Liu Jin nodded slightly, and after a moment of contemplation, slowly said:
"There's only a hundred li left to Zhuo Commandery. We'll set up camp here tonight. Yun Chang, Yide, order the entire army to rest well and gather their spirits. Tomorrow, we'll march quickly."
"Ergou, you will lead your troops and maintain strict vigilance around the area. Also, send out scouts to prevent any enemy sneak attacks."
Zhang Fei, Guan Yu, and Zhao Ergou, upon receiving their orders, immediately bowed and loudly declared:
"Understood!"
Everyone went to instruct their respective troops, beginning to cross the river and set up camp, build fortifications, and prepare meals.
The sky quickly darkened!
The camp was set up by the small river, with occasional flashes of firelight from the army, and a rich aroma wafted over.
Liu Jin found a small stool and sat by the river, holding a bowl of steaming millet rice with a few small dried fish and pickles, and began to eat ravenously.
Although it only had a salty taste, having been on the road all day, he was famished, and it still tasted incredibly delicious.
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei next to him were in the same state, sitting by the small river, wolfing down their food as if someone might snatch it away.
After eating and drinking their fill, the sky had completely darkened, and it became somewhat cold at night. Many bonfires were lit around the military camp.
Liu Jin and the others sat by the bonfires to warm themselves, chatting intermittently.
They mostly discussed how the upcoming major battle should proceed, as they would reach Zhuo Commandery in three days and face tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of Yellow Turban soldiers.
Zhang Fei suddenly stood up and loudly declared:
"Big Brother, if you ask me, we should lead the main army directly to ambush the Yellow Turban camp outside the city and defeat them in one fell swoop."
Guan Yu frowned upon hearing this and quickly shook his head:
"Third Brother, a sneak attack is too rash. Our thousand-plus men would make too much noise. We're not a hundred men who can move silently and evade their scouts' detection."
"By the time you stealthily get there, they've probably already prepared and are waiting for you to jump in. So, a sneak attack is too risky and shouldn't be used in the current situation."
Liu Jin nodded upon hearing this, largely agreeing with what Guan Yu said.
The leader of this Yellow Turban was not some ragtag mob; he was, after all, one of the thirty-six Qu Shuai, Cheng Yuanzhi, who naturally understood some military tactics.
Daring to lead a large army to besiege Zhuo Commandery, he must have deployed many scouts in the surrounding area.
If they just charged in, it wouldn't be a hundred percent certainty of being discovered, but there would be a significant risk. If the Yellow Turban discovered them, not only would the sneak attack fail, but they might also be surrounded, leading to heavy casualties.
For Liu Jin, this was unacceptable. To establish himself in these chaotic times, he had to rely on the army he commanded.
So, the risk was too great to make him act impulsively and launch a sneak attack on the enemy.
Zhang Fei, hearing his Second Brother reject his idea, gave a slight snort.
He sat by the fire, muttering under his breath, expressing his displeasure.
Liu Jin and Guan Yu saw this and laughed. They naturally understood Zhang Fei and wouldn't be angry about his idea being rejected.
Han Dang, who was sitting nearby, hesitated for a moment before slowly saying:
"Ming Gong, since a sneak attack with over a thousand men is not feasible and easily discovered by enemy scouts,"
"Why don't we lead a hundred-plus men for a sneak attack, just like before, to burn the enemy's rear camp and create chaos?"
"Then, we can coordinate with the government troops inside the city to launch a joint attack. With a pincer movement, we can definitely easily annihilate this Yellow Turban rebel force and secure victory in this great battle."
Everyone nodded upon hearing this, largely agreeing with the sneak attack plan.
At the very least, they had achieved a great victory in the previous battle using this method, and even now, it had a high success rate.
Guan Yu nodded in agreement, highly approving of Han Dang's words.
He even felt a bit eager, wanting to lead a hundred-plus men to charge into the enemy's rear camp, just like before.
Zhang Fei slapped his thigh, quickly moved closer, and laughed heartily:
"Yi Gong's idea is brilliant! We'll create another miracle, defeat these Yellow Turban, and make a name for ourselves throughout Zhuo Commandery!"
"However, this time, I must be the one to lead the hundred-plus men to sneak attack the enemy's rear camp!"
He glared at Guan Yu next to him, as if saying, "Second Brother, don't try to steal my glory. Last time was you; this time it's my turn, Old Zhang."
Guan Yu couldn't help but smile wryly at this.
Why was his Third Brother so impatient? Big Brother hadn't even confirmed it, and he was already jumping up and down.
Liu Jin pondered for a moment after hearing this, then slowly shook his head.
Everyone looked on, puzzled and even full of doubt.
Zhang Fei scratched his ears and cheeks in frustration, quickly asking:
"Big Brother, this method is quite good! We used it last time to defeat all the Yellow Turban bandits!"
"The current situation is exactly the same as before. If we implement it, we can definitely wipe out these Yellow Turban in one battle!"
Everyone nodded, looking at Liu Jin, who was sitting to the side.
Looking at their eager gazes, Liu Jin smiled slightly and explained:
"The method is indeed good, and it's absolutely feasible in the current situation."
Zhang Fei's face lit up upon hearing this, and he eagerly said:
"Exactly, Big Brother!"
"You even think it's feasible, so why did you shake your head?"
Liu Jin looked at the impatient Zhang Fei, then waved his hand, signaling him not to be so anxious. His voice slowly came out:
"The method is good, but have you considered that the command authority for Zhuo Commandery is not with me, but with the Prefect of the commandery?"
"You must know, there are only two or three thousand soldiers in the city. If they are all mobilized to cooperate with our actions to ambush the enemy, it would be good if it succeeded, and we could pacify the situation in one battle."
"However, if the plan fails, and there are no troops stationed in the city, the entire Zhuo Commandery would be lost. All the officials in the commandery would be held accountable by the imperial court; even if they didn't die, they would lose their official positions and be imprisoned."
"With such a great risk, even if the Prefect agreed, there would probably be many officials in the commandery who would object, making this plan very difficult to implement and potentially hindering us instead."
"Relying on my thousand-plus troops, even if we can cause chaos among the enemy, it would be very difficult to wipe out this Yellow Turban."
"The enemy has tens of thousands of men; their forces are dozens of times ours. As long as they stabilize their formation, without support from the commandery's troops, we would only face a dead end."
"Therefore, this method cannot be implemented for now. At the very least, we must ensure the Prefect agrees and is willing to let the city's troops be mobilized before we can carry out this plan."
Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Han Dang, and the others sighed upon hearing this.
Indeed, the command authority for Zhuo Commandery lay with the Prefect. Even if they had good methods, they still needed the approval of those in charge to implement them.
