You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

To a certain extent, even ordinary soldiers are used as candidates for elite troops.

Feng Tianyin has always adhered to the principle of "quality over quantity" in warfare, so her requirements are extremely strict, and the resources allocated to her are of the highest level. Correspondingly, the best personnel must be assigned to command her troops, often requiring multiple rounds of selection.

One in ten.

They have little to do with ordinary soldiers, but they are well-suited for maintaining order, fighting fires, farming, and building construction projects.

The people of Cuiwei City warmly welcomed the Imperial Guards who temporarily stationed themselves at the camp.

night.

Feng Tianyin, who was reading by candlelight, frowned and suddenly looked into the distance. Her undisguised action naturally startled He Wan, Bayar, Deng Kaixuan, and other generals beside her.

They all looked solemnly at their superior.

Feng Tianyin, having already received a notification from the city's access permissions, immediately spoke:

"A thousand-strong barbarian night raiding force is half an hour away from us, and their goal is to burn the farmland outside the city."

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces darkened; it was truly despicable.

Thankfully, we found it.

Deng Kaixuan bowed and replied, "I will arrange the interception immediately. Rest assured, our men can react quickly and are capable of fighting even at night. Let the enemy have no chance of returning."

"He Wan and Bayar, who are stationed here, should prepare to receive the troops returning to the city and also be on guard."

After the two answered in unison, Feng Tianyin also went out.

She certainly wouldn't miss this opportunity. Because anyone with even a basic understanding of military affairs would have one question: why did news of an enemy night raid appear when there was no news of the Fishing Lighthouse falling?

Although the new city is not fully completed and I do not have the relevant operating authority, there will still be some prompts.

It has not fallen.

Could it be that these guys sneaked around to the back?

Cities and fortresses are not easily bypassed; perhaps the fact that the Fishing Fire Bank was still under construction gave the barbarian army a false sense of security.

Regardless, Feng Tianyin and her generals were already ready.

the other side.

The barbarians, who remained in complete darkness, stealthily infiltrated the territory of Cuiwei City. They were not afraid of getting lost, because this vast city shone even at night, attracting attention from all sides.

The leading barbarian officer grinned sinisterly: "It would be so satisfying to plunder such a large city..."

"Sir, our target is the farmland outside."

"I know that as long as we burn down the defenses of the Daqian people here, they will soon be shaken."

The barbarian night raid squad is advancing stealthily.

They were actually quite nervous; even under the cover of night, their hearts were pounding, for they knew the strength of the Great Qian Dynasty.

not to be trifled.

The opponent possesses the Cifu Basin, rules over the tribes of the northern desert, and has conquered the river valleys of the western regions. They are a behemoth, and the only chance of victory is to launch a surprise attack at the right moment.

Besides, who among us hasn't been plundering all along? We're all very familiar with the ways.

The group quickly crossed the woods.

Hidden by the lush summer vegetation, one can see neat houses in the distance, with a few lights occasionally twinkling. It's definitely suburban farmland. The closer to the city, the wealthier the area, and the more grain they stockpile.

The barbarians specifically targeted the time when the Daqian people were gathering their provisions.

Along the way, they saw densely packed sacks gathered in one place by the convoy, all of which were grain and fodder stored in the warehouses of various villages and towns.

Indeed, they are wealthy.

The war tested the Great Qian's logistics and warehousing system, requiring the entire process to be streamlined. They performed admirably and efficiently, with troops constantly escorting supplies. Even the garrison's capabilities were not something the barbarians would easily provoke.

As a result, they eventually decided to bypass the fishing fire bank and cut off the grain supply route.

They then pursued them to the outskirts of Cuiwei City.

They wouldn't dare to act rashly against a massive city, nor did they possess siege equipment or the necessary technology. However, they were incredibly bold in burning farmland; it was practically an easy target right in front of them.

Looking around, all you could see were night watchmen and patrol teams carrying torches, surveying the surroundings.

"I'm so sleepy, I want to lie down here and take a nap."

"We cannot let our guard down. Didn't the High Priest issue an order to strengthen vigilance? We must be careful that the enemy doesn't resort to desperate measures."

"Okay, I'll take a closer look."

Although they looked somewhat tired, they were generally dutiful, at least patrolling some nooks and crannies, and keeping a vigilant lookout around with their hunting dogs.

Upon hearing the name of the high priest, the barbarians exchanged bewildered glances, their hearts filled with unease.

It was a household name.

Feng Tianyin is a true representative, an immortal being protected by the Heavenly Dao and favored by the golden auspicious clouds. Such a great figure has arrived.

Not necessarily, it might have been an order issued remotely from Xiayi...

"Is it really that high priest? Judging from their tone, it sounds like he's leading the army in person. This is not good."

