Northern Barbarians, border.

Li Zhongwu looked towards the direction of Yunfu City, his eyes full of worry. The raging fire was like a huge dragon of rage, devouring the peace in his heart.

The moment he saw the fire, he realized that their reaction was too late, and he felt uneasy - the plan of Daqian and Beiman had already begun.

There are now two options before him. One is to return for support immediately, and the other is to go deep into the grassland immediately to complete their previously set goals.

However, the originally clear situation has become turbulent again because of Daqian's proactive attack. Until now, they don't know what the Beiman's plan is. They have been dormant for so long, what exactly do they rely on to fight against the rebels?
If he continued to advance regardless of the front at this time, the risk would undoubtedly be the greatest. Now he was waiting, waiting for news from the front, and also waiting for news from King Wu.

But time seemed so long at this moment, and every minute and every second was like a needle piercing his heart. His brows were furrowed, and he kept calculating the changes in the situation in his mind. His thoughts were like a rolling tide, difficult to calm down.

Just then, the spy who was sent out walked in exhausted, panting and out of breath.

But at this moment, Li Zhongwu had completely lost his patience to give them time to catch their breath, and immediately asked, "How is it? What's the situation ahead? Where is that raging fire?"

The spy panted and answered intermittently, "Report...Report...General, according to our initial speculation, the raging fire did not originate from Yunfu City, but from Xinfeng City, which is fifty miles away from Yunfu City."

"Xinfeng City? Oh no, their target is our food supplies!"

After hearing this, Li Zhongwu's brows suddenly tightened and his face immediately became heavy.

It can be imagined that under the raging fire, all the food and grass would be burned to ashes, and there would not be a single grain left.

Although their food and fodder were not gathered in one place, but scattered in various cities, Xinfeng City happened to have the largest reserves among those cities, and the remaining food in the other cities was only enough for emergencies, and could not support the million-strong army to complete this war.

"Damn it!"

His face was grim and he couldn't help cursing. The current situation was far more serious than he had imagined.

Originally, their rebel army was invincible. After capturing Yangzhou, they threatened the whole world and firmly held the initiative in their hands. But now, with the food and grass being burned, their initiative was completely lost.

Although they are not in a passive position, they are now on the same starting line as the dying Daqian, which is simply unforgivable.

He knew that the consequences of losing food and supplies would be disastrous, and his thoughts were like a violent storm that could not be calmed.

At this time, a voice came from outside the door, "General, His Royal Highness King Wu sent a secret letter, please take a look."

"Bring it in!" Li Zhongwu waved his hand and shouted coldly.

He couldn't wait to open the secret letter. The content of the letter was not much different from what he had guessed. It asked him to lead his troops to provide support immediately and prepare to fight to support the war.

Li Zhongwu felt heavy in his heart. Facing such a situation, this was a helpless move. He knew that compared to retreating and losing the support of the people, taking the initiative to attack would still give him a chance of survival.

What's more, they have been preparing for so long and have already made preparations for a battle with the Northern Barbarians and Daqian.

Now it was just that the situation had changed and they were no longer in control of it. In the face of absolute strength, any conspiracy was vain.

In this case, they must defeat the Northern Barbarians and Daqian head-on and make them surrender completely.

"Order the entire army to prepare to depart!" Li Zhongwu's voice rang out in the tent, revealing firmness and decisiveness.

"Everyone cheer up. Anyone who dares to stand in our way will only die." His voice was like thunder, echoing far away and within the three armies.

He knew that the northern barbarian army would definitely not sit idly by and watch them come back for help, but so what? If they dared to block the way, he would take out his anger on them.

……

Miyun City, border.

Millions of soldiers were ready to fight, and everyone had a determined look on their face.

This was the first time they stood on the land of Central Plains and felt its warmth and prosperity. Their eyes were filled with a sense of naked occupation.

They never wanted to return to the grasslands, endure the cold wind, and endure hunger. Therefore, they were all eager to fight and had already regarded the Central Plains as theirs.

They believed that with his million Northern Barbarian cavalry and Chagan Uli's command, there was no chance of defeat.

However, Chagan Wuli sat on the high platform, holding a piece of intelligence in his hand, with complicated emotions surging in his heart. His eyes wandered over the paper, and his brows slightly furrowed. Although the soldiers around him were full of confidence and believed that the millions of Northern Barbarians would never be defeated under his command, he felt a little uneasy in his heart.

