I, a useless prince, started with the Xiang Yu template.

The scene changes.

Jing'an County.

The official road leading south was completely blocked by the flow of refugees.

The refugees, stretching as far as the eye could see, supported the elderly and carried the young, trudging unsteadily toward Jing'an City.

Since the northern barbarian cavalry launched a large-scale invasion and the three northern prefectures fell one after another, refugees have been pouring into the official roads heading south like a tide.

Their homes were burned down, their relatives were killed, and their belongings were stolen.

They had only one life left, and they desperately fled south, just wanting to get as far away from those ruthless barbarian soldiers as possible.

The crowd was packed tightly together, talking as they walked.

"Those barbarian soldiers are demons crawled out of hell! They kill anyone they see, steal anything they can find, and don't even spare children. They're so brutal!"

"Hurry up and get out of here! Don't linger. Jing'an County isn't safe either; it's only a matter of time before the barbarian troops attack!"

"I wonder when the imperial army will arrive. If they don't come soon, the entire northern part of the Great Qian Dynasty will be finished!"

"I've heard that the barbarian army has already entered Hebei Commandery. I think they won't last more than a few days before the city falls!"

"Sigh, if Hebei City falls, Jing'an County will definitely be next to suffer. I don't plan to stop here. I'll keep fleeing south, as far as I can. Staying here is just waiting to die!"

The sounds of complaints, sighs, and cries mingled together, filled with despair.

Not everyone can continue south.

Many refugees were exhausted from their long journey; their cloth shoes were worn out, and their feet were bloody and raw, making it impossible for them to move.

Some people had already run out of their provisions, their pockets were empty, and they didn't even have enough food to go to the next prefecture.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, they could only drag their weary bodies to Jing'an County, find a place to stay for the time being, and leave their fate to chance.

The flow of people on the official road poured into Jing'an City, making the already not-so-spacious city even more crowded and oppressive.

On the city wall, the guards stood behind the battlements, weapons in hand, staring intently at the densely packed refugees on the official road to the north, their faces grim.

Whispers arose in private, and everyone's heart was filled with unease.

News of the barbarian army's unstoppable advance and the capture of three cities had already spread throughout Jing'an County.

"Have you heard? The barbarian army has already reached Hebei Prefecture. At this rate, they'll be here in a few days, and Jing'an City will be next!"

A young soldier muttered to his comrade beside him, his voice trembling.

"What should we do then? Maybe we should run! With so few of us, we can't possibly stop the barbarian soldiers!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the veteran next to him glared at him and shouted at him sternly.

"Are you insane! Are you out of your mind! Deserting from the army without permission will immediately make you a deserter. Not only will you die, but your entire family will be executed. No one will escape!"

The young soldier was pale and his voice was trembling with tears.

"So, are we just going to wait to die inside the city? The garrison of Jing'an City only numbers a few thousand, most of whom are new recruits who have never seen battle. How can they possibly hold off the elite barbarian army?"

"The Imperial Guards haven't even shown up yet. Aren't they trying to drive us to our deaths?"

"With our meager resources, outdated weapons, and meager provisions, we simply cannot defend the city!"

The crowd looked at each other, their faces filled with helplessness and fear.

"Sigh, stop complaining, it's no use. Now we can only leave it to fate and see how the prefect will arrange things and whether he has any solutions."

The veteran sighed, his eyes dimming, and he felt utterly uncertain.

The entire city of Jing'an was shrouded in an atmosphere of panic.

From the garrison soldiers to the common people, everyone was in danger and saw no hope whatsoever.

The atmosphere inside the prefectural governor's mansion was even more oppressive.

Prefect Du Wen paced back and forth in the main hall, his steps hurried, as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

With the main force of the barbarian army pressing in, Hebei Prefecture is in grave danger. Once Hebei City falls, Jing'an Prefecture will become the next target for the northern barbarians to advance south. With the troop strength deployed in Jing'an City, it is simply no match for them.

He couldn't sleep at night, filled with anxiety and helplessness.

According to the imperial court's schedule, the imperial army sent to reinforce the northern frontier should have arrived in Jing'an County by now, but there is no news of the army at all, and the reinforcements have not yet appeared.

Without the Imperial Guards stationed there, the few thousand weak soldiers in Jing'an City were simply no match for the barbarian army's attack.

