I, a useless prince, started with the Xiang Yu template.

Black Wind Mountain.

The mountains stretch endlessly, the ravines are deep and the dense forests block out the sun.

The terrain here is complex, with rugged mountain roads, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Within a radius of a hundred miles, there are numerous hills of varying sizes and countless hidden valleys.

Ever since the Northern Liang government's military preparedness deteriorated and its border defenses collapsed, this mountainous region has become a lawless zone.

Dozens of bandit strongholds, large and small, were rooted in the mountains, occupying strategic passes and dangerous locations.

They robbed caravans, raided villages, kidnapped people, and forcibly seized grain and fodder.

They have committed evil deeds for many years with impunity.

The surrounding villages and towns at the foot of the mountain have suffered from looting for many years.

The people have suffered under bandits for too long.

Among all the mountain strongholds, Black Tiger Stronghold undoubtedly ranks first.

It was also the most brutal and powerful bandit force in the entire Black Wind Mountain area.

Black Tiger Village is built against the mountain, perched on the mountainside of the main peak of Black Wind Mountain.

The stockade wall, constructed of massive stones and rough timber, stands two zhang high and encircles the entire mountain village.

The east and west gates of the stockade are guarded year-round by bandits armed with knives and axes.

The stockade walls were equipped with rolling stones, hot oil, and wooden arrows, forming a complete defensive fortification system.

The stronghold was garrisoned by more than 800 bandits, each armed with weapons, making them far more powerful than ordinary bandits.

The chieftain, Black Tiger, was in his early forties, with a burly build and broad shoulders.

In his early years, he was a defeated soldier from the border, and he was violent and bloodthirsty.

His hands were stained with blood, and his enemies were scattered throughout the mountains and fields.

This man fled to Black Wind Mountain, gathered a group of desperados, and seized control of Black Tiger Stronghold.

Over the years, they have committed countless atrocities, including arson, murder, and looting.

In the past, several officials of Beiliang sent troops to suppress them, but they either returned empty-handed due to unfamiliarity with the mountain roads, or they were ambushed by Black Tiger and his men, resulting in the annihilation of their entire army.

Over time, the government completely gave up, and no one was willing to provoke Black Tiger Stronghold anymore.

Black Tiger and his gang became increasingly domineering and arrogant.

.......

At dusk.

Black Tiger Village, Gathering Hall.

The room was filled with smoke, and the smell of alcohol mixed with the stench of meat and sweat, creating a pungent odor.

Inside the main hall, dozens of leaders, key members, and gangsters sat together.

The long wooden table was covered with spirits, roasted meat, gold and silver jewelry, as well as grain and cloth looted from the villages at the foot of the mountain.

They had just looted three villages and were returning home laden with spoils.

The bandits were in high spirits, clinking glasses, eating meat and drinking wine, and reveling wildly.

Black Tiger leaned back in his seat at the head of the table.

He was shirtless, with dark skin, his chest covered in hideous knife scars, and a heavy machete hanging from his waist.

Holding a wine jar, he tilted his head back and gulped down a mouthful of strong liquor, his eyes filled with ferocity and indifference.

In his eyes, the ordinary farmers down the mountain were no different from livestock.

If you want money and food, just rob it; if you want supplies, just seize them.

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere calmed down a bit.

The thin second-in-command put down his wine glass, his expression slightly serious, and broke the noise with his words.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as much as the excitement is there, let me offer a word of advice."

"The situation down the mountain is different from before."

Upon hearing this, many of the bandits in the hall looked up at him.

The second-in-command said in a deep voice, "You should all have heard. A new vassal king has arrived in Beiliang, the King of Qin."

"This man has an extremely powerful background. He defeated the barbarian army in the battle of the Northern Frontier and his military achievements are immense. Within a few days of entering the city, he directly purged the entire Northern Liang officialdom. He was swift and decisive, and his methods were extremely ruthless."

"We'd better keep a low profile and not be too ostentatious lately."

