"Exactly."
Zhao Muyun nodded, "Ma Zongliang wants to wait for the enemy to tire themselves out, but I'll make him run around like a headless chicken. He wants to outnumber his opponents, but I'll divide and conquer him. Two hundred thousand troops sounds intimidating, but if they can't be mobilized effectively, they'll be a burden."
He looked at Wu Shangzhi: "General Wu, you will be the commander of the vanguard in this battle, leading the Lin Yuan and Liu Yi battalions as well as the Jiannan battalion ahead."
"Remember, once we arrive in Yanshi, we should make a big show of it, as if the entire army is crossing the river, but we don't actually have to cross—just make a big show of it so that Ma Zongliang knows that our army is in Yanshi."
"Your subordinate obeys!"
"Murong Chunhua, Huan Wu."
"Your subordinate is here!"
"You two will each lead three thousand cavalrymen and patrol the area twenty miles upstream and downstream of Yanshi. If any garrison comes to block your way, defeat them without engaging them in prolonged battles."
"yes!"
"Zhang Tao, Yang Chao, Guo Luo, Xi Sheng, Han Fang, Li Mao, Liu Qi!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
"Lead 30,000 infantrymen, along with the heavy cavalry and the Mo Dao battalion, as the central army, and follow me."
"Yes, sir!"
"No Zangepang, Namtso!"
"Your subordinates are here!" Mezang Epang and Namtso excitedly stepped forward.
“Your Tangut and Qiangrong battalions will bear heavy responsibilities this time,” Zhao Muyun said, looking at them. “Each of you will lead your own cavalry, two horses per person, without any baggage.”
"There is only one mission—to travel back and forth between the capital and Yishuichuan, raise many flags, and create the illusion of a large army of tens of thousands."
"We must keep Ma Zongliang from figuring out the strengths and weaknesses of our army, and from knowing where our main force is."
Mo Zang E Pang's eyes lit up: "This subordinate understands! We will definitely make Ma Zongliang dizzy and confused!"
"Also, inform Zhong Meng in Luyang that his five thousand troops should remain where they are!"
The generals obeyed and left, leaving only Zhao Muyun and Wu Shangzhi in the hall.
Wu Shangzhi hesitated, saying, "General, this plan is ingenious, but it carries considerable risk. What if Ma Zongliang doesn't fall for it and insists on holding Yishuichuan..."
“He’ll fall for it,” Zhao Muyun said confidently. “Because he still thinks I won’t take the initiative to attack because you haven’t arrived yet. I want him to know that when I do move, it’s with lightning speed.”
He walked to the window and looked north: "We've dealt with Ma Zongliang many times. He's talented, but suspicious; shrewd, but seeks stability. The more I act strangely, the more he'll overthink. And the more he overthinks, the more flaws he'll find."
Wu Shangzhi was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "General, you just said...we should also slow down?"
"Um."
"But our army's rations are only enough for half a month..."
"Then we'll eat sparingly," Zhao Muyun said calmly. "Tell the soldiers that after this battle, they can take whatever they want from the granaries in the capital. If they can survive this half-month, they'll enjoy endless wealth."
He turned, a cold glint in his eyes: "Ma Zongliang thought he had laid a trap for me in Yishuichuan. Little did he know, the net was too big, the lines too long; a mere tug..."
"It will break." Wu Shangzhi continued.
Zhao Muyun nodded: "Go. Remember, this battle is not about weapons, but about people's hearts. Whoever loses their composure first will lose."
Wu Shangzhi solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute, then turned and left.
Zhao Muyun stood alone in front of the sand table, her fingers lightly tracing the terrain of the Yishui River.
Ma Zongliang, are you ready to face this challenge?
......
April 5th, south bank of Yanshi.
Wu Shangzhi stood by the Luo River, gazing at the city walls that were faintly visible on the opposite bank.
The Luo River in spring is indeed not deep; at its shallowest point, it only reaches the belly of a horse, making it easy for a large army to cross.
But the problem lies on the other side—banners are flying high on the walls of Yanshi, indicating that the defending troops are clearly prepared.
"General, we've scouted the area," the scout reported. "The garrison commander of Yanshi is Zhang Nan, with approximately eight thousand troops. The city walls have been fortified, and the moat has been widened, making a direct assault difficult."
Wu Shangzhi nodded, not surprised.
If Ma Zongliang doesn't even defend Yanshi, then he's being underestimated.
"Order the entire army to set up camp. Set up as many tents and banners as possible, and build a camp for 30,000 men."
"General, aren't we just feigning an attack?" Xi Sheng asked, puzzled.
"It is precisely because it is a feint attack that we have to make it look real."
Wu Shangzhi said, "Ma Zongliang is in the capital, and he will definitely send spies to monitor our army's movements. He can calculate the size of the camps, the amount of smoke from the cooking fires, and the number of flags. We must make him calculate that the General's main force is indeed in Yanshi."
That afternoon, Yin Jun began preparations to cross the river in a grand manner.
Craftsmen felled trees to build rafts, soldiers practiced crossing the river, and generals frequently inspected the riverbanks; everything seemed to indicate a genuine attempt to force a crossing of the Luo River.
On the city wall of Yanshi, the defending general Zhang Nan watched with trepidation.
He originally had only three thousand garrison troops, but five thousand were urgently reinforced yesterday, bringing the total to eight thousand.
But facing an army of 30,000 men on the other side of the river...
"Quickly! Send a 600-li urgent message to Marshal Ma! The main force of the Yin Army is in Yanshi and intends to cross the Luo River!" Zhang Nan ordered urgently.
When the news reached the Yishuichuan camp, Ma Zongliang was working on a sand table exercise with Li Biao and Li Bao.
"Report! Urgent report from Yanshi! The main force of the Yin army, numbering 30,000, has already set up camp on the south bank of the Luo River and is building rafts and preparing boats, intending to cross the river and attack Yanshi!"
Ma Zongliang paused, his brow furrowing. "The main force is in Yanshi? Are you sure?"
"General Zhang Nan saw with his own eyes that the camps stretched for five miles and there were hundreds of cooking fires, which was definitely not a feint."
Li Bao said urgently, "General, if the Yin army really crosses the river at Yanshi, they can reach the capital in a single day! Our main force is at Yishuichuan, leaving the eastern route vulnerable!"
Li Biao, however, remained calm: "General, could this be a feint by Zhao Muyun? He knows our main force is at Yishuichuan, yet he's attacking Yanshi..."
"It is precisely because our main force is here that he wants to avoid the strong and attack the weak."
Ma Zongliang stared at the sand table, his mind racing with calculations. "Yanshi has 8,000 troops defending it, and the Luo River can be forded. If Zhao Muyun really manages to cross with 30,000 elite troops, Zhang Nan won't be able to hold it. Once Yanshi falls, the eastern gate of the capital will be wide open..."
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