Qiang Jin Jiu (Author : Tang Jiuqing 唐酒卿)

Chapter 132 : Troops Advance

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When Wu Ziyu ran from the battle site to Bianbo Camp, he passed by Shasan Camp and also went to Changzhu Camp. However, in the eyes of the commanding generals from these battle camps, he was not considered a "commanding general". He was only good for grain delivery during discussions relating to military affairs. When the Hanshe Tribe launched a sudden assault on the Libei's mutual trade market in the eighth year of Xiande, the fastest squad to respond to the enemy attack was the transportation escort squad led by Wu Ziyu. That was the one and only battle he had ever fought.

"You are the commanding general of Bianbo Camp now that the main forces of the Bianbo Camp have been dispatched into battle up north. The Imperial Army currently wants to scout for news of the Shasan Camp, and I hope to have the assistance of the Bianbo Camp." Xiao Chiye set down his bowl and continued, "It's obvious that the Liaoying Tribe's surprise attack this time has been planned for a long time. Cut off access to the Shasan Camp's horse track, and the Bianbo Camp will lose its source of information in addition to its protective barrier. It's indeed true that you can ensure the safety of the supplies by retreating this moment, but the site of battle - with Shayi Camp as the boundary line - will completely end up surrounded by the Biansha people on both sides. No matter how many people there are in Zhao Hui's Three Great Training Divisions of Liuyang, they will still have to split up and assign a team to bypass Dajing and head for the battle site in the northeast as long-distance reinforcement. By then, even if there are supplies left, all the frontline troops will have been wiped out."

Xiao Jiming chose to use Bianbo Camp as a supply site because it had horse tracks directly connecting it to Shasan Camp and Northeast Provisions Bridle Path. It could swiftly provide supplies, as well as rapidly send in troops for reinforcement. Once this place was gone, Xiao Fangxu, who was still on the frontlines, would be cut off from his backup forces. There were no direct connecting horse tracks leading to the northeast from the Northeast Provisions Bridle Path. Zhao Hui would have to take a detour, which would still take four days at the earliest. In these four days, Xiao Fangxu would have to face the Hanshe Tribe to the east and the Liaoying Tribe to the south without reinforcements and supplies. The Biansha men could just deploy the tactics of taking turns to fight them, and it would have been sufficient to wear down Xiao Fangxu's elite forces, who were already exhausted from the long battle.

Wu Ziyu's fury had already been extinguished. He stood in silence for a moment before saying, "The Three Great Training Divisions of Liuyang under Zhao Hui's command is one of the Libei Armored Cavalry's elite forces. The Liaoying Tribe that has launched a sudden assault here won't be able to stop him. He can abandon the faraway route in the northeast and head over to the battle site from this place."

"The Three Great Training Divisions of Liuyang, as the cream of the crop in Libei, have exchanged the most blows with the Hanshe Tribe. Amu'er's understanding of them won't be inferior to your and my understanding of them. You know that Zhou Hui can forcibly break out of the encirclement and rush to the battlefield from here, so Amu'er should have also thought of it at the start of the surprise attack. Today was such a good opportunity for a sudden assault, and yet he only sent the Liaoying Tribe over. Guess what he's thinking?"

Wu Ziyu's expression gradually turned dark.
Of the thirty-six stratagems, there was a stratagem called "letting the adversaries off in order to snare them". Wu Ziyu's squad encountered a surprise attack today at the Bianbo Camp, and in the midst of the crisis, his guard rushed on to the Northeast Provisions Bridle Path with the supplies. By the time Zhao Hui received this batch of crucial supplies, it would have already been too late. Reinforcement from afar was the most inadvisable and unwise. So he could only turn his attention back to the seized Bianbo Camp and make the corresponding adjustments to his strategy based on the number of soldiers from the Liaoying Tribe as provided by the guard. Once he came, it was very likely that Amu'er would have already withdrawn the Liaoying Tribe and replaced them with the Biansha's elite cavalry to lie in wait here. Zhao Hui would then be up against an all-out assault from Amu'er.