Outside the Northern Barbarians’ camp, the cold wind was howling and the night was dark.

The middle-aged scholar lowered his head and said slowly: "Report to the Khan, this time the rebel army suffered a loss in Yinshan City. The angry rebel army will definitely launch a crazy counterattack. We must be fully prepared."

He had anticipated this result long ago, and he had originally wanted to find a suitable opportunity to mention it to Chagan Uli.

But now that Chagan Wuli took the initiative to bring it up, it was also very good, which saved him a lot of effort.

"What you said is absolutely true!"

Chagan Wuli looked stern and serious, looking into the distance with a sharp gaze, "This is exactly what I'm worried about. That thief Lin never plays by the rules. It's really hard to guard against him."

His brows were furrowed, his heart filled with endless worries. The counterattack of the rebels was not only a tactical threat, but also a major test of the morale of the Northern Barbarians.

That was the morale that his northern barbarian army had finally managed to muster. If they were caught off guard by the rebels, their morale would inevitably be severely hit. The high morale brought about by the victory they had just achieved might vanish in an instant.

The middle-aged scholar nodded, his eyes gleaming with wisdom. He coughed lightly and said, "I have already thought about this. As I said before, I will take the initiative to give up most of the cities in the northern border and hold on to them."

Chagan Uli took a deep breath, and the solemnity on his face became even more intense.

He has been thinking about the feasibility of this plan since the middle-aged Confucian scholar proposed it.

Voluntarily gave up most of the cities in the North.

This sounds like a fairy tale, and it seems like it will only boost others' morale and destroy one's own prestige.

But if we calm down and think about it realistically, this method is the best solution under the current situation.

First of all, this is the northern border, which is not as prosperous as other provinces and counties in the Central Plains. Every city is home to a large number of people and plays a vital role.

In this northern desert, most of the cities are just places for the endless stream of merchants to stop and rest for a while. As for the cities and their surroundings, there are hardly any people at all.

This is why most of the cities in the Gobi Desert are only one mile in size, because there is no need for them. The permanent population here is no one except the garrison troops.

Chagan Wuli's eyes wandered in the night, his thoughts flying. These cities that prospered due to commerce and travel may have seemed particularly important on weekdays, but under the chaos of war, they had long since turned into ghost towns, with no one living.

Under this premise, even if the rebels captured these cities, what would happen? It would have no impact on the overall situation in the North.

What's more, the rebels' idea now is to drive them out of the North, and there is no practical significance in taking those cities.

He knew that what really determined victory or defeat was not these desolate cities, but the morale of the army and the use of strategy. What they needed was a decisive victory, not wasting time and manpower on these worthless cities.

Therefore, the strategy of the middle-aged Confucian scholar appears to be extremely brilliant, and it is also possible to implement it in practice.

There was another important reason why he hesitated and was unwilling to carry out the order before, which was that voluntary withdrawal was regarded as an act of cowardice and a shame in the eyes of the Northern Barbarians.

However, now, after this battle, his prestige in the army continued to rise, and even the middle-aged Confucian scholar won the respect of many people.

If they propose this plan at this time, they will encounter much less resistance, and this will allow the plan to be truly implemented.

"Since we have decided to retreat, but there are many cities in the north, which cities can be considered the key cities?" Chagan Uli said slowly.

The middle-aged scholar did not answer immediately. His eyes remained extremely calm and he began to recall what had happened during this period.

Although Li Zhongwu ultimately failed in the attack and defense of Yinshan City, many of the strategies he took were instructive for him.

For example, in the future, when they defend those key cities, they must also be able to attack and defend at the same time. Otherwise, if they only defend one city, it will undoubtedly put all their eggs in one basket, which is exactly what the rebels want.

At that time, the rebels only need to gather their forces to besiege a city to make them fall without attacking. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that each key city can support each other and form a solid defense network.

The middle-aged Confucian scholar's thoughts became clearer and clearer. The situation at that time was extremely similar to the current Oak City - Yinshan City, which integrates offense and defense.

