The charcoal fire in the study was dancing with orange-red flames, and the air was exploding from time to time. An invisible depression filled the air. The sudden change made everyone feel a little heavy.
Qin Huaidao stared at the map and thought for a moment, then looked up at Xue Wanshu, his eyes became firm and sharp, and he said slowly: "Captain, the city wall must be raised to turn Yingzhou into a majestic city. As long as Yingzhou is not lost, Goguryeo must
If we remove a large number of troops for defense, we may not be able to move south."
"That's the truth, but it's not easy to build a city now." Xue Wanshu reminded.
"I have a solution."
"Do you have a solution?" Xue Wanshu's eyes lit up and she said excitedly: "Tell me, what solution?"
"It is enough to build an ice city so that the weather in Yingzhou will not melt within two months." Qin Huaidao said.
"Bingcheng?" Xue Wanshu was a little confused.
Luo Zhang also looked over with curiosity.
Qin Huaidao explained: "First use wooden boards to erect on both sides of the city wall to form troughs, then pour water into them, wait for the water to freeze before entering, and repeat this process, constantly increasing the height. With wooden boards blocking both sides, the water will not flow turbulently.
The high ice is not only hard, slippery, and not conducive to climbing. In the weak parts of the city, people carry soil and pile it up, while sprinkling water to form frozen soil, which is also hard. Overnight, Yingzhou will definitely become a powerful city."
"hiss--"
Xue Wanshu took a breath of cold air, then her eyes lit up, and she said excitedly: "General Qin is a great talent, this method is wonderful, there is no need to repair it, just sprinkle water to form ice, use ice as a wall, you can build it as high as you want.
, In this way, even if a hundred thousand troops press the border, Yingzhou will still be able to remain unmoved, hahaha, good, great."
"Captain, don't raise it, otherwise the city wall won't be able to withstand it. Once the ice melts, the city wall will have to be rebuilt next year. Also, if the ice is covered with straw to prevent slipping, the soldiers can continue to fight on it and shoot the enemy." Qin Huaidao said.
He quickly reminded me.
"Wonderful, wonderful beyond words. It can't be delayed. I'm going to make arrangements now. I'm neglecting it."
Qin Huaidao admired Xue Wanshu's character very much. Soldiers should do this. He took Luo Zhang back to the camp. Seeing that all the brothers were there, he immediately summoned them.
Everyone, the situation has changed. Goguryeo suddenly sent troops to capture the border, and they may arrive at Yingzhou at any time. We have to stay here for a while to help defend."
"What, little Goguryeo dares to attack me, the Tang Dynasty, without knowing whether to live or die." Fang Yiai jumped up and shouted.
Qin Huaidao glared at the other party and shouted: "Don't underestimate Goguryeo. Hundreds of thousands of troops from the previous dynasty returned without success many times. In addition to internal factors, the climate is also the main reason. They are not afraid of the cold and dare to fight."
"Don't worry, General. When they arrive, General Mo will be willing to take the lead." Fang Yiai shouted nonchalantly.
Qin Huaidao directly ignored him. This man was just a reckless man. Reasoning was useless. He looked at Duke An, who took the topic with determination and said: "General, the city of Yingzhou is low. Once Goguryeo sends out troops, even if we try our best, we may not be able to defend it.
We have already prepared our military supplies."
"It doesn't matter, my general has proposed to the governor to build a city with water. Yingzhou will definitely become a strong city, and the frontier troops can hold it. What we have to do is to take a rest, recover our strength and injuries, and prepare dried meat and winter clothes. My general
I will take you out for a big killing. If the Goguryeo troops that can kill you can retreat and defend, it will be a great achievement to relieve the crisis in the Tang Dynasty."
Everyone's eyes lit up. If the crisis could be resolved with the power of one army, the credit would be too great. Being knighted is not a problem. The title of the elders in the family can only be inherited by the eldest son, not other sons, not to mention the inherited ones have little influence.
, wouldn’t it be more glorious if you could kill a noble with the sword in your hand?
Seeing that everyone's morale had been mobilized, Qin Huaidao felt reassured and said: "Let the soldiers help cut the wool, clean it, dry it and use it to make clothes. Li Derjian, bring paper and charcoal, and I, the general, will draw a picture."
, let everyone sew clothes according to the picture."
"Follow the order!" Li Derjian hurriedly ran to get paper and charcoal.
"The others will calm down the soldiers after they go back and help complete the matters arranged by this general. Let's disperse." Qin Huaidao waved his hand and announced that the meeting was dismissed.
