Qin Huaidao stopped and stood, waiting for the last section of the passage. This battle was a great victory and countless captures were made, but it also brought about a huge problem. How to settle tens of thousands of Xi tribe prisoners? Young and strong people are simple and can be sent to the army, but what about women, children, old and young? They cannot be abandoned.
in spite of.
Food was not a big problem, there were trophies, and we lived in yurts abandoned by the Khitan army. It was freezing cold, but the biggest problem was heating. We were really not in the right place and didn't know what to worry about.
His eyes gradually fell on the woods not far away. He had an idea and told Luo Zhang: "Send an order to have the prisoners of the Xi tribe who are taking turns to come over. Dig a passage from here into the forest and cut down trees for warmth. If there are more trees, we can build an ice building later."
I'm afraid I won't be able to live in the city."
"Follow the order!" Luo Zhang hurried over.
Qin Huaidao began to think about the next battle again. As a general, he really did not dare to relax for a moment. Goguryeo had more than 100,000 troops going south, and he only had a few thousand men, so it was not easy to fight. Once the army surrounded Yingzhou, he would not attack, etc.
What to do when spring comes and flowers bloom?
Or, what should I do if I burn the ice city with fire?
Questions arise one after another...
Half an hour later, the passage was completely opened, and the prisoners of the Xi tribe who were responsible for clearing the snow in front were led into the ice city.
We came down to an open area to gather and wait for our fate.
When the Xi people saw a large number of Khitan prisoners, they shouted happily and were very excited, but no one dared to move.
Not long after, Qin Huaidao came in with Yu Linwei, and Xue Wanshu shouted with a little excitement, a little excitement, and more of admiration: "General Qin, congratulations on returning with another great victory!"
"Captain, please help me." Qin Huaidao said politely, and said to An Guogong and others who were following behind him: "Distribute the tents and yurts and settle down the people of the Xi tribe. Separate the two tribes, each occupying one side."
"Obey the order!" Everyone quickly followed the order.
Qin Huaidao looked at Khan and several other Khitan senior officials, thought for a moment, and said, "Send them to the Khitan side and treat them equally."
"Follow the order!" Fang Yiai agreed and escorted everyone over.
Khan was eager to meet his tribesmen. He was overjoyed and hurried over. When he saw the familiar tribesmen and his own Ketun, his eyes turned red and he rushed to meet them.
Qin Huaidao looked at this scene and saw that there was nothing unusual, so he smiled at the governor and said: "Commander, take the account!"
"Is this the Khan? There are also Khitan great wizards and several clan elders. They are amazing." Governor Xue Wanshu sighed with emotion and followed Qin Huaidao forward. After thinking about it, he reminded: "Put them back and you won't be afraid of anything happening.
?”
"Don't worry, there are still tens of thousands of Xi people here, and the Khitan people don't dare." Qin Huaidao said with a careless smile.
"That's right, the Xi people are eager for them to cause trouble so that they can take the opportunity to kill a group of people to satisfy their hatred. These Khitan people are so ruthless that they killed half of the Xi people. This feud is finally settled." Xue Wanshu said with emotion.
The two of them chatted and came to the big tent. Li Yixie signaled the Yulin Guards to protect the surrounding area. He stood guard at the door and stared at the surroundings with vigilance. There were tens of thousands of Khitan people and tens of thousands of Xi people. How could he not be worried?
In the tent, Qin Huaidao spread out a piece of paper and quickly drew a simple topographic map of Yingzhou with charcoal. He looked at the drawing and pondered for a moment, then said: "Captain, there are two rivers in the southeast and southwest of Yingzhou, but unfortunately they do not intersect.
There is a gap, which is due south, where Goguryeo must pass if it withdraws its troops."
"General Qin, what do you mean?" Xue Wanshu asked curiously.
"I intend to build two walls from the Ice City, connect the rivers on both sides, block all roads, use wood as bones, and water to turn into ice. Although it may not be useful, tens of thousands of captives will not find anything to do for them. I worry
There will be trouble." Qin Huaidao said and drew two lines on the map, like two outstretched arms embracing the front.
When the snow melts, the ice wall will also melt. The probability of being useful is very low, but what if? The main reason is that there are too many prisoners, and it is easy to cause trouble if they gather together.
Xue Wanshu's eyes suddenly lit up when she saw the stretched out city wall, and she said: "In this way, no matter whether Goguryeo's army returns from the south or Goguryeo sends troops to support, it will be blocked. The question is, can we hold it?"
The total number of troops on both sides is only more than 10,000. It is not easy to block a country's troops. Qin Huaidao has already made a plan in his mind and explained: "I will mention three points and let the governor see if it is appropriate; first, cut down a large number of surrounding trees so that the city wall can be built.
