mesbooks Chapter 345 Pan Zhang ambushes Peng Qi
Chapter 345 Pan Zhang ambushes Peng Qi
After leaving Nanji Island, Peng Qi led his troops in a retreat. Like frightened rabbits, they would run away at the mere mention of Pan Zhang's news. After two or three days of this, the army was exhausted and hungry, which caused many soldiers to harbor resentment.
The fourth leader, Bi Kui, was very dissatisfied with this and complained to Peng Qi many times: "Brother, Pan Zhang has 5,000 men and we have 20,000. Our strength is four times that of Pan Zhang. What are you afraid of? Why don't you dare to fight Pan Zhang?"
Peng Qi retorted on the spot, speechless: "You make it sound so easy to fight. We'll use whatever weapons Pan Zhang has. If we don't wear Pan Zhang down, rushing in like this is just sending him to his death. You don't understand military strategy, so don't ask too many questions for now."
People like Bi Kui, who are simple-minded and physically strong, are the easiest to fool; they can be dismissed with just a few words.
Peng Qi thought the matter was over, but to her surprise, it wasn't. Before Bi Kui could even leave, the scout returned and reported to Peng Qi that Pan Zhang had retreated.
Bi Kui immediately perked up and said excitedly, "This must be because You Chong led his troops to attack the Riyue Lake camp. We should also follow our agreement and rush back to support You Chong. Don't you agree, brother?"
The other leaders echoed this sentiment, none of them wanting to waste time on unnecessary detours. They thought, "When will this end? We can run, but at least give us a clear destination."
Peng Qi was somewhat at a loss upon seeing this, and subconsciously looked at Ning Huan and asked, "What does the strategist think?"
Upon hearing this, Ning Huan instinctively recalled the scene of Shen Yi annihilating Han Dangshi. On that day, Shen Yi was setting up a trap in the corridor when he suddenly received news that Xu Sheng had cut off his retreat at Yushan.
In this situation, most people would immediately return to Yushan to reinforce it and seize back the county town to secure their rear before Xu Sheng could establish a firm foothold. However, Shen Yi did not do this. Instead, he chose to ambush Han Dang, who was supporting Yushan, and successfully annihilated Han Dang's army of tens of thousands.
Pan Zhang is now facing a situation almost identical to that of Shen Yi back then. So the question is, what will Pan Zhang do? Will he immediately return to reinforce the camp, or will he ambush and deal with Peng Qi on the way?
Ning Huan said, "According to the agreement, we should indeed fight our way back, but there's a problem: did Pan Zhang really return to reinforce the camp? Or is it possible that he's pretending to return to reinforce the camp while actually ambushing us on the way?"
Peng Qi's expression changed drastically, and she quickly said, "That's very possible."
Bi Kui, however, said nonchalantly, "There aren't that many possibilities. Even if there were, we still have to chase after them. First, we made an agreement with You Chong that it would be unethical not to go. Second, it's time for us to have a fight with Pan Zhang. If we don't, morale will collapse."
Peng Qi's bandit army only had six or seven thousand core troops. The rest of the soldiers were recently recruited. These people followed Peng Qi to rob money and grain to make a fortune, not to run away aimlessly. If Peng Qi didn't achieve something soon, they really would have to run away.
Peng Qi asked, "Strategist, what do you think..."
Ning Huan said, "We can pursue, but we can't pursue blindly. We must be vigilant about our surroundings and be wary of ambushes. At the same time, we must prepare contingency plans for what to do if we fall into an ambush, so as to minimize our losses after a defeat."
"Commander Zong, how about this: you lead the main force forward slowly, and I will lead a large army to follow behind you, keeping a distance of about five miles. If everything goes smoothly, that would be best. But if we are ambushed by Pan Zhang, I can ambush you from behind to cover your retreat."
This is equivalent to providing insurance for the army. Even if they are attacked by Pan Zhang and are no match for him, the army can retreat smoothly under Ning Huan's cover and avoid a complete rout.
Peng Qi and Bi Kui exchanged a glance and said, "That's excellent, I agree."
After discussing and agreeing to act immediately, Peng Qi led 15,000 troops to advance slowly and steadily toward the Wu army camp at Riyue Lake, while Ning Huan led 5,000 troops behind them to prepare for a cover retreat.
Meanwhile, Pan Zhang had already laid an ambush in the woods, waiting for Peng Qi to take the bait. Before long, the scout hurriedly returned and said, "General, you are truly a prophet. Peng Qi has indeed turned around and is coming towards us. He is less than twenty miles away from here."
