Outside Yinshan City.

Li Zhongwu stood in the rebel camp, gazing into the distance in the direction of Yinshan City, as if thinking about something.

Three days had passed since their last attack on Yinshan City, although their attacks had not made any particularly significant progress during this period.

However, the main force of the rebel army had already joined them, and most of the food and supplies had arrived, so everything was ready.

However, although they were prepared, he did not intend to attack immediately.

The series of attacks in the past few days also gave him a preliminary understanding of the rebel army's deployment and defense strategy.

Nowadays, Yinshan City and Zhumu City have become one and the same. No matter which city is attacked, the other city will immediately provide support.

After repeated attempts, it has been confirmed that if the Northern Barbarian Cavalry in Zhumu City want to support Yinshan City as soon as possible, it will only take two hours at the fastest.

This means that they must capture Yinshan City within two hours, otherwise they will face the dilemma of being attacked from both sides, with disastrous consequences.

Therefore, he must not take it lightly and must plan for the long term. A plan has quietly formed in his mind.

He slowly turned around and walked towards the command tent in the center of the camp. Inside the tent, several rebel generals were already waiting for his instructions. When they saw Li Zhongwu coming in, they all stood up, with a hint of expectation and admiration in their eyes.

"General, our food and supplies are already in place. Can we launch an attack immediately?" asked a general with a hint of urgency in his voice.

Although the other generals did not speak, they also looked at Li Zhongwu with hope, with a strong desire to fight in their eyes.

Now, the Northern Barbarians are their only last enemy in the world. As long as they defeat the Northern Barbarians, the rebel army can not only pacify the Central Plains, but also wipe out hundreds of years of humiliation for the Han people in the Central Plains and completely end their century-old wish with the Northern Barbarians.

How could they not be excited and eager to fight?
Feeling the burning gazes of the crowd, Li Zhongwu's heart sank and he felt an enormous pressure.

He was also excited, and wanted to drive the Northern Barbarians out immediately. But thinking was one thing, and doing was another.

As the commander-in-chief of the rebel army, he must think more and see farther than others. Only in this way can he lead the rebel army to go further.

Li Zhongwu stood in front of the generals, feeling their expectations and trust, and the heaviness in his heart became so heavy that he couldn't breathe.

He knew that the generals and soldiers before him placed their hopes on him. They were looking forward to victory and a future of pacification in the Central Plains.

And he couldn't let them down, let down His Majesty the King of Wu who had always placed high hopes on him!

He shook his head with a heavy heart, his eyes flashing with calmness and wisdom, and said in a deep voice: "No, we can't act rashly now."

As soon as the words fell, the whole tent exploded. All the generals showed puzzled expressions and started to discuss at once. The whole tent was arguing heatedly.

"General, although the Northern Barbarian Army should not be underestimated, if we have been doing nothing here, aren't we just giving them a chance to survive?" Someone frowned and couldn't help asking.

"Yes, General. Why should we be afraid of the Northern Barbarian Army?" another general echoed, with a hint of dissatisfaction in his tone.

"That's right. Now the main force of our rebel army has arrived, and we can fight head-on!" Then someone else said excitedly, with a fighting spirit flashing in his eyes.

……

For a moment, the whole tent was filled with a commotion and confusion.

No one is willing to give up the opportunity to make a name for themselves and establish their own territory.

Zhongwu felt the burning gazes and anxious emotions of the crowd, and the heaviness in his heart became so great that he could hardly breathe.

However, he also knew that times like this would test him more, and he must not panic or else lose his composure.

He took a deep breath, suppressed the anxiety and uneasiness in his heart, and looked at everyone with a firm gaze.

Then, he said in a deep voice: "Everyone, I understand your feelings, but this matter still needs long-term consideration. It is not that we have gained nothing during this period of time."

The discussions in the big tent gradually died down, and the generals looked at Li Zhongwu, waiting for his further explanation.

"The northern barbarians' defenses are now impregnable. We have to face all the barbarian soldiers around Yinshan City. A rash attack will only put us in trouble."

Li Zhongwu continued, his voice full of calmness and wisdom, "I wonder if you all know the story of the boy who cried wolf."

