The battle was basically over in less than half an hour.
Of the three thousand Northern Di cavalry, most were annihilated in the canyon, except for a few astute individuals who, sensing the danger, desperately climbed up the steep slopes on both sides of the valley entrance to escape.
The seized grain and wealth piled up like mountains, and the hundreds of rescued people knelt down and wept with gratitude.
Zhao Muyun entered the canyon under the protection of his personal guards. Looking at the corpses of the Northern Di people scattered on the ground and the kneeling people, his face showed no joy, only calmness.
He ordered: "Quickly clean up the battlefield! Take all the food, arrows, and intact horses that can be carried away! Burn the supplies that cannot be taken, along with the corpses of the Northern Barbarians!"
"We don't have much time. Arahan has likely already received the news!"
"Grand Commander, this battle was exhilarating!" Wu Shangzhi exclaimed excitedly, holding his still-dripping lance.
Guo Luo nodded vigorously, the power of the heavy cavalry was fully demonstrated in this battle.
Zhao Muyun patted his shoulder armor, making a dull thud: "This is just the beginning. We've stirred up a hornet's nest. Next, we'll see how to use this hornet's nest to lure out even bigger hornets."
"Order the entire army to immediately withdraw from Black Wind Valley and move northeastward according to the predetermined route!"
He glanced in the direction of Youzhou, his gaze deep and thoughtful.
Han Yanshou, I heard your transport team was hijacked. Can you still sit still?
Are you satisfied with this "generous gift"?
......
The towering plume of smoke from Heifengyu and the faint sounds of explosions, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, quickly stirred up ripples across the Hebei Plain.
The first to receive the news was Arahan, who was chasing the "main force" of the Hedong army like a headless fly in the west.
When the routed soldiers, having lost their armor and weapons, brought the news of the attack on Black Wind Valley and the near annihilation of the three thousand escort team, Arahan was stunned at first, and then an uncontrollable rage surged to his head!
"Zhao! Mu! Yun!"
He practically forced those three words out of his chest, his face contorted in a grimace, as he lashed the fleeing soldier's face with his whip, leaving a bloody welt.
"How could he be on the south bank? Isn't he on the west bank?!"
A disgrace! An unprecedented disgrace!
Arhan, a renowned and fierce general of the Northern Di, commanded 10,000 elite cavalry, yet he was led by the nose by an enemy force of less than 10,000.
They even lost a 3,000-strong army to the enemy within their own controlled territory!
This is an absolute disgrace!
"All troops, listen up! Turn around! Turn around immediately! Return to the south bank!"
Arakhan roared hoarsely, no longer caring about the "main force on the east bank of the river" on the western front.
He now has only one thought: to find Zhao Muyun and tear him to pieces!
Ten thousand Northern Di cavalrymen, leaving a huge arc of dust across the plain, abandoned their westward advance and, like a pack of mad wolves, charged madly toward Black Wind Valley.
At the same time, Arahan sent a fast horse to urgently request aid from Han Yanshou and Wuzhu, who was far away on the front line in Xiangzhou.
They claimed to have engaged Zhao Muyun's main force and requested all surrounding troops to converge on them and encircle and annihilate the enemy!
Almost simultaneously, Han Yanshou of Xiongzhou also received the devastating news.
When he heard that a sizable transport convoy had been completely wiped out in Heifengyu, not far from Youzhou, he was so shocked that he stood up from his seat.
"Wasn't he attacking Juyong Pass? How did he end up in Black Wind Valley?"
Han Yanshou was both shocked and furious, feeling like his brain wasn't working properly.
Zhao Muyun's use of troops was completely beyond his comprehension.
Appearing and disappearing unpredictably, it's hard to tell what's real and what's not!
"My lord, General Arahan has sent an urgent report. He has led his main force back to reinforce the area and requests that you send troops to attack from both the north and south to annihilate Zhao Muyun in the area south of Heifengyu and Xutuo River!" The messenger knelt down and reported.
Should we launch a pincer attack?
Han Yanshou's heart skipped a beat.
This seems like a good opportunity.
Zhao Muyun had just finished a battle and was bound to be exhausted, plus his position had been exposed.
If we can coordinate with Arahan from the inside...
But as he looked at the location of Youzhou City on the map and then at Black Wind Valley, he hesitated.
Zhao Muyun is too cunning. Could this be another of his schemes to lure the enemy?
The aim was to lure the enemy away from their stronghold and trick my Youzhou garrison into leaving the city.
"Investigate again! Confirm whether Zhao Muyun's main force is indeed in the Black Wind Valley area!"
Han Yanshou dared not make a decision easily. He had few mobile troops left, and this was his last trump card to defend Youzhou.
At this moment, Zhao Muyun, who had created this storm, had already led his troops away from the Black Wind Valley battlefield.
Without pausing, he led the captured supplies and rescued civilians on a rapid march toward the northeast.
"Grand Commander, Arahan's main force is returning at full speed to reinforce, and is expected to arrive in the Black Wind Valley area by tomorrow afternoon at the latest."
"In Youzhou, Han Yanshou seems to be hesitating and shows no signs of sending troops," Tang Yanhai reported the latest enemy situation.
Zhao Muyun nodded; all of this was within his expectations.
"Arahan is anxious, and Han Yanshou is afraid. That's good." He glanced at the sky. "Send the order: speed up! We must get here before nightfall—"
His finger pointed to a ferry crossing on the map located on the south bank of the Xutuo River, on the Bailang River, a tributary.
"We're going to cross the river again?" Tang Yanhai asked, somewhat surprised. "Back to the south bank?"
“No,” Zhao Muyun’s eyes gleamed with calculation, “this time, we’re just putting on a show. We’ll make Arahan think we’re going to cross the river to escape again.”
Arhan arrived at Black Wind Valley, travel-worn and filled with rage.
All that could be seen were charred remains and embers that had not yet been extinguished, as well as some deliberately left marching tracks pointing towards the White Wolf Ferry.
"Trying to escape across the river? Chase him! We can't let him get away again!"
Arakhan, without suspicion, immediately led his already somewhat exhausted cavalry and rushed towards the White Wolf River crossing without stopping.
However, when the vanguard cavalry of the Northern Barbarians arrived at the ferry, they only saw some abandoned rafts and leather bags floating on the river, and flags fluttering faintly on the opposite bank, as if an army was moving away.
Arakhan arrived in person and, seeing the empty ferry crossing and the smoke and dust on the opposite bank, flew into a rage. He immediately ordered his troops to gather boats and prepare for a forced crossing and pursuit.
While Arahan was busy preparing the equipment for crossing the river and his attention was completely drawn to the Bailang River crossing, Zhao Muyun's main force was actually hidden in a dense willow forest less than ten miles upstream from the crossing.
They did not cross the river at all; the flags and dust on the opposite bank were merely illusions created by a small number of light cavalry left behind by Murong Chunhua.
"Grand Commander, Arahan's main force has been drawn to the ferry crossing and is gathering boats," Tang Yanhai reported.
"Good!" Zhao Muyun slammed his hand on the map. "The opportunity has arrived! Order the entire army to set off immediately, heading northwest. We'll cross the Xutuo River again and return to the north bank!"
Another incredibly audacious counterattack!
Taking advantage of the precious window of opportunity when Arahan made a mistake and his attention was diverted, Zhao Muyun led his troops southward along the Bailang River, found a shallow and slow-flowing section of the river, quickly waded across, and returned to the north bank of the Xutuo River!
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