Chapter 174: Night Raid

Jiang Mingyu, Zhuge Yu, Tukesulu, and Zhang Jiani led five thousand cavalry, silently approaching Ruan Chen's encampment under cover of night.

They avoided enemy scouts and sentries, found a concealed spot, and halted their horses.

They dismounted, tied the horses to trees, then donned black cloaks to conceal their armor and weapons.

They split into two columns: one led by Jiang Mingyu and Zhuge Yu to attack the eastern gate of the encampment; the other led by Tukesulu and Zhang Jiani to attack the western gate.

They agreed on a signal: once they heard the howl of a wolf, it would be time to strike.

Jiang Mingyu and Tukesulu each led two thousand five hundred men, silently approaching the encampment's gates.

They found the enemy's defenses lax—only a few soldiers stood guard at the gate, while others slept or chatted inside their tents. Ruan Chen clearly had not anticipated a night attack and was utterly unprepared.

Jiang Mingyu slowly raised his right hand, forming a whistling gesture. Zhuge Yu nodded in unison; both blew their whistles simultaneously.

Two ear-splitting wolf howls tore through the night sky.

It was the signal to the hidden ambush forces—time to attack.

At the sound of the howls, the five thousand cavalry hidden in darkness surged forth like arrows released from bows.

They charged toward the enemy encampment, hooves thundering, kicking up clouds of dust.

Soon, blades flashed at the gate, then the gates burst open, and more ambush troops poured in like a tidal wave, instantly drowning the entire encampment.

The once-silent encampment became a hell on earth—screams and wails rose in succession, the clashing of steel mingled with shouts, thick with the stench of blood.

The enemy, lost in sweet slumber, had no time to defend themselves and were slaughtered into disarray.

They scrambled out of their tents, fumbling for weapons, trying to resist the attackers.

Yet the enemy had no organization; our troops operated in small squads, each with specific assault plans, surrounding key points and ambushing reinforcements.

Jiang Mingyu's men targeted the enemy command center and grain stores; Zhuge Yu's troops struck directly at archers and trebuchets—methods of exceptional cunning.

The enemy's core collapsed instantly. Our forces moved through the camp as if it were empty, slaughtering without mercy.

On this side, Ruan Chen was jolted awake by the attack, stumbling out of his tent in panic, fumbling to don his armor and tidy his appearance.

"What's going on?! Who's attacking us?!" he asked his advisor.

"Report, Lord Ruan: it's Young Master Jiang leading five thousand cavalry in a surprise night assault!"

"What?! That brat Jiang Mingyu—wasn't he terrified of my reinforcements? How dare he launch a night attack on my encampment?!"

"This man is cunning and calculating—he must have seen through your plan and chosen a night strike to disrupt our forces!"

"Damn it! That Jiang Mingyu is too crafty! Quickly organize a counterattack—under no circumstances can we let him succeed!"

"It's too late, Lord Ruan! All key positions have fallen to the enemy—our forces can no longer turn the tide!"

Ruan Chen, enraged and humiliated, let out a furious roar to the heavens: "Jiang Mingyu, I swear to kill you or die trying!"

Yet despite his words, Ruan Chen wisely abandoned the idea of a night counterattack.

Jiang Mingyu had broken convention to launch this night assault—he must have prepared multiple contingencies; a half-hearted counterattack would only lead to greater defeat.

On the return march, Jiang Mingyu smiled at his men: "This victory owes much to Zhuge Yu's strategy."

Tukesulu and Zhang Jiani beamed with pride, but Zhuge Yu showed no sign of joy.

"Though we've destroyed Ruan Chen's main force, the enemy still retains strength. Tomorrow, his forty thousand troops will advance—consequences will be dire."

Tukesulu retorted excitedly: "Even with forty thousand, we can handle them with our thirty thousand—how could we possibly lose?!"

Zhang Jiani nodded silently, signaling that our forces should be able to defeat them.

But Zhuge Yu remained uneasy: "I fear whether the city can withstand forty thousand enemy troops storming and plundering. If the city falls, our position will be dire."

He then carefully examined the city's terrain and topography to ensure nothing was overlooked.

Jiang Mingyu frowned at this and asked: "So what do you propose?"

Zhuge Yu smiled slyly: "I've already prepared a second gift for Ruan Chen—let him experience the flavor of assaulting a city."

The moonlight flowed like water; the cold wind howled.

Jiang Mingyu led his men—Zhuge Yu, Tukesulu, Zhang Jiani, and others—to a narrow pass between two mountains, with a deep ravine running through its center.

Zhuge Yu pulled his fur-lined coat tighter and pointed to the long, narrow valley ahead: "This terrain is naturally a death trap—the very place strategists call 'deep willow grove, perfect for cutting down generals.' If we ambush here, we can crush Ruan Chen's remnants again—and perhaps even capture or kill him outright. Then, with our forces regrouped, reclaiming lost territory will be but a matter of days."

Tukesulu clapped his hands in excitement: "Master Zhuge, your brilliance is unmatched! This plan is brilliant! Brother, let's do it!"

Zhang Jiani smiled warmly in agreement: "Master Zhuge's wisdom is extraordinary—Ruan Chen may have wings, but he cannot escape death."

Jiang Mingyu nodded approvingly, his eyes gleaming: "Good. We follow your plan. We lie in wait here—we will cripple Ruan Chen's forces and perhaps even capture him alive. Then, reclaiming our lost lands will be but a matter of days."

Without hesitation, Jiang Mingyu sent a rider galloping back to Dingtao, ordering Tukesulu to leave Goudan, Xiao Er, and two thousand men to guard the city, while the remaining ten thousand troops rushed to join him immediately in preparation for tomorrow's decisive battle.

Upon receiving the order, Tukesulu immediately dispatched a message to Zhang Jiaqi to lead her troops and rendezvous with Jiang Mingyu to annihilate Ruan Chen.

Night deepened; the cold wind howled as Zhang Jiaqi arrived at the rendezvous with ten thousand iron cavalry.

Meanwhile, Jiang Mingyu's twenty thousand troops were fully prepared for ambush, waiting for Ruan Chen to take the bait at dawn.

Jiang Mingyu felt a surge of killing intent within him: "If we strike, we strike hard. This battle, we will capture Ruan Chen alive and reclaim every lost territory!"

The night was deep, the fourth watch had passed; the Milky Way poured down, and the army stood silent in the freezing wind, all knowing: tomorrow's battle would decide victory or defeat.