From Tangma Village, heading east, there is a straight official road that leads directly to Liaodong City.
This official road was also the only route between Liaodong City and Yingzhou, Jinzhou, Kaizhou, and even Yuguan City and the capital.
The roads are wide, so there's no need to worry about muddy swamps in the snow.
Therefore, choosing an ambush site for these Yingzhou reinforcements was relatively easy.
Zhang Cheng was also somewhat excited after receiving the order.
After all, Wei Jun's troops had achieved considerable success in the feigned attack on Liaodong City over the past few days.
Zhang Cheng felt a strong itch to see this.
Now that the reinforcements from Yingzhou have finally arrived, Zhang Cheng naturally wants to make proper arrangements.
"Ninth Battalion Commander,"
Zhang Cheng looked at an officer, beckoned him, and asked, "Where have the reinforcements from Yingzhou arrived?"
"Deputy Commander,"
The Ninth Battalion Commander strode over and said, "Ever since the Yingzhou reinforcements passed Tangma Village, we have been closely monitoring this force."
By now, the reinforcements from Yingzhou are almost at Hujia Taizi, and should arrive at Shaling in another hour or two!
"very good!"
Zhang Cheng nodded, feeling somewhat excited.
Sand Ridge is also where they are now lying in ambush!
Shaling, as its name suggests, is located not far to the north of the Taizi River. This area has accumulated a large amount of sand dunes, stretching for dozens of miles. The dunes are rugged and uneven, and from a distance they look like a series of mountain ridges, hence the name Shaling (Sand Ridge).
Because of its rugged and winding terrain, it became the perfect place for an ambush!
Especially after several days of heavy snow, the area around Shaling was covered in snow, and it wouldn't be a problem to dig out individual pits and trenches to hide hundreds of people!
Hearing that reinforcements from Yingzhou were approaching Hujia Taizi, Zhang Cheng was still somewhat excited.
"Chief of Staff Sun,"
Zhang Cheng waved his hand and asked, "How are the preparations going with the Seventh, Eighth, and Tenth Battalions?"
"Deputy Commander,"
Staff Officer Sun replied, "All units are ready and awaiting the arrival of the enemy!"
"That's good!"
Zhang Cheng nodded and said, "Tell all departments to eat something now to replenish their energy."
I wonder how long this match will last!
"yes!"
Staff Officer Sun responded and then turned and left.
The soldiers of the 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th battalions also seized the last bit of time to make preparations for battle.
In the distance, scouts were also keeping a close eye on the movements of the Yingzhou reinforcements.
Clad in white cotton cloth and wearing white hats, the reconnaissance soldiers strode swiftly across the snow on makeshift skis.
This set of equipment is now an essential winter outfit for the Dongning army. It effectively conceals their movements in the snow, preventing them from being detected.
Not only scouts, but all other soldiers in the Divine Might Army also have this equipment.
That is precisely why they were able to hide better in the sand dunes.
Before long, news of reinforcements from Yingzhou began to arrive one after another.
Located in a sand dune in Shaling, Zhang Cheng looked at a simple map in front of him and occasionally moved a stone.
This stone represents the whereabouts of the reinforcements from Yingzhou.
As the stones gradually approached the sand dune, Zhang Cheng's heart began to pound.
Although it was an ambush operation, every battle had to be treated with utmost care and all-out effort, and Zhang Cheng attached great importance to it.
As the Yingzhou reinforcements approached Shaling, Zhang Cheng ordered in a deep voice, "Tell all units to prepare in 25 minutes!"
All soldiers, silence! Take cover!
Make sure all enemy troops are inside the encirclement!
Execute according to the planned schedule!
"yes!"
The staff officer responded and relayed Zhang Cheng's combat orders to the various units.
Zhang Cheng lay prone on a sand dune near the command post, using binoculars to observe the movements on the western official road.
A quarter of an hour later, snowflakes rose in the distance on the official road as uniformed soldiers from Yingzhou marched swiftly forward.
The procession was filled with banners, which fluttered in the cold wind.
The colorful flags can be seen from a great distance.
"They're here! They're here!"
Zhang Cheng's heart sank, his eyes narrowed, and he kept his binoculars fixed on the Yingzhou reinforcements.
The reinforcements from Yingzhou numbered over 10,000, the vast majority of whom were infantry, with nearly 1,000 being cavalry.
The team also carried a large amount of food and supplies.
Yingzhou, located southwest of Jinzhou, is an important distribution center for goods in Liaodong Province due to its coastal location. Normally, goods from Jinzhou, Kaizhou, and even a portion of Liaodong City are transported from Yingzhou.
This place is also the logistical base for protecting the northern border of Liaodong Province from grassland bandits!
Therefore, the Yingzhou reinforcements brought a large amount of grain and supplies to support Liaodong City this time.
As the Yingzhou reinforcements drew closer, Zhang Cheng also noticed the large horse-drawn carriages in the middle of the procession.
The heavy carriages traveled along the official road. Fortunately, the ground was frozen, otherwise these large carriages would probably have been moving even slower!
Fifteen minutes later, the vanguard of the Yingzhou reinforcements had entered the encirclement of Shaling.
On the sand dune, Zhang Cheng could even hear the noisy sounds of the Yingzhou reinforcements on the official road not far away.
"We've reached Shaling? That means we'll be at Liaodong City in a little over an hour!"
"Damn it, I've been freezing to death on this journey!"
"Come on, I'll find you a young lady in Liaodong City so you can have some fun and warm up!"
"Hahaha……"
...
Hearing the laughter and chatter in the ranks, Zhang Cheng's troops fell silent, hiding among the sand dunes, waiting quietly.
Amidst the cacophony of noise, the Yingzhou reinforcements continued their advance.
Before long, the supply wagons behind also entered the ambush area.
Meanwhile, the vanguard of the Yingzhou reinforcements had penetrated deep into the ambush area.
Seeing this, Zhang Cheng's lips curled into a smile. It seemed they hadn't been exposed yet!
These reinforcements from Yingzhou were unaware that they had entered the ambush zone.
"Report—"
At this moment, a soldier ran over, bent over, and said, "The vanguard of the Yingzhou reinforcements is almost at the end of the ambush zone."
"Yeah?"
Zhang Cheng looked eastward, but the sand dunes blocked his view, making it difficult to see clearly.
He turned to look westward again, where many Yingzhou reinforcements had not yet entered the ambush zone, especially a cavalry unit at the rear of the column that had just entered the ambush zone.
"Wait a little longer!"
Zhang Cheng frowned and said, "Let the forward go, that's fine too!"
We'll make sure all these cavalrymen are inside the ambush zone!
The cavalry poses the greatest threat; we cannot let them escape!
"clear!"
The soldier responded and turned to leave.
Before long, the cavalry units of the Yingzhou reinforcements also entered the ambush area.
Seeing this, Zhang Cheng nodded slightly, a bright smile on his lips. He knew in his heart that everything was ready and the ambush was about to begin!
Rubbing his numb hands, Zhang Cheng took a deep breath and shouted in a deep voice, "Attack!"
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