I summon all the famous generals in history in another world

Chapter 1467 Ceasefire on the Steppes, Mongolia's Southward Expedition

More importantly, Temujin had a backup plan. While consolidating his forces, he secretly dispatched a Mongol cavalry force of 25,000 men to rush south, with their target being Yuzhou, the northern gateway of the Great Qian Dynasty!
"Temujin certainly knows how to pick his timing. He just finished fighting with Saihan and now he's thinking of taking a bite out of me."

Upon seeing this, Su Ye couldn't help but chuckle and tapped the location of Yuzhou on the map with his finger.

"How could Yuzhou possibly make Temujin, this steppe warlord, so eager to get here?"

Feiyan leaned closer to take a look and asked curiously.

She had heard Su Ye speak highly of Temujin, the ruler of the Mongols, more than once, so she naturally knew how difficult this Mongol Khan was to deal with.

"Don't underestimate Yuzhou. It's no ordinary border prefecture. Its terrain is exceptionally advantageous. It borders the Lan River to the east, the Yinshan Mountains to the west, and a vast plain in the middle. The soil is so fertile that you could squeeze oil out of it. Wheat and millet can be harvested twice a year, enough to feed hundreds of thousands of people."

"The surrounding grasslands are lush and fertile, making them excellent natural pastures for raising the best warhorses. Think about it, what is the core of a cavalry? Isn't it the warhorse? A good horse can double the fighting power of a cavalryman, and Yuzhou can produce no less than 30,000 fine horses every year. This is a real strategic resource."

Su Ye explained with a smile.

Yuzhou, the only major prefecture in the northern frontier of the Great Qian Dynasty, could be considered another Hetao Plain.

In Su Ye's previous life, the Yellow River's nine bends in the Hetao region were the only one rich in resources, where crops could be grown and warhorses could be raised. The reason why the Qin and Han dynasties were able to fight against the Xiongnu was because of the grain and warhorse supplies from the Hetao region.

It is easy to imagine how important Yuzhou is to the Great Qian Dynasty, or rather, to the forces under Su Ye's command.

"Moreover, Yuzhou's geographical location is also crucial. It is bordered by the Great Grassland to the north, the hinterland of Qianzhou to the south, Hengzhou to the east, and the northern border of Daling to the west. It is the only gateway to the northern frontier of the Great Qian Dynasty."

“If we hold Yuzhou, we can keep the barbarian troops of the grasslands out. If they want to raid southwards, they will have to get past Yuzhou first. But if we lose Yuzhou, the grassland cavalry can go all the way south along the Lanshui River and rush straight to the heart of Qianzhou. At that time, not only will the people of Qianzhou suffer, but our grain base and arsenal will also be exposed to the enemy’s iron hooves. The consequences will be unimaginable.”

"Not to mention that Yuzhou also has several important iron mines and salt fields. Iron mines are key to forging weapons and armor, while salt fields are related to the storage of military rations and the livelihood of the people. Both of these are hard currencies in chaotic times. If Temujin takes over Yuzhou, it will be like having an extra, continuous supply station out of thin air. How could he not be tempted?"

He paused and added.

"No wonder people in the northern border of Daqian often say, 'Whoever controls Yuzhou controls the grasslands.' This place is indeed a strategic location that military strategists must have fought for. Temujin was able to become the ruler of the grasslands, so his vision must have been extremely sharp. He knew to take action when we had just pacified Wuzhou and our troops had not yet been fully redeployed."

The Holy Mother of the Golden Spirit nodded in agreement.

"He has a keen eye, but he still has to see if I, Su Ye, will agree."

Su Ye put down the secret report, his tone still relaxed.

“Yuzhou is our only gateway in the northern frontier, as well as our largest horse-producing area and grain base. Even if Temujin only sent 25,000 cavalry, I would still have to stop him.” Despite saying this, Su Ye knew in his heart that this matter was not so simple—the fighting power of the Mongol cavalry was not to be underestimated. They grew up on horseback, had superb horsemanship, fierce fighting tactics, and were resistant to hunger and cold. They were good at long-distance raids, and ordinary prefectural garrisons were no match for them.

What's even more troublesome is that the Mongols have a top-tier war god with the ultimate in martial arts—Typhon!
Even if Typhon is weak, and no matter how much he is brutally ravaged by Amur, the Sky Eagle of the Longyao tribe, it doesn't change the fact that he is the strongest warrior at the top level of the 110-level weapon class. He is definitely not someone that an ordinary 109-level weapon class can compete with.

