Zhao Muyun raised his hand to silence the murmurs and calmly said, "What's the panic? The war isn't over yet."
He walked to the map and pointed to Youzhou: "Wuzhu has just been defeated, but Youzhou is an important town with high walls and deep moats. It is not so easy to take it. Yang Yan wants to take advantage of the situation. It's not that simple."
He paused, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes: "However, the Land of Youyun is our homeland; how can we allow others to lay a finger on it?"
"Issue the order: the entire army shall rest for a day, distribute rewards, and treat the wounded. At the same time, send envoys with the heads of Wuzhu's defeated soldiers and captured flags to various prefectures and counties in Hebei to persuade them to surrender and join the rebellion!"
"Furthermore, send an urgent message to Xijing to report the victory! In the name of the Great Yin Dynasty, say that our Hedong Army decisively defeated the main force of the Northern Di in the snowy night of Luancheng, killing countless enemies. Wuzhu fled north in disarray, and the situation in Hebei is now settled!"
"Our army will advance eastward immediately and vow to reclaim Youyun!"
This was an attempt to gain the upper hand in public opinion and legal matters before Yang Yan could, and to declare that the Youyun region should be recovered by the Hedong Army.
"What about Yang Yan..." Tang Yanhai asked.
Zhao Muyun snorted coldly: "Send someone to deliver a letter to him, congratulating him on lifting the siege of Xiangzhou."
"Tell him that Wuzhu's defeated army is fleeing towards Youzhou, and our army is about to advance eastward to pursue and annihilate them. Ask him to hold Xiangzhou and Hejian Prefecture, pacify the local area, and wipe out the remaining enemy. This important logistical task is entrusted to him."
These words sounded grand and righteous, but in reality they were an accusation that Yang Yan had previously sat idly by and watched the success or failure, but now wanted to take credit for it, while also implying that he should not overstep his bounds and should stay quietly in the back.
"Furthermore," Zhao Muyun lowered his voice and instructed Shen Qian, "deploy additional night scouts to closely monitor Yang Yan's troops, especially his cavalry. I need to know his every move."
"Yes!" Shen Qian accepted the order and left.
Zhao Muyun continued, "Pass on my order to Han Zhong: Our army has fought continuously and achieved great victories, but we are exhausted and our forces are scattered. If we want to advance eastward to Youzhou, our forces are somewhat insufficient. Find a way to transfer some more troops from Hedong!"
After arranging everything, Zhao Muyun stepped out of the tent and took a deep breath of the cold air.
The victory in the Battle of Luancheng was only a temporary one.
The real test will come next, with the open and covert struggles with Yang Yan and the tough battle to counterattack Youzhou.
He looked up towards the northeast, where Youzhou was located.
"Youzhou... I'm back."
Almost simultaneously with the news of the victory sent by the Great Yin court in Xijing, Yang Yan's army in Xiangzhou also received confirmation of the great victory at Luancheng.
Yang Yan stared at the battle report, remaining silent for a long time.
The generals under his command were abuzz with discussion. Some were shocked by the fighting prowess of the Hedong army, some regretted not being able to participate in such a great victory, and others were resentful that Zhao Muyun had taken the credit.
"General, Zhao Muyun won by luck and will surely become arrogant. Our army has just won a victory and its morale is high. We should quickly head north to recover Youzhou. How can we fall behind?" a general said.
Another person said, "Zhao Muyun is a wolf in sheep's clothing, and I'm afraid he's not a good thing for the court. Now that he's riding high on the victory, if he were to gain control of Youzhou, he would become too powerful to control! Commander, we must be on guard!"
Yang Yan slowly put down the battle report, his face remaining calm and expressionless.
But a complex emotion flickered deep in his eyes—admiration, apprehension, and even a chilling murderous intent.
He spoke slowly, his voice steady yet carrying an undeniable power:
"Order the entire army to speed up and move into Baoding Prefecture. At the same time, in my name, send a congratulatory letter to Grand Commander Zhao to congratulate him on the great victory at Luancheng. Also, submit a memorial to the court to request that the meritorious officers and soldiers of the Hedong Army be rewarded."
He paused, then continued, "Furthermore, I request the court to report that Hebei has just been pacified, and Youyun awaits recovery, but the troops are exhausted, and the transport of provisions is difficult."
"I request that the Hebei Military Headquarters be established to unify the command of all troops and coordinate the supply of provisions, so as to recover Youyun as soon as possible and return with complete victory."
Upon hearing this, the generals inside the tent were first taken aback, then quickly understood.
The commander-in-chief is using the name of the Great Feng Dynasty to suppress and consolidate Zhao Muyun!
If Yang Yan were to lead the Hebei campaign, then Zhao Muyun and his Hedong army would be under his control!
"The commander-in-chief is wise!" the generals exclaimed in unison.
Yang Yan walked to the map, looked at the location of Youzhou, and thought to himself:
"Zhao Muyun, you are indeed a military genius that comes along only once in a century. But the credit for Youyun should not be given to you alone. The landscape of Hebei, and even the whole country, needs to change."
He tapped Youzhou lightly with his fingers, his eyes growing colder: "Soon, it will be time to take your life!"
A chilling killing intent permeated the main tent of the Xiangzhou army.
Beneath the joy of the great victory at Luancheng, the blades of their allies were already quietly gleaming.
The victory report announced to the world by the Xijing Dayin court and Yang Yan's memorial arrived at Li Jingang's desk in the capital almost simultaneously.
Inside the imperial study, Li Jingang carefully read two documents, his face showing no joy.
But the way he lightly tapped his fingers on the table showed that he was not at peace.
"On a snowy night in Luancheng, 20,000 enemy soldiers were annihilated... What a Zhao Muyun!" Li Jingang muttered to himself, his tone carrying an indescribable complexity.
He was both pleased that the main force of the Northern Barbarians had been severely damaged and the crisis in Hebei had been resolved, and deeply wary of the terrifying strength displayed by Zhao Muyun and his Hedong army.
In particular, the battle report mentioned "heavy cavalry battalion", "longdao formation" and "divine firearms", which were all unheard-of and formidable weapons.
The audacious night raid by Zhao Muyun sent a chill down Li Jingang's spine.
This man's military skills have reached a state of perfection. Moreover, his troops are well-trained and well-supplied, and his officers are loyal and devoted. He is already a major threat!
Looking at Yang Yan's memorial, although it congratulated the great victory between the lines, the focus was on "requesting the establishment of a Hebei military headquarters to unify authority".
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