Chapter 941: First Volume, Chapter 941: Grain and Forage Before Troops Move

First Volume, Chapter 941: Grain and Forage Before Troops Move

Even a dead camel is bigger than a horse; once Beidi collapses, all its wealth will flow into the pockets of only a tiny few—some will transform into merchants richer than Heaven and Earth, while those labeled chaotic faction members will turn into powerful ministers, even Imperial Nobility.

The words "resource reallocation" hold an irresistible allure no one can resist.

The benefit Qin Feng promised to the Night Owls is not money—that's the least important part; the most vital is the right to participate in resource distribution.

Anyone who gains such a slot will become one of the nation's supreme elites.

In exchange, these Night Owl chaotic faction members will aid Qin Feng in inciting rebellion among the war's key participants, naturally including the many generals leading the assault on Changshui County.

Once these generals unite as one, even with catapults and bed crossbows, holding Changshui County becomes a fantasy—the enemy alone, by sheer numbers, could drown Qin Feng.

Conversely, if the enemy grows disunited, with people secretly sabotaging efforts or directly interfering with correct tactics, defense of the city becomes considerably easier.

In short, even with a vast army of elite warriors, it's better than having a traitor planted in the enemy's ranks.

Ning Hu had been left speechless by Qin Feng's "foreknowledge."

Having fought side by side for so long, Ning Hu considered himself one of the few who understood Qin Feng best—yet Qin Feng always shattered Ning Hu's worldview, leaving him stunned and utterly awed.

"Qin… Brother Qin…"

"You already stunned me by transporting bed crossbow parts to Changshui County—yet infiltrating the Night Owls? That's beyond anything I imagined."

"When exactly did you begin infiltrating the Night Owls?"

Qin Feng stood with his hands behind his back, a faint smile on his lips: "Didn't I say? Since the establishment of the Brocade Guard."

"More precisely, the first thing done after founding the Brocade Guard was to set countless grand strategies, one of which was the infiltration of the Night Owls and the Black Guards."

Since the founding of the Brocade Guard…

Ning Hu stared blankly at Qin Feng, incredulous: "You… you can't possibly foresee the future? How else could you know infiltrating the Night Owls would be useful at this exact moment?"

Hearing this, Qin Feng patted Ning Hu's shoulder and said solemnly: "I'm going to say something harsh—don't take offense."

"If you wait until the last minute to act, you won't even catch hot shit when it's fresh."

"Who told you I planned this because I foresaw this Winter War? Even if I were divine, I couldn't control the weather—this century's brutal winter caught me off guard too."

"Plans must first be numerous, and second, long-term."

"Whether infiltrating the Night Owls or seizing Changshui County, I did it because I felt I might need it someday—just feeling that need was enough."

"Whether it will ever be useful? I don't care. Better to waste effort in peace than find yourself without even a bucket when the fire is already at your door."

Though Qin Feng spoke casually, Ning Hu still felt his worldview overturned—such forward-thinking, meticulously calculated strategy existed nowhere else in Heaven and Earth except in Qin Feng.

Even in utter despair, as long as he followed Qin Feng, Ning Hu remained confident they would achieve their strategic goal and hold out for three months!

At that moment, a scout ran up, gasping for breath.

"Lord Qin, Lord Ning, the Garrison Army has assembled—the Vanguard is advancing toward Changshui County."

Hearing this, Qin Feng and Ning Hu exchanged glances and sprinted toward the City Wall.

As he ran, Qin Feng shouted to the Tianji Camp Guards behind him: "Order the Siege Engineers to speed up construction of catapults and bed crossbows—if manpower is short, draft able-bodied civilians. Building city defense equipment is now the top priority—everything else must yield!"

"All troops, reinforce the DefensiveLine immediately!"

Ning Hu also shouted at the top of his lungs: "Recall all scouts and messengers operating outside the city—reconnaissance and guerrilla tactics are pointless now. Once the enemy army arrives, our only task is defending the City Wall."

"Tianji Camp Guards, obey: deploy two hundred men each along the East-West Defense Line to coordinate with Beixi Soldiers; deploy one hundred men each on the primary and secondary North-South defensive lines."

"Issue orders: from this moment, we are in a state of war!"

Changshui County, already bustling with urgency, now operated at peak efficiency—everyone sweated profusely, running back and forth, transporting supply trains.

Meanwhile, the enemy's Vanguard was still a full day's march from Changshui County.

The five-thousand-strong Vanguard was led by Piaoqi General Jing Peng of the Wang Du Garrison.

As Piaoqi General and Imperial Clan, Jing Peng held absolute command over these five thousand men—he wore full armor, rode a towering steed, stood tall, and radiated confidence.

Even now, as he marched to crush the rebellion, Jing Peng still could not believe Qin Feng was foolish enough to seize Changshui County and defy all of Di.

"Fool!" Jing Peng snorted, his Imperial Clan arrogance unmistakable.

His Deputy General, solemnly warned: "General, Qin Feng is cunning and battle-hardened—even Grand General Chen Si has suffered defeats at his hands more than once. Do not underestimate him."

Jing Peng dismissed the warning with disdain, his gaze even more contemptuous.

"Who among mortals is without fault?"

"I don't doubt Qin Feng's military talent—but even old horses stumble. Seizing Changshui County and being trapped in a lone city? That's the worst move of his life."

"If Changshui were far away, it might be understandable—beyond reach. But as one of the Jingji's key counties, it's only a day's march from our camp—within arm's reach."

"Across the entire Jingji, beyond the Wang Du Garrison, the armies encircling Jingji number in the tens of thousands—enough to fight another National War. Even if every Tianji Camp Guard under Qin Feng were a celestial god, facing dozens or hundreds of times their number, they'd be like a mantis trying to stop a cart."

As the Deputy General opened his mouth to rebut, he noticed the Colonel beside him giving him a warning glance.

The Deputy General swallowed his words, sighing inwardly: yes, numerical superiority is an advantage—but can siege warfare truly be equated with open field battle?

As long as materials and supplies are ample, morale is firm, the City Wall is intact, and the commander is wise, defenders facing tenfold odds can still hold their ground—and even gain the upper hand.