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

On the city wall, the cheers gradually subsided.

Chu Yun leaned against the battlements, gazing at the barbarian army's hastily retreating camp in the distance. His expression showed no sign of relief; instead, it grew increasingly solemn.

He turned to look at Wang Hu beside him.

"General Wang, although the trap today caused heavy losses to the barbarian army and dampened their morale, we cannot let our guard down."

"The barbarian army suffered a great loss, and they will definitely send soldiers to conduct a thorough search of every inch of land outside the city, marking and clearing traps bit by bit."

These tactics can at most delay their siege, but they won't hold them off for long.

Upon hearing this, Wang Hu's expression darkened, and he nodded heavily.

"Your Highness is absolutely right."

"Although there are many traps outside the city, they are all open ambushes. As long as the barbarian army is patient and explores inch by inch, they can clear a safe passage for attacking the city in less than two days."

"The real battle will begin when they clear the traps and launch a full-scale attack on the city. Our current advantage is insignificant."

The two looked at each other and saw a heavy burden of pressure in each other's eyes.

With 40,000 defenders facing 200,000 barbarian troops, even with well-constructed fortifications, they were still outnumbered and outgunned. A slight misstep could have resulted in the city's collapse and the loss of lives.

The surrounding generals also stopped laughing and fell silent.

Just then, a mechanical electronic voice rang out in Chu Yun's mind without warning.

[Ding! Host is facing a city defense battle, triggering a time-limited system mission!]

[Mission Objective: Within ten days, repel the barbarian army of 200,000 and lift the siege of Jing'an City.]

[Task Description: Rewards will be automatically distributed upon completion of the task.]

[Host, do you accept this mission?]

Chu Yun's heart skipped a beat, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

The system unexpectedly issued a task at this moment, and such a tricky time-limited task at that.

How could they repel 200,000 barbarian troops within ten days?

He frowned, deep in thought.

Our forces number less than 40,000. Although we have sufficient food and weapons, the disparity in troop strength is too great.

Holding out for a month while waiting for reinforcements is already difficult enough; to take the initiative and repel the enemy within ten days is an incredibly challenging task.

If you accept the offer, you'll likely fail to complete it; if you don't, you'll miss out on the system reward.

"System, what will happen if I accept a mission but fail to complete it?"

[Host, rest assured, failure of the mission will not result in any substantial punishment.]

[Sole impact: After a task fails, the system will enter a silent period, and no new tasks will be issued for the next six months.]

No new tasks released in six months?

Upon hearing this, Chu Yun's previously conflicted heart instantly calmed down, and he no longer hesitated.

There was no real punishment, just a six-month suspension of the mission, which is perfectly acceptable!

It's only about six months before a new task comes along, but once completed, you'll receive a generous reward—it's a sure-fire way to make money.

"I accept the mission!"

[Mission accepted. Countdown officially begins. Good luck, host.]

Chu Yun's lips curled up slightly.

With proper planning, it's not impossible to defeat the barbarian army in ten days.

.........

As dusk fell, the setting sun painted the sky red.

Thick plumes of smoke rose from the barbarian army camp outside Jing'an City.

The barbarian soldiers gathered in small groups around the fire, wolfing down their coarse food.

The atmosphere inside the central command tent was heavy.

Yelü Aguda paced back and forth inside the tent.

His brows were furrowed, his face was frighteningly gloomy, and he would stop every now and then to look out of the tent.

An afternoon passed, and the soldiers who had gone to investigate the traps still hadn't returned.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded outside the tent.

"General!"

A rough voice rang out, the tent flap was flung open, and a barbarian general strode into the tent, bowing and reporting.

Yelü Aguda strode forward: "Speak! How's the investigation going? What exactly is the situation with the Qian army's trap?"

The general's expression was solemn as he spoke in a deep voice.

"General, my men have been investigating all afternoon, and the situation is worse than we anticipated!"

"Outside the four walls of Jing'an City—east, south, west, and north—the Qian army laid countless traps, including horse traps, bamboo stake traps, and hidden stakes, layer upon layer, densely packed, without any discernible pattern, with each trap connected to the next."

