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

Chapter 126 Strategic Planning Before Battle, Decisive Decisions Based on Circumstances

The good news is that the intelligence provided by Ma Su regarding the Ministry of State Affairs was largely accurate.

The bad news is that the timing was slightly off.

At this point, the target had already entered the ambush zone.

The Miwei headquarters had just reached the edge of the ambush zone and had not yet crossed the river.

Meanwhile, the Wang and Ma factions on the left and right flanks are likely unaware of the situation.

Even if scouts are sent out immediately to notify them, it may not be enough time to circle around to the rear.

Today might just be a mini version of the Siege of Mayi, and all our efforts will be for nothing.

Ma Su's expression immediately turned ugly.

They repeatedly pressed the scouts to ask why the enemy had arrived so quickly and where they had been entrenched last night.

Upon learning that Gao Ding had been chasing them all night and only stopped in the morning for a quick breakfast, his expression completely changed.

What grudge did Gao Ding have against those traitors?

For a moment, I didn't know whether to say that this was judging a gentleman by the standards of a petty person, or judging a petty person by the standards of a gentleman.

However, the situation quickly stalled as the enemy discovered the Miwei tribe on the opposite bank of the river.

They then stopped and rearranged a dense formation that was clearly intended for attack.

The group was forced to seriously confront another possibility.

Haute couture doesn't necessarily mean people will run away.

They might also take advantage of the situation to launch an attack!
It should be noted that in order to carry out Ma Su's tactic of "showing weakness to the enemy," Mi Wei only brought his central army headquarters with him.

That is, a White Feather Army temporarily transferred from Chengdu, plus a few detachments of the three captains.

All told, there are fewer than a thousand people.

On the other side, however, was a genuine force of three thousand men.

In field battles, the ratio is more than three to one, meaning they definitely have a numerical advantage.

If that's the case, then today's situation is not the siege of Mayi.

But the siege of Biden was far more terrifying!

In particular, the Gaoding Department, which was initially thought to be just a rabble, underwent a period of reorganization.

They actually formed a fairly well-organized, dense military formation, complete with left and right wings.

The soldiers in the front row of the central section were even wearing armor that they had somehow acquired.

Now it's no wonder Ma Su is in such a predicament.

Even Guan Xing and Ma Dai, who were accompanying them, began to feel uneasy on horseback.

At this moment, everyone realized what had happened.

Since Gao Ding was able to control these three thousand people, who were active at night and rested during the day, it shows that he had some talent in leadership.

They are far superior to ordinary petty thieves.

The generals were all uneasy, but Mi Wei remained calm and composed throughout.

On one hand, scouts were sent to notify the left and right flanks, and on the other hand, additional scouts were dispatched to scout ahead to investigate the enemy.

He always felt that the actions of that group of "rebels" of unknown origin were somewhat suspicious.

Instead of taking advantage of the situation to cross the river and shake off the pursuers, the enemy turned north.

Judging from the direction they're heading, it seems they're planning to surrender in Jiangyuan County.

If they were going to surrender, why didn't they just cross the river and come to me?
Are they worried that because they have fewer people, they can't beat Gao Ding?

Something felt off.

Moments later, the enemy troops had already formed ranks on the opposite bank of the river.

At this moment, Mi Wei's central army was stationed in front of the bridge. As soon as they crossed the river, the two sides would inevitably engage in battle quickly.

Ma Su had completely given up hope, and said with a resolute expression:

"Master Shan, this time my plans were flawed. Please allow me to stay behind to cover the retreat and atone for my sins. You all must quickly enter the city to avoid the thieves!"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Mi Wei.

But Mi Wei shook his head and said:
“You Chang only offered a suggestion; I was the one who officially gave the order. How can the blame be shifted to the one who offered the suggestion?”

"Moreover, our troops are all elite soldiers and fierce warriors. In a head-on confrontation, we may not necessarily be defeated."

After saying this, he directly ordered the entire army to cross the river and meet the enemy!
He then allowed Ma Su to continue serving as a military advisor.

Ma Su was both moved and remorseful, feeling that he should have tried to persuade the other party again.

Unfortunately, his mind was in turmoil, and he was also intimidated by the imposing momentum of the elk, so he could only obey and follow.

Guan Xing, having witnessed grand scenes in Jiangling, remained calm despite his unease.

He rode forward and addressed Mi Wei:

"Our army is outnumbered, as can be seen at a glance. If the enemy general is knowledgeable in military strategy and attacks while we are crossing the river, there may be unforeseen circumstances."