As the Great Khan of the Northern Barbarians,
He had a lot to consider.

Although this war is progressing steadily according to plan, is Emperor Daqian leading the troops in this way just to kill Lin Zhongyun and avenge his father?

He was a little skeptical about this. His intuition told him that there must be something fishy going on.

However, the current situation is irreversible and he is in a dilemma. Even if he feels uneasy, he can only take one step at a time.

He pondered for a moment with an expressionless face, his eyes deep, and he gave a decisive order: "Order the entire army to march out immediately. After the rebel army is flooded, we will attack immediately." His voice echoed on the platform, revealing decisiveness and majesty.

However, before he finished speaking, he suddenly thought of something and continued, "Also, order Hu Yan to do everything he can to hold back Li Zhongwu and never let him return to the front."

Although he was confident that the rebel army would no longer have the strength to fight after flooding the three armies, he still did not want to see Li Zhongwu for the sake of safety.

He knew very well that Li Zhongwu enjoyed great prestige among the rebel army. If he were to return to the front and arouse the fighting spirit of those remaining soldiers, the outcome would be uncertain.

He cannot lose this battle, and the Northern Barbarians cannot lose.

So he wanted to nip in the bud all threats to the Northern Barbarians.

As the order was given, the soldiers began to get busy and get ready.

Chagan Wuli's heart was still restless, his thoughts surged like a tide, thinking about all the possibilities of failure...

……

Yangzhou, Xinfeng City. At this moment, Lin Zhongyun has arrived with a group of reinforcements, and the unrest in the city has basically subsided.

However, the scene before him made his heart feel heavy as lead. The food and grass that had just arrived in Xinfeng City were reduced to ashes in the fire, leaving the ground in a mess, which was heartbreaking.

By the time they arrived here, Liu Wulie had already retreated with his officers and soldiers, and was now huddled tightly in Hanzhou.

He stood on the top of the city wall, his eyes swept across the charred area, thinking secretly in his heart.

Liu Wulie, the great Emperor of Daqian, actually led the army in person, which was beyond his expectation. Did Liu Wulie really intend to burn his boats and go all out?

"Your Highness, according to the intelligence we have gathered, this was a life-and-death attack by Liu Wulie."

Beside him, Yuan Jing said respectfully, with a hint of nervousness and uneasiness in his voice, "They thought they were no match for the rebels, so they didn't attack Xinfeng City. All they did was burn our food and fodder and force us to retreat."

In his opinion, Liu Wulie's personal expedition at this moment was an act of desperation, and he just wanted to take this opportunity to force the rebel army to retreat so that he could continue to survive.

If he really wanted to burn his boats, why would he leave the already disrupted Xinfeng City alone and not attack it? Why would he withdraw his troops just like that?
Listening to Yuan Jingxin's words, Lin Zhongyun nodded, slightly nodding his head as he pondered over what he said, and did not respond immediately.

"Food and grass..." Lin Zhongyun whispered to himself, his thoughts gradually coming together. Now all the problems finally came back to food and grass.

The rebel army's food and grass were destroyed before, and they were able to raise food and grass thanks to the people of Cang and Yu states who voluntarily donated grain to fill the gap.

However, this time, even if he was willing to continue collecting grain, the people of Cang and Yu states were probably no longer able to provide extra grain, and they were powerless.

This means that the current food shortage must be solved by them personally and without delay.

"How is the food supply in the other cities? How many days can they last?" He asked with his hands behind his back, frowning.

He knew that food and grass were not only the lifeline of the army, but also the cornerstone of the morale of the rebels. Without food and grass, the fighting spirit of the soldiers would quickly fade, and the army might even be shaken.

"Your Highness, I have just counted the food nearby. Even if we take out the food stored in the treasury for disaster preparedness, it is estimated that it can only support the army's expenses for five days. This is still an ideal situation if the army is frugal." Yuan Jing suggested, with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

Is it only enough for five days?
Lin Zhongyun's expression became even more gloomy, the darkness between his brows became even darker, and he kept muttering to himself.

Five days' expenses,
It seemed like five days.
But he knew clearly that among these five days, the first three were the most critical moments for the rebel army, as they could maintain the soldiers' morale and optimal combat effectiveness.

