The playboy county magistrate

"They anticipated that our army would most likely pursue us, so they feigned a retreat to lure our army across the border. Once our army ventured deep into the territory, they immediately turned around and surrounded us, catching us off guard."

"In this way, we can both annihilate our elite troops on the border and dampen the morale of our army. At the same time, we can turn around and falsely accuse our Great Yong of taking the initiative to cross the border and start a war."

Princess Ning'an, though far away in the capital of Dayong, was able to calculate the morale of the people on the border and the war situation with perfect precision. Such shrewdness and cunning were truly terrifying.

Zhou Lin felt a chill run down his spine, and a cold sweat instantly broke out on his back. He was filled with lingering fear.

"This humble general almost fell into their trap! These people from the northern deserts are becoming increasingly treacherous and cunning!"

If we had acted impulsively and led the troops in pursuit, we would probably have lost more than half of our two thousand elite troops today.

If the elite troops are lost, the morale of the border troops will collapse completely.

"Pass on my orders," Li Xuanzhi continued, "The entire army will remain in place, not leaving the defensive line for an inch. No pursuit, no crossing the border, and no relaxation of vigilance. Archers and crossbowmen will be on high alert at all times, scouts will advance to probe the enemy's rear and closely monitor their movements. Report back immediately if there is any change in the enemy's posture!"

"Yes, sir!"

On the other side, the Northern Desert cavalry slowly retreated three miles, stopping behind the undulating sand dunes of the wilderness, just enough to conceal most of their figures, leaving only a small number of cavalrymen to roam outside.

Batu, unable to hear the sound of pursuing hooves behind him, was momentarily taken aback, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes before turning into a deep gloom.

He never expected that this young civil official from the Central Plains would be so composed.

He remained humble in the face of victory and calm in the face of retreat. He saw through the trick of feigning retreat to lure the enemy and resisted the urge to press his advantage, refusing to fall into any trap.

A personal guard beside him whispered urgently, "General! The Dayong garrison is not moving an inch, holding their line to the death, showing no intention of pursuing!"

Batu gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath, his face growing increasingly grim.

His carefully laid trap and deliberately created illusion of defeat were seen through by the enemy at a glance.

"That Li Xuanzhi... he's indeed troublesome."

Batu frowned for a moment, unwilling to return empty-handed. A ruthless killing intent resurfaced in his eyes, and he coldly hissed:

"Since we can't lure them out, let's try another method!"

"Send the order: send three hundred light cavalry to circle around the desolate valley paths, plunder the outlying villages, and harass the border residents! No need to attack the city; simply set fires and create chaos!"

This is a message specially sent by Princess Ning'an.

If direct confrontation is not possible, then the hearts and minds of the people will be disturbed.

Upon receiving the order, the three hundred light cavalry from the northern deserts immediately removed their conspicuous heavy armor, sheathed their longbows, and donned light scimitars. Under the cover of sand dunes and wild grass, they crouched low, close to their horses, and stealthily made their way towards the border village of Dayong.

But all of his actions, which he thought were secret, had already been seen by the hidden sentries that Li Xuanzhi had set up.

A moment later, a scout rode back from afar, knelt down, and urgently reported:

"My lord! The rebel army has dispatched three hundred light cavalry to sneak around and harass the village to the west!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Lin flew into a rage, clenching his fist and growling.

"These bandits are shameless! Unable to defeat us in a direct confrontation, they resort to harassing the people! This humble general requests permission to lead men to intercept and kill them!"

Li Xuanzhi stood in the wind, his expression calm and undisturbed, as if he had foreseen all of this. He calmly raised his hand to stop Zhou Lin's anger.

He looked up towards the village to the west. "Zhou Lin, you take five hundred spearmen and hold the main defensive line. Hold the main force of the Northern Desert's thousand cavalry at bay and prevent them from having another chance to advance."

