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

Chapter 60 Controlling others without being controlled by them

Sun Huan did not expect Pan Zhang to be serious.

She frowned slightly and said:

"General, are you perhaps worried that this force will coordinate with Liao Hua to launch a joint attack on your troops?"

“Possibly.” Pan Zhang seemed oblivious to Sun Huan’s mockery.

"Liao Hua served under Guan Yu for many years and was skilled in command."

"Perhaps... he anticipated a heavy rain, and thus ordered his thousand troops to flank me from behind?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Huan finally couldn't help but sneer:

"So that General Pan may know!"

“Ma Zhong and I have been facing off against Mi Wei for several days. I can guarantee that his troops only made blocking moves, but never made any preparations to flank the enemy!”

"Besides, his troops crossed the river right in front of Ma Zhong. How many men and how much baggage did they bring? Could they have hidden it from Ma Zhong's eyes?"

Pan Zhang seemed somewhat relieved upon hearing this.

But they did not stop there:
"Even if it wasn't part of the original plan, with a thousand enemy soldiers now behind us, is it all a lie?"

"It should be noted that in order to control the Yuan and Li rivers, our army built fortifications along the rivers, rather than defending strategic locations."

"If Liao Hua crosses the river to attack again next time, shouldn't we be wary of these thousand men behind us?"

"And once they start to hesitate and look back, with Liao Hua's abilities, how could he not take advantage of it?"

Sun Huan was rendered speechless by the series of questions from the other party.

But being young and spirited, he proudly clasped his hands and said:
"In any case, it's no more than a thousand exhausted soldiers!"

"I am willing to lead my troops to eliminate the threat behind the General's back!"

Pan Zhang did not respond immediately.

Instead, they turned around and summoned scouts to repeatedly question Tangcheng on the other side of the strait about whether there had been any unusual increases or decreases in the number of cooking stoves recently.

He was only completely relieved after confirming that only normal troop strength had been lost.

Sun Huan did not understand his meaning.

Pan Zhang said:
"If the number of cooking fires is unusually low, it means that the enemy suffered heavy losses when they crossed the river to Tang on that day. In that case, our army can hold the line with peace of mind."

"If there is an unusual increase in the number of cooking fires... how could Guan Yu possibly hide the truth from us? Such pretense only reveals your weakness. I will immediately join forces with you to cross the river and attack the city!"

Sun Huan nodded slightly and then asked, "What about normal reduction?"

"Then it is as you said, this matter was initiated by that Mi-surname commander on a whim, without prior communication with Liao Hua."

Sun Huan suddenly realized, thinking to himself that experience truly matters.

He then said, "Then we should take advantage of their unstable foothold and eliminate them as soon as possible!"

Pan Zhang nodded slightly, but then changed his tone:
"There's no need for your department to trouble yourself with this matter; Ma Zhong from my department will suffice."

Sun Huan was immediately indignant upon hearing this:

"It's just a minor unit, and I only wanted to help the general eliminate a threat. Why should I fight over such a trivial achievement?"

Pan Zhang chuckled and said:
"Shuwu (Sun Huan's courtesy name), don't be impatient, let me explain."

"When I was young, I was dissolute and reckless, indulging in debt to drown my sorrows, and doing everything from cockfighting and dog racing to horse racing."

"So although I am a rough and fierce person and not as well-read as Shuwu, I have heard of the story of 'Tian Ji's horse race'."

Sun Huan truly lived up to his reputation for being well-read.

Having calmed down somewhat upon hearing this, he continued:
"I understand the general's intention."

"The enemy is currently divided into three parts. The Tang Liao Hua troops are the most powerful, and Guan Ping is also on the side. It is time to mount our horses."

"Zhao Lei of Hanshou is next, and the men and horses are exhausted, so he is the middle horse."

"The three thousand barbarian soldiers from Linyuan were the weakest and most exhausted; they were dismounted."

"Therefore, our army should use Sun Quan, Bu Zhi, and Zhu De as the top and middle horses, and use the middle and lower horses for the battle."

"Then we'll use you and me as the inferior horses to exchange for Liao Hua, the superior horse."

"Scholars are so clever!" Pan Zhang laughed and nodded repeatedly.

"In general, it is just as Shuwu said."

"However, in the grand scheme of things, when it comes to the specific case of Zuo Tang, there are actually distinctions between superior, middle, and inferior."

Sun Huan reacted immediately:
"Liao Hua mounted his horse, Guan Ping rode a medium horse, and the thousand isolated soldiers crossing the river dismounted, is that correct?"

Pan Zhang shook his head and said:

"Although Guan Ping is a fierce general, he is trapped in an isolated island, which does not affect the overall situation. On the contrary, he should dismount."

