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Great General Mougou's army is one of Qin's most important and respected, but Mougou himself is an incredibly average general. Instead, the main strength of his army lies in his two deputies, Kanki and Ousen who are rumored to have strength equaling that of the Qin 6. The Mougou Army is mostly trusted to attack weaker states like Han or Wei, but also play a key role in defending Kankoku Pass during the Coalition War.
After Mougou's death, Kanki and Ousen continue to amongst Qin's main military forces.
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General Tropes
- Boring, but Practical: This is the defining trait of Mougou 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 offense powerhouse? Just play defense while your talented vice-generals do the attack.
Leadership
Great General Mougou
Meng Ao/Mougou
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 in surely 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 Shin and Hyou train during their childhood.
- Cool Old Guy: Xin calls him this almost word-for-word. Not only is he a old seven-foot tall Gentle Giant, he is also capable of fighting on par with Renpa, 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 necessarily ability to become a legitimate great general, if well into old age.
General Ousen
Wang Jian/Ousen
The leader of the Ou clan and Ouhon's father who secretly harbors a desire to rule a kingdom on his own. Resultantly, Ousen'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. Ousen 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 Sanyou to keep Renpa busy, or dealing Riboku's Retsubi plan a death blow by using Zhao's citizens against her, whatever the odds, Ousen will beat them all.
- Affair? Blame the Bastard: Well... We don't know. This is what everyone else in the Ou household believes: that his utter lack of care for Ouhon stems for the suspicion that he isn't actually his blood. But since Ousen's thoughts remains as nebulous as ever, we don't know for sure if he believes the rumours, or if he blames Ouhon for Shukei's supposed infidelity.
- Almighty Janitor: Ousen's abilities were equal to that of the Qin Six Great as far back as Ouki's era, but he was never made a member because King Sho simply did not trust him. He remained a mere deputy of Mougou until the latter's death despite such calibre.
- Ambition Is Evil: Well, it is said to be. So far, unlike his Foil Ryofui, he hasn't actually done anything evil in the pursuit of his ambitions. In fact, some of the time, he ends up being more merficul 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 Kankoku Pass he not only predicts Ordo's movements with frightening accuracy, but also predicts he will be too psychologically broken after losing his core troops to stop him from saving Kankoku Pass from Karin.
- Big Damn Heroes: The Ousen army arrives in the nick of time to save Kankoku Pass from Karin, becoming the decisive factor in Qin's victory. This is an early hint of just how capable Ousen actually is.
- Blue Blood: As blue as it gets. His family is described as being "on 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. Shouheikun hence views him as the most fitting leader for the crucial Gyou Campaign against fellow Chessmaster Riboku. His lieutenant Makou describes his strategems as allowing any element to morph into the key to victory.
- Crazy Enough to Work: His plans, surprisingly. Facing Renpa? 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 Retsubi? 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, Ousen may have more in common with Kanki than both would like to admit.
- Crazy-Prepared: His Wei Di trap against Kyouen is clever, but in case he is Out-Gambitted or if Renpa 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 Gyou, 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 Kankoku 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 Ryofui:
- Both are men who hold well-known kingly ambitions. However, while Ryofui is a merchant of insignificant background coming from another kingdom, Ousen was born a noble's noble in Qin. Yet, it is Ryofui the one who has actually tried to score himself a throne, while Ousen seems to be content with waiting for his chance so far.
- Both hide their true thoughts and intentions from pretty much everyone. While Ryofui's mask is that of a jolly, smiling fellow, Ousen is so utterly unemotional and unapproachable that it comes off as unsettling.
- Both have very complicated relationships with talented young men of Shin's generation. Ryofui eventually manages to let go of their rivalry and comes to genuinely respect Sei as king, even gracefully acknowledging his defeat. On the other hand, if the rumours are to be believed, Ousen never forgave Ouhon for possibly being a bastard, or for Shukei's death in childbirth. Both those relationships were shaped by the feelings they held for a woman they can no longer be with; but Ousen is rumoured to still love Shukei, while Ryofui's feelings for the Queen Mother have soured over time.
