In this realistic war game, only I understand the course of the battle.

Qu Neng remained silent for a moment. "This humble general believes that the Yan army's ability to capture Baojia Camp within half an hour indicates that its leader is no ordinary person. Such a person does not play by the rules."

Li Jinglong's face darkened.

The generals in the hall fell silent, their gazes shifting back and forth between Li Jinglong and Qu Neng.

Qu Neng showed no intention of backing down. "Please, General, allocate two thousand cavalry to me. I am willing to personally lead them out of the city to assist in the defense."

"Two thousand cavalry." Li Jinglong repeated, a subtle change in his tone. He glanced at Qu Neng, then at the military report in the blue robe on the table.

"General Qu, the military report clearly states that the vanguard of the Yan army will be annihilated before noon."

It is now the hour of Si (9-11 AM). Do you think Military Advisor Song's plans are not thorough enough? Or do you think this General's judgment is wrong?

"This humble general dares not," Qu Neng cupped his hands in greeting. "This humble general merely—"

"Alright." Li Jinglong raised his hand to interrupt him.

"General Qu's loyalty and bravery are commendable, and I, the Great General, appreciate them. However, dividing the troops at this time is neither in accordance with military strategy nor appropriate."

If the general can't stay idle, go up to the city wall and watch the fireworks over the Twelve Linked Cities for me. Return and report back after you've finished."

Qu Neng's fingers clenched and unclenched inside his sleeve. He slowly cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, "This subordinate obeys."

Shen Du, on the watchtower of Baojiaying, could not hear any of this.

Shen Du stood on the ruins of the watchtower, still clutching the Southern Army command flag that had been torn down from the top of the tower.

The smoke and dust from the explosion had not yet dissipated, and broken wood and rammed earth were scattered all over the ground. Iron Axe's body was buried under two broken wooden beams, with only one hand still gripping the axe handle visible.

But he didn't look at any of that. His eyes were fixed on the south.

The artillery fire from the Central Camp and the Northern Camp was still ringing out.

The booming sounds came alternately from the south, and after each cannon shot, another group of warhorses and cavalrymen fell on the open ground to the north.

Chen Heng's three thousand cavalry were trapped in the open space between the two camps, unable to advance or retreat.

The infantry of Chenjiaying and Banbianying had already surrounded the passage leading to Baojiaying from both sides, completely blocking it.

A pocket. This is a carefully arranged pocket.

Shen Du's mind raced.

Now, standing inside the door and looking back, he realized that the door was already closed.

He squatted down, spread the Southern Army's command flag on the ground, and drew several lines on the flag with a dagger.

Baojia Camp, located in the far northwest corner, had already been captured by the Yan army. The vanguard cavalry of the Yan army charged south from Baojia Camp, plunging into the open space between the central camp and the northern camp.

Now, Chenjia Camp and Banbian Camp have blocked the cavalry's retreat, while the heavy troops of Zhong Camp and Beida Camp are blocking the front and flanks. The vanguard cavalry are surrounded in the middle, like a trapped beast that has fallen into an iron cage.

Zhu Neng's main force was still north of Baojia Camp, blocked by the combined forces of Chenjia Camp and Banbian Camp, and could not push in for the time being.

"Master Li!" Zhao Laoliu crawled over the rubble, his face covered in soot. "General Zhu Neng sent someone to ask if the watchtower has been captured? Also, the situation with the vanguard cavalry is not good. The central army wants us to report the enemy situation at the front—"

"Where is the messenger?" Shen Du interrupted him.

Zhao Laoliu pointed behind him. A young messenger, his face covered in sweat, was squatting in the corner of the granary, panting and unable to speak.

Shen Du tucked the dagger back into his waistband and walked a few steps to the messenger. "Go back and tell General Zhu Neng three things."

"First, Baojiaying has been captured, but this was deliberately ceded by the Southern Army. Baojiaying was a decoy."

"Secondly, Chen Heng's vanguard was ambushed between the central camp and the northern camp, and their retreat was cut off by Chenjia Camp and Banbian Camp. Do not attempt to break through Chenjia Camp's blockade line from the north; you will not succeed—they are backed by the camp and protected by artillery fire from the walls."

"Third," Shen Du paused, "Give me half an hour. Within half an hour, I will set off a smoke signal at the south gate of the central camp. Once you see the smoke, have General Zhu Neng send all the reserves forward."

The messenger's lips turned pale: "A column of smoke? What column of smoke?"

"You'll find out then." Shen Du pushed him out. "Hurry up and go."

The messenger staggered out of the south gate of Baojiaying.

Shen Du turned around, squatted down in front of the command flag again, and drew a few more lines on the flag with his dagger.

His knife tip traced a line from Baojiaying to Chenjiaying, then from Chenjiaying to the south gate of Zhongying, and finally from the south gate of Zhongying southwards to the edge of the flag.

The end of that line is Texas.

When Gu Zhang climbed down from the south wall, blood was still seeping from the wound on his left arm. He walked over to Shen Du, glanced at the command flag covered in engravings on the ground, and frowned as he asked, "What are you planning to do?"

Shen Du raised his head, his gaze sweeping from Gu Zhang's face to Zhao Laoliu's, and then from Zhao Laoliu's face to the faces of the several train conductors who had gathered around. Their eyes all shared the same question—where to go next?

"The current situation," Shen Du pointed to Baojia Camp on the flag with the tip of his knife, "is that we've taken this place? But to the south, Chen Heng is surrounded. To the north, Zhu Neng's main force is blocked. We're stuck in the middle, unable to advance or retreat."

He moved the tip of his knife to the position of Chenjia Camp, "The infantry of Chenjia Camp and Banbian Camp blocked the retreat route completely."

They had their backs to the camp, and the cannons on the walls could fire at the open ground to the north. General Zhu's attempt to charge from the north was tantamount to throwing lives into the cannons.

"So we can't fight to the north," Gu Zhang said.

"Yes." Shen Du's blade sliced ​​south from Baojia Camp, bypassing the open space between the Central Camp and the Northern Camp, following a winding route along the base of the stockade wall. "There's only one direction we can fight from—south."

The main force of Chenjia Camp's infantry is all concentrated on the north side, leaving their rear exposed. We can outflank them from here, sneak along the base of the stockade wall to their rear, and then attack them from behind.

A chariot commander interjected, "Even if we manage to breach Chenjia Camp, the cavalry can only retreat back to Baojia Camp. The Twelve Linked Cities still haven't fallen."

"Who said I was going to order the cavalry to retreat?" Shen Du's blade continued to move south, stopping at the south gate of the central camp.

"Chenjiaying is just the first pass."

After breaking through Chenjia Camp, the cavalry did not retreat north, but went south—following the western wall of the central camp along the sheep and horse wall, and circled around to the south gate of the central camp.

"If we blow open the south gate of the central camp, the cavalry can rush out through the south gate and circle around to the rear of all the camps."

Gu Zhang frowned even more: "And then? After charging to the south of the Twelve Linked Cities, the cavalry were left isolated outside."

"Then," Shen Du continued south from the south gate, drawing a long, straight line, and poked a hole in the edge of the flag with the tip of his knife, "we'll go down to Dezhou City."

For the first time, Zhao Laoliu doubted Shen Du's judgment. What would be the point of successfully reaching the walls of Dezhou in this situation?

"Mr. Li? Are you sure going to Texas isn't just suicide?"