At the same time, in Jinyang City.
Zhao Muyun walked into the Hedong Jiedushi Mansion, looking travel-worn, where Han Zhong had been waiting for a long time.
"Grand Commander!" Han Zhong rushed forward, his voice trembling with excitement, "You're finally back!"
"Old Han, you've worked hard." Zhao Muyun patted him on the shoulder. "How's the situation in Hedong?"
Han Zhong led Zhao Muyun inside, speaking as they walked:
"The pressure is immense. Li Jingang has amassed 100,000 troops on the border. Although he has not yet launched an attack, small groups of troops are probing the border every day."
"General Tian Qing is at Yanmen Pass, General Liu Pan is at Jingxing Pass, and General Cao Jun is at Pujin Pass, all on high alert day and night."
Where is Xiao Cheyun?
"General Xiao is training troops in Luzhou. He has recruited 20,000 new soldiers and is intensifying their training."
Upon entering the council chamber, the generals were already waiting.
Upon seeing Zhao Muyun, they all stood up and bowed.
Zhao Muyun glanced at everyone, feeling somewhat relieved.
With all the generals from Hedong present, the army's morale is high.
"sit."
He sat down first, "Zhong Meng, tell me about the situation after the Battle of Luoyingjian."
Zhong Meng stood up: "Reporting to the Grand Commander, our army rested for three days at Luoyingjian. The seriously wounded have been escorted back to Hedong by General Murong Chunhua."
"My troops currently number 1,200, of whom 800 are combat-ready."
Zhao Muyun nodded: "Alright, your eight hundred men will be temporarily incorporated into the Jinyang garrison, under the command of Han Zhong."
"Guo Luo, what are the casualties of your heavy cavalry battalion?"
Guo Luo stood up: "The heavy cavalry battalion suffered 127 dead, over 300 wounded, and lost 200 warhorses. They have now been replenished and are ready to go into battle at any time."
"Where is Wu Shangzhi's light cavalry battalion?"
"The light cavalry battalion suffered moderate casualties, with a total of 583 dead and over 200 wounded. They have now returned to Jinyang to rest and recuperate."
"The cavalry of Murong Chunhua, Huanwu, and Namtso have suffered two thousand casualties!"
"Xi Sheng, where is your Mo Dao Battalion?"
"Reporting to the Grand Commander, the Mo Dao Battalion had a total of one thousand men who left Hedong, and seven hundred of them remain."
Zhao Muyun pondered for a moment, then looked at Han Zhong: "What is the total strength of the troops in Hedong?"
Han Zhong was prepared: "Reporting to the Grand Commander, the standing army in Hedong is 50,000, of which 20,000 are border defense troops, commanded by Tian Qing, Liu Pan, and Cao Jun respectively."
"Jinyang has a standing army of 10,000 and a newly recruited army of 20,000, for a total of 30,000. In addition, General Zhang Huan's 3,000 naval troops are stationed on the Fen River."
Zhao Muyun nodded: "Not only the Mo Dao Battalion, but also the Heavy Cavalry Battalion, Light Cavalry Battalion, and Infantry Battalion need rest. We have traveled thousands of miles from Yanyun Road, and both men and horses are exhausted."
He paused, then looked around at his generals: "But Xijing is in imminent danger, and we must rush to its aid. My plan is—the Shenji Battalion and the Scout Battalion will advance with me first, lightly equipped and swiftly."
"After resting for five days in Jinyang, the remaining troops, led by Wu Shangzhi, traveled by boat to Jinzhou, sailed south along the Fen River into the Yellow River, and then went upstream along the Wei River to reach Xijing."
The generals looked at each other in bewilderment.
Han Zhong couldn't help but ask, "Grand Commander, you're only taking the Divine Machine Battalion and the Scout Battalion? That's just over a thousand people. How can you possibly relieve the siege of Xijing?"
Zhao Muyun smiled slightly: "Speed is of the essence in warfare, and even more so in taking things by surprise. Yang Chao has besieged Wanwan with 50,000 troops. He would never have imagined that I would only bring 1,000 men to his aid. Moreover, the Shenji Battalion's firearms can play a remarkable role in the defense of the city."
"But it's too dangerous..."
“War is never without danger.” Zhao Muyun waved his hand. “Han Zhong, your task is even more important. While I’m away, you will be in full charge of Hedong. Li Jingang and Yang Yan have already broken their alliance, so you need to be prepared for battle.”
