Xijing has been defended.
But everyone knows that the crisis is not over.
Although Yang Chao was defeated, Yang Yan still had 30,000 troops in Wannian.
Zhang Tao and Gao Min's 30,000-strong allied army is approaching ten thousand years.
The pressure on Hedong and Longmenguan is increasing.
The stench of blood had not yet dissipated in Xijing City when the power struggle between various factions quietly unfolded on a larger chessboard.
Yang Chao retreated to the foot of Qishan Mountain, where he gathered his remaining troops. Upon taking stock, he found that of his 10,000 elite soldiers, less than 5,000 remained, and morale was low, with the camp filled with wounded and sick.
He established a fortified camp and sent a message by carrier pigeon to Yang Yan, who was still in Wannian, detailing the disastrous defeat in Xijing and the arrival of Wu Shangzhi's reinforcements.
At the same time, Wu Shangzhi's 8,000 elite troops were stationed in Xijing, greatly strengthening the city's defenses.
However, after discussing with Yin Ji, Pei Lun, and others, Wu Shangzhi unanimously agreed that the most urgent task was not to go out of the city to pursue Yang Chao, but to consolidate the city's defenses, wait for Zhao Muyun to arrive, and deal with the greater threat that was about to come.
Zhang Tao and Gao Huailiang's combined forces, along with Yang Yan's likely main force, returned to base.
“Yang Yan is shrewd. Knowing that Yang Chao’s army has been defeated, he only has two choices.” Wang Tiezhu, who has been an intelligence agent for so long, has also become more discerning. “Either he abandons the long-standing feint and leads the main force westward at high speed to join up with Yang Chao’s remnants and retreat back to Jiannan, or he continues to use the feint to hold back Zhang Tao while he seeks another way out.”
Yin Ji frowned: "If he leads the main force westward, even though Yang Chao has just suffered a defeat, his troops still number over 30,000. Adding Yang Chao's remnants, the total will be no less than 40,000."
"Although our army has received reinforcements from General Wu, we still have no more than 15,000 soldiers available for battle. They are more than enough to defend the city, but not enough for open field battles."
Wu Shangzhi smiled and said, "Your Highness, rest assured, the elite troops I brought are the same ones who fought alongside the Grand Commander to defeat the Tartars!"
Pei Lun pondered for a moment and said, "The key right now is still Wan Nian. If Zhang Tao sees through Yang Yan's feint and joins forces with Gao Min to attack, Yang Yan will not be able to look westward with ease. General Zhao ordered General Lin Feng to hold out for three days to buy time for this."
"Then let's reorganize our troops and launch a preemptive strike!" Yinji immediately decided.
"Regarding the attack, we should consult the Grand Commander, what do you think?" Wu Shangzhi immediately asked for instructions.
"Yes, inform the Grand Commander immediately!"
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