Chapter 632 – Let Go of That Commander, Let Me Take Over (Part 9)
There are a total of four counties in Chengde Prefecture: Jinmen County, Fenghu County, Honglian County, and Qiuyu County.
If the plan goes smoothly, capturing Jinmen County would be as easy as reaching into a pocket.
But merely acquiring Jinmen County wouldn’t satisfy Jiang Pengji’s appetite; her ambitions stretched far beyond that.
“…The Red Lotus Sect thinks they’ll catch us in their own trap. Why not take a leaf from their book?” Qi Guanrang said with a sly smile, clearly enjoying playing tricks on people. “Based on our Lord’s predictions, how long will it take to capture Jinmen County?”
Jiang Pengji squinted in calculation, and after a moment, she replied, “Even though we’re marching hastily and can’t bring siege weapons, taking Jinmen County, which has no guards, should take no more than an hour. If we factor in the travel time on the mountain roads, about a day… Wen Zheng, what are your thoughts?”
Qi Guanrang fanned himself with his ever-present feather fan and gave it a gentle wave.
Yang Si, seeing this, instinctively shivered and subtly shifted away.
He’d seen people with quirks and those who liked to show off, but he had never encountered someone fanning themselves in the dead of winter.
Qi Guanrang continued, “According to the intel we’ve received, the Red Lotus Sect wants to wipe us out. They’ve even drawn up a series of measures for it. Since they’re working so hard, wouldn’t it be too unkind of us not to give them a chance to show off?”
If the Red Lotus Sect was trying to set a trap for them, then they could naturally turn the tables.
Jiang Pengji raised an eyebrow, signaling Qi Guanrang to continue.
He said, “The Red Lotus Sect probably thinks we will send a large army to attack Fenghu County. If we don’t show up for a while, they might start to suspect something. So, why not send out a few scouts to confuse them, making them believe our intentions lie with Fenghu County instead of Jinmen County? Delay them as much as possible, and once our Lord captures Jinmen County, we can turn around and attack Fenghu County… after all, the mountain road to Fenghu County is quite short.”
Yang Si felt a little uneasy upon hearing this.
“If that’s the case, wouldn’t we just be a fatigued army? On those mountain paths, based on the Red Lotus Sect’s plans, we’d probably be surrounded and unable to break free.” Dian Yin couldn’t help but voice his concerns, realizing that everyone’s eyes had turned toward him. He quickly fell silent.
Jiang Pengji smoothed things over, saying, “Dian Vice Instructor has a point, but if the plan was that simple, it wouldn’t be Wen Zheng’s style.”
Sure enough, Qi Guanrang continued, “Indeed, if we do this, we’ll become a fatigued army. If we get surrounded on the mountain path, it could be impossible to escape. But what if we were to corner the Red Lotus Sect within the mountain path? The situation would change entirely.”
Dian Yin felt like he was listening to a celestial script.
We’re the ones being surrounded, how has it turned into the Red Lotus Sect being trapped?
Jiang Pengji chuckled and said, “According to the Red Lotus Sect’s calculations, aren’t they planning to capture the small town and enter the mountain path to surround us? If that’s the case, why not throw out a bait to lure them into the mountain path and trap them instead?”
Dian Yin’s brain took a while to process it, and after a long time, he finally realized—it was a classic case of “playing dumb to eat the tiger!”
First, the main forces would attack Jinmen County while sending scouts to surveil near Fenghu County, creating the illusion that they intended to attack Fenghu County. This wouldn’t just confuse the Red Lotus Sect’s judgments; it would also buy them time. Once Jinmen County was secured, they’d ambush the Red Lotus Sect from behind while sending another unit into the mountain path, making the Red Lotus Sect think that the main force had already headed toward Fenghu County.
In reality, they would still be hiding in the mountain path heading toward Jinmen County.
Seeing this, the Red Lotus Sect would undoubtedly assume that their prey had taken the bait.
By the time they intended to enter the mountain path and flank Jiang Pengji with the forces from Fenghu County, the ambushed main force would finally reveal themselves.
The main forces would join the soldiers who had entered the mountain path earlier, and together they would crush this wave of backdoor attackers.
Dian Yin was already well-behaved and silent now; indeed, these scholarly types were more cunning than anyone could imagine.
While others were still struggling to withstand the pressure, these minds had already been crafting plans for a “counterattack.”
Qi Guanrang added, “This plan isn’t difficult, except for one harsh condition: we have to act quickly.”
Jiang Pengji smiled and said, “What’s there to worry about? Wen Zheng is just waiting; watch me take Jinmen County.”
Yang Si was about to retort but then recalling Jiang Pengji’s audacious figure charging ahead, he also chose silence.
Qi Guanrang supplemented, “While we can use clever tactics to seize Jinmen County, the same trick won’t work a second time. The other three counties ultimately have to be taken by force to determine the victor…”
Regarding Qi Guanrang’s statement, Jiang Pengji didn’t quite agree.
That cunning tactic of Yang Si could only be used once, but there was still room to exploit it.
Opportunities, once grasped, should be utilized to the fullest.
Jiang Pengji pursed her lips and said, “The mountain path is fragile, so we can’t carry siege instruments during the attack on Jinmen County. However, once we secure Jinmen County, the situation will change. Before I set out, I secretly instructed Xiaoyu to prepare siege weapons and to time them just right to send them to Jinmen County. If we calculate the travel time, after we surround the Red Lotus Sect for a day, Xiaoyu’s siege instruments should arrive. Taking advantage of the Red Lotus Sect flailing about like headless chickens, we’ll strike hard at Qiuyu County!”
On the battlefield, not a single moment could be wasted.
Time was of the essence, and Jiang Pengji knew this truth all too well; therefore, her thoughts were more thorough than anyone else’s.
If she waited to notify Xu Ke to transport the siege instruments until after Jinmen County was captured, back and forth would take days, and the best opportunities would have slipped through their fingers.
Her battle style was very distinct—quick-paced, and her strategies were detailed.
Others advanced step-by-step in an orderly fashion.
She, on the other hand, operated on multiple fronts simultaneously, driving comprehensive progress, linking each phase tightly, thus creating a sense of urgent tension.
In ancient times when communication was difficult, Jiang Pengji’s approach felt even more pressing, often instilling psychological pressure on the enemy.
This pressure could not only disrupt their morale but also shake their spirits.
Everyone was astonished, “After finishing with Jinmen County, we’re going straight for Qiuyu County?”
Jiang Pengji replied, “Fenghu County has concentrated forces from two counties, and Honglian County is the Red Lotus Sect’s stronghold with formidable defenses. Aside from Qiuyu County, do we have other options? More importantly, the official road from Jinmen County to Qiuyu County is smooth and wide, and the distance is short, making it advantageous for transporting siege instruments. By targeting Qiuyu County, we can save a lot of time…”
A ragtag collection like the Red Lotus Sect could easily turn into a chaotic mob after a major defeat, flailing around blindly.
Jiang Pengji wanted to seize the moment and deliver a series of crushing blows before the Red Lotus Sect could regain their composure!
As long as she secured Jinmen County and Qiuyu County, the Red Lotus Sect wouldn’t have a fighting chance.
Little did she know, her ally, An Huan, could provide her with another surprise.
As night fell, shrouding the land.
A pristine moon hung in the sky, and Jiang Pengji was just resting when her mental domain suddenly stirred.
She abruptly opened her eyes, and the System’s mechanical voice echoed deep within her mind.
