Just as Wumuchi was giving the order to withdraw with difficulty, Zhao Muyun had already led the army, carrying a large amount of spoils, and disappeared into the depths of the vast grassland north of Yanzhe Mountain.
He did not choose to return the same way, as that would be too easy to predict and intercept.
Instead, according to the pre-made plan, they headed west and then turned south, preparing to make a larger circle and return from the northwest of Longyou.
"General, Wumuchi has sent his general Zhelu to lead 5,000 light cavalry to pursue us." During the march, Chen Qian brought the latest information about the enemy.
"Zhelu? I heard he's the famous hyena under Wumuchi's command?"
A cold smile played across Zhao Muyun's lips. "Just in time! Pass the order down, change the formation and march in battle formation."
"Namco's cavalry will be dispersed on both wings. My central army will slow down and give them the illusion that they can 'bite' us."
“The Grand Commander wants to…” Shen Qian seemed to understand.
"Wumuchi's main force is intact, so we can't defeat them all in one gulp. But since the light cavalry he sent out has separated from the main force, they are like meat delivered to our mouths!"
Zhao Muyun's eyes flashed coldly, "Let's find a suitable place and knock off his claw first!"
The battlefield he chose was an area called "Rolling Stone Slope".
The terrain here is undulating and covered with rocks of various sizes. It is not conducive to large-scale cavalry charges, but it is very suitable for ambushes.
Zhao Muyun hid his main force in the depressions and behind the boulders on the reverse slope of the slope, and only sent out a few hundred people with some baggage, disguised as the main rearguard troops, and slowly marched in a conspicuous position at the top of the slope to attract Zhelu.
Zhelu was fooled.
He was eager to catch Zhao Muyun and report to Wumuchi. Seeing the rear guard of the Yin army "fleeing" in front of him, he did not suspect anything and immediately urged his subordinates to speed up the pursuit.
When most of the 5,000 Beidi light cavalry poured into the narrow area of the Rolling Stone Slope, dense crowds of Yin army soldiers suddenly stood up on the hillsides on both sides!
"Shoot!"
With an order, arrows like locusts poured down from both sides with a shrill sound of breaking through the air!
The Northern Di cavalry was caught off guard and immediately fell to the ground in chaos.
"There's an ambush!"
"Retreat quickly!"
Zhelu was shocked and angry. He knew he had fallen into a trap and immediately tried to order his troops to retreat.
But it was too late.
Zhao Muyun personally led the elite cavalry, like a tiger descending from the mountain, and launched a counterattack from the front!
The Qiang and Rong cavalry on both wings closed in like a pair of pliers, trapping the Zhelu tribe firmly in the middle.
This was an ambush without any suspense.
The Northern Di light cavalry were adept at guerrilla harassment, but their advantage was completely lost when they were ambushed in this terrain.
Although Zhelu was brave and led his personal soldiers to charge left and right, it was ultimately in vain in the face of the Liangzhou army's absolute superiority in manpower and tight formation.
The fierce battle lasted less than an hour.
Of the three thousand Beidi light cavalry, except for the alert ones at the back who slipped away early when they saw the situation was not good, the ones in the front who entered the encirclement were annihilated.
The main general Zhelu rushed to the front and was shot to death by arrows. His body was trampled beyond recognition by war horses.
Zhao Muyun looked at the battlefield littered with the corpses of the Northern Di people and the captured, ownerless war horses, and coldly ordered:
"Clean up the battlefield, replenish arrows, bring usable horses, and continue the movement in a quarter of an hour!"
He knew this was just the beginning.
Wumuchi's main force is the real threat.
He had to take this victorious army and escape safely and return to Longyou before Wumuchi could react and set up a tight net.
......
As the thrilling chase and counter-hunting were taking place on the northern grasslands, the battle situation under Xiazhou City also underwent subtle changes due to the shocking changes in the north.
Yang Fan was the first to receive the urgent report from Xijing and his own scouts.
"Zhao Muyun... flattened Wumuchi's royal court?"
Yang Fan looked at the information and for the first time, an expression of disbelief and deep fear appeared on his face.
He found that he had greatly underestimated the courage and ability of this General Zhenbei and the Grand Commander of Hedong.
A chill rose involuntarily from the bottom of my heart.
"General, time is urgent!"
A general said, "Wumu Chi has a fire in his backyard, so he must retreat! The pressure on Zhao Muyun and Pei Lun in Longyou has been greatly reduced, so they may return soon!"
"We should seize this opportunity to intensify our offensive and capture Xiazhou in one fell swoop!"
Another staff member objected: "No! Zhao Muyun is capable of such a crazy move. His military tactics are beyond common sense."
"If our army goes all out to attack the city, the losses will be too great. Even if we take Xiazhou, we will be extremely passive when facing Zhao Muyun's troops who may return or the reinforcements from Lin Feng in Jinyang! The Prime Minister also wants us to be cautious."
Yang Fan fell into deep thought.
He longed to take over Xiazhou to prove himself, but Zhao Muyun's success in going north was like a huge rock weighing on his heart.
He found that his previous calculations seemed so pale and powerless in front of a powerful opponent like Zhao Muyun who did not play by the rules.
At this moment, news came from outside the city: Du Wei's cavalry, the vanguard of the Jinyang reinforcements, had appeared fifty miles away and attacked a Feng Chao team that was collecting food and grass outside.
Lin Feng’s main force is not far away.
With the impending arrival of reinforcements from Jinyang and the immense psychological pressure from Zhao Muyun in Longyou, Yang Fan finally made a decision.
"Orders, halt the siege. All forces must withdraw their lines, relying on existing fortifications, and adopt a defensive stance. Set up numerous antler-shaped barriers and dig deep trenches."
Yang Fan's voice was filled with a hint of reluctance, but more of a calm tone. "We need to see how the drama in the north will end. We also need to consider the strength of the 10,000 Hedong troops that Lin Feng brought with him."
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