Du Wen stopped in his tracks, clenched his fists tightly, and shouted an order towards the door.

"Send out several more scouts to thoroughly investigate the battle situation in Hebei City. Report back immediately with any news, without fail!"

"Yes, sir!"

The guards outside the door received the order and immediately turned to leave.

Du Wen gazed northward, let out a long sigh, his eyes filled with bitterness and anticipation.

When will the reinforcements arrive?

.........

One day later.

The sky was just beginning to lighten, and the morning mist had not yet dissipated.

The soldiers on duty on the city wall, their eyes bloodshot from exhaustion, forced themselves to look northward.

Suddenly, a sharp-eyed young soldier stared intently at the end of the official road, his body stiffening.

He pointed into the distance and roared at the top of his lungs, "Look! Look over there! There's a procession at the end of the road! Lots of people!"

All the guards turned their heads in unison, looking towards the end of the official road.

In the thin mist, a black line slowly appeared, growing thicker and clearer.

The orderly marching column stretched for miles. In the center of the column, a large flag embroidered with the character "Chu" fluttered high in the morning breeze, its bright red color striking and awe-inspiring.

It's the imperial army!

After a brief moment of stunned silence, a deafening cheer erupted from the city wall.

Everyone was trembling with excitement, and the fear and anxiety that had been suppressed for many days erupted at this moment.

"It's the Imperial Guards! Our reinforcements have arrived!"

"It's finally here! Jing'an City is saved! We're saved!"

"Quickly! Go to the prefect's office and report to the prefect that the imperial reinforcements have arrived outside the city! Go now!"

The soldiers spread the news, some even bursting into tears of excitement. The despair of the past few days vanished, and the entire city wall erupted in cheers.

The messenger ran wildly, rushing from the city wall straight to the prefect's mansion, staggering and shouting incessantly.

"My lord! Reinforcements have arrived! The Imperial Guards have arrived!"

Inside the prefectural governor's mansion, Du Wenzheng sat in a chair, his brows furrowed, looking at the city defense map on the table with a worried expression. He looked haggard from not having slept all night.

Upon hearing the messenger's shout, he jumped up and rushed out the door.

"What did you say? Reinforcements have really arrived? Outside the city?"

"Absolutely true, sir! A vast army is indeed on the official road outside the city!"

Du Wen let out a long sigh of relief; the huge weight that had been hanging over his heart for so many days finally lifted.

Finally waited!

The Imperial Guards have finally arrived! Now Jing'an City is saved, and so are all the people of the city!

He immediately straightened his official robes and addressed the civil and military officials and guards in the mansion in a loud voice.

"Follow me out of the city to greet the Imperial Guards!"

Du Wen, accompanied by a group of officials and city garrison commanders, strode out of the city gate and waited respectfully by the roadside outside the city.

A long-lost sense of relaxation appeared on everyone's faces.

at the same time.

The people inside and outside the city also learned of the news, and they flocked to the streets, crowded at the city gate, and looked towards the official road, with discussions rising and falling.

"The Imperial Guards are here! We don't need to flee south anymore! We can finally settle down!"

"That's right! Those are the Imperial Guards from the capital, all elite troops. They can definitely hold off the barbarian soldiers!"

"With the Imperial Guards here, Jing'an City will definitely hold, and our home will be safe!"

"That's wonderful! No more living in fear, no more living a life of constant wandering!"

Before long, 20,000 imperial guards marched in orderly ranks to the outskirts of Jing'an City.

The troops were well-organized, with each soldier in high spirits, their armor gleaming, their weapons flashing, and their imposing presence a stark contrast to the weak garrison of Jing'an City.

Du Wen immediately led everyone forward and bowed in respect.

"Generals, you have had a long and arduous journey! I am Du Wen, Prefect of Jing'an, and I, along with all the officials and people of the city, respectfully welcome the Imperial Guards! With the Imperial Guards' assistance, the people of Jing'an can finally feel at ease!"

At the front of the procession, Chu Yun reined in his warhorse and looked down at the crowd below the city.

He dismounted and walked up to Du Wen.

"Prefect Du, there's no need for such formalities. I am the Sixth Prince, Chu Yun. By order of His Majesty, I am leading 20,000 Imperial Guards northward to provide reinforcements and fight against the Northern Barbarians."