Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3624: Secretly crossing Jinguan to hide the sharp arrows, openly luring Cao Shui to hide the stars

Jiang Jiong led his men and stood on the south bank of Xiaoping.

Xiaopingjin, Mengjin.

At that time, Yuan Shao gathered troops in Henei, preparing to pass through Mengjin, cross the river and threaten Luoyang.

It was through Xiaopingjin that Dong Zhuo bypassed the rear and attacked the troops of Wang Kuang, the governor of Henei.

Now, it was Fei Qian's turn to send people across Xiaopingjin...

The information Fei Qian had been waiting for was the reconnaissance intelligence collected by the advance scouts in the Xiaopingjin area.

Intelligence indicates that no large force of Cao's army appeared in Xiaopingjin. Perhaps it was because Xiaopingjin was a little far away, or perhaps Cao's army did not have that many troops. Anyway, there were not many signs of Cao's soldiers appearing in Xiaopingjin.

After Fei Qian and Pang Tong discussed, they sent Jiang Jiong with a thousand cavalrymen to cross Xiaopingjin and detour to Mengjin ferry.

According to the plan formulated by Fei Qian and Pang Tong, they would first defeat the Cao army troops appearing from the direction of Henei, attack the Cao army's front-line barracks, and disrupt Cao army's deployment.

If possible, Jiang Jiong would continue to lead the cavalry to detour eastward along the river and cooperate with the main force of Heluo to advance together, trying his best to reduce the pressure on the front battlefield before the decisive battle with Cao's army.

The plan itself isn't that problematic.

But plans can never keep up with changes.

When Jiang Jiong and his troops reached the other side, they found that the situation on the battlefield had changed again.

Less than fifty miles east of the ferry, the scouts sent by Jiang Jiong discovered traces of Cao's army!

Jiang Jiong heard the news and rushed to the front from the central army, "How many people are there in Cao's army?!"

The scout's face was covered in mud and sweat, and his young face was streaked with furrows. He held a black iron helmet in his hand and saluted when he saw Jiang Jiong, "Captain! Cao's army has five to six thousand men!"

Jiang Jiong's gaze suddenly focused. The main force of Cao's reinforcements has arrived?

When did these Cao troops arrive?
Why didn’t the previous scouts report it?

Was it the scout's negligence, or was there some other problem?

What should we do now?
Should we advance, retreat, or make some confusing moves?
All of a sudden, a series of questions flooded into Jiang Jiong's mind, weighing heavily on his mind and making it hard for him to breathe. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his pounding heart, and asked calmly, "Tell me clearly! How many Cao troops are there! Five thousand or six thousand? Are there any cavalry? What is the ratio of the troops?"

"Your subordinate..." the scout said with some shame, "Your subordinate does not know..."

"Don't know?!" Jiang Jiong was a little angry. "Didn't you see clearly?!"

The scout lowered his head, "The captain asked me to come back, they are blocking Cao's scouts..."

"You..." Jiang Jiong sighed, "Go down and rest..."

A lot of new recruits were added this time.

The problem for new recruits is the difference between the training ground and the battlefield.

Not everyone can be a 50-dollar brother right out of the gate, with no compromise in firepower...

Jiang Jiong frowned and pondered for a moment, then used the horse's back as a desk and scribbled a summary with a charcoal stick. He put it into a bamboo tube, handed it to his personal guard, and asked him to deliver it to the General of Cavalry immediately.

The guard responded, put the bamboo tube in his pocket, and left with three or five soldiers.

Jiang Jiong watched the guard leave, his brows still furrowed.

The deputy military school who was temporarily assigned to Jiang Jiong reminded him quietly: "Captain, the enemy situation ahead is unclear. Should we retreat to garrison Xiaopingjin? There is still a military fort on the south bank of Xiaopingjin. We can hold on there while asking for help from the general of the cavalry..."

Before Junxiao could finish his words, Jiang Jiong rejected them.

"no! 』

Jiang Jiong glanced at the military school, endured it for a moment, and decided to explain something to the military school.

