RPAGF Chapter 148 Launching a Surprise Attack
Chapter 148 Launching a Surprise Attack
The guerrilla general bowed to Yang Hong and said that they did not want to attack today, but they had not received any orders from above. The frontline troops had drawn this guerrilla general to come and find out Yang Hong's intentions. Everyone knew that Ji Ling had been infatuated with a beauty these past two days, and no one dared to provoke Ji Ling.
Besides, everyone knows that Ji Ling's abilities are limited. He might be able to lead an army of tens of thousands to bully Tao Qian, but he's far from being a match for a renowned general like Gao Shun. However, Ji Ling is adept at scheming and is deeply loved by Yuan Shu.
Yuan Shu always thought Ji Ling was a good general, which is why Ji Ling remained Yuan Shu's top general. It wasn't because of his ability or military achievements, but because of Yuan Shu's fondness for him.
"I don't know why, but I have a feeling of unease in my heart." Yang Hong muttered to himself as he walked into his tent and took out a map to examine.
Seeing the guerrilla general leave, Yang Hong felt uneasy. He didn't know where this unease came from; he just had a feeling that his orders would harm the entire army after he gave them.
However, he couldn't figure out where he went wrong. After the guerrilla general left, Yang Hong took out the map and studied it carefully, but he couldn't find any loopholes. During this time, he also noticed the Sishui River several times.
However, the west bank of the Sishui River was Yuan Shao's territory. Although Yang Hong was also a great talent, due to the limitations of the times, he did not see the threat from the upper reaches of the Sishui River, nor did he fully understand the threat posed by the navy.
It was precisely this oversight that ultimately led to the crushing defeat of Yuan Shu's army in the Battle of Xiapi, resulting in a significant loss of strength.
"General, news has come from the Rencheng navy that they have just passed near Xiapi and are expected to reach the upper reaches of Pengcheng by this time tomorrow. General Li said that he will launch a surprise attack on Pengcheng tomorrow night."
Just as Xiahou Dun was preparing to rest, an officer rushed over with news from Li Ji on the Sishui River. They had crossed the vicinity of Xiapi half an hour earlier and were now rushing towards Pengcheng at full speed, without stopping even at night, mainly because they were afraid that Yuan Shu's army nearby would discover something.
"So, the decisive battle is about to begin." Hearing the officer's words, Xiahou Dun was wide awake and began to think about how to counterattack Yuan Shu's army outside the city.
He said to the officer, "Immediately have the communications company find a way to contact the Third Army in Donghai County and ask them where they are. As soon as they arrive, the counterattack should begin."
Gao Shun had not prepared a detailed plan for the counterattack, so Xiahou Dun had to direct and arrange the tactics himself.
"Yes, General, I will have someone contact the two divisions of the Third Army immediately."
In the darkness, on the Sishui River, Li Ji stood at the bow of the boat, looking at the blurry banks on both sides. Li Ji said softly, "No one would know that we are still moving on the Sishui River. Even I, Ji Ling, would find it hard to imagine that the enemy is attacking from the Sishui River."
The autonomous region side was unaware that the enemy's actual commander had been replaced. Of course, even if they knew, it wouldn't matter, because in the face of absolute power, everything else is insignificant.
Li Ji was a general whom Chen Er greatly admired. Many generals in the entire autonomous region's military system knew this. Chen Er would often mention Li Ji, saying that Li Ji, the commander of the Seventh Army, was an excellent general and a rising star in the military.
As for why he said this, many people don't understand. Only Gao Shun vaguely knows some of the inside story. This is why Gao Shun was both training Xiahou Dun and making good use of the Seventh Army, which was not under his command.
This is not just about maintaining balance; more importantly, it subtly reflects Chen Er's sentiments.
The speed at which the military's equipment has been updated in recent years has been too fast. As Gao Shun and others have made continuous progress, they have also realized that their previous knowledge is outdated and they need a large number of new talents.
In particular, generals like Li Ji, who were highly talented in firearms combat, were the focus of their training.
It was precisely because of this that Li Ji received Chen Er's special attention.
However, Li Ji was sailing on the Sishui River at this moment, and he was no longer in the mood to think about anything else. What he wanted to do now was to capture Pengcheng as soon as possible and complete the most important battle objective of this campaign.
"Commander, you can go and rest now. I'll keep watch here," Wang Ming said to Li Ji as he walked out of the command cabin.
Li Ji nodded and said, "Then I'll trouble you."
"It's all for victory, it's nothing," Wang Ming said nonchalantly.
For the naval personnel, navigating the water was second nature, and there was no danger in sailing at night, especially since the river channel in the lower reaches of the Sishui River was very wide. The naval forces had sent several fishing boats to check the water flow conditions along the entire basin more than a month ago.
Although it was nighttime, none of that mattered to Wang Ming.
After checking the situation at the bow of the ship, Wang Ming walked back to the command cabin, sat down in his chair, and prepared to deal with any emergencies at any time. After all, the water is a dangerous place, and you never know when a whirlpool might appear.
The voyage lasted for another full day. After sunset on the second day, Li Ji led more than 10,000 elite troops to land in a harbor northeast of Pengcheng. They were waiting for news from the scouts ahead. Once the target was confirmed, they would immediately launch a surprise attack on Pengcheng and reverse the tide of the battle.
Li Jiyao looked towards Xiapi and at the darkening sky, saying, "Ji Ling, can you believe it? Sometimes, the reversal happens so quickly."
With a successful landing, Li Ji had victory in his grasp; for him, victory was already within his grasp.
"General, they're back! The scouts are back!" Just as Li Ji was still worried, the scouts who had gone out finally returned. Li Lin quickly ordered someone to bring the scouts over, and Li Ji immediately asked, "What's the situation in Pengcheng?"
"Reporting to the commander, Pengcheng's defenses are very lax. I observed outside the city for half an hour, and most of their sentries were not on duty. Some sentries were even barbecuing on the city walls. I think our army only needs one charge to take over the entire city," the reconnaissance platoon leader reported to Li Ji.
"Is the moat easy to cross?" Li Ji asked upon reaching the end. The reconnaissance platoon leader pondered for a moment, then replied to Li Ji, "Commander, the moat is not difficult, although I haven't observed it up close."