The climate in Yingzhou in mid-January is still bitingly cold and the sky is terrifyingly gloomy.
The mountains are blocked by ice and snow, and everything is dead.
The prisoners in Bingcheng were also anxious and could not see hope. Fortunately, they stuttered every day, so they did not despair. However, there was laughter in the big tent in Bingcheng. Xue Wanshu prepared a reception banquet to welcome Qin Huaidao and others who had just returned. There was no wine.
There was nothing delicious, just a big pot of stewed mutton.
After traveling for several days in the wind and snow without any hindrance, each one of them was already very hungry and their bodies were at their limit. They were in urgent need of nourishment. They didn’t bother to chat, so they devoured their food first, swallowed it with a few mouthfuls of hot water, and then swallowed several large pieces of meat. Finally, they finally
When he came back to his senses, his body also felt a little warmer.
Xue Wanshu was very curious about the outcome of the battle this time. When she saw everyone coming back alive, she thought it was another great victory. Seeing everyone eating like hungry ghosts reincarnated, she didn't ask first, so she asked the people below to help burn more bonfires to make the tent warmer.
Please wait patiently.
After eating and drinking, everyone went back to catch up on their sleep. Soon only Qin Huaidao, Li Derjian and Xue Wanshu were left in the big tent. Li Derjian knew that they had something to talk about and needed to record, so it was difficult to leave.
Qin Huaidao motioned for people to pack things up briefly, and looked at Xue Wanshu with a cup of hot water: "Captain, I'm too hungry, I'm a little rude, I'm sorry."
"General Qin is out of business. He has worked hard for the imperial court and achieved great results."
"Let's talk about your situation first." Qin Huaidao changed the subject.
Xue Wanshu nodded, became serious, and said slowly: "Everything is normal in Yingzhou City and Ice City. The left and right city walls that extend out have been completed, and the other Ice City has also been built. Yesterday, I received news from the grassland, Fang School
Wei and the others have recruited several tribes and have more than 20,000 soldiers. They are preparing to attack the Xiwandan tribe. However, due to heavy snowfall, the mountains are closed, which is not conducive to marching, so we have to wait for a while."
"Great." Qin Huaidao was overjoyed. With 20,000 soldiers in hand, he had a chance to capture the Siwandan tribe. He asked: "Captain, you are familiar with this place. How long does it take for the snow to melt enough?"
To the point of marching and fighting?”
After a blizzard, the snow is more than one meter thick, making it difficult to march, let alone fight. But as long as the snow melts to only about a foot thick and the horses can run, the war can continue.
Xue Wanshu has been in Yingzhou for many years and knows the local climate best. After thinking about it, she said: "This year is different from the past. After the sudden blizzard, the weather has become even colder. Judging from the current situation, at least half a month, the war horses and people can barely survive."
march."
"Half a month?" Qin Huaidao pondered. Half a month is not a short period of time. It is enough for Goguryeo to do a lot of things, but his troops also need to rest and recuperate. After fighting for a long time, everyone is physically and mentally exhausted and cannot bear it any longer. He continues to ask: "But
Is there any other news?"
"I haven't received any instructions from the imperial court recently. Pingzhou sent an inquiry, but there is no news from you and no reply."
It was a good thing that everything was normal. Qin Huaidao secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I would like the governor to help spread the news. Ten days later, the 10,000 troops dispatched by the imperial court to Youzhou will set off and go straight to Huaiyuan. Another 10,000 troops from Yunzhou will be responsible for clearing the goods."
The possible Khitan remnants in the Xi tribe are chasing the black-clad army of the Wang family in Taiyuan."
"Huaiyuan?" Xue Wanshu was shocked. Huaiyuan is the territory of Goguryeo. Is a counterattack about to begin? There are 100,000 Goguryeo troops behind him. Why? Suddenly something occurred to him and he asked excitedly: "General, the Goguryeo army is going south?"
