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

"Useless! They're all useless!"

"Yelü Da, leading three thousand elite troops, had his stronghold wiped out by an unknown Han county! What are your border troops doing? Why aren't they sending troops?!"

"Our Khan's warriors cannot have died in vain! You must give us an explanation for this!"

He Yong's pupils suddenly contracted.

He understood.

Inside the tent were two Yelü nobles!

And the one who kept apologizing in a humble, even pleading tone... was Liu Wei, the General of the Jiangnan Border Defense!

"My lords, please calm down... This, this was completely an accident, an unexpected variable that no one could have foreseen..."

"That Qi Shan, I don't know where he came from! Please rest assured, Your Excellencies, I... I will send someone to deal with him immediately! I will definitely give the Khan an explanation! I will!"

He Yong stood frozen in place, feeling an indescribable sense of nausea and humiliation welling up inside him.

The dignified border general of the Great Zhou Dynasty, a high-ranking official of the second rank, was actually begging for mercy from two enemy nobles like a dog!

Oh shit!

He couldn't help but curse under his breath.

This old dog has utterly disgraced the Han people!

However, the next second, a fierce but cowardly shout came from inside the tent:

"He Yong! Get in here!"

He Yong shuddered, the resentment on his face vanishing instantly, replaced by an extremely submissive expression. He quickly straightened his armor, lowered his head, and strode into the commander's tent.

The tent was incredibly luxurious. Two arrogant Yelü nobles dressed in mink coats sat in the main seats, while General Liu Wei stood to the side, his face flushed and his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat.

"General, sir." He Yong bowed respectfully, not daring to glance around.

Liu Wei looked at him with a sinister gaze, as if he wanted to vent all the humiliation he had just suffered on him.

"You know about what happened in Qingyang County?"

"This humble general... just learned of it."

"Fine, very well!" Liu Wei gritted his teeth, his voice barely audible. "I don't care if Qi Shan is a man or a ghost, he's ruined everything! The higher-ups desperately need his head! He's a variable, and a variable must die!"

He Yong was overjoyed, but feigned seriousness on his face: "What does Your Excellency mean...?"

"Give me a thousand of your personal guards and set off immediately!" Liu Wei's gaze swept over the two Yelü nobles, his voice lower yet carrying an undeniable ruthlessness. "The banner will read 'Reaching for the Reinforcements of Qingyang, Suppressing the Bandits'! Remember, once we arrive, don't rush to escort the routed Yelü troops away. Your primary objective is singular!"

He stretched out a finger and made a sharp cut across his neck.

"Find Qi Shan and shoot him dead with a hail of arrows! Do it cleanly, leave no evidence!"

He Yong suddenly looked up, a greedy and excited glint in his eyes. This was exactly what he had been waiting for!

This is like a pillow delivered to someone who's sleepy, and it's even gold-plated!

He immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice booming like a loyal and devoted minister, sharing the nation's burdens.

"Your humble servant obeys!"

"We will surely slay this scoundrel, relieving the General's worries and eliminating this major threat to that official!"

Having said that, he turned around and strode out of the command tent.

The sunlight outside the tent was blinding. He Yong squinted, glanced back at the magnificent command tent, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

High-ranking positions and generous salaries! Here I come!

He mounted his horse, drew his sword, pointed it sharply forward, and shouted:

"Pass on my order! All troops assemble. Target—Qingyang County!"

A thousand armored soldiers, like a black venomous dragon, led by He Yong, stirred up clouds of dust as they rolled toward Qingyang County, which had just experienced a bloody battle.

The killing intent has arrived.

...

On the city tower of Qingyang County, the wind howled, making Zhao Bingkun's official robes billow.

He leaned against the cold wall, his eyes bloodshot, staring intently at the official road to the north leading to Yelü's camp.

The scouts have brought back news!

Flames soared into the sky in the distance, and Yelü's camp was reduced to ruins.

Won.

Qi Shan's seemingly crazy plan actually came true.

Zhao Bingkun's heart felt as if it were being gripped by an invisible hand, the grip tightening with each passing moment.

Qi Shan did not return.

The two hundred elite soldiers who carried all the hopes of Qingyang County also disappeared into the vast night.

Were they surrounded and annihilated by fleeing soldiers, or... were they completely wiped out?

Zhao Bingkun dared not think any further.

He knew better than anyone that the victory in Qingyang County, and even the morale of the entire Han dynasty's northern border, desperately needed a resounding and decisive victory.

Not to defeat, not to drive away, but to annihilate!

It's about slaying generals and capturing flags!

For many years, nomadic cavalry swept south as if entering an uninhabited land, almost breaking the backbone of the Han people.

They need a powerful remedy, a shot in the arm, to tell the world:

The Yelu people are not invincible!

He hoped Qi Shan would win, but reason told him that it was too difficult.

Two hundred infantrymen against three thousand iron cavalry, even if they were remnants, were like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

The atmosphere on the streets below the city gate was terribly oppressive.

The people gathered spontaneously, craning their necks, waiting for the hero's triumphant return.

But as time passed, from dawn till dusk, the flame of hope was gradually extinguished.

The whole city was in a state of panic.

Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from the official road to the east.

A county soldier guarding the city shouted a warning: "Sir! A cavalry unit is coming from the east! They're carrying... they're carrying the banner of the General Headquarters of the Jiangnan Border Defense!"

Zhao Bingkun turned around abruptly, his pupils shrinking.

Border troops?

What are they here for?

Before he could figure it out, the cavalry had already arrived at the city walls.

The leading officer, dressed as a captain, reined in his horse and arrogantly raised his head to shout:

"Who is in charge on the city wall? I am Zhang Mang, a colonel under General Liu, the commander of the Jiangnan border defense. I have come to deliver orders from the commander!"

Suppressing his doubts, Zhao Bingkun replied in a deep voice, "I am Zhao Bingkun, the magistrate of Qingyang County."

Upon hearing this, Captain Zhang Mang curled his lips into a sneer, as if looking at a nouveau riche from the countryside.

"Lord Zhao," he drawled, the military order in his hand rolled up like a stick, pointing it out, "the General-in-Chief, upon hearing of the bandit invasion of Qingyang County, is extremely anxious and has specially dispatched Commander He Yong, leading a thousand elite troops to provide reinforcements! The army will arrive shortly; you must quickly open the city gates, prepare provisions and barracks, and respectfully welcome the royal army!"

Reinforcements?

Just as a hint of joy appeared on the faces of Chen Chong and the others behind Zhao Bingkun, Zhao Bingkun's heart sank to the bottom.

Not right.

Something's really wrong!

The Yelü people raided southwards every year, but the border troops never made a move.

They cowered in their camp, allowing the people under their rule to be slaughtered and villages to be burned, without daring to utter a single word.

How come their reinforcements arrived so soon after Yelüda's defeat?

It came too fast, too coincidentally.