As for the Khitan and Goguryeo teaming up to divide the Tang Dynasty, although it is just an analysis, it is too important to be disclosed.
Not long after, Li Derjian hurried over with paper and charcoal. Qin Huaidao drew a pattern of a military coat and warned: "Use cotton on the inside, burlap on the outside, mixed with wool in the middle, sew with thread, fix it, don't fall off or mess it up."
Run, after sewing, cut the white cloak everyone brought and sew it on the surface to cover it."
"Remember." Li Derjian quickly agreed.
Qin Huaidao thought for a while and said: "Use cotton and wool to sew socks and gloves. This one is more warm." Then he drew a simple pattern and added: "You can sew the sheepskin on the surface of the gloves to prevent cold. First,
If you have any questions, feel free to ask."
Li Derjian nodded in agreement.
Qin Huaidao told the three Cheng Chumo brothers: "You three help Li join the army and complete it as soon as possible."
"Follow the order!" the three of them agreed quickly.
After coming out of the room, Qin Huaidao went to the barracks where the wounded soldiers were. There was no frown on their faces. They all had calm faces and even relaxed smiles. They were secretly relieved. The wounded soldiers stood up one after another and saluted gratefully: "I've met the general!"
"Excuse me, how is your recovery?"
One of the wounded soldiers rushed to say: "Back to General, the inflammation in the wound has disappeared. The military doctor said that it will be back to normal in three to five days at most. Thank you General for your compassion and saving my life."
"It should."
The wounded soldier who asked for help yesterday said gratefully: "My brothers will always remember the general's great kindness. If the general had not taken action last night, my brother would have died."
"How is your recovery?" Qin Huaidao looked at the other party.
"I drank a dose of the decoction and just fell asleep. The military doctor said there was no fear for my life. I just need to wait for recovery."
Qin Huaidao stepped forward to take a look. He used his own ointment and touched his forehead. He found that there was no fever anymore and his breathing was steady. He had indeed recovered. He smiled and said, "Keep taking the medicine and change it once a day. Wipe it with wine and boil gauze before changing the medicine."
After that, your brother will be back to his original state in three days at most."
"Really?" The other party was overjoyed.
"Why, you don't believe me, General?"
"Believe it, believe it, the general is resourceful and has every plan. He is the God of War who comes to earth as mentioned in the book and knows everything. Brothers are all convinced," the other party said quickly.
"There is no such thing as a god of war. The victory of the battle depends on your lives." Qin Huaidao said politely and walked out.
Everyone watched Qin Huaidao leave, and everyone was excited.
One person said: "The general said it was our contribution?"
"Bullshit, without the general's command, can you achieve two great victories with your life?"
"In my opinion, it is the general who treats us as human beings and respects us. The general can be the prince of the country, but he has no pretensions. It is really rare. Following such a general, I feel at ease."
"I heard that 200 guans were killed in battle, 50 guans were seriously injured, and 20 guans were slightly injured. I don't know if this is true?"
One person said dissatisfiedly: "Brothers, I have heard about the general's benevolence and righteousness. Someone was killed while helping the general transport coal. The general personally came to his door and gave him two hundred guan. He kept his promise. Also, I heard that the general also took in a hundred people.
The hundreds of wounded soldiers in the Cavalry Division are all treated very well. If I am injured, I may find a way to survive if I go to the general in the future."
"Really?" Everyone looked over.
"I don't have to lie to you. You can find out for yourself when you go back to Chang'an."
"That's great. If there's a way out if you get injured, I'm nothing to worry about."
"That's it, just do it and it's over. Anyway, there is a way out if you get injured. It's better to die. Two hundred guan is enough for a family to have enough food and clothing. Let's go and ask General Cheng about the problem. He has the closest relationship with the general and must know about it."
"Go, go, go!"
…
Qin Huaidao didn't know that his good deeds were spread to the army, which inadvertently boosted the morale of the soldiers. He found Xue Feng to accompany him, walked out of the Governor's Mansion, and wandered along the streets. He saw some officials explaining the notices. The people were a little panicked, but the weather was too cold.
, I don’t really want to go to work to carry water.
Everyone has a sense of luck, and they would think that there must be many people going to such a big event, so there is no need to make more mistakes than yourself.
Building a city requires time. If there are not enough manpower, it will be very busy and troublesome.
Several officials spoke out. Although the people agreed, their enthusiasm was not very high. Only some people agreed. It was not that everyone was not afraid of death. It was too cold, and the enemy troops had not yet attacked, so they lacked motivation.
Qin Huaidao asked: "Xue Canjun, the governor's office can provide some silver rewards or rewards to increase everyone's enthusiasm."
