“It’s not just fear, it’s certain.” Zhao Muyun finally straightened up, a sharp glint in his eyes. “Ma Zongliang isn’t stupid. He knows that numerical superiority must be used to its fullest extent. Those 70,000 men must be in an ambush—one group in the woods on the south bank of the Yi River, waiting to cut off our retreat after the entire army crosses the river; the other group in the nearby canyon, ready to intercept and kill the defeated army.”
He walked to the tent, lifted the curtain, and looked up at the northern night sky: "He's gambling, gambling that I'll commit my entire army. Once half of our army has crossed the river, the ambush will strike from both sides..."
Wu Shangzhi's heart skipped a beat: "Then we should..."
"Proceed as planned."
Zhao Muyun turned around, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Ma Zongliang thinks he's fishing, but he doesn't realize he's the bait. With 200,000 troops spread out across the Yishui River, the battle lines are stretched so long that command is bound to be slow. What I want is for him to deploy across the entire front and divide his forces at every turn."
He returned to the sand table and pointed heavily at the middle of the Yi River: "At dawn tomorrow, you will lead the central army of 30,000 men to cross the river in a grand and imposing manner. Remember, be slow, be chaotic, and make it look like a hasty and forceful crossing."
"Lure the enemy?" Wu Shangzhi understood.
“Yes, lure them out with all their ambush troops.” Zhao Muyun’s eyes flashed coldly. “Once the ambush troops on the south bank appear, Mozang Epang and Namtso will immediately launch a flank attack, not to annihilate the enemy, but merely to create chaos. At the same time…”
He pointed to a shallow shoal upstream of the Yi River on the sand table: "Murong Chunhua led his troops to cross the river here amidst the chaos, heading straight for the rear of Li Biao's central army. Guo Luo led a thousand heavily armored cavalrymen to cross the river downstream, targeting Zhang Yu's right flank."
"That Li Bao's left wing..."
"Give it to Lin Yuan and Liu Yi," Zhao Muyun said calmly. "Deploy all fifty Thunder Cannons on the western high slope, with their muzzles aimed at the hilly area. If Li Bao dares to come out of the hills to support the central army, let him taste the power of thunder."
Wu Shangzhi took a deep breath: "This plan is brilliant, but extremely risky. The central army of 30,000 will launch a feigned attack, while simultaneously facing Li Biao's 50,000 elite troops and drawing away the ambush forces on the south bank..."
“Therefore, the feint attack must be made to look like a real attack.” Zhao Muyun patted his shoulder. “Shangzhi, the key to the success or failure of this battle lies in whether your 30,000 men can withstand the first wave of attack. If they can, Ma Zongliang's plans will be completely disrupted; if they can't…”
He didn't finish his sentence, but Wu Shangzhi understood.
"Even if I fight to the last man, I will never retreat a single step!" Wu Shangzhi knelt on one knee, his voice resounding.
Zhao Muyun helped him up: "I don't want you to die in battle, I want you to win. Remember, when the enemy charges, the front line can retreat slightly to lure the enemy deeper. Once the enemy's formation is stretched out, use thunder cannons and long-range crossbows to cover the middle section and cut off their head and tail."
He paused, then added, “Furthermore, Ma Zongliang will definitely use crossbows to suppress the troops crossing the river. I have ordered the Ministry of Works to produce three thousand rattan shields, which have already been delivered to the vanguard. When crossing the river, they will raise their shields, form a battle formation, and advance slowly.”
"Understood, sir!"
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