Outside the Oak City is a desert.

Although the weather in March is not as hot as that in midsummer, the scorching heat brought by the midday sun is far greater than that in the Central Plains at this time.

However, this kind of heat will not last long. In the morning and evening, it will be replaced by a chill. If you are still shirtless late at night, you will definitely get goose bumps all over your body.

The rebel army has been stationed outside the city of Oak for several days with a small force, suffering from the attacks of scorching heat and cold every day and night, just like ice and fire.

Such bad weather made it difficult for the people from the Central Plains to bear it for a while, and some of them suffered from acclimatization.

In the camp, soldiers sat together in groups of two or three, looking exhausted. Some were sorting their equipment, some were talking in low voices, and some were just staring blankly into the distance, looking at a loss.

At this time, they understood why the northern barbarians were obsessed with the Central Plains. After all, compared to the environment outside the Great Wall, the climate in the Central Plains was like heaven.

However, they did not forget the purpose of their trip, which was to cut off the supply line between Zhumu City and Yinshan City.

The more severe the situation is, the more supplies and water are needed, especially since the Northern Barbarians have stationed such a large number of troops.

If they only rely on the resources within the city, they will not be able to hold out for long, so they will transport supplies between cities, and that will be their chance.

At this moment, a scout came up with an excited look on his face, shouting along the way: "General, General, Oak City has just sent out a team..."

When Cao Ming heard the scout's shout, he immediately stood up and walked quickly towards the scout.

Such news naturally attracted the attention of other soldiers around. They also raised their heads, with a glimmer of hope and expectation in their eyes.

"Tell me clearly, what team did Oak City send?" Cao Dan asked in a deep voice.

The scout's face flushed, he panted, and said excitedly: "General, I was ordered to observe the Oak City, and I saw that Oak City had just sent a team of 300 to 400 people, including 200 cavalry and 100 infantry, escorting more than a dozen carriages out of the city."

Three or four hundred people,

A dozen carriages.
This configuration is undoubtedly the Northern Barbarians' force for transporting supplies.

A gleam of light flashed in Cao Ming's eyes. He knew that this was the opportunity they had been waiting for for a long time.

But now he can't act rashly and must confirm again.

Long before he set out, Li Zhongwu had told him more than once that a formidable military advisor had arrived from the Northern Barbarians this time, and that this escort team was most likely a trap, so he had no choice but to be careful.

"Everyone, don't get excited yet." Cao Ming said to the soldiers around him, "We must act cautiously. This escort team is likely a trap. We can't act rashly."

He turned to the scout and said, "You continue to monitor this team. Pay attention to their route and defense arrangements. Don't miss any details."

"If there is no other movement in Oak City after an hour, report immediately."

The scout nodded and left quickly. Cao Ming summoned several trusted generals and began to discuss countermeasures.

"An hour?"

The deputy general listened to Cao Ming's order and asked in confusion: "General, this hour is a bit too long. What if we lose the trace of the Northern Barbarians?"

Cao Ming walked straight to the map, his eyes gleaming with wisdom, and explained: "One hour. As for why it is one hour, it is mainly due to the following two reasons:
First of all, it was enough for them to confirm whether this was a trap or a sleight of hand, and that someone else was actually transporting the supplies.

Secondly, one hour is enough for the escort team to reach 30 miles away from Oak City. Even if Oak City reacts at that time, it will definitely not be able to catch up in a short time. "

He pointed to several key locations on the map and continued, "As for the trace of this transport team, we can send out several small teams to ambush at these locations. Once the target is confirmed, we can quickly surround them."

"We must first confirm the true intentions of this team. If they are really a team transporting supplies, then we can set up an ambush to intercept them; if it is a trap, we must find another way."

Another general nodded in agreement: "General, your plan is brilliant. This way, even if it is a trap, we can retreat in time and avoid being wiped out."

Cao Ming nodded with satisfaction: "Okay, let's do it this way. Everyone, act separately, make sure to keep communication open, and report the situation at any time."

The generals took the order and began to mobilize the troops, while Cao Ming continued to wait for further reports from the scouts in the camp.