By the fourth day, food was gradually running short. By that time, people's morale was low, the army's morale was shaken, and the entire rebel army was in danger of collapse.

Before long, the difficulties faced by Daqian finally fell on his head one day.

However, the problem now facing him is much more complicated and difficult than he had imagined. In addition to the problem of food and grass, the actions of Daqian and Beiman are what they really need to guard against and face.

Judging from the previous responses of Daqian and Beiman, Chagan Wuli and Liu Wulie are not fools. They will definitely not let go of the rebel army when its combat power is weak.

If what he expected was correct, by the fourth day, Daqian would join forces with the Northern Barbarians to harass the rebel army, followed by a large-scale attack.

He believed that the fighting power of the rebel army was much stronger than before, and even if they were defeated by the Northern Barbarian Cavalry, they would never be at a disadvantage.

But all this has a prerequisite, that is, there is sufficient food and grass and the morale to fight is high.

Just think about it: no matter how strong a soldier is, how much of his original fighting power can he exert when he is hungry?

What's more, what they are facing at this moment is nothing else but the invincible Northern Barbarian cavalry that roams the world. If there is insufficient food and grass at this time and the morale of the rebel army is low, the chances of winning will be even slimmer.

At the same time, Yuan Jingxin also had a gloomy look on his face and did not feel at ease.

As one of the few think tanks in the rebel army, he was well aware of how complicated the predicament the rebel army was facing at the moment.

Even if they intend to withdraw their troops now, will Beiman and Daqian give them a chance to catch their breath?

I'm afraid Liu Wulie personally sent the troops for just such a result. It would not only make the rebels afraid to act rashly, but also protect himself. Why not do it?
If it was just one Daqian, it would be fine. With the powerful military force of the rebel army, he could still fight his way out.

But now it's not just Daqian that is eyeing them covetously, there are also the Northern Barbarian Cavalry who are ready to make a move.

What's more, all signs indicate that Daqian has formed an alliance with the Northern Barbarians. If they take the initiative to attack, wouldn't they be walking into a trap?
Under the current situation, if they take the initiative to attack, they will surely die, and if they do not take the initiative to attack, they will most likely be dragged to death.

Therefore, there was only one way left for him, which was to fight to support the war. If Hanzhou could be captured in one fell swoop within five days, the rebel army would be able to turn danger into safety.

Otherwise, if they drag on the time, Daqian will revive and the situation in the world will become confusing again.

But under the current circumstances, how could the Northern Barbarians sit idly by? In other words, their attack on Yangzhou is tantamount to declaring war on the Northern Barbarians?
In this case, if they captured Yangzhou, it would be equivalent to destroying the Northern Barbarians and Daqian and pacifying the world.

Is it possible to rule the world in just five days?
Throughout history, no one has ever captured Hanzhou within five days and defeated the northern barbarians.

What if the Northern Barbarians decided to avoid fighting and let these five days pass?
However, just when he was extremely anxious, he looked up at Lin Zhongyun's face, only to find that the clouds of sorrow on Lin Zhongyun's face had disappeared, replaced by a look of determination.

His eyes flashed with an extremely sharp cold light, revealing his utmost determination and decisiveness. He spoke word by word, "Send the order, gather all the food and grass we have now. We will burn our boats and conquer the world in five days!"

Just now, he figured everything out.

Since retreating means defeat, and not retreating means defeat as well, it is better to attack head-on and try to have a chance of survival.

This time he wanted to attack by surprise and catch the enemy off guard, and take over the entire Hanzhou in a lightning speed.

Hearing this, Yuan Jingxin was stunned, unable to hide his surprise, and almost thought he had heard it wrong. He widened his eyes, wanting to confirm Lin Zhongyun's decision.

"Your Highness, are you saying... to rule the world in five days?" He couldn't help but ask, feeling stunned. Although he had thought about it, the risk of doing so was too great, so he quickly rejected it.

Now that Lin Zhongyun had brought it up again, he was a little confused. He took a deep breath and prepared to persuade him, "Your Highness, is this the right thing to do..."

However, facing his persuasion, Lin Zhongyun did not care at all, and his eyes were full of fighting spirit... (End of this chapter)