It can also be used for heating, and it can also prevent the enemy from cutting down and making siege equipment when they come over. Secondly, choose hard wood to make repeating crossbows. This attack on the Khitan army captured a lot of refined iron and weapons, and melted them all to make crossbow arrows. Thirdly, from Xi
The clan recruits troops to expand its strength."
"The first two are fine, but this conscription may be a little inappropriate and I'm afraid it will cause criticism." Xue Wanshu reminded.
"It doesn't matter, the Holy One has given me the authority to do things expediently."
"That's no problem." Xue Wanshu said with some emotion: "General Qin is simply in the emperor's heart, which is enviable. If possible, the two families will move around more in the future."
Qin Huaidao understood the meaning behind these words and smiled: "It's exactly what I wanted!"
The two nodded tacitly, feeling a little closer to each other.
Xue Wanshu took the initiative to ask for help: "General Qin, how about leaving the construction of the city wall to me? If you have any requirements, please make it clear to the general and ensure that they are completed."
"Okay, then I have Governor Lao burn the ice on the rivers on both sides. The area should be large so that water can be easily drawn to build the city wall. When the city wall is repaired, there will be a city wall on the ground. The ice on the waterway will melt and the enemy's path will be completely blocked. The city wall will be as high as the ice city.
It is ten meters wide to facilitate the deployment of troops."
"No problem, we have experience. We can work day and night, it will only take a few days." Xue Wanshu said.
"Five days at most." Qin Huaidao reminded.
Xue Wanshu thought for a while and said, "That's enough."
At this time, Luo Zhang came over in a hurry, Xue Wanshu stood up and said goodbye, and Qin Huaidao asked: "Is something wrong?"
"A lot of trees have been harvested from cutting them down. Where can we put them?"
"Put the big one outside and use it later to build the city. Distribute the small one to the two tribes and keep some for yourself. You leave this matter to the three brothers Cheng Chumo and tell Brother Yuchi that the imperial army will be on guard in the city to prevent any eventuality. Then you can go to Xi
National conscription is voluntary and cannot be forced."
"In what name, if the court does not recognize this army in the future and disbands it on the spot after the war, we can't explain it to everyone." Luo Zhang reminded.
"mercenary!"
"What do you mean?" Luo Zhang was a little confused.
Qin Huaidao explained: "We spend money to hire them as soldiers to fight. We provide equipment, training, and food to support them. They must obey the command and participate in the war unconditionally, regardless of winning or losing. It is too troublesome to use the enemy's ears in exchange for payment.
Only the enemy's troops are on the left and right, and they always receive money, unlike other regular armies who give military pay."
"Is this possible?" Luo Zhang said with some concern: "Not giving military pay and no establishment means that we are not recognized as regular troops. We have been separated from the beginning. There will be no big problem in disbanding in the future, and we don't have to worry about the court taking this matter in the future.
If we make trouble, I'm afraid no one will participate."
"Try it first." Qin Huaidao said.
"That's okay. There's always a lot of silver reward. Killing ten people means ten gold coins. Many people may not be able to earn it in their lifetime. Then I'll try recruiting here. Is there anything else I need to explain?" Luo Zhang asked, no.
I have never done anything like this before.
Qin Huaidao saw Luo Zhang's worry, thought for a while, and said: "In this way, I will help you prepare. You can lead the army well later, be nice to everyone, and train as a private army, but not too obvious to reveal your intentions."
"I understand." Luo Zhang's eyes flashed with realization.
After Qin Huaidao finished speaking, he led Luo Zhang out of the tent and came to the gathering area of the Xi tribe. Seeing many people coming, the people of the Xi tribe were all paying attention and became nervous. Some young men blocked their families behind them and stared at Qin Huaidao and others.
People, and a few older people even came forward.
The atmosphere is quite weird!
Qin Huaidao understood everyone's nervousness and asked the Yulin guards behind him to stop at a distance to avoid misunderstanding. He took Luo Zhang a few steps forward and shouted: "Don't get me wrong, I want to recruit troops in the future."
Everyone became even more nervous when they heard about the conscription. In a war, people will die. If you fight for your tribe and homeland, you deserve to die. Now that your family is gone and you are a prisoner, you have lost the motivation and goal to fight. Why are you still a soldier?
Someone shouted: "General, please spare us, we can do whatever we want, but this is still a soldier..."
Qin Huaidao interrupted: "Please listen to me, this soldier is not something you can participate in if you want to. You need to choose, and you will be qualified only if you pass the exam."
Everyone feels relieved after hearing this. Isn’t it easy to fail?
