Volume 1, Chapter 20: Night Raid on Provisions, Total Assault!

"Enough, stop fooling around."

Qin Feng patted Meng Jun on the shoulder and said, "I have a special way of communicating with the System. Let's receive the supplies and transport them into the city."

Meng Jun nodded.

With a wave of his hand, hundreds of soldiers behind him stepped forward, leading their horses to the supply wagons and hitching the carriage reins to their saddles.

Qin Feng’s gaze shifted to the thousand-man squad riding away in the distance. He couldn't help but feel curious: What was the background of these people? Were they acting under the System's orders, or did they have another identity? It was a puzzle he couldn't solve.

Back at the city wall.

The Northern Frontier Army spent an entire day securing the stone projectiles and arrows. The stone projectiles were particularly heavy, requiring manual labor to slowly transport them onto the walls and store them in the warehouse for easy access.

Meng Jun stretched his limbs and looked up at the dark clouds in the sky. He mused, "This weather is truly strange. The black clouds have been gathering for a day and a night, yet there hasn't been a single drop of rain. It doesn't seem right."

Qin Feng also looked up at the sky and nodded. "Indeed, it is quite abnormal."

After a brief pause, he turned to Zhao Qiming nearby and said, "Send the order: dismantle all the supply wagons used to transport the stones and arrows, and use the materials to reinforce the civilians' homes and roofs. At the same time, ensure the city’s drainage systems are prepared. Do not be careless; I suspect a heavy downpour is coming soon!"

Zhao Qiming acknowledged the order and turned to leave.

Just then, Qin Feng suddenly remembered something and asked, "Hasn't Li Xiuyuan returned yet?"

Meng Jun shook his head, his rugged face etched with worry as he looked toward the northern grasslands. Although they had been bickering earlier that morning, they were brothers-in-arms who had survived countless battles together. He had never considered him a mere subordinate, so his concern was inevitable.

"The kid has always been agile; he shouldn't have any trouble," Meng Jun said.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a small squad of cavalry scouts galloped toward them from not far away. Both Qin Feng and Meng Jun exhaled in relief as they saw Li Xiuyuan leading the group.

A moment later, Li Xiuyuan climbed onto the wall. Meng Jun asked, "Didn't I tell you to go gather intelligence? Why are you back so late?"

"Hehe." Li Xiuyuan chuckled, raised his hand in a salute, and said, "General, I couldn't bring back Tuoba Liejun's head, but I did bring back a secret report!"

"A secret report?" Qin Feng and Meng Jun exchanged glances. "What kind of report?"

Li Xiuyuan explained, "My team circled behind the Xiongnu lines and went deep into the grasslands. We happened to run into a Xiongnu scout and seized an urgent 800-li dispatch from him. Your Highness, guess what it says?"

Qin Feng stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Is it regarding provisions?"

Li Xiuyuan was startled. "Your Highness, how did you know?"

Qin Feng laughed. "Tuoba Liejun is arrogant and believed that his 200,000-strong army could take Suiye City in less than a day. Therefore, they couldn't have brought much food for this campaign. Now that the siege has failed, they are forced into a war of attrition and must return to request reinforcements."

Admiration flashed in Li Xiuyuan’s eyes as he complimented, "As expected of Your Highness. I intercepted a reply from the Xiongnu Central Royal Court stating that the supplies have already departed and will reach the left-wing camp by the third watch."

A sharp light gleamed in Qin Feng's eyes. Generally, to ensure information is delivered accurately, there would be more than one scout sent, and the Central Royal Court wouldn't rely on just one person. This meant Tuoba Liejun likely already knew the supplies would arrive during the third watch.

"Your Highness, do you have a plan?" Meng Jun asked, seeing Qin Feng deep in thought.

Qin Feng grinned. "How can we pass up such a golden opportunity? Didn't the Xiongnu say the Northern Frontier Army dares not leave the city? Let's leave the city tonight and show them."

He paused for a heartbeat, then added, "Pass the order: rest immediately. At the midnight hour, we leave the city to intercept the supplies!"

Meng Jun and Li Xiuyuan were filled with excitement and nodded vigorously. In war, provisions were the most critical factor. If the supply line for the left-wing army were cut, the remaining 100,000 troops would be starving within two days. Meng Jun was even confident that with his 20,000 Northern Frontier troops, they could face the 100,000-strong left wing in a direct confrontation.

...

The midnight hour arrived.

Meng Jun finished inspecting the troops. Looking at the 10,000 cavalrymen ready for action, he exchanged a glance with Qin Feng, mounted his horse, and commanded, "Move out!"

The city gates opened. The two men spurred their horses and led the army slowly out of the city.

The sky remained shrouded in black clouds without a glimmer of starlight, and the biting wind howled, perfectly masking the sound of the horses' hooves. Following the edge of the ravine on the east side into the grasslands, Meng Jun signaled for the order to be passed down: full-speed charge.

In the middle of the night, the 10,000-strong cavalry reached a valley.

Qin Feng scanned the surroundings and whispered, "Pass the order: everyone, stay hidden. Control your horses and do not make a sound."

The valley was silent. The wind continuously bent the grass on the plains, creating waves that rolled on endlessly. Meng Jun crawled to the edge of the valley, staring into the pitch-black void ahead, and muttered, "The black clouds make visibility too low."

Qin Feng stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the mountain wall. "No matter. When they arrive, we will naturally be able to see them."

Although the grasslands were flat, they were not without pits, valleys, or trenches. To ensure the supply wagons traveled safely, they would certainly carry torches for illumination to avoid falling into obstacles.

Time ticked by. Without stars or a moon, the men in the valley could barely track the time. Qin Feng sighed deeply to himself, "If only I had a smartphone, I could play Snake to kill some time."

Suddenly, a sharp light flashed in Meng Jun's tiger-like eyes. He stared intently ahead and said, "Your Highness, there seem to be lights in the distance!"

Qin Feng looked up. Sure enough, in the distance, he saw flickering flames slowly approaching the valley.

"A massive undertaking indeed," Qin Feng said, slightly startled.

There were hundreds of torches, and judging by the load capacity of the wagons, there must be over a million catties of grain. Upon reflection, it made sense; the left-wing army still had about 100,000 troops, and a million catties, while seemingly a lot, would only last them about five days.

Qin Feng curled his lips into a smile. "All troops, mount up! Everyone prepare for battle. Don't move until they are within a hundred meters!"

The men acknowledged the order one after another, mounting their horses, holding the reins in one hand and gripping their cold steel blades in the other. As soon as Qin Feng gave the order, they would charge out of the valley at maximum speed and slaughter the Xiongnu supply train.

A moment later, the Xiongnu supply train was within a hundred meters of the valley.

Qin Feng raised his eyebrows, lifted his cold blade high, and shouted in a chilling voice, "Northern Frontier Army, listen up! All forces, attack!"