"Search! Search them! They're with foot soldiers, they can't run fast! They must have hidden in some ravine!"
The Northern Di cavalry scattered, combing around the area surrounding Zhuozhou like a comb.
They found traces of Zhao Muyun's army heading west, with hoofprints and cart tracks clearly pointing towards the Xutuo River.
"Trying to cross the river and escape? Not so easy!"
Arakhan immediately divided his forces, ordering a contingent of elite light cavalry to advance and seize several key ferry crossings upstream.
The main force followed closely behind, preparing to attack while Zhao Muyun was crossing the river, or to pursue him relentlessly after he had crossed.
He was unaware that the crossing point Zhao Muyun had chosen was not one of the usual main crossings.
Instead, it is a river bend with a relatively gentle current.
The riverbank has a complex terrain, making it easy to hide.
When Arahan's vanguard cavalry arrived at the upstream ferry crossing, panting and ready for battle, Zhao Muyun's main force had already quietly crossed the Xutuo River and entered the territory of Daming Prefecture using the leather rafts and wooden rafts that they had collected and made overnight.
Standing on the north bank, looking back at the faint smoke and dust of the Northern Di cavalry visible on the south bank, Wu Shangzhi, Guo Luo, and the others were filled with admiration for Zhao Muyun's foresight.
If they had truly held Zhuozhou, it would now be completely surrounded.
If we take the regular ferry crossing, we might really be ambushed while crossing.
"Grand Commander, what's our next move?"
Xi Sheng asked in a deep, muffled voice, the longsword on his shoulder gleaming coldly in the sunlight.
Zhao Muyun gazed at the boundless plains to the south, his eyes deep and thoughtful.
"Let the brothers rest while they can and take turns on guard duty. We...wait."
"Wait?" The generals were puzzled.
"Wait for Arahan to come."
Zhao Muyun smiled faintly, "He'll be even more anxious than we are when he can't find us. When he's running around like a headless fly, that's when we should stretch our muscles."
He silently recited to himself: The first principle of mobile warfare is to move the enemy around, not to be moved around by the enemy.
The game has only just begun.
Arakhan, how will you take this first step?
But I, a "chess player" from another dimension, have prepared more than just hide-and-seek for you.
The true key to a decisive victory lies in information, timing, and a precise grasp of human nature and the overall battle situation.
This land of Hebei is my chessboard.
And you are just a relatively conspicuous piece on the chessboard.
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