"There is only one military fort on the south bank of Xiaopingjin! And there are three or four shallow fords above and below Xiaopingjin where we can cross the river! We can't spread out so many people, nor can we defend so many points! And there are Cao's troops in Xiaopingjin, will there be Cao's troops in Mengjin as well? And we don't know whether Cao's troops are going to cross the river or take a detour to the east of the river. If we retreat to the south bank, even if we have defended the ferry, what about here? If Cao's troops take a detour to the east of the river, won't we just be able to watch?"

The deputy military officer grinned, "Captain, but we only have so many people..."

Jiang Jiong's eyebrows raised, and then calmed down again.

There is a mix of new and old, and the same is true for military academies.

If this guy was an old military school student who had always followed the Hussars, he would never say such words.

But what the military academy said was not wrong.

Jiang Jiong looked around and saw that this place was not suitable for cavalry to gallop.

There is a big river on one side, a loess plateau on the other, and mountains to the north.

The infantry of Cao's army could find mountains and hills to rely on at any time, but it was somewhat difficult for the cavalry to rush up and down the hillsides.

Cavalry does have an advantage over infantry, but this advantage is not unlimited.

The key point is that Jiang Jiong had no idea what Cao's army was going to do or what their goal was, so retreating like this would be of no benefit to the entire battle situation.

……

……

On the other side, Cao's army also discovered Jiang Jiong's troops.

The sun has set below the horizon. In the last rays of sunset, the lines drawn by the river and the mountains appear desolate and deep.

A few impatient stars jumped out early and hung in the gray sky, flickering cold light, staring at the earth coldly, as if showing something to the earth beneath their feet. They can't wait to announce that the day has passed and the night is about to come.

Cheng Yu looked at the stars in the sky with a frown on his face.

Jiang Jiong was surprised, and so was Cheng Yu.

In Jiang Jiong's case, there was a mixture of old and new, and isn't it the same with Cheng Yu?

In the queue, only half were veterans, and the rest were soldiers who had been gathered from various places during this period.

"Military Advisor...everything has been arranged..."

Cheng Yu's deputy came forward to report and brought some dry food to Cheng Yu.

Looking at the bacon strips, Cheng Yu sighed and did not move. He just took the multi-grain pancake and nibbled on it bit by bit.

"Why did the Hussars appear here?" the deputy asked in confusion, "Military Advisor, should we continue forward now?"

Cheng Yu wrapped his battle robe, bit off a piece of pancake, and did not answer immediately, but chewed slowly, "Where do you think... this cavalry wants to go?"

Deputy Cheng Yu was stunned for a moment and did not answer. He was a little confused.

Where else can the Hussars go?

Either go to Hanoi, or go to Jizhou, or take a detour to pick the chrysanthemums at Sishui Pass. In fact, they are all the same, as you have to go east anyway...

So Cheng Yu blinked a few times and said, "It should be east, right?"

Cheng Yu nodded and said nothing.

Cheng Yu certainly understood this point, but what Cheng Yu didn't know was what was the goal of the Cavalry? If it was to attack Cao's rear, why was there only this small force? If it was just to cut off the connection between Cao's Hanoi and Sishui Pass, then why didn't they send warships to attack by land and sea? He chewed the dough, and really couldn't figure out the connection.

The deputy was a rough soldier, and he obviously couldn't give Cheng Yu any advice. He scratched his head for a long time, "How about I take some people to the front to explore?"

"No, you can't go!" Cheng Yu rejected his deputy's proposal.

We can’t alert the enemy now!

The situation on my side is not good. If the Hussars can see through our strength and attack from Mengjin, I'm afraid my entire army will be wiped out!
Suddenly, a meteor streaked across the horizon, dragging a long silver-white comet tail and falling to the end of the world.

Cheng Yu watched the meteor appear and then disappear, and suddenly he felt a chill in his heart.

……

……

But in Jiangling area, Gan Ning could no longer wait.

He sent out a baggage fleet.

However, this sudden appearance of a baggage fleet in the middle of the river looked like a trap no matter how you looked at it.

There were dozens of warships loaded with food and fodder, but only a dozen small and medium-sized warships escorting them. This was clearly a deliberate flaw.