"To be honest, General, the Governor's Mansion is not well-off. If it doesn't work, the only option is to collect corvees. If it doesn't work, we can only use coercion. If we fight together, there is no other way." Xue Feng said with a bitter smile.
"Let's do this. If we carry water for one sheep a day and my general comes out, two thousand men will be enough to complete the city building."
"This - how can General Qin spend money?"
"It doesn't matter, they are all trophies. Once the camp is lost, the trophies will become the enemy's supplies. Let's continue the announcement. It must be completed as soon as possible." Qin Huaidao waved his hand, not caring.
"General Qin is more righteous!" Xue Feng bowed solemnly, and then said a few words to several officials who were explaining.
Everyone's expressions changed. Two thousand people meant two thousand sheep, which were worth a lot of money. They all bowed to Qin Huaidao to show their gratitude, and immediately informed everyone of the news. When the people heard that there was a sheep, they immediately rushed to grab a spot.
"Let's go and have a look at the city wall." Qin Huaidao saw that the matter was resolved and walked forward.
The two of them walked hand in hand and came to the city wall. The city guarding officer knew Xue Feng and let him go directly.
Standing on the city wall, gusts of cold wind howled. Qin Huaidao couldn't help but shudder, but he did not retreat. He looked at the vast wilderness to the east and began to think. The terrain was too flat, which was conducive to the gathering of large troops. He didn't know how long the enemy would be there.
He arrived and asked Xue Feng, who was walking over: "Do you have any latest information on the enemy?"
"No, once the border pass is broken, we no longer have the strength to defend ourselves. Based on the distance, the army will arrive in about two hours at most. I wonder how many will come?" Xue Feng said, his face becoming serious.
Qin Huaidao calculated the time and smiled: "If we arrive in two hours, it will take about an hour to prepare. But it is already dark. We may not be able to fight today. At most, we will besiege the city. We will have enough water to build the city overnight. When we wait,
Tomorrow, it will be difficult to attack again, so the top priority is to build the city. Just keep an eye on it. If there are not enough people, add a thousand more."
"Two thousand should be enough. If there are too many people, it will be crowded. It will be inconvenient to go up and down the city wall."
Qin Huaidao nodded and looked at the snowy field ahead without saying a word.
The Khitan did not expect that they would take advantage of the snow to seal the mountains for a sneak attack. They took advantage of the opportunity and fought two victorious battles. Goguryeo also wanted to take advantage of the snow to seal the mountains to sneak attack on the Tang Dynasty. The Chinese New Year was about to be celebrated. The timing was also clever.
, Fortunately, I returned to the city after looting the Xiwandan tribe. If I were still outside the city, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"I wonder what will happen when the court knows the news?"
Qin Huaidao looked to the southwest. The sky was gloomy and the ground was covered with white snow. The image of Princess Yuzhang suddenly appeared in his mind. The shyness of giving her a mink coat before leaving was like a touch of warm sunshine that melted away the coldness in Qin Huaidao's heart.
Got some warmth.
"General, look!" Xue Feng suddenly pointed in a direction.
Ahead, a caravan of two to three hundred people came slowly, carrying a flag, and many mules and horses carrying supplies. Xue Feng added: "The flag of the Governor's Mansion means that our caravan is returning from Youzhou."
"Are you sure?" Qin Huaidao asked.
"The flag is correct." Xue Feng said casually, then suddenly thought of something, his expression changed, and he asked: "The general means that they are deceitful."
"It's hard to say, be careful and you won't make a big mistake." Qin Huaidao reminded.
"Then I have to take a look." Xue Feng rushed over.
Qin Huaidao followed him. In such an emergency, one cannot be too careful. He followed the city wall to the south gate and carefully looked at the caravan. At first glance, it looked fine. The flags, costumes, mules and horses, everything looked fine.
When they got closer, the team stopped, and one person shouted loudly: "We are the governor's caravan. Who is on duty today? Please open the door quickly, I will freeze to death."
The gatekeeper didn't know the other party, but he knew the caravan flag. Without thinking much, he ordered the door to be opened. Xue Feng quickly shouted: "Wait a moment."
The gatekeeper asked in surprise: "Xue Canjun, what's the problem?"
"You may not know the stewards of the Dudu Mansion's caravan, but I know them all. He is a sharp-looking person, so be careful and make no big mistakes." Xue Feng explained, and added: "Ask who he is."
"Whoever is coming, please tell me your name." The guard shouted loudly.
"Why, you don't know me, open the door quickly, believe it or not, I will sue you in front of the governor."
