Too many female prisoners, a special forces soldier transmigrates and marries wildly.

Looking at the two tribal chiefs who were once respectful but were now aggressive, and thinking of the raging fire and the pervasive atmosphere of despair outside the camp, Batel knew that all was lost.

"Order... to withdraw the troops." He seemed to have used all his strength to utter these three words, and his whole body aged ten years in an instant.

……

At dawn, the northern camp on the north bank of the Grey River began to break camp amidst chaos and despair.

The 5,000 vanguard who came with great momentum had nearly lost half their number when they retreated. More importantly, their morale had completely collapsed and their troops were in disarray.

On the city tower of Cangyun Pass.

"Should we send troops to pursue them?" Bai Xiaohe asked for instructions.

"No need." Lin Feng shook his head. "Don't pursue a desperate enemy. Besides, they have lost their will to fight. Chasing them will only result in more deaths, which will not benefit the overall situation. Let the 'Falcon Battalion' and 'Night Owl' keep an eye on them from a distance and see where they retreat to."

"yes!"

Sunlight pierced the clouds, illuminating the blood-stained grey riverbed and the majestic outline of Cangyun Pass. A deafening cheer erupted from the pass walls.

"Victory! Victory for Protector-General Lin!"

The sound waves surged like a tide, soaring straight into the sky.

The area inside and outside Cangyun Pass was filled with jubilation. With almost zero casualties, they repelled five thousand enemy troops, burned their supplies, killed their elite soldiers, and forced them to retreat in disarray. This was a rare and great victory in the long history of border defense in the north.

Inside the Marshal's Mansion.

Lin Feng sat at the head of the table, with Lei Bao, Yan Qing, Bai Xiaohe, and others standing on either side, each with a look of triumphant excitement on their faces.

"How's the casualty count going?" Lin Feng asked.

Yan Qing stepped forward and reported: "Reporting to the garrison commander, in this battle, our army suffered seventeen dead and forty-three wounded, mostly minor injuries, all of whom have been properly treated. We captured over two hundred and thirty intact warhorses, over five hundred bows and crossbows, countless arrows, swords, and spears, as well as some northern Mongolian leather armor, felt, and gold and silver artifacts. There are approximately twelve hundred corpses left in the northern Mongolian camp, more than half of whom died in the ambush at 'Laoniu Bay,' and the rest were mostly shot or drowned during the feint attack while crossing the river. Most of the grain and fodder left in their camp has been burned, and the remainder is being cleared."

"Okay." Lin Feng nodded. "The fallen soldiers will receive preferential treatment, and their families will be properly settled by the government."

"yes!"

"Lei Bao, have 'Night Owl' and 'Falcon' been withdrawn?"

"Returning to the garrison, the 'Falcon' snipers have all withdrawn to the interior for rest and reorganization. The 'Night Owl' team has been ordered to continue tracking and monitoring the movements of the defeated army in the northern deserts to the north. Han Lie has reported that Batel's remnants have joined up with some of the reinforcements from the northern deserts that have arrived later, but their morale is low, they are in constant infighting, and they have no will to fight anymore. They are accelerating their retreat to the north. They will withdraw only after confirming that they have retreated 300 li from the border."

"Okay, tell Han Lie to be careful and not to get too close. Safety first," Lin Feng instructed.

"Commander, this battle has been a great victory. Should we immediately report the victory to the court?" Bai Xiaohe asked for instructions. She had already prepared pen and ink.

"Of course we must report it," Lin Feng said thoughtfully. "But there's a trick to writing the victory report. Our army won this battle through strategy and with fewer troops, which is certainly cause for celebration. However, if we write about the victory as too glorious, some in the court might become wary, and His Majesty might think the threat from the north has been eliminated, thus lowering his guard and reducing support. But if we write it too lightly,..."

"Furthermore," Lin Feng added, "send this victory report directly to the Emperor via the fastest courier service. At the same time, send copies to the Ministry of War, the Privy Council, and Minister Li. In the letter to Minister Li, briefly mention the details of this battle and the hidden dangers in the northern border, using earnest language to seek his advice on strategies."

"Yes!" Bai Xiaohe accepted the order.

Sure enough, just five days after the news of the victory was sent out by express courier, an envoy from the capital arrived at Cangyun Pass with the emperor's decree and a large amount of rewards.