"Basically eliminated!"
"Wha...what?"
Although Xue Wanshu had some suspicions, she was still shocked when she heard it with her own ears. She looked at Qin Huaidao in disbelief. There were only 5,000 people, but he actually killed 100,000 regular troops. Moreover, the losses of the troops returned were insignificant. How could this be possible?
But this matter is too big. As Qin Huaidao, there is no reason to lie. In other words, is this true?!
Xue Wanshu couldn't imagine how Qin Huaidao did it. Suddenly she realized that she had underestimated the young man in front of her. She was excited and couldn't help but confirm: "General, this is too big, really..."
"There is no such thing as childishness in the army. It's time for the governor to send the message." Qin Huaidao said with a smile.
Xue Wanshu quickly agreed and laughed excitedly. Without the 100,000 Goguryeo army marching south, the sword hanging over Yingzhou's head would be completely solved. She could finally sleep peacefully. After thinking about it, she couldn't help but remind her.
He said: "General, the Wang family in Taiyuan has a very important matter. Should we wait for the Holy Judgment?"
"No, I'll take care of anything." Qin Huaidao said nonchalantly. The biggest purpose of coming here is Wang Tongbiao. That bastard is hiding somewhere and must be found. As for the trouble, we'll deal with it later.
Without an imperial edict, attacking the Wang family in Taiyuan would be very troublesome. Even if there was evidence of the alliance, Xue Wanshu didn't know why Qin Huaidao was so determined, but he was smart and didn't persuade him anymore. He agreed and asked: "General, are you planning to do it in ten days?"
Did you attack Huaiyuan?"
The overall terrain and city distribution of Goguryeo looks like a T-shaped row, with three vertical sides facing the sea at the bottom and land on the top horizontal side. Several cities are lined up in a row, blocking the Tang Dynasty, Khitan and other tribes further north, and Huaiyuan is
With one horizontal and one vertical connection, taking Huaiyuan, you can advance, attack, retreat or defend, which is equivalent to tearing apart the Goguryeo defense line.
As the governor of Yingzhou, Xue Wanshu certainly understood the strategic significance of Huaiyuan.
But Huaiyuan is a small city, with Liaodong behind it. Goguryeo didn't pay much attention to Huaiyuan. Qin Huaidao studied the map countless times and decided to set off after ten days when the troops were almost rested. He would capture it in one fell swoop and then hold on like a nail, waiting for the army.
Come to support.
Thoughts flashed through his mind, Qin Huaidao spread out the map, pointed at Huaiyuan and said: "Commander, we will set off in ten days. It will take about two days to get there. If we capture Huaiyuan, we will have a place to stay. It will also be considered as a stab at Goguryeo. We will definitely be able to defeat Goguryeo."
Attract the Goguryeo army to come over."
"I'm afraid it won't be enough for the general to have several thousand troops by then." Xue Wanshu reminded.
Qin Huaidao smiled nonchalantly and said: "Not necessarily, I need the support of the commander-in-chief. The day after our army set off, 20,000 prisoners were dispatched to carry a large amount of supplies. Even if they were carried on their shoulders, they had to deliver food, arrows, etc.
On the front line, send another troop to guard these prisoners to prevent them from escaping halfway."
"That's no problem." Xue Wanshu agreed.
"Please also ask the Governor's Mansion to continue making arrows in the past ten days. Our army needs a large number of arrows. As long as there are enough and Huaiyuan City is in hand, we will not be afraid of any number of enemies." Qin Huaidao said confidently.
Xue Wanshu thought of how terrifying the repeating crossbow was. Thousands of people fired at the same time without stopping. It was airtight, no less than tens of thousands of archers. The lethality was indeed terrible. But once the enemy was ruthless and attacked like crazy regardless of casualties, they might not be able to defend it. But this
The words seemed to shake the morale of the army, so he didn't say it out loud and agreed wholeheartedly.
