Gobi Desert.

Even though it's already spring, strong winds and dust still rage on the Gobi Desert in the north, and everything is barely visible under the gray-yellow sky.

Beside a dilapidated beacon tower, tents are pitched to shelter from the wind and sand.

In one of the tents in the middle, several officers squatted on the ground, eating their dry rations around a stove.

A staff officer, clutching a letter in his hand, said, "Commander Mu, news has come from Yunzhong City that Shumu Taiji of the Left Khanate led over 30,000 troops to attack Yunzhong City. They were repelled by Captain Yang and suffered considerable losses!"

"oh?"

Upon hearing this news, Mu Yunyan's eyes lit up, and he said, "I didn't expect that this Shumu Taiji would slip through the net! No wonder we didn't find a single trace of Shumu Taiji during our trip north. He's probably hiding somewhere, like a coward!"

"Yes, Commander Mu!"

The staff officer nodded and said, "Captain Yang said that this Shumutaiji is hiding in the Daqing Mountains, gathering his remaining troops and herdsmen in an attempt to retake Yunzhong City. However, he has already severely damaged Shumutaiji's tribe, so Captain Yang told us not to worry."

"OK!"

Mu Yunyan nodded.

Now that Yang Chengbo's side has withstood Shu Mutaiji's attack and even won a great victory, there is naturally no need to worry too much about Yunzhong City.

After all, Yunzhong City not only has Yang Chengbo's 15,000 militia members, but also an artillery battalion and a machine gun battalion.

With such powerful firepower, even if they can't win in open field battles on the grasslands, they can still defend the city!

"Alright,"

Mu Yunyan smiled and said, "We don't need to worry about Yang Chengbo's side. He can handle it himself."

As he spoke, Mu Yunyan took a sip of hot soup and asked, "How's the situation here in the Gobi Desert? Where are the troops of the Khan's army of the grassland bandits?"

"Commander,"

The staff officer spread out a map of the grassland on the ground, pointed to the middle, and said, "According to the latest information we have gathered, the troops of the Khan of the grassland bandits have arrived in Saihantala."

"Saihantala?"

Mu Yunyan frowned slightly, squinting as he looked at the grassland map in front of him.

"Here."

The staff officer pointed and said, "It's about three or four hundred miles away from here!"

Following the direction the staff officer was pointing, Mu Yunyan nodded slightly.

Saihantala is located three or four hundred miles to their northeast. In between are endless stretches of Gobi Desert, making the journey difficult.

A couple hundred miles south of Saihantala lies the location of the 5th Cavalry Division and the 7th Infantry Division.

Southeast of Saihantala lies the location of the 6th Cavalry Division and the 8th Infantry Division. This area has a better environment, with lush grass, birdsong, and abundant water and grass.

Looking at the map of the grasslands, Mu Yunyan nodded slightly and said, "This time, the Khan's court of the grassland bandits has dispatched a large force of seventy to eighty thousand troops to march south. Moreover, they have also taken members of neighboring small tribes with them, bringing the total number to over one hundred thousand! They are a formidable opponent!"

"It seems we need to plan carefully for this battle and strive to achieve victory in one fell swoop!"

"If we can severely damage or even annihilate this main force of the steppe bandits, we will have no rivals in the Gobi Desert. From here, we can head directly north and enter the Khan's court of the steppe bandits!"

"Yes, Commander Mu!"

The staff officer nodded and said, "There are many small tribes near Saihantala. According to reports from the scouts, the steppe bandits are constantly recruiting herders and warriors from these small tribes, continuously expanding their strength!"

"That's fine!"

Wang Qinggu, commander of the 6th Infantry Division, waved his hand and said, "Even if the number of grassland bandits is large, they can't amount to much. This time, we have gathered three armies, three cavalry divisions and three infantry divisions, with a total strength of over 60,000 men! Do you think we would be afraid of such a small number of grassland bandits?"

No, that's not it.

The staff officer smiled and said, "Commander Wang, since we're about to have a major battle, we naturally need to plan carefully. We can't let the main force of these grassland bandits escape again! We have more than 60,000 men, attacking from three directions. If we let them get away, wouldn't we lose face big time!"

"right!"

Wang Qinggu nodded and said, "Chief of Staff Zhang, you'd better plan this carefully. What do you suggest?"

Looking at the map of the grassland situation in front of him, Staff Officer Zhang frowned.

After a moment's thought, Staff Officer Zhang said, "Judging from the current situation, the 5th Cavalry Division and the 7th Infantry Division are the closest. They will advance north first to make contact with the main force of the grassland bandits. They will be responsible for a feint attack from the front to contain the main force of the grassland bandits."

"in addition,"

Staff Officer Zhang pointed and continued, "On the eastern route, the 6th Cavalry Division and the 8th Infantry Division should speed up their advance and hold back the steppe bandits in the east. The central and eastern routes should join forces. As long as we can keep the steppe bandits busy, we'll have a chance!"

As he spoke, Staff Officer Zhang drew a semicircle on the situation map and said, "We'll go around to their rear and cut off the grassland bandits' retreat! Then, we can attack from three sides and wipe out the main force of the grassland bandits in one fell swoop!"

Hearing Staff Officer Zhang's words, Mu Yunyan frowned slightly and said, "That's good, but it puts a lot more pressure on us. It's such a long journey, all through the Gobi Desert, with harsh conditions. Once we reach Saihantala, we'll have to immediately engage in combat, which will definitely make things much more difficult!"

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