Border Soldiers: My granaries are full of grain and meat, and I guard this region.

Hearing Qi Feng's words, Zhong Shao and Zhao Tongchuan both looked at him: "Then what should we do?"

Qi Feng stepped forward and pointed to the section of the official road on the west side of Qijia Village.

"It's impossible for four hundred cavalry to rush to Qijia Village in one go. Their vanguard scouts will scatter, and their main force will be stretched out along the official road. I can choose a place fifteen miles west of Qijia Village to ambush their vanguard, and then retreat back to Qijia Village after the ambush."

"If we can eat the first batch, the others will stop and regroup, giving us at least one more day!"

Zhao Tongchuan frowned, quickly searching his memory for that area.

"That's the area between Qijia Village and Qingshi'ao. The main road is wide open on both sides. How can you fight there?"

Qi Feng pointed to a valley marked on the map.

"This section of the official road has gentle slopes on both sides, covered with thorns and weeds. Once a person goes in, they become invisible. Horses can't get into the thickets, and cavalrymen are even slower climbing uphill on foot. I only need to take twenty men and hide there, then wait for the vanguard to pass halfway before flanking them. That way, we can definitely catch them off guard!"

"Furthermore, I'm familiar with this area, so I have both the advantage of terrain and the support of the people. If I can launch an ambush under the cover of night, then the timing, location, and support will all be in my favor!"

Zhong Shao stared at the map for a long time before finally nodding:

"Alright! The cavalry leather armor and scimitars we captured last time are still in the drill ground warehouse. Take them all. I'll also get you twenty packhorses. Don't be reckless; if you don't find an opportunity, retreat!"

Qi Feng nodded.

"I will set off first thing tomorrow morning. You should also hurry up and send people to ask for reinforcements. The troops in Fuxing County are still too few. If the Da Rong sends a thousand men to attack, I'm afraid we won't be able to hold out."

After saying that, Qi Feng turned and left.

That evening, Qi Feng called Liu Si, Qi Xiaoliu, Qi Shitou, and Qi Daniu to the backyard of the shop in the north of the city.

Qi Feng didn't stand on ceremony; he simply laid the map on the stone table and circled the ambush location.

"Fifteen miles west of Qijia Village lies a valley where the official road is flanked by slopes covered with thorns and weeds. We must fight a battle here."

Qi Feng paused, then continued:

"I've calculated it. We'll divide our fifty men into three teams. The first team of twenty will carry horse-slaying swords and hide behind the earthen slope on the north side. We'll wait until the enemy has passed halfway before we cut in from the flank and focus on cutting the horses' legs. Once we've done that, we'll retreat."

"The second team of fifteen men, armed with bows and arrows, ambushed behind the brambles to the south, waiting for the first team to make their move before they fired arrows to suppress the rear."

"The third team of fifteen will remain in the woods on the east side of the slope to provide backup. If the first team gets bogged down, they'll rush in and pull them out!"

Qi Xiaoliu's palms were sweating as he listened: "Brother Feng, what if they outnumber us and rush at us?"

Qi Feng shook his head.

"That's why we only attack the vanguard, and then run away. As long as we get back to Qijia Village and disrupt their first wave's rhythm, the main force behind them won't dare to advance rashly. We're not going to fight these four hundred cavalrymen, we're going to cut off their vanguard."

Liu Si asked in a low voice, "What if we can't escape?"

Qi Feng glanced at him: "So I'm going with you. I'll personally lead the first team."

The air in the courtyard was quiet for a moment. Liu Si opened his mouth as if to say something, but Qi Feng stopped him by raising his hand.

"It's settled then. We'll set off at dawn tomorrow and get to the ambush position before daybreak. Time waits for no one."

Qi Feng went to the blacksmith shop again that day. Fortunately, Xu Tie had been working overtime to finish the twenty horse-slaying swords.

When Qi Feng returned home, it was already past 9 PM. Yu Yourong was sewing shoe soles in the main room. When she saw him enter, she didn't ask any questions and put a bowl of still warm porridge on the table.

Qi Feng sat down to drink his porridge, while Yu Yourong continued working with her head down. After a while, she softly asked, "Husband, are you going on a long trip?"

Qi Feng paused for a moment, then put down his bowl.

"I'm going to the west for a day or two and I'll be back."

Yu Yourong didn't look up, the sound of needle and thread moving incessantly.

"I'll wait for you to come back."

Qi Feng looked at her focused profile in the candlelight, his heart softened, and he reached out to hold Yu You Rong's hands.

"Don't worry, when have I ever made a mistake?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Yourong looked up at him, her eyes filled with a smile and a hint of moisture.

"It's settled then, I'll be back in a day or two."

"Yeah, a day or two."

At dawn the next day, a group of fifty people set off from the west gate of Fuxing County, each wearing thick leather armor.

The leather armor of the twelve men at the front was somewhat different from the others; it was the leather armor of the Great Rong cavalry, with a mixed color scheme, and from a distance, it did indeed look somewhat like the Great Rong scattered soldiers.

Qi Feng specifically instructed everyone to blacken their faces and pull their hat brims down, so that if someone saw them from a distance, they wouldn't be immediately exposed.

Twenty horse-slaying swords were wrapped in coarse cloth and tied to the side of the horse, and bows and arrows and military swords were also carried.

This team is the only elite force in Fuxing County right now, and they have the best weapons and armor.

Qi Feng rode at the head of the column on the captured military horse, Liu Si brought up the rear, and Qi Xiaoliu led three men on horseback to scout ahead.

The group traveled for about an hour before arriving at Qijia Village.

After greeting the people inside, the group entered Qijia Village and rested there for a short while.

"Didn't receive any news, did you?" Qi Feng asked the leader.

"No, we only heard that the Rong cavalry would be coming from the west, so we were all being more cautious today, but we haven't seen a single one yet."

Upon hearing this, Qi Feng nodded.

After replenishing their food and water, and resting for about ten minutes, the group continued their journey.

As dawn approached, the team arrived at the selected ambush location.

The official road was flanked by earthen slopes on both sides. The slope to the north was slightly lower than Qi Feng remembered, but it was covered with tall grass, enough to hide more than twenty people.

The thicket of thorns to the south was even denser than he had imagined, providing a natural barrier for the ambush.

Qi Feng dismounted and divided the group into three groups.

The first team of twenty men, led by him personally, hid behind the tall grass on the north slope. Once half of the vanguard of the Great Rong had left, they rushed out and hacked at anyone they saw.

The second team of archers, led by Liu Si, ventured deep into the bramble thicket to the south.

Qi Feng repeatedly instructed him to wait until the enemy started fighting, count to three, and then shoot at the middle of the road. He also instructed him not to shoot people, but only horses, and to shoot the front row first, then the middle row.

The third team of fifteen men, led by Qi Xiaoliu, led all the packhorses to retreat to the woods three miles to the east to await orders.

Once the signal appears, immediately ride out to provide support, leading the first and second teams to retreat without engaging in combat.

Having arranged everything, Qi Feng squatted in the tall grass on the north slope, looking at the dark, empty space at the end of the official road, and began to let everyone take turns resting.

No one knew when the Great Rong cavalry would return, so they could only wait here idly.