Comparado con los sabios funcionarios civiles, los generales aún se encontraban en un nivel inferior, dependiendo de sus habilidades para ganar elogios. Yun Zhen sentía una mezcla de tristeza y amargura.
Después de conceder recompensas a esos soldados valerosos desde la muralla del castillo, regresó al cuartel general donde comenzaba a organizar los planes estratégicos para las tropas.
Una vez que el hielo se derritiera, tendría que avanzar hacia el este. La ofensiva de Di Qing en el circuito Hebei había resultado ineficaz debido al tenaz resistencia de la guardia liao, resultando en numerosas bajas y finalmente una retirada forzosa a la línea sur del Heihe.
Este rápido avance hacia el este se intentaba para aliviar la presión sobre Di Qing. Él enfrentaba solo a las inmensas fuerzas de Lü Yinhui, lo que resultaba en un estrés extremo. Para Yun Zhen, Di Qing había hecho una excelente simulación de una ofensiva distractora.
Sin embargo, los funcionarios del consejo del Reino Sinaí, excepto Páng Jie y Hán Qī, veían las cosas de manera diferente, especialmente después de que Yun Zhen asesinara a Xiao Dashou y conquistara la Capital Occidental. El rumor acusaba a Di Qing de haber protegido a los enemigos.
Los oficiales de la corte, excitados por la victoria de Yun Zhen, le preguntaron al general Di cómo habían perseguido su ejército y deshonrado el país en la audiencia real, pero sin mencionar las enormes fuerzas de Lü Yinhui.
Di Qing, after being wronged, would only open his main door so that everyone could see the inside to prove he had no ambitions.
Even his main hall in Báizhū was left open for inspection by the troops, a great humiliation as a commander-in-chief.
Zhuo Qi's domineering power worked well only in Huandōu; outside of it, he seemed almost unable to find a place where he could fully exert his abilities. For this reason, he never left and even declined an appointment that would take him to Dongjing.
Once a general went to Dongjing, he was like a lamb entering a wolf's mouth. A ruthless general like Yun Zhen had to rely on sheer force to frighten others in the capital city of Dongjing.
However, this method did not work well. It only kept him safe because Emperor Shenzong and his chancellor needed his services. There were plenty of people who were willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of bringing generals from high positions down; just a few broken teeth would not deter them all.
Fù Bì finally left Qīngtáng and began advancing towards Huandōu. As Yun Zhen's support, Zhuo Qi also departed from Yānmén Pass with a large supply convoy under the protection of Gǎnqìng Army to cross into Liao territory.
The troops in Yìngzhōu were already on edge after Yun Zhen conquered the Capital Occidental. They evacuated their citizens en masse and the nearby Wèi Zhōu followed suit, leaving only a few fortifications to resist Sinaí's advance.