The Duke of Shu Han began guarding Jingzhou in place of Guan Yu.

Chapter 125 Ma Youchang Offers a Plan Overnight

On that day, the Miwei tribe crossed the Shou River and entered the territory of Jiangyuan County.

The camp was set up by late afternoon.

The camp was separated from the county seat of Gangwon by a river.

One is the Guanjiang River, and the other is the Yangmojiang River, a tributary of the former.

These are all irrigation projects left behind by Li Bing during the Qin Dynasty, who controlled the waters.

There are existing pontoon bridges.

If we force our way through, we can reach the outskirts of Jiangyuan County today.

However, Miwei did not do that.

Instead, they deliberately slowed down their march.

First, the enemy situation is unclear, and it will take time for scouts to investigate and clarify the situation.

Secondly, the overall quality of this hastily assembled force and its ability to be effectively deployed remain to be seen.

This is what is meant by "know yourself and know your enemy".

Marching and setting up camp are the most fundamental aspects that demonstrate the quality of generals and soldiers.

The results show that...

Except for Huo Yi, who was a bit flustered because it was his first time on the field.

The rest of the players all scored above the passing grade.

Huo Yi's men were all veterans from Zitong who had been trained by his father.

With the cooperation of several capable military officers, the rear guard followed without incident.

The next step is to wait for the scouts to find out the enemy's movements.

At the same time, someone was sent to notify the local government granaries to supply the army with provisions.

After all, this was a war fought on home soil, and Shu Commandery could even be called the "royal domain".

We must follow the rules.

Soon, Zhan Sifu and his team sent back intelligence.

The good news is that the town of Jiangyuan was not attacked by bandits.

Even the county town of Linqiong, further south, remained secure.

However, this only meant that the city was not lost.

Between the two counties, large areas of plains and countryside have been plundered by bandits to varying degrees.

It even affected some fields where seedlings had just sprouted.

The key point is that the three thousand bandits were very cunning and did not linger on flat ground or recklessly attack the city.

They only roam and plunder during the day.

Then, before nightfall, they would definitely retreat back into the mountain gullies west of Linqiong.

In fact, the city of Linqiong was originally a military fortress in the southern part of Shu Commandery, used to defend against mountain bandits.

It was only after the opening of the South Central Commercial Road that it gradually grew and expanded.

However, with trade routes blocked and unrest in the south, it has reverted to its original military function.

In short, after getting a general idea of ​​the enemy's situation, Mi Wei immediately convened a meeting with his subordinates.

Wang Ping was the first to offer advice:
“Nighttime mountain operations are not advantageous. I believe we should cross the river during the day to suppress the bandits, so as to fully utilize the advantages of our troops in battle formation.”

Mi Wei remained noncommittal and looked at the others.

When Ma Zhong saw his gaze sweep over him, he spoke:

"The lower official believes that the bandits' choice to hide during the day and come out at night indicates that Gao Ding was afraid to confront the government troops on flat ground. I'm afraid he might not even dare to come out of the mountains during the day."

Guan Xing interjected:
"Wouldn't that be a good opportunity to drive the bandits back into the mountains and forests, preventing them from continuing to wreak havoc on the counties?"

Before Ma Zhong could answer, Wang Ping shook his head.

"If they don't come out of the mountains, does that mean our army will just stay stationed in Linqiong indefinitely? If this drags on, things might change!"

Guan Xing glanced sideways and said:
"Is Zijun worried that if things drag on, he won't be able to return to Hanzhong in the future?"

Wang Ping blushed instantly.

At this moment, Ma Dai suddenly spoke up:
“If Gao Ding were to flee south now and be captured by Li Fuhan, wouldn’t my elder brother be doing all the work for someone else?”

Upon hearing this, everyone simultaneously turned to look at their commander, Mi Wei.

When you go out to fight, you definitely want to make a name for yourself.

Miwei's face was as still as water.

"Li Fuhan was the Right Governor of Yijiang, and it was his duty to suppress Gao Dingben."

"Our primary duty in coming south is to eliminate the bandits and bring peace to Shu County as soon as possible."

"His Majesty and the Prime Minister have already discussed this with me."

"If we can accomplish this, we will have done a great service, and you need not worry."

Everyone agreed.

Next, Miwei began to arrange the order of the crossing and advance the next day.

But right now.

A guard reported that a man claiming to be Ma Su, a military officer, had arrived in Linqiong and was ordered to supply the army with provisions. Mi Wei had been busy accompanying the emperor and hadn't paid much attention to Ma Su's movements.

However, I do have some understanding of the official position of Diancao Duwei.

