I was living in the Five Dynasties period, just after crossing the Zhongdu Bridge.

In matters of war, success often comes from careful planning, while failure stems from carelessness.

Since taking office as the new inspector of Hebei, Guo Congyi's mind has been somewhat wandering.

As Liu Zhiyuan's confidant, he had followed the emperor in the mountains and rivers of Daibei and fought against the Khitans in his early years, making great achievements in battle.

In his eyes, although the Khitans were brave, most of them were straightforward men who relied on their horses. They were good at being direct, but when it came to the ingenious and unpredictable tactics of the Central Plains, they were ultimately lacking.

Moreover, the Liao emperor had already become an emperor, and the barbarians had fled north. The remaining mountains and rivers of the Central Plains should be the result of the Han people's efforts.

Therefore, after three days of unsuccessful attacks on Xingzhou City, he did not think about defending against foreign enemies.

Instead, it was about how to use the official's name to put pressure on Xue Huairang, the Mingzhou Defense Commissioner, who was only going through the motions.

As the sun set, the noisy sounds of battle on the plains of Mingzhou gradually subsided.

Guo Congyi and Xue Huairang both believed that this was another mediocre day that would only increase casualties and achieve nothing.

But at this moment, Ma Da played a ruthless move, putting himself in a do-or-die situation to survive.

Although Ma Da was greedy and tyrannical, he understood the principle of mutual dependence better than scoundrels like Du Chongwei.

If Xingzhou is lost, Zhenzhou will become easy prey.

Therefore, disregarding Bai Zairong's advice that the Han soldiers in the city were considering defection, he forcibly dispatched a thousand elite cavalry, led by the valiant general Yang An, to march south under cover of night.

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Outside Xingzhou City, the Han army camp was nestled against the mountains and beside the water, appearing to be well-organized.

Guo Congyi and Xue Huairang, with their more than ten thousand men, had their minds entirely on the towering city walls of Xingzhou, pondering every day how to fill in the moat and how to erect siege ladders.

In their view, with Gao Xingzhou's 100,000-strong army besieging Yedu to the south, the Taihang Mountains as a natural barrier to the west, and the Yellow River surging to the east, and the Khitans to the north preoccupied with their own problems, it was impossible for any reinforcements to arrive at this time.

Therefore, the main camp was stationed south of Xingzhou City. The front army's attack position was heavily fortified with barricades, and the flanks were supported by mountains. Since the rear route led directly to Mingzhou, only a few patrol teams were sent out as a formality.

This fell into Yang An's trap.

Although Yang An was not well-known, he had a very kind and meticulous heart.

He led a thousand elite cavalry south from Zhenzhou, and in broad daylight they were already marching swiftly with their mouths closed, approaching the outskirts of Xingzhou.

If it were an ordinary Khitan general, seeing the Han army fiercely attacking the city, he would surely have charged straight at them on horseback.

Yang An, however, did not. He led his troops into the forest and personally led a few horsemen to climb to a high place to look down and observe the exhausted state of Guo Congyi's troops after their failed attack on the city.

More importantly, he also noticed the emptiness behind the main camp.

Therefore, Yang An left only a hundred or so cavalrymen at this place.

These people did not seek to kill the enemy; they only needed to light torches precisely at the hour of Chou (1-3 AM) and wander back and forth across the plain.

This is the tactic often referred to in historical records as a feint.

In the darkness, the oppressive feeling brought by hundreds of torches was enough to make even the most composed commander doubt the true strength of the enemy.

Yang An himself led the remaining elite cavalry, making a huge arc southwards from the muddy beach on the east side of the continental marshland, which the Han army considered a quagmire.

As night fell, the stars and moon dimmed.

Inside Guo Congyi's tent.

"Report!"

A guard rushed into the tent in a panic, shouting, "Large numbers of fires have been discovered to the north of the camp! They stretch for miles, and the extent is unknown!"

Guo Congyi was jolted awake from his dream and rushed out of the central command tent before he could even fully don his armor.

He stood atop the mound, gazing northwards.

Several miles away, torches stretched like dragons, their shadows flickering, making it impossible to discern the exact number of troops; one could only estimate several thousand riders based on their imposing presence.

Although this trick is old in military strategy, in the eyes of the Han army, which was suddenly disturbed in the middle of the night, it seemed as if a Khitan army of 10,000 men was coming all over the mountains and plains.

Looking at the distant flames, the Hebei inspector's heart sank.

"The Khitan reinforcements... arrived so quickly?"

Guo Congyi was too confident that Ma Da would sit idly by because of the internal strife in the Khitan, but he never expected that this man would be so arrogant as to send out almost all of his soldiers.

