SFS Chapter 354 Zhuge Jin is also confused
Chapter 354 Zhuge Jin is also confused
Pan Zhang is having a tough time right now. He has to deal with Guan Xing and also be wary of Peng Qi. Therefore, he can't march as freely as Guan Xing. After leaving Riyue Lake, he has maintained his formation and advanced slowly. It took him two whole days to get between Guan Xing and Peng Qi and set up camp 30 miles north of Guan Xing's camp.
Pan Zhang stopped making any further moves and instead ordered scouts to actively search for Peng Qi's whereabouts while keeping an eye on Guan Xing's camp. He wouldn't dare to attack Guan Xing easily if he couldn't find Peng Qi's exact location.
But that damned Peng Qi is like a ghost, wandering around everywhere. You know he's lurking around you, but you just can't find him.
Therefore, Pan Zhang can only wait now. He needs to wait for the scouts to determine Peng Qi's exact location and for Zhuge Jin's reply. Once either of these two points is confirmed, he will dare to launch an attack on Guan Xing.
Little did they know that this was exactly what Guan Xing wanted, because Guan Xing was also waiting for Ning Huan to successfully reorganize the bandit army.
At this moment, Guan Xing and Pan Zhang unexpectedly developed a tacit understanding.
Another day passed, and Pan Zhang, who was bored, was about to personally act as a scout to check Guan Xing's camp when his personal guard rushed over and bowed, saying, "General, General Zhuge Jin has arrived. He told you not to go out to greet him, saying that he came secretly. There are too many people in the camp, and Guan Xing might find out that he came and intercept him on his way back to Yuhan."
Pan Zhang was overjoyed and said, "Then what are you waiting for? Bring him in quickly!"
"Yes..." The guards took their leave.
Pan Zhang paced excitedly in the tent. He had been worried that Zhuge Jin had gone to Lu Xun's place and he would not be able to contact him for the time being. He did not expect that not only had the messenger successfully made contact, but Zhuge Jin had also come in person. This was a pleasant surprise. Now he was more confident in dealing with Guan Xing.
A moment later, Zhuge Jin, dressed in plain clothes and wearing a cloak, was brought in by his personal guards. He lifted the cloak and smiled, "General Pan, it's been a long time."
Pan Zhang hurriedly greeted him excitedly, saying, "General Zhuge, you've finally arrived! How is the battle going on the Grand Commander's side?"
Zhuge Jin sighed, "This is not good. The corridor, which is more than 400 miles long, is too much of a hindrance. Although the Grand Commander has already crossed the corridor, the Han army has established a strong defensive line along the valley. It will be difficult to break through in a short time."
The attacking side's biggest fear is being delayed on the way, and what they should do is rush to the enemy's city quickly and capture a few important cities as strongholds.
However, the terrain of the battlefield was too unfriendly to Wu's army; the Zhejiang-Jiangxi Corridor, which stretched for four hundred miles, was simply unavoidable.
This is the closest route to Kuaiji. Going north along the Anhui-Jiangxi corridor or into Jiaozhou, and then traversing Fujian to the north, would be much further.
Lu Xun's current predicament is exactly the same as Liu Bei's during the Battle of Yiling in history. Liu Bei also had to cross the Yiling Mountains, which are more than 200 miles long, and was eventually dragged to his death by Lu Xun using the terrain.
This is the tragedy of the attacking side: knowing that the path is difficult, you still have to take it because there is only one path and you have no other choice.
Pan Zhang said anxiously, "Then what should we do? My situation isn't good either. Guan Xing is with me."
Guan Xing's record was so brilliant that even the usually arrogant Pan Zhang was somewhat intimidated. He really didn't have any confidence when facing Guan Xing.
Zhuge Jin said, "The good news is that Guan Xing is not in Damo. I have already reported your letter to the Grand Commander. The Grand Commander will definitely feel much more at ease if he knows about it."
"Furthermore, I have learned about the current situation from your letter and believe that it is unnecessary for you to rush into a decisive battle with Guan Xing. Why don't you go back to Riyue Lake instead?"
Pan Zhang asked in surprise, "What do you mean?"
Zhuge Jin replied, "Although there are many Han troops on the Da Mo side, they are all new recruits and generals. Without Guan Xing in charge, I don't believe Guan Xing would feel at ease. Therefore, Guan Xing is definitely eager to fight you to the death and then attack Yu Han to cut off the Grand Commander's retreat."