The flaw was so obvious that even though Cao's navy saw the fleet, they did not attack.

After all, the Sichuan-Shu navy had fought all the way here, and they must have known the importance of food and fodder. Exposing the baggage fleet so carelessly was very likely a trap.

But Yu Jin couldn't bear to watch the fleet enter the Jiangling Water Fort so brazenly.

So, Yu Jin couldn't help it and sent out the navy to attack Gan Ning's grain transport fleet.

Gan Ning immediately stopped advancing, set up camp on the spot, and moved the transport fleet directly to the shore, and used baggage carts to transfer the troops ashore, which made Yu Jin's eyes almost fall out...

Who would have thought that there were supply wagons loaded inside a transport ship? !
This would be like taking off pants to fart under normal circumstances, but it had an unexpected effect at the moment.

If there were no baggage carts, transferring the food and supplies from the ships to the shore would take a lot of time just to carry them in and out. But now, as long as the planks are laid out and the ship is secured, all it takes is pushing it up and down.

If there is a suitable slope, it would even be like transferring on flat ground!
Fight or not?
Should we attack the boats on the water or the baggage carts on the shore?

As for attacking the ships, the Sichuan Navy does not have many ships, and the key is that the baggage is no longer on the ships. Simply attacking these ships on the water will not achieve the desired effect.

Then what about fighting on the shore? Going up and down would not only waste time, but also make the navy less flexible. If the Sichuan and Shu navy in Jiangling Water Fort surrounded them from behind...

Yu Jin considered it carefully for a while, but he couldn't think for too long. After weighing the pros and cons, Yu Jin could no longer suppress his impulse and launched an attack cautiously.

After all, the defensive tactics of Jiangling Water Fort some time ago made Yu Jin feel vaguely that even if he delayed a little time, the Sichuan Navy might not dare to leave the water fort to engage in battle.

Gan Ning ordered to defend the dangerous place and tow all the transport ships to the shore and form an array. The warships following the fleet fought and resisted on the periphery, and then set up a crossbow array on the shore to assist the navy in counterattacking.

Facing Gan Ning's counterattack, Yu Jin did not dare to be careless. He tested the situation step by step and deployed at least half of his forces on the outer perimeter to prevent the warships of the Sichuan Navy from coming from the direction of Jiangling to encircle the area.

Gan Ning resisted the urge to join the battle with the outer warships. Instead, he watched the fighting warships on the shore and began to imitate Zhuge Liang or Xu Huang, planning the entire battle situation.

He knew very well that even if Cao's army was tempted by these food and supplies, their efforts would be limited, as the real battle had not yet begun.

So he shouldn't be on the front line at the beginning, at least not now.

Everyone has their own growth and changes, and these growth and changes are often related to the environment, or the people around each person. Gan Ning has been with Zhuge Liang and Xu Huang for a long time, so he naturally got some of their calmness, but no one can say how long this calmness can last.

Maybe it will just be for a period of time, or maybe he will follow Gan Ning for a lifetime.

The navies of both sides fought on the river for a while, and both suffered losses.

Yu Jin felt that it was not very good, and he did not understand the situation that Gan Ning had made up for. He took advantage of the initiative on the battlefield and withdrew from the battle first, and monitored Gan Ning's fleet from a distance. According to Yu Jin's idea, Jiangling Water Fort was naturally more important than this fleet, so if such a transport fleet could be used to pull the troops in Jiangling Water Fort of the Sichuan Army out, wouldn't it be wonderful?

Yu Jin was not aware that Gan Ning was on the transport fleet. He thought that Gan Ning should still be in the water fort. Therefore, destroying a fleet like the Sichuan Army was of course a good idea, but it was obviously not as tempting as destroying the Jiangling Water Fort.

No matter what, even if the Sichuan Navy transported the baggage carts ashore, as long as they left the food here, it would be equivalent to cutting off the food supply of the Jiangling Water Fort.

Yu Jin decided to wait and see the follow-up actions of the Jiangling Water Fort before deciding on the next targeted action of Cao’s navy.

At night, Gan Ning put on his armor and took a nap.

