Chapter 377: The Twentieth Day in the Struggle for Supremacy World

Chapter 377: The Twentieth Day in the Warring States Novel

Shanwei Stream was like a turtle tucked into its shell—hard to get a bite out of.

Bai Ji frowned in thought.

He extended a finger, tapping the spot marking Shanwei Stream on the sand table: "Ke Quan figures that by holding this high ground, he can wait at his leisure for us to tire ourselves out, hoping to grind our army down and wear us out."

His fingertip moved slowly, gliding past Shanwei Stream to settle on a spot marked "Pianguan County" off to its side and rear: "His greatest asset is the terrain, and his greatest weakness... is right here."

"Pianguan County?" Mao Hua's gaze sharpened: "That's Ke Quan's long-time stronghold. Word is, the bulk of his plundered wealth and grain is stockpiled there. The man's greed knows no bounds, and he keeps his men in line largely through material rewards."

"Exactly," Bai Ji said. "If he learns his stronghold is in danger and the wealth and grain holding his army together are about to slip away... do you think he can still sit tight in that safe shell of his?"

A staff officer's eyes lit up: "Mr. Bai means to send a crack force on a roundabout route to hit Pianguan County, forcing him to turn back to save it?"

"No." Bai Ji shook his head: "Actually sending a force on a long march through treacherous mountains to hit Pianguan would be fraught with danger. Too few troops and it's suicide; too many and Ke Quan's scouts would spot them and tip him off."

"What we want isn't to actually attack Pianguan, but to make him believe it's under heavy assault and about to fall."

He laid out the plan in detail, sketching a scheme of interlocking traps:

"We can use the stratagem of deception. Pick a few soldiers who are good at mountain travel, dress them in rags like refugees or routed troops, and have them pose as fugitives who escaped from Pianguan County, or as messengers racing to Shanwei Stream for help."

His fingertip traced a circle around the outer edge of Shanwei Stream on the sand table: "Arrange for these men to get 'accidentally' captured by Ke Quan's outer patrols... and then let them learn that a force of unknown size—but fierce and of mysterious origin—is hammering Pianguan County! The garrison left in the county is too thin, the walls are about to crack, and the place is on the verge of falling! They risked their lives to break out and bring word and beg for reinforcements!"

An Yi stood before the sand table, listening quietly, his eyes following Bai Ji's moving fingertip.

When he heard this plan, he was briefly, almost imperceptibly, startled—stirring some exceedingly distant memory.

Speaking of which... that Ma Teng from Xiliang?

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, then he quickly collected himself and refocused on the present.

Bai Ji continued: "Ke Quan is hot-tempered, stubborn, and set in his ways, but also suspicious. When he hears this news, he won't fully believe it, but he won't dare to ignore it either. His first move will surely be to send trusted scouts racing back toward Pianguan to check it out."

His fingertip traced the main roads from Shanwei Stream to Pianguan County on the sand table: "And we'll set up ambushes at key points along these roads, intercepting and killing every scout Ke Quan sends out! Not one gets through!"

The whole tent went silent.

Killing all the scouts—that would sever Ke Quan's real link to Pianguan County, leaving him deaf and blind, able only to rely on the false info they fed him.

"Scouts go out and never come back; communication is cut."

Bai Ji said: "At the same time, our main force advances to the edge of Shanwei Stream, making a show of a full-scale assault—but we pull back after brief contact, showing weakness."

"We need to make Ke Quan think our offensive is nothing special—maybe even all bark and no bite. Already rattled by the crisis at his stronghold, he'll figure our main force is pinned down here. If he leads his elite troops back to relieve Pianguan, he can not only save his base but might even seize the chance to counterattack while we're weakened, crush our vanguard, and score a big win."

Bai Ji's fingertip finally came to rest on a relatively open area between Shanwei Stream and Pianguan County, marked "Hefeng Valley": "Hefeng Valley is one of the unavoidable routes back to Pianguan. The terrain there is much more open than at Shanwei Stream, perfect for deploying a large force."

"When Ke Quan, fooled by the crisis at his stronghold and our army's apparent weakness, hastily leads his main force out of his sturdy camp and into this area..."

He raised his eyes to look at An Yi: "That's when we strike at our leisure, meeting them head-on while hitting them from the flanks, and breaking them in one decisive blow."

The tent fell quiet as everyone mulled over the plan.

It played on Ke Quan's character flaws, his dependence on wealth, and the information gap—each piece interlocking, luring the enemy out of his fortress and into a decisive battle on ground that favored them.

Dou Chuang frowned, stroking his beard as he mused: "This plan is excellent, but... the risks are considerable as well."

"The men disguised as routed troops have to be razor-sharp, the false info has to be airtight, the scout interception has to be clean with no word getting out, and the feigned weakness has to be just right—enough to convince Ke Quan, but not so much that we actually lose morale and tip him off. Any single link going wrong could lose us everything."

An Shu also spoke up: "For the showdown at Hefeng Valley, we need to be in place beforehand, and we have to make sure Ke Quan's main force actually gets lured there. What if he picks another route, or plays it extra cautious in the valley..."

Bai Ji said calmly: "That's why the details have to be hammered out, and the execution has to be flawless."

"As for whether Ke Quan will take Hefeng Valley... it's the natural route. Even the smaller paths won't stray far from that area. We can set up obstacles and feints on the other routes to steer him that way."

Everyone turned their gaze back to the sand table, discussing in low voices the various details and possible contingencies.

An Yi had stayed silent the whole time, just listening, his eyes shifting between the sand table and Bai Ji's profile.

After a long while, when the discussion reached a temporary pause, An Yi finally spoke: "Risky as this plan is, it's worth a shot. Ke Quan is greedy and hot-headed; this plan hits him right in his psychological weak spot."

He paused, looking at Bai Ji, a slight curve forming at the corner of his mouth: "Ruzhi's schemes are methodical, step by step calculating human nature—truly a masterstroke."

He walked to the sand table, tapping the spot marked Hefeng Valley: "The key is the lure and the ambush."

He looked up at the assembled officers: "As for the specifics—picking the men, setting the ambushes, coordinating the operation—Mao Hua, An Shu, you two work with Mr. Bai and Mr. Dou to draft a detailed plan and report back to me tomorrow."

"Yes!" Mao Hua and An Shu acknowledged solemnly.

"Everyone, go prepare. Mr. Dou, please remain for a moment." An Yi said.

Dou Chuang: "Yes."

The officers and staff bowed and filed out, leaving only An Yi, Bai Ji, Dou Chuang, and the silent guards in the corner.

An Yi signaled for Dou Chuang to wait, then stepped out of the tent with Bai Ji.

Bai Ji looked at An Yi's profile, his heart thumping: "Lord... do you have some instruction for Ji?"

In the distance came the steady footsteps of patrol soldiers and the faint whinny of horses.

An Yi stopped, turned, and with a warm smile, said as if making small talk: "Ruzhi's strategies often take the unconventional path, favoring surprise wins—from the bandit suppression to this current plan, without exception. That much is clear."