Qin Huaidao pointed to Jinshan in the north and continued: "This is the northernmost city of Goguryeo, Li Derjian?"
"Yes!" Li Derjian responded quickly, feeling inexplicably excited.
Qin Huaidao smiled and said: "You have been fighting with the army for some time, and you have accumulated a lot of practical experience. Once the Khitan problem is solved, let Fang Xiaowei lead the Khitan army to attack Jinshan. Once captured, quickly go south with food and supplies and capture the new city.
, forming a rivalry with Huaiyuan, I will give you three days to come up with a battle plan. If it is feasible, you will take people to Khitan to join Fang Xiaowei in three days to command the battle."
"Promise to complete, thank you, General." When Li Derjian heard that he could lead the army independently and had the opportunity to prove himself, he was overjoyed and his eyes were filled with gratitude.
After they are both Dukes, everyone has to be given a chance. A bowl of water should be kept flat to avoid offending others. It depends on the individual whether he can be caught. Fang Yiai's contribution to winning the Khitan is great, and he is not good at commanding. He left it to Li Derjian.
suitable.
Qin Huaidao saw Xue Wanshu's envious eyes and said with a smile: "Captain, after all, the Khitans are all aliens. It is not suitable to have a trustworthy one of our own to suppress them. My troops are already stretched to the limit, so I would like to ask the Commander to support one thousand people."
How are the soldiers and horses?"
Xue Wanshu was not a fool. She knew that Qin Huaidao was trying to show his goodwill. The opportunity presented to him could not be bad. She had no room for advancement, but there were still younger generations. One Xue Feng was not enough. She clasped her fists and said gratefully: "Thank you, General Qin.
How about my son bringing someone up to help?"
Of course, good opportunities are given to your own people. As for danger, as a military commander, you have the consciousness to die in battle.
"Then it's time to work. Bring more repeating crossbows and practice more in the past few days."
"Please don't worry, General Qin. If you don't obey, I will chop off his head myself."
The two nodded tacitly and smiled. They are both smart people. There is no need to point out many of their words. Qin Huaidao looked at the map again. If the Khitans really attacked from the north and captured the new city, the two armies would be able to threaten Goguryeo.
Remove half of the horizontal line above the T line.
Unfortunately, there are still not enough manpower. If a large army can come over, fight across the sea, attack from above and below, and eat up the top half of the T-shape, leaving Goguryeo with one horizontal block and only one vertical one, the army can attack from multiple directions and go straight to Pyongyang.
, it is possible to destroy the country in one fell swoop.
"I wonder if I can use the advantageous power I have to mobilize the troops around me?" Qin Huaidao was a little moved. Then he thought that he was not qualified enough to suppress him. None of the governors in the nearby states were simple. If he really came here,
, it is not clear who is commanding whom, but it is even more chaotic.
"Let's bite Huaiyuan first and then talk." Qin Huaidao sighed secretly.
After chatting for a while and sending Xue Wanshu away, Luo Zhang, who was waiting at the door, hurried in: "Uncle."
"Come, sit down and talk." Qin Huaidao shouted.
Luo Zhang sat down by the campfire and continued: "Uncle, the Xi clan mercenaries have been trained well during this period and have begun to gain combat effectiveness. Do you want the Khitan to recruit more?"
"There are already more than 2,000 mercenaries from the Xi tribe. Can we bring them here?" Qin Huaidao asked.
"It should be no problem. The Xi clan can already train on their own. They practice formation in the morning, repeating crossbow training in the afternoon, and chopping in the evening. They have taught them a few simple sword skills of my Luo family. They don't need me to keep an eye on them. If some Xi clan members are deployed,
It should be possible to train the Khitan people with the help of well-trained people. The Xi clan has a grudge against the Khitan people, so if they are allowed to train, they will definitely use a lot of force. I just need to keep an eye on it."
