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

Although Murong Yanchao was known for his eccentric and arrogant nature, and was a notorious troublemaker, his statement that "all the horses will be provided by me" was not just a casual remark.

For the generals, he wanted to solidify Gao Xing's incompetence in surrounding the city without attacking, forcing the old general to use Shen Lie to patch up the hole in Mingzhou.

Privately, however, he was not entirely without a bit of a spectator's mentality.

He wanted to see whether Wei Huofusheng, whom Shi Hongzhao had mentioned, could carve out a place for himself on the Mingnan Plain after obtaining such a powerful weapon, or whether he and his horse would crash headlong into the maces of the Khitans.

The following morning, five hundred warhorses with glossy coats and strong physiques were led to the gate of the Fuwei Army camp by Murong Yanchao's personal guards.

Although Li Congxi was a kind and honest man, he couldn't escape the common customs during those turbulent years of war.

He looked at the five hundred fine horses, his expression changing repeatedly.

Finally, he could only sigh and say, "Brother Shen, this horse is indeed a fine horse, but life is life too."

Shen Lie simply reassured him.

Of Shen Lie's original five hundred men, less than a hundred were cavalry.

Now, with Murong Yanchao's generous move, not only has Shen Lie's horsepower been replenished, but the original hundred warhorses, though slightly inferior, are still considered top-quality warhorses in the army, have also been freed up.

Li Congxi was a seasoned veteran; he knew that the essence of the power struggle within the military lay not in exploitation, but in sharing the spoils equally.

He then distributed the hundred horses among the other five commanders, ostensibly to strengthen the camp's defenses, but in reality to silence the others.

In exchange, the five commanders each squeezed out about a hundred men who could keep their balance on horseback and wield long spears for Shen Lie.

For those commanders, this deal was extremely worthwhile.

Now, as we stand guard beneath the walls of Ye City, the number of infantrymen we have or lack doesn't matter much, but our horses are our most precious possessions for survival.

In this world, who dares to say that exchanging dozens of infantrymen for twenty warhorses isn't a sure-fire way to make money?

Thus, in just half a day, Shen Lie assembled an elite cavalry force of five hundred riders.

However, sitting on Mo Xiao's back, looking at this newly formed cavalry unit, Shen Lie had no intention of underestimating the enemy.

The thousand-odd cavalry under Yang An's command were the elite troops that the Khitan general Ma Da had kept hidden, seasoned in battle and accustomed to charging and fighting on the plains.

If Shen Lie were to act like that hot-blooded young general, relying on his five hundred horses from Hedong to confront the Khitan head-on, he would be courting death.

Although these five hundred men were brave and skilled, they were still not well-coordinated. If the two armies were to clash on the plains, their chances of winning would be almost zero.

However, it was the height of summer, and the humidity was extremely high.

The sun was shining brightly, but now heavy clouds had gathered on the horizon.

And this was Shen Lie's greatest chance of winning.

Are the Han people inferior to the Hu people?

People say that the Khitan cavalry is unparalleled in the world because most of them have witnessed the might of these barbarians riding horses and firing volleys on the plains.

However, the bows of the Khitans were mostly made of horn and leather strings, which were extremely susceptible to water damage.

If this heavy rain were to fall, the leather string would become damp and soft, and the sharp arrow that could originally penetrate armor would become a weak, whistling sound.

Without the advantage of long-range shooting, the Khitan cavalry had no choice but to engage in head-on combat.

When it comes down to close combat, are these heavily armored Han soldiers really inferior to those barbarians?

Moreover, although Guo Congyi had just suffered a major defeat and lost his morale, he still had nearly six thousand imperial guards under his command.

Although these imperial guards are somewhat arrogant, they have experienced the bitter battles of Daibei. If given a chance to catch their breath, their counterattack will be fierce.

······

A hundred miles to the north, the atmosphere outside Mingzhou City is quite different, bleak and desolate.

