Something's not right.
Zhao Muyun reined in his horse and raised his binoculars to observe carefully.
The outer walls of the camp were visibly damaged, several watchtowers had collapsed, and there were numerous messy footprints and drag marks on the snow.
Further away, there was a patch of scorched earth, clearly the result of a fire.
“There are signs of fighting,” Guo Luo said in a deep voice, “but the camp seems to still be in our hands. Look, the patrolling soldiers are coming out.”
Sure enough, a squad of soldiers emerged from the camp and patrolled along the outer wall.
However, when viewed through the binoculars, the soldiers' steps appeared somewhat stiff, and their formation was slightly loose.
“They’re not Zhong Meng’s men.” Zhao Muyun put down his binoculars, his face grave. “Wan Jun is known for his strict discipline; a patrol team would never be this lax.”
"Could it be that the camp has been breached and the enemy is disguised as our troops?" Tang Yanhai gasped.
“Very likely.” Zhao Muyun quickly analyzed, “Yang Yan knew we were going back to Luoyingjian, so he sent troops to capture it in advance and set up an ambush. Those patrolmen were bait, trying to lure us into the camp.”
"What about General Zhong Meng and the others..."
"The odds are against us." Zhao Muyun closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"But we must see the person alive or dead. Guo Luo, take five hundred men and flank from the west to check the rear of the camp."
"Murong Chunhua, your light cavalry battalion, disperse and search the surrounding area for ten miles. The rest of you, hide where you are and do not expose yourselves without my orders."
The two teams set off quietly, while Zhao Muyun led the remaining troops into a grove of trees, waiting anxiously.
An hour later, Murong Chunhua returned first, bringing back astonishing news:
Zhong Meng's troops were discovered in a valley five miles southeast of Luoyingjian!
"Are they still alive?" Zhao Muyun suddenly stood up.
"Alive, but in bad shape."
Murong Chunhua said in a low voice, "Three days ago, five thousand Fengtian troops suddenly attacked Luoyingjian. General Zhong Meng led his troops in a bloody battle for two days, but ultimately, due to being outnumbered, he was forced to abandon the camp and break through to that valley to hold it."
"There are less than two thousand men left, and our food supplies are running out, with wounded soldiers everywhere."
A weight lifted from Zhao Muyun's heart, but then a new worry rose within him: "Did the Fengtian Army not pursue us?"
"We pursued them, but the valley's terrain was treacherous, and General Zhong Meng had laid down rolling logs and rocks. The Fengtian Army suffered heavy losses in two strong attacks, so they switched to a siege. Now there are three thousand Fengtian troops outside the valley, blocking all the way out."
At this moment, Guo Luo also returned and confirmed Murong Chunhua's information.
The camp at Luoyingjian had indeed been occupied by the Fengtian Army, with about two thousand men left behind to set up an ambush.
"Well done, Yang Yan, with his two-pronged strategy." Zhao Muyun sneered, "On one hand, he was keeping me occupied in Youzhou, and on the other hand, he sent troops to attack Luoyingjian, trying to cut off my retreat. Unfortunately for him, he miscalculated two things."
"Which two items?" Tang Yanhai asked.
“First, he underestimated Zhong Meng’s tenacity; second, he didn’t expect us to return so quickly.” A hint of murderous intent flashed in Zhao Muyun’s eyes. “Now, it’s our turn to fight back.”
He summoned his generals and quickly made arrangements: "At midnight tonight, Murong Chunhua will lead a light cavalry battalion to attack the Luoyingjian camp. We do not aim to capture it, but only to create chaos and attract the attention of the defending troops."
"Guo Luo, you take the heavy cavalry battalion and a thousand infantrymen, and under cover of night, circle around to the rear of the Fengtian army besieging the valley. At dawn, launch a surprise attack. I will lead the rest of the men to attack from the front and from both sides to rescue Zhong Meng's troops."
"What if the Fengtian Army at Luoyingjian camp comes to our aid?" Guo Luo asked.
"This is Murong Chunhua's mission—to keep them pinned down and not let them leave the camp." Zhao Muyun looked at Murong Chunhua. "Can you do it?"
Murong Chunhua clasped his hands in a fist salute: "This subordinate obeys the order! Even if we fight to the last man, we will not let a single Fengtian soldier escape from the camp!"
