Less than a year after Lan Tian destroyed Wu, he had already turned his sights on Huainan. Lu Xun had thought Lan Tian would have some ingenious scheme, but never expected such a straightforward answer: no strategy at all.
Lu Xun acknowledged the Trap-Breaking Army's prowess and knew that the officers and men under Gan Ning were capable in both naval and land warfare. But altogether, they numbered no more than thirty thousand. If they were scattered across Lujiang to establish defenses, the Wei Army could easily defeat them one by one. Besides, the key to the Huainan battlefield was still Hefei.
Hefei guarded the northern exit of Chaohu Lake. As long as that fortified city could not be taken, southern warships could not enter the Huaisi waterways from the Yangtze River. Without a waterborne supply route, there could be no talk of launching a counteroffensive from the Huai River against the Central Plains. This was also why Sun Quan had suffered defeat after defeat, yet fought on each time.
"Prefect Lan, Jiangdong has never had as many people as the Central Plains. Fortunately, its waterways extend in all directions, allowing us to sustain wartime logistics at a smaller cost. If we wish to counterattack the Central Plains, we must center our efforts around Hefei. Why do you intend to take Lujiang? Ninety percent of its people have already been relocated by Cao Cao. There is little meaning in taking it." Lu Xun puzzled over it endlessly.
Lan Tian circled the counties of Lujiang with a finger, then stroked his beard and explained, "Lujiang is close to the Yangtze River yet far from the Central Plains. Neither the Wei Army nor we have water routes there, and isn't it closer to Jiangdong? Their supply difficulties are far greater than ours.