Someone looked at Li Zhongwu suspiciously and asked, "Oh, what does the general mean?"

Li Zhongwu pondered for a moment, then said: "First of all, this strategy of horizontal and vertical alliances will certainly make the Northern Barbarians' defenses impregnable, but this strategy has a fatal weakness."

The generals pricked up their ears, waiting for Li Zhongwu's further explanation.

"After our constant harassment for some time, the Northern Barbarians have become fed up with it. Recently, the speed of the Northern Barbarian soldiers coming to support from Oak City has been getting slower and slower. This is a good sign!" Li Zhongwu's eyes flashed with wisdom.

A general said thoughtfully: "General, what you mean is that we can take advantage of this and continue to harass the Northern Barbarians, making them exhausted?"

Li Zhongwu nodded and continued, "That's right. We need to make the Northern Barbarian Army run around so hard that they gradually lose their vigilance and patience in the frequent harassment. This way, when we really launch a general attack, they won't be able to respond quickly and effectively."

"Although Oak City Ken will definitely come to support us in the end, their speed will definitely not be as fast as it is now."

When another general heard this, a hint of excitement flashed in his eyes: "General, this way, when we launch an attack on Yinshan City, we can ensure that the northern barbarian soldiers in Oak City will not immediately support us, giving us enough time to capture Yinshan City!"

Li Zhongwu nodded with satisfaction: "That's right. We need to take advantage of the enemy's weaknesses and gradually disintegrate their defense system. Next, we need to formulate a detailed harassment plan to ensure that every action can effectively disrupt the enemy's defense line."

The generals nodded one after another, with a determined light in their eyes. Li Zhongwu's words gave them hope of victory, and they knew that as long as they followed the general's instructions, they would surely achieve the final victory.

"In addition, we have to make preparations for both scenarios."

He then continued, "Our current military strength is fully capable of fighting on two fronts. We can send a troop to block the people coming to support us from Oak City."

"Pass the order down, everyone should step up vigilance and be ready for new battles at any time. At the same time, send out scouts to investigate the situation in Yinshan City as soon as possible." Li Zhongwu said calmly, with a hint of firmness in his voice.

……

At the same time, night gradually fell, and the entire Yinshan City seemed particularly quiet. The middle-aged scholar paced back and forth on the city wall with his hands in his pockets, his steps heavy, as if he was carrying a huge burden.

Even the guards who were guarding him were severely rebuked by him, leaving him alone here.

Although the current development of the situation was all in line with his plan, he understood that this was only a temporary solution for the Northern Barbarians.

He stopped and looked at the night sky in the distance, his heart filled with worry and helplessness. The rebels were only temporarily slowed down by them, not annihilated by them.

According to Lin Zhongyun's character, once they suffer a loss here, he will only retaliate more frantically, and at that time the situation faced by the Northern Barbarians will be even more dangerous.

This made him always fearful.

However, he also understood that this was the only way for the Northern Barbarians to win in the battle for world hegemony.

Although crazy rebels are more terrifying, madness often contains annihilation. If the rebels go crazy and lose their composure, they may still find a glimmer of hope.

The middle-aged scholar felt increasingly depressed. He knew how heavy the burden on his shoulders was. The future of the Northern Barbarians and the lives and deaths of tens of thousands of soldiers depended on his wisdom and decision-making.

He cannot be lax or make any mistakes, as any small negligence may lead to total failure.

Now, the rise and fall of the Northern Barbarians depends entirely on him.

Whether the Northern Barbarians can continue to prosper depends entirely on whether he can grasp that glimmer of hope. Even if that chance is too slim, he must seize it.

The night wind blew, bringing a hint of coolness, but the anxiety in his heart did not diminish at all.

"Military Advisor, we have had such a great time fighting during this period!"

Just then, Hu Yanhuan led his men up, his face still filled with excitement.

During this period, he followed the orders of the middle-aged Confucian scholar and led his troops to provide continuous support and kill the rebel forces that came to attack.

Although the rebel attacks made them very annoyed, they also saw hope. More importantly, they were able to vent their anger and no longer feel so aggrieved.

"General Huyan, we have indeed achieved some victories in recent battles, but we cannot take it lightly." The middle-aged Confucian scholar said in a deep voice, with a hint of calmness and wisdom in his eyes.

