The imperial court is ceding territory from our northern border? Then we'll rebel!

Blackwind Valley.

The night was as dark as ink; you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

One hundred thousand imperial guards, like a group of ghosts in the night, silently emerged from the valley where they had been lying in ambush for several days.

The leading general was named Zang Chong, Zang Baiyuan's nephew and a trusted confidant whom he had personally promoted.

Zang Chong was nearly forty years old, which was the peak of his experience and physical strength as a general.

He was clad in specially made sound-absorbing soft armor, riding a warhorse with hooves wrapped in thick cloth, his eyes sharp as an eagle.

"Pay attention, everyone!" he ordered his lieutenants in a low voice. "Ancheng is just thirty li away!"

"According to intelligence, Xiao Jingchen's main force is entirely absent, and the city's garrison numbers less than 50,000, mostly second-line troops!"

"We must take Ancheng before dawn! A great gift for the old general and General Tian!"

The generals behind him had eyes that gleamed with excitement and greed.

They are the Imperial Guards, the most elite troops of the Great Yan Dynasty, and His Majesty the Emperor's personal army.

They looked down on the local border troops, including the so-called Northern Frontier Garrison Army.

In their eyes, the Zhenbei Army was nothing more than a bunch of peasants who only knew how to fight barbarians, and they were not even in the same league as the well-equipped and well-trained disciples of the emperor.

In their view, this surprise attack on Ancheng was nothing more than an armed demonstration.

It was practically a free favor.

"General, rest assured!" a lieutenant said in a low voice, brimming with confidence. "Ancheng is nothing but a bunch of old, weak, and disabled people. We can take it down with a single charge!"

"Exactly! Capturing Xiao Jingchen's wife and children alive would be a tremendous achievement!"

"At that time, being ennobled and appointed as a general will be just around the corner!"

Zang Chong listened to his subordinates' discussion, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

He could almost see himself conquering Ancheng and trampling Xiao Jingchen's family underfoot.

What an honor that is!

"Pass down the order: the entire army must speed up!"

"Remember, our target is the city gate! Once we get close, ignore the guards on the walls. The entire army, combine forces and break down the gate as quickly as possible!"

"Once we enter the city, Ancheng will be ours!"

"yes!"

The army of 100,000, like 100,000 ghostly figures, sped toward Ancheng under the cover of darkness.

Each of them was full of confidence, believing themselves to be hunters in the night, and Ancheng to be the lamb to the slaughter.

They were completely unaware that on both sides of their path, in the hillsides and dense forests that they hadn't even bothered to glance at, were...

Pairs of even colder eyes were watching them.

Luofengpo.

Zhao Wu lay prone in a clump of grass, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, watching the imperial guards rushing past on the official road below with utter boredom.

"Damn, they're moving pretty fast," he muttered under his breath. "These bastards really think they're here to get something for nothing."

The Qing soldiers around him remained motionless in their positions, like stones.

They were all covered in thick camouflage, blending into their surroundings.

If you hadn't come up close, you would never have discovered that thousands of killing gods were lying in ambush here.

"General, they are about to pass through our defense zone," a centurion whispered a warning.

"No rush." ​​Zhao Wu grinned. "Let the fish swim a little longer. We'll make our move when they're right in the center of the trap and can't escape."

"Tell the brothers at Eagle Sorrow Gorge and Broken Soul Cliff to keep their eyes peeled and not let a single fish escape."

"yes!"

……

Eagle's Sorrow Gorge.

Wang Meng, the commander of the Fifth Army Corps in the Northern Frontier, was standing on the edge of a cliff.

He is a man of few words who rose from the lowest rank of soldier in the northern frontier to his current position through his military achievements.

He was not as domineering as Cang Jia, as treacherous as Jing Long, or as unconventional as Zhao Wu.

His approach to warfare can be summed up in one word: stability.

The Marquis ordered him to set up an ambush here, so he led 50,000 men and arrived here three days in advance.

Dig traps, set tripwires, deploy rolling stones, and arrange archer positions...

He made all the preparations he could think of, and even those he couldn't.

He wants to turn this area into a true death zone.

"General, the enemy's vanguard has entered our ambush zone."

Wang Meng nodded without saying anything more.

"Proceed according to plan."

……

Broken Soul Cliff.

Cang Jia led the main force of his First Legion, traveling day and night, and finally arrived here on the scheduled date.

His soldiers had just finished a siege battle, and many of them were still wounded.

But no one complained or said they were tired.

Military orders are absolute.

If the Marquis sends them, they must come.

"General, the brothers are all in position," Deputy General Zhao Xing reported. His face was full of fatigue, but his eyes were unusually bright.

Being able to participate in such a massive and earth-shattering operation filled him with immense excitement.

Cang Jia patted him on the shoulder.

"You've worked hard. Let the brothers take a quick rest and grab a bite of dry rations."

"Wait, there's another tough battle ahead."

Zhao Xing looked towards Black Wind Valley with some concern.

"General, it's the Imperial Guard. I've heard... they're Emperor Yan's personal troops, and their fighting strength is extraordinary. We've just been through a major battle and have been on a forced march; the brothers' stamina..."

"Physical strength is not a problem," Cang Jia interrupted him. "In war, it's not just about physical strength, but also about morale."

He pointed to the soldiers around him.

"Look at them."

Zhao Xing looked in the direction he was pointing.

Although the soldiers of the Zhenbei Army all looked exhausted, their eyes were like those of wolves.

They were filled with a thirst for battle and confidence in victory.

"We have just breached a fortified city of a million men, and our morale is high," Cang Jia said calmly. "And they are here to launch a sneak attack; they are cowardly rats who cannot stand the light of day."

"Given this shift in power, who do you think has a better chance of winning?"

"Besides..." Cang Jia laughed, "We are the hunters, and they are the prey. Have you ever seen prey escape from a trap set by three hunters?"

After hearing this, Zhao Xing's last trace of worry vanished.

He nodded emphatically.

"This subordinate understands!"

Cang Jia looked up at the sky.

"That's about it."

"Pass on my orders!"

"All soldiers, mount your horses and prepare for battle!"

"Tonight, we will use the blood of these 100,000 imperial guards to tell His Majesty, who is high above in the capital, a truth."

"The northern frontier is not a place he can act upon as he pleases!"

With his command.

The silent Broken Soul Cliff was instantly awakened.

Countless dark figures mounted their horses, their cold blades reflecting a bloodthirsty light in the dim starlight.

A deadly net, consisting of nearly 200,000 troops operating from three directions, has quietly tightened.

Meanwhile, Zang Chong and his 100,000 imperial guards, the prey in the net, were completely unaware of this.

They were still dreaming of conquering Ancheng and being granted titles and honors, and they excitedly rushed towards the tomb that had been prepared for them.