The female prisoner was fierce

Wanyan Chuyu put down her book, looked up at him, and spoke calmly:

"What's the panic? Speak slowly. Is there any movement from the Northern Barbarians?"

"Yes, and not entirely."

Wanyan Shi swallowed hard and said quickly:

"I just came from the county government office. The entire Xiao family army has been mobilized and is heading towards the north gate. It seems they are going out of the city to fight. I asked some familiar constables, and they said that over a thousand Northern Di cavalry have arrived from the north. The leader is called Harbala, and there is also Baturu. They were supposed to arrive in the county town tomorrow evening, but the Xiao family army has already left the city. I guess they are going to ambush them on the way."

"Oh?"

Wanyan Chuyu raised an eyebrow slightly and tapped her finger lightly on the page.

"Xiao Jianyang is quite bold. He just took Dongshuang County, and his forces number only about a thousand, mostly new recruits and surrendered soldiers, yet he dares to launch a surprise attack on over a thousand elite Northern Di troops?" Wanyan Hu scoffed beside him, his voice muffled.

"Han people just love to play petty tricks. What's the use of an ambush? When the Northern Di cavalry charge, their infantry won't even be a match for them. I think Xiao Jianyang has gotten too cocky. He thinks he's something special just because he killed Yelü Chi. He's going to suffer a big fall this time." Wanyan Chuyu ignored him and continued to ask Wanyan Shi:

"Did you see clearly how much of that... 'divine punishment' stuff they brought?" "Yes!" Wanyan Shi nodded immediately. "Many soldiers were carrying pottery jars, at least a hundred of them. There were also three or four carts carrying things covered with thick cloth. I couldn't see what they were, but I guessed it was gunpowder or something like that. I also heard that they used this stuff to blow up the city gate last time. A few packets of it blew the several-inch-thick wooden gate into pieces, and the soldiers guarding the city had their ears bleeding from the shock."

Wanyan Chuyu fell silent. The charcoal crackled, and the room was quiet for a moment. Her mind raced. The Tiger Tribe was weak among the Jurchen tribes, constantly oppressed by the Northern Di, and forced to pay tribute with large quantities of cattle, sheep, and furs every year. The tribe's able-bodied men were kidnapped as slaves, and women were abducted every year.

She led her men to infiltrate Dongshuang County for two reasons: first, to trade for salt, iron, and medicinal herbs; and second, to gather intelligence on the Northern Di and the Great Wu, hoping to find a way for her tribe to survive in the chaotic world. The Northern Di's southern expedition was fierce; if they truly conquered Youzhou and occupied the entire northern border, their next target would undoubtedly be the various Jurchen tribes.

She understood the principle of "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold" better than anyone else.

Although the Xiao family army is a Han Chinese force, they are currently mortal enemies with the Northern Di. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Moreover, this Xiao Jianyang possesses the divine artifact, Heavenly Punishment. If he could severely cripple these thousand Northern Di cavalry, it would be a tremendous boon to the Tiger Tribe. "Princess, what are you thinking?"

Seeing that she remained silent for a long time, Wanyan Hu couldn't help but speak up.

"Why don't we take advantage of the chaos to pack our things and go back to the tribe? If the Northern Di people attack, they won't care whether we are Jurchen or Han. Our shops will be looted, and we'll be in trouble."

Wanyan Chuyu glanced at him, her tone cold: "Go back to the tribe? Go back to the tribe and wait for the Northern Di to come knocking, kill all the men, kidnap the women, and plunder all the cattle and sheep?" Wanyan Hu was stunned, then stiffened his neck and said:

"Then...what do we do? We can't just go up and help the Han people, can we? We only have a little over a thousand tribal soldiers. Fighting against the elite Northern Di is like throwing an egg against a rock." "Throwing an egg against a rock?" Wanyan Chuyu stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the snow-covered area to the north of the city.

