I asked you to go hunting, and you ended up wearing a yellow robe?

The candlelight in the back hall of the county government office flickered violently.

Zhao Bingkun murmured:

"Yelü is invincible if he has less than ten thousand men, but if he has ten thousand..."

He looked up at Qi Shan sitting opposite him, his voice hoarse.

"This saying has been circulating in the northern border region for twenty years, and I've heard it for twenty years as well."

"These ethnic minorities have grown up on horseback since childhood. They are skilled in battle and can defeat many Han people. This has been the case for many years. This is the first time I have seen a Han person kill a Yelü general single-handedly."

"Not bad, not bad, Qi Shan, I didn't misjudge you. You do have a courage that none of us Daqian people possess."

"If the world were even more chaotic, you might achieve even greater things."

At this point, Zhao Bingkun slammed the door shut, brought over a bowl of wine, placed it in front of the wooden table, and poured a cup for Qi Shan.

"What does the county magistrate mean by this?"

"From now on, in front of us brothers, you don't need to address me as 'County Lord.' From now on, you'll call me Brother Zhao, and I'll call you Brother Qi."

"how?"

"Absolutely not! There is a hierarchy..."

"Brother Qi, don't be so formal. It's settled then. If it's just the two of us in the future, and you still call me 'County Magistrate,' I'll really get angry."

Qi Shan sighed helplessly, "Alright, Brother Zhao!"

Zhao Bingkun burst into laughter, quickly picked up the wine in front of him, and drank it all in one gulp.

"I'm just saying something that would scare people to death if it were said outside."

Qi Shan was taken aback, suddenly recalling his student days when teachers would close the door and talk about their own things.

Zhao Bingkun: "Brother Qi, anyone with eyes can see that this world is in chaos. Don't be fooled by the people sitting in the high hall wearing dragon robes; they are just puppets."

Qi Shan stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

Zhao Bingkun, an official appointed by the imperial court, actually uttered such treasonous words.

If you said that outside, you'd really lose your head.

However, as a time traveler, he naturally didn't mind these things, but he was afraid that they might be a test from the other party.

"Brother Zhao, please don't say that. I, Qi Shan, am utterly loyal..."

Zhao Bingkun laughed: "Brother Qi, there are no outsiders here, so there's no need for formalities or hiding anything from me."

"Although I, Zhao Bingkun, am not very capable, I can see that Brother Qi has the world in his heart and lofty ambitions."

"To put it another way, I, Zhao Bingkun, am not capable, but if at a critical moment when the world is truly in chaos, I, Zhao Bingkun, am willing to lower myself and help you uphold justice."

At this point, Qi Shan was taken aback.

Lowering oneself in status?

To uphold the great cause?

He understood since it was said so bluntly.

Does the other side mean that we should launch a rebellion at the right time?

Of course he had thought about it. He had even considered how to persuade the official of this feudal dynasty, but he didn't expect the official to be so quick-witted and bring it up on his own initiative, which saved him some trouble.

However, Qi Shan was unsure whether the other party was telling the truth or not, but he could tell that the other party's face was sincere.

Qi Shan didn't dare to answer.

"I think this matter is not far off. Right now, the dragon throne in the court is occupied by a child who is not even five years old and can't even speak properly. The government is entirely controlled by those examiners and the relatives of the empress who are seizing power."

"Adding to external pressures, the internal and external troubles are very serious, and the people's lives are extremely difficult."

Qi Shan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and calmed himself down.

He then explained, "Brother Zhao, let's put this aside for now; there's something more important to discuss."

Zhao Pingkun could tell that Qi Shan didn't want to talk about this topic, perhaps because he didn't trust him enough, so he didn't say anything more.

"Since Brother Qi is willing to step aside, then I, Zhao, will hold off for now and let's discuss the important matters first."

"Your Excellency, were you aware that the deceased Yelü Mulang was Yelü Da's nephew?"

How did you know?

"That's what the prisoners said."

Qi Shan put down his teacup, took out a blood-stained cowhide map from his sleeve, and spread it on the table.

The map was marked with several thick charcoal lines, stretching from the Yinma River all the way to the provincial capital of Shanhe Province.

"The Yelü tribe's military expedition this time was not for Qingyang County."

He pointed his finger at the location of the provincial capital, speaking in a calm and unhurried tone.

"They want to attack the provincial capital, and Qingyang County is just a thorn in their side in the way of their supply lines."

Zhao Bingkun stared at the map, his face gradually turning pale.

"you mean…"

"The Yelü tribe assembled an army of 20,000 and divided it into three routes to encircle the provincial capital. The force that attacked Qingyang County was only one of the detachments, namely the 3,000 men sent by Yelü Da."

Qi Shan withdrew his finger and looked into Zhao Bingkun's eyes.

"His plan was to use 500 Hu cavalry, plus an inside agent, to take Qingyang and ensure the safety of the main force's flank, but they were all wiped out here."

Zhao Bingkun stood up and said, "Twenty thousand cavalry...twenty thousand!"

"The total garrison in Shanhe Province is less than 15,000. How can we fight them?"

Qi Shan did not answer the question, but simply flipped the map over.

The back was covered with dense writing, all of which was intelligence obtained from interrogating prisoners.

"Yelü's main camp was set up in the grassland on the north bank of Yinma River, seventy li away from Qingyang County. The camp had three thousand shi of grain and supplies, more than twenty sets of siege weapons, and a team of craftsmen who were specially made to build cloud ladders."

He paused, then added a sentence.

"In addition, there were nearly three hundred Han Chinese women who had been abducted."

Chen Chong had been standing at the door without saying a word, but upon hearing this, he suddenly pounded on the doorframe.

"These beasts!"

Qi Shan didn't respond, and continued speaking.

"The death of Yelü Mulang is not just a simple matter of losing a nephew for Yelü Da."

"What do you mean?"

Zhao Bingkun asked, frowning.

"In Yelü's plan to encircle Qingyang from three directions, Yelü Mulang's force was responsible for cutting off Qingyang's supply line. Now that this detachment has been completely wiped out, it means that the flank of his main army has been exposed."

Qi Shan drew a line on the table with his finger.

"If he wants to attack the provincial capital, he has to remove Qingyang first; otherwise, he wouldn't dare to put all 20,000 men into it."

Zhao Bingkun understood, and the color drained from his face even more.

"Therefore, Yelüda will definitely lead his 3000 elite troops to attack Qingyang."

"right."

Qi Shan put away the map, his voice tinged with coldness.

"And it will come very quickly."

The main room was quiet for a moment, with only the crackling sound of candle flames.

Zhao Bingkun sat back down in his chair. He looked at Qi Shan, and a strange, indescribable look suddenly appeared in his eyes.

"3000 elite troops, it looks like it's going to be a tough battle! Our county is already struggling to hold off these 500 cavalry. If Yelü Da's 3000 men attack together, Qingyang County will surely fall!"

"Brother Qi, tell me the truth, how should this battle be fought?"

Qi Shan remained silent for a moment, then looked up at Zhao Bingkun.

"No rush, let me check on the spoils first, then we'll decide on the specific plan."

-