In front of the rebel camp.

"General, Hu Yanleng has really made a move!" The scout came hurriedly, his face solemn, and a hint of uneasiness in his voice.

Li Zhongwu listened to this sudden information, his eyes fixed on the sand table in front of him, with undercurrents surging in his heart.

"Could it be that they also have a plan?" Li Zhongwu's face was gloomy, his brows were furrowed, and his mind was full of thoughts.

In fact, long before they divided their forces, Lin Zhongyun had secretly ordered him to seize the opportunity to raid Hu Yanleng's troops and defeat the Northern Barbarians one by one.

But now the Northern Barbarians actually chose to strike first, which surprised him a little.

He originally thought that Hu Yanleng would hesitate after deploying troops in Yandang City, and might even choose to wait and see.

After all, the Northern Barbarians at least still have the security of their city walls. As long as they don't take the initiative to send troops and defend the city, they will not be able to do anything to them for a while.

Otherwise, they would not have come up with the tactic of being surrounded on all sides and making a feint to the east and attacking in the west, in order to defeat the Northern Barbarians one by one.

However, not only did the Northern Barbarians respond quickly, but even at the same time as they sent reinforcements to Yandang City, Hu Yanleng actually chose to take the initiative to attack, as if he had already been fully prepared.

The actions of the Northern Barbarians were so unexpected, and there was a strong sense of conspiracy behind Hu Yanhuan's proactive surprise attack.

At this time, the deputy general beside him also had a sullen look on his face and said anxiously: "Sir, then shall we proceed according to the original plan?"

There was anxiety in his voice, and he was obviously disturbed by Hu Yanleng's quick reaction.

The deputy general's words made Li Zhongwu frown slightly, and his heart was stirred.

At this moment, his mood was like the rolling waves, unable to calm down. He knew in his heart that if he continued to act according to the original plan under the current situation, he would most likely fall into a passive position.

However, Hu Yanleng had already started to act, and he could not withdraw his troops at this time, so he was in a dilemma.

His thoughts quickly went back to the last battle, a brutal encounter he still remembers.

The Northern Barbarians' cavalry charged at him like a violent storm, causing him to feel unprecedented pressure. Although the rebel army was not short of brave warriors, he could not bear such heavy casualties.

After the last battle, he never dared to underestimate the Northern Barbarians' cavalry again.

What's more, Huyan Leng's attack this time revealed an unusual meaning. Maybe Huyan Leng had already set an ambush and was waiting for them.

In the past, he would certainly not have had such worries, but ever since the incident at the Miyun Reservoir in Hanzhou, he felt more and more that the Northern Barbarian military advisor was very accurate in his predictions.

Who says that all northern barbarians are rough and simple-minded?

The scheming and strategy of this northern barbarian military advisor far surpassed those self-proclaimed genius Han Confucian scholars.

Now, he had no choice but to be careful.

He took a deep breath and tried to calm the tension in his heart. At this moment, he had to stay calm and make a wise decision. He knew that any rash action could lead to irreversible consequences.

"We need to be cautious about this matter and must not take it lightly!" He thought to himself, staring at the sand table, as if looking for a way out.

Although the morale of the rebels is high, they must not take it lightly when facing Hu Yanleng's Eagle Division.

"We need more investigation to understand Hu Yanleng's movements."

After thinking for a moment, he finally spoke in a calm and firm voice, "Send out scouts to investigate the enemy's deployment as quickly as possible. Be sure to confirm their strength and movements."

The deputy general nodded in agreement, and he also felt Li Zhongwu's caution and carefulness. He knew that the current situation was like a taut string, which would break if he was not careful.

After all, although their rebel army is not bad, those northern barbarians are not fools. What's more, the northern barbarians' cavalry are known for their bravery. If they act rashly, they will definitely suffer a painful blow.

However, just as Li Zhongwu was secretly calculating in his mind, suddenly another scout came running hurriedly, his face pale, his forehead covered with sweat, obviously having come in a hurry.

"Tell me quickly, what happened?" Seeing the scout in such an embarrassed state, Li Zhongwu's heart tightened and he felt something was wrong.

"General! Huyan Leng has led a large army to attack, and they are coming with great force. They are only five miles away from the camp!" The scout's voice was shrill, echoing in the silent tent like a thunder, shocking everyone present.

