Chapter 586 Meng Hua Arrives
Just as they reached the Neiyi Gate, Jia Zheng suddenly stopped and shouted, "Someone, call Baoyu over!"
This was the second time in his life that he could discipline his son so openly. He was already itching to do so and didn't want to delay even a moment...
…
By dawn, the originally chaotic camp had become quiet again! Jia Cong directly took over the enemy camp.
Last night, troops from other camps did arrive, but because Jia Cong had set up an ambush in advance, both sides suffered losses after a fierce battle, and the other side retreated.
After all, the fact that Jia Cong's troops were able to set up an ambush at this location already indicated that the main camp had been lost. Even if they went forward, they would have little chance of winning given the unclear situation. It would be better to make other plans.
After cleaning up the battlefield, Jia Cong ordered the troops to rest on the spot and opened the passage. Meng Hua's troops were no longer in danger, and the next ones to be anxious would be the other side .
"Marshal, General Meng Hua has arrived!"
Not long after the report was made, Meng Hua entered the big tent under the guidance of his personal guards.
"General Meng Hua pays homage to the Marshal!"
Jia Cong smiled and waved his hand for Meng Hua to sit down. Then, Meng Hua said with a guilty look on his face, "I was not able to use my troops effectively and was ambushed by the enemy. Now I have troubled you to come to my rescue. I hope you will punish me."
"The situation in war is unpredictable, and we certainly don't understand the terrain and access routes of each prefecture as well as the enemy. It's understandable that General Meng Hua fell into a trap. What are the casualties among your troops now?"
Meng Hua smiled wryly and said, "I still have nearly 10,000 soldiers under my command. Just after arriving here, we were ambushed by the enemy, losing two to three thousand soldiers. Then, when I tried to break out, I was intercepted and suffered heavy casualties several times. Fortunately, the Marshal came to rescue us. Otherwise, in two or three days, when our food and fodder were exhausted, I would have been left fighting to the death to see if I could break out."
Jia Cong nodded and asked, "Did Niu Chong send the food and fodder over?"
"General Niu arrived early this morning and transported a few days' worth of food and fodder. Now the Marshal has opened up a path, breaking the enemy's encirclement!"
"Well, after you return, have your troops rest and recuperate. Also, your troops will continue to be stationed where they are. I will dispatch some troops from the main camp to reinforce you. Now that the situation has changed, we have blocked the enemy's retreat, so they will definitely not stay for long. Therefore, they may initiate a war in the next two days..."
"Marshal, please give me a chance to redeem myself from my crime!" Meng Hua said immediately.
"Before, our soldiers had no desire to fight, and the enemy, taking advantage of the terrain, refused to engage us head-on. Now, please give me a chance, Marshal. If I fail, I will beg you for my life."
"Hahaha!" Jia Cong laughed out loud. "When the enemy arrives, if you don't lead your troops into battle, who else will?"
"Thank you, Marshal!"
"Go and rest first. I'll have Lu Feng help you select your troops and horses, and prepare all the food and fodder. You can take it all back later!"
Meng Hua stood up and saluted, then left the tent.
In the afternoon, Meng Hua returned to Baima Town with 5,000 reinforcements, escorting provisions. Jia Cong also dispatched another force to set up camp ten miles from the main camp. Thus, the three camps formed a pincer attack, completely blocking the enemy's retreat southward. If they wanted to get through, they would have to force their way through.
As the situation stabilized, Jia Cong naturally did not wait for the southern border troops to take the initiative to attack. Instead, he took the initiative and divided his troops into several groups, randomly feinting an attack on one of the enemy's camps.
Although Shen Tumou knew that Jia Cong's troops were most likely a feint, he could only send other camps to the rescue. After all, if left alone, this feint might turn into a real attack.
In addition, behind them, there are thousands of cavalry led by Hou Jing and others roaming around, and they might appear from nowhere.
Previously, he hadn't paid much attention to this force, believing it could only harass them at best and lacked the strength to attack the main camp. But now, the enemy also had tens of thousands of troops, and while his main camp occupied a dominant position, if they were to seize the opportunity and attack with a force many times their size, how could he possibly hold it? Furthermore, judging by the previous camp's destruction by the Fire Bull Formation and the current situation, it was clear that the enemy commander was also a skilled military commander...
Shentu Mou also set up several traps, deliberately exposing a flaw in a certain camp to attract Jia Cong's troops to attack, while setting up ambushes in hidden locations.
However, Jia Cong remained indifferent and let Shentu Mou put the meat in front of his mouth without being tempted.
In reality, Jia Cong had certainly noticed these flaws, but he wasn't sure whether they were real flaws or just a ruse. However, he didn't need to worry about it. He just needed to follow his own pace, regardless of what the other party did. After all, he wasn't the one who was anxious.
With this elite force from Qiong Prefecture besieging Meng Hua's forces, Jiading Prefecture must be internally weakened. With Shi Nai's troops supporting Guanjin, the situation in Jiading Prefecture is likely to be disrupted. How long can the forces in Jiading Prefecture's southern border remain stable? Furthermore, not long ago, he had sent Jiang Zining and two others to attack Qianwei. Once the news arrived, these troops would undoubtedly evacuate southward immediately.
…
In Hongya City, Ma Shang and Sun Ze led their troops to garrison!
Since Sun Ze occupied Hongya, surprisingly, the tribal troops in the Yazhou area did not come to attack. Instead, the southern border troops in the Jiading area sent two detachments to attack. However, the number of troops that came was not large, and they were all driven back by Sun Ze. Therefore, Hongya City has been firmly controlled by Sun Ze.
Especially after Guan Jin and Meng Hua's troops moved south to Jiading Prefecture, even the troops in southern Xinjiang abandoned Hongya City.
In addition, Ma Shang led his troops to reinforce Hongya not long after, bringing the total number of troops to 8,000! Although the number of troops was not large, it was obviously enough to garrison such a small city. Unless the enemy army was several times larger, even if 10,000 or 20,000 troops came, they would probably not be able to do anything to Sun Ze and others.
In the Hongya City camp, Ma Shang and Sun Ze were looking at the military report that had just arrived from Jia Cong's direction.
"The Marshal's military strategy is beyond our reach!" Ma Shang exclaimed in admiration.
Sun Ze, standing by, nodded in admiration. "The Marshal has been awarded the title of Champion Marquis for his achievements, so naturally, we are no match for him! Ever since he marched into Chengdu Prefecture, he's been able to outmaneuver his opponents' generals and overpower theirs. His tactics have left them with no chance of recovery. We're fortunate to have such a commander."
"Hehe, when I return from this battle, my title will be promoted a bit." Ma Shang said with a grin. His own son has been granted a title. If he is surpassed by someone else, how can he, as a father, have any face left?
"The Marshal told us to guard against the troops in the Yazhou area. Why is that?" Ma Shang asked in confusion. "For the past two or three months, the troops in Yazhou haven't moved at all. They've been stationed in the Diaomen Village area."
