Chapter 480: First Volume, Chapter 480: The Sparrow Behind the Bird

First Volume, Chapter 480: The Sparrow Behind the Bird

Chen Si's strategic thinking never strayed from its core: he relentlessly sought to lure the Northern Border defenders into open field battles. The more Chen Si thought this way, the more Qin Feng refused to play along.

Since the Tianji Camp took up residence in Beixi County, it has worked diligently to develop various supply equipment.

Especially under Qin Feng's guidance and Lu Ming's meticulous craftsmanship, the Tianji Camp's Engineer Corps had long been gradually established.

This time, it was the Engineer Corps's first small-scale test.

Chen Si used the Chanshi grain-producing region as bait to lure the defenders into a frontal assault.

Qin Feng naturally turned the tables: he used his main force as bait to draw Chen Si's attention, then dispatched the Engineer Corps to urgently reinforce the defensive line at Yongshou County.

By the time Chen Si realized what had happened, the Yongshou County defensive line was already impregnable!

When Chen Si later sent his main army to launch a frontal assault, Qin Feng would surely kick him in the rear.

Face-to-face combat? Direct confrontation? Don't even think about it—this lifetime, he'd never muster the guts for it.

Stay alive, don't be reckless—this round we'll win!

……

At night, the gates of Yongshou County City swung wide open; the Chariot and Cavalry General personally stepped out to greet them, his eyes blazing with heat and excitement as he watched the vast column approaching in the distance.

The Deputy General beside him was equally thrilled: "Grand General, Qin Feng has truly kept his word—he's begun supporting our troops!"

Hearing this, the Chariot and Cavalry General shot the Deputy General a sharp look and snapped: "Don't be disrespectful to Qin Qianhu!"

The Deputy General flushed with embarrassment. Normally, the Chariot and Cavalry General cursed Qin Feng louder than anyone else—"damn bastard," "son of a dog," those were mild terms.

After all, the Chariot and Cavalry General had once been taken hostage in Beixi County and soft-detained by Qin Feng—a disgrace beyond measure.

Yet now, his gaze held only ambiguity; where was the old resentment?

Unbeknownst to them, the Chariot and Cavalry General was still cursing inwardly.

"This is damn weird—everyone else grows weaker the longer the war drags on, unable to withstand the drain, but Qin Feng Xiao'er? He's the opposite. Beixi County grows stronger with every battle. That once-decaying little county, under Qin Feng's management, has become the undisputed top county of the Northern Border—so much so that even the Zhou Fu city can't compare. No wonder even the Emperor fears him seven parts!"

The Chariot and Cavalry General sighed deeply, unable to help but remark: "Beixi County and the Border Army are the two key teeth of the Northern Border. Whenever war breaks out, they're always the first targets. Logically, they should be stretched thin—but look: the Front Line has fought until their brains turned to mush, yet Beixi still casually sends over loads of materials."

"It's enough to make a man die of envy!"

Seeing the Chariot and Cavalry General's eyes brimming with envy and resentment, the Deputy General couldn't help but smirk. After hesitating, he finally spoke up.

"General, you may not know: the more intense the Northern Border war becomes, the more civilians flock to Beixi County—and Beixi has always welcomed every single one who comes."

"More civilians mean more recruits. Rumor has it Beixi's total population has already surpassed fifty thousand and is pushing toward sixty thousand. If this continues, they'll need to expand the city walls soon. General, just wait—you'll see the Emperor's head ache."

The Chariot and Cavalry General snorted: "The Emperor prides himself on his Hedging Art, doesn't he? The most cunning strategist of all—how did he end up nurturing such a grave threat? Hmph. Emperor, Emperor—he's still just a man, and even men make mistakes."

"The stronger Beixi County becomes, the better it is for us. Whenever the Emperor issues an Imperial Summons, we can just push it onto Beixi."

Hearing this, the Deputy General's eyes flickered slightly—even the dumbest man could understand: the Grand General had already decided to defect to Beixi County.

Who could have imagined that the tiny county the Chariot and Cavalry General once refused to even glance at had, under Qin Feng's management, become what it is today? Two of the Northern Border's three armies had already begun defecting to Beixi—and as for Piaoqi's side, it was only a matter of time.

As they spoke, the convoy arrived before them.

He saw Li Xiaolan and Lu Ming seated atop tall horses.

The Chariot and Cavalry General hurried forward with a beaming smile: "Miss Li, long time no see."

When the Chariot and Cavalry General had been soft-detained in Beixi County, he had stayed at the County Yamen and had met Li Xiaolan several times.

Li Xiaolan dismounted and bowed with clasped fists: "Third daughter of the Qin Family, pays respects to the Grand General."

Lu Ming beside her quickly dismounted and bowed as well: "Lu Ming, Chief Supervisor of the Tianji Camp, pays respects to the Grand General."

The Chariot and Cavalry General's face lit up even more—these two were heavyweight figures of Beixi County.

Li Xiaolan, of course, needed no introduction: she was Qin Feng's Third Sister and the Jinyiwei Left Envoy—essentially Beixi's Spy Chief.

And this young Lu Ming? Rumor had it he rose from a destitute carpenter to become Chief Supervisor of the Tianji Camp. Excluding Qin Feng and Liu Hongyan, Lu Ming was the undisputed head of the Tianji Camp Workshop.

Qin Feng sending these two to Yongshou County clearly showed how seriously he took the Chanshi defensive line—and the supply aid would be substantial!

After brief pleasantries, the Chariot and Cavalry General cut straight to the point, his usual brutality gone, smiling warmly: "How much supply aid has Qin Qianhu sent to our troops?"

Li Xiaolan didn't hesitate: "Five thousand one-shi bows, with two hundred thousand arrows. One thousand shi of millet, three hundred head of cattle and sheep, three hundred shi of various medicinal herbs, one thousand doses of Beixi White Medicine freshly manufactured, and two thousand doses of Anti-inflammatory Decoction for internal use."

Hearing Li Xiaolan's report, the Chariot and Cavalry General's mouth hung open, his eyes wide with shock—he thought he'd misheard, that he was hallucinating.

Before this, he had already optimistically estimated the aid.

Ten thousand arrows, one thousand shi of grain, fifty shi of medicinal herbs.

After all, the Northern Border war was relentless, everyone was poor—even if Beixi County was overflowing with wealth, this much aid would already be extraordinary.

But the result…

Aside from the grain estimate being correct, everything else was off by several times—even dozens of times!

They'd even sent cattle and sheep, plus the Beixi White Medicine and Anti-inflammatory Decoction, both recently famed across the Northern Border for treating arrow wounds…

A sudden fortune from heaven—the Chariot and Cavalry General felt dizzy.

His previous estimates of Beixi County had been a drop in the ocean! Beixi's wealth and strength had utterly surpassed his comprehension.

As the Chariot and Cavalry General stood stunned, Li Xiaolan spoke again.

"In addition to the supplies, three thousand Engineers and Infantry are accompanying us."

The Chariot and Cavalry General's eyes bulged: "Infantry I understand—but Engineers?"

Seeing the Chariot and Cavalry General's ignorance, Li Xiaolan couldn't help but smile smugly and gave Lu Ming a glance.

Lu Ming immediately explained seriously: "Engineers are troops jointly trained by Qin Qianhu and the Tianji Camp. In simple terms, they're an upgraded version of civilian laborers."