Dapeng's Time Travel Life

Chapter 28: Undercurrents and a Glimmer of Hope

The moonlight on the border was cold and clear, casting its light on the scarred city walls and illuminating the weary yet resolute faces of the soldiers. Zhang Peng stood atop the city wall, gazing in the direction the enemy had retreated, but his heart remained steadfast. He knew that although the enemy had temporarily retreated, they would not give up easily, and the next storm might be brewing.

"General, it's late, you should rest." Li Ming appeared behind him at some point and said softly.

Zhang Peng shook his head slightly: "How can I sleep peacefully when the enemy has not retreated? As you have seen, although the enemy has suffered a setback this time, their strength is still intact. We must come up with a countermeasure as soon as possible."

Li Ming sighed: "Yes, General. However, the soldiers are exhausted after this great battle and need to rest properly."

Zhang Peng turned around, looking at the city lights, and said thoughtfully, "Send orders to let the soldiers take turns resting, and at the same time strengthen the city's defense patrols. We cannot relax for a moment. In addition, send people to the surrounding villages to appease the people and help them rebuild their homes."

Li Ming accepted the order and left. Zhang Peng watched his retreating figure, silently praying that the war would end soon so that the people could live in peace.

In the days that followed, the border region temporarily returned to peace. During this time, Zhang Peng organized soldiers to reinforce the city walls and repair fortifications; at the same time, he sent out several reconnaissance teams to infiltrate deep behind enemy lines to gather intelligence.

However, the situation became increasingly complex. Reconnaissance teams reported that the enemy was colluding with neighboring tribes, attempting to launch another joint attack. Furthermore, they were secretly preparing a batch of more advanced weapons.

"General, what should we do? If the enemy unites with the tribes, our forces may not be able to withstand them," Li Ming said anxiously.

Zhang Peng frowned, pondered for a moment, and then said, "We cannot sit idly by and wait to die. On the one hand, we must strengthen our communication with friendly forces in the surrounding areas and request support; on the other hand, we must find a way to break the alliance between the enemy and the tribe."

In order to break the alliance between the enemy army and the tribes, Zhang Peng decided to personally go to the surrounding tribes to negotiate with them. He selected several elite soldiers, disguised themselves, and quietly left the border.

They endured hardships and slept in the open along the way, finally arriving at the camp of one of the tribes. The tribal chief was wary of their arrival. After Zhang Peng explained their purpose, the chief sneered, "What do your Han people's conflicts have to do with us? Why are you trying to stop us from cooperating with the enemy?"

Zhang Peng said sincerely, “Chief, you are unaware of the truth. The enemy is treacherous and ambitious. Once they occupy the border, your tribe will be their next target. Cooperating with them is tantamount to seeking help from a tiger.”

The leader pondered for a moment and said, "What you said makes some sense, but why should I believe you?"

Zhang Peng pulled a secret letter from his pocket. It was a letter intercepted by the reconnaissance team, revealing the enemy's collusion with the tribe. The letter clearly described the enemy's plot against the tribe.

After reading the letter, the leader's expression changed drastically: "I never expected the enemy to be so treacherous!"

Zhang Peng pressed his advantage: "Chief, if we join forces to fight the enemy, we can protect the people on the border and safeguard your homes."

After thinking for a long time, the leader finally nodded: "Alright, I am willing to cooperate with you."

Zhang Peng was overjoyed and signed a cooperation agreement with the chieftain. Afterwards, he immediately traveled to other tribes, and through considerable effort, successfully disrupted the alliance between the enemy forces and the tribes.

Upon returning to the border, Zhang Peng learned that the imperial reinforcements had arrived. He immediately summoned his generals to discuss the battle plan.

"Now that we have the support of our allies and have disrupted the enemy's alliance, it is the perfect time to launch a counterattack," Zhang Peng said.

The generals nodded in agreement, their eyes gleaming with excitement. Li Ming asked, "General, what should we do?"

Pointing to the map, Zhang Peng explained the battle plan in detail: "We will divide our forces into three routes. One route will launch a feigned attack from the front to draw the enemy's main force; another route will flank the enemy from the flanks to outflank their rear; and the last route, which I will personally lead, will launch a surprise attack on the enemy's supplies. If the enemy's supplies are cut off, they will inevitably fall into disarray without a fight."

The generals accepted their orders and returned to prepare. Zhang Peng knew that this battle would be tough, but he was confident that with the courage and wisdom of his soldiers, they would be able to completely defeat the enemy and defend the border.

Night fell, and the border was silent. Zhang Peng stood on the city wall, gazing at the starry sky, silently praying. He thought of Xia Lijuan, far away in the capital, wondering if she was alright. He secretly vowed that once the war was over, he would return to her side as soon as possible.

As the first rays of dawn gradually illuminated the horizon, Zhang Peng took a deep breath and shouted, "Let's go!"

With a command, the three armies sped off like arrows towards the enemy camp. A decisive battle that would determine the fate of the border was about to begin once again.