You found the bandits!

You decided to stay and try to look for bandits. As you sought them, time passed an slowly, the morale of your unit lowered. But at some point, your provisions run out and the morale took quite a hit.

{Gao Xi's Volunteer Squad morale 29-1 (no activity) -5 (no provisions) = 23}

You even heard one soldier grumbling about you being a traitor, since you didn't join the suppression **** yet – it could become a full-fledged rebellion.

If that happened, you would probably lose your head... in an optimistic outcome. In not so optimistic outcome, you would first pay with your body, pleasing all thirty-eight of your soldiers. Only after that, they would chop off your head and deliver it to the local official, before joining the volunteer forces. The men under your command are loyal to your cause, not to you.

That's why you concentrated on searching the bandits

{Gao Xi's INT+D10 = 29 vs Bandit INT +D10 = 18}

and your efforts paid off. The bandits were really sloppy after the last raid. You actually found their camp. It's hidden in the forest, near a small river. You managed to actually gather some information on them – there were only forty-three bandits. The bandits started being active about decade ago, travelling from one area to another, avoiding the imperial army when the heat became too great. You have no doubt, that since they been around for so long, they are quite fearsome opponents. So they had numbers and experience on their side.

These bandits, they were

[A1]all male.

[A2]majority male, but there were few females.

[A3]all female unit.

[A*]write in

Among them, there were two prominent figures.

First, a leader Kang Shun, the most skilled among them in combat was two meters high. The bandit was said to be greedy and arrogant and wielding a great axe into the battle.

The second is Jia Zhelan, also skilled in the art of combat, especially a sword. While having a beautiful face, is said to be an equally arrogant person as the leader of bandits and extremely cruel person, taking great pleasure in torturing and killing the prisoners.

Considering the situation you decide to

[B1] attack the bandits today, before noon.

[B2]perform a night attack.

[B3]peform an ambush attack.

[B4]spread rumours of a rich convoy in the area to lure out bandits.

[B*] write in

[X1] While waiting, search for a good defensive position. If the fight against the bandits goes poorly - try to retreat to that position so that you would have at least some advantage

[X2] Take the weapons of any killed bandits and use them against them

[X3] lure your man in one way and run for other. If they are significantly disloyal, better use them as a decoy for your own life.

[X*]additional decisions.

AN: I will be quite disappointed if I will have to go with B1, so be creative with that option! But know this – the more complicated plan you will choose, the higher the difficulty will be with carrying it out...

A question worth 200VP - where the bandits originate from?