novelaction Chapter 1382 Since we've encountered them, let's leave no one alive.
Chapter 1382 Since we've encountered them, let's leave no one alive.
Set a fire?
Yue Fei was stunned; he couldn't immediately grasp the deeper meaning behind Murong Yan's words.
Lin Zhen, on the other hand, understood immediately. He looked at his empress, who was so in tune with him, with eyes full of praise and affection.
"Yan'er means that we should not attack the city, but only cause destruction."
Lin Zhen walked to the map and drew several circles around the small tribes surrounding the Northern Desert Royal Court.
"The royal court is the heart of the northern desert, but even the heart needs a blood supply. These small tribes that guard the royal court are its blood vessels; they are responsible for providing the royal court with cattle, sheep, horses, and soldiers."
“We won’t touch that tough nut, Wang Ting. We’ll cut off all these blood vessels, one by one.”
"Cut off his supplies, burn his grass, and seize his horses. Turn his 50,000 elite troops left behind into a pack of hungry wolves trapped in a lonely city."
Lin Zhen turned around, looked at Yue Fei who was still somewhat hesitant, and smiled.
"General Yue, think about it. When the King of Mobei is still at Yumen Pass, fantasizing about fighting us to the death, what will his reaction be when he suddenly hears that his hometown has been burned down by us?"
“He’ll go crazy,” Yue Fei answered instinctively.
Yes, he'll go crazy.
With their rear caught fire, their food supplies cut off, and morale wavering.
At that point, let alone attacking Yumen Pass, his 150,000-strong army will collapse from within.
“But…but, Your Highness, Your Majesty.” Yue Fei was still somewhat worried. “There are many tribes around the royal court, supporting each other. If we attack one of them, the others will surely rush to our aid. Our forces are already at a disadvantage. If we get bogged down, the consequences will be unimaginable.”
“That’s why we need to launch a surprise attack,” Murong Yan said, her voice carrying a confident air of strategic planning.
"We will split into three groups, take down a tribe as quickly as possible, and leave immediately without lingering in battle. We will keep them guessing about our strengths and weaknesses and keep them constantly on the move."
She walked to the map, and with her slender fingers, drew three sharp attack routes on it.
"General Yue, you will lead eight thousand elite cavalry to advance from the east and be responsible for clearing out the five tribes in this area."
"General Zhang Xian, you will lead 8,000 elite cavalry to encircle these four tribes from the west."
"The remaining eleven thousand men will be personally led by me and the Prince as the central army, heading straight into the heart of the royal court to create the greatest chaos and draw their main force away."
This deployment was well-organized, bold yet meticulous, and completely unlike what a woman new to the battlefield could have made.
Looking at Murong Yan, Yue Fei's hawk-like eyes revealed for the first time a genuine sense of admiration.
He had always believed that the Empress was only able to hold onto her position because of the Prince's favor.
But now it seems he was wrong.
This empress not only possesses imperial wisdom that rivals any man's, but also a military talent that even he, a seasoned general, marvels at.
"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"
This time, Yue Fei was truly convinced and knelt on one knee.
"Your subordinate obeys!"
"Good." Murong Yan nodded in satisfaction. "Without further ado, the army shall set off immediately. Our goal is not slaughter, but destruction. Before dawn, I want to hear the first wail from the Northern Desert Royal Court."
"Yes!"
……
Dark as ink.
Three elite cavalry units, like three sharp blades drawn from their sheaths, silently cleaved through the silent grassland.
Lin Zhen and Murong Yan rode side by side, leading 11,000 elite cavalrymen in the central route, and, guided by their guide, galloped toward the Northern Desert Royal Court.
The sound of horses' hooves was absorbed by the thick grass, leaving only the whistling of the night wind in one's ears.
Murong Yan rode on the BMW, her black and gold phoenix dress seemingly blending into the night under the moonlight.
Only the five-zhang-long continuous train, like a flowing dark river of light behind the horse, rose and fell with the gallop of the warhorse, and the golden phoenix on the skirt seemed to come alive in the night, its phoenix eyes flashing with cold killing intent.
"My husband, do you think we can succeed this time?"
Murong Yan turned her head to look at the man beside her, who had been relaxed and carefree throughout. Her voice carried a hint of nervousness that she herself was unaware of.
This was, after all, her first time personally planning and commanding such a large-scale military operation without Lin Zhen's prior planning.
It would be a lie to say I wasn't nervous.
"Of course."
Lin Zhen smiled and reached out to hold her small hand, which was a little cold from nervousness.
"My Yan'er, you were born to be a commander. A mere Northern Desert Royal Court is nothing to you."
His words, full of affection and trust, were like a warm current, instantly dispelling all the unease in Murong Yan's heart.
Yes.
With him around, what do I have to be afraid of?
"Grumpy."
Murong Yan blushed slightly. Although she said that, her beautiful phoenix eyes had regained their usual confidence and composure.
The group traveled for another two hours in the darkness.
The guide leading the way suddenly reined in his horse.
"Your Highness, Your Majesty, the Hadan tribe is just ahead."
He was a herdsman captured from the Tiele tribe, and his voice was filled with fear.
"The Hadan tribe is one of the three major tribes guarding the royal court. The tribe has five thousand archers, and their leader Batu is known as the 'Wolf of the Grasslands,' the most valiant general under the command of the Northern King."
"Five thousand people?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhen raised an eyebrow. "There are more than we expected."
"Husband, what should we do?" Murong Yan looked at him. "Fight, or go around?"
"Go around?" Lin Zhen laughed, a laugh that carried an undeniable domineering air.
"We're here to set fires, not for a picnic. Now that we've run into each other, there's no reason for us to turn back."
He turned his head and looked at the eleven thousand elite cavalrymen behind him, who were already poised to attack.
"Pass on my orders."
His voice sounded particularly cold in the silent night.
"Fifteen minutes later, we will flatten the Hadan tribe."
"Leave no one behind!"
The moment the order was given, a murderous aura arose.
The eleven thousand elite cavalrymen behind him instantly ignited a bloodthirsty light in their eyes. They were all elites selected from the Imperial Guards and the Divine Machine Battalion of the capital. Each of them had been through countless battles, and their loyalty to Lin Zhen and Murong Yan was already etched into their bones.
If the prince says to flatten it, then flatten it.
Let alone five thousand, even fifty thousand, they would dare to charge!
"Husband, shall we charge in?" Murong Yan frowned slightly as she looked at the endless rows of tents in the distance.
The Hadan tribe's camp was built against a small hill, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. Even if a direct assault were to succeed, it would inevitably come at a considerable cost.
This is somewhat inconsistent with their original intention of harassment and sabotage, and not to engage in prolonged combat.
“Of course not.” Lin Zhen smiled and pointed to the small hill behind the Hadan tribe’s camp on the map.
"Look here."
Murong Yan looked in the direction he was pointing, and there was a gentle slope that looked unremarkable.
“Batu built his camp here to defend against enemies from the plains, but he forgot that his back was empty.”
A sly, fox-like smile curled at the corners of Lin Zhen's mouth.
"Pass down the order: the entire army dismounts, conceals their presence, and follows me up the back mountain. Tonight, we'll deliver a gift from the sky to this 'Wolf of the Grasslands'."