While the Qiang people were busy searching for supplies left behind by the Han army, Zhang Qiao led 5,000 Han soldiers to retreat to a hill seventy miles to the southeast.
At the same time, the scout responsible for monitoring the Qiang people's movements caught up with Zhang Qiao and his group, and then reported the situation of the Qiang people to him.
Then, Zhang Qiao ordered the entire army to halt their advance. After surveying the surrounding terrain, Zhang Qiao nodded in satisfaction and then ordered the entire army to set up camp and cook a meal, waiting in comfort for the enemy to tire themselves out.
One of Zhang Qiao's captains looked at Zhang Qiao with a puzzled expression. "General, I have a question! I hope you can enlighten me!"
"What is it?"
The captain then asked doubtfully, "General, we could have taken advantage of the chaos among the Qiang people to launch a surprise attack and crush them in one fell swoop. Why did you bring your men here and choose to confront them head-on?"
Zhang Qiao smiled, then looked at the captain and asked, "Although we can catch them off guard at the beginning, once we get into a melee within the camp, our Xiliang cavalry will lose all their advantages. Their losses will be no less than those of a frontal charge, and may even be higher."
"The general is right. If we're going to ambush from within the camp, archers and spearmen are more suitable! Our Liangzhou cavalry has a greater advantage in open field battles!"
The captain nodded in agreement. If cavalry lost the advantage of charging and chose to fight the enemy on horseback, then no matter how elite and fierce you are, you will inevitably suffer huge casualties.
Zhang Qiao nodded, then continued, "Furthermore, if we defeat them, what will Ma Yi do?"
The captain's eyes lit up, and he said, "Could it be that the general intends to wait for Ma Yi to arrive, and then we can attack from both sides?"
Zhang Qiao nodded. "That's right. A pincer attack can greatly accelerate their collapse and significantly reduce our losses, but that's only one aspect!"
"Oh? Does the general have other intentions?"
The captain was even more puzzled at this point.
"Heh~ Ma Yi wants to use us to eliminate his rivals, how can we let him get away with it?"
Zhang Qiao couldn't help but sneer, and then said, "As long as he makes a move, no matter how many people he kills, he can't escape the reputation of helping outsiders slaughter their own kind. In the future, it won't be so easy for Ma Yi to rule the entire Dongqiang!"
"General, your strategy is indeed profound. I admire you!"
The captain looked at Zhang Qiao with admiration. He hadn't expected that a battle would involve so many things.
"Haha~ I don't have that kind of ability. This was all arranged by General Duan and the others. I was just following the rules!"
Hearing his subordinates' flattery, Zhang Qiao smiled modestly and waved his hand. He dared not claim credit for Duan Jiong's achievements.
"General Duan?"
When the captain heard that it was Duan Jiong's arrangement, his expression of reverence deepened. In the eyes of the Xiliang soldiers, Duan Jiong was like a god of war.
Zhang Qiao nodded. "That's right! Moreover, General Duan also said that as long as we defeat them head-on in front of Ma Yi, it will definitely have a great deterrent effect and make him dare not act rashly again."
"Report!!"
Just as Zhang Qiao was talking to the captain, a messenger hurriedly came to Zhang Qiao.
"Reporting to the general, General Duan's vanguard force of one thousand men has appeared to the southeast of our army, only about twenty miles away!"
"Oh? Who is leading the army?"
"It is Yang Feng, Commandant Yang!"
"Very well! I understand!"
Then Zhang Qiao looked at the messenger and said, "Go and inform the scout team to send a few men to meet us!"
"promise!"
After the messenger hurriedly left, Zhang Qiao looked at the captain and laughed, "Hehe~ With these thousand reinforcements, it will be much easier for us to defeat that rabble head-on."
Upon hearing this, the captain nodded excitedly.
Soon the news of the arrival of reinforcements reached the ears of every Han soldier, immediately causing a cheer. Although the number of reinforcements was small, it still had a great boost to morale.
Meanwhile, an hour later, when Ma Yi leisurely arrived at the Han army camp, he was so angry that he almost fell off his horse when he saw the chieftains and their men still fighting over the supplies left behind by the Han army.
He had already slowed down his march as much as possible, waiting for them and the Han army to be exhausted so that he could reap the benefits.
But despite his careful planning, he underestimated the greed of these guys. They fought over tents, clothes, and armor.
But what use are those who looted the barrels, the flags, the tables, and the weapon racks? Are you going to carry them into battle?
Enraged, Ma Yi immediately ordered the horns to be sounded and sent men in to stop the chaos.
After Ma Yi's efforts to mediate, the Qiang allied forces were finally able to distribute the supplies left behind by the Han army.
Ma Yi, his face grim, glared at the summoned chieftains and roared angrily:
"Gentlemen, what you see here are nothing but junk that the Han army doesn't want. You've been fighting over them for over an hour, showing no regard for what's important. If they take those valuable supplies and run far away, it will be difficult to catch them!"
"The big shot is right!"
"They threw all these things away, so doesn't that mean the ones they took were better?"
The group exchanged bewildered glances, and then the leaders realized that the fleeing Han soldiers might be carrying even more valuables. They hurriedly led their men in pursuit of Zhang Qiao.
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