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

In the following time, the entire central command tent became completely lively.

Chu Yun summoned several core generals in the army one by one, including the captains of the left, right, front, and rear battalions, as well as several of the most senior captains.

Everyone who saw Chu Yun had the same reaction—so shocked that their minds went blank.

My impression of the sixth prince was that he was a spoiled brat who couldn't lift a finger.

But in front of...

"This...this really is the Sixth Prince?"

"Unbelievable! He used to look so frail, but now he's like an invincible warrior!"

"I used to complain to people that one of the princes was just wasting his time, but after seeing him today... I'm afraid I met a fake prince before."

The generals whispered among themselves, their voices hushed, yet each word carried a profound sense of awe.

Someone secretly pinched their thigh, gasped in pain, and made sure they weren't dreaming.

Some people examined the armor repeatedly, finding it increasingly unusual; the texture... it was clearly not an ordinary item.

Even the deputy general, Ma Dong, quietly moved closer to Wang Hu, lowered his voice, and asked in astonishment, "General, this...this can't be wrong, can it? He really is the Sixth Prince?"

Wang Hu glanced at him: "Nonsense! Do you think I don't know whether he's the Sixth Prince or not? There's no mistake."

Ma Dong swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"But this image... is too... too contrasting, isn't it? He doesn't look like a playboy who only knows how to eat, drink, and have fun at all; he looks more like a young general."

Wang Hu remained silent for a moment, then shook his head.

"I don't know what's going on either. He used to be quite unruly. But after seeing him today, it seems like it was all an act before."

He patted Ma Dong on the shoulder, his tone serious.

"Don't ask so many questions, business is more important."

How are the army's preparations? Are the provisions, weapons, and vehicles all in place?

"Everything is ready!" Ma Dong immediately stood up straight, his spirits lifted. "The soldiers have eaten breakfast and are already lined up outside the camp. The tanks and supply wagons are also loaded. We can set off at any time at noon."

"Okay." Wang Hu nodded.

At the same time, Chu Yun had already stood in front of the main seat in the central command tent.

"Generals."

The tent fell silent instantly.

"This northward journey will be a challenging mission."

"The northern frontier is in dire need of help; the northern barbarians are invading. Our 20,000 men are here to defend the city, repel the enemy, and ensure the safety of the people."

"I know everyone is worried, and we know the road ahead is dangerous."

"But since I, Chu Yun, am here, I have nothing to fear."

"From now on, the command and control of the army will be entirely in the hands of General Wang Hu."

"You are all veterans of the battlefield, while I am new here. I hope you will cooperate with me and give me your guidance."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

........

Noon, 3:45.

A loud bugle call suddenly rang out over the military camp.

"Waaah—waaah—"

The long, deep sound of the horn penetrated the entire camp and reached every corner.

Upon hearing the bugle call, the soldiers, who were originally performing their duties, immediately stopped what they were doing, quickly grabbed their weapons and packed their bags, and rapidly assembled in the open space of the camp.

In the short span of half an incense stick's time, the 20,000 Imperial Guards had formed neat square formations, standing straight with swords and spears standing tall, stretching as far as the eye could see.

The Imperial Guards were the most elite army in the Great Qian Dynasty. They trained the most rigorously on a daily basis. Their food, clothing, weapons, and armor were all the best in the army. Each of them was physically strong and had a different kind of spirit.

Wang Hu, clad in full armor and mounted on his warhorse, held a command flag in his hand. Looking at the orderly ranks before him, he swung the flag down and shouted his orders.

"All troops, heed my command! Break camp and march north to the northern frontier!"

"Yes, sir!"

The 20,000 soldiers responded in unison.

The vanguard set off first, followed by supply wagons, with the rearguard bringing up the rear. The column stretched for miles, marching in an orderly fashion towards the camp.

Chu Yun rode his warhorse at the forefront of the army, walking side by side with Wang Hu.

He didn't put on airs like a prince and made a special trip to ride in a comfortable carriage. Now that he had entered the military camp and become the commander-in-chief, he had to follow the rules of the army and would never make exceptions.

He was clad in black armor, wielding the Overlord Spear, his posture upright, sitting steadily on his horse, his gaze calmly fixed on the road ahead.

The generals Wang Hu, Ma Dong, and others standing beside him had their impressions of Chu Yun undergo a complete transformation.

This sixth prince had no airs of being pampered and spoiled, did not put on airs as a prince, and was humble... These details could not be faked.

In their eyes, this was Chu Yun's true self; the image of a playboy who spent his days indulging in eating, drinking, and merrymaking was just a facade he had deliberately put on.

