That night, Ma Zongliang summoned his generals and made detailed plans.
"General Li Biao."
"Your subordinate is here!"
"You will lead 50,000 elite troops as the central army, arrayed on the north bank of the Yi River. Remember, the formation must be solid, like an impregnable fortress, to block Zhao Muyun's frontal assault."
"Yes, sir!"
"General Li Bao."
"Your subordinate is here!"
"You will lead 50,000 troops as the left flank, deploying them along the hills west of the Yi River. Once the central army engages, you will flank them from the side."
"Understood!"
"General Zhang Yu."
"Your subordinate is here!" The commander of the Imperial Guards stepped forward.
"You will lead 50,000 Imperial Guards as the right flank, and array them on the east bank of the Yi River. Similarly, after the central army engages the enemy, you will flank them from the right flank."
"yes!"
"The remaining 50,000 troops," Ma Zongliang surveyed his generals, "will be personally commanded by me, divided into three teams: the first team will be a reserve force, ready to reinforce at any time; the second team will lie in ambush in the woods on the south bank of the Yi River, cutting off Zhao Muyun's retreat after his entire army crosses the river; the third team..."
He pointed to a canyon on the sand table: "We'll ambush them here. If Zhao Muyun retreats, he'll inevitably pass through this valley. At that time, we'll unleash a barrage of rolling logs and boulders to trap him!"
The generals were deeply moved by what they heard.
Such a deployment is indeed an inescapable trap.
"Gentlemen," Ma Zongliang's voice turned somber, "this battle concerns the survival of Fengchao, and our very lives. Victory means Fengchao will be saved, and you will all be heroes; defeat..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but all the generals understood—defeat meant death and the extermination of their clan.
"We swear to be loyal to the death! We will fight to the death!" the generals shouted in unison.
Ma Zongliang looked south, his eyes deep and thoughtful.
Zhao Muyun, I'm at Yishuichuan, waiting for you to fight to the death.
......
The morning mist had not yet dissipated, but the council chamber was already brightly lit.
Zhao Muyun stood with his hands behind his back in front of the huge sand table, his gaze lingering on the location of the Yishui River.
Behind him, more than ten generals, including Wu Shangzhi, Xiao Cheyun, Guo Luo, Zhang Tao, and Yang Chao, stood solemnly, creating a somber atmosphere.
"General, latest intelligence."
Chen Kai strode inside and presented a secret report: "Ma Zongliang has integrated the troops of Li Biao and Li Bao, and the total strength of Fengchao has reached 200,000. They are currently deploying their forces at Yishuichuan. Judging from their posture, they are preparing for a decisive battle with our army."
Zhao Muyun took the secret report, glanced at it, and handed it to Wu Shangzhi: "Take a look at both."
The document was passed around among the generals, and a collective gasp filled the hall.
Li Jingang ultimately trusted Ma Zongliang completely and let him command the troops.
After gaining command of the troops, Ma Zongliang immediately launched an offensive.
He had anticipated that Zhao Muyun was waiting for all the troops to arrive, waiting for the capital to fall into disarray.
But Ma Zongliang never expected that Wu Shangzhi's troops would arrive half a month ahead of schedule.
Xiao Cheyun frowned: "Yishuichuan has a wide open terrain, which is perfect for large-scale military operations. Ma Zongliang chose this place because he wanted to take advantage of his forces and decide the outcome of the battle in one fell swoop."
"He's dreaming!" Mezang Epang couldn't help but exclaim. "Our Tangut battalion is willing to be the vanguard and will surely break through his central army!"
Wu Shangzhi glared at him, and only then did Mo Cang E Pang realize his rudeness and quickly lowered his head.
Zhao Muyun laughed, "It's commendable that you haven't concealed your sharp edge, General. However..."
He walked to the sand table and lightly touched the Yishui River with his finger. "Ma Zongliang is no mediocre man. You see, the place he chose is the only way for us to attack the capital."
"With the capital city behind us, supplies are readily available; hills on either side offer support, and the Yi River provides a natural barrier in front. More importantly—"
He pointed south from Yishuichuan: "If our army advances north, it will pass through Luyang Pass. After passing the pass, Yishuichuan is the first place suitable for a large army to deploy. Ma Zongliang is certain that our army is eager for a decisive battle and will clash with him here."
"Then we're not going!" Xi Sheng said gruffly. "Let's take a detour and see what they can do!"
“There’s no way around it.” Zhang Tao shook his head. “North of Luyang Pass, there are only three routes to the capital. The eastern route passes through Yanshi, but requires crossing the Luo River, making it easy to be attacked while crossing; the western route passes through Hangu Pass, but the mountain roads are treacherous, making it difficult for a large army to proceed; the central route goes through the Yi River, which, although it faces the enemy directly, has flat terrain, which is most conducive to the deployment of our cavalry.”
Yang Chao added: "Moreover, our army only has enough food for half a month, so we must fight quickly. Taking a detour will take too much time, and we can't afford to wait."
The generals discussed the matter extensively, but no consensus was reached.
Zhao Muyun listened quietly, and only spoke slowly after everyone had finished: "Ma Zongliang's plan is an open scheme. He knows that our army must fight quickly, so he chose a place that our army has no choice but to go."
"An army of 200,000, well-rested and ready, is indeed difficult to deal with."
He paused, a sharp glint in his eyes: "But he miscalculated two things."
"Which two items?" Wu Shangzhi asked.
"First, he thought that having more troops would guarantee victory."
Zhao Muyun said calmly, "Two hundred thousand troops, that sounds terrifying. But how many of them are young men temporarily conscripted? How many are soldiers who have suffered repeated defeats?"
"The real elite troops are only Li Biao's 50,000 Shandong troops and Li Bao's 50,000 elite troops. The remaining 100,000 are just a motley crew to make up the numbers."
He looked at Murong Chunhua: "General Murong, in a battle on the grassland, which is more powerful, a flock of 100,000 sheep or a pack of 10,000 wolves?"
Murong Chunhua said definitively, "Of course it's a pack of wolves!"
“Exactly.” Zhao Muyun nodded. “Our army has 30,000 battle-hardened elite troops. From Shuozhou to the Western Regions, from Hexi to Dengzhou, every single one of them was a tough battle.”
"And what about the Feng Army? Li Hu's 60,000-strong army was reduced to ashes in Wancheng, and Li Sheng committed suicide after his defeat in Youzhou. The rest of them were already terrified."
He continued, "Secondly, Ma Zongliang thought I was still waiting."
The generals were taken aback.
"What the General means is..." Wu Shangzhi said thoughtfully.
“He thinks I’m slow, but I’ll be fast.” A smile appeared on Zhao Muyun’s lips. “Order the entire army to set off tomorrow, but not to Yishuichuan.”
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