- Both have their minds as their greatest weapons: Ryofui as a court intriguist, and Ousen as a - so far - purely strategical general. Still, Ousen is at least willing to put his neck on the line by going into battle himself, while Ryofui is happy enough amassing influence at court for Moubu's successes. This is reflected in how they dress: Ryofui is never seen wearing anything but the finest robes money can buy, while Ousen 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: Ousen was never made one of the Six Great Generals, while Ryofui's downfall was a consequence of his conflict with Sei. Yet, Sei and his court still have enough trust in Ousen to give him tasks of kingdom-saving relevance. Ryofui was ready to sell Qin to the Coalition to save his skin, but Ousen 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 Ryofui has to buy loyalty from courtiers that are happy to turn on him whenever it is convenient, Ousen's men are ready to die in his name any day.
- To Moubu:
- Both are stoic military men that have, as a result, very complicated relationships with their sons. However, Moubu was fully shown being very trustful of Mouten's skills and abilities, and completely flipped his shit when Kanmei seriously injured his son. On the other hand, during the Battle of Shukai Plains, Ousen had every opportunity to acknowledge Ouhon's talents, but ignored each and every one of them. Plus, after Ouhon 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 Ou family has prestige and influence going back generations, but the Mou 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 Ou family's prestige comes from their bloodline, the Mou family's standing is due solely to their military deeds.
- Moubu is a very physical soldier that has little use to strategical endeavours; Ousen 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: Moubu had to employ a high-level strategical formation to win against Chu, while Ousen had to rethink the plan for Gyou on the spot upon being faced with the obstacles of holding Retsubi. In both cases, they were met with resounding success where it seemed most unlikely.
- Ousen is the one rumoured to want a kingdom for himself, but it was Moubu of all people who got his hands into politics by allying himself with Ryofui. 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 Riboku's plans and further disestabilized the political situation in China as a whole: Moubu's utter defeat of Kanmei and his men shattered the superstate's illusion of invincibility, while Ousen's conquest of Gyou pretty much signed Zhao's death sentence.
- Speaking of Chu, both have handed some of her foremost generals their asses with stratagies that absolutely blindsided them: Kanmei didn't see the true effectiveness of Moubu's Echelon Formation plan until it hit him in the face, while Ousen's interference on Karin's attack to Kankoku Pass couldn't have been predicted by anyone.
- Both have frequently been paired with more lively, unorthodox generals of their time: Moubu with Tou, Ousen with Kanki. Moubu has very little patience for Tou's antics, but fully trusts him as a general; on the other hand, Ousen and Kanki 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 Kanki and Ousen have in common the fact that they will stop at absolutely nothing to win their battles.
- To Ryofui:
- 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. Ousen is extremely adept at achieving impressive feats in record time; during the Sanyou Campaign, for instance, it took him just as much time to conquer eight cities as it took Kanki to conquer five, and Mougou 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 Sanyou Campaign. Come the Gyou Campaign, his ability to work against the clock sure comes in handy.
- The Lost Lenore: Heavily implied to be the case with his wife Kan Shukei. But, then again, we don't know: we know what the Ou family vassals think and gossip about. We have no clue of what Ousen himself truly thought of her. However, Shukei's death in childbirth, as well as the circumstances of Ouhon'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 Ouhon's life was born out of resentment - after all, infidelity or not, Shukei 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 ear shot 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 Ouhon; if his son lives or dies, it is none of his business. Case in point, after Ouhon nearly died during the Battle of Shukai Plains, not only did Ousen never visited him, he didn't even bother asking about his well-being. In many ways, Banyou can be argued to be far more of a parental figure towards Ouhon than Ousen ever was. And, even if he may not be exactly aware of the why, Ouhon 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 Shin lashes out in anger about being kept in the dark during the battle of Gyou, Ousen 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 Ousen is part of a campaign, he'll find his way to make it all about him somehow. In Kankoku Pass, his last-minute intervention literally saved the kingdom - and he came from a different battlefield altogether. Even in Sanyou, the arc where he can be argued to have held the least screentime so far, ended up being deeply influenced by his actions: after all, as Renpa 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 Mougou for years, yet there was never talk of him betraying his commander.
- The Stoic: Frighteningly so. Ousen'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 Ousen 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 Riboku himself.
- Undying Loyalty: A complicated case. Outsiders such as Renpa and Heki both believe, not without reason, that Ousen sees anyone and everyone around him as replaceable. And, to some degree, they're not wrong: he treated Heki and his men as meatbags during the Sanyou Campaign, used Mouten as bait without having the grace of even asking his opinion on the matter, and gave both Kanki and Youtanwa herculean tasks in the Gyou 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. Makou and Akou 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 Ousen worries about his troops first and foremost, and only sacrifices them when necessary; in Sanyou, 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.