At this moment, the deputy general's face was as if struck by a bolt from the blue, and instantly became extremely defeated. His face turned from red to white, and he could hardly believe his ears, with anger and fear flashing in his eyes.

"What, what did you say?"

The deputy general couldn't believe his eyes. He looked at the scout angrily, his voice high and uncontrolled, "How could it be so fast? Where are the spies we sent out?"

"The rebels are only five miles away from us now, why hasn't anyone come to report it?"

The scout was even more frightened after hearing this rebuke. He trembled all over and said, "General, it seems that the northern barbarian has changed his nature this time. He is sneaking around like a ghost, making it difficult for people to detect him."

When he spoke, his face was terrified, and his tone was mixed with a hint of grievance, "No one expected that the northern barbarian would be so flexible. Many of our brothers didn't even have time to react before they were captured by the northern barbarian."

"waste!"

Hearing this, the deputy general looked very angry and disappointed. He originally thought that he still had time to adjust the deployment, but he didn't expect that the enemy was already approaching.

This made him unable to react at all for a moment, and he didn't know what to do at this moment.

Li Zhongwu stood aside. Although he was not as furious as the deputy general, he was also extremely shocked at this moment, and his thoughts were a tangled mess.

This sudden news disrupted his thoughts in an instant, and his previous calmness and caution seemed to disappear at this moment.

As the commander-in-chief of the three armed forces, no one understood better than him what this five-mile distance meant.

Five miles away,
It looks far away, and it sounds far away,

However, this only applies to ordinary people on foot. For a battle between two armies, this distance is already the minimum safe distance for the two soldiers to come into contact.

This is still for infantry. If it is for cavalry, this distance is actually the most suitable for charging, and it is even more so for the extremely elite Northern Barbarian cavalry.

At this distance, they had no room or time to retreat.

I'm afraid that before they start to retreat, Hu Yanleng will already be rushing in front of them with his mighty Northern Barbarian cavalry.

In that situation, if everyone only thought about retreating, the rebels would undoubtedly be defeated.

Only the brave will win when two meet in a narrow road. If they take the initiative to attack, there may be a glimmer of hope.

But this proactive and rash attack brings us back to the previous problem.
Are there other northern barbarian reinforcements behind Hu Yanlang? Is this a trap?
At this moment, he was caught in a dilemma. If he did not take the initiative to attack, he would be defeated. However, if he took the initiative to attack, he would definitely bear the risk of an ambush by the Northern Barbarians.

Neither of these two decisions was easy for him to make, and the conflict in his heart was like a sailboat torn by a violent storm.

He knew that war would kill people no matter what, but he also understood that as the commander-in-chief of the three armies, he was responsible for the lives and futures of countless brothers. He looked at the soldiers outside the tent. When they followed him to leave their homes, he had personally promised to bring each of them back home in glory.

Suddenly, Lin Zhongyun's advice to him before he left came to mind: "The winner is the king, the loser is the bandit."

These short but powerful words were like a thorn that pierced deep into his heart, forcing him to face the cruel reality.

The rebel army had not suffered too many casualties in previous battles, mainly because they were facing the good-for-nothings in Daqian and their strategies.

However, the Northern Barbarians are different. Unlike the good-for-nothings in Daqian, they regard glory as everything. Strategies of conquering people's hearts are completely useless to them.

In this situation, only courage can help you cut through the thorns before you.

"General, what should we do?" the deputy general asked anxiously.

Finally, Li Zhongwu silently said in his heart: When two brave men meet on a narrow road, the brave one wins!

At this critical moment, if they choose to take the initiative to attack, there may be a glimmer of hope. Taking the initiative to attack means that they can control the rhythm of the battlefield and perhaps find a chance to counterattack in front of the Northern Barbarians' cavalry.

With this thought in mind, he said solemnly to the deputy general beside him: "Pass the order down, prepare to meet the enemy immediately, but you need to fight with Hu Yanleng for a while."

"General, what is this?"

The deputy general was a little confused for a moment, but then Li Zhongwu whispered in his ear: "Now is our chance, all you have to do is..."

……

At the same time, Huyan Leng had already led the Eagle Division to the front of the rebel army in a mighty and imposing manner, which was frightening.

He spurred his horse and whipped his sword, and with a flash of his sword, the scout in front of him was instantly chopped to the ground, with blood splattering, setting off his majestic face, as if announcing the upcoming bloody battle.