Faced with this situation, Li Zhongwu was also a smart man. He knew that attacking one city was equivalent to facing the Northern Barbarian Army in two cities at the same time, so he did not act rashly.

In the end, he chose to attack continuously, making them exhausted, and even set up an ambush on the road between the two cities to slow down their support.

Fortunately, there is a wide view between Yinshan City and Zhumu City, so they can provide timely support.

This means that when they choose to defend a city, the distance between the cities must be close and the field of vision must be extremely wide. In this way, if something big happens in other cities, even if there is no signal, they can find out and provide support in the first place.

In addition, he also realized another extremely critical point, that is, all the strong fortresses throughout the ages were not breached from the outside, but caused unrest from the inside out, thus giving the attacking party an opportunity to take advantage.

No matter how strong the city is or how tight the defense is, if there is unrest inside, all efforts will be in vain.

The so-called unrest mainly stems from two points. One is the panic in the hearts of the people, which leads to rebellion and infighting. The other is that although the city is strong, the people guarding it are not made of steel after all.

Once their supplies and food are cut off by the rebels, what good will it do no matter how strong the city is?
Thinking of this, a very clear plan gradually emerged in his mind.

"Report to the Khan," the middle-aged scholar finally spoke, his voice full of wisdom and calmness, "We must ensure that the distance between cities is close and the vision is wide, so that timely support can be provided. At the same time, we must ensure that the cities are close enough to the Northern Barbarians, and our supplies must not be cut off by the rebels."

"In that case, only Yandang City and surrounding cities such as Juxu Pass in the Northern Barbarian Territory meet our requirements."

"Yandang City and Juxu Pass?" Chagan Wuli muttered, his eyes flickering and complicated. His brows were furrowed, and his heart was full of hesitation and uneasiness.

Yandang City and Juxu Pass are the most marginal cities of the Northern Barbarians. Beyond Juxu Pass and Yandang City is their endless vast grassland.

If they fail to defend Yandang City and Juxu Pass, the rebel army will be able to march straight in, and then his northern barbarian base camp will be in danger.

Chagan Wuli knew that such a decision was tantamount to burning his boats. If he failed, the Northern Barbarians would be destroyed by him, and he would become the eternal sinner of the Northern Barbarians. This heavy responsibility weighed on his shoulders, making it difficult for him to make a decision. His heart was full of contradictions and hesitations, as if he was fighting a silent battle.

He stood outside the tent, the night wind blowing on his face, the cold wind bringing the breath of the prairie. Chagan Wuli's eyes penetrated the darkness, as if he saw the vast grassland and the figures of his people running freely on the grassland.

He knew that this grassland was their home and the place where they had lived for generations, and he could not let it fall into the hands of the enemy.

However, the hesitation in his heart still could not be dispelled. Chagan Wuli took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He knew that as the Khan of the Northern Barbarians, he had to make a decision, no matter how difficult it was.

He couldn't let anyone shake his resolve, couldn't let anyone ruin their future.

At this moment, a thought flashed through his mind. If they didn't do this, they would only lose faster.

Anyway, they have already made a feud with Lin Zhongyun. It's either you die or I die. Wouldn't the Northern Barbarians still be in danger at that time? It's better to take a gamble than to let that happen.

In other words, in this battle, his Northern Barbarians must win.

Yinshan City has already given them a good start, and now it is their turn to perform.

Chagan Wuli's gaze gradually became firm. He knew that although the current predicament was difficult, they had to face it head-on.

"Sir," Chagan Wuli turned and looked at the middle-aged scholar, his voice full of endless power and determination, "We will act according to your plan and defend Yandang City and Juxu Pass."

The middle-aged scholar nodded, his eyes gleaming with wisdom, "The Khan is wise. We will definitely go all out to ensure the smooth implementation of the plan."

"Let's go, let's go back." Chagan Uli turned around and said, with endless strength and determination in his voice.

The night wind was still howling, but in Chagan Wuli's heart, a raging fighting spirit was burning, like a never-extinguished flame, illuminating his way forward.