General Kanki
See Kanki's Bandits
Ousen Army
Ousen's personal army. For most of the series, Ousen sought to hide his true strength, only revealing his hands when he is placed in command of conquering Gyou.
General Akou
Ousen's right-hand man and the most trusted of his vassals. Akou is a powerful offensive who leads the right wing during the Battle of Shukai Plains.
- Almighty Janitor: Riboku notes that had he not chosen to serve under Ousen he could have risen to become supreme commander of a large army.
- Asskicking Leads to Leadership: The strongest warrior and highest ranking of Ousen'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: He 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 Makou who enjoys using tricks and feints. As he displays later, his tactics are highly formidable as well, he simply doesnt enjy that style
- 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. Riboku notes how talented he is and how he could have risen to become a supreme commander if not for his loyalty to Ousen.
- 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 Ousen's defensive formations which are virtually immune to brute force.
- Number Two: Ousen'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 Ouhon'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. Kanjou notes his carefully chosen words to make Ousen understand his family issues are not a factor. When Ouhon proves critical to winning the second day, he alows 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 Bananji and Chougaryuu for his abilities and decision making.
General Makou
Widely considered Ousen's left-hand man, Makou is placed in charge of the left wing during the Battle of Shukai Plains.
- Badass Army: His men are noted to be extremely strong and skilled, easily dominating Kisui's Rigan cavalry.
- Early-Bird Cameo: Makes a brief appearance during the Fire Dragons arc at Ousen'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 Riboku 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-n approach between superiors and rank-and-file. After his death, they break down into grief and are unable to relaunch a counterattack until Mouten regroups them. When Mouten tricks them into believing he still lives, they regroup in a tremendous fervor which shocks Kisui and Batei.
- Pet the Dog: While he was generally portrayed as something of an arrogant prick, Makou was a great leader and A Father to His Men
- Off With His Head!: Decapitated by Riboku when he is ambushed by his roaming unit.
- Miracle Rally: At their Darkest Hour, Makou would rally and encourage his men into a comeback with three words- "Stand and fight." This comes in handy after his death when Mouten uses it to make his men believe he still lives.
- Smug Snake: An arrogant commander who greatly underestimates Mouten and believes that he will never be felled by 'Zhao thrash'. Guess what happens...]
- Tempting Fate: Claims his Makou Army would never be felled by Zhao thrash 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: Batei wonders what sort of ridiculous training Makou put his men through to make them so strong.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Is killed by Riboku before he can show the full extent of his ability.
General Souou
- Amazon Chaser: Is in relationship with Shiryou.
- Dumb Muscle: Freely admits that his only skill is fighting.
General Denrimi
Akakin
A highly talented commander in Akou's army, Akakin'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 Akou'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 Ousen army likes him, which leads him to staying at a low rank.
- Slasher Smile: His default expression.
- Spanner in the Works: Chougaryuu nearly manages to counter Ouhon's gambit to destroy Bananji's army by sending a detachment into Bananji's flanks as well, but Akakin's independent action to stay behind to hold off the detachments means that Ouhon's success becomes inevitable.
Shiryou
- Action Girl: She's a very skilled fighter. At least good enough to fight Batei to a standstill.
- Statuesque Stunner: Noted to be very tall.
Kanjou
Kanki Army
See Kanki's Bandits
Other Generals and Commanders
General Domon
One of the generals placed in charge of Mougou's centre army in the Battle of Sanyou, alongside Eibi and Ragen.
- The Bus Came Back: Disappears after the battle of Sanyou, but returns in a minor role in the invasion of Gyou.
- Curb Stomp Cushion: Rinko completely dominates him, but Domon 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 Domon isn't slain by Rinko and actually lives on to participate in the Battle of Gyou under Ousen.
General Eibi
One of the generals placed in charge of Mougou's centre army in the Battle of Sanyou, alongside Eibi and Ragen.
- GassHole: Jovially farts in Shin's direction as he leaves the tent.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Reprimands Shin for his insubordination, but clearly isn't too upset that they did. He goes on to encourage them by telling them Mougou'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 Rinko kills him.
Kakubi
Kakubi
A 1000-man commander Shin meets during the Sanyou campaign.
- Badass Normal: Like Shin, 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 Rinkou 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.