"Bring it up!" Qin Huaidao shouted.
Soon, several Yulin guards brought up several large bags of silver. The mouths of the bags were opened, exuding an attractive luster, which instantly attracted the attention of many people. Qin Huaidao took in everyone's expressions, and with confidence in his heart, he continued: "Everyone.
, your home is gone and you have become a prisoner, have you ever thought about the future?"
This sentence aroused everyone's grief and anger, helplessness, and fear for the future. Their families are gone, and everyone has become a rootless person. Where can they go? How can they survive?
I would rather be a peace dog than a person in troubled times!
Seeing that the heat was almost over, Qin Huaidao continued: "Everyone, you are now my prisoners. Normally, I can force a conscription without consulting you at all. However, the troops I have recruited this time are a little different, which can change your destiny.
Opportunities are based on the principle of voluntariness, and you can come or not as you wish.”
Using retreat to advance and playing hard to get can often arouse everyone's curiosity.
Someone asked: "What's so different about this general? If you can kill a Khitan dog, I'll give you my little life without asking for anything."
"Yes, as long as the Khitan dog is killed, we will agree." Many people agreed.
Qin Huaidao didn't want to create conflicts at this time. There were tens of thousands of Khitan prisoners watching the other half, so he quickly interrupted: "Everyone, the Khitan is gone. Have you thought about the future? Have you thought about your family?"
The young men looked at the family members around them and fell silent.
There is no place to stand, no wall to protect from the wind, no tiles to protect from the rain, and no food to survive. You don’t know whether you will see the sun tomorrow, so how can you talk about the future? How can there be hope?
The sad atmosphere became more and more intense, and many people started sobbing.
Qin Huaidao glanced at the people in the audience and continued: "Don't worry, as long as you obey and help with the work, you will have something to eat. If you don't work, there will be nothing. This general does not support idle people, and I will not stop those who leave first."
Who dares to go out in the ice and snow? Where can we go?
Someone shouted: "General, what do you want us to do? Just say it."
"Yes, we have the strength and can work, as long as we stutter."
Qin Huaidao was afraid that there would be too many people talking, so he interrupted loudly: "Listen to me, if you work, you will have food. If you don't work, you will have nothing. This is the rule. Of course, the old people and children who can't work will be ignored. This general
Kindness will also give you a bite to eat, but what will you do in the future? This conscription is to give you a chance to change the future."
"What are the conditions?"
"How to conquer?"
Some unwilling people shouted.
"Listen to me." Qin Huaidao shouted loudly, and after the scene calmed down, he explained: "Men over the age of sixteen can try it, and men with minor injuries who have served as soldiers can also be considered. I will be responsible for the treatment, but you
Remember, I am hiring you to fight, not the regular army of the imperial court. In other words, I will give you food, equipment, and training. There is no military salary. I will use the enemy in exchange. An enemy is always worth money. If you have the ability to kill a hundred people
, one thousand people, I will give you one hundred guan, one thousand guan, which will be cashed after the war. If you die in battle, the reward will be given to your designated family members. The reward you exchanged for your life will never be in arrears."
"An enemy always has money?"
Many people were tempted. Serving as a soldier in the Xi tribe for a month was less than the regular military salary, and most of them were compulsory. Some people shouted: "General, why should we trust you?"
"Yes, why should I believe you?"
"Could it be that you're tricking me into waiting?"
Many people agreed and the scene was a bit chaotic.
Qin Huaidao quickly suppressed his voice and asked: "I will take in tens of thousands of you. Who has this kindness and righteousness? Who will feed you in vain?"
After a few words, the whole audience fell silent.
Let alone an outsider, abandonment often happens even within the own clan. Who would help an unknown outsider for no reason? Besides, we are still prisoners and have no right to negotiate conditions or make demands.
Qin Huaidao continued: "It is natural to get silver rewards for killing enemies. The more you kill, the more you get. When you have saved enough, you may be able to live in Chang'an. Even if you continue to stay in this grassland, you can buy a few acres of land.
Raise some cattle and sheep and become a wealthy household. There is no shortage of people in Yingzhou. There are Khitans waiting there. Why are these good things given to you? Isn’t it because I think you have no way to survive and I want to give you a chance? Come out if you are willing.
Line up and gather aside."
That's it for now, there's no point in saying more!
The mercenary irregular army needs people who are ambitious, unwilling, and dare to fight. If they don't even dare to risk their lives, what's the point of joining?
The whole place was silent, and many people secretly exchanged glances.
In this troubled world, having weapons in your hands will help you live longer. Instead of waiting to die, it is better to fight.
One person came out, two people came out.