However, being a valiant general who had repeatedly defeated the Khitan in Daibei, Guo Congyi quickly adjusted his mindset and gave the order.

"Don't panic! Pass down the order: all battalions, take your positions, with pikemen at the front!"

This must be a trap set by the barbarians to lure us in. As long as we hold our camp, their few thousand cavalry won't be able to break through our defenses!

In his opinion, although there were lights to the north, they were very far away.

If it were truly a large army marching south, they would have already reached the camp gates by now.

This must be a tactic used by the Liao people to wear down their troops, intended to lure them into dividing their forces.

"Order Xue Huaili to guard the northern camp. Have archers and crossbowmen take up the arrow towers and shoot at any fire they see. Do not move without permission."

"The central army, follow me to stabilize the position and keep a close watch on the gates of Xingzhou!"

It must be said that Guo Congyi handled the situation with extreme prudence.

As long as he remains steadfast, Liu Duo in Xingzhou City will not be able to cause any trouble, and the Liao army reinforcements outside will eventually be worn down and die at dawn due to their lack of reinforcements.

But once the order was given, the entire camp's attention was immediately drawn to the north.

The already weakly defended rear area was now almost completely undefended.

Meanwhile, Yang An had already led his men around to the rear of the Han army camp.

When the hour of Chou (1-3 AM) arrives.

The torches to the north flickered more and more wildly, and the sounds of whistles and shouts could be faintly heard in the night wind, constantly drawing the thoughts of the Han army.

Just as the Han army was intently watching the firelight to the north, the Liao army had already reached within a hundred paces of the rear of the camp.

The sound of horses' hooves coming from the south was initially as faint as the sound of cicadas in summer, but it quickly grew into a thunderous roar.

"kill!"

Yang An took the lead, smashing open the deer antlers of the camp gate with his spiked club. The Khitan cavalry behind him poured in like a surging torrent through the gap in the simple rear defense.

Hundreds of torches were thrown into the tents of the soldiers who were still asleep.

In an instant, flames soared into the sky and thick smoke billowed from the Han army camp.

"South! There are Khitans in the south too!"

"The camp has been rioted! The camp has been rioted!"

Someone shouted first, and the Han army, which had been organizing itself, instantly collapsed.

In an instant, men and horses stumbled and cried out in despair.

At the same time, the gates of Xingzhou City were opened.

Liu Duo, who had been hiding in the city, unleashed his pent-up resentment the moment he saw the fire at the southern camp.

The Xingzhou garrison mobilized all its forces, forming a pincer movement with Yang An's cavalry.

Xue Huairang's Mingzhou troops collapsed the fastest.

These soldiers, who were used to making a living in peaceful areas, were now surrounded by enemies on both sides, and the Khitan cavalry were charging back and forth in the firelight. Where was the slightest will to fight?

Before he could even thrust his spear, he abandoned the banner and fled for his life.

It was a collapse like a landslide.

If even one person throws down their weapon and flees for their life, the remaining ten thousand will follow like a tidal wave.

"Don't panic! Form a battle formation! Form a battle formation!"

Guo Congyi spurred his horse and brandished his sword, slaying several fleeing soldiers, but he could not stop the overwhelming torrent of chaos.

However, the retreat of the Mingzhou army instantly disrupted the formation of Guo Congyi's imperial guards, who were attempting to turn back to reinforce.

Inside this cramped camp, more than 10,000 soldiers were crammed together, with horses trampling people and people crushing each other.

Former comrades-in-arms have become each other's greatest threat in the darkness.

The iron lock that was supposed to lock up Hebei has now become a rope that binds itself.

Xue Huairang also tried to restrain his troops amidst the chaos, but was swept away by the fleeing soldiers and fell off his horse.

These soldiers, who yesterday swore to serve the new dynasty, now had only one thought: to escape back to Mingzhou, back to their temporarily safe haven.

Under the fierce protection of his personal guards, Guo Congyi fought his way out.

He watched helplessly as his own tents and provisions turned into a sea of ​​fire, and as the brave soldiers who had fought alongside him were swept away by the chaotic army and plunged into the mud.

"Inspector Guo! Let's retreat! We can't hold them off any longer!" Xue Huairang rushed over, his face covered in blood. He had lost his mount and his helmet was nowhere to be found.

At this moment, the Mingzhou Defense Commissioner had no desire to make any great achievements.

"Withdraw..." Guo Congyi gritted his teeth and spat out a single word.

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The next morning.

A scout covered in dust stumbled into the gates of the Fuwei Army's camp.

"Report!"

The scout dismounted and fell heavily in front of Shen Lie.

"Inspector Guo and Defense Commander Xue's combined siege of Xingzhou failed, and the Liao general Yang An launched a night raid with a thousand cavalry, causing the army to...collapse!"