They were resting in the afternoon. These riders were not wearing any armor, and their weapons were placed by the side.
In the Xu Dynasty, or any other dynasty or army, these riders were the elites of the army. They were treated well, and when they died, their descendants would reward them. The only downside was that it was very difficult for them to be promoted. Even if they were promoted, who would do this job?
"Something's not right. There's a cloud of dust over there. There must be an army there. Go check it out." A squad leader led a few riders to check thirty miles away. At this point, he saw the cloud of dust and threw away his rations. He then stood up and spoke.
"Yes." The riders galloped forward cautiously. The hooves of the horses were wrapped in cloth to prevent them from being alarmed.
They saw a huge army of soldiers marching. Most of them were foot soldiers, but there were also riders patrolling the area. From afar, they could see that there were over ten thousand of them.
Just as they were checking, a squad leader shouted, "Stop."
Everyone stopped and tiptoed to look over. Not far away, about a hundred meters away, there were ten or so riders on patrol. Most of them were wearing paper armor with copper nails on them. One of them was wearing leather armor, but he was carrying the flag of the imperial court. Everyone sucked in a breath of cold air.
"Retreat quickly and report the situation."
The responsibility of the riders was not to kill, but to report the situation. It was obvious that the army had arrived. Even if they could kill them, they would still be able to surround them.
The group of riders pulled their horses and retreated. Unfortunately, one of the horses neighed.
"Riders?" The riders on the other side noticed.
"It's a scout." One of the riders in the middle had a murderous look in his eyes, "Kill him, don't let him go."
"Yes!"
The riders drew their blades and charged forward. Ji Bei Hou pulled on the reins and ran away.
The Big Tent
"Duke, the army of the Imperial Court has arrived. The scouts have reported that there are tens of thousands of them. They are cooking rice, and smoke is rising up into the sky. They must be the main force of the Imperial Court." Ji Bei Hou was reading through the documents when someone reported.
"What? They're here? " Ji Bei Hou stood up and paced around the tent. His eyes were solemn, and his expression was one of melancholy. He asked about the situation, and didn't speak for some time. After some time, he sighed and sat down, "Looks like we can't scare them off. The army of the Imperial Court has arrived after all."
Shen Zhi said, "Duke, shall we temporarily hide? Pei Zi Yun is still thirty miles away. We can still make it if we retreat now. If not, we will be caught in a pincer attack. Although our morale has been boosted, we have no source of energy! "
Hearing these words, Ji Bei Hou took several steps and sighed, "It's too late. I can't retreat. The army is slowly approaching, but they're not in a hurry to advance. They're forcing me to fight, but I have no choice but to fight."
"Now that our army has been conferred the title of King Lu, the morale of our army has been greatly boosted. Although it's just an empty fire, it's still worth using. Furthermore, we have sufficient rations and fodder. We can still fight."
"If we retreat, our morale will plummet and it will be difficult to recover. Furthermore, our army has already lost three counties. If we retreat to the prefectural capital, the imperial court's army will be able to easily mobilize and concentrate. The two counties outside won't be able to resist at all. Although the prefectural capital is strong, it will become an isolated city. How long can we defend it for?"
"If you want to fight, then let's fight!" At this point, Ji Bei Hou pulled out his long blade and stabbed it into the table. The hilt of the blade trembled uncontrollably, "Thirty miles is a day's schedule. Pass down my orders. Tonight, we shall slaughter the cows, sheep, and pigs. The entire army shall have a good meal and replenish their energy. We shall prepare for battle."
"Yes, Duke." Shen Zhi heard this and replied loudly.
Camp, Big Tent
The sky was dark and gloomy, as dark clouds covered the sky. The wind blew through the leaves, causing them to sway wildly.
"Dao Master, it's going to rain soon." Chen Yong stood at the entrance of Pei Zi Yun's tent and looked up at the sky, "The rain is coming. I'm afraid we won't be able to fight for the next few days."
Under normal circumstances, very few armies would fight in the rain. This wasn't a joke. In ancient times, there was a lack of medical supplies. Even a single drop of rain could lead to death.
Pei Zi Yun walked out of the tent and saw that the sky was overcast. Raindrops were falling from the sky. He looked up at the sky and laughed, "The rain has come at the right time."
"Ai, why does Dao Master say that?" Chen Yong asked.
Pei Zi Yun raised his head and looked up at the dark clouds in the sky. He then laughed, "I've been preparing for today since we conquered North Initiate City. Looks like it's time to put it to good use."
"Boom!" All of a sudden, a bolt of lightning struck down from the sky. In the blink of an eye, the rain had gotten heavier, and the surrounding tents were filled with the sound of rain.
"Gather the cavalry. Tonight, I'm going to launch a surprise attack on Ji Bei Hou's camp." Pei Zi Yun said coldly.
"Dao Master, a thousand cavalrymen is a little too much. Even if someone wants to go, it should be me." Chen Yong hurriedly tried to stop him.
Pei Zi Yun laughed, "I've just reported that I've already made contact with the enemy's cavalry. However, I've always been careful with my every step. Ji Bei Hou wouldn't have expected me to launch a surprise attack. Of course, he would have set up a proper defense. However, I have a plan that he wouldn't have expected. It's only forty kilometers now. I shall set off immediately. All of you shall follow me through the night.
Hearing Pei Zi Yun's words, Chen Yong was puzzled. However, he didn't refute him. He turned around and obeyed his orders.
"Boom!"
Pei Zi Yun was accompanied by several Daoists. There were even Daoists and Imperial Guards surrounding him. Raindrops fell from the sky, splashing onto the raincoats of these Daoists. This group of people ran through the night.
"Dao Master, if we run through the night to launch a surprise attack, Ji Bei Hou's scouts will discover us soon." The officer beside Pei Zi Yun said worriedly.
"Even if they find out, we won't be able to return in time." Pei Zi Yun said as the rain continued to fall. Suddenly, several Daoists emerged from the rain and bowed, "Greetings Sect Leader."
"How's the situation?"
"According to the Sect Leader's orders, we've cleared out all the cavalry sentries along the way. At least for the next two hours, no one will be able to discover us."
"Bring me to the temple. This is the talisman I set up the other day." Pei Zi Yun retrieved a talisman and threw it over, "Verify it."
The group of Daoists retrieved the talisman and placed it together. Once the talisman was verified, they said, "I shall bring you there immediately."
After running for several kilometers, they saw an abandoned temple. The temple was dilapidated and dilapidated, with broken bricks and broken tiles. The only strange thing about the temple was that there was a mound of dirt around it.
When they entered the temple, they realized that there was a tunnel leading to it. Everyone present was astonished.
"Dao Master, what's this?" The officer paused in shock and asked.
Pei Zi Yun then said, "I secretly instructed the Daoists to dig this tunnel. During the war, both armies will be monitoring the people underground. If we dig this tunnel, we will definitely discover it. However, if we dig it earlier, Ji Bei Hou wouldn't know."
"This is my true killing move. I was only prepared in advance. There are only so many suitable places to set up camp outside the city. If Ji Bei Hou left, it would be fine. But he stayed behind. This gave me an opportunity."
"Men, go in."
The tunnel was wide enough for two or three people to pass through. A group of people entered for some time. When they saw that there were barrels of gunpowder, one of them nodded his head and lit the fuse. They then ran as fast as they could, as the sound of gunpowder could be heard.
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