Chapter 1623: State of Standoff

Zhao Yun smiled slightly and patted Li Yu on the shoulder: "Rest assured, I will return safely. Moreover, we have a common belief and determination; nothing can stop our progress."

Having said this, Zhao Yun turned and left, quickly assembling the vanguard force and setting out toward the south. They knew this was a battle concerning life and death and had to go all out.

The mountain roads in the south were rugged and difficult to travel, but Zhao Yun's vanguard force was like an unstoppable torrent, quickly crossing the mountains and forests, galloping toward the direction of the enemy reinforcements. In the night, their figures were faintly discernible, like ghosts in the night, making people feel fearful.

Finally, in the darkest moment before dawn, Zhao Yun's vanguard force encountered the enemy reinforcements. The two sides immediately engaged in intense combat; the sounds of battle shook the heavens, arrows fell like raindrops, and the battlefield was filled with smoke.

Zhao Yun took the lead, holding his long spear, and charged into the enemy formation, charging left and right, as if entering an empty land. His bravery inspired the soldiers; they followed suit, fighting bravely, and for a time, flesh and blood flew on the battlefield, a sight too horrible to look at.

However, the enemy reinforcements were numerous and well-trained; they gradually stabilized their footing and began to counterattack. Zhao Yun's vanguard force fell into a bitter struggle, casualties continued to increase, and the situation was precarious.

"General Zhao, we can't hold on!" A deputy general, covered in blood, ran to Zhao Yun, shouting with an anxious expression.

Zhao Yun's brows were locked in a frown; he knew well the crisis at this moment. However, years of battlefield experience told him that the more critical the moment, the more calmness and wisdom were needed. He quickly scanned the battlefield and discovered the location of an enemy commander.

"Follow me!" Zhao Yun shouted, leading a small team of men, charging toward the enemy commander. They were like a sharp knife, instantly piercing the enemy's defensive line, striking directly at the enemy commander.

The enemy commander was shocked and terrified at the sight; he knew well Zhao Yun's fame and knew he was no match for him. Thus, he ordered a retreat, attempting to flee the battlefield. However, would Zhao Yun let him go? He pursued relentlessly and finally forced the enemy commander into a dead end at the edge of a cliff.

"You have no way to escape, surrender!" Zhao Yun's long spear pointed directly at the enemy commander, his voice like thunder.

The enemy commander's face was ashen; he knew he had no way out. Thus, he helplessly raised the weapon in his hand, signaling surrender. With his surrender, the enemy's morale plummeted, and they fled in defeat. Zhao Yun's vanguard force pursued the victory and finally completely repelled the enemy reinforcements.

When Zhao Yun returned to the camp with the news of victory, Li Yu and the soldiers had been waiting for a long time. Seeing Zhao Yun return safely and bringing the news of victory, they all cheered and leaped for joy, their morale soaring.

"General Zhao, you are truly our hero!" Li Yu walked up excitedly and held Zhao Yun's hand tightly.

Zhao Yun smiled and shook his head: "No, this is not my merit alone. It is the result of the joint efforts of all the soldiers; it is everyone's desire for victory and belief that allowed us to achieve victory."

After this battle, the morale of Zhao Yun and Li Yu's army was even higher; they pursued the victory and constantly expanded their results. Finally, under their joint efforts, the enemy completely collapsed, and the war achieved victory.

When the news of the end of the war reached the imperial court, the whole country rejoiced, and people praised Zhao Yun and Li Yu's bravery and wisdom one after another. They not only won the victory of the war but also won the respect and love of the people.

However, for Zhao Yun and Li Yu, they knew well how much hardship and sacrifice were paid behind the victory. They silently mourned for the soldiers who sacrificed and prayed for their families. At the same time, they also knew well that although the war had ended, the construction and development of the country had just begun.

Zhao Yun's brows tightened, and he quickly reacted, raising his hand to signal the troops to pause their advance. He asked in a low voice: "What is the specific situation of the ambush? How many enemy troops are there?"

The scout caught his breath and answered hurriedly: "Preliminary estimates suggest the enemy ambush force is about a thousand strong, distributed on both sides of the valley ahead, seemingly intending to form a pincer attack against us."

Zhao Yun calculated in his heart; although the enemy was numerous, his own side had the cover of night and the advantage of a surprise attack. He made a prompt decision and whispered a few words to the deputy general beside him; the deputy general nodded in understanding, then immediately led a hundred elite soldiers to quietly bypass the left mountain ridge, preparing to contain a portion of the enemy's forces.

Zhao Yun led the main force to continue sneaking forward, aiming directly at the enemy's main camp. The night was like ink, and the occasional calls of night birds in the valley became the best cover. Zhao Yun counted his steps in his heart, calculating the distance to the enemy's main camp, every action cautious to the extreme.

Suddenly, a patch of sparse light appeared ahead; that was the campfire of the enemy's main camp. Zhao Yun waved his hand, and the soldiers behind him immediately scattered, following the pre-arranged plan, touching toward different directions of the camp, preparing to launch an attack simultaneously and catch the enemy off guard.

In the peaceful days, Zhao Yun did not sit idle. He knew well that although the war had ended, the country's reconstruction and defense work had just begun. Thus, he took the initiative to ask for orders, leading a portion of the army deep into the border to strengthen border defense construction, ensuring the country would no longer be disturbed by foreign enemies.

Zhao Yun sneered; this situation had long been in his expectations. He quickly adjusted his tactics, commanding the troops to fight while retreating, withdrawing toward the outside of the valley, while using the terrain to counterattack, slowing down the enemy's offensive. The hundred men led by the deputy general took the opportunity to launch a surprise attack from the flank on the enemy's ambush force, creating chaos and buying time for the main force's retreat.

In the night, the battle was exceptionally intense, but Zhao Yun remained calm and commanded steadily. He knew well that the retreat at this moment was not failure, but for a more powerful counterattack. Under Zhao Yun's leadership, the troops gradually shook off the enemy's entanglement and withdrew to a safe area.

At the same time, Li Yu received the battle report from the front in the rear; he immediately organized support troops and set out toward the valley. Li Yu knew well that although Zhao Yun's troops were elite, they also needed timely support from the rear under the enemy's heavy encirclement.

When Li Yu's support troops arrived at the valley, they happened to meet Zhao Yun's retreating troops. The two armies converged, morale boosted. Zhao Yun briefly reported the battle situation to Li Yu; Li Yu nodded in understanding, then immediately ordered the troops to rest and prepare to meet the new round of battle that might come.

The sky gradually turned the color of a fish belly, and the battle in the valley temporarily came to an end. Although the enemy occupied the terrain advantage, they failed to take advantage when facing the joint counterattack of Zhao Yun and Li Yu. The two sides entered a temporary state of standoff.

Gu Yi received the battle report from the front in the camp and gave a high evaluation of the performance of Zhao Yun and Li Yu. He understood that this battle was far from over, but his side had already won a valuable initiative. Gu Yi immediately summoned his strategists and began to discuss the next operational plan. ===== CHAPTER 1624 =====