Chapter 1127: How to Choose
The Duke said that there were no extra troops available for support, but they would immediately dispatch enough supplies, advising him not to be impatient; it was fine to spend more time sieging the city, aiming to capture it with minimal casualties.
This coincided with Jiang Che’s current strategy of having people dig tunnels.
According to logic, the supplies should have arrived today.
After all, it’s only about five hundred miles from the Duke’s main battlefield, just a few days’ journey.
They would probably arrive tomorrow.
Jiang Che didn’t think too much, looking at the high city walls in the distance, continuing to ponder his siege tactics.
According to logic, the supplies should have arrived today.
The next day, Jiang Che ordered some soldiers to provide cover while others continued digging tunnels.
The tunnels had already reached underneath the city walls; give him a few more days, and the foundations of that section of the wall would completely loosen, and then the wall might tilt or collapse, providing the opportunity to storm the city.
By sunset, the supply convoy that was expected to have long since arrived still had not shown up.
Jiang Che sensed something unusual.
The grand marshal commanding this war was his own grandfather; if it were someone else, Jiang Che might suspect sabotage, having heard of such things happening often in the army, but his grandfather could never betray him!
Moreover, the Duke was not lacking in supplies.
Not to mention, Great Chu had been diligently preparing for war with ample provisions, and on this route, every city they captured meant all its supplies were taken.
Without a lack of supplies and his grandfather not possibly betraying him, the only explanation was that something unexpected happened to the supply convoy.
Once Jiang Che understood the situation, he immediately sent a few Scouts to investigate along the route; if the supply convoy was not found, he had to request the Duke to send additional supplies immediately.
Even with the Scouts dispatched, Jiang Che was not at ease.
If the supplies could not arrive promptly, the army would face a shortage in two days.
The Duke’s base was about five hundred miles away; it would take two to three days even for a fast horse to reach there, so waiting for the supplies to return would be seven to eight days later.
In other words, in the worst case, they’d be without food for at least five to six days.
Five to six days, by then the men would be starving.
Jiang Che furrowed his brow, considering his options.
First, rationing the supplies, eating one meal a day, and leading the five thousand soldiers back towards the base; the captured cities in the rear posed little danger, just some hunger to endure.
Second, launching an immediate siege, capturing the city within two days, where there would naturally be supplies.
Third, continuing the previous siege plan, digging the tunnels further, hoping that the supplies might arrive in the next day or two.
Right now, it was difficult to determine where exactly the supplies were or how long they would take to arrive.
Sixteen-year-old Jiang Che looked into the heavy night, unable to make a decision for the moment.
His decision would determine the lives and deaths of these five thousand men; he had to be extremely cautious.
The next day, the rations distributed to each camp had been slightly reduced; Jiang Che had to make some preparations.
After breakfast, he ordered them to continue digging tunnels.
He decided to wait one more day; if by sunset today the supplies still hadn’t arrived, he would have to choose between options one or two.
The sun slowly sank below the horizon, and still, there was no sign of the supplies.
Jiang Che knew he couldn’t wait any longer; he had to make an immediate decision.
Retreating was naturally the safest option; by rationing their food, they would be hungry but certainly not starve.