He knew what mission he was carrying. Once they could capture Yinshan City, their war against the Northern Barbarians would be a good start, and things would become easier afterwards.

As the night deepened, Cao Ming became more and more nervous. He kept simulating various possible situations in his mind to ensure that every detail was perfect.

An hour later, the scout returned again and reported that the team from Oak City did not seem to have found any trace of them and was still moving along the planned route.

Such news made Cao Ming feel relieved. This was undoubtedly their chance.

But he quickly calmed down, Li Zhongwu's warning echoing in his mind. He knew that facing the cunning military advisors of the Northern Barbarians, any rash action would likely lead to failure.

"Keep monitoring and don't relax." Cao Ming said to the scout.

The scout took the order and left again, while Cao Ming summoned several generals and began to arrange a specific ambush plan.

"We will set up an ambush on this path." Cao Ming pointed to a narrow mountain road on the map and said, "The terrain here is complex, suitable for our ambush. The infantry and archers will ambush on the high ground on both sides, and the cavalry will ambush in the rear, waiting for the opportunity."

The generals nodded and began to make arrangements according to Cao Ming's instructions.

soon.

In the cover of night, Cao Ming led the rebel troops quietly towards the designated ambush site.

……

Oak City.

Huhuyan stood on the wall of Oak City in a daze, with his hands behind his back, looking deeply into the night sky in the distance. His mind was full of thoughts, including worries about the current situation and thoughts about the future battle.

He knew that the situation of the Northern Barbarians was very delicate and any wrong step could lead to a total loss. The Oak City seemed particularly quiet under the night, but the waves in his heart were difficult to calm down.

The night wind was cool, blowing his cloak and bringing a hint of chill. Hu Yan Leng knew that with the departure of the escort team, this night was destined to be restless.

"General, what are you worried about?" A voice came from behind him. It was his deputy general and the successor of the entire Huyan tribe - Huyan Huan.

Hu Yanleng turned around slowly, a solemn look on his face: "The rebel army has always been known for its cunningness, but I don't know if the military advisor's plan can work.

If our supply lines are cut, it will be the end of us."

Although he had the solemn promise of the middle-aged Confucian scholar, he always felt that the risk of doing so was too great and might very likely put the entire Northern Barbarians in danger.

Hu Yanhuan frowned and said in a deep voice: "Since the general does not trust the military advisor, why did he agree to the military advisor's plan? You know, we can completely..."

Hu Yan frowned, as if he wanted to say something, but finally chose to remain silent. Why did he agree to the military advisor?
Thinking back to this question, he couldn't help but feel boundless bitterness in his heart.

He had been a soldier all his life, so naturally he had great ambitions, and he wanted to bend his bow and shoot an eagle, and be on par with the heroes of that time. However, it was precisely because he had been a soldier all his life that he knew that the Northern Barbarians were now in decline and no longer had the ambition and hope to rule the Central Plains.

At least if it were a normal war, it would be absolutely impossible.

He could certainly disagree with the military advisor's strategy, in which case Oak City and Yinshan City would not be in danger for a while and they could continue to defend it.

However, what effect does this have on the entire war situation in the Northern Barbarians? Or what is the effective effect?

He knew very well that if the Northern Barbarians continued to defend the city, they would become the next Daqian who would resist stubbornly and would be doomed sooner or later.

They must make some changes, changes that will bring joy, even if it comes at a heavy price.

After all, Daqian is a lesson learned from the boiling frog in warm water.

He thought that this was probably the important reason why the Khan asked him to obey the middle-aged scholar. In other words, the hundreds of years of wishes of the entire northern barbarians now all rested on the middle-aged scholar.

"Father, you need to cheer up!"

Hu Yanhuan looked at the hesitant Hu Yandeng in front of him. His back was heavy and no longer looked like the upright man in his memory. "Now that the fate of the world is uncertain, we Beiman still have a chance."

"Is there still a chance?"

Hu Yan was stunned and muttered something.

After this sentence, he finally came to his senses.
When did he, who was once so decisive and ruthless, become so indecisive?

Now that he is on the battlefield, as a general, all he needs to do is obey orders, and leave the rest to fate and the sword in his hand.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but tighten the long sword that had been with him for decades, and shouted in a deep voice: "You are right, pass the order down, everyone should be alert tonight."