Qin Huaidao was happy in just one day: "You boy, you do have some tricks. I think it will work. Recruit the same way I did last time. You can recruit as many as you can. We will go out in ten days, so you must ensure that the two armies form combat effectiveness within ten days."
, the training intensity is increased, and a late-night snack is added every day. If you don’t practice to death, just practice to death.”
"Follow the order!" Luo Zhang went excitedly.
"Wait a minute, let's try again with the Xi clan to see if anyone else is willing to join. The next battle will be more dangerous, and we don't have enough troops."
"Understood!" Luo Zhang hurried away.
…
These days, he was exhausted, exhausted physically and mentally, and was really sleepy. Qin Huaidao lay down by the campfire and fell asleep. When he woke up, it was already the next morning. He heated up the leftovers from last night, ate some of them, and then
Seeing Luo Zhang coming in excitedly: "Uncle, I heard you're awake."
"Is it a matter of Khitan recruitment?" Qin Huaidao asked.
"Yes, more than 3,000 people are qualified. In addition, nearly a thousand people from the Xi tribe have signed up and are also qualified. Currently, there are nearly 4,000 mercenaries from the Xi tribe. The total of the two tribes is 7,000. Is it too much? We
I only have more than 5,000 points. As long as the weapons are distributed, if there is a riot..." Luo Zhang reminded.
"Another ice city has been built. It was originally prepared for the Khitan army to surrender. The plan has changed. You will pull two people over and settle there. You will also bring some tents, blooms, food, etc., and they are not allowed to come over.
Here, concentrate on training for ten days, but you have to be careful to prevent the two clans from fighting." Qin Huaidao reminded.
Luo Zhang was also worried about this problem and was a little worried.
Qin Huaidao could see that Luo Zhang had no good solution, so he suggested: "In this way... use their hatred to train, use competition as training, such as running, form two teams and run together, let them compare who can't hold it, such as training
Knives, use wooden knives for two groups of people to practice one-on-one, or many-on-many, but it is stipulated that you are not allowed to use dead hands or dirty hands. If you find one, you will be executed directly. You must be strong and decisive, otherwise you will not be able to suppress it. "
"Understood, I just want to give them a chance to vent their anger and let them fight. This not only vents the hatred in their hearts, but also achieves a training effect. However, there are thousands of them. If they can't control it, they will fight in groups. I'm afraid I won't be able to suppress it.
Can you mobilize a team of Yulin Guards to help?" Luo Zhang asked worriedly.
"Okay, let Li Yixie take the remaining 100 Yulin Guards there, and the three brothers of the Cheng family will also help you stay for a few days. The rules must be clearly defined before training, so that everyone knows what can and cannot be done. Who dares to violate it in public?
Kill them impartially. The more impartial they are, the more you can convince the people. If you don't kill them, you can't suppress them. Just inform Yuchi Baoqi to bring some people to guard the big tent, and go ahead."
"I understand, thank you uncle." Luo Zhang went happily.
The big tent became quiet, the bonfire was beating, and from time to time there was crackling in the air and sparks flying.
Qin Huaidao stared at the map without blinking, constantly deducing various tactics in his mind. With seven thousand more people, the fighting style will naturally be different. Without worries, Yingzhou should be able to spare three thousand to participate in the war, plus
Of the 10,000 people who came to support, there were 25,000 at hand. If we include the Khitans who surrendered, there were 45,000 at 20,000, which is not a small force.
However, I am afraid that the supply of food and grass will be insufficient unless war is used to support the war. Fortunately, it has been so long since the last time the food was burned. Goguryeo will definitely raise enough food to transport it and build the city, so there should be no shortage of food.
"General, Luo Zhang said you want me to switch defenses?" Yuchi Baoqi's voice came.
Qin Huaidao looked up at Yuchi Baoqi and said with a smile: "Why, you don't want to?"
"That's not possible. Just confirm it."
"For the sake of keeping me safe, why don't you give me some credit?"
