Throughout the long annals of human warfare, the value of soldiers had always lain in quality, not quantity.
To cater to popular tastes, many historical accounts heavily exaggerated victories where the few defeated the many.
This hyperbolic style conditioned readers to assume that superior numbers always meant an overwhelming advantage, making a victory against the odds seem like a miraculous feat.
However, examining the ancient war records compiled by the Qing dynasty historian Zhao Yi in his Collection of Literary & Historical Thoughts & Studies, a glaring truth emerged: triumphs of the few over the many were actually quite common in history!
In ancient times, when communication relied on shouting and deployment depended on marching, a strategist or general's ability was primarily measured by their capacity for mobilization.
