"We must not only avoid retreating but also continuously charge toward the territory occupied by the Xiongnu, until we completely shatter their courage or fight to the last man."

"Only in this way can we secure an era of peace and prosperity for our families and loved ones."

Although Jiang Chen's voice wasn't loud, everyone in the imperial city could feel a raging fire burning in their chests.

"Relay my command! All troops, advance! March north against the Xiongnu! Fight to the death!"

As the crisp sound of the command token hitting the ground echoed, countless soldiers, already prepared, swiftly adjusted their formations and headed out of the city gates as if they were machines.

Seeing Jiang Chen riding a tall horse and leading numerous imperial guards out of the imperial city, many residents who had previously kept their doors shut cautiously opened them.

They tried everything possible to stuff the treasures they had been hoarding into the soldiers' arms.

Even the usually selfish and self-centered scions of influential families were now filled with emotion, tears welling up in their eyes.

Behind Jiang Chen and his troops, in addition to the supplies they carried themselves, countless commoners formed a spontaneous procession, pushing carts of grain and provisions, seeing them off from afar.

After noticing what was happening behind them, those who had originally intended for Jiang Zuo Wang to rebel and replace Jiang Chen all fell silent.

Jiang Chen now had the support of the people; he who wins the hearts of the people wins the world. Now, all they could hope for was that Jiang Zuo Wang wouldn't make any rash decisions at this critical juncture.

If Jiang Zuo Wang were to charge into the imperial city and declare himself king now, he would not only fail to gain anyone's support but would also be universally condemned.

As Jiang Chen's mighty army marched north, in a fortress closest to the Xiongnu, everyone wore worried expressions, watching the billowing smoke signals.

"I say, centurion, there's no point in us continuing to hold out here. Most of the military supplies and provisions originally stockpiled here were sold to the Xiongnu by the Mei family. With less than a hundred of us trying to garrison this place, we're just daydreaming."

"That's right, centurion. The Xiongnu probably have hundreds of thousands of troops. We're just a drop in the ocean. Instead of cutting off our own path to survival, let's just leave and find a way for the brothers to live."

Just as someone had the thought of defecting to the Xiongnu, a flash of steel later, the person collapsed to the ground.

"We are the outermost layer of defense. Now that the smoke signals are rising, if we keep retreating, won't these Xiongnu be able to enter our territory as if it were their own backyard? If we really allow them to flatten our outer fortresses, then…"

Thinking of his wife and children, who had finally settled down, the centurion tightened the bandages around his body and stood up, steel saber in hand.

"I won't stop anyone who wants to run away, but if I find out that anyone dares to defect to the Xiongnu and betray everyone, I will never let you go, even if I become a ghost. If you want to stay, then stay here with me and prepare everything, ready to meet the Xiongnu's attack at any time."

"I believe His Majesty will never ignore us. As long as His Majesty sends troops, we will definitely be able to find a way to survive."

After speaking, the centurion began to search everywhere for anything that could be used.

Watching the busy figure, the remaining people pondered for a long time, but in the end, they all gathered back.

While they were painstakingly preparing everything to defend against the siege,

Xiongnu scouts had already arrived outside the fortress.

Looking at the busy figures on the earthen wall, which was only three men high, these guys all sneered.

"I can't imagine that there are still people who want to resist here. Do they really think they can hold this place?"

Seeing the gazes of those people gathered, these Xiongnu were not afraid at all. Instead, they provocatively waved the steel sabers in their hands.

This time, in order to invade southward, they had come out in full force. Apart from the old, weak, women, and children, all the able-bodied men had participated in this plundering expedition.

"Go back and report to the Khan. Just flatten these annoying little mounds. These things can only tickle us at most. I really don't know why they still dare to hold out here."

But what the Xiongnu didn't know was that it was precisely because of their carelessness that they suffered significant casualties.

On Jiang Chen's side, the main force was marching rapidly. Although local garrison troops were constantly joining them, the number of people who could be gathered in a short period of time was clearly at an absolute disadvantage compared to the Xiongnu, who had been preparing for a long time.

"Your Majesty, we have only gathered less than 300,000 troops now. If we really fight the Xiongnu head-on, I'm afraid we will be scattered in a single clash."

Hearing this report, Jiang Chen remained unmoved.

If the Xiongnu's arrogant arrogance couldn't be suppressed, their subsequent battles would only become more and more difficult. After all, these people, who grew up on horseback, were far more valiant than imagined.

Moreover, most of them were now mainly infantry, with no chance to compete with the Xiongnu in cavalry. The heavy troops could only guard one place, while the enemy could simply surround them without attacking and detour.

"Right now, we have no choice. Once the enemy provokes us, we can only meet them head-on, without any initiative. Unless there is a force that can directly cross the defense line and reach behind the enemy without anyone noticing."

Taking a look at the latest deployment map, Jiang Chen sighed helplessly.

In this era of cold weapons, cavalry was simply the greatest form of dimensional reduction against infantry.

"Do your best to ensure that everyone can maintain enough energy. Once we reach the battlefield, it will only be a brutal battle, and no one will be spared."

Looking at the map, it was only a few days away from reaching the border. The scouts at the forefront had already encountered the Xiongnu light cavalry who came out to scout the situation several times.

"However, the Xiongnu have not launched an attack on Shimen Pass for a long time. I wonder what kind of medicine they are selling in their gourds?"

Looking at the map, Jiang Chen was also somewhat unclear about the enemy's deployment at this moment.

If the Xiongnu really wanted to invade southward, their first priority would be to break through Shimen Pass.

Once Shimen Pass was breached, there would be no natural barriers to stop them from galloping freely for thousands of miles.

But so far, Shimen Pass was still peaceful, and no battle reports had been sent back.

This left Jiang Chen completely confused, unable to figure out the movements of these Xiongnu.