On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

“But his retreat into hiding also exposes his weakness. He is not entirely confident in his own strength. Moreover…” Lin Zhen’s finger suddenly stopped on an inconspicuous area marked as the edge of the “Death Swamp” on the sand table. “According to the intelligence that ‘Night Owl’ risked his life to send back three days ago, the Golden Wolf Riders of Uvi’s Royal Court have shown signs of secretly moving in this direction. Although the traces are very vague, it is by no means unfounded.”

Upon hearing this, Zheng Jiao's tiger-like eyes narrowed, and he leaned closer to examine the body, his brows furrowing deeply:

"The edge of the Death Swamp? The environment there is harsh, far from a route for a large army. Why did Uvi send his trump card there? Does he intend to take a long detour and launch a surprise attack on the flank of my Yanran Protectorate? This... is far too risky!"

"Make the empty appear real, and the real appear empty."

Lin Zhen straightened up, his gaze deep.

“Uwi’s military tactics are never conventional. He may be trying to take advantage of a place we think is impossible to attack from, to catch us off guard. Of course, it could also be a feint, intended to confuse us and cover up his true direction of attack.”

He paused, then turned to look at Zheng Jiao, his tone resolute.

"But no matter what, the supply route must be absolutely secure! Starting tomorrow, triple the number of scouts and expand the patrol area, especially the edge of the Death Swamp, keep a close watch on it! Double the number of guards protecting the supply convoys, and have your most capable cavalry captain personally escort them! At the same time, order the Yanran Protectorate to strengthen its defenses. Without my order, not a single soldier is allowed to leave the defense zone!"

"Your humble servant obeys!" Zheng Jiao responded with a resounding thud, a look of admiration flashing in his eyes. This young regent, though of noble birth, was extremely knowledgeable in military affairs, decisive, and thoughtful, earning the complete respect of this veteran general.

"besides,"

Lin Zhen walked to the long table, picked up a newly delivered confidential report, and handed it to Zheng Jiao.

"This is news that just arrived from the capital. His Majesty has issued a strict decree, ordering the Ministry of Revenue to spare no effort in ensuring the supply of provisions to the northern frontier. The second batch of 100,000 shi of grain has already been transported from Hedong, personally supervised by Prime Minister Du Ruhui, passing through Tongguan and Shuofang, and should arrive at the front lines within half a month at the latest. In addition, His Majesty has allocated 100,000 taels of gold from the imperial treasury to reward the three armies. He has told the soldiers that His Majesty and the court are their strongest support!"

Zheng Jiao took the secret report, quickly glanced at it, and his face showed excitement. He knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a fist and said:

"Your Majesty is wise! Your Highness, rest assured! This humble general will proclaim His Majesty's grace to the entire army! The soldiers will surely swear to serve him to the death and fight bravely to repay the Emperor's favor!"

"Get up." Lin Zhen reached out to help Zheng Jiao up, patted his sturdy arm armor, and softened his tone.

"Commander Zheng, the safety of the northern frontier rests on your shoulders, and on the shoulders of all the soldiers. We must fight, but we must fight smartly, minimizing unnecessary casualties. Uwi wants to stall, but we will not let him have his way!"

A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"Doesn't he like to raid supply lines? Then let's turn the tables on him!"

Zheng Jiao's spirits lifted: "What does Your Highness mean?"

Lin Zhen walked back to the sand table and pointed heavily at the dotted line representing the grain transport route:

"For the next large-scale grain transport, deliberately spread rumors, exaggerating the size of the grain convoy and the strength of its guards, pretending to be heavily fortified. Secretly, select elite troops and ambush them in strategic locations along the grain route. At the same time, send a light cavalry unit disguised as a grain convoy to take a different route. If Uwei sends men to intercept the grain, they will fall right into our trap! If we can wipe out these troublesome cavalry units, we will severely damage their arrogance and also capture some warhorses and supplies to replenish our army's losses!"

"Brilliant!" Zheng Jiao clapped his hands and laughed, his eyes gleaming. "Your Highness's plan is brilliant! This subordinate will make arrangements immediately! Those barbarians from the northern deserts will never return!"