Although the official title included the word "Captain," their duties were unrelated to commanding troops.

Instead, he was an official in charge of managing salt and iron.

Specifically, this involved mining salt wells and iron mines that were monopolized by the government, and exchanging the output for grain and other necessities held by the people.

In times of war, these supplies can be used to meet military needs.

It belongs to the strategic reserve.

As far as Mi Wei knows, there are abundant well salts in Linqiong County, located in the mountains to the southwest.

Not long after, Ma Su came to see him.

Compared to the white-robed scholar at the Imperial Academy that day, he was much more composed.

After briefly handing over the official documents regarding the allocation of military provisions, Ma Su said to Mi Wei:

"Master Shan, I have a plan that can help you break through Gao Ding's defenses tomorrow!"

Upon hearing this, the generals all turned their heads in surprise.

Mi Wei's eyes flickered, and he invited the other party to sit down and discuss the matter in detail.

Ma Su spoke as soon as his knees touched the mat:
"Someone from Gao Ding's forces has defected! We don't know what grudge the two sides have formed, but we are certain that Gao Ding has personally led a large army to pursue and kill him, and it will be a fight to the death."

"According to my calculations, the mutineers will enter Jiangyuan County tomorrow, and Gao Ding will definitely pursue them!"

Ma Su took a deep breath to calm himself, and then said:
"The bandits are afraid to confront the government troops. Why doesn't Shi Shan deliberately feign weakness to lure Gao Ding deeper into this area?"

"Then another force was dispatched to flank them and cut off their return route."

"Once the encirclement is complete, they will realize they cannot escape back to the mountains and may surrender on the spot."

Even if they put up a stubborn resistance, what do the royal army have to fear from a mere band of rebels on flat ground?

"This is a golden opportunity to destroy Gao Ding in a short time. I hope you will consider it carefully!"

By the end, Ma Su could no longer suppress his excitement, his eyes gleaming in the candlelight.

The other generals also brightened up upon hearing this.

Clearly, they still have some expectation that they will capture the leader first.

Mi Wei, of course, didn't mind taking credit for it.

Who told Li Yan to mess things up?

On the other hand, military matters are serious and cannot be easily swayed by the suggestions of any one person.

What if I end up like Li Yan, luring the enemy into my own living room? Wouldn't that make me look like a clown?
Next, Mi Wei carefully compared Ma Su's intelligence with that of his own scouts.

They even summoned the county constable in charge of thieves in Jiangyuan County overnight to find out the details of the local defenses and the geographical location.

After struggling for half the night, Miwei finally made up his mind.

With Ma Zhong's troops on the right flank, they crossed the Yangmo River and Guan River overnight, detoured to the north of Jiangyuan County for a short rest, and then waited during the day to cut off Gao Ding's retreat.

With Wang Ping's troops as the left wing, they headed directly south along Yangmo River, then turned towards Guanjiang, and then towards Wenjingshui, also to carry out the mission of intercepting the rear.

Mi Wei then personally led his troops to slowly advance during the day the next day, crossing the Guanjiang River without alarming the enemy.

Ultimately, they achieved a three-pronged encirclement of Gaodingbu in the heart of the two counties.

As for Huo Yi's troops, they remained at the main camp, partly to guard the rear of the main army.

Secondly, in case of unforeseen circumstances, having a stronghold would prevent the bandits from heading north and avoid repeating the mistakes of Li Yan.

Once the military order was given, the generals each took their command and went to organize their troops.

Ma Su was also retained by Mi Wei as a military advisor.

The other party came to offer advice overnight, so of course they had something to ask for.

Silent all night.

The following morning, after breakfast, the Miwei troops, fully armed, began their march into the heart of the area between the two counties using a heavily armed "re-marching" method.

About an hour later, the main force crossed the narrow Yangmo River.

They continued their journey without stopping and arrived at the pontoon bridge on the Guanjiang River before noon.

But at that moment, dust rose far across the river.

The smoke and dust then split into two clumps, one large and one small.

The smaller group was closer and faster, heading straight towards Guanjiang.

They quickly realized it was a group of knights.

But it's hard to say whether they were riding a horse or a donkey.

The larger group was clearly chasing after these dozens of riders.

The number of knights was roughly equal, but they were followed by a large infantry force.

At a glance, there are around three thousand.

This number is exactly the same as the number of people in the high-level department according to intelligence.

Just then, a scout rode up to report that the visitor was none other than Gao Ding.

He pursued the traitor all the way and arrived at the Guanjiang River two or three hours earlier than Ma Su had predicted!
Upon hearing this, Ma Su's face turned pale!
(End of this chapter)