The soldiers around Gan Ning were basically wearing armor and resting and waiting.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard. Gan Ning opened his eyes, looking energetic and not tired at all from staying up late. In his eyes, there was only a desire for battle.

"General, we have news!" the soldier saluted and said.

"How?" Gan Ning asked.

"There's news from the Cai family that they are ready and can attack at any time," the soldier reported.

"What about Cao's army?" Gan Ning asked again.

"Still on the river." The soldier said, his expression somewhat excited, "When Cai makes a move, we will attack from both sides, ahahaha..."

Gan Ning also smiled, but did not give the order immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes again and thought about the plan again from the beginning.

According to Zhuge Liang, it is to imagine how to deal with it when the plan fails or encounters setbacks.

Zhuge Liang said that this is the issue that a general needs to consider most carefully. He cannot only consider what to do after victory, but also what to do after failure, and then he can fight.

Gan Ning was not convinced at first, thinking that thinking about failure every day would dampen his enthusiasm. If he thought about failure first before doing anything, what was the point of fighting? However, as he spent more time with Zhuge Liang and Xu Huang, Gan Ning realized that doing so was actually very beneficial.

No one can guarantee that every battle and every attack will be a 100% victory.

Of course, except for keyboard warriors. In the world of keyboard warriors, if we attack, we will definitely win, and if the enemy attacks, we will definitely fail, otherwise it is a drop in intelligence. If everything is really as the keyboard warriors wish, then the heroes in the later liberation wars will really die with regrets. After all, according to the keyboard warriors, victory in battles is a given, and every sacrifice in failure is a drop in intelligence. I really don’t know how to bear it.

Gan Ning thought for a moment, until he was sure that even if he failed, he had a corresponding response strategy and follow-up measures. Then he opened his eyes again and waved his hand vigorously, "Pass on my order! Act according to the strategy!"

After Gan Ning gave the order, the soldiers immediately took action. They abandoned the transport ships that were docked on the shore, and at the same time, the remaining warships that were originally confronting Yu Jin on the periphery also turned around and headed upstream!

This is the second tactical point that Gan Ning learned from Zhuge Liang and Xu Huang.

Take an unusual step.

In other words, don't fight according to the enemy's rhythm.

If everything is done according to the enemy's plan and we can only passively respond to the enemy's actions, we will be led into a ditch by the enemy sooner or later. Only by grasping the key points of both sides, leading the enemy, and making the enemy act according to our plan can we truly gain the initiative on the battlefield.

So for the current battlefield in Jiangling, what are the key points that both sides must fight for?

It is naturally Jiangling Water Fort.

This supported Xu Huang's attack on Jiangling City and was also an important hub connecting the Sichuan-Shu navy's food supply route.

From Zigui to Jiangling, although it is possible to travel a thousand miles to Jiangling in one day when the water level is high in spring and summer, it does not mean that food and fodder can be directly transported to the Jiangling water fort by throwing them into the river.

Yu Jin also knew this, so he did not attack Jiangling Water Fort, but tried to lure out the ships and warships of Jiangling Water Fort by attacking the grain route from the periphery.

Although Gan Ning seems to be able to leave whenever he wants and deal with things easily, if he really falls into Yu Jin's rhythm, on the one hand, his food supply route on the outside will be cut off, and on the other hand, he will have to leave the water fort and fight Yu Jin. Whether he can win by defeating a larger force on the river with a smaller one is another. Will the Jiangling Water Fort be ambushed by troops from Yunmengze?

By then, Xu Huang will need food, soldiers, and equipment, but Jiangling Water Fort cannot supply them. Either more navy will need to be sent to cover the transport fleet, which will lead to weak defenses in Jiangling Water Fort. Or, as is the case now, the transport fleet will be blocked halfway by Cao's navy, and troops must be sent from Jiangling Water Fort to rescue it.

Now Gan Ning predicted Yu Jin's plan and took the lead in using the fleet to lure Yu Jin to attack, which was equivalent to taking the initiative and Yu Jin was forced to respond. Unknowingly, the two sides exchanged positions. Therefore, the direction of the next battle would naturally not go according to Yu Jin's original plan...