The playboy county magistrate

Tang Zheng had already seen the map of Zhenxiguan long ago, and after receiving the order from Li Xuanzhi, he didn't hesitate at all.

He led his personal guards and light cavalry to abandon the main road and take a shortcut. They seized the high ground in the valley first and lay in hiding.

Three hundred light cavalrymen from the northern desert, full of ambition for a surprise attack, plunged headlong into a pre-laid trap without any warning.

Within the desolate valley, there was no drawn-out standoff between large formations, only swift and decisive close-quarters combat.

Having weathered so many storms and life-or-death situations, Tang Zheng and Li Xuanzhi are no longer the simple, brute-force-only youths they once were.

Now he is calm and collected, and even more ruthless and decisive when dealing with thieves who disturb the peace.

What good are the Northern Desert Knights' skills in mounted combat and maneuvering? They are trapped in a narrow valley and cannot use their skills, rendering their proud equestrian advantages useless.

After a brief battle, the outcome was decided.

"Most of our men have perished!" the messenger who had fought his way back from the northern front reported. "The rest were all captured; only I was protected by my brothers and we managed to break through and return!"

His words, once spoken, resonated like a thunderclap.

Batu froze, his eyes wide with disbelief and astonishment.

Three hundred elite light cavalrymen silently scurried out of the city to launch a surprise attack, but failed to injure the enemy and were almost completely wiped out.

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!"

Batu was furious, and his low growl was full of exasperation.

"Three hundred men couldn't even raid a single village!"

He had dominated the border for many years, but he had never suffered such a humiliating and unpleasant defeat.

The mighty main force of a thousand cavalrymen in the northern desert was completely controlled by a young civil official, and was restrained step by step, with every move failing.

Meanwhile, Zhou Lin, who was in front of the main defensive line, had already seen the battle situation on the west side, and his tense mind finally settled down.

The morale of his soldiers soared, and their formation became increasingly solid. The forest of spears formed a wall, firmly holding back the main force of the northern desert forces in front of the sand dunes.

The iron cavalry of the northern desert, which had been lying in wait, patiently awaiting a counterattack amidst the chaos, were now in disarray, their morale crumbling.

Li Xuanzhi stood at the border, taking in the sight of the enemy's demoralized army.

What he wanted was not indiscriminate killing and slaughter, but to completely shatter the arrogance of the Northern Desert and subdue their probing intentions. To render all the secret schemes and calculations of Princess Ning'an and the Northern Desert royal court ineffective.

At this moment, Tang Zheng also regrouped his troops and galloped back. He dismounted in front of the battle lines and reported in a deep voice:

"My lord, a total of eighty-seven people were captured. Except for those you instructed to return and report, all the rest were executed. The bodies have been examined to ensure none of them could rise. The border village is safe and sound, and the people have not been disturbed!"

Clean and efficient, a resounding victory.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Lin immediately shouted that he wanted to fight:

"My lord! The rebel army's morale is low. I request permission to lead the troops straight into their lines. We will seize the opportunity to launch a surprise attack and utterly crush the thousand cavalry of the Northern Desert!"

With the advantage now firmly in hand, it is the perfect time to press our advantage and inflict heavy damage on the enemy.

But Li Xuanzhi raised his hand again, "No need."

His gaze fell on Batu, whose face was ashen, and his voice was clear and sharp, piercing through the swirling sandstorm.

"Our Great Yong guards our territory, does not crave bloodshed, and is even less fond of war."

"Today your army crossed the border to provoke us, employing numerous tricks. Our army has defeated them one by one, without losing an inch of land or disturbing the hearts of the people. The outcome is already decided."

"Go back and tell those in your Northern Kingdom who have the authority, and Princess Ning'an, who doesn't even know what peace and quiet is in my Great Yongjing City."

"The rules of the border cannot be broken by trickery and harassment of the people. The Great Yong Dynasty cannot be shaken by force or slander."

"If you sincerely wish to negotiate peace, demonstrate your sincerity, and the border can remain peaceful. If you insist on repeatedly causing trouble and stirring up chaos, and dare to cross the line again, it will not be as simple as just being driven away. No matter how brave your Northern Desert soldiers are, their numbers are limited. If my Great Yong were to unleash a massacre and annihilate all your Northern Desert warriors on the battlefield, what would you Northern Desert soldiers do then?"

Threat? Anyone can do that.

Every word was powerful and resounding, every sentence carried absolute confidence and awe.

Batu clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white, a surge of anger rising in his chest, yet he was powerless to retaliate.

He wanted to fight, but the morale of his troops had collapsed, their formation was in disarray, and they were simply unable to fight any longer.

What ability does the northern desert have to compete with the vast and resource-rich Da Yong?

In the past, one could use incentives to lure minor officials into doing favors.

But after Li Xuanzhi arrived here, it seemed that everything was changing.

If they hadn't heard that Li Xuanzhi had taken down the person who had helped them get preferential treatment as soon as he arrived, they wouldn't have been in such a hurry to challenge him.

Besides Princess Ning'an's arrangements, the most important thing was that they wanted to create chaos in Zhenxi Pass, preferably preventing Li Xuanzhi from quickly eliminating the people they had bribed. Every extra quarter of an hour of trading time would provide more security for the northern desert.

This young imperial envoy possessed both literary and military talents: he could sway hearts and minds, break through barriers, and stabilize the hearts of the people and the army. He was also skilled in military strategy, capable of deploying troops and anticipating the enemy's moves.

This kind of person is by no means a mere young favorite in the court; he is a true figure who can hold the border and is the most difficult and troublesome person to deal with in the northern desert.

Such a person is still very young. How will he survive in the northern desert in the future?

Batu stared intently at Li Xuanzhi's figure. After a long while, he finally suppressed all his resentment and anger, gritted his teeth, and shouted in a deep voice:

"All troops, listen to my command! Withdraw immediately! Retreat back to the northern desert territory!"

Once the military order was given, there was no more hesitation.

The morale of the thousand cavalrymen from the northern desert was shattered. They hastily turned their horses around and retreated in disarray, their hooves crunching through the swirling yellow sand. They galloped away into the distance, all traces of their former arrogance gone.

Zhou Lin watched the enemy's departing figures with sincere admiration, then stepped forward, cupped his hands, and bowed deeply.

"Your Excellency's strategy is truly brilliant; this humble general is completely convinced!"

Li Xuanzhi's lips curled slightly.

His goal wasn't simply to force them to retreat to the northern desert; after all, he had heard—

"It's rumored that although the Northern Desert is in the middle of the desert, it's different from ordinary deserts. In winter, the Northern Desert boasts the spectacular sight of thousands of miles of ice. It's also said that a plant called the Flame-Cold Flower can only grow in the Northern Desert, is that true?"

The Flame-and-Cold Flower requires alternating periods of extreme heat and extreme cold to grow. Six months of intense heat cause the leaves to become scorched and twisted. The next six months of extreme cold cause the rhizomes to become translucent.

The Flame-Cold Flower has remarkable effects on improving physical constitution, especially for martial artists in terms of widening their meridians, where it can play a stabilizing role.

Even someone without martial arts skills can extend their lifespan by at least ten years by consuming the Flame-Cold Flower for a period of time.

Such rare and precious plants could not be found even once in the vast territory of Dayong.

What does this show? It shows that the territory of Dayong was still too small.

Since the northern deserts are so fond of opening up trade, wouldn't it be better to let them join the Great Yong and become part of the Great Yong territory?

Their people are now secure and no longer worry about starving. The Great Yong Kingdom is vast, and there will be even more good things to come; how can this not be considered a win-win situation?