April 16th, the fourth year of Yanning.

Zhao Chun's vanguard of the westward expedition, numbering 30,000, crossed the vast Gobi Desert and the Moheyan Desert, and entered the Yizhou Oasis.

Once inside Illinois, the surroundings were lush and vibrant.

After spring arrives, the melting snow and ice from the high mountains flow down, nourishing the entire oasis.

Although there was no farmland around, weeds grew everywhere, and the place was full of the vitality of spring!

Seeing this scene, the mood of the westward expeditionary army improved considerably!

However, Zhao Chun, the commander of the Northwest Military Region, was not in a good mood.

At this moment, Zhao Chun, upon hearing the report from the scouts, frowned and asked in confusion, "You said there isn't a single Saman in the vicinity?"

"Yes, Commander Zhao!"

The scout nodded and said, "Most of the tribes and villages in the vicinity are already empty. Based on what we've seen in the tribes and villages, the Saman people in these areas must have all left not long ago."

"They've all been evacuated?"

Zhao Chun frowned slightly, looking somewhat puzzled.

He never expected that these Samanis would choose to do such a thing!

Even the Samans east of Illinois City have all withdrawn.

Where will they retreat to?

After a moment of hesitation, Zhao Chun instructed, "Pay close attention to your surroundings and keep moving forward!"

Immediately, the army continued its westward advance.

After traveling for two more days across the vast oasis grasslands of Illinois, Zhao Chun's troops arrived outside the city of Illinois.

As soon as he arrived outside Yizhou City, Zhao Chun spotted the city standing tall on the vast grassland in the distance!

Although it cannot compare to the magnificent cities in the heart of the Central Plains, Yizhou City is still towering and majestic, especially on the vast grasslands where it stands out even more!

The rammed earth city wall is able to withstand wind and rain and is exceptionally sturdy!

Outside the city of Illinois, the numerous gullies and ravines stand out prominently.

Among them were some fortresses and barricades, which surprised Zhao Chun.

"Whoa!"

Li Maoxue, commander of the 11th Infantry Division, pointed to Yizhou City in the distance and said, "Commander Zhao, look! The defense system of Yizhou City is so perfect! Those ditches and ravines outside the city look like trenches! One, two, three, four... there are five trenches! These Samans have really gone all out! It looks like they're going to defend Yizhou City to the death!"

Li Maoxue's words also surprised Zhao Chun, Yu Linfeng, Luo Mingliang, and others.

Immediately, the three of them also took out binoculars and peered towards Yizhou City.

Looking at the defense system of Yizhou City in the distance, Zhao Chun frowned. He hadn't expected that the defense system of Yizhou City would turn out like this!

"These Samanids have certainly learned their lesson!"

Putting down his binoculars, Zhao Chun said, "They've actually learned the trench defense system, but I wonder if they've grasped its essence."

"Judging from the current defense situation,"

Yu Linfeng, commander of the 13th Infantry Division, frowned and said, "There are at least 100,000 people in the entire city of Yizhou! If they keep hiding in Yizhou and don't come out, I'm afraid it will be very difficult for us to take Yizhou!"

"yes!"

Zhao Chun took a deep breath and said, "Our vanguard only has 30,000 men, so there's still a significant disparity in strength!"

"but,"

Zhao Chun turned to look at Li Maoxue, Yu Linfeng, and Luo Mingliang, and continued, "We're not in a hurry. We've entered the oasis, and our supplies are sufficient for now. We're just waiting for Lin Shaozhang and his men to arrive. We'll make further plans after the reinforcements arrive! The most urgent task is to immediately construct fortifications and stabilize our position outside Yizhou City!"

"good!"

Immediately, the 11th Infantry Division, the 13th Infantry Division, and the 8th Cavalry Division began constructing defensive fortifications and setting up camp outside Yizhou City.

Soldiers began digging trenches.

After Zhao Chun's troops arrived outside Yizhou City, the city became highly tense.

However, the Saman garrison inside the city did not leave, and the two sides remained in a stalemate.

Three days later, Lin Shaozhang's 40,000 troops arrived outside Yizhou City and joined forces with Zhao Chun's troops.

When Lin Shaozhang's troops arrived, it still caused a stir in Yizhou City.

However, Yizhou City did not panic too much, but continued to maintain strict defenses and kept the city closed to the public.

After Lin Shaozhang's troops arrived outside Yizhou City, there were already 70,000 strong troops on the front line of Yizhou City!

Five infantry divisions and two cavalry divisions!

In the front-line command post, Zhao Chun, Lin Shaozhang, and various division commanders gathered together.

"Old Zhao,"

Looking at Zhao Chun, Lin Shaozhang said with some surprise, "The defenses of Yizhou City are so formidable, it's truly unexpected! Where did they learn their trench defense system from?"

"Old Lin,"

Zhao Chun smiled and shook his head, saying, "You probably wouldn't guess! Do you know what other troops are guarding Yizhou City besides the Samanid Khanate's army?"

"what else?"

Lin Shaozhang frowned, stared at Zhao Chun, and asked, "Are there still grassland bandits?"

"Old Lin, you guessed right!"

Zhao Chun nodded and said, "According to information gathered from the surrounding area, there are indeed tens of thousands of grassland bandits in Yizhou City, and a grassland bandit general named Karhana Beile has actually become the city's garrison commander!"

"Karhanabele?"

Lin Shaozhang frowned slightly and asked, "I haven't heard of this person before. We haven't fought many battles with the grassland bandits. It seems we need to ask Director Zhao!"

"The journey back and forth is quite long!"

Zhao Chun shook his head and said, "If only we had telegrams!"

"Hi,"

Lin Shaozhang said with a smile, "The telegraph crew came with us, laying telegraph lines along the way. This time, the lines have already been laid. I estimate the telegraph crew is currently testing them, and they will be ready to use soon!"

"Yeah?"

Zhao Chun's eyes lit up, and he said with a smile, "Then once the telegraph line is up and running, we'll ask Director Zhao, or the Privy Council in Beijing, to find out who exactly this Khalkha Beile is. As the saying goes, 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated!'"

"Currently, Yizhou City is heavily fortified. In addition to the 70,000 to 80,000 garrison troops, there are also more than 100,000 Samans holding their ground in the trenches. The Samans are all soldiers, and each one is skilled in horsemanship and archery. Therefore, these more than 100,000 Samans should not be underestimated!"

"The battle in Illinois is proving far more difficult than we anticipated. It seems we need to plan this carefully!"

Hearing Zhao Chun's words, Lin Shaozhang nodded slightly and said, "Then let's not rush. Let's take this time to check the defenses of Yizhou City and see if there are any weak points. Once the shells and other supplies arrive, we can use cannons to blast open the defenses of Yizhou City and flatten the trench system outside the city. At that time, taking Yizhou City will be just around the corner!"

"Uh-huh!"

Zhao Chun nodded and said, "Okay, then let's wait for the artillery shells and supplies to arrive!"