Han Zhong solemnly replied, "This subordinate obeys!"
"Send orders to Generals Tian Qing, Liu Pan, and Cao Jun!" Zhao Muyun said to the three border generals, "Guard the pass well, do not seek merit, but seek no fault. If Li Jingang comes to attack, hold firm and do not come out, exhaust his morale."
"Understood!"
"Inform Xiao Cheyun that the training of new recruits must be intensified. A fighting force must be trained within three months."
"Zhang Huan, your navy must ensure the Fen River flows smoothly. Wu Shangzhi's army's southward advance depends entirely on your ships."
"Rest assured, Grand Commander, all the boats on the Fen River are ready."
Zhao Muyun finally looked at Xi Sheng: "The Mo Dao Battalion is a powerful weapon for breaking through enemy lines. Take good care of yourself, and you will be of great use in the future."
"promise!"
After the deployment was completed, Zhao Muyun dismissed all the generals, leaving only Han Zhong behind.
"Old Han, there's one more thing," Zhao Muyun said in a low voice. "After I leave, you need to keep a close eye on Yang Yan's movements."
Han Zhong was taken aback: "Yang Yan? Isn't he in Youzhou?"
“Exactly.” Zhao Muyun said solemnly, “I sent Wang Huan back to deliver the message. Yang Yan should now know that I have returned to Hedong.”
"Given his personality, he will never let this go. I'm worried that he might incite Li Jingang to attack Hedong while I'm rushing to Xijing's aid."
Han Zhong gasped: "If that's really the case, we'll be attacked from three sides—the Tartars to the north, Yang Chao to the west, and Yang Yan to the east..."
"So you need to be prepared."
Zhao Muyun patted his shoulder, "Hedong is our foundation, and we must not lose it. If things become unfavorable, we can abandon the outer passes and retreat to Jinyang."
"Jinyang is a high-lying city with deep moats and ample food supplies. It should be able to hold out for a year or two without any problem."
Han Zhong nodded emphatically: "This subordinate understands!"
Three days later, Zhao Muyun led 1,000 elite soldiers from the Shenji Battalion and 100 from the Scout Battalion, a total of more than 1,000 men, and quietly left Jinyang.
Before leaving, he said to Han Zhong, who was seeing him off, "Remember, if Li Jingang attacks, do not fight him head-on. Our goal is to buy time. Once the battle in Xijing is over, I will return with my troops."
"Take care, Grand Commander!"
More than a thousand cavalrymen sped south like arrows released from a bow.
Zhao Muyun chose an extremely secretive marching route.
They set off from Jinyang, avoiding the official roads and choosing instead mountain trails.
The scout battalion explored the route ten miles ahead, with the Shenji battalion following closely behind. They marched for eight hours each day, resting only for two hours late at night.
Such intensity is simply unbearable for an ordinary army.
However, the Shenji Battalion was an elite force personally built by Zhao Muyun, with soldiers selected from among the best, and warhorses being the finest steeds from Hexi.
On the fifth day, the team arrived at Huoyi.
The garrison commander of Huoyi was a former subordinate of Han Zhong and had already received orders to prepare dry rations and drinking water for Zhao Muyun.
"Grand Commander, Linfen is just ahead," the garrison commander reported.
Zhao Muyun looked at the map: "Yang Chao's attention is all on Wannian. We'll bypass Linfen and head directly south to Longmen to cross the river."
"Cross the river?" the garrison commander exclaimed in surprise. "The Longmen Ferry might be guarded by the Fengtian Army."
"It's alright," Zhao Muyun said calmly. "There won't be many troops guarding the ferry. The Shenji Battalion's firearms are best suited for this kind of surprise attack."
After replenishing their supplies in Huoyi, the army continued south.
Sure enough, as they approached Linfen, scouts reported that about fifty Fengtian Army cavalrymen had been spotted ahead.
"We can't let them discover our whereabouts," Zhao Muyun ordered. "Old Tang, take the scout battalion and take care of them quickly and cleanly."
Tang Yanhai accepted the order and led a hundred elite troops to sneak over silently.
A quarter of an hour later, the captain reported: the Fengtian Army's cavalry was completely annihilated, and our army suffered no casualties.
"good."
Zhao Muyun nodded. "Speed up and get through this area as quickly as possible before the Fengtian Army discovers the cavalry is missing."
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