At midnight, torches suddenly lit up Lantian Pass and war drums sounded.
With the gates wide open, Xiao Cheyun took the lead, leading five thousand soldiers like a tidal wave straight towards the Feng Army's left camp.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
The Fengtian Army's left battalion was thrown into chaos.
Niu Dejin rushed out of the central command tent and heard shouts of battle coming from the left. Instead of being alarmed, he was delighted.
"As expected, they've come! Order the right wing to hold their ground, and the central army to prepare for battle!" he sneered. "Xiao Cheyun, Xiao Cheyun, you've finally come after me!"
He concluded that this was a feint by Xiao Cheyun, and that the real main force would surely attack from other directions.
However, the battle in the left wing intensified, with flames soaring into the sky and deafening shouts of battle.
"Report!" A scout galloped in, "The Left Camp is in dire need of help! The Yin Army's offensive is fierce, and General Zhang Tao requests reinforcements!"
Niu Dejin frowned: "A fierce offensive? Just how many people did they send?"
"Watch the torches, at least... at least five thousand!"
"Five thousand?" Niu Dejin's heart skipped a beat. "Oh no! We've fallen for their trap!"
He suddenly realized—if the Left Camp really had 5,000 enemy troops launching a fierce attack, it meant that Xiao Cheyun's main force was there!
The army inside the pass numbered only 10,000, and with the losses incurred during this period, being able to mobilize 5,000 troops was already a full-scale mobilization.
What feint attack? It's a trap to lure the tiger away from the mountain; it's a real, hard-hitting attack!
"Order the right battalion to send 5,000 troops to support the left battalion! The central army should be on high alert..."
Before Niu Dejin could finish speaking, a deafening battle cry suddenly erupted from the rear of the camp.
"kill--!"
A black torrent surged forth from the night, like a ghost from hell, instantly breaching the rear camp's fence.
Zhao Muyun took the lead, his sword flashing, and the soldiers of the Fengtian Army fell like wheat being harvested.
The large banner bearing the character "Zhao" was particularly dazzling under the firelight.
"Zhao Muyun... really came here?" Niu Dejin was dumbfounded, never expecting his words to come true.
He finally understood.
The left wing's fierce attack was real, but it wasn't the main force; it was just bait.
Zhao Muyun personally led three thousand elite mountain troops, who had already crossed mountains and ridges to circle around to the rear, launching a fatal attack when Zhao's attention was diverted.
"Retreat! Retreat quickly!" Niu Dejin shouted hoarsely.
But it was too late.
The Yin army cavalry charged through the Feng army camp like wolves among sheep.
The Fengtian Army had already divided its forces to support the Left Battalion, leaving the Central Army vulnerable. How could it withstand such an attack?
In less than half an hour, the 30,000 Fengtian troops completely collapsed.
With the desperate protection of his personal guards, Niu Dejin finally managed to break through the encirclement. Looking back, he saw that the camp was already engulfed in flames.
"Zhao Muyun...Zhao Muyun!"
He gritted his teeth, but knew that the situation was hopeless, and could only lead his remaining troops to flee southeast.
The battle ended as dawn broke.
The garrison at Lantian Pass went out to clean up the battlefield and joined forces with Zhao Muyun's troops.
"This humble general, Xiao Cheyun, pays his respects to the Great General!"
Xiao Cheyun knelt on one knee, his eyes filled with admiration, "General, your military strategy is divine. You defeated Niu Dejin's 30,000-strong army in one battle. This humble general is in awe!"
Zhao Muyun helped him up: "You were instrumental in luring the enemy into a trap. What about the casualties?"
"The raid on the left flank resulted in the loss of over three hundred men, while approximately two thousand enemy soldiers were killed," Xiao Cheyun reported. "And on the General's side..."
"One hundred dead, one thousand two hundred wounded, three thousand annihilated, and one thousand captured," Zhao Muyun said calmly. "Niu Dejin escaped, what a pity."
"It's already a great victory!" Xiao Cheyun exclaimed excitedly. "After this battle, the Fengtian Army will not dare to invade Lantian Pass again for at least three months!"
"Three months?" Zhao Muyun shook his head. "I don't have time to wait that long."
He mounted his horse and looked back at the three thousand soldiers who, despite a night of bloody battle, were in high spirits.
"Order the entire army to rest for two hours and have a hearty battle meal. Depart at noon and head south to Wuguan Pass."
Xiao Cheyun was taken aback: "General, what are you going to do?"
"Niu Dejin has been defeated, so we should press our advantage and pursue him." Zhao Muyun looked southeast, his eyes sharp and piercing. "We should take Wuguan in one fell swoop, then launch a surprise attack on Dengzhou and catch Li Jingang off guard."
hiss!
Xiao Cheyun couldn't help but gasp.
Has their newly appointed general gone mad?!
As the supreme military commander of the Great Yin Dynasty, it is perfectly reasonable for him to lead troops to the front line to provide support.
But it's a bit unreasonable that he would lead his troops on a long-distance raid.
"General, this is too risky!" Xiao Cheyun said worriedly. "There is the Wuguan Pass between Dengzhou and Lantian, and Niu Dejin will definitely defend Wuguan Pass to the death."
"That's why I need to borrow troops from you," Zhao Muyun said. "Three thousand garrison troops are enough for Lantian Pass. You can lead five thousand elite troops and follow me south."
Xiao Cheyun urged again, "General, why don't you stay in Lantian and let me launch a surprise attack?"
"Speed is of the essence in war, and surprise is key," Zhao Muyun said in a deep voice. "Li Jingang would never have imagined that our army would dare to launch a long-distance raid on his heartland right after the great battle at Lantian Pass. By the time he reacts, Dengzhou will already be in our hands."
He patted Xiao Cheyun on the shoulder: "General Xiao, if this battle is successful, the siege of Longmen Pass will be lifted, the pressure on Yunzhou will be greatly reduced, and Yang Yan of Jiannan will not dare to act rashly. The crisis of Dayin can be reversed in one fell swoop."
Looking into Zhao Muyun's determined eyes, Xiao Cheyun felt a surge of pride.
"This humble general is willing to follow the great general through fire and water!"
"Good!" Zhao Muyun laughed. "Order the entire army to rest and regroup. We'll set off immediately at noon!"
"Also, bring Zhang Tao and Gao Min, the prisoners, along with them. They'll be very useful to us!"
The sun rose, shining on the battlefield outside Lantian Pass.
Corpses littered the ground, broken flags and halberds, telling the story of last night's bloody battle.
Meanwhile, an even more elite force is quietly assembling.
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