Chen Xiaobei nodded, of course he understood that in this era, it was impossible to get these people to stop drinking completely, so he could only control their intake.
"Alright, as you say. After all, we are deep behind enemy lines, and everything must be done with caution."
Chen Xiaobei's concerns were not unfounded. After much thought in the imperial palace, it was his captain of the guard, Duobang, who finally stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, your subordinate believes we cannot always be on the defensive. We should take the initiative. It is now freezing cold, and the enemy is living outdoors, surely huddled in their tents. I suggest we mobilize several nearby troops to launch a surprise attack at night. The goal is not to kill many enemies, but to set fire to their tents."
"If all their grain and fodder tents are burned, they will naturally retreat."
Upon hearing Duobang's words, Qiaopsen pondered for a moment and nodded.
"Very well, then I shall entrust this matter to you. You shall be in charge of the deployment!"
Saying this, Qiaopsen directly handed the military token into Duobang's hand.
Duobang bowed and withdrew.
This Duobang was indeed decisive. With a wave of his banner, all the cavalry within a hundred miles of the Da Cang Kingdom's camp set out, launching a night raid on the enemy camp. They carried plenty of fire-starting materials, their sole purpose being to set fires.
For warhorses, a hundred miles was merely an hour's ride.
Meanwhile, on Liu Rumei's side, after a simple celebration, they separated to rest. They slept until the fourth watch, when people are at their most drowsy. Suddenly, they heard noise outside the tents, followed by a report that the enemy was attacking the camp.
Liu Rumei was startled by this news.
She quickly donned her armor and went out to meet the enemy. Upon seeing the situation, the enemy forces charging in were not numerous, but many of the tents had been set ablaze.
Looking outside, most of the enemy soldiers were not carrying weapons, but were using fire arrows to shoot at their tents. Seeing this, Liu Rumei understood. They were not here to kill, but to set fires.
The weather was dry, and in this cold region, water was scarce.
Once the fires were lit, they would essentially burn until completely consumed.
Liu Rumei was helpless but had no choice. While organizing her men to resist, she ordered them to quickly move away flammable materials to prevent everything from burning.
It wasn't until dawn that the armies of the Da Tu Kingdom retreated.
The fires were extinguished, and after assessing the losses, few men were lost, but the material losses were severe. More than half of the tents were destroyed, and two-thirds of the grain and fodder were lost.
At this point, advancing or retreating became a dilemma for Liu Rumei.
Zhao Guangzong and others were indignant and strongly demanded to continue advancing and attack Qingguang City for revenge.
However, Liu Rumei was hesitant. Both sides held their ground, and the argument was endless, which surprisingly kept Chen Xiaobei silent.
In her helplessness, Liu Rumei ordered a temporary rest, as she needed time to think.
Only when everyone else had left did Liu Rumei speak, "Brother Xiaobei, why were you silent? You didn't offer any advice."
Chen Xiaobei smiled calmly, "If I were to speak, I would say to continue advancing. If I said that in front of so many people, wouldn't it make you lose face?"
Hearing Chen Xiaobei's words, Liu Rumei was taken aback, "Now our supplies and fodder have been greatly damaged. We can't last more than a few days."
Chen Xiaobei nodded, "I know that. We cannot match them head-on. Now they have also realized this and are resorting to harassment tactics. We are living in the open, so defense is naturally extremely difficult."
"Therefore, retreating is our inevitable choice. However, if we retreat, the enemy will surely pursue us, and our losses will be even greater."
"So, we must make a grand display and march towards Qingguang City."
"Qingguang City is only three hundred li away. The enemy cannot set up defensive lines outside the city anymore; they will only defend their positions and wait for reinforcements."
"After they consolidate their forces and retreat into Qingguang City, we can leave a small contingent to continue to confuse them, while the main force takes this opportunity to withdraw."
"Additionally, we can send the Lotus Sect Leader and Shen Ziyan to Qingguang City to cause utter chaos there."
Upon hearing Chen Xiaobei's words, Liu Rumei's eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands in approval.
"Excellent idea, this is truly an excellent idea."
"Brother Xiaobei, thank you. After hearing you say this, my heart feels at ease."
Liu Rumei once again summoned everyone and relayed Chen Xiaobei's plan. As expected, this plan received the unanimous approval of all the soldiers.
Zhao Guangzong stepped forward voluntarily, "Miss Liu, I am willing to continue to confuse the enemy on the ground. You lead the main force to retreat first."
Liu Rumei shook her head, "What kind of logic is it for the commander to retreat first?"
"Today, our army will continue to advance. After setting up camp at night, you will retreat with your men first. Leave five thousand men with me. Tomorrow, I will continue to advance, and camp one hundred li from Qingguang City tomorrow night. At that time, we will also quietly withdraw."
Zhao Guangzong tried to argue, but Liu Rumei's attitude was firm, and she waved her hand, "Alright, it will be as I said."
Then Liu Rumei looked at the Lotus Sect Leader and Shen Ziyan beside her.
"I need to trouble both of you with one more matter. Please depart immediately for Qingguang City and use your old methods to harass them."
Upon hearing this, the Lotus Sect Leader laughed, "No problem, no problem. Isn't it just about killing people?"
Soon, the Da Cang Kingdom's army was reorganized.
News reached Qingguang City, and Qiaopsen was greatly alarmed.
He looked at Duobang and asked with surprise, "Duobang, didn't you say they would retreat after we burned their supplies? How can they still..."
Duobang scratched his head, "Perhaps we didn't burn enough. How about I go and burn again tonight?"
Qiaopsen waved his hand, "Alright, no need to go again."
"The same method cannot be used repeatedly. I think we should do this: quickly mobilize troops from surrounding cities to reinforce us. As long as we hold Qingguang City and wait for General Qiao's reinforcements to arrive, we can launch a pincer attack and crush the enemy."
Duobang repeatedly advised against it, but Qiaopsen was adamant. In his helplessness, Duobang had no choice but to obey.
Everything proceeded as Chen Xiaobei had predicted. The march today was smooth, with no obstructions.
They advanced nearly a hundred li in one go, and that night, the soldiers set up camp again.
The atmosphere at dinner was somber. Chen Xiaobei and Liu Rumei sat alone in a tent, gazing at each other, neither having any appetite.
Chen Xiaobei felt heartbroken for Liu Rumei, who was after all his woman. He wanted to stay, but Liu Rumei refused.
"Brother Xiaobei, you must leave. You must retreat with the army. Otherwise, the army will have no leader."
"But, Rumei, you are my wife. How can I leave you behind?"
Liu Rumei forced a smile, "You are overthinking. I'll be fine. I will lead the troops for one more day. I will also withdraw at night."
Chen Xiaobei stood up, held Liu Rumei tightly in his arms, and kissed her gently. This was their best way of saying goodbye.