Zhuhai Plains.- Badass Army: His men are noted to be extremely strong and skilled, easily dominating Ji Hui's Liyan cavalry.
- Early-Bird Cameo: Makes a brief appearance during the Fire Dragons arc at Wang Jian's strategy table.
- Eyes Always Shut: At most, he opens them slightly into slits. This led to many a joke at his expense when he seemingly failed to spot Li Mu until he was right next to him.
- A Father to His Men: His main positive trait. His men love and respect him and it is implied to be reciprocal, with him encouraging a hands-on approach between superiors and rank-and-file. After his death, they break down into grief and are unable to relaunch a counterattack until Meng Tian regroups them. When Meng Tian tricks them into believing he still lives, they regroup in a tremendous fervor which shocks Ji Hui and Ma Cheng.
- Pet the Dog: While he was generally portrayed as something of an arrogant prick, Ma Kuang was a great leader and A Father to His Men.
- Off With His Head!: Decapitated by Li Mu when he is ambushed by his roaming unit.
- Miracle Rally: At their Darkest Hour, Ma Kuang would rally and encourage his men into a comeback with three words: "Stand and fight." This comes in handy after his death when Meng Tian uses it to make his men believe he still lives.
- Smug Snake: An arrogant commander who greatly underestimates Meng Tian and believes that he will never be felled by 'Zhao trash'. Guess what happens...
- Tempting Fate: Claims his Ma Kuang Army would never be felled by Zhao trash and that regardless of what happens, he would be the "star of the left battlefield". He becomes the first of the major players in the war to die, even before any of the Zhao leaders. And his death and screw-up nearly leads to the defeat of the entire Qin army!
- Training from Hell: Ma Cheng wonders what sort of ridiculous training Ma Kuang put his men through to make them so strong.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Is killed by Li Mu before he can show the full extent of his ability.
General Cang Yang
Cang Yang
Japanese Pronunciation: Sou Ou
- Amazon Chaser: Is in relationship with Mi Ling.
- Dumb Muscle: Freely admits that his only skill is fighting.
General Tian Liwei
Tian Liwei
Japanese Pronunciation: Den Rimi
Ya Hua Jin
Ya Hua Jin
Japanese Pronuncaition: A Ka Kin
A highly talented commander in Ya Guang's army, Ya Hua Jin's attitude prevents him from getting promoted, hence leading to him being considered a greatly wasted potential.- Almighty Janitor: Is commander of less than a hundred men, but is implied to be one of the most talented commanders under Ya Guang's wing.
- Cool Helmet: Despite his low rank, he wears a detailed custom helmet to denote his narrative importance.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: His manic personality and viewpoints means no one in the Wang Jian army likes him, which leads him to staying at a low rank.
- Slasher Smile: His default expression.
- Spanner in the Works: Zhao E Long nearly manages to counter Wang Ben's gambit to destroy Ma Nan Ci's army by sending a detachment into Ma Nan Ci's flanks as well, but Ya Hua Jin's independent action to stay behind to hold off the detachments means that Wang Ben's success becomes inevitable.
Mi Ling
Mi Ling
Japanese Pronunciation: Shi Ryou
- Action Girl: She's a very skilled fighter. At least good enough to fight Ma Cheng to a standstill.
- Statuesque Stunner: Noted to be very tall.
Huan Chang
Huan Yi Army
Other Generals and Commanders
General Tu Men
Tu Men
Japanese Pronunciation: Do Mon
One of the generals placed in charge of Meng Ao's centre army in the Battle of Shanyang, alongside Rong Bi and Luo Yan.- The Bus Came Back: Disappears after the battle of Shanyang, but returns in a minor role in the invasion of Ye.
- Curb Stomp Cushion: Lun Hu completely dominates him, but Tu Men manages to rally his men again and again to prevent his army from falling until the second wave arrives.
- Sole Survivor: Of the centre army's generals, only Tu Men isn't slain by Lun Hu and actually lives on to participate in the Battle of Ye under Wang Jian.
General Rong Bi
Rong Bi
Japanese Pronunciation: Ei Bi
One of the generals placed in charge of Meng Ao's centre army in the Battle of Shanyang, alongside Tu Men and Luo Yan.- GassHole: Jovially farts in Xin's direction as he leaves the tent.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Reprimands Xin for his insubordination, but clearly isn't too upset that they did. He goes on to encourage them by telling them Meng Ao's 'punishment' for the youngsters- being placed at the rear- will actually give them a greater chance to shine...which ultimately turns out to be the case and saves the Qin army from defeat.
- Slashed Throat: How Lun Hu kills him.
Guo Bei
Guo Bei
Japanese Pronunciation: Kaku Bi
A 1000-man commander Xin meets during the Shanyang campaign.
- Badass Normal: Like Xin, he was also a servant before joining the military
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Agrees with Xin who was preventing soldiers from looting and raping.
- Sacrificial Lamb: Killed off by Lun Hu almost as soon as he is introduced.
- Too Good for This Sinful Earth: He's a kind, humble and very charismatic young man. He also didn't even last one chapter.