"This matter must be kept absolutely confidential, and the person chosen must be capable and reliable," Lin Zhen instructed. "We will discuss the specific details in detail." He gestured for Zheng Jiao to come closer to the sand table, and the two discussed it in hushed tones under the light, their fingers constantly gesturing on the sand table, sometimes arguing, sometimes nodding.

The tallow lamp inside the command tent swayed violently in the wind, casting the shadows of Lin Zhen and Zheng Jiao against the tent wall like giants locked in fierce combat. The two spent another half an hour working around the huge sand table, meticulously refining every detail of the ambush plan until there were no more oversights.

"Alright! Let's do it that way!" Zheng Jiao slammed his fist into his tough leather armor, making a dull thud, his eyes burning with excitement.

"Your Highness, I will go and select men right away! Those lads from the Tiger Warriors are all skilled horsemen and archers, and they excel at long-distance raids. They are perfect as bait! Also, have the deputy commander of the Divine Machine Battalion take some of the newly made 'Thunderbolt Bombs' and ambush them at Eagle's Beak Cliff. I guarantee those northern barbarians will taste the feeling of being struck by lightning!"

“No,” Lin Zhen shook his head, his gaze still fixed on the sand table, his finger lightly tracing the red line representing the route to lure the enemy.

"The Tiger Battalion is too conspicuous. They are our army's elite troops. How could that old fox Uvina not know this? Sending them as bait is too deliberate and will only arouse his suspicion."

Zheng Jiao was taken aback upon hearing this, and asked with some confusion, "Then what does Your Highness mean?"

"If you're going to imitate someone, you have to imitate them perfectly." Lin Zhen's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable decisiveness.

“A real grain transport team wouldn’t be escorted entirely by elite troops. It would consist of some combat soldiers and a large number of auxiliary soldiers and civilians, their armor would be tattered, their movement slow, and their formation would inevitably be loose. What we need to do is replicate this reality.”

He raised his head and looked at Zheng Jiao:

“Select three thousand men from the rear army’s supply battalion. These men need not be battle-hardened veterans, but they must be loyal, reliable, and composed in the face of danger. Tell them that this is a feint, and the real killing move is yet to come. Their task is to put on a good show and lure the wolf cubs of the northern desert to the slaughterhouse we have prepared for them. In addition, conscript five thousand civilian laborers to accompany the army and have them push empty grain carts covered with thick tarpaulins and filled with sand and stones, making sure they look like they are fully loaded with grain and can barely keep up with the load.”

As Zheng Jiao listened to Lin Zhen's plan, the excitement on his face slowly faded, replaced by a deeper respect.

He had initially thought the prince's plan was merely an ambush, but he hadn't expected that even the details of the bait would be so meticulously considered. The arrangement was almost identical to a real grain transport convoy; even if Uwei's spies saw it, they would have no chance of distinguishing the real from the fake.

"Your Highness's considerations are thorough, and I admire them!" Zheng Jiao said sincerely. "However... sending the brothers of the supply battalion to take this risk is risky. Although they are veterans, their combat strength is ultimately limited. What if the Northern Desert cavalry don't fall for the trap and end up eating our bait first..."

"Therefore, a security force is also necessary." Lin Zhen's gaze shifted to another area on the sand table.

“From your personal guard, select five hundred elite cavalrymen, have them remove their fine armor, change into ordinary infantry clothes, and mingle among the laborers. Then select one of your most trusted lieutenants, known for his bravery, and have him lead the team. To the outside world, announce that he has been sent to escort grain supplies. This person must be able to act, to portray the tension and outward strength of escorting important materials.”

He paused, a hint of coldness creeping into his voice:

“This bait is also a trap. If it’s just a small harassing force of a few hundred men, these five hundred elite troops are enough to annihilate them on the spot, and Uvi won’t get any information. If it’s… a large force of several thousand men,” he pointed heavily to the pre-arranged ambush area—Eagle Beak Cliff, “then let them lure the enemy in. Tell that lieutenant general that as long as the enemy is led to the foot of Eagle Beak Cliff, he will be credited with the greatest merit!”

"This subordinate understands!" Zheng Jiao nodded emphatically, already having a suitable candidate in mind.