Twelve Kingdoms: Inteview with the Translator, Hills of Silver Ruins, Battle Tactics II

Kate: One of my favorite battle tactics takes place in Poseidon of the East when Shouryuu helps the townspeople with the river. Rather than reacting with gratitude, the power-hungry ruler of the province shifts position, proving that he is more interested in winning than in helping people, whatever his rhetoric. 

Eugene: Chapter 29 of Poseidon of the East might have been inspired by Toyotomi Hideyoshi's siege of Takamatsu Castle during his campaign against the Mori clan in 1582. Under the direction of his chief strategist, Kuroda Kanbei, Hideyoshi's troops diverted the Ashimori River to flood the castle. The military term is mizuzeme, or "attacking with water."

A little deception goes a long way too. When reports of Nobunaga's assassination reached Hideyoshi in the middle of the siege, he negotiated a lopsided armistice on his terms before the Mori found out, then raced back to Kyoto faster than anyone expected.

Real world cases are a good place to begin when formulating fictional military strategies. Fuyumi Ono makes the point in Hills of Silver Ruins that a plucky bunch of rebels aren't going to defeat the Imperial Army. In A Thousand Leagues of Wind, Youko and her band of plucky rebels fight to a draw using feints and diversions to give her time to reassert control of the Palace Guard.

Much of the war planning in Hills of Silver Ruins likewise focuses on siege strategies, basically how long Risai's forces can hold out while building a real army.