Yunzhong Prefecture, Wuquan County.

This is a very ordinary small border county with a sparse population, limited arable land, and a population of less than 50,000.

Twenty miles north of the county seat lies a long, east-west mountain range. Its steep slopes, dense vines, and sparse population make it a vital protector of the surrounding people.

Although this place is remote and has no special products, it is close to the Great Wall. Therefore, the prefectural government sends people here every year to organize the local young men to conduct simple military training so that they can support the Great Wall guards at any time.

South of the county town is an official road leading to Yunzhong County, with fields of crops growing on both sides of the road.

At this time of year, it is the season when weeds grow wildly in the fields. Many people leave their homes early before dawn to go to the fields and clear away the weeds.

As the sun fully rises, many people temporarily put down their hoes, sit under the trees by the roadside, chat, and prepare to rest before continuing their work.

The common people didn't talk much; they mainly discussed things like how the harvest was this year, whose child had distinguished themselves in the army, and whether the emperor used a golden hoe to weed, etc.

Just as the people were chatting idly, a series of commotions and shouts suddenly came from the official road.

The people on the roadside immediately stopped talking and looked in the direction from which the sound came.

From the south of the official road, a group of constables were seen rushing northward in a great hurry.

Upon seeing this group of about a hundred people, the people on the roadside were momentarily stunned.

Normally, when the prefectural governor's office sends people over for training, it's only a dozen or so people at most. Why are there so many people today, and they seem so anxious?

"Hey, do you guys think they're here to collect taxes?"

"No way! The county government just issued a notice last year saying that a prince had been born and the emperor had decreed a three-year tax exemption. It's only been a year!"

"Perhaps the government acted on its own initiative!"

"Impossible. In this world, who dares to disobey His Majesty's decree? If the government really dares to collect our taxes behind His Majesty's back, even the soldiers of the prefectures and kingdoms will not let them off the hook."

"That's true. I heard that Commandant Zhang in the prefecture came from the Imperial Guard and was His Majesty's student!"

As the officials drew ever closer, the people along the roadside couldn't help but murmur amongst themselves.

Soon, the group of constables arrived at the people.

Seeing the people sitting by the roadside, the constable who was running at the front immediately shouted loudly: "Fellow villagers, a small troop of Xianbei people may sneak into this place to cause trouble in a couple of days. Hurry back and be prepared!!"

Upon hearing this, the people on the roadside were stunned for a moment, their mouths agape as they stared blankly at the approaching constable, their faces showing disbelief.

After all, there are continuous mountain ranges to the north, which are difficult for even locals to cross, let alone the Xianbei people on horseback.

Seeing that the villagers were still standing still, the head constable shouted impatiently, "What are you all standing there for? Go back to your villages and wait for the county officials to come and make arrangements!"

Seeing this, the villagers finally came to their senses and hurriedly got up and ran towards the village.

Seeing this, the constable immediately led his men to continue running towards Wuquan County. Whenever they encountered people along the way, they would shout out their names.

It was thanks to the local people's regular training that there was no panic.

Before long, the team of constables arrived at the Wuquan County Government Office.

Upon learning the news, the magistrate of Wuquan County hurriedly dispatched officials of all levels in the county, leading the team of constables to several villages and towns near the mountains.

After arriving in the villages, these people quickly organized the local villagers to set up various traps at the intersections outside the villages.

The spies from the Investigation Division also split up and entered the mountains in batches to search for the secret passage.

The troops from the surrounding counties and kingdoms also began to lay ambushes and dig traps at various key points.

Another day passed, and wave after wave of wandering knights arrived in the villages of the three northern counties, joining the common people and the soldiers of the prefecture.

Meanwhile, on the northern grasslands, a cavalry force of over three hundred men appeared at the foot of the mountains to the north.

The Han Chinese leading the group looked up at the steep and treacherous Qianmen Pass, then took out a simple map from his pocket and began to compare it with the surrounding environment.

After comparing for a long time, the man looked up at a grove of trees in the southwest and a smile appeared on his face.

"It's right there, come with me!!"

With that, the man put away the map and led his men toward their destination.

Before long, the group arrived at the edge of the woods.

Because it is located on the back of a mountain and is densely wooded, the forest is exceptionally quiet. The ground is covered with a thick layer of leaves, and there is no path to follow.

The Han leader dismounted and went to the edge of the woods, where he began to search carefully.

Before long, he found a large tree with a mark on it.

The man then turned around and shouted to the crowd behind him, "Everyone, dismount and form a line, follow me!"

The other Han Chinese, along with three hundred Xianbei cavalrymen, dismounted and followed behind the man, trudging through the thick layer of fallen leaves into the depths of the forest.

The arrival of these uninvited guests shattered the tranquility of the forest with the rustling of the fallen leaves, startling countless birds into flight.

After traveling for about an hour, the group arrived at a mountain wall.

The leader pointed to a place overgrown with vines and said, "Go, cut all those things down!"

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