Actually, ever since the Yan Army began to cross the river, the shadows of the Qian army had been lurking in the vicinity. Surprisingly, these Qian soldiers did not seem like scattered patrol riders. Some appeared to be men in formation, and others possessed impressive martial skills and horsemanship. However, most were not dressed in the Qian army's armor.
These scattered forces were messy, lacking any semblance of system and organization—they appeared much more like street wanderers.
As Liang Cheng put it, the role patrol riders play in war is akin to the eyes of an army. This is similar to exploratory units in a modern strategy video game that clear fog from areas of the map. Their arrangement—how many are sent out, how they are positioned, and the quality of the riders themselves—all require great tactical precision.
