Han Zhong forced himself to calm down, carefully read the military report again, and pondered:
"Baicaotan is about eighty li away from Shahu Pass, which is already deep in the border region. The fact that the Tartars could gather three thousand armored cavalry here is definitely not the work of a small tribe that raids."
"Judging from their tactics, the two-wing encirclement is quite well-organized... I'm afraid there are indeed several large tribes joining forces behind the scenes, and their ambitions are not small. However... there is still one thing I don't understand."
"explain."
"If Wuzhu really wanted to take advantage of the chaos and move south, why did his vanguard only engage my thousand-odd patrol cavalry at Baicaotan?"
"Since they have already discovered our army's departure beyond the border, why don't they take advantage of the situation and launch a surprise attack, heading straight for the relatively weakly defended Kill Tiger Pass? Instead, they pursued us for twenty miles and then retreated?"
Han Zhong's eyes flashed with suspicion, "It's like... testing us, or rather, trying to attract our attention?"
A sharp glint flashed in Zhao Muyun's eyes: "You mean... a feint? Or a diversionary tactic?"
“It’s not impossible.” Han Zhong pointed to the north. “The Yunzhou defense line stretches for hundreds of miles, from Shahu Pass in the east to Piantou Pass in the west.”
"If the Tartars gather tens of thousands of troops, they will always choose a main direction to attack. The encounter at Baicaotan may be an attempt to make me think that their main force is here, thus drawing the troops from Yunzhou to the eastern front."
"Their true intention may lie in the Pinglu Fort or Weiyuan Fort area further west, where the city walls are lower and there are fewer garrison troops."
Zhao Muyun pondered for a moment and slowly said, "That makes sense. But regardless of their intentions, it is true that Yunzhou encountered the enemy, suffered losses, and Tian Qing sent a distress call. Reinforcements must be sent, and quickly."
"Your Excellency is wise. I will immediately dispatch three thousand infantrymen from the Shuozhou camp to reinforce Yunzhou overnight. However... our cavalry is scarce, and I fear we will be unable to engage the Tartars in open battle."
“Cavalry…” Zhao Muyun repeated, then suddenly asked, “How many elite cavalry can Liu Pan and Cao Jun in Daizhou deploy?”
Han Zhong was taken aback: "Daizhou directly faces Youzhou and needs to guard against the Fengtian Army... However, dispatching a thousand elite cavalry should be fine. Does the Grand Commander intend to..."
"Then order Liu Pan to select one thousand elite cavalry, led by a captain, to immediately head north and be at Tian Qing's command."
Zhao Muyun's tone turned cold, "Tell Tian Qing, I'll give him reinforcements, I'll give him supplies and weapons. But Yunzhou must be defended by me! If Yunzhou falls, don't blame us for being ruthless to our old brothers!"
"Yes!" Han Zhong answered resolutely, then added worriedly, "It's just drawing cavalry from Daizhou; the situation in Youzhou..."
“Li Sheng has not made a move in Youzhou, and the Fengtian Army in Yizhou shows no signs of advancing. The Fengtian Army will not launch a major offensive in the short term. Right now, the threat from the north is greater,” Zhao Muyun said decisively. “Get it done immediately.”
"Yes, sir!"
Han Zhong turned his horse around, took a few close followers, and galloped towards Jinyang, preparing to mobilize troops.
Zhao Muyun continued to lead his personal guards, slowly heading north.
It seems like another snowstorm is coming; the north wind whips up the snowflakes on the ground, stinging our faces.
He gazed at the gloomy northern horizon, and the tension in his heart tightened even more.
......
Let's rewind to five days ago.
Eighty li north of Shahu Pass lies Baicaotan.
Despite its beautiful name, it is actually a desolate riverbank in winter, with withered yellow and white grass stalks shivering in the cold wind, and the winding riverbed already frozen.
The sky was overcast with low-hanging leaden clouds, a clear sign that snow was brewing.
Li Mao wiped the blood splattered on his face, which, mixed with sweat, almost froze in the cold air.
A large gash was cut open in the leather armor on his left arm, revealing a deep, bone-revealing knife wound beneath the cotton wadding. The hastily bound strips of cloth were soaked in blood.
He didn't feel much pain, only a numb burning sensation and an increasingly heavy fatigue.
Looking around, his heart sank.
Of the thousand spirited new cavalrymen who set out, along with three hundred seasoned veterans as guides, fewer than eight hundred can still ride on horseback and maintain battle formation.
The warhorses neighed and puffed out thick white breaths; many of them were also wounded.
The ground was littered with the corpses of many people and horses, their blood staining the withered grass and frozen soil a glaring blackish-red.
Further away, some warhorses, now without their masters, wandered fearfully along the edge of the battlefield.
On the other side, the Tatar cavalry, still a dark mass, like a pack of wolves lurking in the distance, were regrouping.
Their formation was somewhat scattered, leaving behind hundreds of corpses, but they still had an overwhelming numerical advantage.
The Tartars wore shabby leather robes or simple iron armor, and various kinds of leather hats. Their faces were dirty, and their eyes were fierce and greedy.
They stared intently in their direction, uttering low growls that sounded like a conversation or a show of defiance.
"General! We're almost out of crossbow bolts!" A young cavalryman with a childlike face and lips that were purple from the cold rode up to us, his voice trembling with fear and tears.
The crossbow in his hand was empty, and the quiver at his waist was almost empty as well.
Li Mao recognized him; his name was Wang Shuan, and he came from a fortified village under Yunzhou. He was only seventeen years old this year, and his horsemanship was among the best of the new recruits. This was his first time on the battlefield.
"What's the panic!" Li Mao growled, trying to make his voice sound calm. "Pick them up from the ground! Even Tartar arrows will work!"
He knew that the intense exchange of fire and the charge had exhausted the arrows on both sides, and there weren't many usable arrows left on the ground.
He was filled with regret and anger.
Regretting his eagerness to gain merit, after receiving the order to patrol beyond the Great Wall, he learned that there were Tartar cavalrymen to the north, so he thought of making a lot of military achievements and led his troops deep into the area.
I am furious at the cunning and ferocity of these Tartars—they are not the scattered soldiers I expected, but an organized and premeditated elite force!
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