"Especially our elite cavalry. If anything unexpected happens, they will immediately leave the city to meet the enemy."

"Yes, General!" Hu Yanhuan immediately took the order and left.

Hu Yan looked at Hu Yanhuan's departing back, feeling a little comforted. This young man had grown into a capable general, and his future might be even brighter than his own.

Thinking of this, Huyan Leng felt a little relieved, but he knew that tonight's battle would be a severe test for all of them.

……

At the same time, in the desert at night, the moonlight sprinkled on the silent sand like water. The wind blew, bringing up a gust of fine sand, as if playing a prelude to the upcoming battle.

After confirming that this was not a trap, Cao Ming immediately led everyone to the pre-ambush location.

Everything was just as they expected. The Northern Barbarians escorting the supplies were gradually moving into the encirclement they had set up in advance.

"Brothers, get ready." Cao Ming ordered in a low voice, with a calm and determined light flashing in his eyes.

The rebel soldiers held their breath, clenched their weapons tightly, and their heartbeats were unusually steady. They knew that tonight's battle was not only related to their life and death, but also to the future of the entire rebel army.

The escort team of the Northern Barbarians appeared particularly clear under the moonlight. The team was arranged neatly in front and back, and it was obviously an elite force that had undergone rigorous training.

As for the larger number of cavalrymen, they are guarding on both sides of the team. Once an attack is launched, these cavalrymen can detect the enemy at the first time and launch a counterattack immediately.

In front of the escort team, there were several cavalry leaders who were observing their surroundings vigilantly and seemed to have sensed a hint of something unusual.

"General Cao, the enemy has entered our encirclement." A rebel soldier reported in a low voice.

Cao Ming nodded, his eyes sharp: "When they get closer, we must hit them with one strike."

Time seemed to stop at this moment, and the air was filled with tension. The Beiman escort team continued to move forward, getting closer and closer to the ambush site of the rebels.

Finally, Cao Ming felt that the time was ripe, and he whispered, "Do it!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the archers took the lead and shot arrows like rain at the unsuspecting Northern Barbarian soldiers.

Arrows pierced the night sky, making sharp whistling sounds, and looked like deadly silver snakes under the moonlight. The northern barbarian soldiers were caught off guard and fell to the ground one after another, screaming in pain.

Immediately afterwards, the rebel soldiers rushed towards the Northern Barbarians' escort team from all directions like tigers out of a cage, and engaged in fierce close combat with the Northern Barbarians' soldiers.

"kill!"

Amid the deafening shouts of killing, a huge flag was raised, fluttering in the wind, and quickly pressing towards the Northern Barbarian troops.

Although the Northern Barbarians' escort team was caught off guard, they were a well-trained elite force after all, and they quickly organized an effective counterattack.

"Send a signal smoke signal!"

A loud shout was immediately heard from the Northern Barbarian Army, and the moment the wolf smoke was lit, a thick mist spread into the sky, choking people and making them cough.

Upon seeing this, the Northern Barbarian scout hurriedly threw out the signal smoke.

The rebels were the first to discover the lit smoke signal and immediately rushed forward to try to extinguish it.

However, once the signal smoke is lit, the smoke will never disappear unless it burns out.

In the thick smoke, the battlefield became more chaotic, the soldiers' vision was severely obstructed, and the difficulty of the battle suddenly increased.

"hateful!"

Cao Ming brandished the long sword in his hand, led the charge and rushed to the front. Seeing this situation, he immediately shouted, knowing that something was wrong.

At this time, wolf smoke had already filled the sky, stretching as far as the eye could see. The rebel forces from both Oak City and Yinshan City must have noticed the movement here and were on the way to provide support.

In other words, they don't have much time left.

"Go away!"

He shouted angrily, hacked down the northern barbarian soldiers in front of him, and shouted loudly: "Everyone, don't fight to the death, set their supplies on fire."

He pulled open the curtain on the carriage, revealing the supplies inside, but the scene before him stunned him: the so-called supplies turned out to be huge rocks... (End of this chapter)