Once the battle line stretches out, the two cavalry forces originally deployed on the periphery to guard against the Yan Army should be able to return in support, and around himself, he should also have mustered a contingent of troops.
By then, if our army grows greedy for merit and rashly presses forward, we may very well have our line cut off in turn, ground down by brute attrition between these two military forts.
This is also why this old man disagreed with your earlier proposal to thrust directly into the Yan Army's camp.
At the very least,
East Mountain Fort's walls are solid and can be relied upon. If we truly enter their camp and capture it, would that not be a muddle-headed act of trading a city for a stockade?
Our army at present is in the ascendant; he ought to retreat. Once he steps back, he still besieges his city, and our army remains on the defensive.