Chu Yun turned his head to look at Wang Hu beside him and asked.

"General Wang, how many days would it take to travel from the capital to the northern frontier?"

Wang Huli replied in a deep voice, "Your Highness, our journey is mostly through plains, with occasional mountain roads. The army is carrying supplies, so we cannot travel too fast. At a normal pace, we should be able to reach the northern frontier in about a month."

Chu Yun nodded, asked no further questions, and looked into the distance again.

........

Time flies, and twenty days have passed in the blink of an eye.

The further north you go, the more shocking the scenery becomes.

Refugees with their families can be seen everywhere.

They were dressed in rags, patched upon patched, some barefoot, some wrapped in tattered rags, their faces weathered and terrified.

The old man was hunched over, the child was crying, and the woman was carrying her luggage. They fled south along the official road in groups of three or five.

Some carried meager belongings, while others supported their injured relatives. Every step they took was difficult, their eyes filled with despair and a will to survive.

Chu Yun rode at the head of the procession, his gaze sweeping over the scene, his heart heavy.

He had seen images of refugees in movies and TV dramas, and read descriptions of displacement in books, but none of those were as real as what he was seeing now.

The words in the book are abstract, but at this moment, these people are right in front of him, crying, shouting, hungry, sick, living people, falling down one by one, and being helped forward one by one.

Chu Yun's throat bobbed, and his fingertips tightened slightly.

He turned to Wang Hu beside him and said in a deep voice, "General Wang, where will these fleeing civilians ultimately go?"

Wang Hu reined in his horse, turned his head, glanced at the refugees by the roadside, and frowned.

"According to the rules, local governments would set up checkpoints along the way to take in these refugees from the north, settle them in temporary residences in various prefectures, register them, distribute food, and help them settle down temporarily."

"But there are too many people." He sighed, his tone full of helplessness. "The north is barren, and there is not enough food to begin with. Now that the barbarian army has invaded, the people are displaced and are fleeing south."

Even if the government wanted to intervene, it would inevitably miss some opportunities, and many people would end up homeless or even become beggars.

Chu Yun remained silent.

He then asked, "I wonder what the situation is like in the north? General Wang, have any new battle reports been sent back?"

Wang Hu's face darkened, and he replied, "According to the news that came back a few days ago, the barbarian army is extremely powerful. They have successively captured three important towns: Beiliang County, You County, and Yan County. Now they are advancing into Hebei County with all their might, burning, killing, and looting along the way. Wherever they go, nothing grows."

"At our current marching speed, we may be able to reach Jing'an County before the barbarian army breaks through Hebei County."

Then they can rely on the high walls of the city to hold out, resisting the barbarian army while waiting for reinforcements from the imperial court.

Chu Yun frowned and pressed, "Are the armies of the northern prefectures really that incompetent? They can't even hold onto the fortified cities?"

Wang Hu gave a bitter laugh, his tone complex.

"Your Highness, it's not that they're incompetent, it's just that they're truly powerless to help."

Local armies were mostly militia and village braves temporarily organized by local governments. They were poorly trained and couldn't even stand in basic formation, let alone fight head-on against the elite cavalry of the barbarian army.

"Furthermore, the Great Qian and the Northern Barbarians have been living in peace for many years, maintaining peace through tribute."

The local armies in the northern prefectures were even more lax, usually only responsible for suppressing bandits and maintaining local security, and had never seen a real battlefield.

If we really went into battle, let alone fighting, I'm afraid we'd panic just seeing the barbarian army's formation.

Chu Yun nodded slightly, gaining a clearer understanding of the situation in Daqian.

This Great Qian Dynasty is too similar to the Song Dynasty he knows so well.

The central army was strong, while the local armies were weak.

Military power was highly centralized in the central government, with only a small number of guard troops in local areas and no real combat legions.

This system, while able to firmly maintain centralized power and prevent local separatism,

However, once they encounter foreign invasion, the local area is powerless to resist and can only wait for the central army to come to their aid.

When the Great Qian Dynasty was at its peak, the central government maintained a massive imperial army, and neighboring countries dared not act rashly, thus maintaining a semblance of peace.

But now?

The Great Qian Dynasty had already begun its decline.

Rebellions broke out across the country, with rebel armies in the southeast, northwest, and other directions. The central army was dispatched to quell the rebellions in various places, resulting in a dispersed force that was difficult to concentrate.

Northern defenses were already weak, and years of peace with the northern barbarians had numbed people's spirits.

This gave the Northern Barbarians an opportunity to break through the defenses and advance deep into the territory.