Treatise on Armament Technology, Volume 30

...to repair the fortifications quickly.

Nong said: "Their armor is on the outside, but our armor is in our hearts. In a daytime battle, our soldiers would see their formidable appearance and be intimidated. It is better to wait for dusk to strike; then, victory is certain."

He ordered the warriors to remain on high alert and wait, forbidding any reckless movement. Shi Yue erected wooden palisades to fortify his position. Seeing this, Nong laughed and said:

"Yue’s troops are elite and his soldiers are strong. Yet, instead of using the momentum of his arrival to attack us, he is busy setting up fences. I can see now that he is incompetent."

As evening approached, Nong’s forces beat their drums and raised a great shout, deploying outside the western gate Yamun The headquarters gate or ceremonial entrance of a military camp. He dispatched four hundred of his finest warriors to scale the palisades and break in, while Nong himself supervised the main army following close behind. They utterly defeated the Qin troops and beheaded Shi Yue.

The Qin general Wei Jiefei led the Di and Hu Ethnic groups of Northern and Western China who formed the backbone of the Former Qin military to attack Yao Dangcheng, a general of the Later Qin, at Xingcheng. General Lei Edi joined the rebellion in support of Wei, attacking Lirun. Yao Chang, the ruler of the Later Qin, intended to lead a counter-attack personally, but the assembled...