After listening to the advice, I rebelled and became an emperor of all ages

Li Zhongwu’s military camp.

At this moment, he didn't know that his whereabouts had been revealed, but was moving forward according to the previous plan, waiting for Lin Zhongyun's order.

The sun cast mottled shadows through the treetops in the camp. The soldiers were busy preparing for the upcoming battle, and the air was filled with tension and excitement.

"General, there is a secret letter from His Highness!" A close confidant came to his side with a serious expression, holding a secret letter in his hand and handed it to him respectfully. Li Zhongwu immediately felt the urgency of the matter and was secretly alert in his heart.

"Yes!" Li Zhongwu nodded, took the secret letter, and pondered the important information conveyed by Lin Zhongyun in the letter. He quickly opened the envelope and read the contents carefully. The handwriting on the letter was clear, and the words revealed His Highness's determination and sense of urgency.

"The detailed layout of the Northern Barbarian Army at Hailan Ranch..." Li Zhongwu muttered to himself, frowning slightly.

He knew that understanding the enemy's movements was the key to victory or defeat, but the time of launching the attack mentioned in the letter made him feel a little excited.

His eyes swept across the letter, which detailed the Northern Barbarian Army's troop deployment, the movements of its main commanders, and their weaknesses.

More importantly, the letter clearly pointed out the current weaknesses of the Northern Barbarian Army and agreed on the time for them to launch the attack early tomorrow morning.

"It seems that time waits for no one." Li Zhongwu whispered to himself, with a gleam of determination in his eyes. He knew that if he wanted to take the initiative in the upcoming battle, he had to react quickly.

"Call all the generals immediately!" Li Zhongwu ordered decisively, his voice full of unquestionable majesty. He had to convey the contents of this secret letter to everyone to ensure that the entire military camp was ready.

Soon after, the generals in the military camp gathered in Li Zhongwu's tent with serious expressions. Li Zhongwu stood in the middle, holding the secret letter in his hand, looking at each general, feeling their tension and expectation.

"Everyone, I just received a secret letter from His Highness. Our hard work over the past few days has finally come to an end."

Li Zhongwu's voice was like a war drum, shocking everyone. He unfolded the letter and showed everyone the contents, "We must prepare immediately to meet the upcoming battle!"

"General, the attack is scheduled for dawn tomorrow. We must be well prepared in advance." A young general said in a hurried tone, with anxiety flashing in his eyes. He held his weapon tightly in his hands, seeming to be uneasy about the upcoming battle.

"We need to speed up our deployment and ensure that our defense line can withstand the enemy's attack."

Li Zhongwu analyzed calmly, his voice firm and powerful, "According to the information in the secret letter, the main force of the Northern Barbarian Army is on the west side, and the focus of the attack will be on Hailan Ranch. We must prepare in advance to take the initiative in the battle."

"But General, this Hailan Ranch is the home ground of the Northern Barbarians after all. It will be extremely disadvantageous for us to fight against the Northern Barbarians in such terrain!" A middle-aged general looked worried and frowned, obviously full of anxiety about the upcoming battle.

"That's nothing. I suggest sending more archers to the south to take advantage of the terrain for long-range strikes." Another veteran added, his eyes showing the calmness of experience. His voice was like a shot of adrenaline, slightly easing the tense atmosphere.

"But what if the Northern Barbarians set up an ambush in advance?" Another person stood up with a worried look on his face. "You know, this is the Northern Barbarians' home ground. They know the terrain much better than we do."

Li Zhongwu took a deep breath and realized that the generals' concerns were not unfounded.

He knew that the Northern Barbarian Army had been active on the grassland for many years and was familiar with every path and every patch of grass. If they attacked rashly, they would most likely fall into the enemy's trap.

The Northern Barbarian Army in particular are veterans in galloping across the grassland. When it comes to charging across the grassland, they are definitely no match for the Northern Barbarian Cavalry.

Originally in Yangzhou, they could still hide in the mountains or jungles, but on this endless grassland, they could only be attacked.

Li Zhongwu's mind kept replaying the battle scene. The Northern Barbarian Cavalry swept in like a hurricane, unstoppable. He thought to himself: Facing this situation, there are two ways to solve it.