"Good." Zhao Muyun drew his sword, its blade reflecting the afterglow of the setting sun, its cold light chilling. "Tonight, we will let Yang Yan know that the Hedong army cannot be humiliated, and the Hedong soldiers cannot be bullied!"
......
At midnight, the wind and snow were fierce.
Inside the camp at Luoyingjian, Fengtian Army General Wang Huan was warming himself by a fire in his tent.
He was a veteran general under Yang Yan, and was ordered to lead 5,000 men to capture Luoyingjian. He thought it would be an easy victory.
Unexpectedly, Zhong Meng's three thousand men were so tenacious, and it took them two days of bloody fighting to capture the camp, while they themselves lost more than a thousand men.
What's more troublesome is that the valley occupied by Zhong Meng's remnants after their breakout is easy to defend and difficult to attack. He failed to launch two strong attacks and had to resort to besieging it.
He has now divided his forces into two groups: two thousand to guard the camp and three thousand to surround the valley, leaving him with very limited manpower.
"General, is there any news from the Grand Commander?" the adjutant asked. "We've been besieging Zhong Meng for three days now. Their supplies are running low; they can only hold out for two more days at most. But what if Zhao Muyun returns..."
Wang Huan waved his hand: "The Grand Steward said that General Li Jin will hold Zhao Muyun back for at least three days. Judging by the time, Zhao Muyun won't arrive until tomorrow night at the earliest."
"By then, Zhong Meng will either starve to death or surrender, and the camp will be fortified. If Zhao Muyun comes, he will only be throwing his life away."
Despite this, Wang Huan remained uneasy. Zhao Muyun's military tactics were unpredictable, and the explosion at the north gate of Youzhou had instilled fear in all the Fengtian Army generals.
"Pass down the order to strengthen vigilance tonight, especially at the southern mountain pass. If Zhao Muyun comes, he will definitely come from there..."
Before the words were finished, a deafening battle cry suddenly erupted from the west side of the camp!
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" The alarm bells rang frantically.
Wang Huan suddenly stood up, grabbed his sword, and rushed out of the military tent.
Flames soared into the sky to the west, arrows rained down, and cavalry could be vaguely seen galloping and shooting arrows outside the camp.
"Is it Zhao Muyun?" Wang Huan's heart tightened.
"Judging from the banners, they are light cavalry, not many in number, about a thousand or so," the sentry reported.
"Light cavalry?"
Wang Huan was taken aback, then sneered, "Trying to harass our army and create an opportunity to rescue Zhong Meng? Order all battalions to hold their positions and not to leave their camps to pursue them! Put the crossbowmen on the walls and shoot them back!"
He was determined that as long as he maintained the status quo and wasn't lured away from his post, Zhao Muyun wouldn't be able to do anything to him.
We'll deal with these light cavalrymen slowly after daybreak.
However, Wang Huan did not expect that this was just the beginning.
At the same time the camp was attacked, the three thousand Fengtian troops besieging the valley also suffered annihilation.
Guo Luo led nine hundred heavy cavalry and one thousand infantrymen, taking advantage of the cover of night and snow, and quietly circled around to the rear of the Fengtian Army.
The Fengtian Army's attention was entirely focused on the valley, and they never expected that there would be an enemy behind them.
In the darkest hour before dawn, Guo Luo launched his attack.
The heavy cavalry battalion's iron hooves shattered the wind and snow, crashing into the Fengtian Army camp like a black torrent of death!
Many Fengtian Army soldiers were trampled underfoot and pierced by spears while they were still asleep.
The camp was thrown into chaos, filled with cries and screams.
The Fengtian Army generals attempted to organize a resistance, but the heavy cavalry's charge was too powerful, and they were unable to stop them in time.
Guo Luo took the lead, spearing three men in succession, and headed straight for the central command tent.
"The entire Hedong Army is here! Those who surrender will be spared!"
Guo Luo mustered all his strength, and his voice shook the surrounding area.
The Fengtian Army was already fearful, and upon hearing the shouts, their morale was thrown into chaos.
Adding to the darkness and snow before dawn, it was impossible to tell how many enemies were coming, and many people began to scatter and flee.
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