At 100 years old, he joined the army in place of his granddaughter, and became a national war god.

The soldiers smiled broadly, their morale soaring. After their first hard-fought victory, the entire army's confidence surged. Their initial fear of the Yan army's strength completely dissipated, leaving only their unwavering determination to defend their homeland.

The accompanying generals were also excited, their eyes filled with joy.

General Zhou Lin, the Protector of the Nation, strode to Xiao Yunche's side. Gazing at the Yan army's routed and corpse-strewn battlefield beyond the pass, he could not contain his excitement and cupped his hands in a loud voice:

"Your Highness! The morale of our Great Qian soldiers is soaring, and the natural defenses of Duan Yun Pass are impregnable! The Yan army's all-out attack has still resulted in a crushing defeat. To try and breach our pass is simply an impossible task!"

In his view, the Yan army's morale was greatly dampened by this battle, and they would certainly not dare to launch another fierce attack in the short term.

With the natural defenses and advantageous terrain of Duanyun Pass, holding out for several months or even longer would be more than enough.

However, upon hearing the news of this victory and witnessing the Yan army's crushing defeat, Xiao Yunche, standing in the center of the city tower, showed no joy whatsoever.

His aura remained calm and stern, his deep eyes fixed on the distant Yan army camp, his brows furrowed, a solemn expression on his face, showing no sign of underestimating the enemy or being careless.

On the battlefield, the worst thing to do is to be arrogant and underestimate the enemy; a temporary victory is never the final outcome.

After a moment of silence, Xiao Yunche spoke slowly, his tone calm and solemn, carrying an unquestionable seriousness: "General Zhou, you must not underestimate the enemy."

"The commander of the Yan army, Murong Di, is a seasoned warrior and by no means a man of courage but lacking in strategy."

"He has brought a large army from afar to seize the strategic location of Duanyun Pass. He must have thoroughly investigated the terrain and knew clearly that Duanyun Pass is easy to defend and difficult to attack, with formidable fortifications."

"He knew that a direct assault would be difficult, yet he still launched a large-scale attack. This was not a momentary impulse; he must have already prepared a comprehensive plan and had hidden contingency measures."

"Today's first attack on the city is nothing more than a test of our strength, to deplete our troops' stamina, and to probe for weaknesses in our defenses."

"The loss of just over two thousand men is not enough to shake the foundation of the tens of thousands of Yan troops."

Xiao Yunche's words were clear and concise, hitting the nail on the head and instantly revealing the hidden dangers behind the battle.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Lin's heart tightened instantly. He immediately suppressed any underestimation of his opponent, bowed deeply, and solemnly declared, "I will heed Your Highness's instructions and dare not be negligent or underestimate my enemy!"

He knew that Xiao Yunche was a strategist and resourceful man, and that every judgment he made was accurate and insightful, not just alarmist talk.

I was so overwhelmed by victory that I almost committed a cardinal sin in military strategy.

"Immediately issue the order." Xiao Yunche's gaze swept across the entire army, and he solemnly and methodically issued the military order: "Order all officers and soldiers to immediately count their own casualties, properly settle the wounded, and collect the remains of the dead."

"Take a comprehensive overhaul of the city's defensive equipment, replenish defensive supplies such as arrows, boulders, and oil, repair any damage to the battlements, and strictly enforce the defensive formation."

"Everyone must be on high alert, without the slightest slackening. Be prepared for battle immediately and await the enemy's next offensive!"

"Your subordinate obeys!"

Zhou Lin accepted the order in a deep voice, not daring to delay for even a moment. He immediately turned around and strode down the city wall, methodically directing the entire army and implementing various city defense plans.

On the city wall, the clamor of cheers gradually subsided, and the high morale transformed into a calm state of preparation for battle.

All the soldiers suppressed their joy, gripped their weapons tightly again, and solemnly looked towards the pass, remaining vigilant for the movements of the Yan army.

At this moment, Wang Yang stepped forward, gazing at the Yan army slowly gathering their formation and tidying their ranks in the distance. His brow furrowed slightly, and he asked with a face full of doubt:

"The Yan army suffered a crushing defeat in its first offensive, losing many soldiers and generals and severely damaging its morale, yet it still showed no signs of retreating."

"This humble general is truly curious, what other siege strategies does Murong Di have up his sleeve? If he continues with this brute force attack, given the natural defenses of Duan Yun Pass, even if he spends ten days or half a month, he will have absolutely no chance of breaking through!"

Standing to the side, Shen Luotang nodded slightly, her gaze calmly fixed on the battlefield beyond the pass, and softly echoed, "General Wang Yang is absolutely right. Murong Di has fought for many years and is well-versed in the art of war; he is by no means a reckless and greedy warrior."

"He must know in his heart that brute force alone cannot shake Duanyun Pass in the slightest, and today's crushing defeat in the first round is the best proof of that."

"His reluctance to withdraw his troops must be due to his planning of a more secure and dangerous siege strategy."

As soon as they finished speaking, their gazes turned to Xiao Yunche in front of them, awaiting his judgment.

Facing the biting north wind, Xiao Yunche quietly gazed at the continuous Yan army camps beyond the pass, his eyes deep and his thoughts racing as he deduced all the possible tactics of the enemy.

After a moment, he spoke slowly, his voice calm and profound: "To see through the enemy's schemes, one must put oneself in their shoes."

"If we were Murong Di, commanding tens of thousands of troops, having suffered a crushing defeat in a direct assault on this strategically important pass, with no hope of a direct attack and no success in a swift assault, how would I break through the impasse and conquer the easily defensible Duanyun Pass?"

