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

Chapter 39 Water Has No Constant Form
"Inspector, please look this way."

The old craftsman pointed to the desolate valley and three lakes under the night sky to the east.

Because Lu Xun's brightly lit camp was right next to it, the outline of the lake was still relatively clear at this time.

“These three lakes are lined up in a row, stretching from two or three miles south of the south bank of the Yang River all the way to the north bank of the Yangtze River. It seems that there is a place where a village can be built.”

"But those in the know understand that only the area around Lubaihu in the far north has solid land and is not afraid of flooding."

Miwei immediately became interested: "Why is that?"

"Because the overall terrain of Jiangling slopes towards the southeast," the old craftsman explained.

"The further southeast you go in this city, the more prone it is to flooding, and the more damp and muddy the ground becomes."

“In fact, during the spring and summer when the water level is high, the three lakes can even overflow the river embankment to the south and flow directly into the Yangtze River.”

I heard about Mi Wei from Pan Jun.

But the underlying principles were never investigated in detail.

It turns out it's because of the sloping terrain!

Now let's look back at the campsite that Lu Xun chose.

The feeling was immediately different.

At first, he thought that Lu Xun chose such a crooked place in the northeast corner in order to cross the Yangshui River and attack the second city in the northern suburbs.

Later he learned that the other party was crossing the river to dig the south dike of the Zhaxi River in Gengbei.

But now it seems that this place was the perfect spot for camping.

Furthermore, why did the other party dig up the south bank of the Zhaxi River instead of the north bank of the Yangshui River?

It's still a matter of elevation.

What does "destiny" mean?

This is.

"In this light, even if our army successfully breaches the northern dike of Lubai Lake, it will likely be difficult to destroy the enemy camp!"

Zhan Sifu, standing beside him, seemed to be half-realized and half-asleep.

Mi Wei was already well aware of Lu Xun's military prowess, and after a slight sigh, he stopped thinking about it.

Then he asked:
"Does the old man have a way to drain the floodwaters in the northern suburbs?"

The old craftsman replied without hesitation:
There are only two ways.

"We should repair the breach in the river embankment as soon as possible."

"Either we wait for the water to flow into the downstream river channel and drain naturally."

Building a dike is clearly impractical.

Repairing is different from digging; it takes more time and effort.

During this period, Lu Xun will definitely send troops to attack.

Destruction is always easier than construction.

Mi Wei, undeterred, asked, "Old man, isn't there any way to make the water drain faster?"

"Don't joke around, Inspector." The old craftsman couldn't help but sneer.

"The river channels are naturally formed; how can they be easily manipulated? We can't just dig up the south dike of the Yangshui River!"

Digging up the south dike of Yangshui is certainly not a good idea, as that would mean Jiangling City would be flooded... Wait a minute!

A thought suddenly struck Mi Wei.

Even if the walls of Jiangling are flooded... so what?

The rammed earth wall is solid and heavy, and it may not have any major problems even if it is soaked in water for ten days or half a month.

But what about the enemy camp not far away?!

His gaze involuntarily drifted once again to the eastern suburbs of Jiangling City.

From north to south, along the south bank of the Yang River, Lu Xun's camp, the desolate valleys and three lakes, the north bank of the Yangtze River... the terrain slopes southward all the way.

A bold idea, one I'd never had before, suddenly popped into my head.

He took a few deep breaths, turned back to stare at the old craftsman, and asked in a deep voice:

How long would it take to breach the south dike of the Yangshui River?

"Is the inspector really going to dig?"

The old craftsman was inexplicably flustered, but still answered honestly:

"If we have enough manpower, two or three hours will be enough."

This is similar to what Zhan Sifu just said.

But given the gravity of the situation, Mi Wei dared not be careless:
Why so fast?

The old craftsman said:

"Firstly, because the river often overflows during the rainy season, the riverbanks always need to be repaired and patched up, so they are not very sturdy to begin with."

"Secondly, because they have done so many repairs, the local craftsmen know very well which sections are weak and which are thick."

"It's only during the dry season now. If it were the rainy season and there were floods, even half an hour would be too long!"

This is the advantage of playing at home.

Upon hearing this, Mi Wei's confidence immediately increased.

He immediately ordered the mobilization of all the craftsmen who had worked on the river embankment.

At the same time, he ordered Jiao Zhong to muster troops overnight to prepare to cover the craftsmen's departure from the city to dig the dike.

Everyone immediately complied.

But Zhan Sifu, who knew the whole story, couldn't help but have doubts:
"Didn't the old man just say that the water level is low at this time of year? Could breaching the south dike really flood the enemy camp?"

