The sun was already high.
Yang Ge returned to Datong and landed on the city wall.
Liu Tang and Datong's General-in-Chief, Yu Guanhai, who had been waiting for him on the wall, hurried forward with food.
Liu Tang handed him a flask. "Second Master, how do things look?"
Yang Ge took the flask, unscrewed the cap without a thought, and tipped his head back for a long gulp.
"Pfft..."
He looked speechlessly at Liu Tang. "Why is this wine?"
Liu Tang gave an awkward laugh. "Well... hahaha..."
Yang Ge tossed the flask back into his arms. "Get me some water. I'm dying of thirst!"
Liu Tang immediately turned and called, "Old Zhang, hurry and brew the Second Master a pot of tea!"
Yang Ge held two fingers together and traced a horizontal and vertical stroke over the roast goose on Yu Guanhai's tray, dividing the whole bird into three portions.
He grabbed a goose leg and tore off a mouthful. As he ate, he said, "Your deductions were right. The Tartars have split into three armies. This Left Route Army outside Datong has just over a hundred thousand troops: twenty thousand cavalry and over eighty thousand infantry."
"The heavily reinforced central army is heading straight for Ji Prefecture Garrison, with at least two hundred thousand troops: thirty thousand cavalry and a hundred and seventy or eighty thousand infantry."
"The lightly equipped left army is heading straight for Liaodong Garrison. They number fewer than a hundred thousand, but over half are cavalry..."
"The Tartars' total strength is at least four hundred thousand!"
Liu Tang's and Yu Guanhai's expressions grew somewhat grave, but neither looked surprised.
That eased Yang Ge's heavy heart a little... when two armies faced off, superior enemy numbers were not the greatest fear. What mattered was whether one's