One possibility is that the war horses they ride on are faster than those of the Northern Barbarians, in which case the Northern Barbarian cavalry will not be able to catch up with them at all. But is this possible now?
After years of domestication, the northern barbarians' horses have already developed unparalleled speed and endurance on the grasslands. It is almost a pipe dream to want to surpass them in speed.

The second is to make advance precautions before the Northern Barbarian cavalry charges, such as setting up an ambush or using chevaux de frise, crossbows and the like to completely break up their camp before the Northern Barbarians charge.

However, although this idea is good, it is a bit far-fetched in this ever-changing battlefield. Although the Northern Barbarians are straightforward, they are not ignorant young men.

Why would they rush straight towards the barricades?

Li Zhongwu's thoughts were constantly swirling, and a bold plan gradually emerged in his mind.

He knew that if he wanted to win this battle, he must have a surprising strategy. He looked around and saw that the generals had serious faces, and he secretly made up his mind.

"Everyone," Li Zhongwu said, his voice like a war drum, shocking everyone, "We can't just rely on speed and courage. We need wisdom and strategy. Since the Northern Barbarians are familiar with the terrain of the grassland, we must take advantage of this and devise a countermeasure."

"General, you mean..." There was a glimmer of hope in the young general's eyes, as if he saw the dawn of victory.

"First of all, we must not engage the Northern Barbarians head-on. We must avoid their sharp edge." Li Zhongwu put his hands behind his back, his eyes flickering, and a plan gradually took shape in his mind.

He knew that a head-on confrontation would only put them in a passive position, especially under the impact of the Northern Barbarian cavalry, the consequences would be disastrous.

"We can set up obstacles along the possible charge routes of the Northern Barbarians and use the natural terrain of the grassland to create a combat environment that is favorable to us." Li Zhongwu continued, his tone revealing a firm belief.

"They want to charge, right?"

Li Zhongwu continued, "Then we will plant thorns on the road where they charge and set up an ambush."

"But the Northern Barbarians' cavalry are extremely mobile. Once they notice something unusual and turn to avoid our ambush, our plan will fail." Another veteran said worriedly, with uneasiness in his tone.

"If the Northern Barbarians really do that, it would be exactly what I want."

Li Zhongwu replied, his eyes were sharp and he exuded an unyielding spirit. "What I want is that the northern barbarians dare not charge and attack according to the route we designed in advance."

He knew very well in his mind that as long as they could curb the Northern Barbarians' charge, their greatest advantage would be gone, and they would be halfway to winning the battle.

He knew very well that as long as they could stop the Northern Barbarians from charging, their biggest advantage would be gone, and they would be halfway to winning the battle. "General, do you mean that we should create an illusion to make the Northern Barbarians think that we are defending in the front, but in fact we are setting up an ambush in secret?" The young general seemed to understand, and his eyes flashed with excitement.

"exactly."

Li Zhongwu nodded. "We can set up some fake formations on the south side to create the illusion that we are preparing for a battle and attract the attention of the northern barbarians. At the same time, we can set up ambushes on their flanks and rear, and when they lose their vigilance, we can deliver a fatal blow."

"In this way, the Northern Barbarians will be confused by our dispersed forces and will not be able to make an effective response." Another veteran also began to understand, with a look of approval in his eyes.

Afterwards, Li Zhongwu began to arrange the battle plan and assign tasks to each unit.

He requested that more archers be deployed on the south side and that an elite cavalry team be selected as bait to attract the attention of the northern barbarians.

At the same time, he also arranged a mobile team to be ready to support the troops in the main attack direction at any time.

"Everyone, generals, tomorrow's battle will be a critical moment for our survival." Li Zhongwu stood in front of the generals, his eyes firm and powerful, his voice like a war drum, shocking everyone. "We must unite and give full play to our respective advantages to win this battle!"

"Yes, General!" All the generals responded in unison, with firm belief flashing in their eyes. They seemed to feel the aura emanating from Li Zhongwu, and a surge of courage surged in their hearts.

"That's right!" Li Zhongwu's voice became more and more firm. "We left our homes and went deep into the grasslands just to conquer the Wolf's Lair and completely eradicate the threat from the northern barbarians. Now, this opportunity is right in front of us, we must not give up."

He looked around and saw determination written all over the faces of every general, and he felt secretly relieved.

He knew that morale was the most important factor in a battle. Only when the soldiers had faith in their hearts could they perform at their best in tomorrow's battle.