As the Khan of the Northern Barbarians, he carried the hopes of the Northern Barbarians for nearly a thousand years. He could not retreat no matter what.

No matter what, he could not retreat and could not let anyone shake his determination. He knew that this grassland was their homeland and the place where they had lived for generations, and he could not let it fall into the hands of the enemy.

His heart was full of determination. Even if he was defeated in the end, he would defeat completely like a man, rather than die tragically as a coward like Emperor Liu Wulie of Daqian.

Liu Wulie's cowardice and incompetence have long become a laughing stock in history, but he, Chagan Uli, will never repeat the same mistakes.

……

At the same time, Lin Zhongyun also came to the camp outside Yinshan City and learned the news of the rebel army's defeat.

At this time, Yinshan City was reduced to ashes under the fierce fire.

Lin Zhongyun stood at a high point in the camp, overlooking the city that had stood in the desert sand for hundreds of years. The scene before him made his heart tighten, as if an invisible hand was tightly grasping his heart.

The walls of Yinshan City have collapsed, and only broken walls and ruins remain of the once towering city towers. Black smoke swirls above the ruins, as if mourning the fall of the city.

The embers of the fire were still burning, the flames lit up half the sky, and the air was filled with a strong smell of smoke and burnt smell. Lin Zhongyun approached the ruins, the ground was full of charred beams and rubble, and the streets that once existed were unrecognizable.

Every step seems to be stepping on the scars of history, and every footstep echoes in this dead and silent ruin.

Most of the buildings in the city had been burned down, and the few remaining houses were shaky and seemed like they would collapse at any time. One could imagine the situation of the rebels trapped in the city.

He walked to a ruin and saw a torn flag fluttering in the wind. The pattern on the flag was blurred, but it was still vaguely recognizable as the emblem of Yinshan City.

Lin Zhongyun reached out and stroked the flag, as if he was touching the soul of the city. He knew that this flag once represented the glory and dignity of Yinshan City, but now it was flying alone in the ruins.

His eyes became firm. He knew that the destruction of Yinshan City could not be in vain. He would use his own strength to seek justice for this city and these innocent lives. He would make the culprits pay the price they deserved.

Li Zhongwu, who was standing by, saw everything and felt extremely regretful. His face turned extremely pale and he said with deep regret: "Your Highness, it was all because of my negligence that these brothers died tragically. If I had been more careful at the beginning, I wouldn't have..."

His voice sounded particularly heavy amid the ruins, and his eyes were filled with immense grief and guilt.

"Pfft!"

With a cry of "kneeling down", he knelt on his knees in front of Lin Zhongyun, his hands clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white, as if he wanted to vent all his regret and pain.

"Your Highness, please grant me the death penalty. I am willing to take full responsibility for this matter!"

He knew that this disaster was his unshirkable responsibility, and it was his mistakes in command that led to the destruction of Yinshan City and the death of countless innocent lives.

As he said this, his eyes slightly closed, and he was ready to be sentenced to death. However, a long time passed, and he still did not receive the order of death from Lin Zhongyun.

He couldn't help but look up, and what he saw was an extremely cold face, on which you couldn't find a trace of anger. There was no anger in Lin Zhongyun's eyes, only deep thinking and endless grief.

Listening to Li Zhongwu's voice, Lin Zhongyun took a deep breath. He knew that rage was just an act of incompetence by cowards. A true warrior should remain calm in difficult situations and find ways to solve the problem.

After experiencing so many ups and downs, he has grown up and understood this, and also understood that as a general and even an emperor, he must be calm and rational.

"Get up!"

He said slowly, his voice low and powerful, "This is not your fault. This is our common responsibility. Now is not the time to pursue responsibility. What we need to do is to completely drive the Northern Barbarians out and let these innocent lives rest in peace."

"Your Highness, I will do my best to rebuild Yinshan City and give an explanation to these innocent lives." Li Zhongwu raised his head and looked at Lin Zhongyun's cold and determined face. He couldn't help but feel touched and admired. (End of this chapter)