Nian Meihe, positioned in the center of the army, watched as his vanguard was completely routed by the enemy's heavy cavalry in their first charge, his eyes wide with fury!
He brandished his long sword, trying to organize his personal guards to counterattack, but the routed soldiers surged backward like a tide, disrupting his main force.
"General! Move quickly! We can't hold them off any longer!" His personal guards grabbed his horse's reins tightly.
"Let me go! I'm going to kill them!" Zhan Meihe roared.
Just then, shouts of battle erupted from both sides of Wild Fox Ridge!
Murong Chunhua's light cavalry attacked from the flank, completely cutting off the Northern Di army's retreat.
After leaving some troops to monitor Yizhou, Xi Sheng and Liu Yi also led their main infantry force to arrive and press forward from the front.
The encirclement and annihilation are complete!
As Zhan Meihe watched the Xijing army surging in from all directions, the heavy cavalry moving through his own ranks as if they were nothing, and the dwindling number of his terrified personal guards, an unprecedented despair welled up in his heart.
He knew he had lost, utterly and completely.
Under the desperate protection of his personal guards, Nian Meihe cut down several fleeing soldiers blocking his way. Relying on his fast horse, he fled in a sorry state towards Baoding Prefecture, even losing his helmet and looking disheveled like a stray dog.
With their commander fleeing, the remaining Northern Di army collapsed completely, with countless soldiers kneeling and begging for mercy.
In this battle, of the 10,000 reinforcements brought by Nianmohe, more than 3,000 were killed in battle and more than 2,000 were captured. Less than half of them escaped back to Baoding with Nianmohe, and their organization was broken up and their morale was completely destroyed.
Meanwhile, in Yizhou City, Nianbahu, upon learning of the crushing defeat of the reinforcements and the unknown fate of Nianmeihe, lost his last shred of will to resist.
That night, he attempted to lead his confidants to abandon the city and flee, but was discovered by the Hedong army, which was constantly monitoring him. Zhong Meng led his troops in pursuit and killed Nianbahu in battle on the banks of the Yi River.
The following morning, the gates of Yizhou were opened wide, and the remaining defenders surrendered the city.
The Hedong Army achieved a resounding victory in its first battle after marching east out of Hebei!
Yizhou was liberated, and the main force of Nianmeihe was severely damaged, leaving Baoding Prefecture wide open!
The news sent shockwaves through Hebei!
......
Inside the main tent of Wuzhu, the Left Wise King of the Northern Barbarians, on the front lines of Xiangzhou.
The atmosphere was as heavy as if it were frozen.
The news of Nianmohe's defeat and the fall of Yizhou struck Wuzhu and all the Northern Di generals like a heavy blow.
Wuzhu sat on the tiger-skin chair, his face ashen.
He was about forty years old, in his prime, with a rugged face and a hideous scar on his forehead, a mark left from his early years fighting alongside the old Chanyu Wutugu.
Unlike the pure bravery of ordinary Northern Di generals, his eyes were deep, with the sharpness and cunning of a steppe eagle.
Last year, he also led an army of 100,000 south, captured the capital of the Great Yin, and took the royal family and 100,000 people back to the grasslands, becoming the undisputed successor to the Northern Di Chanyu.
This time, heading south again, it seems the journey wasn't as smooth as the last time.
“Zhao Muyun…heavy cavalry…long-range crossbow…” Wuzhu murmured.
The details of the defeat at Zhanmeihe have been pieced together by the fleeing soldiers. The Hedong army's formidable fighting power was even greater than when Zhao Muyun conquered Youzhou and killed Han Yanshou.
In particular, the heavy cavalry that delivered the decisive blow at the crucial moment and the crossbows with their astonishing range and power put him under unprecedented pressure.
"Your Majesty, General Zhanmeihe has suffered heavy losses, Yizhou has been lost, and Baoding is in grave danger. Our flank is under serious threat. We must immediately send troops back to reinforce and annihilate Zhao Muyun!"
"A commander of ten thousand said urgently."
"Return to provide reinforcements? Easier said than done!"
