Chapter 406 – Relocation to Chenzhou (Part 12)
Attacking Xiangyang County, the first dilemma they faced was the stark difference in numbers.
“The Green Garment Army claims to number over ten thousand, but most of them are common folks wielding nothing but farm tools, without armor, and utterly lacking any military discipline. In comparison, whether it’s our troops or the Imperial Guards, we can be considered elite soldiers.”
Feng Jin spoke first, trying to stir the spirit of battle and raise morale.
“If war breaks out, we can fight!”
In reality, with two thousand against ten thousand, the disparity in strength was apparent, but our morale couldn’t wane; otherwise, we’d be in serious trouble.
Qi Guanrang squinted, seeming to ponder something, and after a long pause, noticing no one else was speaking, he broke the silence.
His dark eyes fell upon Jiang Pengji. “Are you worried, Young Master, that we won’t be able to capture Xiangyang County?”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Pengji relaxed her clenched fingers and scoffed disdainfully, her tone dripping with arrogance.
In the words of the audience, she’s just asking for a smackdown.
“Over ten thousand ants, a ragtag bunch, what’s there to fear?”
The disdain in her words was so blatant, she didn’t even bother to hide it.
From her perspective, even if it were a hundred thousand Green Garment Army members, they would still be ants. Quantity doesn’t transform into quality. She had once been the commander of the Federation, leading the most elite combat units against the toughest foes; would she be afraid of this?
What a joke!
Qi Guanrang waved his feather fan, dispersing the heat in the tent, and said with a smile, “With Young Master possessing this fighting spirit, there’s no need for worry.”
We don’t fear arrogance, but we do fear cowardice. Jiang Pengji was the backbone of this gathering; if she wavered, it could shake everyone’s resolve.
“Speak up, if you have any suggestions. Let’s pool our wisdom.”
Jiang Pengji’s expression didn’t look like someone preparing for war at all; instead, she appeared very relaxed.
But those who truly knew her would realize she was being uncharacteristically serious.
As a qualified commander, she wouldn’t retreat because the enemy was strong, nor would she become overly arrogant if the enemy was weak.
Regardless of whether the Green Garment Army numbered ten thousand or a thousand, she would treat them seriously.
The others exchanged glances, a bit surprised by Jiang Pengji’s casual demeanor.
For instance, Xu Ke had expected her to be furious, demanding bloodshed, given her temperament.
What was the reality?
She was calmer than anyone else.
“The Green Garment Army has taken Xiangyang County. It appears they have the upper hand, but not really.” Xu Ke scanned the room and, seeing that no one was stepping up to speak, he took the initiative. “Xiangyang County has vast land, with continuous walls. The walls are high and thick, constructed with six gates from the very beginning. If we attack a city, the Green Garment Army will have to deploy troops to guard various spots, spreading their forces thinly, making that number less intimidating.”
Jiang Pengji nodded and said, “But the key is, we don’t have siege equipment, and we also don’t know how many supplies are stored in Xiangyang County.”
Meng Hunyun scratched his head. “The Green Garment Army is mostly a mob, led by desperate criminals, while the rest are simply followers. Even if they know how to use the equipment, how effective can they be? If we can catch them off guard and burn their supplies beforehand, it would save us a lot of trouble.”
For these undisciplined folks, the impressive numbers looked intimidating, but after proper analysis, they weren’t really fearful.
If the Green Garment Army chose to defend the city, they’d have the advantage; if they opted for an open battle, they would be at a disadvantage.
Regarding Meng Hunyun’s suggestion, Feng Jin and Xu Ke shook their heads in disapproval. The supplies in the city absolutely must not be burned or destroyed.
Their goal was to capture Xiangyang County, but once this Green Garment Army was dealt with, they couldn’t ensure that another would not follow.
Their own numbers were already small; without siege equipment to support them, holding the city would cost them dearly.
At this moment, they were in dire need of manpower, and losing even a few soldiers was painful.
With siege equipment, the pressure would be significantly alleviated.
With the proposal rejected, Meng Hunyun awkwardly scratched his head, waiting for the others to reach a conclusion.
In fact, whether Xu Ke, Feng Jin, or Qi Guanrang, each had their own plans, but they also had weaknesses.
Especially Qi Guanrang, who was skilled in cunning tactics, remained tight-lipped not due to a lack of ideas but because he couldn’t speak freely.
Jiang Pengji’s reputation was too pristine; it wasn’t the right time to tarnish it with violent, bloody stains.
Feng Jin and Xu Ke had already made their decisions in their minds, confident they could swiftly capture Xiangyang County.
Due to various concerns, they could only set aside those ideas for now and look for a more appropriate approach.
In the face of their silence, the audience in the live stream was biting their nails in anxiety, practically on fire with impatience.
[Nourishing Quick Line]: Streamer, streamer, are you gonna say something? I see you all aren’t discussing much.
[Potato Beef Rice Bowl]: So tense! Even through the screen, I can feel the storm brewing.
[Musician Zhuge Qinmo]: Why are you all panicking? Ancient battles are never that simple. The streamers have no idea about the terrain in Xiangyang County, the situation inside the city, or how the troops are divided; how can they fight without knowing anything?
[No-Sugar Mint Candy]: Since they lack this information, what are they talking about?
[Musician Zhuge Qinmo]: How should I know?
[Great Sage Marry Me]: Hey, you wasted your ID!
[Bill Gates]: What about my ID? Just because I picked this ID, should I be a world billionaire?
The topic veered off, causing the live stream atmosphere to loosen, no longer so tense.
Jiang Pengji tilted her head, her gaze sweeping over the three, understanding they were worried about her noble reputation.
So, she spoke flatly, “I’m not someone who treasures my reputation; if it can be resolved quickly, let’s resolve it quickly.”
Afterward, she added, “Don’t be fooled by my frail appearance; when it comes to actual fighting, I can crush a city gate with a single punch. So, whether it’s luring the enemy out or directly storming the city gates, either option works—”
Everyone: “…”
A punch… can crush a city gate?
Feng Jin coughed awkwardly, seemingly not expecting his companion to be so outrageous.
Since she had said so, then of course they needn’t hold back.
“In my opinion, let’s lure the enemy out and encircle them.”
As he spoke, he slightly narrowed his eyes, shedding his usual gentle demeanor and now appearing both dangerous and cold.
Feng Jin continued, “We can disguise three thousand common people and five hundred soldiers, bringing supplies, to lure a portion of the Green Garment Army out of the city and into an ambush. A while ago, I listened to Lan Ting’s advice and humbly studied it; I know there’s an excellent mountain gorge near Xiangyang County. The sides of the gorge are easy to hide in, narrow on the opening but wide inside. If we can lead the Green Garment Army in and then unleash rolling boulders from both sides, their retreat would be difficult…”
His tone was calm, but the audience in the live stream felt a chill run down their spines.
This plan was to trap the enemy in the gorge and crush them into pulp!
“After that, attacking the city won’t be urgent.”