"From now on, everyone go down to recuperate and prepare for tomorrow's battle." Li Zhongwu gave the order, his tone revealing unquestionable majesty.

He knew that rest and adjustment before the battle were equally important. Only by allowing the soldiers to recover their physical strength could they give full play to their abilities in tomorrow's battle.

"General, what tactics do you think the Northern Barbarians will adopt?" The young general couldn't help but ask, his eyes full of doubt.

"The Northern Barbarian Cavalry are brave and good at fighting. They will definitely choose to charge head-on and try to suppress us with their speed and strength." Li Zhongwu analyzed with a steady look, "But we are already prepared to deal with it.

As long as they dare to charge, we will set up obstacles on their charge route and use the grassland terrain to counterattack. "

All the generals nodded, and their minds gradually became clear. Li Zhongwu's plan gave them hope of victory, and they were no longer afraid of the upcoming battle.

"Ladies and gentlemen, tomorrow's battle is not only about our survival, but also about the future of the entire country."

Li Zhongwu continued, his voice becoming more and more passionate, "We must fight for our homeland, and for the people who silently support us behind us! We must let the northern barbarians know that invaders will never be able to gain a foothold on this land!"

With Li Zhongwu's encouragement, the morale of the generals was completely ignited. They were all eager to try and their hearts were full of fighting spirit.

Li Zhongwu felt secretly relieved in his heart, knowing that tomorrow's battle would be their time to fight back.

"Now, everyone, make preparations to ensure that tomorrow's battle goes smoothly." Li Zhongwu waved his hand, and the generals dispersed and began their own preparations.

As the night deepened, the firelight in the camp illuminated every tense and focused face.

Li Zhongwu walked to the edge of the camp alone, looking at the starry sky of the grassland, silently thinking about tomorrow's battle.

He knew that the Northern Barbarian Cavalry was like a hurricane and unstoppable, but he firmly believed that as long as he formulated a careful plan and made good use of the terrain of the grassland, he would be able to reverse the situation and win.

"Tomorrow will be the time for us to fight back." Li Zhongwu swore silently in his heart, his eyes determined, as if he had seen the dawn of victory.

At this moment, there was a sound of horse hooves outside the camp, and Li Zhongwu's heart tightened. He realized that the reconnaissance team might have returned and brought back more important intelligence. He quickly walked out of the tent to greet the upcoming news.

"General, there has been unusual movement ahead. We have captured a spy from the Northern Barbarians." A scout stepped forward and said solemnly.

"A spy from the Northern Barbarians?" Li Zhongwu frowned, alert in his heart. This news made him secretly nervous. At the critical moment of launching an attack, he actually discovered such a thing, which was really disturbing. "How long has he been active near our camp?"

"We just caught him, and the details are not clear yet." The scout replied, his face full of tension.

"Quick, take me to see him!" Li Zhongwu said anxiously, thinking to himself that if the Northern Barbarians' spies could be captured, they would surely be able to bring important intelligence to help them better deal with the upcoming battle.

The scout led Li Zhongwu through the camp and toward a makeshift cage. In a dark corner, the spy was tied up tightly, his face covered in dirt and blood, looking miserable. There was a hint of despair in his eyes, but also a hint of stubbornness.

"General, you are here!" the scout said respectfully, his eyes full of anticipation.

Li Zhongwu walked towards the spy, trying to get useful information from him. However, just as he was about to ask, the spy suddenly sneered, with the corners of his mouth slightly twisted, as if brewing something.

"What do you want to know?" the spy whispered, his voice hoarse and gloomy, "I will not tell you anything."

Li Zhongwu's heart sank as he realized the spy's determination. He knew that the northern barbarians were always loyal to their tribes and would rather die than surrender, and would never easily leak information.

"You are a fool!" Li Zhongwu said coldly, "Do you think you can escape? As long as you tell me the plan of the Northern Barbarians, I can save your life."

"Save my life?" The spy sneered, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes, "You simply cannot understand the beliefs of us northern barbarians. We would rather die than surrender, and never betray!"

Just as Li Zhongwu was about to threaten him further, the spy suddenly bit his tongue hard, and blood instantly flowed out and splashed on the ground.

His face was distorted, and his eyes were flashing with madness and despair, as if he was showing Li Zhongwu his fearless determination. (End of this chapter)