"Your subordinates have thoroughly investigated and found that only the main road leading directly to the city gate, being the only route, is free of traps. The sides of the road, however, are riddled with hidden killing moves!"

"According to my reconnaissance, the Qian army mobilized almost the entire city's population and garrison, working day and night to dig this vast network of traps, all to block all our routes of attack!"

Yelü Aguda was startled, and suddenly raised his hand, slamming it hard on the table beside him.

"Bang!"

"Damn those Great Qian people!"

Yelü Aguda roared in fury, "These despicable rats, all they know is these underhanded tricks!"

"I swear, after we break through the city, I will slaughter every single person of the Great Qian Dynasty within, leaving no one alive! I will skin Chu Yun alive and tear him limb from limb to vent my hatred!"

He clenched his fists, his chest heaving violently.

After venting for a while, Yelü Aguda forcibly suppressed his surging anger.

His eyes were icy as he stared at the kneeling general and gave a stern order.

"Pass on my order! Tomorrow morning, the entire army will be mobilized to clear the traps at all costs!"

"A wide, safe attack zone must be cleared outside the east, west, and south walls. This must be completed by tomorrow! At all costs, the traps must be filled in!"

"Tell all soldiers that the entire army will launch a general offensive the day after tomorrow morning! We will raze Jing'an City to the ground and slaughter the entire city!"

The general's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly bowed to accept the order.

"Yes, Commander! This subordinate will immediately convey the military order!"

After saying that, he got up, turned around, and strode out of the tent to make arrangements for tomorrow's obstacle-clearing task.

Inside the tent, Yelü Aguda gazed at the night outside, his eyes filled with ruthlessness.

Chu Yun, your trap cannot stop my 200,000-strong army!

After the city falls, I will make sure that you and this Jing'an City are reduced to ashes!

........

night.

Chu Yun lay in bed, wide awake.

His mind was filled with the mission of repelling the enemy in ten days, and he pondered over and over again how to defeat them.

Fighting in the open outside the city is absolutely not feasible.

If the city gates were opened and a battle were launched outside, our side would be completely overwhelmed and become lambs to the slaughter in less than half an hour.

A direct confrontation would be futile, like throwing an egg against a rock; that path is completely blocked.

A direct assault won't work; we have to outsmart them.

The barbarian army of 200,000 consumed astronomical amounts of food and fodder every day; the people and horses could not be without food for even a moment.

As long as their food supplies are cut off and their logistics camp is burned, the 200,000-strong army will be without food and will naturally retreat without a fight.

This is the only way to force the barbarian army to retreat within ten days.

But as soon as this idea popped into my head, I was stumped by countless problems.

The barbarian army's supply depot must be located in the very center of the main camp, heavily fortified with layers of defenses, so that not even a fly could get in.

The task of leading a team to infiltrate the enemy camp, find the supply depot, and successfully set it on fire is as difficult as climbing to the heavens.

With too few men, they wouldn't be able to break through the layers of guards; they would be wiped out before they even got close, which would be nothing short of suicide.

If we bring too many people, we will be too conspicuous and easily discovered. Once exposed, we will not only fail to burn our supplies, but also lose our elite troops for nothing.

Moreover, the barbarian army's defenses were tight, with guards on duty day and night, and sentries were everywhere. Any slight movement would be detected, leaving no opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

Chu Yun repeatedly considered and deduced every possibility in his mind, but he overturned them time and time again.

There was no other way but to burn the grain and fodder.

Whether it's harassment or other schemes, they're just tickling the 200,000-strong army, unable to damage its foundation. They can delay it for a few days, but getting them to completely retreat is as difficult as climbing to heaven.

As for assassinating Yelü Aguda, that was out of the question.

As the commander-in-chief of the barbarian army, Yelü Aguda had countless guards around him and was extremely powerful. He had fought for many years and was highly skilled.

With his current strength, it would be impossible for him to successfully assassinate Yelü Aguda while surrounded by a large army and escape unscathed.

After much thought, all my ideas came back to square one.

Burning the grain and fodder was the only solution.