He then turned to Tang Zheng, who had been following him, and said, "Take two hundred personal guards and one hundred elite light cavalry to detour and intercept those three hundred stealthy enemy cavalry. Just protect the village and the people. Anyone who dares to get close and disturb the people should be killed on the spot, leaving no future trouble."

"The rest of the soldiers, guard the city gates strictly. Archers and crossbowmen, keep a close watch on the enemy forces behind the sand dunes. If the main force of the Northern Desert dares to make the slightest move, immediately launch long-range fire to block their advance!"

"Yes, sir!"

The two figures simultaneously received the order and each led their troops away at full speed.

On the wasteland, the situation instantly split into two battlefields.

Batu, behind the sand dunes, saw the Dayong army split up and move in different directions. Instead of panicking, he curled up a sinister smile.

He deliberately made a sound so that all his knights could hear it.

"It seems Li Xuanzhi has run out of options and can only divide his forces and run around frantically!"

"Keep at it! We're not in a hurry to attack; we just need to stall them, harass them. Wait until dusk when the sandstorm picks up, then we'll seize the opportunity to counterattack! Today, we must make this young imperial envoy fall outside Zhenxi Pass!"

The entire border wilderness was shrouded in sandstorms, limiting visibility and providing perfect cover for the stealthy cavalry of the northern desert.

After Batu sat firmly on the sand dune, he coldly watched the Dayong army move in different directions, and his plan had already taken shape in his mind.

In his view, Li Xuanzhi was ultimately just young and impetuous.

Even if they saw through the plan to lure the enemy from the front, they could not avoid the unrest in the lives of ordinary people that arose from within the Dayong Dynasty.

The three hundred light cavalrymen from the northern desert were all seasoned veterans of border battles, agile and skilled in guerrilla warfare.

They could silently approach the village, set fires, disturb the residents, and create chaos with ease.

Whenever a fire breaks out in a village on the west side, the people will flee, and cries will fill the air.

At that time, without a single soldier from the northern desert launching a direct attack, the morale of the border people will crumble, and rumors will spread instantly. All of Li Xuanzhi's achievements in steadfastly defending the line will be erased, and he will instead be branded as incompetent in defending against the enemy and failing to protect the people.

Batu stroked the hilt of his knife with his fingers, his eyes growing increasingly sinister as he silently waited for the distant fireworks to rise.

However, the expected smoke signals and village clamor did not arrive; only the howling sandstorms continued to sweep across the wasteland.

Conversely, from the direction of the desolate valley to the west, came the faint, sharp sounds of weapons clashing, swift and decisive, before falling silent in an instant.

A deathly silence, a sudden deathly silence, is far more unsettling than any clamor.

Batu's expression changed slightly, a sudden sense of foreboding rising in his heart. He spoke in a deep voice to the personal guard beside him, demanding:

"What happened over there? Why is there no sound at all?"

The guards dared not delay and immediately dispatched scouts to investigate.

Before the scouts could disappear into the distance, a swift black figure sped back through the sandstorm – it was the remnant riders of the Northern Desert raiding squad.

They were covered in blood, and even their warhorse was wounded.

At this moment, he looked panicked, stumbled and fell off his horse, his voice trembling.

"General! It's terrible! We've been ambushed!"

Batu's body trembled, and he let out a sharp growl.

"Nonsense! There aren't many people stationed in that area by the Great Yong Dynasty, so how could there be an ambush!"

"They are definitely soldiers from Dayong! They were already waiting on both sides of the road leading to that village!"

The wrecked rider was panting heavily, still shaken.

"The enemy consisted entirely of elite light cavalry, swift in movement and ruthless in combat. We were surrounded the moment we entered the desolate valley, with no time to approach the village, let alone set fires to create an ambush!"

On his way there, Li Xuanzhi had already learned that the northern deserts were known for their guerrilla tactics, raids, and disruptive behavior. On his first day at the border, he ordered scouts to survey the surrounding terrain.

The desolate valley on the west side may seem hidden and quiet, but it is actually the first barrier for the border village and a necessary route for enemy cavalry to sneak through.