"Really?" Yuchi Baoqi was overjoyed. He came in in twos and twos and asked excitedly: "General, I can do whatever you want. If you tell me, if I can't finish it, you can slap me."
"Forget it, I'll tell your father when the time comes."
"Don't...his violent temper will definitely kill me." Yuchi Baoqi became anxious upon hearing this.
Qin Huaidao smiled, his face straightened, and explained: "Choose a hundred people to secretly train for climbing. Just use those flying claws from last time and find Li Derjian. He knows where to put them. The army will go out in ten days, but this cannot be disclosed yet.
When the time comes, you make a sneak attack all night, crawl into the city and open the gate, and your first achievement will be recorded."
"That's it?" When Yuchi Baoqi heard this, it was no difficulty at all. He was overjoyed and quickly agreed: "I guarantee it will be foolproof. If it really doesn't work, tell my father and I won't complain until I die."
"Go!" Qin Huaidao said with a smile.
"General Xie, the guards arranged here are absolutely reliable. The captain is one of his own, don't worry." Yuchi Baoqi left a word and went excitedly.
Ten days is enough to train a team that is good at climbing. As a general, Qin Huaidao cannot do everything by himself. He must learn to delegate power and train people.
Huaiyuan is just a small city with a population of less than 10,000 and a garrison of only 2,000. It can be regarded as the bridgehead for Goguryeo's advance. Because of the large city of Liaodong, its position is a bit awkward. In the military, it serves more of a warning role, but for Qin Huaidao
It is extremely important and must be won.
The wall of this small city is less than ten meters high. It is easy to climb up. It is not difficult to open the city gate under a sneak attack by a hundred people. Qin Huaidao's eyes fell on Liaodong.
The last time I went to this big city to burn food, it was a blizzard that blocked the roads. The enemy didn't expect anyone to come, so it was an opportunistic move. Now it must be well-defended, and it would be difficult to climb in again, so we must find another way.
Plans came to mind one after another. Qin Huaidao calculated the pros and cons and rejected them one by one.
The big city in Liaodong is facing another challenge. It is not easy to win it at a small price.
…
Qin Huaidao was thinking about tactics, and Li Er in Chang'an City and Ganlu Hall was also looking at the map and thinking.
The two people's eyes fell on Liaodong almost at the same time. Unlike Qin Huaidao, Li Er thought for a moment and moved his eyes to Laizhou and Dengzhou. The two places faced Goguryeo across the Bohai Sea. The distance was not far. The waves here were not big. Find it right.
Days can pass by small boats.
Once the landing is successful, they can make a surprise attack and capture Shicheng, and then they can counterattack Jili City. With the two cities in hand, they can move north to Liaodong, but the prerequisite is that they must kill the 100,000 troops of Goguryeo heading south.
The distance was too far and the news had not yet arrived. Li Er did not know that the 100,000 troops heading south had been destroyed.
After studying for a while, there was no good solution. Li Er was a little depressed. When he saw Yuzhang coming over, he put his mind down and said with a smile: "My Yuzhang is here. I haven't seen him for a few days and he has become thinner. This is not good."
"Father, I don't have much appetite. I've made you a bowl of lotus seed porridge. You can eat some first."
Yuzhang came forward with an exquisite porcelain bowl, glanced at the map, felt a little in his heart, and asked: "Father, is the war going against the Khitan side?"
"You are not allowed to inquire about state affairs." Li Er's face darkened, but he still took the porcelain bowl and put it next to him.
Yuzhang hurriedly explained: "I know, and I either want to inquire, or..."
"You're worried about that kid, right?" Li Er became even more depressed. What a big cabbage, and before he even gave the order, his elbows started to turn outwards? He said with a straight face: "That kid is not a thing, and he won't do it for so long.
When he comes back with the news, he is simply lawless, let’s see how I deal with him later.”