With the Xiao family army under divine punishment, it's still uncertain who will emerge as an egg and who will become a stone.

She turned around, her tone resolute, carrying the authority of a tribal princess:

"Wanyan Hu, listen to my command." "Your subordinate is here!" Wanyan Hu subconsciously straightened his back. "Your Majesty, return to the tribe immediately, gather a thousand elite cavalry, and take plenty of bows and arrows, scimitars, and three days' worth of dry rations. Take the shortcut to Tiger Ridge."

Wanyan Chuyu's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable weight: "Once we arrive, do not show yourselves. Hide in the woods on the east side of the valley and act according to Xiao Jianyang's orders. If he launches the main attack, we will attack the enemy's flank from the side; if he blocks us, we will be responsible for pursuing and eliminating the deserters. There is only one objective."

"Kill as many Northern Di people as possible, and it would be best to spare both Harbala and Baturu."

"What?"

Wanyan Hu's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Princess, you want us to take a thousand brothers and take the command of a Han Chinese? When have our Jurchen warriors ever listened to the orders of Han Chinese? No, I disagree!"

You have no choice but to agree.

Wanyan Chuyu's face turned cold, and she said:

"The Northern Di have over a thousand elite troops. If we face them alone, our chances of winning are less than 30%. But with the help of the Heavenly Punishment from the Xiao family army, our chances of winning are at least 70%. Killing this group of Northern Di people will, firstly, avenge the tribe's long-standing blood feud; secondly, weaken the Northern Di's forces for their southern expedition; and thirdly... it will allow us to forge a good relationship with Xiao Jianyang." "He has the Heavenly Punishment in his hands and the ability to confront the Northern Di head-on. In the future, he might very well have a place in the game of the Northern Frontier."

"It's always better to have one more friend who can fight the Northern Barbarians than one more enemy."

She paused, then added:

"Remember, once you get there, keep a low profile, don't try to claim credit, don't cause trouble, and prioritize severely damaging the Northern Barbarians. If you ruin everything, don't bother coming back; bring me your own head."

Yan Hu's face turned pale and then red, filled with resentment, but he dared not disobey the princess's orders. After a long silence, he could only grumble and clasp his hands in a fist, "This humble general... obeys!"

Having said that, he turned and strode out of the house to gather the clan's elite forces. Wanyan Shi knelt on the ground, somewhat worried:

"Princess, isn't this too risky? What if Xiao Jianyang loses, and the Northern Di people find out we helped them? They'll attack the tribe right away..." "If they lose, we'll retreat immediately. The Northern Di people won't be able to trace us back for a while." (End)

Yan Chuyu sat back down in her chair, picked up the scroll of military strategy, and said calmly, "But I have a feeling that Xiao Jianyang can't lose. Someone who can bring out something like Heavenly Punishment will never fight a battle he's not sure he can win." She looked out at the swirling snow outside the window, her eyes deep: "It's time for someone to stir up the muddy waters of the Northern Border."

Meanwhile, on the official road north of the city, a fierce snowstorm raged, the swirling snowflakes stinging faces like tiny knives. Xiao Jianyang, mounted on his horse, clad in black cotton armor, was followed by over six hundred soldiers of the Xiao family army, their steps hurried yet their ranks impeccably orderly.

No one chatted or laughed; only the crunching of snow underfoot and the low murmur of commands filled the air, creating a tense and disciplined atmosphere. The recruits were pale-faced and their lips were purple from the cold, but they gritted their teeth and kept up.

The veterans remained calm, occasionally glancing back at the new recruits behind them. Their eyes held no fear, only the cold hardness of someone accustomed to the battlefield. After walking for about an hour and a half, a narrow valley appeared ahead. On both sides were earthen slopes two or three zhang high, covered with low pines and thorns, the branches bending downwards under the weight of the snow.

A winding official road runs through the valley floor, its narrowest point only wide enough for three horses to ride abreast; this is Tiger Ridge.

……