Chapter 1278 – Taking Down Huang Song, Dongqing United (Part Twenty)
“Let’s take a detour if we can; fewer casualties is always better.”
Jiang Pengji swiftly made her decision, understanding that this matter should be addressed sooner rather than later. Delaying only tightens the food supply a little more.
Yang Si nodded in agreement. It was one thing not to know about enemy ambushes, but to charge into one while aware? That was just asking for trouble!
Being a local from Chenzhou, Yang Si knew the terrain well; even if they took a detour, it shouldn’t waste too much time.
Jiang Pengji glanced at the sky, pondering, “The army will rest for half an hour in place, while the scouts go ahead to scout the route.”
Though they were resting in place, the whole army maintained their defensive formations, guard against an unexpected enemy charge.
Jiang Pengji got off her horse, with Xiao Bai obediently following. Seeing this, Yang Si also dismounted to take a breather.
“Why does the Lord look so troubled?” Yang Si took a sip of water, his throat parched. As spring faded into summer, the heat was becoming unbearable; after marching for just an hour or two, one could be drenched in sweat, at times feeling like their throat was on fire. “Is something wrong?”
Jiang Pengji replied, “I just find it a bit strange—”
“Strange? What’s strange?” Yang Si excitedly urged, “Feel free to share, and perhaps I can help clarify your doubts.”
She shook her head. “It’s not that I can pinpoint what’s strange; it’s just an uneasy feeling inside.”
Yang Si was at a loss. How was he supposed to provide insights on that?
“Then… can the Lord specify what’s making you uneasy?” Yang Si gently probed.
“What is it?” Jiang Pengji pondered, “Right, what the scouts reported about the ambush. It just doesn’t sit well with me.”
Jiang Pengji had always trusted her instincts—they were a sharp perception of danger that had saved her several times in the past.
Though she had spent years in this era, she was much more familiar with warfare tactics and philosophies from the interstellar age. Occasionally, she would get stuck. Since Yang Si had volunteered to help clarify, she opened up, hoping he might offer useful advice.
Yang Si said, “About the ambush? Does the Lord suspect it’s a ruse?”
Jiang Pengji replied, “The scouts deduced the enemy’s situation based on the traces left behind by the marching troops. With over ten thousand troops, the signs aren’t that subtle, are they?”
As she spoke, her thoughts became clearer.
“An ambush with over ten thousand troops counts as a major move. Surely they’re aiming to strike with certainty and go all in. If our scouts can notice such obvious traces, won’t the enemy be too subdued to fall for it? Is Yuan Xin collectively blind to this?” Jiang Pengji said, feeling that there might be an underlying scheme afoot, a focused scheme at that. “If they were to ambush us, they should erase any traces of their march, ensuring we stumble into the trap unguarded.”
Yang Si followed this line of thought and increasingly felt that something was amiss, a plethora of doubts gnawing at his mind.
“The Lord is right to be suspicious. The enemy seems to want to ambush us while leaving such evident flaws; that’s certainly questionable.”
After a moment, Yang Si suddenly recalled Jiang Pengji’s previous words.
He said, “Earlier, the scouts reported there were over ten thousand ambushers ahead, and the Lord suggested, ‘If we can detour, let’s take the detour; fewer casualties will be good.’ In hindsight, this ambush seems specifically aimed at the Lord. Since you’re often cautious, upon learning of an ambush, you would naturally seek an alternative route. Could it be… the ambush ahead is fake, and the real one lies along the path we would take to detour?”
However, Jiang Pengji shook her head. “That’s hard to say. The only thing for certain is—there truly is an ambush ahead.”
Although the live stream chat was mostly for idle chatter, Jiang Pengji was adept at utilizing resources to achieve her goals. The cameras in the live stream provided an aerial view of the ground, and after adjusting the camera angle, Jiang Pengji did indeed spot several ambushes. In other words, if she didn’t take the detour, she would still fall into the trap.
Yang Si felt puzzled. What kind of situation was this?
Looking at it now, taking a detour was no good, and neither was not taking one; it just made everyone uneasy.
“What sort of scheme is Yuan Xin cooking up?”
Jiang Pengji replied, “This level of strategy can’t possibly be Yuan Xin’s doing. He lacks the brains for such complexity. This doesn’t seem like Nie Xun’s handiwork either… I can’t say I know him very well, but style is a personal trait, and Nie Xun’s style isn’t like this.”
“Isn’t Nie Xun the one who got cut by Yuan Xin and nearly lost his life? Literary types pride themselves, and Nie Xun might not want to help him out of spite,” Yang Si noted. “Huang Song has plenty of talent under him; it could be one of them that devised this—”
Jiang Pengji chuckled, “I have a gut feeling this person is targeting me.”
Yang Si chimed in, saying that the ambush indeed seemed directed at her or, in a way, against her careful and thorough nature.
To avoid unnecessary casualties, given her knowledge of an ambush, Jiang Pengji would surely opt for the detour.
As they spoke, the vanguard scouts returned one by one, reporting that the route ahead was clear and suitable for marching.
Jiang Pengji stated, “We’ve rested long enough; let’s move on.”
With suspicions lingering, Jiang Pengji and her entourage marched with extra caution, the army always prepared for any enemy confrontation.
Looking around at the open terrain, Yang Si remarked, “This area is quite open and unsuitable for ambushes; we should be safe here.”
Jiang Pengji nodded, glancing back at the fairly organized troops, her brow furrowed even tighter.
“We’ve all had a tough day; let’s rest here for the night and continue our march tomorrow.”
With nearby water sources available, it was convenient for the cook to wash rice, build a fire, and prepare meals, along with replenishing their water supplies.
The audience in the live stream was also on edge, quickly reminding her to be cautious of the water source once they planned to rest.
That was only natural; Jiang Pengji was incredibly cautious about anything entering her system. She wouldn’t drink water until it had been boiled.
During ancient warfare, there were plenty of instances where enemies poisoned water upstream, and Jiang Pengji certainly wouldn’t make such a rookie mistake.
After a thorough check, the water source was confirmed safe.
However, rather than relaxing at this conclusion, Jiang Pengji’s frown deepened.
The following day, the army discovered signs of another possible ambush ahead.
“Can we take a detour?” Jiang Pengji asked again.
Yang Si frowned, “We can, but the army will need to turn back and march three to five li, which will set us back about half a day.”
The army’s schedule was meticulously calculated, and exceeding this time frame would put them under pressure for food supplies.
Jiang Pengji commanded, “Detour!”
Yang Si urgently replied, “But my Lord…”
Jiang Pengji stated, “I want to know what the enemy is really up to; I’ve sensed something. Half a day isn’t a big deal.”
Reluctantly, Yang Si complied, as a strange and tense atmosphere enveloped the whole army. The soldiers were baffled by the repeated detours.
Given Jiang Pengji’s authority and the fierce indoctrination they experienced during drills, the soldiers chose to comply unconditionally, their morale still intact.