Then Mi Wei raised his hand and pointed north, smiling as he said:

Is the water level still low at this moment?

The northern suburbs were pitch black, so naturally nothing could be seen. But Zhan Sifu followed Mi Wei for two days and quickly grasped the concept.

There was indeed little water in Yangshui originally.

but.

Since the breach in the south dike of the Zhaxi River last night, the floodwaters have been flowing southwards all day.

At this juncture.

The water diversion channel essentially bears the entire flow of the two drainage channels on its own!
Of course, this will continue as the initial flood peak passes.

It might be tomorrow morning or afternoon.

The water level will eventually return to normal.

But not at least not right now!
Therefore, Mi Wei decisively ordered an attack.

He summarized it in one sentence: Seize the fleeting opportunities in the dynamic changes of water flow.

After giving the order, Mi Wei took advantage of the lull in the soldiers and craftsmen gathering and immediately rode off to see Pan Jun.

Upon entering the governor's mansion, Pan Jun was still not at rest.

"I had a feeling you would come again tonight, and sure enough, you did."

Pan Jun sat calmly in the hall, his expression subtle.

"Tell me, what are you planning to do?"

Miwei briefly explained his night raid plan.

Pan Jun was stunned.

Finally, she asked in surprise, "How did you come up with that?"

Mi Wei rubbed his hands and said, "Doesn't military strategy say that there are no constant formations in warfare, just as water has no constant shape?"

"The enemy general forcibly changed the course of the water, which was quite ingenious, but it also created a combat opportunity that did not exist before."

"Rather than saying it was the disciple's idea, it's more accurate to say that the enemy general was not familiar enough with the local water conditions, only knowing one aspect but not the other, thus revealing a flaw."

"Although this flaw may only last for one night, if we seize it in time, it could be fatal!"

Pan Jun remained silent for a moment.

They can seize a fleeting opportunity amidst dynamic changes and launch a decisive attack.

Such talent, such skill, such courage.

Isn't he the excellent cavalry commander he described earlier?
This kid...

I've clearly been impressed by him many times.

I didn't expect that I had underestimated his potential.

Thinking of this, Pan Jun's expression turned serious:
"Don't miss this opportunity, go now!"

"I will take responsibility for you in the city!"

Mi Wei was overjoyed, bowed in gratitude, and left.

He came to see Poon Chun not only to seek authoritative certification and boost his confidence.

They also hoped to use this to strengthen Pan Jun's confidence and then have him take charge of defending the city.

Pan Jun previously said that one of the key factors in defending the city was whether Mi Wei could stabilize the morale of the people in the city.

But there was one thing he didn't say clearly.

The people here.

This also includes Poon Chun's own.

……

It takes about five or six miles to walk from the east of Jiangling City to the Huanggu Three Lakes.

For horseback riding, it takes only a short while to get there.

Mi Wei personally led a hastily assembled group of more than ten riders, with gags in their mouths and horses' hooves wrapped in cloth, and quietly left through the east gate, but did not rush straight to the enemy camp.

Instead, they took advantage of the darkness and the shadows of the city walls to hide themselves slightly near the city gate.

He was waiting for the craftsmen to take their places.

As planned, the group of experienced dike-building craftsmen, led by Zhan Sifu, were leaving Jiangling City from the dark north gate.

Then, they made their way to the south bank of the Yangshui River in the dark, and then went downstream.

Finally, the pre-set dike-breaking position was reached.

After that, Miwei's team would need to create a stir in the east of the city to draw the enemy's attention away from the digging team.

To be honest, this was my first time personally leading troops into battle, and it was a night raid that required a high level of skill.

Mi Wei couldn't help but feel uneasy.

After all, during the last "night raid," he was merely a military supervisor, and it was a deceptive performance.

The difficulty levels are on completely different levels.

While waiting, he couldn't help but think:
He had been clinging to powerful figures and relentlessly striving to achieve a comfortable life.

Why has things developed to this point?

Could it be that I'm doing something wrong by clinging to someone's leg?
He let his mind wander for a moment.

When the appointed time arrived, he had no other thoughts. He spat out the wooden stick from his mouth and gave the order to the riders:

"Each of you take a spear, get close to the enemy camp, and then light it!"

After saying this, he grabbed a handful of dry grass that had been prepared in advance next to the doorway and rode out on his horse.

The riders roared and obeyed.

……

[From *Commentary on the Waterways Classic*, Volume 34: The land of Jiangling City slopes southeast.]

(End of this chapter)