The cold moon hangs high in the sky, illuminating the heavens with its silvery light.

The heavily armored cavalrymen lined up in neat rows.

The silver armor on their bodies gleamed coldly in the moonlight. The soldiers had solemn faces, upright postures, and held long spears in their hands.

The officers were yelling and shouting as they tried to straighten the ranks.

Lu You turned around and saw the heavy cavalry, and asked Gu Changting, "General Gu, how many heavy cavalry are there in the city?"

"Three thousand."

"What about light cavalry?"

"Five thousand, plus three thousand infantrymen."

"I do have a plan."

"Young master, please speak freely."

“I observed the enemy’s formation from a distance of a thousand miles. The commander’s position is in the very center, and there are at least 30,000 troops guarding the front. If our army launches a strong attack, we will certainly be no match for them.”

"First, hold out for three days to wear down their patience. Then, send out 2,500 light cavalry out of the city to feign an attack on the enemy, but in reality, to divide the enemy's left flank and lure them into pursuit. Then, send 3,000 infantrymen to meet the enemy head-on, and use 500 light cavalry to feign an attack on the right flank to distract the enemy."

"Use three thousand heavy cavalry to charge the weakened left flank, and capture the leader first!"

Gu Changting fell into deep thought, and he did not immediately adopt Lu You's suggestion.

He still held onto hope that the Northern Army would send troops to support him.

After all, those were just Lu You's speculations.

That night, the Song army held firm at the city gates, and their firepower effectively contained the barbarian attack.

The two sides didn't stop for a single moment all night.

The Song army's city walls were blackened by the intense fire and oil.

Both sides' soldiers showed no signs of fatigue.

The city walls were piled high with corpses, and the barbarian soldiers who were pushing the siege engine to ram the city gate for the twentieth time were riddled with arrows.

The sunlight shone from the eastern sky, turning the blood mist below the city walls a deep crimson.

Muker showed no signs of stopping, with barbarian soldiers taking turns to fight.

The siege continued until sunset, and several more layers of corpses lay beneath the city walls.

During the siege, time became extremely long and agonizing.

Both sides were in a state of complete tension.

What they saw were swords and blood; what they heard were desperate battles and roars.

Everyone's eyes were bloodshot.

Fortunately, Beiyuan Village had enough food to last for a month.

Gu Changting angrily cursed, "Has this barbarian commander gone mad? He keeps attacking the city without stopping for a moment!"

"General Gu, please allow me to lead the troops out of the city and slaughter them without leaving a single survivor!"

"No!"

The number of barbarians was too large. During the day, if you stood on the city wall and looked out into the distance, you would count at least 100,000 to 150,000!

Gu Changting thought that if the Great Song Dynasty did not have powerful weapons such as cannons and muskets, this city would have been captured in less than a day.

However, the amount of gunpowder for cannons and muskets is ultimately limited. If the fighting continues like this, without supplies from the Northern Army, the gunpowder will run out in a few days.

In the ensuing defense of the city, the Song army took turns attacking.

Three days later, when no reinforcements from the Northern Army arrived, Gu Changting finally confirmed that Lu You's deduction was true.

After three days and three nights of continuous siege, the Song army, though on the defensive, was exhausted.

Amidst the constant shouts of battle, one's nerves feel as if they are being continuously pounded by a hammer.

It was just getting dark that day.

Lu You came to Gu Changting again: "General Gu, give the order!"

Gu Changting closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment before saying, "Young Master, if this Beiyuan Village is lost, I, Gu, will have no face to face the Emperor!"

He suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze bright and piercing: "Let's proceed according to the young master's tactics."

The messenger summoned all the officers to the mansion.

A map was laid out on the table. Lu You stepped forward and began to explain his plans in detail.

He spoke these words with great enthusiasm and brimming with confidence.

Commander Cui Jin asked in a tone that was both puzzled and slightly sarcastic, "Young master, what role do you play in this plan?"

Lu You suddenly clasped his hands and said loudly, "Please give me eight hundred cavalry, Commander Gu, and I will bring you the head of the barbarian chieftain!"

Cui Jin burst into laughter, and the others also smiled, clearly thinking that Lu You was bragging.

"Young master, have you ever been to the battlefield?"

"Yes! Young master, the real battlefield is far more brutal than what is taught in the academy. Those fancy moves are not enough!"

Seeing Lu You being ridiculed, Lu You's bodyguard Zhang Jing couldn't help but say, "Gentlemen, my young master is a disciple of Commander Yue, and he can fight Yue Yun one-on-one with his silver spear! He's number one in the Military Academy and number one in the Military Skills Competition!"

"Alright, do you expect me to face this barbarian army all by myself?"

Gu Changting said, "Gentlemen, now is not the time to talk about these things!"

Immediately, all the generals fell silent.

"Young master's plan has been approved by me! Young master, I will give you eight hundred iron cavalry!"

"Thank you, Commander Gu! I will certainly live up to your expectations!"

As night fell, at least eight thousand of the barbarians below the city had died, if not ten thousand.

These casualties were of no concern to Murke; he was determined to capture Beiyuan Village.

The messenger rushed back: "General, our army is advancing wave after wave, and the warriors dare not relax for a moment!"

Murk's face was noticeably gloomy than before: "You mean, the city gates haven't been opened yet!"

"Damn bunch of useless idiots! It's been three days and three nights, and they still haven't opened the city gates!"

Li Ganshun reminded him from the side, "General, please be patient. The Song army's firearms will soon be exhausted, and it's only a matter of time before the city falls."

"What I want is immediate! Take the city right now!" Murk appeared extremely agitated, his expression ferocious, like an angry wolf.

"Who will go! Who will blast open the city gate now! I, the commander, will reward them handsomely!"

The generals remained silent; none of them wanted to lead the charge again, and all wanted to preserve their strength.

At that moment, a messenger rushed over and reported: "General, a Song cavalry force has left the city! They are charging towards our left flank!"

Murk immediately perked up and became excited: "How many people?"

"The number is unknown. The exact number cannot be confirmed at night. The Song army's firearms and crossbows are too powerful, and we cannot get close."

"Good! Excellent! Order the left flank to surround and annihilate the Song army, leaving no one alive!"

Li Ganshun asked, "General, could the Song army have ulterior motives for leaving the city at this time?"

"What could they possibly do! The Song army is at its last gasp. They know they'll die if they hold out to the death, so they might as well come out and fight!"

It's only natural for Muerke to have such thoughts, and even the suspicious Li Ganshun felt that he was overthinking things.

The entire Beiyuan Village only has a little over 10,000 Song soldiers. Now that they've gone out of the city to fight, what can the Song army do?

Keep in mind that there are 120,000 troops here.

Even if 10,000 cannon fodder were sent to attack the city, there are still 110,000 left.

After the Song army's 2,500 light cavalry left the city, they formed an arc and charged toward the left flank of the barbarian tribe.

Lu You's strategy was a complete test of the army's combat capabilities.

The key to cavalry combat is mobility and flexibility.

For example, Wanyan Yinshuke, the most capable cavalryman of the Jin Dynasty, was known for his cavalry's mobility and flexibility.

His cavalry could maintain their formation in battle, and even if they were thrown into disarray after a charge, they could quickly restore their formation and turn around to charge again.