A rhetorical question instantly made Wang Yang and Shen Luotang's expressions freeze, and the two fell into deep thought, deducing the battle situation in accordance with Xiao Yunche's line of thought.

……

Outside the pass, the Yan army camp.

The shadow of the disastrous defeat in the first siege loomed over the entire military camp, the air thick with the stench of blood and a sense of dejection.

The Yan soldiers who retreated to their positions were all exhausted and dejected. The fierce siege they had just fought had instilled fear in everyone, and the crushing defeat had greatly dampened the morale of the entire army.

The corpses scattered everywhere and the broken equipment all testify to the terrible cost of this battle.

Inside the main tent of the central army camp, the atmosphere was extremely heavy and oppressive.

The Yan army commander, Murong Di, stood tall and straight before his desk, clad in armor, his face cold and his brows furrowed with gloom and solemnity.

On the commander's desk, a complete topographical map of Duanyun Pass was laid out, showing mountains, city walls, passes, and strategic points...

Murong Di's gaze was fixed on the majestic outline of Duanyun Pass on the blueprint, his eyes swirling with thoughts, his heart filled with headache and anxiety.

He had already made thorough plans before setting off.

He originally intended to use the fact that the Emperor of Daqian had become a prisoner to demoralize the Daqian army, and then launch a fierce attack to quickly break through Duanyun Pass and advance deep into the heart of Daqian.

But despite all his calculations, he overlooked one crucial factor: Xiao Yunche!

No one expected that Xiao Yunche would dare to so heartlessly shoot and kill his own father!

With a single, deadly arrow, he single-handedly reversed the morale of his troops, transforming the nearly disintegrated Duanyun Pass defenders into an iron army. Their fighting spirit soared, and they held firm against the Yan army's first fierce attack, causing tens of thousands of Yan troops to suffer heavy losses and retreat.

The first round of attacks ended in a crushing defeat, with thousands of elite troops lost!

Murong Di stared at the topographical map for a long time, his expression shifting between light and dark, his inner turmoil growing stronger.

After a long stalemate, he finally slowly raised his head, looked at the white-robed strategist Gongsun Yu standing beside him, and asked in a deep voice, "Strategist, the fighting strength of the garrison at Duanyun Pass far exceeds expectations. Our assault has been thwarted and we have suffered heavy losses. Do you have any good strategies to break through the pass?"

Inside the tent, the atmosphere instantly fell silent.

Gongsun Yu was dressed in a plain-colored long robe, with a refined and scholarly appearance, but his brows were filled with a deep sense of solemnity and helplessness.

He stepped forward slowly, his gaze sweeping over the treacherous passes on the topographical map. His brows furrowed, and he fell into a long silence.

They were all well aware of the perilousness and fortification of Duanyun Pass.

This pass has been a crucial border defense point for the Great Qian Dynasty for centuries. Built against the mountain, it guards a natural barrier. The city walls are sturdy and the defenses are complete, with almost no flaws to be found.

A frontal assault is the most difficult and costly strategy, and the worst possible course of action.

Today's disastrous first siege has already proven this point.

Breaking through this barrier in a short time is as difficult as ascending to heaven!

After a long silence, Gongsun Yu finally spoke, his voice tinged with helplessness and caution:

"General, Duan Yun Pass is a natural fortress with strong defenses. The defending troops are now firmly motivated and determined to fight to the death. A frontal assault is no longer feasible."

"Our army suffered a setback in the first round, and although its morale was damaged, its main force still exists and it has a numerical advantage."

"The only viable strategy now is to abandon a quick attack and instead wage a protracted war, using a war of attrition to launch repeated assaults on the city!"

"Our army has ample manpower and can take turns launching feint attacks and strong assaults day and night, harassing the city gates day and night to continuously deplete the physical strength, energy, and defensive supplies of the defenders on the city walls."

"When the soldiers in the city are exhausted, their morale is depleted, and their defenses show weaknesses, our army will then gather all its elite forces and launch a thunderous general offensive to break through the pass in one fell swoop and achieve a great victory!"

The strategy of using attrition warfare to wear down the enemy and exhaust them, along with the sheer number of troops, will eventually break the defending forces!

This is the only feasible and the only tactic that can break through Duanyun Pass in this desperate situation!

Upon hearing this, Murong Di's eyes flickered slightly. He pondered for a moment, carefully weighing the pros and cons.

Although this method is time-consuming and will still result in casualties, it is currently the only strategy that can break the deadlock.

It's much better than blindly attacking, wasting our elite troops, and achieving nothing.

He remained silent for a few moments, a resolute glint in his eyes, and nodded emphatically: "Very well! We shall follow the strategist's plan and employ the strategy of exhausting the enemy with a siege warfare!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he gave the order in a deep voice:

"Issue my order! The entire army shall immediately set up camp, rest, and prepare for battle! We shall temporarily halt our operations today to conserve our strength."

"Starting at dawn tomorrow, we will launch successive attacks, day and night, relentlessly, to wear down and exhaust the enemy! We will await the opportune moment to breach Duanyun Pass in one fell swoop!"

The north wind still howls beyond the Great Wall, and the smoke of battle has not yet dissipated.

On one side is the Great Qian Iron Army, united in purpose and on high alert, determined to defend the strategic pass to the death.

On one side was the main force of the Yan army, which was lying in wait, planning to exhaust the enemy, and determined to launch a desperate attack.

Beneath Duanyun Pass, the truly fierce and protracted battle was only just beginning.