"If it's Lin Tian, I don't think we need to be too nervous!"
"Lin Tian's forces are all new recruits; their combat power isn't strong. I doubt he can penetrate our Dai City."
Upon confirming it was Lin Tian's army, the Zhao soldiers inside Dai City breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Although Lin Tian himself possessed formidable combat strength, capable of effortlessly engaging a thousand foes alone, his army of fifty thousand comprised mostly raw recruits.
While they had undergone training, their practical combat experience was lacking, having just entered the battlefield.
Therefore, they believed they could hold their ground.
However, the Zhao soldiers in Dai City were not arrogant. Facing Lin Tian's fifty thousand troops, they had also mobilized the able-bodied civilians within the city.
These civilians, though not adept at military formations, each possessed a certain level of combat prowess.
They were perfectly suited for defending the city.
In fact, they were also well-suited for rapid assaults.
Their presence further bolstered the confidence of the Zhao soldiers on the city walls.
What puzzled them, however, was that Lin Tian, despite leading his army to their city's doorstep, did not launch an immediate assault.
Instead, two miles away, Lin Tian had ordered his men to set up camp and cook.
Such an action left them bewildered.
"What's going on? Why aren't they attacking us?"
"Could it be that they want to eat their fill before launching a fierce offensive?"
"That makes sense, but aren't they too close? Aren't they afraid we'll suddenly open the city gates and charge with our cavalry?"
For cavalry, two miles could be covered in an instant.
In such a short time, Lin Tian's army would have no time to react and form a defensive formation.
Therefore, they couldn't understand Lin Tian's intentions.
"Are they mocking us from two miles away, relying on their numbers?"
"That's entirely possible. But how can he be so confident that he can organize his troops in time to resist our cavalry charge?"
"I don't understand it either. At such a close distance, how can they possibly withstand our army's charge?"
The two-mile distance was indeed too short, far from a safe distance for Lin Tian's army.
At such proximity, Lin Tian ordering his troops to cook was akin to delivering themselves as a meal.
However, this was a meal that few dared to approach.
"Should we... launch a proactive charge against them?"
The question was met with silence from many.
Although they were confident they could reach Lin Tian's position in a flash and rout his soldiers who were busy cooking, what if it was a trap?
What if Lin Tian's army could react in time?
Then they would be at Lin Tian's mercy, and Lin Tian's army might even seize the opportunity to directly capture their Dai City.
The risk involved was too great, so great that they dared not gamble.
Ultimately, the Zhao commander of Dai City did not give the order to open the gates and charge Lin Tian's army. Instead, he stood on the city walls, watching Lin Tian's troops cook.
The aroma of the food even wafted into Dai City, causing many to involuntarily swallow.
What was even more outrageous was that Lin Tian ordered his soldiers to eat their meals while facing Dai City, right in front of the Zhao soldiers.
Faintly, the Zhao soldiers on the walls could hear the sounds of eating.
It felt less like eating before a city and more like eating at home.
This was a significant humiliation for the Zhao soldiers of Dai City.
They had seen arrogance before, but never such blatant arrogance!
Many Zhao soldiers could no longer contain themselves.
"Damn it, how dare they look down on us Zhao soldiers like this!"
"I can't take it anymore, General! Give the order! I volunteer to be the vanguard and make them beg for mercy!"
"General, open the city gates! If we attack, they won't have time to react!"
The lands of Yan and Zhao were known for their chivalrous heroes, many of whom relished in rivalry and combat.
This also meant they were more proud and less willing to accept humiliation.
Not to mention that Zhao had a large cavalry force, and Zhao cavalry was considered the strongest among all nations.
Under these circumstances, how could the Zhao soldiers tolerate this?
They clamored for their commander to give the order, so they could march out and annihilate Lin Tian's army.
However, compared to them, the commander of Dai City was more restrained.
"Lord Wu'an (Li Mu) said that we must guard Dai City well and not make any mistakes, otherwise, our surrounding counties will lose contact with Handan City!"
"Therefore, we cannot act impulsively; we need to be restrained!"
"Qin's Lin Tian has likely set a trap, waiting for us to charge. The current situation does not allow for any wrong decisions!"
"Therefore, unless Lin Tian of Qin attacks the city, we must not take any unnecessary actions!"
The commander of Zhao's Dai City prioritized stability, and thus, he directly ordered restrictions on the actions of the Zhao soldiers within Dai City.
These restrictions made the soldiers feel stifled.
They felt they were on the verge of losing control.
The enemy was right before them, even brazenly provoking them, yet they were forbidden from reacting.
Such a war was truly unsatisfying, leading to unrest within Dai City.
"Wait, if you dare to attack the city, I will behead you and make you die!!"
In the end, the Zhao soldiers merely issued threats and did not deploy.
Lin Tian was not surprised by their inaction.
Instead, he ordered his soldiers to continue setting up camp and cooking in front of them.
The first day was like this, as was the second, and the third day remained the same.
Yet, even after three days, no one in Dai City opened the gates to fight Lin Tian's army.
This piqued the curiosity of Wang Wu and others.
"General, how did you predict they wouldn't dare to come out? If it were me, I would have opened the gates and charged!"
"This is called the stratagem of suspicion. The closer we get, the less they dare to act because they fear falling into our ambush!"
"Of course, we do have an ambush here. If they dare to charge, our soldiers will immediately drop their bowls and chopsticks and form a 'Mandarin Duck Formation' to resist their army's charge!"
Lin Tian, of course, would not leave himself vulnerable to the Zhao army.
He had made preparations in this regard.
This was also the advantage of the Mandarin Duck Formation; a small group could form one.
That the Zhao army did not open the gates and charge was also within Lin Tian's expectations.
His goal was for the Zhao army to become accustomed to his provocations and to stir up their emotions.
Three consecutive days had passed, and the time to act had arrived.