After nightfall, Lu Chen stayed in his study, repeatedly examining the map of Great Xia, especially the terrain of North City.
Although the map was drawn by soldiers, it still held some referential value.
At this moment, Lu Chen thought that if he wanted to maximize the effectiveness of the grenade cannons, the best way would be to lure all thirty thousand Barbarian cavalry into narrow terrain.
Then, he could "close the pocket," trapping the Barbarian cavalry with no way to escape.
Of course, planning this way was just theorizing on paper; the specific execution would undoubtedly be extraordinarily difficult.
For instance, whether the Barbarian Tribe would fall for it or follow their thought process, all depended on the Barbarian leaders.
Just then, there was a knock at the study door.
"Chen'er, may I come in?"
Hearing that it was Chu Yuqin's voice, Lu Chen absentmindedly responded, "Yes, come in."
Chu Yuqin entered the study and saw Lu Chen's eyes fixed on the map on the desk. Knowing that after meeting Qin Yushan, Lu Chen had shut himself in the study, Chu Yuqin realized that a significant crisis must be approaching.
Chu Yuqin asked with concern, "Chen'er, what happened?"
Chu Yuqin was no outsider, and Lu Chen had no intention of keeping her in the dark, so he replied, "The Barbarian Tribe's royal court has issued a summons, preparing to gather an army of three hundred thousand to move south, occupy North City, and then establish a nation there, with Yan County as their capital city."
Upon hearing this, Chu Yuqin's mind went blank for a moment.
In this world, large-scale wars could not be swayed by just a Grandmaster or a few strong individuals.
With three hundred thousand cavalry, if they really moved south, the few people in North City would definitely be unable to hold, no wonder Lu Chen had lost his appetite and stayed in the study all night.
Chu Yuqin then asked, "Chen'er, is this information accurate?"
Lu Chen nodded, "This is intelligence passed back by the Brocade Guard from the grasslands."
Chu Yuqin fell silent.
When the Blood Moon Tower sent someone to assassinate Lu Chen, she couldn't protect him properly, let alone protect the Prince's Mansion amid three hundred thousand cavalry.
Chu Yuqin also understood that this was clearly not something she could meddle in.
At this moment, Lu Chen said, "Madam Chu, I plan to move Zixuan and the others to Anping City, then I will lead thirty thousand soldiers to decide the battle against the Barbarian cavalry at Yan County."
Anping City was also a city in North City, but further south.
If North City truly fell, Mu Zixuan and the others could leave North City at the first opportunity and return to the Capital city.
Hearing Lu Chen's words, Chu Yuqin was momentarily stunned before urgently saying, "Chen'er, you mustn't!"
"That's three hundred thousand cavalry!"
"How could North City's thirty thousand soldiers possibly be a match for the Barbarian cavalry!"
Although Chu Yuqin had never been to battle, she knew that the Barbarian Tribe's three hundred thousand cavalry were indeed a full three hundred thousand strong.
Typically, the Great Xia Dynasty, or other dynasties when deploying troops abroad, always claimed to have armies of several hundred thousand or even a million.
But these so-called several hundred thousand or million strong armies were greatly inflated, with logistics taking up the majority, and the actual combat-capable soldiers might not even reach half.
However, Barbarian soldiers were different; each of their cavalry could fight, so if they claimed to have three hundred thousand cavalry, it meant they truly had three hundred thousand combat-ready soldiers.
Chu Yuqin simply couldn't imagine how Lu Chen could hold out with North City's thirty thousand soldiers if the Barbarian Army of three hundred thousand cavalry besieged them!
Seeing Chu Yuqin so flustered, Lu Chen showed a hint of confidence and smiled, "Madam Chu, have you forgotten that I have a celestial fate?"
Chu Yuqin didn't relax just because Lu Chen said this. She continued, "Chen'er, Auntie knows you have celestial fate, but with your current strength, you still can't withstand an army of three hundred thousand."
"Moreover, within the Barbarian Army, there must be many Grandmasters, and even Great Grandmasters."
Lu Chen said indifferently, "What I mean is that I have even more terrifying weapons at my disposal."
Upon hearing Lu Chen's words, Chu Yuqin suddenly remembered those mysterious weapons he had used before.
If Lu Chen had a large number of such weapons or if the Prince's Mansion could manufacture similar ones, then it wasn't impossible for thirty thousand to fight against three hundred thousand.
Chu Yuqin asked curiously, "Chen'er, are the weapons you mentioned really capable of withstanding the charge of the Barbarian Cavalry?"
Lu Chen, looking at the map, did not directly answer Chu Yuqin's question but asked instead, "Madam Chu, do you know what I'm most worried about right now?"
Chu Yuqin looked down at the map and said nothing.
Since Lu Chen had already decided to lead thirty thousand soldiers to face the three hundred thousand Barbarian cavalry head-on, naturally he wasn't worried about the Barbarian forces reaching the city.
If Lu Chen wasn't even concerned about the Barbarian forces reaching the city walls, Chu Yuqin could not imagine what else Lu Chen could be worried about.
At this time, Lu Chen continued, "What I'm worried about is that the Barbarian Cavalry might flee, and we won't be able to completely hold these three hundred thousand cavaliers."
Upon hearing what Lu Chen said, Chu Yuqin suddenly felt her mind struggling to comprehend.
Not only to withstand the southward push of these three hundred thousand Barbarian Cavalry but also to defeat them completely and ensure none escaped?
If anyone else heard this, they would probably think the North Prince had lost his mind out of fear upon hearing the news of the Barbarian Tribe's advance south.
That's three hundred thousand soldiers!
And cavalry at that, not to mention whether it was possible to defeat them, trying to keep all three hundred thousand cavaliers from escaping was nothing short of a pipe dream.
At this moment, Chu Yuqin let out a sigh and said, "Chen'er, Auntie is just a homemaker. Auntie doesn't understand much about war; I only hope you come back safely."
Lu Chen then looked up at Chu Yuqin with slightly furrowed brows and an anxious expression on her face. He smiled and said, "Madam Chu, don't worry. If it really comes to the point where we can't resist the Barbarians, I will find a way to escape."
"Escaping the encirclement of the Barbarians isn't too difficult for me."
Chu Yuqin inquired, "When do you plan on sending Zixuan and the others to Anping City?"
Lu Chen replied, "The sooner the better, I need to prepare in advance."
At this moment, Lu Chen gazed into Chu Yuqin's eyes and continued, "Madam Chu, I hope you can leave with Zixuan and the others when the time comes and help me protect them."
In response to Lu Chen's request, Chu Yuqin didn't refuse this time, as she knew that she wouldn't be much help in such a large-scale war.
"Alright, if North City really falls, Auntie will take Zixuan and the others back to the Capital. You focus on fighting the Barbarians in Yan County."
Seeing Chu Yuqin agree, Lu Chen felt one less concern in his heart.
At this moment, the voice of a maid was heard at the door.
"Your Highness, an urgent message from the Brocade Guard."
Lu Chen said, "Come in."
The maid then entered the study, handed over the letter to Lu Chen, who opened it and glanced through before muttering to himself, "It seems that before we confront the southward advance of the Barbarian Army, we need to deal with a little trouble first."