195: Gather intelligence on Russian troops, formulate strategies, prepare gunpowder and formations, and await battle.

The Forbidden City was still shrouded in morning mist, and the "Hui" banner atop the Hall of Supreme Harmony snapped loudly in the wind.

As soon as Xie Hui walked into the hall, he saw Long'er approaching quickly with a Secret Letter, her cold, beautiful face uncharacteristically showing a hint of urgency: "Brother Hui, Scouts report that the Russian Army has already crossed Lake Baikal. There are about three thousand of them, carrying twenty old-style cannon, along with quite a few cavalry. They are heading toward our border stronghold and are expected to arrive in three days!"

Xie Hui took the Secret Letter, his fingertips tracing the military intelligence recorded on the paper—the Scouts had clearly written down the Russian Army's weapons, numbers, and marching route, and had even noted that the Russian generals liked to inspect their camp in the middle of the night.

He frowned: "Three thousand men isn't a large number, but although their cannon are old-fashioned, their range is greater than our crossbow bolts, so we must prepare countermeasures in advance."

AKe followed him in, holding a stack of maps. Hearing this, she hurriedly pulled out a border map and spread it on the desk: "I cross-referenced the mechanism diagrams I studied before and marked the valleys and rivers the Russian Army might pass through. Here—" she pointed to Black Wind Pass on the map, "there are cliffs on both sides and only one road in the middle. If we set an ambush here, block the road with stones, and then throw down gunpowder, we can definitely trap them!"

Xie Hui's eyes lit up; AKe's idea was exactly what he had in mind—terrain warfare from the modern era could be used here just as well.

He reached out and drew a circle around Black Wind Pass: "We'll choose this spot! Long'er, have the remnants of the Divine Dragon Cult cut down some large trees, saw them into logs, and stack them on the cliffs. When the time comes, a single push will block the road. Tiger Wang, take the remnants of Wu Sangui's men and dig trenches on both sides of the valley, hide the gunpowder barrels, and ignite them once the Russian Army enters!"

Tiger Wang had just returned from training outside the city, his armor still coated in dust. Hearing the order, he immediately patted his chest: "Don't worry, Brother Hui! My brothers are experts at digging trenches. Back when we followed General Wu, we could dig a ten-mile-long trench in three days. We guarantee that once the Russian Army enters, they won't be able to get out!"

Wei Xiaobao, wearing simple casual clothes and holding a cloth bag filled with sesame pancakes, walked over. He took a bite of a pancake and asked unclearly: "Brother Hui, what am I doing? I can't just hide in the back like before, right? The Emperor of the New Dynasty needs to have some prestige, otherwise, my subordinates won't respect me!"

Xie Hui was amused by him and reached out to brush the pancake crumbs from the corner of his mouth: "I have an important task for you. Take Xu Tianchuan and the brothers from the Heaven and Earth Society to the rear to supervise the transport of provisions and ensure that the brothers on the front lines have food to eat and water to drink—this job is even more important than fighting. If the provisions are cut off, we'll go hungry even if we win."

As soon as Wei Xiaobao heard "important task," he immediately became energetic and stuffed the cloth bag into his arms: "Don't worry! I guarantee I'll complete the mission! I'll have Brother Xu bring more sesame pancakes so the brothers on the front lines can have a taste too; it's better than just chewing on dry rations!"

Shuanger walked in carrying a tray with freshly brewed ginger soup and a few plates of warm snacks: "Brother Hui, Sister Long'er, AKe, have some ginger soup to warm up. The border is cold; the Scouts said it has already snowed there, so our brothers need to bring plenty of cotton clothes."

She set down the tray and pulled a list from her bosom: "I've listed the supplies that need to be prepared: cotton clothes, quilts, medicine, dry rations, and the hemp rope and tinder box that AKe asked for. Everything is noted down. I'll have the palace servants prepare them immediately, and they can be loaded onto the carts tomorrow."

Xie Hui took the list. The handwriting was elegant and neat, and even details like "ten people per tent, equipped with two fire basins" were written clearly. His heart warmed and trembled—Shuanger was always like this; no matter how urgent the matter, she could handle it perfectly. It was no wonder the outline described her as "loyal and obedient"; no one could match this attentiveness.

