Upon hearing of their commander's defeat, the five thousand Tartar soldiers of Broken Soul Valley fled in panic toward Wolf Mountain, where they encountered the armies of King Loufan and King Xiutu who had come to their aid.
Upon learning of Wumuqi's death and the near annihilation of his 10,000-strong army, the King of Loufan and his entourage were greatly alarmed and dared not advance, proceeding slowly instead.
Zhao Muyun immediately ordered Pei Lun to reinforce the defenses along the Guazhou and Heidushan lines, and to collect a large amount of fierce fire oil from Heidushan as a defensive weapon.
Seeing that Guazhou was well-defended, the King of Loufan set up camp at the foot of Langshan Mountain, built weapons, and waited for an opportunity to attack.
Before the aftershocks of the great victory at Luoyanpo had subsided, a blood-stained urgent report was delivered by fast horse from Liangzhou to Zhao Muyun, who was resting at his camp.
The messenger was a deputy commander of the Liangzhou army who was wounded by an arrow and was almost exhausted.
He collapsed in front of Zhao Muyun, his voice hoarse and strained: "Grand Commander! Liangzhou... Liangzhou is in grave danger! Yang Yan, Yang Yi, and Li Hu have gathered another 30,000 Xijing troops to launch a fierce attack on Liangzhou!"
"The offensive was extremely fierce; on the first day alone, they deployed dozens of ladders, battering rams, and dug tunnels!"
"Governor Zhang and General Liu Yi fought desperately, and the Qiang and Rong cavalry launched several counterattacks out of the city, barely managing to hold the city walls!"
"But...but the casualties are heavy, and the arrows and logs have been used up in great numbers! Commander Zhang has ordered me to break through the encirclement at all costs. Please send reinforcements immediately, General! If we are delayed...Liangzhou is in danger!"
Inside the main tent, the joy of the victory they had just experienced was instantly wiped away by this sudden news.
Upon hearing this, generals such as Pei Lun, Shi Yong, Tang Yanhai, and Guo Xiaoti all paled.
"Another 30,000 Xijing troops? Yang Yan has mobilized all his forces!" Shi Yong gasped.
Pei Lun frowned: "Yang Yan must have calculated that the general is currently locked in a stalemate with Wumu Chi and the Northern Di reinforcements, and has no time to attend to other matters, so he wants to take the opportunity to seize Liangzhou!"
Guo Xiaoti said in a deep voice, "Liangzhou is the foundation of Longyou, and it must not be lost!"
Zhao Muyun looked at the location of Liangzhou on the map, and then at the arrow representing the 30,000 reinforcements from the Northern Di King Loufan and King Xiutu.
Although their southward advance was temporarily halted due to the defeat of Wumuchi, they still remained watchful in the Langshan area.
Finally, Zhao Muyun's gaze swept over his soldiers who had just gone through a bloody battle and were in dire need of rest, and he fell silent.
The atmosphere inside the tent was so heavy it was almost palpable.
If rescue is needed, troops must be immediately dispatched to provide support.
Leaving aside the fact that the soldiers are exhausted and whether they can arrive in time, just how will the 30,000 Northern Di reinforcements react if the troops are divided at this moment?
If they were to take the opportunity to move south and form a pincer movement with the Xijing army under the walls of Liangzhou, the consequences would be unimaginable.
If we don't send reinforcements, can Liangzhou hold out?
Although Zhang Zan was steady, Liu Yi was clever, and the Qiang and Rong cavalry were brave, how long could they hold out against a frenzied attack from an enemy three times their size?
"General..." All the generals' eyes were focused on Zhao Muyun, awaiting his decision.
Last time, his military campaign was remarkable; between Liangzhou and Heidushan, he first rescued Liangzhou.
Moreover, he did not directly rescue Liangzhou. He first subjugated a part of the Qiang and Rong tribes, and then attacked Li Hu and Yang Yi, which yielded remarkable results.
But this time, Yang Yan will definitely not fall for it again.
Zhao Muyun closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and quickly weighed the pros and cons in her mind.
A moment later, he suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes filled with determination!
"Liangzhou must be saved this time as well!" His voice was resolute. "But how to save it requires a strategy!"
He walked to the map and pointed heavily at Liangzhou:
"We cannot send our entire army back to reinforce, otherwise the 30,000 reinforcements from the Northern Barbarians will surely take advantage of the situation and we will be caught in a pincer movement between Wild Boar Ridge and Liangzhou, facing certain death!"
"Then what should we do?" Guo Xiaoti asked anxiously.
Zhao Muyun's eyes were sharp, and he spoke very quickly: "Wu Shangzhi, Guo Luo, listen to my command!"
"Here!" The two stepped forward.
"I order you two to immediately muster all the cavalry in the headquarters, and also to draw two thousand light cavalry who are still capable of fighting, for a total of approximately... four thousand cavalry!"
"Under the unified command of Wu Shangzhi, with Guo Luo as his deputy, they will carry ten days' worth of dry rations, travel light and simply, and rush to the aid of Liangzhou!"
"Remember, your mission is not to engage in a direct battle with the Xijing army, but to harass their logistics, demoralize them, cooperate with Zhang Zan in defending the city, and buy time!"
"If we can find an opportunity to coordinate with the city's defenders from within and inflict heavy damage on a portion of the enemy forces, that would be even better! But remember, preserving your own safety is paramount!"
"Understood!" Guo Luo and Wu Shangzhi clasped their hands in greeting without hesitation.
They knew it was an extremely difficult task: to lead a weary army on a long march and face an enemy several times their size.
"Lord Pei, General Guo!" Zhao Muyun then looked at Pei Lun and Guo Xiaoti.
"Your subordinate is here!"
"I hereby order the two of you to command the remaining troops of the Ganzhou Army and the Shuozhou Army, along with the Guazhou infantry, totaling approximately 15,000 men, to closely monitor the Northern Di reinforcements heading towards Langshan!"
"Deploy numerous feints and display a wide array of banners to create the impression that our main force remains intact and is on high alert. We must not allow King Loufan and King Xiutu to discern our true intentions!"
"General, rest assured! As long as we have a breath left, we will never let a single Tartar cross Wild Boar Ridge!"
Pei Lun readily agreed.
Zhao Muyun looked at Shen Qian and Tang Yanhai:
"You two scouts must go all out, not only to keep an eye on the movements of the Northern Di reinforcements, but also to clear obstacles and provide intelligence for General Pei Lun's returning reinforcements!"
"Chief of Namtso, your Qiang and Rong warriors are familiar with the terrain and skilled in long-distance raids. Please accompany Lord Pei Lun and lend him a hand!"
"Yes!" the men replied in unison.
With the assignments finalized, Zhao Muyun's gaze swept over the generals, and he said in a deep voice:
"Gentlemen, this is a critical moment for the survival of Longyou! The safety of Liangzhou, the overall situation of Longyou, and even our own lives all depend on this battle! I hope that you will all work together to overcome this difficult time!"
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