readytorunbook Chapter 218 Everything is ready, just waiting for nightfall.
Chapter 218 Everything is ready, just waiting for nightfall.
Zhao Yun returned to his original position.
Zhuge Liang continued, “Gentlemen, you can see that we currently have two major advantages over the Wei army. First, the three generals entered the Longshan Road and lured tens of thousands of Wei troops to Jieting for defense. This move diverted 20% of the Wei army’s strength, greatly reducing the pressure on us.”
"Secondly, it is 180 li from Ji County to Jieting, and the roads along the way are rugged and difficult to pass. This is equivalent to splitting the Wei army in Ji County and the Wei army in Jieting in two, giving us the opportunity to defeat them one by one."
"Finally, the Wei army deliberately exposed a weakness. The appearance of the three generals panicked Zhang He and Sima Yi, who decided to retreat to Jieting to fight us at Beishan. But as I just said, Ji County is nearly two hundred li from Jieting. Such a long distance is not something Zhang He can retreat from as he pleases."
"Therefore, I have decided to pretend not to know anything for now, so that the Wei army can retreat with peace of mind and avoid this flat terrain in the Xianhe Valley, which is conducive to the cavalry's movement. When the Wei army retreats to Baliwan, we will send our entire army to attack and fight the Wei army to the death at Baliwan. Does anyone have any objections?"
Of course not, who the hell used their brain when Zhuge Liang was around?
The generals bowed in unison and said, "We are ready to obey the strategist's orders."
The generals' shouts were loud and firm, but they made Zhuge Liang feel particularly depressed. He was now a general and held the rank of Left General.
Zhuge Liang continued, "Zhao Yun and Jiang Wei, go back and prepare. We'll set off when it gets hot at noon and go around to Baliwan."
To avoid alerting the Wei army, it would be best to travel at night. However, the Wei army might also travel at night, and they would have to take a detour, which would be farther than the Wei army's route. If they set off at night, they might not be able to catch up. Therefore, they could only set off during the day.
There's a reason for setting off during the day. The mornings are cool, so both the Wei and Wei troops are alert, and the scouts will definitely be thorough in their reconnaissance. If they are discovered, all their efforts will be in vain.
At noon, it's different. The sun is so strong it can burn your skin. Even the most dedicated scouts will instinctively want to find shade, and their reconnaissance will naturally become lax. With Jiang Wei, a local expert, leading the way, it shouldn't be difficult for Zhao Yun to bypass the lazy Wei scouts.
Zhao Yun bowed and said, "Yes..."
Zhuge Liang continued, "Guan Ping, continue to challenge the Wei army during the day to confuse them. Let them know that we have not noticed their movements and that everything is normal."
Guan Ping had been provoking the Wei army for days and was already very familiar with this task. Upon hearing this, he bowed and said, "Yes..."
Zhuge Liang continued, "General Wang Ping, you have been to Tianshui and are more familiar with the terrain than we are. After the discussion, agree on a meeting place with General Zhao Yun. After dark, lead 5,000 troops to set off immediately, take a detour to Baliwan to support General Zhao, and block the Wei army at Baliwan."
"You set off at the same time as the Wei army. Even if you take a detour, you won't arrive much later than the Wei army. I believe General Zhao Yun will hold out until you come to the rescue."
Wang Ping was a Han-Chinese Cong person from Dangqu, Brazil. In the 20th year of Jian'an, the seven Yi kings of Brazil submitted to Cao Cao. Wang Ping followed his Yi king to Luoyang and was appointed by Cao Cao as acting colonel.
During the Battle of Hanzhong, Wang Ping followed Cao Cao in his campaign against Liu Bei and was assigned to the command of General Xu Huang, who was in charge of suppressing bandits. Once, Xu Huang wanted to cross the river and fight the Han army with their backs to the river. Wang Ping tried his best to dissuade him, saying that it was not appropriate. However, Xu Huang insisted on his own opinion and forcibly crossed the river to form a battle formation, wanting to emulate Han Xin and become famous in one battle. As a result, he was defeated by Zhao Yun and Huang Zhong and fled back to the Wei army camp in a sorry state.
The matter did not end there, because defeat meant taking responsibility, and the despicable Xu Huang refused to take responsibility, pushing all the blame onto Wang Ping.
