Liang Xiao said with a smile, "I've sent him out too. His archery is unparalleled, and he needs this kind of experience. After all, he's only fought naval battles before, not mounted combat."
Mu Hong suddenly understood and sighed, "The Vice Marshal is truly thoughtful and efficient. Once He Anping died, those people became like scared dogs!"
Liang Xiao looked at the map, saying casually, "When it's time to act, I don't waste words. That's my principle. Wasting words or stalling means wasting time, unless the opponent has a greater use. "
Mu Hong simply smiled and nodded, "I've learned."
The two continued to pore over the map, discussing strategy. Liang Xiao nodded repeatedly, inwardly pleased.
Mu Hong was indeed a rare talent for a strategist. His suggestions were thorough, and he didn't give Liang Xiao the impression of being all talk and no substance, like someone theorizing from afar. Some important troop deployments even hit the nail on the head. It was a waste of talent to keep him in the capital!
While the barbarians shivered outside the city, the soldiers in the Northern Army camp trained with fervent enthusiasm.
Especially the Da Gan Iron Guards and the White Robe Soldiers, who had meat in every meal three times a day after training.
What was most commendable was that their Vice Marshal, the Marquis of An Guo, ate the same rations as them daily, with no extra delicacies!
The Vice Marshal's food was the same as the Da Gan Iron Guards, with meat at every meal. When this news spread, the soldiers in the Northern Army camp were even more impressed.
The Qingtian Guards' rations were similar to the Da Gan Iron Guards, with meat in every meal. Knowing that they would eventually fight the barbarians, and that they were the main force, the Qingtian Guards spared no effort. After eating their fill, they trained rigorously, fearing they would not fight well on the battlefield and shame their Marquis.
The barbarians finally set up camp fifty li north of Yanzhou, at the highest terrain, and were also stepping up their training, eager for a decisive battle.
As deep autumn arrived, it became extremely cold in the depths of the desert. Even this camp occasionally experienced snowfall.
The Left Virtuous King, however, remained calm and composed. He trained his troops daily, aiming for a single decisive victory.
When his soldiers indulged in drinking and feasting, enjoying the dances and music of barbarian songstresses, they were publicly reprimanded by the Left Virtuous King, leaving them ashamed.
"Our Left Virtuous King's majesty is undiminished from years past!" an old general exclaimed with emotion.
"Once General Tian was confirmed dead, he regained his former vigor. It's not easy. What kind of psychological shadow did General Tian cast on him..."
The soldiers chattered amongst themselves, but no one dared to openly discuss the matter.
At night, in the wilderness twenty-five li north of Yanzhou, dust flew, and sand swirled, crushing dry leaves and leaving a mess.
A thousand barbarian cavalry were pursuing three hundred Da Gan cavalry. This was an unusual engagement for scout units, which typically comprised dozens or hundreds of men. The moment they encountered each other, the three hundred turned their horses and fled.
"The enemy's horses are not as fast as ours. Chase them down and annihilate them!" The barbarian scout captain grinned savagely, leading the charge, determined to wipe out the three hundred.
The Da Gan scouts fled for their lives, with the barbarian scouts in hot pursuit. The Da Gan scouts periodically turned back to fire arrows, which the barbarian scouts blocked with their shields, resulting in only six casualties. The barbarian scouts retaliated with arrows of their own, only to discover that they had inflicted no casualties on the enemy!
"Their horse armor and mail seem to be able to withstand our crossbow bolts!" the barbarian scouts exclaimed, both surprised and enraged. Scout units, to maintain speed while riding, typically wore light armor or no armor at all. How could they be wearing such fine armor?
With growing suspicion, the barbarian scouts, leveraging their numerical superiority, chased for five li.
"Wait! Why are these Da Gan scouts wearing such conspicuous white robes!" As they reached the end of the high ground and looked out at a distant swirl of sand, they were greatly alarmed!
A force of several hundred men, also all wearing white robes and riding white horses, armed with spears and sabers, were heading towards them, to rendezvous with the pursued three hundred.
"Could these be the White Robe Soldiers?" The barbarian scouts finally realized the predicament. It seemed the enemy had deliberately sent out three hundred men to lure them into a pursuit, while they used the lower terrain to set an ambush. Once the pursued three hundred came into view, it meant they could launch their attack. And their thousand-strong force, only realizing this group at the very end, suspected the enemy might also have a thousand men!
"We should have set up a post here much earlier..." With regret, the barbarian scouts pressed on into the engagement.
Zhuo Ying's killing intent blazed as he charged forward, parting the incoming arrows. His mount galloped at full speed, and he and his horse arrived before the scout captain. The scout captain swung his saber to meet him, a horizontal slash aimed at Zhuo Ying's chest, but Zhuo Ying casually deflected it upwards with his spear.
"What a fast spear!" Before the scout captain could react, Zhuo Ying's spear thrust forward, leaving a bloody hole in the scout captain's body.
A thousand White Robe Soldiers lured the enemy deep, initiating a small-scale engagement here, and charging up the high ground. The barbarian scouts, though wearing leather armor with iron plates and breastplates at vital points, were still no match for the swords and spears of the White Robe Soldiers. After only a brief skirmish, the barbarian scouts finally realized the problem: the enemy's weapons and armor were far superior to their own, their martial arts were more advanced, and even their mounts ran faster!
"They really are the White Robe Soldiers!" The scout unit had never expected the Northern Army camp to use White Robe Soldiers as scouts, and they immediately panicked, preparing to retreat. Suddenly, shouts and battle cries erupted from behind them.
Zhuo Ying's eyes widened in surprise. Another force of approximately two thousand men was rushing towards them for support!
"Reinforcements have arrived!" The pursued barbarian scouts, their faces wild with anticipation, continued to engage.
"Let's take what we can and retreat!" Having killed over six hundred men, the White Robe Soldiers were also somewhat depleted. To avoid further casualties, Zhuo Ying decisively ordered his troops to prepare to withdraw.
Just then, the sound of hooves echoed from behind the White Robe Soldiers. The foremost rider was Nan Jiyun.
"Another White Robe Soldier unit!" The remnants of the barbarian scouts, upon seeing the thousand white robes, felt their livers and gallbladders crack: "Run!"
The White Robe Soldiers, who had begun to retreat, immediately turned their horses and pursued the remaining hundred men.
"Why are you running? The enemy only has a thousand men!" The pursuing barbarian general was shocked and furious, wishing he could shoot the fleeing soldiers dead with an arrow.
"They are White Robe Soldiers!!" Hearing the desperate cries of the fleeing soldiers, the barbarian cavalry rushing from behind were startled. At this moment, Nan Jiyun drew his Setting Sun Bow on his horse, using the Dragon Tooth Arrow gifted by Liang Xiao. A streak of light tore through the sky, followed by a dull thud. The commander leading the two thousand reinforcements was shot through the neck and fell from his horse!
"How is this possible!" The barbarian scouts, witnessing their general felled by a surprise arrow, were shocked and enraged, retaliating fiercely. In such small-scale engagements, if the leader fell, the subordinates would either flee or fight back madly.
Until the two thousand White Robe Soldiers killed over two hundred men in the first engagement, the barbarian scouts instantly collapsed, crying and wailing as they turned their horses and fled for their lives.
Nan Jiyun and Zhuo Ying joined forces and pursued the fleeing enemy. Just as they were exhilarated, the earth-shattering sound of hooves and battle cries echoed from ahead. Thousands upon thousands of barbarian iron cavalry were charging towards them!