"What you said is absolutely true!"

Hu Yanhuan was stunned for a moment, then the smile on his face gradually faded, and his expression became serious, "I came here for this matter, although we have killed a lot of rebels during this period.

However, such minor incidents do not seem to have any impact on the overall situation of the war."

Hearing Hu Yanhuan's words, the middle-aged scholar nodded, with a hint of praise in his eyes, "General, you came at the right time. There are too many people here. Let's go to the big tent to discuss it."

Soon, the two of them entered the big tent and sent everyone else away.

"Military advisor, just say whatever you want. I, Hu Yanhuan, will never blink an eye even if I have to go through fire and water!" Hu Yanhuan said generously, with firmness and determination flashing in his eyes.

The middle-aged scholar smiled slightly, with a trace of deep thought in his eyes: "General, have you noticed that the frequency and method of the rebel army's harassment have changed?"

Hu Yanhuan nodded: "Indeed, their attacks have become more frequent recently, but each time they seem a little hasty, and it seems that they are not going all out."

"They seem to be testing us intentionally, and the people they sent are not the main force of the rebel army. This is really a bit strange."

The middle-aged scholar nodded with satisfaction and said slowly: "There is an old saying in the Central Plains, if you hear the story of the wolf coming again and again, you will not react immediately even if the wolf really comes."

Hu Yanhuan frowned: "Military Advisor, what you mean is that the rebels are deliberately stalling for time in order to annoy us?"

He lowered his head with a look of disbelief on his face, this was a path he had never imagined.

The middle-aged scholar nodded. "They will definitely continue to harass us, and the frequency will increase. We will be exhausted from responding to the repeated rescues, which will consume our energy. In the end, they will launch a general attack when our defense is relaxed."

A cold light flashed in Hu Yanhuan's eyes: "Then how should we deal with it?"

The middle-aged scholar smiled slightly: "We can use their tricks to trick the rebels into thinking that their plan has succeeded. When you provide support, General, you can act very annoyed and even deliberately reveal some flaws to trick them into increasing their harassment."

Hu Yanhuan's eyes flashed with excitement: "Military Advisor, do you mean that we should deliberately show weakness and lure the enemy deeper?"

The middle-aged scholar nodded. "That's right. We want to make the rebels think that their harassment has worked, so that they can relax their vigilance. When they really launch a general attack, we will concentrate our forces and give them a fatal blow."

Hu Yanhuan patted his chest generously and said, "Don't worry, Advisor. I will definitely act according to your plan and make the rebels fall into your trap!"

The middle-aged scholar nodded with satisfaction: "Very good, but there is a crucial point in this plan, that is, if the rebels really launch a general attack, support must arrive."

In fact, he had previously thought that this plan was too much of a stretch. Although he had deep strategic knowledge and rich combat experience, he still felt a little uneasy in the face of the rebels' strength and cunning.

After all, this plan requires extremely high execution and precise timing, and mistakes in any link may lead to total failure.

The middle-aged scholar continued, “General Huyan, your task is not only to continue to act like you are tired of it, but also to react quickly at the critical moment to ensure that the defense line is not breached.

If the rebels really launch a general attack, we must mobilize all our forces to support them at the first opportunity. You must always remain vigilant and be ready to face the most severe challenges at any time. "

Hu Yanhuan nodded solemnly: "Military Advisor, rest assured, I will do my best to ensure that the plan goes smoothly."

"I will personally go to Oak City to talk to them. If the situation is not right, Oak City's support will definitely arrive."

He patted his chest and promised that he might not be able to guarantee other things, but he was absolutely confident about this matter.

The middle-aged scholar smiled slightly, with a hint of firmness and determination in his eyes: "Okay, pass the order down, everyone should strengthen vigilance and be ready to face new battles at any time. At the same time, send out more scouts to closely monitor the movements of the rebels."

Hu Yanhuan took the order and left, with calmness and wisdom flashing in the eyes of the middle-aged Confucian scholar.

He knew that this battle would be more intense and brutal, and the outcome of this war would determine the future fate of the Northern Barbarians.

(End of this chapter)