Chapter 58 "Strategy for Delaying the Enemy"

Chapter 58 "Strategy for Delaying the Enemy"
As the sun rose, both the Qiang people and the Han army could clearly see each other. The grain carts were scattered everywhere, and the Han army could barely rely on the grain carts to form a defensive formation. The Han army looked at the massive Qiang cavalry and couldn't help but swallow their saliva, while the Qiang people hesitated to attack the surrounded Han army.
The leaders of the three tribes were numb with fear, as they unexpectedly encountered a tough opponent today. The Han army, usually weak and fleeing after a single attack, stood steadfast like a rock. Despite being greatly outnumbered, their momentum was in no way inferior to the united forces of our three tribes.
Jaundice, Cashmere, and Wumu looked at each other, and so far the losses of the three tribes have far exceeded expectations. In particular, in the Huangqi tribe, since Jaundice rushed to the front first and was later trapped among the Han army, the Qiang soldiers of the Huangqi tribe fiercely protected Jaundice, resulting in the greatest losses for the Huangqi tribe, with over 1,500 people killed.
At this time, none of the three tribes are willing to launch the attack. The Yak tribe is cunning and only wants to benefit without doing too much. The Wumu tribe has the weakest strength among the three tribes, and the Huangqi tribe suffered the greatest losses in the night battles and is also unwilling to attack rashly.
And this gave the official army a chance to catch their breath. As dawn broke, Xu Han also saw that the enemy who were stealing the grain were not a unified force. Among the Qiang cavalry, there were three different flags, with significant differences in the totems depicted on the flags.
As Xu Han calculated in his heart, he sent a messenger ahead to contact Liao Hua. The army should be on the way and can arrive in one or two hours if they maintain their marching speed. Both the Qiang people and his own side are tired and in need of rest. However, the Qiang people dare not delay as it will attract the attention of the garrison troops in Anding Prefecture. If things go wrong, Anding Prefecture may take advantage of the weakness of the three tribes and besiege their settlements. Currently, the three tribes' young men are almost all fighting here, with only the elderly and weak left behind. Therefore, the Qiang people will continue the attack after a short rest. The urgent task now is to buy time.
"Feng Xiao, is there a way to delay time? I estimate that at most two hours, Yuan Jian will be able to lead the army here."
"My lord, from what I observed, the three Qiang tribes were deterred by the three generals last night and must not want to engage us in a fatal battle. However, they lost more than three thousand men and now have the advantage, so they certainly won't abandon their supplies and retreat. Therefore, we can use the supplies as bait to negotiate with them."
“奉孝，我就将此事交于你了。中心思想就是，拖延两个时辰，但是粮草我也不想给。至于过程，我不管。”
“那是自然，如果把粮草交出去，战死的将士们就白死了。”郭嘉一甩青衫衣袖。往阵外走去。
Chen Dao arrived and was appointed by Xu Han to protect Guo Jia, closely following him. A soldier ran to the front of the Qiang tribe and said, "I am under the command of the Han's Dunhuang Prefect. Please negotiate with the leader."
Upon hearing the message from the Han soldier, the three tribal leaders looked at each other. After a brief discussion, they decided to let Wumu represent them in the negotiation, as their warriors needed some rest. Moreover, if they could obtain provisions without shedding blood, wouldn't that be even better.
Wu Mu led two tribal warriors and rode to the center of the formation, while Guo Jia also brought Chen with the Han army flag held high to the center of the formation.
"Guo Jia, the staff officer under the command of the Grand Han Dunhuang Governor, pays respects to the leader." Guo Jia greeted the leader with his mouth, but his eyes were fixed on Wu Mu without showing any etiquette. Since Xu Han was appointed as the Dunhuang Governor, he was allowed to recruit talents, so Guo Jia was appointed as the staff officer and in charge of all personnel affairs in the county, ranking as the top subordinate under the Governor.