Miwei shook his head and said:
"It's alright. If he dares to attack while the enemy is crossing the river, I dare to meet him in the attack while the enemy is crossing the river... But you're right, the frontal force is indeed too small to spread out properly."

After saying this, he turned around and ordered Huo Yi's troops, who were left behind, to abandon their baggage and march quickly to reinforce the area.

Everyone was somewhat taken aback.

Huo Yi's group was full of old and weak people!
But Mi Wei had no time to explain; he only instructed Guan Xing to strictly enforce military law. Each unit crossing the river must prioritize maintaining perfect formation; they must neither move too fast nor too slow.

After crossing the river, the first thing to do is to form ranks on the riverbank and organize your forces before launching an attack.

Anyway, everything will proceed as planned last night.

Guan Xing had no choice but to obey the order.

Ma Su was completely confused.

On the contrary, Ma Dai, who was in charge of the central army's rear guard, suddenly showed a look of realization after hearing Mi Wei's final request.

He then excitedly led the team onto the pontoon bridge.

……

Miwei is making intensive dispatching operations on the east bank of the Guanjiang River.

The same applies to the high-end department on the west bank.

They might even complete the deployment of their attack formation ahead of time.

then.

There's no after that.

He kept riding his horse back and forth between his own army's lines.

It appears to be checking the queue.

In reality, his gaze would occasionally drift towards the opposite bank of the river.

Even before that flag, which resembled a deer but wasn't, appeared, he had already regretted being too reckless the night before.

Because he couldn't recognize the character "麋".

But the design of the flags, the disciplined military formation, and the unimaginably high rate of armor wearing were remarkable.

They look like proper officers and soldiers.

Moreover, they were most likely regular soldiers from the capital's central army.

This situation clearly shows that they went too far and kicked a hornet's nest!

"king!"

Just then, a figure riding a donkey arrived from the left flank of the army.

Gao Dingguang recognized the other party as Li Qiucheng, the leader of the Sidu tribe, just by his accent.

Their tribe also lived within the territory of Yuexi and had already submitted to him.

Li Qiucheng hurriedly jumped off the donkey and stepped forward, saying:
"Our officers and soldiers are outnumbered, and we have the advantage. Why don't we send troops quickly and attack them while they are crossing the river?"

"Half a dog's excrement!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Ding's face darkened, and he pointed at the other person's nose and cursed:

"Have you forgotten that your ancestors for five generations were all wild men who foraged for food in the mountains?"

"Do you really think that by seizing a few counties, donning a few suits of armor, and carrying a few spears, you've become a government soldier?"

"Believe it or not, if I give the order to charge, without even engaging the government troops in close combat, our formation will collapse on its own?"

“People from respectable families always say that we are like monkeys wearing crowns, and although the words are unpleasant, we must not forget our own origins.”

"A monkey is a monkey. Even if it wears a crown that reaches the heavens, it is still just a monkey king, not a human ruler!"

Li Qiucheng's face turned pale and then flushed.

He exhaled a few breaths of stale air and asked awkwardly:
"Then what should we do, retreat?"

Gao Ding pondered for a few moments, then shook his head and said, "We can't back down either."

"Firstly, all the troops have already seen the government soldiers, and now they are relying on each other to boost their courage."

"Whether it moves forward or backward, as soon as it moves, the formation will be disrupted. Once the formation is disrupted, morale will be completely lost."

"Secondly..."

Gao Ding turned his gaze northward, watching the group that had been chasing them all night and was now gradually moving away into the distance.

His gaze suddenly turned ferocious:
"Among the noble chieftains of the Maoniu tribe, Langli is the most pro-Han and the most hostile to us."

"I cannot rest easy until he is dead."

"I'm afraid that if we don't kill him this time, he might turn to the government and take control of the Maoniu Yi tribe. Then we can forget about going north to find food again!"

Li Qiucheng's expression changed several times upon hearing this, and he stepped forward and lowered his voice.

"I understand what Your Majesty means."

"I'd rather lose these three thousand men than let Lang Li die."

“Exactly!” Gao Ding readily admitted, pointing to the army formation beside him.

"We're not the government. We need food to have soldiers. Who would be willing to fight us to the death if we don't have food?"

Li Qiucheng nodded heavily.

Gao Ding: "Leave your infantry behind and lead the knights north to hunt down Lang Li!"

"I will stay here and hold off the soldiers for you!"

(End of this chapter)