Chapter 1004 – Battle at the Northern Frontier (41)
Flags fluttered like clouds, and the sound of drums echoed like thunder.
The Northern Frontier was gravely injured, but even a dead camel is bigger than a horse; their foundation still stood strong enough to muster over a hundred thousand soldiers.
The two armies faced off, a fierce killing intent swirling in the air, creating an incredibly tense atmosphere.
Jiang Pengji rode her war horse, clad in armor, her right hand gripping a broad-bladed long sword, poised and ready for action.
“Leader, it seems that the Northern Frontier is indeed severely weakened,” Feng Zhen remarked as he rode alongside Jiang Pengji, shielding his forehead with his right hand from the glaring sun.
The two armies kept a considerable distance apart to avoid a surprise charge from the enemy.
Feng Zhen squinted hard, straining to discern the strength of the opposing forces.
With outdated lighting equipment, most ancient folks had vision problems, especially scholars, and Feng Zhen was no exception.
Jiang Pengji, however, had excellent eyesight; she could see very far without issue.
“Although their cavalry isn’t as numerous as expected, they shouldn’t be underestimated.”
Even if the cavalry were merely ten percent of their total troop count, that would still amount to over ten thousand riders, a devastating force when charging together.
Jiang Pengji glanced at Feng Zhen, whose clothing was puffed up by the wind, and said with a hint of annoyance, “Zishi, you should stay back and support from the rear. If anything happens to you or you get captured, no one will care—”
Feng Zhen only had a rudimentary grasp of martial arts—calling him a “battle zero” would be generous—so the thought of him charging to the front lines against the Northern Frontier cavalry was absurd!
Her cold demeanor had the audience in the live stream feeling sorry for him.
【Axe’s a Cutie】: Streamer, I think Feng Tianzhen is truly in love with you! You roast him daily, yet he remains devoted!
【Kang Dandan】: Impossible—Feng Tianzhen only likes mature women with curves. Do you see the streamer looking feminine?
【Mei Erniang】: You’re stirring up trouble up there! The streamer may be pretty rugged, but she’s not lacking in assets either!
The red barrage of comments erupted with laughter, while the blue comments contemplated the humor behind it all.
What could they do? They joined too late and didn’t understand the joke about Feng Zhen loving mature players over lolis.
Feng Zhen took the insults in stride, thick-skinned as ever, chuckling, “Leader, what you said isn’t quite right. If something were to happen to me, my young ones at home would surely be heartbroken. How could you say no one would care—”
Jiang Pengji had no time for his banter; her expression was serious as she stared ahead.
Anyone who had a keen eye would notice a massive live stream screen hovering in front of Jiang Pengji.
With her control, the live stream’s perspective suddenly zoomed up, shifting into an aerial view.
In this mode, she could clearly see the general troop arrangement behind the Northern Frontier.
For Jiang Pengji, aside from entertainment, that was about the only benefit of the live stream.
Without advanced warfare equipment, having the advantage of aerial view at this time meant she held a strong trump card.
“Bring this to General Fu,” she ordered, having sketched a simple map of the details she observed.
Though Jiang Pengji was the leader, the one truly calling the shots was someone else—
As for her?
How could she satisfy her craving for battle without stepping onto the frontline?
The drums sounded like thunder, resounding to the skies.
The soldiers’ morale surged higher, even the audience in the live stream felt the exhilarating rush.
【Tangmen Shengling Cai Er】: The streamer must be feeling cooped up lately, haha! Finally getting to jump into the fray!
【Floating Life Like Colors】: My heart goes out to the streamer’s subordinates, landing such a leader—it’s exhausting!
【Genius Guo Fengxiao】: Honestly, I don’t recommend the streamer diving into battle; it’s too dangerous. This seems to be the first time engaging the Northern Frontier in a direct confrontation, right? Their cavalry is famously agile and fierce—are you joking with your life?
【Little Raccoon】: Haven’t you fought a few battles against the Northern Frontier? How is this the first time?!
【Old Driver Alliance】: Before it was all ambushes and trickery; there was some cleverness involved, so it couldn’t be counted as a direct clash. This time is different—the two armies are lined up, and the streamer’s side will have to face over ten thousand cavalry of the Northern Frontier head-on. It’s a different kind of challenge.
The Northern Frontier was renowned for its cavalry, fierce warriors who roamed the grasslands.
Previously, they were separated by the Changshui River, and later a man-made flood hit; thus, the advantage of the Northern Frontier cavalry never materialized.
Now the terrain was flat and smooth, perfectly suited for a cavalry charge—could the intensity of battle even compare?
The current danger level of the battlefield was higher than ever, and Jiang Pengji, as the leader, still wanted to fight—no wonder the audience was concerned for her subordinates.
Jiang Pengji wore a faint smile on her face.
She understood well what the audience was worried about, but they were overly concerned due to their unfamiliarity with ancient warfare.
Jiang Pengji would engage in battle, but that didn’t mean she would lead the charge into the frontline herself.
The majority of generals were tasked with command, not face-to-face combat; only once the two armies were locked in chaos would they lead the troops into battle.
No matter how many commanders you had, sending them to take the first wave of enemy fire would only mean certain death.
Compared to the orderly approach on Jiang Pengji’s side, the Northern Frontier was a discordant cacophony of schemes and plots.
The Eighth Prince, dressed in resplendent red armor, sat majestically on a horse, while Vice General Seventh Prince donned an equally striking orange-yellow army ensemble by his side.
“What’s going on with the Sixth Prince?” Seventh Prince, clearly irritated, couldn’t contain his frustration, “Is he a pig?”
In the Northern Frontier, there were no fancy rules for battle; they hit when they wanted to hit and retreated whenever they felt like it. Even ambushes were straightforward.
His suggestion was to take advantage of Jiang Pengji’s army being unorganized and launch an immediate offensive.
With over ten thousand cavalry charging all at once, the enemy would likely be caught off guard—an easy ambush!
But what happened?
He couldn’t fathom the Sixth Prince’s stubbornness about dueling with the enemy—
Dueling? Are you kidding me?
The Eighth Prince wore a faint smile, but those familiar with him knew it was just a strained facade.
“Show a little respect in front of the armies. If this gets out, it’ll be used against the Sixth Prince.”
Dueling wasn’t common in the Northern Frontier; their custom was to charge straight into battle without any forewarning.
“Can’t take it anymore—”
Seventh Prince was clenching his fists under the blazing sun, filled with seething anger.
Little did he know, the Sixth Prince had his own reasoning.
Men from the Central Plains were much weaker than those from the Northern Frontier, smaller and more delicate.
The men of the Northern Frontier grew up on horseback, their riding skills unmatched; if they could regain some momentum through a duel, wouldn’t that be splendid?
The Sixth Prince wasn’t entirely wrong; the Northern Frontier’s cavalry was indeed strong, but victory depended on them not running into Jiang Pengji.
“I do not slay nameless fools under my blade; state your name—”
One of the Northern Frontier’s notably robust warriors, muscular as a rock and seemingly on the verge of bursting out of his armor, stepped forward.
