The first contingent of Central Plains soldiers arrived, far sooner than anyone had expected.
They were elite troops from the Central Plains, not the cowardly infantry who had fled in panic when surrounded by Luoluo's army. Though they numbered only two or three thousand, their ranks were impeccably organized, with sword-and-shield troops, archers and crossbowmen, spearmen, and every other unit one could want.
Dugu Xian's heart sank. The Northern Court relied mainly on mounted archers, and nothing frightened them more than facing a fully equipped Central Plains army without a numerical advantage. Their strategy had always been to flee at a distance, lure the enemy deep into their territory, then defeat them piecemeal.
But today, they could not run. The Dragon King was still up in the mountains. Although he had ordered the troops below to leave first if necessary, Dugu Xian could not bring himself to abandon him. He knew all too well that the vulnerable Dragon King and Shulitu's army still needed the authority he wielded.
Han Fen did not seem to realize how dire the situation was. She looked eager to give it a try. "Last time, I was too busy protecting that old man to set foot on a battlefield."
"Silence," Dugu Xian said sternly. Once he was back with the army, he had become the general in control of the situation again.
Han Fen was a little displeased, but she could sense the tension around her. After a moment's thought, she obediently closed her mouth.
Dugu Xian said to an officer beside him, "Pass the order down. Put away all the bows. Half the men dismount and rest; the other half stay mounted and prepare for battle."
The officer was startled. He stared at the general blankly for a moment, making sure he had heard