Zhao Feng walked past the women without stopping. His gaze fell on the piles of grain sacks and the cattle and sheep crowding the livestock pens. These provisions and animals would have kept the Northern Barbarian soldiers and civilians in Zhamur City going for several more months. Now, all of them belonged to Great Yan.
"Yue Lang, send men to transport the provisions and livestock back to camp." Zhao Feng's voice echoed through the cavern, calm and composed now that the operation was complete. "Xie Qiu, take men to count the prisoners. House the families, women, and children separately, and do not mistreat them. Luo Xiong, post men at the secret passage leading into the city. Don't let anyone come through from that side. Mu Xingze, report to General Qin. The feint outside the city can stop now. Jiang Chen, immediately take men to seal the secret passage connecting the new stockade to the city."
He issued his orders in a deep voice, methodical and unhurried.
The commanders he had named accepted their orders and departed.
Meanwhile, the Martial Suppression Guards in the cavern began methodically moving grain sacks, herding livestock, and counting prisoners. The dim yellow light of the grease torches danced among the crowds, casting their busy silhouettes onto the cavern walls like moving shadow paintings.
Zhao Feng stood in the middle of the cavern, calmly watching everyone work. He knew that, after this surprise attack,
Na Hachu's greatest trump card was gone.
What other trump cards could he have left?
The Martial Suppression Guards moved swiftly. Overnight, they emptied the new stockade of supplies, sealed the secret passage, and took away all the Northern Barbarians' families.
This move had pulled the firewood from beneath the cauldron.
On the third day after Zhao Feng led the Martial Suppression