Some scouts skilled in drawing even sketched the terrain of Jiange.
It was not much different from the Jiange of Liang Xiao's memory.
The Jinniu Path and the Micang Path were the two routes into Sichuan that Liang Xiao could currently choose.
However, if he took the Micang Path, the speed of conquering Western Sichuan would be greatly slowed. Because the route was too long, Western Sichuan would have ample time to mobilize troops for defense, and it might take two or three years to capture it.
If he took the Jinniu Path, as long as Jiange was breached, he could advance all the way to Chengdu.
Jiange is precipitous and towering, one man guarding the pass, ten thousand men cannot get through!
Jiange was situated on the Jiange Path, which in turn was nestled between the Jianmen Mountains. This peculiar geography greatly restricted the deployment of Liang Xiao's formations.
Attacking Jiange, which occupied a commanding height, required sending troops uphill. But due to the narrow roads, at most a few thousand or even a few hundred men could charge the pass at a time. Rushing headlong into it would be no different from queuing up to die.
Even if the garrison at Jiange only had ten thousand men, as long as they had enough arrows and stones, there was almost no possibility of breaching it.
The northern slope of Jiange was extremely steep, but the southern slope was relatively gentle, making it easy to defend and attack for Helian Heng.
This was also why Liang Xiao did not immediately charge the pass. Even if Helian Heng's morale collapsed, the garrison of Jiange still had over thirty thousand men. He had to find a way to reduce the enemy's defenders, or precisely destroy the gate and some important areas.
Liang Xiao could not help but ask Liu Fan, who had returned, "Have those surrendered soldiers caused any trouble?"
Liu Fan solemnly replied, "Because there is enough food, the surrendered soldiers who voluntarily surrendered receive meat every three days, and prisoners of war receive meat every seven days. They have all been cooperative in their guard duties and dare not even speak loudly!"
Liang Xiao was relieved.
The number of surrendered soldiers, over ninety thousand, was truly immense. He had to guard against any accidents and could not afford a revolt in his rear.
Especially since some of them had defected from the Huichun Sect and the Sun Moon Army, they were all unstable factors.
But Liang Xiao could not simply execute surrendered soldiers just because they came from the Huichun Sect.
One should judge by deeds, not intentions. If one judges by intentions, no one can be a sage. It was already commendable that these people had defected from the Huichun Sect.
Fortunately, the captured rebel supplies were enough to sustain seventeen thousand men for at least half a year. Combined with the continuous supply from the northern region, feeding ninety thousand surrendered soldiers was not a problem. If necessary, they could be incorporated into the military farming system and directly cultivate the land.
Nan Jiyun stared intently at the map on the table, deep in thought.
Seeing Nan Jiyun's unusually thoughtful expression, Liang Xiao asked, "General Nan, have you perhaps thought of a stratagem?"
Nan Jiyun nodded, "Your subordinate has thought of a dangerous path, but it is extremely risky!"
Liang Xiao's heart jolted. He suddenly recalled something and smiled, "Elaborate?"
Nan Jiyun hesitated for a moment before revealing his thoughts.
"Your subordinate learned archery and spears from the renowned master Tong Zhen of Western Sichuan in his early years. Before my master passed away, he lived in Yinping, so your subordinate is quite familiar with the roads in the Yinping area. Your subordinate requests to lead an army to cross Yinping stealthily, capture Fucheng, and then advance towards Mianzhu from Fucheng along the Zuo Zhan Path, forcing the rebels to divert troops to defend, thereby weakening Jiange's defenses!"
"There is a treacherous path between Yinping and Fucheng. Helian Heng would never have imagined that our army would attack from there, because this treacherous path is difficult and resupply is extremely challenging. Taking this path is completely unreasonable. But with the Marshal's brilliant strategy that combines the conventional and the unconventional, he will surely understand your subordinate's consideration."
Everyone was dumbfounded, only Liang Xiao fell into deep thought.
Liang Xiao remembered Deng Ai's stealth crossing of Yinping and direct attack on Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period.
But this expedition was extremely perilous.
Shu Han at that time was too corrupt; otherwise, Deng Ai's surprise attack force would have had multiple opportunities to be annihilated.
