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

One day later.

On a secluded path beside the main road heading north, the rapid sound of horses' hooves suddenly rang out.

Horseshoes pounded the gravel and dust on the road, kicking up a trail of dust as a hundred elite Imperial Guard cavalrymen galloped in formation.

Chu Yun led the way, with Ma Dong close behind. The cavalrymen, carrying spears and wearing scimitars at their waists, all had solemn expressions as they swiftly marched north.

To avoid revealing their whereabouts, they avoided the wide official roads and took forest paths instead, which facilitated reconnaissance and allowed them to avoid the vanguard scouts of the barbarian army.

The wind blew from the north, carrying a sense of desolation and chill. The further north you went, the more bleak the scenery became.

The number of refugees on the road is increasing, even more so than around Jing'an City.

They were dressed in tattered clothes, their faces pale and emaciated. Some were leaning on broken crutches, some were carrying their dying relatives on their backs, and some were barefoot, moving unsteadily southward, their eyes filled with nothing but despair.

Along the roadside, corpses of the starving could be seen everywhere, with stray dogs roaming around. The air was filled with a nauseating stench of decay, blood, and sweat.

Chu Yun reined in his horse, signaling the group to stop temporarily. He dismounted, stopped an elderly man with faltering steps, and asked in a deep voice.

"Old man, how's the battle at Hebei City going?"

Upon hearing the words "Hebei City," the old man trembled, and tears welled up in his eyes instantly, his lips quivering.

"Gone...all gone..."

"Hebei City has already fallen, it fell three days ago!"

Prefect Zhang led the people in a desperate defense, and finally died on the city wall. After the barbarian soldiers broke into the city, they killed people and looted everything in sight, and burned the entire city to the ground.

Tens of thousands of civilians, very few survived... We escaped with our lives on the line; if we had been a moment later, we would have been victims of the barbarian soldiers' swords too!"

These words were like a thunderclap, exploding in everyone's ears.

The accompanying cavalrymen's expressions changed drastically; they gripped their weapons tightly, their faces filled with grief and indignation.

Chu Yun stood there, his eyes filled with anger and heaviness.

The prefect was killed in battle, and the entire city was massacred. The barbarian soldiers' actions were extremely brutal.

Hearing this, Ma Dong's eyes turned red with anger, and he couldn't help but grit his teeth and curse.

"These beasts! They're utterly inhuman wolves! Slaughtering entire cities, sparing not even the elderly, women, and children—they're worse than pigs and dogs!"

"Tens of thousands of innocent civilians were slaughtered at will!"

The cavalrymen also muttered curses under their breath, their hearts filled with resentment towards the barbarian soldiers.

Chu Yun's eyes were icy cold. "Deputy General Ma, we have all witnessed the brutality of the Northern Barbarians. The blood debt they owe, the countless lives they have taken—one day, I will make them pay for their debts a hundredfold!"

Ma Dong turned to look at Chu Yun, opened his mouth, but ultimately remained silent, a complex and helpless look flashing in his eyes.

He knew in his heart that His Highness's words were full of passion, but putting them into practice would be extremely difficult.

The Northern Barbarian cavalry were already brave and skilled in battle, and extremely mobile. Now, they were even more powerful and had a strong force.

However, the Great Qian Dynasty is now beset by internal and external troubles, its national strength is declining, and its military forces are scattered. It is already difficult enough to hold the northern border defense line.

To think that they could take the initiative and invade the northern grasslands was simply a pipe dream.

Even during the height of the Great Qian Dynasty, with its powerful army, it was unable to completely subdue the Northern Barbarians; at most, it could only repel them and maintain peace.

The Great Qian Dynasty of today has long lost its former glory, making it virtually impossible for it to accomplish such a feat.

After a brief reorganization, the group continued their northward journey.

They had traveled less than two miles when the sound of rapid hoofbeats suddenly came from the woods ahead.

The two scouts who were tasked with exploring the area spurred their horses back at full speed.

"Your Highness! General! A village has been spotted two miles ahead. A troop of barbarian cavalry is burning, killing, and looting within the village. The villagers are crying out in despair; the situation is extremely critical!"

Upon hearing the news, Ma Dong's expression changed drastically, and his brows furrowed.

"I never expected the barbarian army to march so fast. The main force is still in Hebei City, and the vanguard has already reached the outskirts of Jing'an County!"