"But those thousand men standing behind me are like fish bones stuck in my throat, truly a case of being caught in the middle!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Huan finally understood.

The reason Pan Zhang sent Ma Zhong instead of him was that he sent Ma Zhong.

Or rather, the reason why Sun Huan, who had more troops, was allowed to remain in the garrison was because of this.

Ultimately, Guan Ping was the biggest threat.

Don't be fooled by the fact that he's now a discarded pawn.

Once his men and horses are freed, they will undoubtedly be able to mount their horses on the open land, relying on their elite cavalry!

As a member of the Sun clan, Sun Huan was well aware of the advantages of cavalry on flat ground.

It is said that southerners sail boats, while northerners ride horses. However, the three generations of powerful rulers in Jiangdong were all skilled in horsemanship and archery.

Its origin, of course, lies with the first generation, Sun Jian.

In his prime, Sun Jian once roamed the north and had early on witnessed the advantages of northern knights.

Sun Ce followed in his father's footsteps and gathered a group of outstanding cavalry generals around him, including Song Qian, Han Dang, Huang Gai, and Taishi Ci.

This laid the foundation for Sun Quan's later emphasis on cavalry development.

However, Jiangdong is not a traditional horse-breeding area.

Therefore, despite the legacy of his father and brothers, he was ultimately unable to raise tens of thousands of knights in an organized manner like the North.

The cavalry force previously drawn from various places to support Lü Meng's feigned capture of Jiangling had already done its best.

Of course.

A mere thousand or so riders, scattered and disorganized, would seem petty to the northerners.

But it is indeed the current state of Jiangdong that has mobilized all its resources.

After all, even Sun Quan personally went to the shore of Dongting Lake to supervise the army, so who under his command would dare not do their best?

But let's get back to the present.

Because the cavalry had all been transferred to the Jiangling battlefield, there were no longer any organized cavalry units in the Wuling area.

Therefore, it is only natural that Guan Ping and his troops should be treated this way.

You can never be too careful.

Therefore, Sun Huan stopped arguing and accepted the order to leave.

……

"This place is muddy and slippery; how difficult it is to travel!"

Miwei stood on a watchtower, gazing at the large, uneven area in front of the camp.

He nodded with satisfaction.

That day, a sudden winter downpour struck.

This led to Liao Hua's failed attempt to cross the river.

This forced Mi Wei to take a risky tactic.

Non-combat casualties inevitably occurred during this period.

but.

Everything has two sides.

After the heavy rain, this "safe place" that he had long ago chosen came to be.

As rainwater accumulated, it quickly became wet and muddy.

Mi Wei personally led a group to investigate.

In some low-lying areas, the water could even reach above the horses' knees.

This is undoubtedly a huge advantage for the defending side.

It's safer now.

When Xi Hong arrived there, he saw that Mi Wei had set up camp securely and finally realized the truth.

He was full of praise for it:
"Sima's move was truly brilliant!"

"By setting up a camp behind Pan Zhang, whether he divides his forces to attack or defend, he will weaken the troops facing the Li River, creating an opportunity for Liao Zhubu to fight."

"Moreover, this place is far from the downstream river network, and if the enemy comes ashore to attack, they will lose their advantage of boats."

"This is probably what Sun Tzu (Sun Wu) meant by 'controlling others without being controlled by them'!"

Miwei shuddered upon hearing this.

No.

We've only known each other for a few days.

Why are you bragging to me like that?

And Sun Tzu's Art of War... It wasn't like this before.

He shook his head and said:

“Pan Zhang is a veteran general; how could he be easily ‘subdued’?”

"But I only have a rudimentary understanding of military affairs, how dare I expect to 'bring others to their aid'?"

"It's just that this location is excellent. If it can force the enemy to divide their forces and look back, perhaps Registrar Liao can find a sliver of an opportunity to fight!"

"It should be noted that in this battle, our army went south to rescue the barren land for two hundred miles, while the enemy was well-rested and ready. Our army had already lost the initiative."

"Therefore, we can only do the opposite and try every means to force it to move!"

"I merely happened to be there, and took advantage of the rain to succeed by sheer luck!"

Xi Hong nodded repeatedly, but inwardly he couldn't help but think:

What you've said is a concrete explanation of "controlling others without being controlled by them."
Is this what you call having a rudimentary understanding of military affairs?
And it just so happens to be the right time?
Did they manage to succeed by sheer luck?
Xi Hong thought to himself that this Mi Sima was being far too modest.

It's not unpleasant to the eye.

He then pretended to agree with the other party and continued to nod in agreement.

(End of this chapter)