"Thank you for your hard work," Xie Hui handed the list to the palace servant nearby, "Follow what Shuanger has listed. Not a single item can be missing. If anyone dares to cut corners, bring them directly to me!"

The palace servant quickly agreed and ran out holding the list. Jianning ran in carrying a hand warmer embroidered with the word "Hui." Seeing the map on the desk, she leaned over and pointed to the position of the Russian Army: "Xie Hui, are the Russian Army very fierce? I heard from the old eunuchs in the palace that when the Qing Dynasty fought them, they lost more than they won. Can we beat them?"

Xie Hui ruffled her hair, picked up a brush, and drew a simple Formation on the map: "Don't worry. The Qing Dynasty lost because they didn't know how to use Formations and couldn't make powerful gunpowder. We are different. Look—" he pointed to both sides of Black Wind Pass, "we hide gunpowder here, throw logs here. When the Russian Army enters, we block the road first, then use the gunpowder to blow them up, and finally, the cavalry will charge to finish them off. We guarantee they won't be able to return!"

Jianning's eyes lit up, and she hugged his arm and shook it: "Then can I go? I want to see how you win the battle and come back to show off to the Palace Maids!"

"No," Xie Hui refused with a smile, "The border is too dangerous. You stay in the palace. When we win, I'll bring back the Russian Army's cannon and make them decorations for you. They'll be even more impressive than the bronze bells in the palace!"

Although Jianning was a little unhappy, as soon as she heard there would be "spoils of war," she nodded and agreed: "Then you must keep your word and don't forget to bring me the cannon!"

By noon, all the teams began to mobilize. Long'er took the remnants of the Divine Dragon Cult to the mountains to cut down trees, and the sound of axes echoed far into the valley; Tiger Wang's men carried shovels and dug trenches at Black Wind Pass, mixing some gravel into the soil to better hide the gunpowder barrels; Shuanger directed the palace servants to load cotton clothes and medicine onto the carts. Each cart had a "Hui" banner stuck on it, and looking at it from a distance, it looked like a long yellow dragon.

Xie Hui took AKe to a blacksmith shop outside the city—he wanted to personally guide the blacksmith in making an improved version of the gunpowder.

The blacksmith was a man over fifty. Hearing that he was to make "gunpowder that could blow down a mountain," his hands shook: "My Lord, this gunpowder is too dangerous. If it explodes, our shop will be blown to the sky!"

Xie Hui didn't waste words with him. He took out a small paper packet from his inner universe, which contained the gunpowder powder he had prepared in advance: "Follow this ratio: saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal, three to one to one. Don't add more or less. I've tested it; the power is just enough to break large trees without hurting our own people."

As he spoke, he took a clay pot, poured the powder in according to the ratio, added some fine sand to prevent moisture, and then lit a tinder box and threw it in—with a "bang," the clay pot shattered into pieces, and the large tree nearby shook off a few leaves, but no one around was hurt.

The blacksmith was stunned and quickly nodded: "My Lord is amazing! I will make it according to the ratio, I guarantee I won't miss a single coin!"

AKe stood by, helping Xie Hui record the ratio, and reminded the blacksmith from time to time: "Sift the saltpeter finer, otherwise it will easily clump." She had learned some Alchemy methods from Zheng Keshuang, so she was familiar with these raw materials and helped a lot.

By evening, the first batch of improved gunpowder was ready, packed into sealed clay pots, two hundred in total. Xie Hui had people move the gunpowder to the carts and went to the cavalry camp—Tiger Wang's remnants included many cavalrymen who were skilled in riding but did not know how to coordinate. Xie Hui divided them into five teams and taught them the "Cone Formation": "When charging, the first team charges at the very front like an awl, piercing into the enemy's Formation, and the teams behind follow to charge and split the enemy apart. This makes it easier to fight!"

The cavalry was not used to it at first, but after practicing a few times, they gradually found the feeling. The five teams of cavalry charged, really looking like a sharp awl, full of Aura. Tiger Wang clapped his hands: "Brother Hui, this Formation is amazing! If we had known this method when we were fighting the Qing Army, we would have won long ago!"