Meanwhile, Yuzhou's main force, the Night Fiend Army, had just been soundly defeated by Su Ye during their southward march. Their main cavalry force had suffered heavy losses, and even a few war gods, such as Lu Bu and the Night Fiend Army's only peak war god, Ye Mohan, had perished in the northern border.

Yuzhou is now weaker than ever before. Even with Zhao Kuangyin and his civil and military officials in the Night Sha Army, they are no match for the Mongol cavalry.

Thinking of this, Su Ye subconsciously took stock of his top combat forces. This calculation gave him a headache again—it was truly a case of one problem being solved only to have another arise. He had just resolved the troubles in Wuzhou when another tough opponent emerged in the north.

Wang Xiangyang is currently still guarding Lingyun Pass, but the Great Ling Dynasty to the west is not idle. The three brothers Liu Bang, Liu Xiu, and Liu Yu are advancing rapidly within the Great Ling territory, having already taken half of the country. Their subordinate Tian Cangmang is also eyeing the country covetously. It is also at the peak of Gang Qi, and its strength is comparable to Wang Xiangyang's. It previously defeated Kong Xuan, who was in a state of Nirvana, and has not yet recovered.

Lingyun Pass is the western gateway to Qianzhou. If Wang Xiangyang leaves and Tian Cangmang seizes the opportunity to launch another attack, the Da Ling army can advance along the western front of Qianzhou and form a pincer movement with the Mongol cavalry in the north, which would be a real problem.

Therefore, Wang Xiangyang's side is absolutely not to be touched.

Looking at Baihu, his situation in Wuzhou is even more dangerous than Wang Xiangyang's. To the south of Wuzhou lies the territory of the Great Xuan Dynasty. Although Zhu Yuanzhang suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Qingshi Valley, with almost all of his elite 3,000 battalions wiped out, his foundation remains unshaken, and he still commands hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turban soldiers.

More importantly, the Great Xuan Dynasty has gathered three people who have reached the pinnacle of Qi: Shen Ni of the Taiping Sect, Li Yuanba of the Great Xuan Dynasty, and Wu Tiansheng of the Anti-King Alliance.

Shen Ni was defeated by Bai Hu in Qing Shi Valley, but only suffered minor injuries. Now that he has returned from recuperation, he must be eager to take revenge. Li Yuanba is the number one warrior of the Great Xuan Dynasty. His brute strength is unparalleled, and his qi is extremely domineering. The reason he did not participate in the Wuzhou War before was because he was tied up with the internal affairs of the Great Xuan Dynasty. Now that Wuzhou has been pacified, he will definitely turn his attention to Bai Hu.

Baihu alone had to be ready to deal with the sudden northward advance of those three warriors with extreme Qi, and also had to guard against the counterattack of Zhu Yuanzhang's remnants. He simply couldn't spare any time. Let alone being transferred to Yuzhou, it would be unrealistic to even ask him to send troops to provide support.

The only remaining top-tier combat power is Xuanwu.

However, Xuanwu is now stationed at the Yinshan Pass, taking over the defense of the northern grasslands from Baihu, and has 10,000 elite infantry and 5,000 cavalry under his command.

Yinshan Pass was another important passage for nomadic tribes from the grasslands to move south. Although it was not as flat as Yuzhou, it could still accommodate large numbers of cavalry. Moreover, there were several small tribes in the surrounding area that were affiliated with the Mongols and could cooperate with the Mongol cavalry at any time.

Xuanwu's defensive capabilities are top-notch; the title of "Immortal Iron Wall" is well-deserved. His Xuanwu Qi makes him impervious to blades and spears, which is perfect for countering the charge of the grassland cavalry. However, he is responsible for the entire northern border defense line, stretching for thousands of miles from Yuzhou in the east to Taiping Pass in Cangzhou in the west.

If Xuanwu were transferred to Yuzhou specifically to deal with Typhon, a gap would appear in the defense line between Yinshan Pass and Hengshuo Pass. If the Mongols were to launch a surprise attack, the entire northern frontier defense line could collapse.

Therefore, Xuanwu could only be stationed at the central pass of Yinshan to coordinate the defense of the northern frontier, and could not be confined to Yuzhou for a long time.

　We've pretty much decided on the candidates; we'll start recruiting tomorrow.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)