As the Sui Army vanguard arrived, the advance troops set out to scout for paths and directions. They had originally intended to launch a surprise attack by sea, catching the enemy completely off guard, but the King of Linyi seemed to have anticipated this, establishing a military stockade on a mountain at a strategic chokepoint.
Due to the treacherous terrain, the vanguard launched several assaults that failed. Eager not to delay the march, they dispatched troops to block the mountain pass and pressed forward, leaving the stockade behind to be dealt with by the main force.
Since the stockade sat atop the mountain, leaving it uncaptured would pose a major logistical headache for grain transport, requiring constant vigilance against surprise raids from the heights.
Chapter 97