After hearing Li Rui's question, Lu Chen didn't answer immediately. Instead, he cast a glance at Qin Yushan, who stood among the crowd, and said, "Commander Qin, you explain."
As soon as Lu Chen spoke, all eyes turned to Qin Yushan.
Li Rui and the others were visibly curious. Commander?
What kind of position was that? Since when did the palace have such a title?
Qin Yushan stepped forward from the crowd and approached Lu Chen's desk. With a bow, he said, "Yes, Your Highness."
Then, turning to the others, Qin Yushan announced, "Our men intercepted a barbarian communication from the grasslands. The barbarians are preparing to rally 300,000 cavalry to head south, seize Beijun, establish their own kingdom there, and make Yancheng the capital."
The moment his words fell, the expressions of everyone in the study changed drastically.
The barbarians had always been Beijun's greatest threat. It was largely due to their frequent raids that Beijun remained impoverished.
But this time, they weren't coming to plunder and retreat—they planned to invade outright, occupy Beijun, and build their own kingdom.
Panic rippled through the room.
Especially for Li Rui. The only reason he'd become the county governor was because the previous ones had all died at the hands of the barbarians. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gotten the position.
He had thought he could finally live in peace for a while. Never did he expect that the barbarians would return in just over a year—and this time, not just to steal food.
If it were just another raid, he wouldn't be this anxious. The barbarians usually plundered the cities north of Yancheng and rarely came this far south. But now…
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Li Rui asked urgently, "Commander Qin… is your intel reliable?"
A barbarian invasion was no small matter, let alone one involving 300,000 cavalry. The court had to be informed—and immediately.
In everyone's eyes, Beijun's 30,000 troops were nothing but a mantis trying to stop a chariot. If they wanted to resist the barbarians, it could only be done with reinforcements from the imperial army.
Historically, every time Beijun fended off a barbarian invasion, it was because the imperial army had intervened. Beijun's 30,000 troops were only enough to deal with minor skirmishes.
Qin Yushan replied calmly, "The intelligence has been verified. Our people infiltrated the barbarian royal court and obtained this information directly from one of their leaders."
This revelation stunned everyone.
What kind of man is this Qin Commander following the prince?
How could the prince's forces have infiltrated the barbarian king's court?
At that moment, something finally clicked in Li Rui's mind. He had always believed Lu Chen was just a lazy, idle prince who avoided responsibility. But now he understood—it had all been a facade, carefully constructed by the Northern King.
The Northern King had long established his own private force, a network that extended throughout Beijun… even into barbarian territory.
Realizing this, Li Rui broke into a cold sweat. Thank heavens he hadn't tried to oppose the Northern King when he arrived in Beijun.
Had he done so, forget losing his official position—he might not even be alive now.
Mu Changtian then asked, "Your Highness, what do you intend to do? Will you ask the court for reinforcements?"
Thirty thousand against three hundred thousand—there was no way they could win. The court had to send a large army, or Beijun would fall.
Lu Chen responded, "I plan to inform the court of this immediately. But even if we do, it'll take them at least three months to mobilize a large army. Meanwhile, the barbarians can assemble within two. That means Beijun will need to hold out on its own for some time."
Although Lu Chen was confident he could use the 30,000 troops to defend Beijun and wear down the 300,000 barbarian cavalry, this kind of news still needed to be reported. After all, Beijun was still part of the Great Xia Dynasty.
If they failed to report a foreign invasion—regardless of whether they won or lost—the court might suspect them of rebellion for keeping such a major event from them.
Moreover, mobilizing the Great Xia army wasn't as easy as with the barbarians. It would take at least two to three months. As the saying went, an army marches on its stomach—and food and provisions had to be prepared in advance. The Great Xia military was no match for the barbarians in terms of speed.
Especially in Beijun, where the roads were rough and travel slow. It would take even longer for the court's army to arrive.
Upon hearing this, Li Rui's face turned even paler.
If the barbarians began their march, they could conquer all of Beijun in less than a month. By the time the court's army arrived, their 30,000 men might already be dead.
And then… who knew what horrors would befall Yancheng?
Lu Chen continued, "I plan to evacuate all residents north of Yancheng to the south, and then concentrate all our forces within Yancheng. With that, we'll do our best to delay the barbarian cavalry. General Mo, you've fought them before—what do you think of this plan?"
Mu Changtian was momentarily stunned. His brows furrowed.
He studied the map for a moment and said, "There's no problem with a scorched-earth strategy. But if everyone north of Yancheng is evacuated, the barbarians will head straight for Yancheng. With only 30,000 soldiers, defending the city will be nearly impossible."
Mu Changtian knew the barbarian cavalry well. Most were elite troops. Stopping their charge with 30,000 men was nearly a fantasy.
Lu Chen then added, "What if I possess a weapon that can instantly shatter their cavalry formations?"
At that, Li Feng and the others' eyes lit up.
Those who had followed the Northern King from the beginning knew he possessed mysterious weapons—like the explosive stones or the black rod that could kill ninth-grade warriors instantly.
There were already rumors in the army that the Northern King had inherited the legacy of immortals.
Whether that was true or not didn't matter—as long as he had weapons capable of devastating the barbarians, or even mass-producing them, that was enough.
Mu Changtian was just about to ask what kind of weapon it was, but Lu Chen turned back to the map and said, "General Mo, I'm considering luring the barbarian cavalry into the Wanning River Valley, then ambushing them from the surrounding highlands. Do you think this is feasible?"
After all, Mu Changtian had fought the barbarians many times and understood their tactics well. Lu Chen wanted his expert opinion.
Some things were best left to professionals.
Mu Changtian stared at the map for a long while without replying.
Finally, he spoke. "If Your Highness is in Yancheng, it's not difficult to lure the barbarian cavalry to Wanning River Valley. The terrain there is relatively open—ideal for cavalry—so they're likely to charge straight in."
"But… if we set up an ambush there with only 30,000 troops, I'm afraid we still won't be able to stop their charge."
The Wanning River Valley had high ground on both sides and a flat, open plain in the middle. Even if an ambush was set, once the barbarian cavalry picked up speed, they could rush through the valley with ease.
The valley wasn't very long either. To hold off their charge head-on would require no less than 100,000 soldiers.
And if Beijun's 30,000 men were to split up and hide in ambush along the highlands, there wouldn't even be enough left to form a solid frontline.
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