Soon, more people came out, and under the guidance of Luo Zhang, everyone came to an open area, with some kind of nervousness, some kind of confusion, and more of unwilling ambition on their faces.
Mercenaries need this kind of people.
Qin Huaidao smiled with satisfaction and waited patiently. In this era where you can't survive, if you have food to eat, you can follow others, not to mention that there is always a reward for killing people. It doesn't matter if you die. If you make money, won't your family be there?
hope?
More people came out.
When the Khitan captured the Xi tribe, they deliberately left many young men alive. They originally wanted to bring them back to the grassland as slave soldiers to expand their strength, but now they took advantage of Qin Huaidao. Soon, two to three thousand people came forward.
Qin Huaidao waited for a while, but no one came out, so he said: "Very good, let's start the selection. Everyone goes up to the city wall and runs around the city wall. If you can't survive the ten rounds of elimination, those who persist to the end will be appointed to lead the troops according to their ranking.
One hundred people will be rewarded on the spot."
After speaking, the whole audience was shocked.
Everyone can understand the ten rounds of elimination. I can't even hold on for ten rounds. Following is just a drag. I really should be eliminated. The battlefield is not a child's play. I actually appointed military officers according to their rankings. Although it is just employment and cannot be recognized by the court, it is still real.
Leading troops, right?
Who doesn’t want to be an official?
There are also on-the-spot rewards for the first 100 people that make everyone excited. If you are penniless, if you can get a lot of money and leave it to your family, wouldn't you feel at ease if you become a soldier?
At this moment, everyone became restless.
Seeing that it was almost done, Qin Huaidao said: "Remember, keep an arm's length distance from each other, even with your hands spread out, both front and back. If anyone deliberately crowds or pushes someone down, he will be killed on the spot without mercy and put on the city wall."
Everyone climbed up the city wall one after another. With Qin Huaidao's warning, no one dared to rush up. Anyway, the competition was to persist to the end, not the fastest, so there was no need to rush.
Qin Huaidao told Luo Zhang: "Ask Li Yixie to help lead a team of Yulin guards up, supervise from a distance, register the rankings, and distribute the reward money on the spot after the end. Be sure to distribute it on the spot, don't delay, and stabilize people's hearts."
"Is it really possible to appoint officials based on ranking without considering force?" Luo Zhang whispered his worries.
Qin Huaidao said with a smile: "Don't worry, force can be trained. With a repeating crossbow in hand, personal bravery is not really important. Persistence to the end shows that one's endurance, physical strength, willpower, endurance, and desire for victory are all high."
For others, this kind of person is worth cultivating."
"I see, thanks to uncle's advice, let's go." Luo Zhang reacted and hurried away.
Qin Huaidao once again became the hands-off shopkeeper. When he returned to the main tent, he saw Fang Yiai coming over in a hurry. When he entered the door, he said: "General, that Khan said he wanted to see you."
"Do you know anything?"
Fang Yiai quickly explained: "It should be about military recruitment, and they also want to participate."
"Let them wait, I'll think about it." Qin Huaidao warned. After watching Fang Yiai leave, he began to think about it. It was not impossible to recruit Khitan people as mercenaries. He did need soldiers and horses, but who would give them to them?
Luo Zhang is one of his own, so don’t worry, who else can you trust?
The three brothers of the Cheng family and the two brothers of Yuchi can all be trusted, but they are taking different paths. They will be officials and generals in the future. Fang Yiai is too reckless, so don't worry about it. Li Yixie and Li Derjian both have family missions and cannot come out. If Xue Rengui
It'll be fine if you're here.
A bonfire and a pot of milk tea.
Qin Huaidao looked at the map and quietly thought about the war ahead.
An hour later.
Luo Zhang came in excitedly and said: "Uncle, more than a hundred people have been eliminated, and more than two thousand people have been selected. In addition, the reward money has been distributed. I asked them to gather on standby. What should I do next? Is it training?"
"Queue, what I taught you back in Qinjiazhuang, remember, only the queue, nothing else. I need a well-disciplined team within five days. The newly built serial crossbows at the Governor's side should be ready in five days.
Directly equip that kind of ten-shot repeating crossbow and continue to train the repeating crossbow attack formation."
"Remember." Luo Zhang became a little excited.
"Don't be too happy too early. It's not easy to lead two or three thousand people. Let me tell you, those who fail to meet the training standards will be eliminated. In addition, all officer positions are only temporary. Re-selection should be based on training performance rankings. In the future, military officers will adopt the military merit system.
Whoever makes the greatest contribution and kills the most enemies will be on top. This must be told to everyone."
Luo Zhang nodded solemnly and secretly noted that this was his experience in leading troops.