"This is a common practice of the barbarian army before an attack: sending out vanguard scouts to plunder, explore the terrain, and create panic, thus clearing obstacles for the main force to advance."

Chu Yun's eyes darkened, and he immediately looked at the scout, pressing him for an answer in a deep voice.

"How many troops do they have? Is it a large barbarian army?"

"Your Highness, I have roughly counted about forty or fifty men, all cavalry. I dared not approach too deeply for fear of being discovered by their sentries, so I returned immediately to report!"

Chu Yun nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone, and spoke in a deep voice.

"It seems that this is a vanguard scout team of northern barbarians, specializing in exploring the front lines, raiding and harassing."

Ma Dong nodded in agreement.

"Your Highness is absolutely right."

Chu Yun immediately made up his mind and said loudly.

"This group of barbarian soldiers number only forty or fifty. We have the advantage in numbers, so let's annihilate them all and save the villagers."

While we're at it, we'll capture a few prisoners to interrogate about the main barbarian army's marching movements and troop deployments...

Now that we've witnessed this, we absolutely cannot stand idly by.

Ma Dong's expression instantly turned serious, and he lowered his voice to dissuade him.

"Your Highness, you must not act rashly!"

The Northern Barbarian cavalrymen grew up on horseback, possessing superb horsemanship skills and a far superior ability to fight on horseback compared to our army.

Although we have a hundred people, which seems to give us a numerical advantage, we may not be able to win if a real fight breaks out.

Even if they ultimately win, they will certainly suffer heavy losses.

We need to continue our reconnaissance northward. If we lose too many troops, we won't be able to complete the subsequent missions!

The core purpose of this mission is to reconnoiter the enemy, not to engage in direct combat. If we were to get bogged down in a fierce battle, it would not only delay our mission but also needlessly deplete our elite troops, which would be a net loss.

Ma Dong continued to advise, "In my opinion, we should bypass this village and continue north to complete our reconnaissance mission. We must not let a small matter cause us to lose more than we gain."

"To lose more than you gain?" Chu Yun suddenly turned his head and looked at Ma Dong, his eyes filled with anger.

"The villagers are being slaughtered by barbarian soldiers. The elderly, women, and children are hanging by a thread. As soldiers of the Great Qian Dynasty, are you just going to stand by and watch them die, and then turn a blind eye?"

What is the mission of a soldier?

It is about protecting our homeland and safeguarding our people!

The people are suffering right before our eyes; if we turn a blind eye, how are we any different from deserters!

"If you're afraid and don't dare to go, I'll lead the men and charge up myself!"

What's there to be afraid of with just forty or fifty barbarian soldiers?

You are the Imperial Guards of the Great Qian Dynasty, well-equipped, with armor and weapons superior to those of the barbarian cavalry.

Why can't we win?

Chu Yun's words were resounding and each one struck the heart of every cavalryman present.

As they traveled north, they witnessed the suffering of refugees and heard of the devastation in Hebei City. Their hearts were filled with pent-up anger, but they had nowhere to vent it due to military orders.

Upon hearing this, Ma Dong was startled, and his cheeks instantly flushed.

Yes, they are the Imperial Guard, the army that protects the country. How could they stand by and watch the people be harmed by barbarian soldiers!

Without further hesitation, he nodded emphatically, turned abruptly, and roared loudly at the hundred cavalrymen behind him.

"Brothers! His Highness is right!"

We are the Imperial Guards of the Great Qian Dynasty, and it is our duty to defend our territory. How can we allow barbarian soldiers to commit atrocities on our land!

The people ahead are suffering. Follow me, annihilate these barbarian soldiers, rescue our fellow villagers, and show them the might of the Great Qian Imperial Army!

"Kill the barbarian soldiers! Save the people!"

"Follow His Highness! Slay the barbarians!"

The cavalrymen were instantly ignited with fighting spirit and shouted in unison.

Ma Dong turned to look at Chu Yun, his tone urgent.

"Your Highness, your status is too noble for you to go to such a dangerous place. When the battle begins, you should stay at the rear of the troops to provide cover. We will handle these barbarian soldiers!"

Chu Yun nodded lightly, saying nothing more, but he had already made up his mind.

It was impossible for him not to participate; he wanted to use this battle to properly test his true strength.

He really didn't take a mere forty or fifty barbarian soldiers seriously.