Xie Hui smiled and nodded: "In the future, we will learn more powerful methods. Not only will we defeat the Russian Army, but we will also make the surrounding countries afraid to provoke our 'Hui' Dynasty!"

When he returned to the Forbidden City, it was already dark. Shuanger had long prepared dinner, with braised pork, steamed fish, and the sesame pancakes that Wei Xiaobao loved most on the table. Everyone sat around the table, eating and discussing the departure tomorrow.

"Brother Hui, when are we leaving tomorrow?" Long'er put down her bowl and wiped her mouth, "I've had the brothers tie up all the logs, just waiting for the order."

"We will set off at the Yin hour," Xie Hui drank some soup, "We will arrive at Black Wind Pass before dawn, just in time for the Russian Army to pass through. AKe, you come with me to the front line; Tiger Wang, you take the cavalry to the rear guard; Wei Xiaobao, you and Brother Xu supervise the transport of provisions in the town thirty miles to the rear. Use the walkie-talkie to contact me if there is any situation."

Wei Xiaobao's mouth was full of pancakes, and he replied unclearly: "Don't worry! I will definitely keep an eye on the provisions and won't let the brothers go hungry!"

Shuanger put a piece of braised pork into Xie Hui's bowl: "You must be careful on the front line. I have put the peach blossom island elixir in the first-aid kit. If you get hurt, you must take the medicine first, don't force it." She also served vegetables to AKe and Long'er, "You are the same, take care of yourselves and help look after Brother Hui."

AKe and Long'er nodded quickly, feeling warm in their hearts—Shuanger was always like this, taking care of everyone perfectly like a matriarch.

It was late at night, and everyone went back to their rooms to rest, but Xie Hui was still in the Hall of Supreme Harmony looking at the map. He held a brush and drew a few more circles on the location of Black Wind Pass, marking "Gunpowder Point," "Cavalry Charge Route," and "Log Stacking Place," to ensure that every detail was flawless.

Suddenly, there was a soft sound of footsteps behind him. Xie Hui looked back and saw Jianning standing at the door holding a doll, her eyes red: "Xie Hui, are you really leaving tomorrow? I'm a little worried about you. What should I do if you get hurt?"

Xie Hui walked over, picked her up, and put her on his lap: "Don't worry, I'm very powerful and won't get hurt. You stay in the palace obediently and wait. When I win, I'll bring back the Russian Army's helmet for you. It's even more fun than the gold hairpins in the palace!"

Jianning hugged his neck and kissed his cheek: "Then you must come back safely. I'll wait for you to bring me the helmet!"

Xie Hui smiled and nodded. After sending her back to her room, he returned to the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The moonlight shone through the window onto the map, illuminating the territory of the "Hui" Dynasty and the location of Black Wind Pass. He knew that tomorrow's battle was not only to defend the New Dynasty, but also to let the reputation of the "Hui" Dynasty spread further, and to let the common people know that following the New Dynasty, they would not only have enough food to eat but also not be bullied by foreign enemies.

He took out the key to his inner universe and opened the inner universe—inside were neatly placed the improved gunpowder, peach blossom island elixir, the cotton clothes prepared by Shuanger, and even a few sesame pancakes that Jianning had secretly stuffed in. Xie Hui looked at these things, and his heart was full of confidence—with so many people supporting him and such good preparations, even if the Russian Army was fierce, he had the confidence to win this battle and add a new piece of land to the territory of the "Hui" Dynasty.

When the sky began to turn white, Xie Hui was already standing at the city gate, followed by Long'er, AKe, and two thousand elites—remnants of the Divine Dragon Cult and Wu Sangui's remnants, all in high spirits, holding swords and guns, wearing cotton clothes, and the carts were loaded with gunpowder and provisions.

"Set off!" Xie Hui gave an order, and the team moved toward the border in a mighty force. The "Hui" banner fluttered at the very front of the team, like a beacon, guiding everyone's direction forward. Xie Hui rode on his horse, looking at his companions beside him and the team behind him, thinking silently: "Russian Army, see you at Black Wind Pass. This time, I will definitely let you know the power of the 'Hui' Dynasty!"