“Since he’s in a hurry, we don’t need to be. We just need to keep Guan Xing tied up in Yuzhang. Without Guan Xing guarding Damu, I believe the Grand Commander will soon be able to break through Shenyi’s defenses, cross the Gu River, and successfully recapture Damu City. Damu is the gateway to the Jinqu Basin. As long as we capture Damu, the Grand Commander will be able to quickly occupy the Jinqu Basin and establish a foothold in Kuaiji. It won’t be too late to deal with Guan Xing then.”
"Even if the Grand Commander can't break through the Gushui defense line in a short time, so what? The longer Guan Xing is tied up in Yuzhang, the more anxious he will become, and the more anxious he will become, the more likely he is to make a mistake. Wouldn't it be better if we avoided battle and waited for him to make a mistake, and then seized the opportunity to capture him in one fell swoop? What do you think?"
Pan Zhang smiled wryly and said, "General, you are right. But the delaying tactic works for others, but it is useless against Guan Xing. The longer it drags on, the more advantageous it is for Guan Xing."
Zhuge Jin asked in surprise, "What do you mean?"
Pan Zhang sighed and said, "Brother Ziyu (Zhuge Jin's courtesy name) should know that Guan Xing's greatest strength is not fighting battles but rapidly building up an army. When Guan Xing left Jianye for Wushang, he only took two or three thousand men with him, but in just a few months, he turned them into an army of one hundred thousand. His ability to rapidly build up an army is comparable to that of Han Xin."
"Furthermore, according to reports from scouts, Guan Xing has already started land reform in Linru, and it is estimated that he will be able to raise a large army that is willing to risk their lives to protect their land in less than a month."
"More importantly, Guan Xing has also colluded with You Chong, Peng Qi and other mountain bandit leaders. If we bring Peng Qi's tens of thousands of bandit troops under our command, we can forget about attacking Guan Xing. We should just run away as soon as possible."
"Brother Ziyu, just think about it, what would be the effect if Guan Xing raised tens of thousands of troops on the Poyang Lake Plain?"
Thinking of Guan Xing leading tens of thousands of troops across Poyang Lake, Zhuge Jin couldn't help but shudder and curse, "Damn Guan Yunchang, how could he have given birth to such a son?"
Pan Zhang said with a wry smile, "That's why I wanted to take advantage of the fact that Guan Xing has just arrived in Yuzhang and is not yet settled, and has not yet colluded with Peng Qi to fight him. Only if we cripple him and prevent him from causing trouble will we have a chance."
Zhuge Jin wavered and pondered, "What you said makes sense. We can't give Guan Xing time to develop. Let's do it your way. You hold the main camp and wait for Guan Xing to launch an attack. Buy me three days. I will definitely be able to bring reinforcements within three days. At that time, the two of us will join forces to besiege Guan Xing. Even if we can't kill him, we must cripple him so that he can't do whatever he wants in Yuzhang."
Pan Zhang laughed and said, "That's exactly what I meant. Don't worry, Brother Ziyu. I can't guarantee anything else, but I can hold the camp and hold off Guan Xing for three days."
After chatting for a while, Zhuge Jin put on his cloak, bid farewell, and left.
Fearing that Guan Xing's scouts would discover his presence, Pan Zhang did not leave the camp to see him off. Instead, he sat at his desk considering the details. Before long, his personal guard came in again and bowed, saying, "General, Li Tong has returned and says he wants to report back to you."
Pan Zhang asked in surprise, "Why is he here at the main camp instead of recuperating at Sun and Moon Lake?"
Li Tong was severely injured and on the verge of death after being beaten with twenty strokes of the military rod. Naturally, he could no longer travel with the army, so he stayed at Riyue Lake to recuperate. But it had only been a few days, so his injury could not possibly be healed. What was he doing here with his injury?
The guard replied, "Li Tong said that after we withdrew, bandits and merchant spies started appearing near the Riyue Lake camp. He has offended the merchants too much over the years, and without the protection of a large army, he is afraid of being retaliated against by the merchants, so he has been holding on."
This reason is irrefutable, at least in Pan Zhang's view, because he himself is often afraid of being retaliated against by his enemies.
Pan Zhang sighed with a hint of regret, "I did beat Li Tong a bit too badly that day. There was nothing I could do; I was just angry at the time. Oh well, let's arrange a separate tent for Li Tong to stay in and recover from his injuries."
That day, he was first teased by Peng Qi, then ambushed by Guan Xing, and finally tricked by the merchants. He had no way to vent his anger. Now that he thinks about it, he feels quite sorry for Li Tong.