Reborn and returned, sisters swapped

She looked up and surveyed the surroundings with a sharp gaze.

As she walked into the woods, she noticed that the patrolmen were sparse and scattered, appearing only every few hundred steps. Their patrol routes were intricate and complex, and they would occasionally disappear from sight due to the shadows of the trees.

This area, which should have been the most heavily guarded, gave the impression of being hastily and carelessly prepared.

Gu Jinyan silently noted these observations in his mind, slowed down his pace, and carefully examined the surrounding terrain.

She stood on a slightly elevated slope, overlooking the defensive line layout in the forest.

The area around Nancheng is covered with mountains and forests, and is low-lying and shrouded in dampness all year round. From the outside, it is impossible to see the entire defensive line.

She walked a little further into the woods and found several particularly treacherous spots. If there were enemies lurking there, she could use the cover of the mountains and low-lying terrain to quietly approach them, and then sneak into the camp unnoticed when night fell or the fog rolled in.

Her heart tightened as she realized that the patrol distribution here was extremely unreasonable, the defense was practically non-existent, and it was completely unable to stop the enemy's sneak attacks.

Just as she was deep in thought, she suddenly noticed several patrolling soldiers leaning lazily against a tree and chatting in the distance, looking relaxed.

Gu Jinyan was displeased, staring at them without making a sound.

The soldiers seemed unaware of her presence, chatting and laughing in hushed tones. One of them even leaned against a tree trunk and dozed off, letting the trees behind him cast large shadows that obscured them in a blur.

Gu Jinyan's heart sank, thinking to himself, "If the enemy launches a surprise attack, I'm afraid there won't even be time to sound an alarm."

She frowned slightly, deciding to further confirm her judgment.

In the following days, she quietly traveled back and forth along the southern city defense line, observing the terrain in detail during the day and recording the deployment patterns of each patrol soldier at night.

She silently sketched out a map of the southern city defense line in her mind, clearly marking every weak point.

Although this defensive line is long, it has many gaps. If the enemy makes good use of the terrain, they could easily cross dozens of steps without being detected.

Low-lying areas, in particular, are almost unguarded and can easily become entry points for breaches.

She flipped through the military books she carried with her, which repeatedly mentioned the use of "geographical advantage" and emphasized the role of special terrains such as mountains, forests, and wetlands.

She compared the military strategies she had learned with the terrain before her, becoming increasingly certain of the weaknesses in the southern city's defenses.

She quickly mentally rehearsed: if she were the enemy, she could use this low-lying woodland to send a small team to approach quietly and infiltrate the camp under the cover of the moonless night. By the time the guards discovered them, it would probably be too late.

Gu Jinyan felt a heavy weight in her heart. As she recalled the patrol situation she had witnessed each day, she became increasingly uneasy.

She went to the southern part of the city again to make a final confirmation.

As night fell and all around was quiet, she lay prone under the cover of grass and trees, her gaze piercing through the darkness, but there was not a soul in sight.

At this moment, she became even more vigilant—this vulnerable spot in the forest was not only rarely patrolled, but also completely undefended at night.

If the enemy were to infiltrate from here, the military camp would be placed in an extremely passive position.

Just as she was pondering this, she suddenly saw a small patrol of soldiers walking towards her.

Gu Jinyan observed quietly and noticed that the group walked slowly and occasionally stopped to chat, clearly not valuing this defense zone.

She silently noted down the patrol team's route and time intervals, comparing them with her previous observations.

It was discovered that the patrol routes in the south of the city were not only sparsely distributed, but also had a large gap in their timing, with a group of soldiers passing by almost every half hour.

After several days of observation, Gu Jinyan's mood grew heavier. She returned to her tent, spread out a simple map, marked the patrol patterns of the southern city defense line, and drew conspicuous marks on the weak points.

Each mark was the result of her careful confirmation, like a series of oversights that sounded an alarm bell in her heart.

She couldn't help but repeatedly simulate how the enemy would plan their attack, how they would sneak in, and how they would reach the heart of the military camp silently if they launched an attack from this location.

As the saying goes in military strategy, "Warfare is based on deception."

She knew that the enemy would look for this weak point, and the loophole in the defenses she had observed would allow the enemy to easily succeed.

After confirming these judgments again, she gradually formed a complete analysis in her mind: the defense of the southern city was too loose, and if the enemy launched a night attack, it would inevitably cause unpredictable losses.

The observations and deductions of the past few days have left Gu Jinyan uneasy. She realized that the defense of this area is extremely serious.

But he also knew in his heart that he was just an "outsider" in charge of logistics and supplies, and had no right to directly participate in defense.

Nevertheless, a flame of unease still burned within her.

She paused for a moment, then decided to take the risk.

The next morning, she went to the camp guarding the southern city defense line, intending to report her discovery to the garrison commander.

The garrison commander was a middle-aged man in his forties, whose brows and eyes revealed the composure of someone who had been through many battles.

He was slightly surprised to see Gu Jinyan arrive, and asked with a slight frown, "Miss Gu, what brings you here?"