"Han people, what do you have to say? Speak up quickly. Our three tribes still have twenty thousand warriors, it is certain that we will sweep you aside. Coming here to negotiate with you is only our way of giving you a chance to survive." Wu Mu did not dismount, he raised his whip, and the Qiang knights behind him cheered madly.
"It seems that the leader doesn't want to talk. Riding on horseback is a sign of preparing for battle, while sitting down represents negotiation," Guo Jia calmly said, completely ignoring Wumu's provocative actions of waving his horse whip. He straightened his green robe and sat down on the ground in a familiar manner. Guo Jia could easily guess the intentions of the Qiang people. If they truly didn't want to negotiate, they wouldn't have paid any attention to his invitation for talks. Sitting on horseback with arrogance was merely an attempt to gain an advantage in the negotiation process."
Wu Mu saw Guo Jia sit down, feeling restless. He didn't expect that he couldn't intimidate this Han scholar from the other side, but instead made himself somewhat uneasy. It seems that if he doesn't dismount and have a good conversation, it will be difficult to reach an agreement. It's unexpected how tough this Han army is, even their green-clad scholars remain fearless in the face of danger. The two men stood in confrontation for a long time, with Guo Jia still sitting on the ground, wearing a mysterious smile on his face, relaxed in mind and body, serene and calm.
反观乌木就有些坐不住了。
“哼，汉人，你真不怕吾大军冲阵吗！”乌木嘴上虽然叫嚣，但身体却翻身下马，盘坐在郭嘉对面。
"Leader, if we engage in war, we will indeed be completely wiped out. But don't think for a moment that our blades and guns, as Han warriors, are mere playthings. The warriors under your command witnessed their power in the battle last night. Now, in order to obtain provisions, all our soldiers have perished and I, as the Prefect, cannot bear it. That's why I am negotiating with your tribe, but your tribe does not show sincerity. The brave warriors of Han can only choose to die rather than yield." Guo Jia remained calm, as if life and death were irrelevant to him.
"Huh, your team is indeed different from the common Han army. Our tribe lacks provisions for the winter. If you leave behind provisions, I will have my warriors clear a path for you to leave," said Wumu, realizing that he couldn't overpower Guo Jia in terms of momentum, so he made his request straightforwardly.
"Of course I know that the leader came for provisions, it's not that I don't trust the leader, but we can't just rely on the leader's empty promises when the lives of over five hundred people under the magistrate's command are at stake. The leader knows that we can withstand the attack of over twenty thousand men under their command for a few hours in this open field, thanks to our chariot formation. If our army withdraws from the formation, and the leader betrays us by ordering an attack, wouldn't we be like lambs to the slaughter? After all, our army and the leader's tribe have blood feuds." Guo Jia stared at the bodies on the ground and spoke to the wooden crow.
"Hmph, you Han people, if you don't believe me, then what is there to talk about?" Wumu suddenly stood up, as if he was about to leave.
"Leader, please don't be impatient. I have a suggestion, leader should listen to it first, and then make a decision." Guo Jia still had that appearance of seeming unaffected.
"Okay, then let me hear you out first. You cannot convince me. My army is about to attack," Wu Mu said, standing up and staring at Guo Jia intently.
"I request that the leader retreats the troops five li (approximately 2.5 kilometers). Once your troops have withdrawn, our army will abandon the food and provisions and retreat as well. This way, there will be enough distance between your forces and ours, which will allow our soldiers to feel at ease. Your cavalry underlings are also not afraid of us breaking our promise. After you have withdrawn, take the food and provisions with you. Without them, our army won't be able to travel quickly. If the situation turns unfavorable, your army can quickly catch up. What does the leader think?" Guo Jia softly suggested his proposal.
Wumu thought carefully and felt that it was feasible no matter how he thought about it. Even if his subordinates were all cavalry, he was not afraid of the Han army playing tricks even if they temporarily withdrew their siege. But would the Han army really give up their food and supplies like this?
(End of this chapter)