"Don't provoke the King of Qin, lest you bring trouble upon yourself."

The second-in-command was meticulous and far-sighted compared to the simple-minded bandits.

The former governor of Beiliang was weak and incompetent, cowardly and afraid of death, and was not worth fearing.

But this King of Qin was a truly ruthless and iron-fisted man, wielding military power and acting without any scruples.

If they really anger the other side and send a large force into the mountains to besiege them, Black Tiger Stronghold might not be able to withstand it.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the second-in-command finished speaking, a burst of sneers erupted in the hall.

The room was full of bandits, but nobody paid them any attention.

A burly, manic-faced gang leader grinned wildly, his expression full of disdain: "Second-in-command, you're such a coward!"

"Just a vassal king, what's there to be afraid of? A war god? I bet it's all just empty boasting!"

Another bandit slammed his fist on the table, his tone arrogant: "What's there to be afraid of! No matter how powerful the King of Qin is, he's still in the city!"

"This is Black Wind Mountain, not within the city of Beiliang!"

"The mountain road is winding and twisting, with dense forests and numerous passes, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack."

"The imperial army has come several times before, but in the end, they all retreated in disgrace. We even managed to kill a large number of them!"

"Even if the King of Qin has troops under his command, what can he do!"

Another older bandit leader sneered and added, "To put it bluntly, Beiliang City is his territory."

"This Black Wind Mountain is our territory."

"He dares to send troops into the mountains? No matter how many come, we'll kill them all and trap them inside!"

"God of War? I bet that's just empty boasting. Does he really think he can control the people on our mountain?"

The bandits chatted amongst themselves, their tone arrogant and utterly disrespectful.

Having been entrenched deep in the mountains for years without any checks and balances, this group of desperados had long since become extremely arrogant.

In their eyes, the government officials and princes outside the mountains were all insignificant.

The second-in-command frowned, still wanting to offer some words of advice.

Just then.

Black Tiger, sitting in the main seat, raised his hand to quell the noise in the room.

The lobby fell silent instantly.

Black Tiger slowly put down the wine jar, his cloudy eyes sweeping over everyone, his voice hoarse and low.

"Second brother, I know your concerns."

"But you don't need to boost others' morale while diminishing your own."

"So what if he's the King of Qin?"

"His troops might be capable of fighting on the plains, but suppressing bandits in the mountains is a complete joke."

Black Tiger's lips curled into a bloodthirsty grin.

"With the mountains at our backs, we can advance or retreat at will."

"Occupy the advantageous terrain and wait for the enemy to tire themselves out."

"Let alone a mere Prince Qin, even if the imperial court sent tens of thousands of troops to completely wipe out Black Wind Mountain, they would have to pay a heavy price."

He surveyed the entire room and said coldly:

"We'll still rob and steal as usual."

"As long as we stay in the mountains and honestly guard our village, no one can do anything to us."

"As for that King of Qin..."

"If he knows what's good for him, we'll keep to ourselves."

"If he dares to be so reckless, send troops into the mountains."

Black Tiger clenched his fists and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"This chieftain doesn't mind killing another batch of government soldiers."

As soon as he finished speaking, all the bandits in the hall roared with approval.

........

a few days later.

The outer perimeter of Black Wind Mountain.

On a winding and rugged mountain road, a fully armed army quietly marched in.

Five thousand Qin soldiers, fully armored, remained silent throughout.

At the forefront of the group, Zhang Bin stood with a stern expression, his gaze sweeping over the hills on both sides.

The objective of this operation was clear.

They leveled the entire Black Wind Mountain and wiped out all the bandit strongholds.

Prior to this, the Imperial Guards had infiltrated Black Wind Mountain three days in advance.

Draw a complete topographic map and investigate the population, defenses, sentry posts, and access routes of each mountain stronghold.

There are seventeen bandit strongholds of varying sizes. We need to know who the leaders are, their fighting strength, the locations of their sentries, and their escape routes.

All the intelligence was crystal clear and was compiled and sent to Zhang Bin.