During the day, the scorching sun hung high in the sky.
Yellow sand flew across the drill ground of the Zhenbei City military camp.
Xu Zhan stood bare-chested on the commander's platform, holding a white wax wood staff as thick as an adult's forearm.
Below the platform, a group of new recruits complained incessantly, their sweat washing streaks of mud down their leather armor.
"Stand straight! Why are your calves trembling!"
Xu Zhan kicked over a new recruit who was slacking off while standing in stance.
"When the scimitars of the grasslands come slashing at you, do you plan to take them trembling like this?"
A personal guard nearby handed him a large bowl of cooled boiled water.
Xu Zhan took the coarse porcelain bowl, tilted his head back, and gulped it down.
An ironclad rule had been established in the camp.
Not a single drop of unboiled water was allowed to be consumed.
Anyone who dared to disobey would be directly escorted to the wounded soldiers' camp to empty chamber pots for twenty days.
Old Man Sun carried his medicine chest and patrolled the various camps every day, his demeanor even more intimidating than the commander-in-chief.
Xu Zhan finished the water, slammed the bowl upside down on the long table, and wiped the water droplets from his chin.
Li Sheng jogged over from outside the drill ground, wiping his sweat as he ran.
"Second Young Master, the Imperial Envoy requests your presence."
Xu Zhan threw on a cloth shirt and strode toward the Imperial Envoy's temporary residence.
"What's the rush? Is the place on fire?"
Li Sheng lowered his voice and replied, "Eldest Miss has been looking at the topographical map since early this morning, muttering something about wool and intercepting barbarians. I couldn't understand it either. You'll know once you go see for yourself."
Inside the Imperial Envoy's residence, the light was bright.
A complete sheepskin topographical map of the northern borders was spread out on the desk.
Xu Qinghuan held a few rough wooden carved horses in her hand, pushing them around on the sheepskin map.
Hearing footsteps, she didn't even look up.
"Second Brother, finished drilling?"
Xu Zhan pulled over a large armchair and sat down boldly, picking up the teapot and drinking directly from the spout.
"Those greenhorns haven't developed any killing intent yet. Putting them on horseback now would just be serving up their heads on a platter. You called me here, are we going to war?"
Xu Qinghuan tossed the wooden horse in her hand onto the map. The little wooden horse rolled twice next to the mark representing the Helian tribe's Right Luli King camp and stopped.
"Second Brother, have you ever thought about going to the grasslands to intercept their goods?"
Xu Zhan slammed the teapot onto the table.
"Intercept?"
His thick eyebrows twisted into a knot, and he reached out to scratch the back of his head.
"Can barbarians be intercepted in half? What kind of bandit slang is this?"
Xu Qinghuan pointed her finger at the position of Black Water Trench on the sheepskin map.
This was exactly where the intelligence reports from a few days ago said the Helian tribe's supply convoy had passed.
"It's too hard to fleece the sheep on the grasslands."
"For the past few years, our Zhenbei Pass has been on the defensive. Every autumn, they come south to raid, stealing grain, ironware, and cloth."
Xu Qinghuan stood up and walked a circle around the desk.
"They can rob us, so why can't we rob them back?"
Xu Zhan understood. This was about reverse raiding.
"Nonsense."
Xu Zhan grabbed the topographical map on the table and pointed to a large blank area to the north.
"That is the heartland of the Helian tribe. The Royal Court's heavy troops are all concentrated in this area. Once a large army moves, grain and supplies must follow."
He poked his finger heavily on several strategic points.
"Going out of the pass is easy, but if we really fight our way in, those barbarians will immediately blow their horns."
"When cavalry from all directions surround us, even our way back to the city will be blocked."
Xu Zhan shook his head repeatedly.
"Let alone ten thousand troops, even if we throw thirty thousand men in, it would only be enough to fill the gaps in their teeth."
Xu Qinghuan picked up her teacup, took a sip of water, and set it down heavily.
"Who told you to bring a large army?"
Xu Zhan was stunned.
"Not bring a large army? Take a few dozen people to the grasslands to feed the wolves?"
Xu Qinghuan pulled over a chair and sat down, resting her crossed hands under her chin.
"We won't attack their Royal Court, nor will we touch their main camps."
She reached out and knocked over the little wooden horse on the topographical map.
"We will specifically target their merchant caravans transporting grain and treasures."
Xu Qinghuan began to explain the specific tactics.
"Second Brother, have you seen those ruffians at the village entrance who steal candied haws from children?"
Xu Zhan frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"These ruffians never provoke strong men."
"They hide in the alleys, and when they see an isolated child, they run out, snatch the candied haws, and then run away as fast as they can."
Xu Qinghuan made a running gesture with her hands on the table.
"By the time the child calls for an adult to help, the ruffians have already moved to another alley, continuing to rob the next isolated child."
"We will learn from these ruffians."
"Pick the most agile light cavalry. No heavy armor, no bulky supply carts."
"If we can win, we charge in and rob all the supplies. Whatever we can't take, we burn right on the spot."
"If we can't win and encounter their main forces, we turn around and run, using the terrain to run circles around them."
Xu Qinghuan tossed a few copper coins onto the sheepskin map.
"Today we rob a caravan in the east, tomorrow we burn a grain transport point in the west."
"There's no need to clash with them head-on. Just take a bite out of their weakest defensive spots and run."
Xu Zhan sat in the armchair, motionless.
After a long while, Xu Zhan suddenly stood up.
He strode over to the topographical map and slammed his palm on the table.
The wooden carved horse and the copper coins bounced from the impact.
Looking at the routes on the map, he began to mutter to himself.
"No fortified camps."
"Break the whole into parts."
Xu Zhan grabbed a few copper coins and scattered them around the periphery of the grasslands.
"When the enemy is exhausted, we attack; when the enemy retreats, we pursue."
He stared intently at Xu Qinghuan.
Xu Qinghuan took a half step back and crossed her arms.
"What is it? Do you think this tactic is too shameless?"
"Shameless?"
Xu Zhan burst into loud laughter and slapped his thigh hard.
"This is simply a brilliant and unorthodox military strategy!"
Xu Zhan paced back and forth in the room excitedly.
"Large-scale warfare emphasizes being upright and honorable, deploying formations for a stand-off."
"This tactic discards all formations and camps, completely ignoring the rules."
He rushed to the table and snatched up the scattered copper coins.
"No matter how many main forces the Helian tribe has, they can't guard every single grain supply line completely dead. As long as my men run fast enough, they won't even catch our shadows."
Xu Zhan grew more and more excited as he spoke. He suddenly stopped and struck the table heavily.
"Smack!"
"Qinghuan! You really hide your talents well!"
Xu Zhan gave a thumbs up.
"To compare such profound military strategy to ruffians fighting at the village entrance, this level of returning to simplicity would make even the Commander-in-Chief clap and cheer in admiration."
Xu Qinghuan stood frozen in place.
She threw her hands up, her face full of bewilderment.
I just casually mentioned a crude guerrilla warfare method, what kind of peerless military strategy did you actually comprehend?