Qin Huaidao continued to warn uneasily: "Also, they are from the Xi tribe, but you must not be biased. You must integrate with everyone and become brothers. Of course, you must be strong when dealing with those who disobey and use your force to conquer them."
, emphasizing both kindness and power, the Xi people believe in respecting the strong."
"Remember." Luo Zhang solemnly wrote it down.
Qin Huaidao didn't want to put too much pressure on Luo Zhang, so he pretended to smile relaxedly and said: "Don't be too nervous. I have plenty of time for you to get familiar with it and explore it. If you don't understand anything, feel free to ask. The Khitan side also wants to know that in five days, if you can
Now that we have the Xi tribe's army under our control, we can consider recruiting another one, and the Khitan people can't be idle either."
"We must take control of this Xi tribe's army within five days." Luo Zhang said solemnly.
"Okay, let's go!"
Luo Zhang clasped his fists gratefully and hurried away.
Qin Huaidao came to the door of the main tent and shouted to Fang Yiai: "Call Duke An, the three brothers of the Cheng family and the two brothers of Yuchi. I have something to do, general."
"Follow the order!" Fang Yiai hurried away.
Not long after, everyone came hand in hand, chatting and laughing all the way, looking very happy. When they entered the big tent, An Guogong said first: "General, you must have something good to do with us. Who are you going to hit this time to regain Khitan in one fell swoop?"
Everyone sat down around the bonfire, very excited. They had won consecutive battles, and everyone was full of confidence. Qin Huaidao saw everyone's pride and quickly reminded: "Everyone, how many battles we have won does not prove how strong we are, but
Is it a trick, without a repeating crossbow but without constant attack, without a sled to walk on the snow, can the battle be won?"
His words were like thunder from the sky, shaking everyone awake instantly.
Qin Huaidao continued: "Everyone, it's January now. The ice and snow will melt in another month. Once the enemy regains freedom of movement, the grassland will be the Khitan's world. It will be difficult for us to pursue it. And once Goguryeo's hundreds of thousands of troops go crazy,
It can't be stopped at all. Don't forget that Goguryeo will not sit idly by and watch. Once more troops are added, we may die without a burial place. An arrogant army will be defeated. We must remind everyone."
"Follow the order!" Everyone was moved and solemnly agreed, losing their joy just now.
"However, everyone is also worried that the soldiers will stop them." Qin Huaidao Anwei Road could not let everyone have any thoughts of pride, but it could not damage everyone's morale. He spread out the map and said: "The governor will help organize the construction of the city wall. Inside the city, Khitan and Xi
The Xi clan are sworn enemies and will not join forces to rebel. Now that the young Xi clan has been drafted into the army, the Xi clan will not be in chaos. The Khitan will not be in chaos even if they want to. There is no need to worry for the time being. I am willing to send troops!"
"Who to fight?" Cheng Chumo said excitedly: "If we attack the Khitan, with our equipment, it is best to send troops before the snow melts. In addition, the Khan is captured and the snakes are leaderless. We can definitely take down the entire Khitan in one fell swoop."
"That's right, if we capture the Khitan, we will be the heroes who opened up the territory and will be remembered in history." Cheng Chuliang said with a smile.
Qin Huaidao raised his hand to silence everyone, pointed to the south and said: "The Khitans don't have to worry about it. Let them eat dogs. It won't be too late to deal with them when the time comes. How about swallowing up the main force of Goguryeo in the south first?"
"hiss--"
Everyone took a breath of cool air. It's not that everyone is timid and doesn't dare, but what Qin Huaidao said was "swallow", not rout or defeat. "Swallow" means to eat them all. That's an army of 100,000 people and 100,000 heads.
Pigs are not easy to catch, is that possible?
"Why, you don't dare?" Qin Huaidao said with a smile on his face.
Everyone became anxious upon hearing this, and Fang Yiai rushed to say, "What's there to be afraid of? I'm willing to take the lead."
"It's not your turn to be the first in line!" Cheng Chu glanced at the other party silently.
"Then it's your turn, should we go first this time?" Yuchi Baolin looked at Qin Huaidao and explained: "Every time, An Guogong's troops take the lead, and the brothers are just spectators, so they all have opinions."
An Guogong was not happy: "That's the general's trust in our department. Besides, when has our department failed to fight well? As long as we are here, you should wait in line at the back."
Qin Huaidao didn't mind everyone fighting for it. Healthy competition was conducive to unifying the army. He looked at everyone laughing and said nothing, but he was deducing his own tactical arrangements in his heart.
As soon as the general order is issued, there will be countless casualties and there will be no room for randomness.