The guard glanced at Xue Feng and was a little worried. Being a steward of the governor's caravan was naturally not easy and he couldn't afford to offend him. However, Xue Feng became more and more uncomfortable and whispered: "What are you afraid of? I'm here for everything.
"
The other party suddenly realized, could he kiss his nephew again? He shouted loudly: "How do I know who you are? Tell me your name, otherwise I won't open the door."
"Listen up, I, Ma Liang, open the door quickly."
The guard quickly looked at Xue Feng: "Is there such a person? If you are really in charge, you have to intercede for your brother."
"I heard that you are good at archery. I will give you credit for shooting this man. None of the stewards of the caravans in the Governor's Mansion are named Ma. They must be enemies. They are here to deceive us." Xue Feng said quickly.
.
The goalkeeper received Xue Feng's assurance and became emboldened. He drew his bow and arrow, and shot directly at him. He cursed angrily: "Straight-ass thief, let me kill him."
The opponent screamed and fell down, with the arrow hitting his chest.
Soon, the team took out swords from the cloth bags. The guard was amused and shouted excitedly: "They are really here to defraud the door. Brothers, shoot them to death!"
The soldiers guarding the city could not be polite, and they all drew their bows and arrows.
This group of troops left dozens of corpses and fled quickly.
Xue Feng looked at the fleeing enemies, fear welling up in his heart. He looked at Qin Huaidao: "General, thank you for reminding me just now. If I hadn't come and the gatekeepers didn't know the people in charge, they would have tricked them into opening the city gate."
"Woo——"
Almost at the same time, a low, long horn sounded, spreading throughout the countryside.
In the distance, a cavalry roared towards Yingzhou like a rolling torrent. Snowflakes flew all over the sky, covering the sky and blocking out the sun. The powerful killing momentum rushed towards Yingzhou like a mountain.
Qin Huaidao looked at this scene and said curiously: "First let people pretend to be a caravan from the Governor's Mansion to deceive the door. If it succeeds, this team can rush into the city. Now that nothing can be done, what are they doing here?"
"It's actually faster than expected. Are we going to attack the city?" Xue Feng also looked surprised.
"The deception failed, and it was all cavalry, without equipment. These people alone cannot take Yingzhou. They must have something to say, otherwise they would not take the initiative to expose themselves. Looking at about five thousand people, they should be the vanguard, and there will be no follow-up.
You know how many are coming." Qin Huaidao frowned, but it came two hours earlier than expected, Yingzhou was not ready yet.
Xue Feng was so frightened that he couldn't help but ask: "Fortunately, the city gate has been closed. Fortunately, the general reminded me just now. If these people are allowed to rush into the city, there will be endless troubles. General, what should we do now?"
The guard general also turned pale with shock and was overjoyed. He shouted: "Get ready to fight, Erba. Go to the Governor's Mansion and report the enemy's situation to me immediately. Hurry."
"Follow the order." One person agreed and ran down the city wall like flying.
"Don't panic, stay calm, they don't have siege equipment and can't get in." Qin Huaidao reminded.
The guard nodded and looked at the enemy soldiers running over without saying a word.
Soon, the army began to slow down and stopped beyond the range of the arrow. A general came up slowly on horseback. Xue Feng shouted: "Don't shoot arrows yet, listen to what he said."
The other party stepped forward and shouted loudly: "The general of Goguryeo has an order for the governor of Yingzhou to come out and answer the question."
"What is the purpose of the Goguryeo army coming to our territory in the Tang Dynasty?" Xue Feng shouted,
"You, a city gatekeeper, are not qualified to know too much. Go and spread the word."
"Wait!" Xue Feng yelled and looked at Qin Huaidao: "General, the Goguryeo general came here in person. The situation is not good. I wonder what they want to do with the governor?"
"They should be here to persuade them to surrender. Regardless of whether the governor sees it or not, they will spread rumors and cause trouble. When the time comes, they will not be able to explain clearly and the court will be half-convinced, so they will not send troops to help. This is a stratagem to isolate Yingzhou and find someone to help them.
Send a message to the Governor, I believe the Governor will handle it well." Qin Huaidao explained.
"A plan to alienate each other?"
"The soldiers besieged Yingzhou, and then they spread the news that the governor had defected to Goguryeo. Yingzhou had been waiting for reinforcements for a long time, and there were no reinforcements. It was also besieged and unable to communicate with the outside world. It could not last for a month. They wanted to take Yingzhou without bloodshed and integrate the camp.
The state soldiers and horses are very scheming, but it's a pity that they don't know that the general is here." Qin Huaidao said coldly.
