"Pass down the order, the entire army shall form ranks. Any who dare to charge our formation will be killed without mercy!"
Having quickly returned to the center of the army, Wang Bing directly issued a death order.
"But General, these are refugees. If the Censorate gets wind of us slaughtering refugees on a large scale, I fear you..."
If they were rebels, killing any number of them would be without issue. But if they were ordinary citizens, wantonly slaughtering them was an offense punishable by death in the Great Song Dynasty.
As soon as Wang Bing finished speaking, several deputy generals beside him quickly stepped forward and whispered their concerns.
"Talk less nonsense. Don't you think carefully? The official army and the rebels have fought several battles in this area consecutively. How could there possibly be so many refugees daring to pass through here at this time? Have you considered the consequences if they manage to get close?"
As the commanding general, Wang Bing habitually considered all possibilities in the worst possible light.
Currently, he commanded not only his own 3,000 Victorious troops but also 2,000 able-bodied men recently drafted from the auxiliary forces.
Setting aside their combat effectiveness, the loose robes they wore were enough to indicate that these men knew nothing of military discipline before.
If it were a battle of advantage, these men might be barely adequate.
But in a battle of engagement like this, it was likely they would disrupt their own formation before the enemy even arrived.
In a confrontation between two armies, if one side's formation broke, the result would inevitably be a tragic defeat.
Under such circumstances, he had no choice.
"Report!"
"Reporting, General! The refugees ahead are less than five li from our camp!"
Just as Wang Bing's formation was properly set up, the scouts he had dispatched rushed back with their report.
"So fast?"
Estimating the time, less than half an hour had passed since the first news arrived, and the enemy had covered five li. This speed immediately made Wang Bing feel uneasy.
"Send someone to invite Lord Han here. And bring his retinue to the central military camp as well!"
After some deliberation, Wang Bing decided to seek Han Mo's opinion one last time.
"General Wang, has something happened?"
A quarter of an hour later, Han Mo finally arrived at the central military tent.
"This is the intelligence we have just gathered. Please take a look first!"
As Wang Bing spoke, he quickly handed over all the intelligence sent back by the scouts to Han Mo.
"So many people?"
Seeing the approximate numbers on the intelligence, Han Mo's eyes widened.
He had initially thought that even if the refugees were numerous, they would be around ten to twenty thousand. However, according to the scouts' statistics, their numbers reached over fifty thousand.
"Not only are there many people, but logically speaking, such a large group of refugees should not be moving very fast. Yet, in less than half an hour, they have advanced five li, and under these circumstances, not too many people have fallen behind..."
"You suspect rebel soldiers are mixed within the ranks, driving these refugees?"
Han Mo asked, frowning.
"This is the most despicable aspect of these rebels. If they drive refugees to charge our formation..."
Wang Bing stopped speaking at this point, but Han Mo naturally understood his meaning. Once they did this, Wang Bing would be forced to slaughter the refugees.
Otherwise, if these refugees were allowed to charge into their formation, they would only face a dead end.
"Then, can we still make it if we take a detour now?"
"The mountain roads in this area are treacherous. Although there is indeed another route available, doing so would soon force us to risk passing through a valley pass..."
"If they ambush us midway, we would suffer heavy losses just as we leave the city..."
Before Wang Bing could finish, Han Mo interrupted with an excuse.
"Precisely. If this is the case, then the rebel commander is indeed exceptionally meticulous..."
Wang Bing could only offer a wry smile at this point.
This was precisely the brilliance of the enemy commander. He had a perfect grasp of their route and marching speed.
Only when they reached this awkward point did the enemy launch their attack.
Unless they turned back immediately, no matter what choice they made, they would ultimately face certain death.
Slaughtering refugees on a large scale was unnecessary for the rebels; the imperial censors could directly send them both to the executioner's block.
But if they allowed the refugees to charge their formation, the rebel soldiers hidden among the crowd could also seize the opportunity to launch an attack, catching them off guard.
And if they dared to change their marching route, and the enemy had indeed set up an ambush midway, coupled with the rebels hidden within the refugee stream attacking from both front and back, then even immortals could not save them.
After listening to Wang Bing's words, Han Mo fell into deep thought, looking at the map before him, his mind wandering far away.
"General..."
Just as a deputy general by his side was about to speak, Wang Bing stopped him.
As for what to do, Wang Bing already had a plan in mind. However, the subsequent responsibility made him hesitant to bear it alone, which was why he had invited Han Mo.
Seeing Han Mo lost in thought, he did not want his subordinate to interrupt Han Mo's train of thought.
"General Wang, do you think there's a possibility..."
After a long period of contemplation, Han Mo finally opened his eyes, reached out, and pulled the map in front of him, spreading it out on the ground.
"Brother Han, please speak!"
"This is the location of the refugees. This is our current location. If you were the rebels, where would you hide within the refugee group?"
"If you were to drive the refugees forward, you would naturally be at the rear and on the flanks..."
Although he didn't understand what Han Mo was trying to say, Wang Bing responded directly.
"If that's the case, then what if we could make these refugees change direction?"
"How is that possible? They won't listen to us!"
Wang Bing's eyes widened.
This was indeed a good idea. If the refugees changed direction, the rebels hidden within the crowd, if they didn't flee along with them, their formation would likely not fare any better.
Once the refugees had scattered, a dead end awaited them.