Nine dragons fight for the throne, I don't want to sit on this throne

The next day, at noon, should have been a more relaxing time at the camp.

Suddenly, billowing dust rose simultaneously from the hills to the east, west, and south, accompanied by faint sounds of thunder and shouts, like a large cavalry charge!

"Report! A large amount of smoke and dust has been detected to the east, suspected to be enemy cavalry!"

"Report! There are some on the west side too!"

"The smoke and dust are heaviest from the south, which is likely the main source of the problem!"

The camp commander was terrified, thinking that the main force of the Youzhou garrison had come out of the city and wanted to eliminate his supply point.

He immediately ordered the entire army to take defensive positions, with archers mounted on the walls and pikemen blocking the gates. He also dispatched fast horses to urgently request reinforcements from the main force camp at Blackrock Fortress.

The atmosphere in the camp was extremely tense. All the soldiers gripped their weapons tightly, staring at the direction of the smoke and dust, preparing for a bloody battle.

However, half an hour passed...an hour passed...

The smoke and dust gradually dissipated, and the roaring and shouting had long since ceased.

The hills were quiet; not a single enemy soldier was in sight, let alone the main force!

Only dust blown up by the wind and flocks of birds startled into flight.

Just as the defending troops were filled with doubt and relaxed their guard, dozens of bulging sheepskin rafts tied together suddenly floated downstream on the stream that supplied the camp with drinking water to the north. They seemed to have flags stuck on them.

When the camp sentries discovered it, they assumed it was some strange weapon or poison and immediately reported it.

The garrison commander ordered his men to carefully hook one up with a long pole. When they cut it open, they found it stuffed with rotten animal entrails, foul-smelling fish and shrimp, and filth. The stench was overwhelming!

Those flags were nothing more than scribbled scribbles and provocative designs.

"Damn it! The people of Chu are treacherous!"

The garrison commander was furious, realizing he had been tricked.

The smoke and dust on those three sides must have been a deception created by the enemy using horses to drag tree branches.

The purpose is to scare them, make them nervous and on guard, and keep them busy. In the end, they will use such despicable means to pollute the water source and disgust them!

When the reinforcements sent by Blackstone Fortress arrived at Fenglingdu, panting, they found only a camp that had been completely fooled and whose morale was low. They hadn't even caught a glimpse of the enemy.

The reinforcement commander could only shake his head helplessly as he looked at the pile of stinking sheepskin rafts and the ashen face of the camp commander.

They were extremely troubled by the Youzhou garrison's shameless yet effective harassment tactics.

On the first day alone, the Scorpion Clan's three main camps were already suffering from fatigue, tension, suspicion, and minor material losses to varying degrees due to multiple waves and various methods of harassment.

Black Stone Fortress Old Village, Central Army Tent.

The atmosphere inside the tent was heavy and oppressive, making it hard to breathe. The charcoal brazier burned brightly, but it couldn't dispel the gloom and anger on the generals' faces.

General Gongsun Yi of the Scorpion Clan sat upright in the main seat covered with a tiger skin.

He was about fifty years old, with a lean face, a neatly trimmed short beard, and a pair of slender eyes that were slightly narrowed, flashing with a sharp and calm light like a hawk, which contrasted sharply with the rough and angry appearance of most of the generals in the tent.

Several urgent reports from different camps were spread out in front of him, detailing the various attacks that had occurred from the previous night until this morning.

The fire and arrows at Blackstone Fortress, the feint and rear attack at Wolf Leap Gorge, the smoke and dust and filth at Fengling Ferry.

Beyond the statistics of losses, the text conveys a sense of frustration and restlessness at being played for a fool.

Gongsun Yi tapped the table lightly, his voice calm yet carrying an invisible pressure.

He briefly recounted the situation from each location, then glanced at the dozen or so high-ranking generals seated on either side of the tent, and slowly asked:

"That's how it is. The Chu army has changed its usual defensive posture and is now using this wolf pack harassment tactic."

"Although it did not injure my bones, it disrupted my peace, exhausted my energy, and even intended to keep my army tied down here, preventing them from heading north to provide support."

"Generals, what are your plans for dealing with this?"

Before he finished speaking, the suppressed anger inside the tent was instantly ignited!

The burly, bearded general seated at the head of the left slammed his hand on the table in front of him, causing the cups and saucers to rattle. His hair and beard bristled, his eyes widened in fury, and he roared in a booming voice:

"General! What else is there to say?"

"The Chu dogs are going too far! They dare not fight fair and square, and instead resort to despicable and underhanded means, burning our fodder, polluting our water sources, killing our sentries, and even using tricks to deceive our army!"

"How can we tolerate such a humiliating disgrace?"

He was Gongsun Yi's top general, named Tuoba Hun, and was known for his bravery and ferocity.

Last night, Blackstone Fortress was attacked, and his men suffered the heaviest losses. He was already seething with anger.

"The bald-haired general is right!"

Another general with a scar on his face also stood up angrily. He was the commander of the detachment stationed at Wolf Leap Gorge.

"My camp was disturbed all night by those howling whistles, and we were also attacked from behind. Our warhorses were frightened and our soldiers were exhausted!"

"This humble general cannot swallow this insult! The Chu army is deliberately provoking us because they see that we dare not attack the city!"

"And Fenglingdu!"

A general in charge of logistics and supplies said with a grim face: "They used tree branches and horses to create smoke and dust, making a show of force and scaring our army into preparing for battle. In the end, they even polluted the water source with filth!"

"This...this is simply the behavior of a scoundrel! Such humiliation deserves to be met with blood for blood. How can the warriors of the Scorpion Clan maintain their dignity?"

The generals chatted excitedly, one after another, and the tent was like a boiling pot of oil.

They were originally proud and fierce warriors of the grasslands, used to galloping and fighting. They had never suffered such petty and disgusting humiliation.

This harassment tactic not only caused practical trouble, but also deeply hurt their pride and dignity as soldiers.

Seeing the crowd's outrage, Bald Man suddenly stood up, clasped his hands in a fist salute towards Gongsun Yi, and roared:

"General! This humble general requests permission! Let's stop arguing with these petty thieves from Chu!"

"The reason they dare to act so recklessly is because they think that Youzhou City is strong and well-fortified, and that we can't do anything to them!"

His eyes flashed with a fierce light, filled with murderous intent: "Please give the order, General, to gather my 100,000 iron cavalry, abandon our entanglement with these small groups of enemies, and march straight for the capital of Youzhou—Ji City!"

"Although Jicheng is the capital of a prefecture, its city walls are slightly inferior to those of Youzhou City, and its garrison is mostly composed of soldiers from the prefecture and county, far less elite than the border troops of Youzhou City!"

"Let's concentrate all our forces and launch a fierce attack on Ji City! As long as we break through Ji City, capture and kill Chu Xuan, or at least bring our troops to the city gates, let's see if the Youzhou garrison still dares to hide in the city and make these petty moves!"

"Yes! Attack Jicheng!"

The scarred general immediately chimed in, "Isn't the Chu army trying to stall us? Let's strike at their vital points!"

"If Jicheng is in danger, Youzhou will surely be shaken. Chu Xuan will either have to send troops to rescue it, or he will have to watch the capital fall!"

"Any way is better than us being made a fool of here!"

"That's right! We'll breach Ji City, plunder it, and let the Chu people know the consequences of offending my Scorpion Clan!"

"Let the blood of the Chu people wash away the shame of these past two days!"

"Please give the order, General, to attack Ji City!"