Gu Jinyan said solemnly, "General, there seems to be a loophole in the defense of the southern city."

Patrols were sparsely distributed in the forest, especially in low-lying areas where few were defended. If the enemy were to launch a surprise attack from there, the military camp would likely be exposed to extreme risk.

Upon hearing this, the garrison commander remained calm, glanced at Gu Jinyan, and said coldly, "Miss Gu, military affairs are none of your concern."

The southern part of the city will be personally defended by me, and patrol arrangements will follow established procedures.

Although Gu Jinyan was intimidated by his indifference, she was still unwilling to give up easily and patiently explained:

"General, Jin Yan is not speaking recklessly. I have observed this repeatedly over the past few days and there are indeed some issues."

The defenses are weak; if the enemy launches a night attack, the consequences would be unimaginable. I urge the general to consider this carefully.

The garrison commander sneered, a hint of contempt on his face, and slowly said, "This young lady should just keep to her duty. The army's defenses are handled by the veteran generals; there's no need to trouble others with your concerns."

After saying that, he ignored him and turned to leave, as if Gu Jinyan were just an ignorant person who had come to meddle in other people's business.

Gu Jinyan watched him leave, her heart filled with bitterness.

Although she knew she was just a low-level logistics staff member with little say, the fact that her heartfelt words were dismissed left her with a deep sense of powerlessness.

She stood still, her gaze unwavering as she looked towards the south of the city, thinking to herself:

"If the enemy does launch a surprise attack one day, it will confirm what I have seen today."

Since no one believes me, I must strengthen myself and, when I truly have control over military affairs, I will not allow anyone to look down on me again!

Gu Jinyan returned to his tent and laid out the military books he carried with him. The faint candlelight shone on the pages, creating a gentle warmth.

The tent was completely silent, save for the soft rustling of the wind through the curtains.

She sat quietly before the book, her thoughts surging like a tide, repeatedly sorting through her experiences over the past few days.

From initial indifference to repeated setbacks and perfunctory responses, she gradually realized that her enthusiasm and book knowledge alone were ultimately insufficient to establish herself in this iron-blooded camp.

"Warfare is based on deception. If you want to master military strategy, you can't just talk about it on paper," Gu Jinyan murmured softly, his gaze firm.

She knew that in order to truly put her knowledge to use, she not only needed to understand the strategies in military books, but also to integrate them into actual combat.

She made a silent decision in her heart: instead of rushing to show off, she would choose to study diligently, accumulate strength, and wait for the right opportunity to display what she had learned.

Gu Jinyan gently opened the military book beside him. The pages were thin and had a faint fragrance. This was a military classic passed down in his family for a long time, called "Changhe Strategy".

The book details the battle formations and principles of offense and defense employed by famous generals throughout history. Gu Jinyan slowly stroked the pages, feeling the weight of history.

She turned to a chapter in the book—"The Cloud Dragon Formation".

According to the book, this formation is like clouds rolling and dragons flying, suitable for use in mountainous areas, where troops can be dispersed and deployed by taking advantage of changes in the terrain.

If the enemy invades, the soldiers can quickly gather like water and then launch a counterattack from all directions at the critical moment to form an encirclement.

She read the details: "The formation is like flowing water, combining the real and the illusory."

If the enemy approaches from the high ground, light cavalry should be used to scout and lure them deeper; if they advance stealthily from the forest, troops should be divided to ambush them and guard their key routes.

These words seemed to unfold like a scroll before her eyes. She saw an army that seemed to transform into clouds and mist, wandering, entwining, gathering and dispersing invisibly in the mountains and forests, eventually surrounding the enemy army.

She continued reading and came across a chapter describing the "Fire Phoenix Formation".

This formation uses fire as its power and strong winds as its guide, and is specifically designed for surprise attacks and counterattacks.

The book states: "If the enemy is trapped on high ground, the cavalry will circle around like the wind, and when they are exhausted, the infantry will hide in the forest, light fires, and launch a surprise attack under the cover of night."

Gu Jinyan recalled his observations of the southern city defense line—where mountains and forests stretched endlessly and low-lying wetlands crisscrossed, making it a potential route for enemy troops to infiltrate.

She could easily adopt the strategy of the "Fire Phoenix Formation," hiding light cavalry and infantry among the shadows of trees. Once the enemy forces charged forward, she could use firelight to disrupt their formation, then quickly surround them with light cavalry and defeat them in the chaos.

She seemed to see this scene before her eyes: the enemy troops were dazzled by the firelight, while she attacked swiftly like the wind, defeating them one by one.

Just as she was deep in thought, her gaze fell on another chapter, "Earth Net Array".

This formation is particularly ingenious. It was created by our ancestors during a mountain battle and was specifically designed to defend areas vulnerable to enemy surprise attacks.

The book mentions: "In strategically important locations, a net-like defense should be deployed. A sentry post should be set up every ten paces, and an ambush should be set up every fifty paces. The sentries are in the open, and the ambush is in the shadows."

If the enemy approaches, the sentries will report, the ambush will spring up, and the troops will coordinate their attacks from both ends, ensuring that everyone in the ranks is in position to defend.