"Don't overthink it, we don't know yet."

"She's known for always traveling with the Daqian army, and when she does, she always brings the most elite Imperial Guards. We need to inform the main force to stop surrounding Yuhuopan and find a way to retreat."

"What's the rush? We're just here to set a fire and then leave. Hurry up."

Yes, sir.

The officer had given the order, so they had no choice but to obey. They gradually dispersed in the dark, slowly surrounding the village…

Suddenly, the rapid sound of horses' hooves rang out, accompanied by a long river of torchlight that illuminated the night sky.

The stealthy barbarian soldiers were immediately thrown into a panic.

Leading the group was none other than Feng Tianyin, clad in silver armor and a red battle robe. Before one could even get a clear look at her valiant figure, she drew her bow, nocked an arrow, and with a thunderous twang and a flash of cold light, she hurtled through the air.

Whoosh!

An arrow pierced the throat of the commander who had been shouting moments before.

"How...did you...find out?"

He didn't know how he was exposed until his death, which terrified his guards. At this moment, torches were lit everywhere, illuminating even the bushes, leaving no place to hide. The figures hiding among them were immediately exposed, and chaos ensued.

Even the slowest of them should realize they've been caught red-handed.

"Fire arrows!"

At the command of Deng Kaixuan, arrows, which never missed their mark, were fired at the enemy, and the target fell down with a series of cracking sounds.

The barbarians had no time to react and were wiped out in one fell swoop, caught completely off guard.

"Rally up, don't get caught by the enemy if you're alone."

It was a correct judgment, but it was meaningless now, as the disparity in combat strength was too great.

The entire cavalry force of the Great Qian Imperial Guard that came to the rescue was well-equipped and had first-rate archery skills. Even in the darkness of night, they were able to accurately kill the enemy and rapidly increase their casualties by leveraging their mobility advantage.

This is basic practice in their daily training, and it's nothing to worry about when dealing with weaker targets. Once they aim, it's a one-shot kill.

They pursued the barbarians, often forming small groups with their comrades, eliminating lone individuals and annihilating groups.

They drove straight in.

The clash of weapons stirred up bloodshed, iron hooves trampled over corpses, and torches illuminated terrified faces.

The ragtag nature of the night raid team is undeniable.

Although the number of about a thousand was indeed considerable, their morale was low, their organization was lacking, their discipline was poor, and their equipment and training were far from adequate. Faced with this wave of attacks, they could only flee in panic.

Under the night sky, only cries for mercy, shouts, and angry curses could be heard.

"I'll fight you to the death!"

"Don't linger in the battle, retreat, all of you retreat."

"Idiot, exposing your back to the enemy is certain death. Regroup!"

"I surrender."

The Imperial Guards of the Great Qian Dynasty had no patience for those who surrendered in the face of battle and eliminated them on the spot. The other barbarians fled even faster when they saw this.

But how can infantry outrun cavalry?

The night raiding force, having exposed its weaknesses, was scattered in all directions, with only a few elite troops maintaining a basic formation. However, under Feng Tianyin's personal command and a fierce charge, they all crumbled, scattered and defeated one by one.

"Never mind all that, throw away your torches and leave the rest to fate."

At this point, the barbarians no longer cared about anything else and simply started setting fires indiscriminately. While this seemed like a desperate gamble, it wasn't actually that easy, because the high humidity and abundant vegetation in the south during spring and summer meant that not everything could be ignited.

Dry hay is the best fuel for combustion.

Unfortunately, they couldn't reach it, so they could only light some dry wood and grass around them, and the flames gradually grew higher.

The firelight was bright.

Ironically, this helped the Imperial Guard quickly find their target, a classic example of self-inflicted harm.

Towards the end, even Deng Kaixuan couldn't help but chuckle a few times.

He couldn't be bothered with the group of barbarian soldiers who were behaving so disgracefully. He simply began to surround and capture them, and ordered: "Put out the flames to prevent them from causing a forest fire later. Let those who escape go; there's no need to pursue them."

Nighttime is not a good time for a chase.

Moreover, the objective of this mission was to protect the supplies and villages, so there was no need to worry about the enemy's heads. Thus, the Imperial Guard quickly regrouped.

Feng Tianyin asked the prisoners curiously, "Did you really bypass the fishing spot?"

"Correct."

The straightforward answer left everyone speechless. They thought to themselves, "Did you think you could easily bypass the city I built there? You're just taking advantage of its weak defenses, but you still failed to launch a surprise attack."

However, it must be admitted that their tactics are somewhat threatening, and if successful, the consequences are unpredictable.

"What's the current situation at Fishing Lights?"

"Our reinforcements are constantly arriving; it's only a matter of time before we break through."