Reborn and returned, sisters swapped

A gentle breeze blew, and Zhao Lingfeng closed his eyes, feeling the pulse of the city behind him.

In this city, every person and every brick and stone has come together to form an unbreakable line of defense.

After inspecting Hesha City, Zhao Lingfeng stood on the city wall, looking out at the boundless sea of ​​sand outside the city, pondering in his heart.

Hersha City is an important border town, backed by the vast desert and bordered by grasslands to the north, which is suitable for cavalry to roam, but also makes the city's defenses more vulnerable.

Last night, Agul led his troops in a surprise attack. Although they managed to defend the city, Zhao Lingfeng knew that the enemy would not give up easily.

Agul will surely come back, and next time, he will likely choose a more covert and fierce offensive.

Thinking of this, Zhao Lingfeng decisively turned around and summoned several deputy generals and his personal attendants.

They gathered in the command tent in the city, where a sand table of Hesha City was laid out on the table, clearly showing the layout of the city walls, gates, streets, and watchtowers.

Zhao Lingfeng's gaze was solemn.

"Gentlemen, although we won the battle last night, the Black Rock Alliance is coming on strong and will surely attack again soon."

Today's discussion is about how to strengthen the city's defenses and prevent enemy surprise attacks.

Zhao Lingfeng spoke in a calm voice, his finger lightly tracing a thin line representing the city wall on the sand table.

Zhao Lingfeng pointed to the north city wall on the sand table, which faced the grassland and the sea of ​​sand, and was the main direction of the enemy's attack.

"The north city wall is the weakest link in Hesha City and the most likely direction for the Black Rock Allied Cavalry to attack."

I want you to double the number of men, with guards every three steps and sentries every five steps, ensuring that every section of the city wall is heavily defended by archers.

He then pointed to the city gate, saying, "In addition, the north gate must be reinforced. We should send craftsmen to build a temporary moat inside the gate and cover it with wooden planks. It can be quickly removed in wartime to make it difficult for the enemy to get close."

Deputy General He Qingshan cupped his hands and said, "General, if the enemy attacks again this time, I'm afraid it won't just be a matter of the North Gate."

Although the southern city is located in the desert, the enemy may still take advantage of the tension in our northern city defenses to bypass the desert and launch a surprise attack.

Should we also deploy defenses in the southern part of the city?

Zhao Lingfeng nodded and said in a deep voice, "That's right. The desert is vast and the weather is unpredictable at night. Although there are no grasslands to hide in, Agul is meticulous and should not be underestimated."

The southern city also needs to strengthen its defenses, with sentries deployed near the desert and patrols conducted day and night in shifts.

If the enemy forces manage to bypass the desert, we can detect them in advance.

He waved for several lieutenants to gather around, and continued, "Look carefully, here and here—"

He pointed to two sections of the city wall on the sand table, "During last night's battle, I discovered that the Black Rock Allied Forces made several attempts to launch a strong attack on these two weak points."

The archers' reaction time was not fast enough, giving the enemy an opportunity.

Therefore, starting tonight, I will add archery towers to these two sections of the city walls, and deploy rolling stones and oil. When the enemy forces reach these points, we must launch a swift attack and inflict heavy losses on them.

Lieutenant Wu Qi understood immediately and asked, "General, should these archery towers and oil emplacements be concealed to prevent the enemy from detecting them in advance?"

Zhao Lingfeng's gaze turned cold, and he nodded, saying, "That's right, we must keep them hidden in the shadows."

When the enemy approaches, we will suddenly fire arrows, catching them off guard. If they are careless, we can take the opportunity to severely damage their morale.

Next, Zhao Lingfeng turned to the city's interior. On the sand table, the main street of Hesha City meandered and connected various wards and residences.

He pointed to the main street and said slowly, "The civilian residential area is close to the south of the city. In case of any emergency, the people in the south of the city must be gradually evacuated to safe areas within the city in advance."

Food and supplies within the city must be centrally allocated to prevent chaos should the enemy breach the city.

Lu Qian, the civil official in charge of people's livelihood, quickly took notes and bowed, asking, "General, should the people be notified in advance of the evacuation? Doing so may cause panic."

Zhao Lingfeng pondered for a moment, his gaze resolute: "Do not announce it publicly. Order the village heads in the city to inform them secretly and proceed with the relocation gradually."

We must ensure order is maintained within the city and the safety of the people. War is imminent, but the people are our army's support and cannot be underestimated.

He paused, then continued, "Also, all the grain and weapons in the city must be quickly transported to the central camp to ensure that we have sufficient supplies when the war breaks out."

Zhao Lingfeng shifted his gaze from the sand table to the area outside the north gate, lost in thought.

The traces of last night's raid by Agul were still visible. He knew that the enemy was adept at night raids, and if no precautions were taken, Hesha City would probably not be able to hold out.

He said in a deep voice, "The Black Rock Alliance is best at night raids. They are familiar with the terrain and often use the cover of night to advance their cavalry."

Therefore, nighttime patrols must be more thorough.

Every night, three elite teams are dispatched to patrol the vicinity of the North Grassland in shifts. Upon discovering any suspicious activity, they are immediately alerted by signaling.

Lieutenant Xu Shengzhan cupped his hands and said, "General, we have made arrangements for night patrols many times, but the enemy cavalry's movements are erratic. Should we speed up the scouting to prevent nighttime ambushes?"

Zhao Lingfeng pondered for a moment, then said coldly, "The Black Rock Alliance's cavalry are adept at hiding in the grasslands. If we confront them head-on, we may not have the upper hand."

Therefore, I will send out a light cavalry force to patrol the grasslands day and night, taking advantage of the terrain's elevation and the grassland's weeds to actively seek out the enemy.

If enemy forces are spotted, immediately retreat and use bows and arrows to drive them away, avoiding direct confrontation.