Another more cautious veteran countered, "Once our main force retreats, Yang Yan in Xiangzhou will surely seize the opportunity to counterattack. At that time, we will be attacked from both sides, and our army will be in grave danger!"
"Are we just going to stand by and watch Zhao Muyun wreak havoc in the rear? If Baoding falls, then Youzhou will be in grave danger, and our army's retreat will be in jeopardy!"
"Zhao Muyun is new here, with only 20,000 troops. Even if he has some excellent weapons, how could he possibly turn the tide? Nian Meihe was ambushed, but in open field battles, our army is still invincible!"
The generals inside the tent argued endlessly, mainly divided into two factions. One faction advocated immediately returning to deal with Zhao Muyun, while the other faction believed that Xiangzhou was the key and that they should not lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of a small matter.
Wuzhu listened quietly without saying a word.
His gaze fell on the gloomy sky outside the tent. This winter seemed to have come particularly early and was particularly cold.
"Shut up, all of you!" Wuzhu finally spoke, his voice not loud, but it instantly silenced the tent.
He stood up, walked to the map of Hebei, and pointed to Xiangzhou and Baoding:
"Yang Yan is a major threat, while Zhao Muyun is a minor ailment. Neither of them should be underestimated."
"But Yang Yan is holding firm, while Zhao Muyun is riding high after his victory. If I attack Zhao first, Yang Yan will surely come out; if I attack Yang first, Zhao Muyun may attack my rear or take the opportunity to strengthen himself."
He pondered for a moment, a decisive glint in his eyes: "Since dividing our forces will weaken us, and combining them will leave us vulnerable to a pincer attack... then let's change our strategy."
All the generals looked at him.
Wuzhu drew a circle on the map with his finger, finally pointing to Luancheng, a location between Xiangzhou and Baoding.
"Pass down the order: the attack on Xiangzhou will not be relaxed, but the offensive will be slowed down, and the focus will be on encirclement and harassment."
"I will personally lead 30,000 elite troops north to Luancheng."
"At the same time, order the remnants of the forces in Baoding, as well as the troops in Youzhou and Zhuozhou, to move closer to me. We will wait in the Luancheng area, in comfort and strength, to meet Zhao Muyun!"
Wuzhu's plan was very clear.
He judged that after Zhao Muyun's new victory, he might seek to join forces with Yang Yan of Xiangzhou, or continue to advance eastward and threaten Youzhou.
Luancheng is a crucial hub connecting Xiangzhou, Baoding, and Youzhou.
He stationed his main force here, which would not only prevent the Zhao and Yang armies from joining forces, but also force Zhao Muyun to come and fight a decisive battle. At the same time, he could also get support from the rear and avoid being isolated and deep into enemy territory.
This was a strategy that allowed for both offense and defense, fully demonstrating Wuzhu's shrewdness.
"in addition!"
Wuzhu added, a cold glint in his eyes, "Send someone to deliver a message to Zhao Muyun."
"I've heard that he's a young hero, and I intend to meet him in Luancheng, where we'll wager our warriors in a few 'Baturu' duels!"
"Let's see if his heavy cavalry is stronger, or if my Northern Di's Eagle Shooters and Iron Pagodas are even more powerful!"
This is a psychological tactic.
It was both a test and a provocation.
If Zhao Muyun dares not accept the challenge, it will damage the morale of the Hedong army; if he does accept the challenge, Wuzhu can also use this opportunity to observe the strength and weakness of the Hedong army.
"Your Majesty is wise!" the generals echoed in unison.
Wuzhu's strategy was quickly put into practice.
The Northern Di army's offensive on the front of Xiangzhou has clearly weakened, but the encirclement has not been lifted and remains like a shackle, firmly trapping Yang Yan.
Wuzhu personally led 30,000 main force troops, along with soldiers gathered from various places, totaling about 50,000 men, to Luancheng, and deployed scouts extensively to investigate Zhao Muyun's movements.
In an instant, war clouds gathered over Luancheng, making it a new focal point on the Hebei battlefield.
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