Pan Zhang was overjoyed and suppressed his excitement as he whispered, "That's great. You all continue to keep an eye on Peng Qi's movements. Report any unusual activity immediately. Everyone else, stay silent and wait for my orders. Once you see Peng Qi, follow me straight to Peng Qi's central army. This time, I want Peng Qi dead."
After patiently waiting for nearly three hours, Peng Qi's bandit army finally came into view. Pan Zhang lay in the grass, carefully observing the bandit army's figures, and muttered to himself, "Maintaining formation and advancing steadily, it seems that Peng Qi is very cautious. But so what? Today I, Pan Wengui, will see how much fighting power you have."
Peng Qi was marching on the official road, while Pan Zhang was hiding in the grass southwest of the official road. The two sides were currently about two miles apart.
After seeing the woods, Peng Qi stopped and stared at them, saying, "Fourth brother, send a team of scouts into the woods to scout out if there are any ambushes."
As the art of war says, "Do not pursue a desperate enemy, and do not enter a forest."
Although Peng Qi had not read many military books, he understood this principle. More importantly, he would never underestimate the Wu army.
Underestimating the enemy only happens to arrogant soldiers who win often. The Yue people in the mountains were beaten like grandsons by the Wu army. They were too cautious to underestimate the enemy.
Moreover, Ning Huan had warned him to be careful before the expedition and listed several dangerous locations where Pan Zhang might ambush him. The woods in front of him were one of the dangerous locations listed by Ning Huan.
Knowing there might be danger ahead, Peng Qi was certainly not foolish enough to cross without any precautions. She would definitely check for potential hazards and confirm that it was safe before proceeding.
He was safe, but Pan Zhang was distressed. Seeing that the bandit army had stopped advancing and only a team of scouts was walking towards the woods, he knew that the ambush had failed.
With thousands of them hidden in the forest, they couldn't possibly disappear without a trace. The enemy scouts could see them as soon as they entered, and any little noise from them would scare Peng Qi away. How could they possibly ambush them under such circumstances?
But having finally caught Peng Qi, he naturally couldn't retreat. Seeing the bandit scouts rushing towards the woods, he decisively stood up and roared, "Brothers, follow me!"
After saying that, he brandished his sword and charged towards the bandit army. Wu Jun, who had been holding back in the woods for several hours and dared not even move to urinate, quickly got up and followed Pan Zhang in a grand procession towards Peng Qi.
The bandit scouts who were heading this way were dumbfounded. Without thinking, they turned around and ran. They were there to scout ahead, not to fight, and had no intention of being the vanguard.
Peng Qi, Bi Kui, and the others behind them were also dumbfounded. After a moment of astonishment, Peng Qi said, "Damn Pan Zhang really did ambush us. The strategist is truly a genius. Everyone, turn around and retreat immediately."
He had no intention of fighting Wu Jun head-on, especially since Wu Jun was seething with resentment and needed to vent his anger. So, the moment he saw Pan Zhang, he planned to run away, but...
As soon as Peng Qi finished speaking and turned around, Xiao Dan, the second-in-command beside him, suddenly swung his knife down on his head and loudly protested, "Brother, don't blame me. Pan Zhang promised to appoint me as a captain as long as I kill him. I really don't want to live this kind of wandering life anymore."
After receiving news that Peng Qi had robbed goods and raised a flag in rebellion, Ma Zhong suggested that Pan Zhang use large sums of money and promises of high-ranking officials to win over Peng Qi's leaders. Pan Zhang accepted Ma Zhong's suggestion and sent people to take action. Before long, they contacted Xiao Dan, the second-in-command.
But such a deal couldn't be reached on the first meeting. After receiving Pan Zhang's promise, Xiao Dan hesitated, and hesitation meant she was tempted.
Pan Zhang's envoy was also a shrewd man. Seeing that Xiao Dan neither killed him nor handed him over to Peng Qi, he knew that this matter was going to work. In recent days, he had been stirring up trouble and constantly encouraging Xiao Dan to rebel. Even on the way here, he repeatedly tried to persuade him. In addition, after Peng Qi appointed Ning Huan as his military advisor, he neglected Xiao Dan, which made Xiao Dan feel that his position as the second leader might be replaced by Ning Huan. As a result, the scales in Xiao Dan's heart kept tilting towards Pan Zhang's side.
Just now, at the very moment Peng Qi ordered the retreat, Xiao Dan finally decided to betray Peng Qi and join Pan Zhang. The reason was simple: you have 20,000 troops, yet you turned and ran away without even fighting when facing Pan Zhang's 4,000 or 5,000 men. What future do you have if you follow me?
Therefore, Xiao Dan did not hesitate to wield the knife against Peng Qi.
Peng Qi never dreamed that her good brother would betray her at this time, and she froze on the spot as the long knife was swung towards her.