That night, bonfires blazed throughout Blackwind Valley, and wails of agony filled the air.

The three thousand captured Tartars became targets for the soldiers to practice on; after they were killed, they were buried alive.

Meanwhile, Wu Shangzhi interrogated the captured Northern Di commander in the central command tent.

"Where is the main force of the Ukrainian army now?" Wu Shangzhi asked.

The centurion was a burly man with a fierce face. Though captured, he remained defiant: "The King has already left Yumen Pass and is probably at the gates of Loulan by now! You can't catch up with him!"

Loulan?

Wu Shangzhi and An Dehai exchanged a glance.

"That's right! Loulan is wealthy. If we take Loulan, we'll have money, food, and manpower. Then Your Highness can make a comeback!"

The centurion grinned maliciously, "Do you dare to chase us out of Yumen Pass? The Western Regions are not your territory!"

Wu Shangzhi remained unmoved: "How many soldiers did Wuhan bring?"

"Forty thousand iron cavalry! Enough to flatten the Western Regions!" the centurion said proudly.

Wu Shangzhi waved for someone to take him away.

Inside the tent, the generals all wore solemn expressions.

"One thousand against forty thousand, the advantage is in my hands!" Guo Luo said proudly.

"The environment in the Western Regions is different, which is not conducive to the fighting of our men from Guanzhong!" Liu Yi worried.

“But we must pursue them,” Wu Shangzhi said decisively. “If Wuhan captures Loulan and obtains supplies, he might really make a comeback. Besides, Loulan has already requested aid. If we sit idly by, which of the Western Regions will still trust the Great Yin?”

He looked at An Dehai: "Manager An, how many days does it take to get from Black Wind Valley to Loulan?"

“If we march quickly, we can arrive in five days,” Andehai said. “But Loulan is a fortified city, and the 40,000 cavalry of the Wuhan have no siege equipment, so they cannot take it down in a short time. If we arrive within five days, we can attack from the inside and defeat the enemy.”

"Good!" Wu Shangzhi slammed his hand on the table. "Order the entire army: rest for one night, depart at dawn tomorrow, pass through Yumen Pass, and rush to the aid of Loulan!"

"Furthermore, send a message to the Grand Commander: Black Wind Valley has fallen, and our army will march out of the pass to pursue and recover the Western Regions. Please rest assured, Grand Commander, this humble general will certainly not fail your trust!"

......

The snow in Hadong Province fell earlier than in previous years.

It was only early winter, but the city of Jinyang was already covered in snow.

As night fell, the snow gradually subsided, but the biting cold seeped in, freezing the mud trodden out by carriages and horses during the day into an ice shell.

Inside the main hall of the Hedong Jiedushi's residence, a honeycomb briquette stove was burning brightly.

Han Zhong rubbed his hands together, glanced at the white breath exhaled by the personal guards standing in the corridor outside the door, and then turned to the man in black robes in the hall who was looking down and reading military reports.

Zhao Muyun watched intently.

On the low table beside him, several documents of different styles were already spread out.

The top letter on the left was sealed with sealing wax and bore the unique mark of the Night Watchman; he had already read its contents.

The waters of Xijing are finally about to boil, and Yin Zhao can no longer hold back!

This is exactly the result Zhao Muyun wanted.

His absence, Yinji's absence, and the dispatch of troops all gave Yinzhao the wrong impression and the courage to act!

On the right is Lin Feng's routine military report from Longmen Pass. The report is calm and steady, stating that although Li Hu's attacks are frequent, the pass is solid and the morale is greatly boosted after His Highness Yinji's personal visit.

What lies beneath are two letters that arrived this morning, still fresh in ink: one from Xiao Cheyun of Lantian Pass, saying that the Fengtian Army's detachment is still lingering outside the pass and shows no signs of launching a strong attack;

Another letter...

Zhao Muyun tapped her finger on the military report, whose edges were covered in sand and whose handwriting was slightly messy.

Black Wind Valley, Wu Shangzhi.

"Four days in the Devil City, defeating over ten thousand enemies, what courage!" he murmured, his tone ambiguous, neither clear of praise nor anything else.

Upon hearing this, Han Zhong laughed and said, "Xiao Wu's growth is faster than I imagined!"

"But... is it too risky to pursue Wuhan outside Yumen Pass? The supply route is long, the situation in the Western Regions is unclear, and the 40,000 Northern Di cavalry are far superior to the garrison of Black Wind Valley."

Zhao Muyun raised her eyes, shifting her gaze from the military report to Han Zhong.

In just two years, Han Zhong, who is over forty years old, already has gray hair.

But he stood tall with a sharp gaze, though a lingering worry remained between his brows.

“It was a close call,” Zhao Muyun gently pushed Wu Shangzhi’s military report aside, “but Wu Shangsheng has already broken through the pass and is full of vigor. I have already given him the authority to act on his behalf and make independent decisions. How the battle is fought is up to him!”

"Moreover, Loulan's blood-written plea for help has already reached Xijing, and Pei Lun sent someone to copy it and deliver it urgently. If we sit idly by and watch Loulan fall, the Western Regions will surely lose heart, and it will be difficult to manage the Northwest in the future."

Han Zhong remained silent for a moment, then sighed, "The Grand Commander's concerns are quite valid. However... regarding the matter mentioned in Minister Pei's secret letter in Xijing, is it truly necessary to proceed as planned? His Majesty..."

The conversation ended abruptly there.

The charcoal fire inside the hall crackled.

Zhao Muyun's expression shifted slightly, but he said calmly, "Zhu Zi is now handling things meticulously. Although he doesn't say it outright, I understand his meaning. We both just need to keep this in mind. Even if there are minor disturbances in Xijing, they won't affect the overall situation."

He spoke calmly, yet with an undeniable force.

Han Zhong said no more, but his brows furrowed even deeper.

He knew that the Grand Commander before him, though seemingly calm, actually bore the immense responsibility of the impending turmoil in Xijing, the 100,000-strong army outside Longmen Pass, Wu Shangzhi's isolated advance outside Yumen Pass, and even the entire Hedong region itself.

Zhao Muyun changed the subject: "You've seen the news from Xijing, Longmen, Lantian, and the Western Regions. Let's talk about Hedong. I'm here to inspect Hedong!"

Han Zhong's spirits lifted, he composed himself, walked to the huge hanging map of Hedong, picked up the thin wooden stick, and pointed it in the direction of Luzhou.

"Zhang Huan and Wang Ben of Luzhou, following the orders of the Grand Commander, have reinforced the key passes of Huguan and Fukou Pass and doubled the patrols."

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