"hiss--"
Xue Feng's expression changed drastically: "I'm going to find the governor!"
Qin Huaidao did not move and stared at the incoming troops. They were all wearing leather armor and each had a weapon, either a knife or a bow and arrow. No one was equipped with more than two weapons. This showed that Goguryeo was not wealthy and did not have repeating crossbows. He waited a moment.
He asked the gatekeeper who was guarding the city: "Do you know their general?"
"I don't know you!" the other party said quickly.
He asked a few more questions, but no one knew anything about it. After waiting for a while, Xue Wanshu came in a hurry, cupped his hands towards Qin Huaidao and said: "General Qin, Feng'er has already informed us of his guess. Thank you for your trust!"
"You are so polite, Commander. Your Majesty entrusts Yingzhou to you as a sign of your greatest trust. Naturally, I also believe in the Commander. As for the enemy's plan, it is just a guess. The Commander will know after he tries it."
Xue Wanshu nodded and shouted loudly outside the city: "Let your general come here."
"Captain Xue is so angry, can't even this vast expanse of ice and snow quench it?" A man from the front team rode out slowly on horseback and shouted loudly: "Captain Xue, the Goguryeo army is approaching the city and destroying Yingzhou.
But overnight, I thought you were a great talent, and we met again. As long as you surrender, my king promises to make you a king with a different surname."
"Old man Gao, you belong to the royal family, and your position in Goguryeo is in jeopardy. How can I get better in the past? The King of Goguryeo is jealous of the virtuous, and will die sooner or later."
What kind of king is there with a different surname in a bitterly cold place? It’s simply ridiculous.”
Qin Huaidao was a little surprised. The King of Goguryeo was so generous and courageous that he directly named him a king with a different surname. Ordinary people would really be tempted.
After Xue Wanshu roared, he said in a low voice: "General Qin, the King of Goguryeo directly promised a king with a different surname. He wants to claim the throne. Your guess is correct. This time it will be troublesome. Once surrounded, Yingzhou will be blocked from information and will be very passive.
."
"They can't surround me, believe me." Qin Huaidao said nonchalantly.
Xue Wanshu looked at Qin Huaidao, and inexplicably felt more confident, and said with a smile: "General Qin is so courageous. It seems that I am old and have lost some blood. This camp needs more help from General Qin."
"As long as the governor doesn't dislike it, that's fine."
"How dare you? With the help of General Qin, I have doubled my confidence." Xue Wanshu said, suddenly raising her voice and yelling: "Old man Gao, go back and tell your king that your trick has been seen through. The court has been prepared for it and does not want to die.
Retreat your troops quickly and apologize to the court, otherwise..."
Qin Huaidao had an idea and warned in a low voice: "Otherwise, be careful of their lair being taken away."
Xue Wanshu was startled, but she reacted quickly and shouted loudly: "Otherwise, be careful of someone taking away your home."
"Hahaha, it's just you?"
"People's hearts are separated from each other. The governor has already known about your dirty deeds. If you don't believe it, let's wait and see." Xue Wanshu shouted loudly according to Qin Huaidao's prompts.
It is often more beneficial to see through, not tell, and let the other party figure it out on their own.
The other party slowly retreated, and Xue Wanshu whispered: "General Qin, does he believe it? Why don't you just point out their plan?"
"What if I guess wrong? It's better to be vague and let him think for himself."
"That makes sense!"
Xue Wanshu came over understandingly and laughed.
"Hurry up and strengthen the city wall, time is running out." Qin Huaidao reminded.
Xue Wanshu solemnly said: "It has been arranged. Speaking of which, I have to thank General Qin for bringing out the sheep as a reward. After this battle, I will truthfully report to the court and ask for credit for the general. Those sheep are temporarily lent to the Governor's Office and will be returned in the future.
General, how can Yingzhou cost General Qin money?"
"It doesn't matter, it's important to defend the city. If the city is destroyed, everything belongs to the enemy. If necessary, the five thousand soldiers and horses below can be brought in to fight at any time."
"General Qin Gaoyi!"
Xue Wanshu expressed gratitude. Seeing that the enemy troops outside the city were retreating slowly, with no intention of attacking for the time being, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said: "Feng'er, it's a good thing to accompany General Qin. General Qin, I went to organize the construction of the city. If anything happens, let Feng'er come anytime."
try to find."
"The Commander-in-Chief will leave on his own." Qin Huaidao said politely. After watching the Commander-in-Chief leave, he looked at the retreating enemy troops again. He also had orders and prohibitions, which should not be underestimated.