Niu Desheng stood in front of the tent, watching his carefully selected 3,000 cavalrymen ready to go.
The hooves of all the war horses were wrapped in thick cloth, the soldiers wore dark coats over their armor, and even their weapons were wrapped with cloth strips to avoid glare.
"Remember all of this!" Niu Desheng said to the deputy general beside him in a low voice, "Burn the food and grass and retreat. Don't waste your time fighting."
The deputy general nodded, but couldn't help asking, "General, if we encounter an ambush..."
"ambush?"
Niu Desheng sneered and patted the big knife at his waist, "Hasn't this knife cut enough ambushes?"
He jumped onto the horse with the agility of a monkey.
The scar on his dark face that extended from his brow to his chin looked particularly hideous.
That was a souvenir left from the fight with government officials three years ago.
"Set off!"
Three thousand cavalrymen passed through the mist like ghosts, heading towards the valley entrance along the hidden path at the northern foot of the mountain.
Niu Desheng was leading the way, and the only sounds he could hear were the dull "thump thump" of the horse's hooves wrapped in cloth and the occasional chirping of insects.
Two hours later, they arrived at the outskirts of the valley.
Niu Desheng raised his hand to signal the troops to stop, and he took two personal soldiers with him to move forward for reconnaissance.
Looking down from the hillside, the imperial granary at the entrance of the valley was sparsely lit, with only a few sentries patrolling, looking completely unguarded.
"It's too quiet..." the guard muttered.
Niu Desheng narrowed his eyes, and his years of battlefield intuition made him smell something amiss.
But the desire to achieve something soon overwhelmed his doubts.
"Who cares! Pass the order down and act according to the plan!"
The three thousand cavalrymen were divided into three teams, one team made a feint attack from the front, and the other two teams attacked from the flanks.
Niu Desheng personally led the 500 most elite men directly to the center of the granary.
"kill!"
With a roar, the rebel cavalry rushed towards the granary like a tide.
Torches were lit one after another, drawing countless lines of fire in the night.
The imperial soldiers on guard were obviously caught off guard and responded hastily.
Niu Desheng's sword drew a silver arc in the moonlight, and the head of an imperial officer flew off.
The hot blood splashing on his face further aroused his ferocity.
"Burn! Burn them all!"
The rebels threw torches at the grain stacks, and the dry grain instantly burst into flames. Thick smoke billowed, and the flames illuminated half the sky red.
Just as Niu Desheng was in the heat of the battle, his deputy general came rushing over: "General! A large group of cavalry has been spotted to the east!"
Niu Desheng wiped the blood from his face and grinned: "Just in time! I was just worried I wouldn't kill enough!"
"But Military Advisor Yang has ordered us to retreat immediately after we succeed..."
"Bullshit!" Niu Desheng kicked the deputy general away. "Pass my order, the entire army turns east and kills him without a single piece of armor left!"
At the same time, in the Bailuyuan uprising camp, Yang Yan stood on the watchtower, staring at the flames and smoke that suddenly rose from the direction of the valley entrance.
"Something's wrong..."
He muttered to himself, "The fire is too big, Niu Desheng shouldn't be so ostentatious..."
The personal guard beside him was puzzled: "Military Advisor, isn't this part of the plan?"
Yang Yan did not answer, but quickly walked down the watchtower and shouted to the messenger:
"Quickly send scouts to the northern mountain pass to investigate! Then, tell the archers to advance three miles toward the valley entrance!"
He walked quickly towards Li Jingang's central military tent, feeling increasingly uneasy.
As a former private school teacher, Yang Yan was well-versed in military books and had an extraordinary keenness about battlefield situations.
Inside the big tent, Li Jingang was discussing tomorrow's attack plan with several generals.
Seeing Yang Yan rushing in, he immediately realized that something was wrong.
"General!" Yang Yan didn't bother to salute. "I suspect the imperial army was well prepared. Niu Desheng might have been ambushed!"
Li Jingang frowned: "Why do you think so?"
"The fire was so large, it was clearly intentional. I suspect they were trying to lure our main force to rescue us, then set an ambush along the way!"
The generals in the tent were in an uproar.
An older general questioned, "Military Advisor, you're worrying too much. General Niu is brave, and three thousand elite troops are more than enough to handle any eventuality."
Li Jingang raised his hand to stop the argument and asked in a deep voice, "Brother Yang, what suggestions do you have?"
Yang Yan walked over to the sand table, his fingers rapidly moving the small flags representing the various forces. "If the imperial court sets an ambush, it must be in Hulu Valley, between Yukou and Bailuyuan. The terrain there is narrow and perfect for an ambush."
He looked up at Li Jingang and said, "I suggest immediately sending 10,000 men along the western mountain road, while the main force assumes a rescue posture to lure the enemy out."
Li Jingang pondered for a moment, then said resolutely, "Let's follow Brother Yang's plan. Pass the order down, and prepare the entire army for battle!"
As the sky gradually brightened, the rebel camp on Bailuyuan was bustling with activity.
The soldiers quickly got ready, the war horses neighed, and the sound of weapons clashing was endless.
Li Jingang was fully armed and stood under the central army flag.
He was tall and strong, and his iron armor shone coldly in the morning light, making him look like a god of war.
"Report!"
The scouts arrived on horseback with the report, "General Niu has won a great victory at Yukou, but he refuses to retreat and is currently engaged in a fierce battle with the imperial reinforcements!"
Li Jingang's face darkened: "This reckless man!"
Yang Yan walked over quickly and said, "General, the scouts reported that there are indeed ambushes in Hulu Valley, about 20,000 men."
"That's right."
Li Jingang sneered, "Yang Dingguo, that old fox, wants to devour my elite troops in one gulp."
He turned to the messenger and said, "According to the plan. Order the western cavalry to accelerate and reach the rear of Hulu Valley before noon!"
Yang Yan added, "Send another 5,000 archers to occupy the high ground on both sides of Hulu Valley. If the ambush appears, immediately release the arrows!"
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