Yang An reined in his horse, his brow furrowed as he looked at the distant city of Mingzhou, where the Han banners still stood atop the city walls.

Objectively speaking, Yang An's surprise attack truly demonstrated the prowess of a renowned general.

At midnight, he bypassed Guo Congyi's defenses and attacked the Han army from the east side of Daluze, utterly terrified them in one battle.

But a surprise attack is still a surprise attack. Cavalry is not good at attacking cities, which is common knowledge among military strategists since ancient times.

Although Guo Congyi and Xue Huairang suffered a crushing defeat in the field battle and lost their supplies, once the two entered Mingzhou City, relying on the city's fortified defenses, Yang An's thousand-odd cavalry could only look on helplessly at the city.

However, although the city was safe, the villagers and people in the surrounding villages and counties suffered a devastating disaster.

"General, it's not good for us to just stay here and hold out." A Khitan officer approached Yang An.

"The Han army camp to the south is only a few hundred miles away. If Gao Xingzhou's 100,000 troops move, our small force will be no match for them."

"We've looted enough on both sides, why don't we return to Zhenzhou to report back soon?"

Yang An tightened his grip on the spear, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers around him who were busy plundering people and livestock in the villages and counties. He felt a little wavering in his heart.

In his eyes, someone like Liu Duo wasn't worth him risking his life for.

His trip south was solely to fulfill Ma Da's orders, and incidentally to make a fortune.

Now that the victory is already achieved, it is the best way to survive in this chaotic world to take profits before the main force of the Han army can react.

"Order the brothers to seize this midday again, and break camp promptly at 1:00 PM." Yang An had just made up his mind and was about to issue the order.

Just then, a scout rode in from the northeast, his voice filled with alarm.

"Report!"

"A large cavalry force has been spotted and is approaching our troops!"

Yang An was shocked. The Han army from the south had arrived so quickly?

Is Gao Xingzhou really willing to send his elite cavalry north?

"From the south? Gao Xingzhou or Murong Yanchao?"

"No...not to the south!"

Yang An was stunned for a moment, then flew into a rage and slapped his subordinate across the face: "What's the panic!"

The scout, his mouth gushing with blood, dared not utter a word, only saying, "It's from the north! They're attacking the Liao banners! It must be General Yang Gun!"

Yang Gun.

Upon hearing the name, Yang An first breathed a sigh of relief, then a look of suspicion flashed in his eyes.

Yang Gun was ordered to travel south from Hengzhou to support Du Chongwei.

But after the city has been besieged for so long, General Yang has only just wandered into the Mingnan region?

However, Yang An was naturally aware of the trickery involved.

Yang Gun isn't stupid.

Du Chongwei was surrounded by 100,000 Han troops in Ye City. What could he do with his mere thousand soldiers?

Therefore, his march was like an ox pulling a cart, and he kept looking around, hoping that the Liu family in Daliang City would die suddenly, or that Empress Dowager Shulu would decide the outcome.

If Yang Gun hadn't heard of Yang An's great victory in Mingnan, where Guo Congyi was routed and lost his armor, he would probably still be lost in some valley.

Before long, the two Khitan cavalry forces met in the outskirts of Mingzhou.

Yang Gun led his 1,500 elite troops, all dressed in splendid armor, looking more presentable than Yang Anbu, who had been rolling in the mud for days.

"Brother Yang An, well done!" Yang Gun dismounted and patted Yang An on the shoulder warmly.

"General Mada was right about him. Guo Congyi is probably too ashamed to even face the emperor this time."

"General Yang Gun is too kind." Yang An's eyes held a hint of disdain, but he could only offer a perfunctory reply.

"General, are you heading south now to encircle Mingzhou, or to march straight for Yedu?"

Yang Gun laughed heartily, his gaze sweeping over the stolen supplies for a moment.

"Save Du Chongwei? That old scoundrel can only pray for his own good fortune." Yang Gun shook his head.

"Since the Han army is weak, why don't we plunder Mingzhou for a few more days?"