"Father, he must be busy and not take care of it. The war is very dangerous. Maybe he is still marching in the wilderness of ice and snow at this moment. He doesn't have a hot mouth or a fire. Please be patient." Yu Zhang quickly persuaded.
Li Eryi became even more depressed when he heard this: "Okay, go back, I have a lot of things to do here."
"My son, my son...will he be okay?"
"Didn't you say that he is marching in the icy and snowy wilderness right now?" Li Er was very happy. When he saw Yu Zhang's eyes were red and full of worry, he couldn't bear it and said with a smile: "Don't worry, this guy is very smart.
As long as he takes advantage of others, no one can take advantage of him, maybe he has already entered Liaodong by now."
Speaking of this, Li Er's heart skipped a beat. His eyes fell on the location of Liaodong on the map, and his thoughts came to life. It has been so long. With Qin Huaidao's temperament, there is no reason to wait. There must be action. If Liaodong is really captured, even Huaiyuan is captured.
, and Yingzhou on the left and right, completely blocking the retreat of Goguryeo's 100,000 troops heading south. As long as the army presses forward, it would be good to eat these 100,000 troops.
Thinking of this, Li Er became a little excited. He looked at Yuzhang and asked: "Yuzhang, based on your understanding of him, what do you think he is doing now?"
"I must be helping my father to conquer the rebellious ministers and traitors." Yuzhang said with certainty. Seeing that Li Er was not satisfied with this answer, he thought about it seriously and said: "Father, I don't understand military affairs, but I know that he is a man with a grudge."
Revenge, someone who wants to repay a favor. If Goguryeo goes south to bully us, he will definitely fight back. He will fight back even if he has no chance to create an opportunity. Even if there is a little chance, he can magnify it. For example, if grain prices are stabilized and grain merchants raise prices, they will fight back.
When the price was low and grain dealers rushed to buy it, he would exchange briquettes for grain and keep the price low. When everyone's price was low, he proposed to buy and stabilize the grain price. Therefore, Erchen felt that he could do it even if he had no chance.
Those who create opportunities must be eyeing Goguryeo."
"Hahaha!" Li Er laughed happily: "You really don't understand military affairs, but you understand that boy. What he said is good. Don't worry, that boy is smart. He will be fine."
"My son is just worried..."
Yuzhang hesitated to speak. Facing Li Er's loving eyes, his heart warmed and he said truthfully: "My son is worried about Qinjiazhuang. Without Huai Dao, Qinjiazhuang will have no backbone. I went to Dongshi to buy Si seeds."
When my sister likes to eat cakes, I heard that someone smashed up Huaidao's shop yesterday, and the county government took over the case and ignored it. There were also rumors... that he had died in the battle, and that he was incompetent, could only talk on paper, and had nothing to do.
Actual combat experience has resulted in the death of thousands of troops on the grassland, and the court wants to investigate."
"Bastard..." Li Er was keenly aware that there was something not simple behind this. I am afraid that someone wanted to take the opportunity to stir up trouble and target Qin Huaidao at this juncture. What was he trying to do? His heart was worth killing.
Suddenly, a cold light flashed in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared and returned to normal. Li Er waved his hand and said, "Go back, I will handle it."
"Thank you, Father!" Yuzhang left, feeling much more relaxed.
Li Er once again set his sights on Dengzhou and Laizhou, and whispered softly: "You brat, I won't let you start a fire in the rear. Don't worry, I will gamble on our tacit understanding with you again. I hope you won't let me down."
After finishing speaking, he suddenly shouted loudly: "Here comes someone!"
Wang De hurried in.
"Secret order was sent to Dengzhou, and the navies of Laizhou and Laizhou were assembled on standby and a large number of ships were gathered on standby. In addition, I sent an oral instruction to the Duke of Wei, the Duke of England, the Duke of Lu and the Duke of E, and asked people to find out who was secretly targeting Qin Huaidao.
, please reply to me as soon as possible without any mistakes."