When Deng Ai reached Fucheng, the defending general Ma Miao, facing the sudden appearance of the Wei army, surrendered directly. Deng Ai captured Fucheng and used it as a supply base, which finally turned the tide for Shu Han, leading to the eventual breach of Shu Han.
A staff officer worried, "Isn't this too risky? Once the enemy is alerted, or Fucheng stubbornly resists, the army will be trapped in a desperate situation!"
Nan Jiyun solemnly replied, "The Marshal's sudden appearance has already demoralized the enemy. The Helian family is cruel and unjust, and the court is promoting the 'Tan Ding Ru Mu' (a tax reform), liberating the people and relieving them of tax burdens. The people long for the Great Qian, and we should seize this heaven-sent opportunity, lest Helian Heng gain respite and stabilize the situation in Western Sichuan. Our army would then be forced to attack Jiange head-on, and we might suffer tens of thousands of casualties!"
Liu Fan pondered for a moment and sighed, "Rather than being hesitant before Jiange and giving the enemy a chance to regroup, it is better to launch a surprise attack on Fucheng. At that time, the Marshal, General Nan, and the General who crossed the river to ascend directly will three forces converge on Sichuan, and the enemy will be unable to attend to both heads and tails. The defeat of the rebels will be imminent. Your subordinate is willing to cooperate with the General who pacifies the west in the stealth crossing of Yinping!"
Liang Xiao was still gazing at the map intently.
That Nan Jiyun could come up with such a stratagem was unexpected.
This showed that he possessed military talent, but simply lacked opportunities to study properly before.
However, Nan Jiyun's experience in leading and fighting battles was slightly richer than Nie Yuan's, and he had more opportunities to hone his skills. He had indeed grown.
The Great Qian army at this time certainly had greater advantages compared to the Wei army during the Three Kingdoms period.
Firstly, the Great Qian soldiers were seen as an army of justice by the common people. The people of Sichuan, influenced by newspaper propaganda, and with the intelligence work carried out by the Hidden Wolf Guard and Shadow Guard in Western Sichuan, the people were somewhat aware of the deeds of Liang Xiao and Xiao Qing.
Furthermore, the Helian family's annual capture of a thousand people who disappeared, coupled with land annexation and forceful seizure of property, had also instilled fear and hatred in the hearts of the people.
It was expected that the people would yearn for Great Qian.
Nan Jiyun had studied here in his early years. With his usually cautious and humble nature, he would not have taken risks lightly. Since he had chosen to take a risk, it meant that his understanding of the Yinping trail was certainly deeper than Deng Ai's.
Moreover, the rebel alliance had already suffered a crushing defeat, with even ninety thousand surrendering. This blow to Helian Heng's army was unprecedented.
Liang Xiao's army, on the other hand, was composed of elites selected from various regions. They had a stronger sense of belonging to the nation and a greater urgency to achieve merit, and their resilience for long-distance campaigns was more robust.
The conditions for Nan Jiyun's stealth crossing of Yinping were indeed more mature than Deng Ai's.
Perhaps, after Nan Jiyun reached Fucheng, there would be various mutinies in Western Sichuan, and the people would offer food and wine to welcome the royal army.
However, this move ultimately carried great risks. Without absolute certainty, it did not align with Liang Xiao's usual strategy of seeking victory through stability.
Liang Xiao's original plan was to slowly dispatch spies to divide Jiange and even the entire Western Sichuan. Then, when Zhuo Ying's troops captured Badong, Jiangzhou, and other areas, and advanced towards Jiange, a pincer attack would surely quell Western Sichuan.
But directly attacking Jiange would involve an estimated casualty of over twenty thousand, as powerful bows and crossbows would have extremely limited effectiveness against Jiange's high ground and passes.
"Please decide, Marshal!" Nan Jiyun said solemnly, cupping his fists.
Everyone turned their gaze to Liang Xiao, wondering what his decision would be.
After a moment of thought, Liang Xiao said, "All generals, follow me for an inspection of the troops."
The Great Qian soldiers from the Jiangnan region advanced directly up the river, conquering Western Sichuan, successively capturing Badong and Jiangguan, and then converged to push directly towards Jiangzhou.
Zhuo Ying, Shi Liuyun, and others successfully crossed the river, met in Western Sichuan, and immediately notified Hanzhong by carrier pigeon!