The defeat in the assault on the Blue Lion Fortress had deeply shaken the leaders of the Ye clan. In the main hall of their fortress, lit by the flames of torches, the elderly chief Ye Huan gathered with his surviving generals for a war council. The air was thick with tension and frustration.
Ye Huan clenched his fists with restrained fury as he reviewed the reports. "Eighteen hundred dead… not just men, but also my officers… how could we have been taken by surprise in our own camp?" His voice thundered, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
One of the generals, a battle-hardened man named Feng, responded in a deep voice: "Our men were unprepared for such a well-coordinated night ambush. Li Wei's heavy cavalry and mounted archers proved lethal."
Ye Huan rose, his gaze cold and calculating. "We cannot allow this defeat to define our fate. I have sent messengers to Chu, requesting immediate reinforcements. The Chu army owes us, and now is the time to collect."
As the messengers departed swiftly toward Chu with the urgent request, the generals began drafting a new plan. "We must regroup and take advantage of the reinforcements' arrival. I've heard Chu will send about five thousand soldiers," Feng commented, "and we will add another three thousand. With those eight thousand, we will resume the siege and crush Li Wei."
But Ye Huan knew numbers alone would not suffice. "This time, we will not make the same mistakes. We will fortify our camp and set double sentries. The next ambush will be for them."
Meanwhile, at the Blue Lion Fortress, the news soon arrived. Li Wei, temporarily promoted to commander of three thousand men, was gathered with his officers. His promotion was recognition of his leadership and success.
"Now we are three thousand strong," Li Wei announced with determination. "Two hundred elite heavy cavalry, two hundred mounted archers, and one thousand new recruits for the garrison. We must prepare, strengthen our defenses, and be ready for the enemy's next move."
The officers nodded, fully aware of the gravity of holding the pass. The shadow of Chu's army and the Ye reinforcements loomed over them, but Li Wei knew that discipline, strategy, and the spirit of his men would be their best weapons to withstand the coming storm.