Murong Chunhua did not linger in battle. He rode his horse outside the city, shooting down the few soldiers who dared to come out of the city to put out the fire. After creating an atmosphere of panic to the extreme, he quickly withdrew and turned to attack other logistics strongholds and small patrol teams.
When the news reached Wuzhu's camp in Luancheng, Wuzhu's face darkened.
Although he had anticipated that Zhao Muyun would harass the logistics, he did not expect the other party to act so quickly and use such cunning methods.
The losses of grain and provisions in Dingzhou were not significant, but the morale of the troops was affected.
Meanwhile, the main infantry force of Hedong, led by Xi Sheng and Zhong Meng, advanced steadily and cautiously, step by step, along the official road towards Luancheng.
They only traveled twenty li each day, and then chose advantageous terrain to set up a strong camp, dug trenches, and set up barricades. The camp was filled with fluttering flags and loud bugle calls, clearly in preparation for a decisive battle.
Wuzhu sent out scouts to harass them, but Tang Yanhai's scout battalion was exceptionally strong and often managed to drive away or even annihilate the Di scouts.
The three-generation composite bows with their extremely long range in the Hedong army's formation also deterred the Di cavalry from approaching easily.
After several days, Wuzhu still didn't have a clear understanding of the specific situation of the main force of the Hedong army.
All we know is that the enemy has strict military discipline and formidable defenses, and is by no means an easy opponent.
Meanwhile, alarms were sounding frequently from behind.
What bothered Wuzhu even more was that the weather was getting worse and worse.
The north wind howled, the leaden clouds hung low, the temperature plummeted, and fine snowflakes began to fall from the sky.
"It's snowing..."
Wuzhu stepped out of the tent, reached out and caught a few cold snowflakes, his brow furrowed.
The harsh winter poses a significant challenge to the attacking side, especially for armies from relatively warmer regions.
Although his soldiers were also cold-resistant, the long supply lines and the supply of fodder for the warhorses would be major problems.
On the other hand, according to reports from scouts, the Hedong army seemed to be carrying a strange "black stone" that was durable and produced little smoke. At night, multiple fires could be seen burning in the camp, and the soldiers were in good condition.
"We can't wait any longer!" Wuzhu made up his mind.
He realized that delaying would only make things worse for him.
Zhao Muyun could survive on that strange fuel and relatively short supply lines, while he himself might be worn down by the harsh winter and the enemy's harassment.
"Issue the order! At dawn tomorrow, the entire army will launch an attack to meet the Hedong army! I want to see whether their tortoise shell is harder or my spiked club is sharper!"
Wuzhu finally issued the order for a decisive battle.
He chose to take the initiative and use his superior numbers to seek to defeat the main force of the Xijing army in the field.
However, just as Wuzhu was mobilizing his troops and preparing for the great battle the next day, an even greater snowstorm quietly descended during the night.
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