The imperial edict was to promote Lin Feng to the position of Grand Commander of the Northern Frontier, grant him the title of Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent, bestow upon him a python robe and jade belt, and reward him with 5,000 taels of gold, 1,000 bolts of brocade, and 100 jars of imperial wine as a reward for his merits!

Grand Commander! Above the military governors, he oversees the military and political affairs of the northern border, truly the head of all regional officials! The title of Junior Guardian of the Crown Prince is an honorary one, though it holds no real power, signifying entry into the innermost ranks of the empire's nobility. The rewards bestowed upon him are exceptionally generous.

"Your subject accepts the imperial decree and expresses gratitude! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" Lin Feng led his generals to kneel and receive the imperial decree.

The eunuch delivering the imperial decree smiled and helped Lin Feng up, whispering, "Grand Commander Lin, His Majesty praised you highly at the court assembly, calling you 'the pillar of the nation, my Wei Qing and Huo Qubing'! The Empress Dowager and the Empress also bestowed many gifts upon you, which I brought along with them. In addition, Princess Pingyang also entrusted me to deliver a private gift to the Grand Commander." As he spoke, he handed over a long, narrow brocade box wrapped in bright yellow silk.

Lin Feng thanked him and accepted the brocade box, which felt heavy in his hand. Upon opening it, he found a short sword with a sheath. The sheath was made of ebony and inlaid with several warm sapphires, its design simple yet grand. Drawing the short sword, the blade resembled a pool of autumn water, exuding a chilling aura. Near the hilt, two small characters were engraved with delicate gold inlay: "Ding Jiang" (定疆).

The Sword that Stabilizes the Frontier. Its symbolism is profound.

"Her Highness says that this sword was forged by a renowned craftsman of the previous dynasty, and its sharpness is unparalleled. She wishes that the Grand Commander would wield this sword to forever guard the northern frontier and bring peace to the nation," the eunuch relayed.

Lin Feng sheathed the short sword solemnly and said, "Please inform Her Highness that I will live up to the name of this sword and the high expectations of His Majesty and Her Highness."

In addition to bestowing honors, the imperial edict also mentioned that he should return to the capital to report on his duties.

What's meant to happen will happen. Lin Feng had already made up his mind.

After receiving the imperial decree and expressing gratitude, entertaining the envoy, and distributing rewards, Lin Feng was busy again. Only when the night was deep and quiet did he summon his core generals once more.

"You have all heard His Majesty's decree. With the Northern Border temporarily at peace, I need to return to the capital." Lin Feng got straight to the point. "After I leave, Lei Bao will temporarily assume the duties of Grand Commander of the Northern Border's military and political affairs, assisted by Yan Qing. Major decisions will be made by the two of you through discussion. If there are any unresolved issues, please report to me immediately."

Lei Bao and Yan Qing stepped forward, saying, "Your subordinates obey!"

"Furthermore," Lin Feng concluded, "there's no need to deliberately conceal the news of my return to the capital, but there's also no need to publicize it widely. Three days later, I will travel light, taking only one hundred personal guards, and depart quietly. Tell the outside world that I'm still in the interior reorganizing defenses. It's not too late to announce it after I enter the capital."

He wanted to create a time gap to see if any monsters or demons would emerge in the Northern Territory after he "left," and he also wanted to see how the capital would react when they learned that he was "about to" but "had not yet" returned to the capital.

At dawn on the third day, before the sky was bright, the side gate of Cangyun Pass quietly opened. Lin Feng, dressed in ordinary general's attire with a black cloak over his head, quietly left the pass, accompanied by Bai Xiaohe and a hundred carefully selected Duan Yue Guards disguised as caravan escorts, and disappeared into the morning mist on the official road heading south.

He didn't attract too much attention; only a handful of people, including Lei Bao and Yan Qing, saw him off.

"Guards, take care on your journey!" Lei Bao clasped his hands in a fist salute, his tiger eyes slightly red.

"The capital is fraught with danger; the garrison must be extremely careful!" Yan Qing's expression was also solemn.

"Don't worry. The Northern Frontier is in your hands." Lin Feng patted the two men on the shoulders, mounted his horse, took one last look at the majestic Cangyun Pass gradually becoming clear in the morning light, and without further hesitation, spurred his horse.

"Set off!"