Hu Yanleng stared at the rebel camp with a sharp gaze, his eyes full of murderous intent.

Rebel Army,

His greatest enemy in the north,

As the most courageous warrior in the Northern Barbarians, he was determined to completely destroy the rebels' camp.

It was not only to make him famous, but also to reverse the entire situation for the Northern Barbarians.

"Sir, the rebel army is only three miles away from meeting the enemy!" Huyan Zhongtong was beside him, pointing at the rebel army in front of him, his eyes flickering, and he seemed ready to move, like a beast ready to attack.

"Ok!"

Hu Yan nodded and ordered, "Tell everyone to stop and drink some water. In three minutes, we will completely destroy the rebel camp."

"kill!"

"kill!"

"kill!"

Following his command, the warriors of the Eagle Division roared in unison, their voices resounding through the heavens and earth like thunder. Every word was like a war drum, beating in their hearts, inspiring endless courage and fighting spirit.

Even though they had been running long distances for some time, everyone was still in high spirits and full of vigor.

These Eagle Division warriors are all tall and strong, and look energetic, as if they have gone through countless times of tempering and training, and they exude a strong fighting spirit.

Their armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight, like sharp blades, reflecting their fearless determination and indomitable will.

Everyone's eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, full of desire and anticipation for battle.

Hu Yan Leng looked around, looking at the group of extremely elite falconers in front of him, his heart was filled with pride, and a surge of blood was burning in his chest.

A confident smile appeared on his face, and he felt relieved. This situation, just as he had hoped, gave him endless courage.

His sense of security came not only from these well-trained falconry teams, but also from the current situation.

The last time in Hanzhou, the reason why they were repelled by the rebels was that the rebels' sudden arrival completely blocked them outside the rebel camp.

Hu Yan Leng felt unwilling to accept the failure, and it was not until today that he finally got the chance to turn things around.

"We are now within three miles of the rebel camp." He calculated secretly in his mind, with a confident smile on his face, "This time, we will never make the same mistake again."

He was extremely confident that no one could be a match for his Northern Barbarian Cavalry at such a distance, let alone the extremely elite Eagle Division under his command.

Each soldier is an elite who has undergone rigorous training and exudes a fearless aura, as if each of them is a sharp blade, waiting to rush into the battlefield and tear through the enemy's defenses.

"Even if the rebels wanted to set an ambush, I'm afraid they don't have time now." Hu Yan Leng was full of confidence and muttered to himself.

He knew that although the soldiers of the rebel army were brave, they would inevitably feel fear and oppression when facing the iron cavalry of the northern barbarians. This kind of psychological warfare had invisibly added chips to their victory.

"Brothers, prepare for battle!" He shouted loudly, his voice shaking people's hearts like a war drum, "Today, we must not only break the defense line of the rebels, but also inspire the entire Northern Barbarians!"

"Kill!" The Eagle Division responded in unison. Their voices were like thunder, resounding in the air and stirring the hearts of every soldier.

Just when he was trying to boost morale, a message suddenly came in, "General, the rebel army not only did not retreat, but even took the initiative to attack."

"Take the initiative to attack?" Hu Yanleng's eyebrows suddenly raised, and he was very happy in his heart.

Originally he thought that the Northern Barbarians would just retreat in a hurry, or rely on the camp to put up a desperate fight, but he didn't expect that they would choose to take the initiative to attack!
However, although it was an accident, the rebel army's proactive attack undoubtedly provided the Northern Barbarians with an excellent opportunity to demonstrate their true strength on the battlefield.

This made the raging fire of war in his heart burn even more vigorously.

"When it comes to cavalry charge, we Northern Barbarians are afraid of no one!" He thought to himself, with excitement flashing in his eyes.

He raised the scimitar in his hand, and the originally warm sunlight, shining under the scimitar, actually brought with it a chilling murderous intent.

That hint of cold murderous intent instantly pushed the morale of the Eagle Division to its peak.

"Everyone, follow me and charge. Let these Han people see what the Northern Barbarian Cavalry is!!!"

"Kill!" The Eagle Division roared in unison, the sound was like a landslide, shaking the earth. Every soldier's eyes flashed with a ferocious light, and their hearts were filled with fearless hostility.

The neighing of war horses was deafening, the clanging of iron hooves shook the ground, and an unstoppable tide was heading towards the rebel army... (End of this chapter)