At the time, Wang Ping was just an ordinary captain, and even that was only acting. He couldn't possibly bear such a heavy burden. Moreover, he knew that his importance in Cao Cao's heart was negligible compared to Xu Huang. Even if he complained to Cao Cao, he would still suffer the consequences. So he simply decided to go all the way and led his troops across the river to join Liu Bei, where Liu Bei appointed him as a subordinate general.
In other words, Wang Ping had stayed in Tianshui with Cao Cao and was far more familiar with the terrain of Tianshui than other generals, making him the most suitable person to go and support Zhao Yun.
Wang Ping didn't stand on ceremony and bowed, saying, "Rest assured, strategist, this humble general will definitely arrive at Baliwan in time to meet General Zhao Yun."
Zhuge Liang said, "The rest of you go and prepare. Half of the troops in each unit will be on duty and the other half will be sleeping. They will rotate shifts after a few hours. You must get a good rest during the day and wait for my orders after dark."
The Wei army is busy retreating today and certainly won't have time to sleep. The fact that they are asleep while the Wei army is not is a huge advantage for them.
"Yes..." The generals bowed and were about to take their leave when a messenger rushed into the tent and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty's strategist, Colonel Zhang Da has returned, saying he has brought news of the Third General."
Everyone, including Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, gasped and widened their eyes. Liu Bei, in particular, said impatiently, "Please come in quickly."
Zhang Da arrived quickly and, before Liu Bei could ask, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, strategist, I have successfully met with the Third General. The Third General has arrived safely at Jieting, and his 20,000 troops have suffered virtually no casualties."
Liu Bei was overjoyed and quickly asked, "You mean that my third brother not only arrived at Jieting in time, but also brought all 20,000 of his troops there safely, without any casualties?"
“This…” Zhang Da said awkwardly, “There were definitely casualties, but it was less than two thousand and could be ignored. However, the grain and supplies were not damaged and were basically taken with us.”
"The Third General told me to tell Your Majesty that they have enough provisions for half a month, and if they are careful with their food and go into the mountains to hunt some game, they can last for twenty days without any problem. Your Majesty need not worry."
Liu Bei slapped Zhuge Liang on the shoulder, making Zhuge Liang wince but seemingly unaware, and excitedly said, "We have enough provisions for twenty days! That's great! Now we can attack with peace of mind."
"My dear ministers, my third brother has arrived at Jieting, and his condition is much better than we expected. Now we can launch a general offensive with peace of mind. I hope that all of you will work together to annihilate Zhang He and Sima Yi within the territory of Tianshui."
Zhang Fei's greatest role at present is to stabilize the morale of the army. Although Zhuge Liang had previously deduced from the actions of the Wei army that Zhang Fei had arrived at Jieting, deduction is still deduction and there is uncertainty.
Therefore, the generals had some doubts about whether Zhang Fei had arrived. Now, Zhang Da has returned with definite news about Zhang Fei, which is like giving the generals a reassurance. It puts them at ease and also arouses their competitive spirit.
The three generals have all rushed from Guanzhong to Jieting to support them. If they can't achieve something, it would be a disservice to the three generals for their daring expedition deep into enemy territory.
Zhuge Liang laughed and said, "Now everything is ready, we just need to wait for nightfall. Everyone, go and make your preparations. Zhang Da, you must be tired. Go back, have a meal, take a bath, and get a good night's sleep."
"Yes... The generals bowed and took their leave."
Zhuge Liang did not rest, but returned to his seat, picked up his pen, and wrote a letter to Xi Zhen and Xi Hong of Shanggui, Chen Shi of Lucheng, Feng Xi of Zhangxian, Zhang Nan of Xiangwu, and Cheng Ji of Yuandao. He then summoned messengers and ordered them to set off immediately to deliver the letters to the men as quickly as possible.
Liu Bei stood behind him watching him write the letter and naturally saw its contents. However, he did not question it but waited until the messenger left before asking curiously, "Strategist, is it appropriate for you to transfer all the garrison troops except for Lucheng? Who will guard against You Chu if the garrison troops from several places come here? What if You Chu takes advantage of the chaos to attack our rear?"
The letter was simple: Chen Shi was to defend Lucheng, and Xi Zhen, Xi Hong, Feng Xi, Zhang Nan, and Cheng Ji were to abandon their posts and lead their armies to join the battle as quickly as possible.