After an on-site inspection, Fang Jun and others returned to the mountain pass and discussed how to build defense facilities on the spot.
Pei Xingjian suggested first: "There are many steep cliffs in Dadouba Valley and the terrain is narrow. If we can bury gunpowder on the hillside there and leave the soldiers to hide and guard, then when the enemy troops pass by, we can ignite the gunpowder and cause the mountain to collapse."
, can destroy enemy troops on a large scale, and even severely damage their morale."
When a large army passes, there must be scouts who have traveled dozens of miles to detect the enemy beforehand. However, the Tang army could have dug holes in the ground in advance so that the soldiers could hide in them to avoid exploration by the enemy scouts, and then detonate the gunpowder at the critical moment.
Cheng Wuting frowned and said: "If the scale of the mountain collapse is too large, making the valley road blocked and impassable, wouldn't the Tuyuhun people have to give up halfway and have to go back the same way? In this case, they would have to give up the big fight to pull out the valley and turn to
If we seek other mountain passes, or even break them into pieces and cross the Qilian Mountains through some small mountain passes, then wouldn’t it be useless for us to build a fortress here?”
Pei Xingjian was stunned for a moment and felt that it made sense, but he had taken it for granted.
However, he thought quickly and immediately said: "Then we can increase the amount of gunpowder buried to keep the soldiers in ambush. When all the enemy troops have passed, we can blow up the mountains on both sides in one fell swoop, causing the gravel to completely block the valley road, allowing the enemy to
There is no way to retreat, we can only keep moving forward and attack our fortress."
This method is feasible, but the question remains - can the Youtun Guards block the desperate charge of the Tuyuhun cavalry?
However, everyone now has full confidence in the combat effectiveness of Youtunwei and believes that this is not a problem.
Even if Tuyuhun cannot be completely blocked and some fish slip through the net, it will not be possible. The defenders of the counties in Hexi are not in vain.
Fang Jun nodded and said: "Just follow this plan. You have to move quickly and hide well. You cannot be discovered by the enemy hiding your soldiers, otherwise it will be useless."
"Here!"
Cheng Wuting accepted the order, left immediately, and summoned several captains to discuss how to bury explosives and how to set up hiding places for soldiers.
Fang Jun put his hands behind his hands and looked at the majestic mountain pass in front of him, and asked: "Where are the baggage troops?"
Pei Xingjian said: "Calculating the distance, we should have passed Pipa Mountain. We will arrive in Liangzhou tomorrow at the latest, and we can reach here in two days."
The army left the town of Hexi, and the baggage troops transported a batch of cement. It was originally reserved for strengthening the city defenses of the counties in Hexi. After all, the counties had been in disrepair for many years, and various defense facilities and city walls were inevitably damaged. However, now that the strategy has changed, this batch of cement
Just in time to build a fort.
The cement will arrive two days later. It is cheaper to mine the stone on site, and the fortress does not need to be too strong. After all, it is mainly used to block enemy cavalry. In addition, it will take at least half a month for the cement to dry and solidify.
Fang Jun ordered: "Intensify contact with the secret agents buried in Tuyuhun. We must find out the time when Nuohebo will send troops and send the news back in advance. Then we must send scouts to Dadou Bagou and various mountain passes in the Qilian Mountains to listen to the news around the clock.
We must not let the enemy suddenly appear at the mouth of the valley and we will not know it!"
The cavalry is highly mobile. Although it is inconvenient to travel in the valley, the speed of marching is not comparable to that on foot. A slight negligence can lead to missing the enemy's situation, causing the enemy to suddenly appear without knowing it.
Soldiers are a major event for the country, a matter of life and death. There should be no carelessness. We must prepare for the worst at all times and use our best efforts.
In a war, the factors that determine the outcome are often just some inconspicuous details...
Pei Xingjian solemnly accepted the order: "Promise!"
He is also a man who knows the military well, not to mention the principle that "an arrogant soldier will be defeated". Now that the enemy is strong and we are weak, where does the arrogance come from? He must do his best in every detail and give full play to his abilities as much as possible.
Every bit of combat power of the Youtun Guards can make it possible for the weak to defeat the strong and the outnumbered to defeat the many.
…
On that day, the entire Youtun Guard became busy.
Although the heavy troops had not yet arrived, Pei Xingjian first collected a batch of farm tools from various counties, including heads, shovels, pickaxes, etc. and distributed them to the army. The soldiers, shirtless, dug out the gravel at the mouth of Dadou Valley.
foundation.
The other unit, led by Cheng Wuting, chose a steep cliff deep in the valley entrance, buried gunpowder and leads, and dug caves for soldiers to hide, so that they could ambush the soldiers and wait until the Tuyuhun army passed by to detonate the gunpowder and cut off the retreat.
.
All the scouts in the army were sent out, and sentries were set up inch by inch within a radius of a hundred miles to search for possible Tuyuhun scouts.
Two days later, the baggage troops arrived and brought cement.
The fortress at the mountain pass was very simple. The Tuyuhun cavalry might have attacked before it was completed, so they only built a platform less than one foot high so that the enemy horses could not rush up to it. Then they built a low barrier directly opposite the mountain pass.
There are arrow stacks on the wall.
A horse pit was dug in front of the low wall and spikes were buried in it to reduce the intensity of the enemy's charge.
The low wall extends directly to the valley mouths on both sides. However, due to the weak water on the left and the turbulent flow of the river bank, it is impossible to build a wall. It is possible for the Tuyuhun cavalry to break through. However, it is only a gap less than ten feet wide.
, even if the Tuyuhun cavalry charged with all their strength, blocked by the Tang army's firearms and bows and crossbows, they could not get past just a few people, and had little impact on the overall situation.
The entire fortification tightly blocked the mountain pass. When the Tuyuhun cavalry attacked, they would face such a copper wall and iron wall.
In the age of cold weapons, such seemingly simple fortifications could completely offset the impact of the cavalry. Once the impact of the cavalry was lost, the Tuyuhun cavalry had to dismount and fight on foot before they could possibly charge into the fortress.
But why did the dismounted Tuyuhun army confront the Tang army, which was "the best in infantry warfare in the world"?
They are just a bunch of lambs waiting to be slaughtered.
The entire Dadou Bago Mountain Pass has turned into a busy and noisy large construction site. Thousands of shirtless soldiers waved their heads, pushed carts, mixed cement, and transported stones. A fortress quickly rose from the ground, blocking the mountain pass tightly.
Strictly.
Whether it is the soldiers of Youtun Guard or the farmers recruited from nearby, they are not tired at this moment and full of energy.
Throughout the ages, farming peoples have often suffered losses when fighting against grassland barbarians. Only by being in a city can they have a sufficient sense of security.
The harsh living environment of the grassland barbarians has honed their fierce and barbaric characters and strong bodies. They grew up on horseback and are proficient in bows and horses, and are brave and good at fighting. However, the farming people rely on the construction talents hidden in their bones to build cities one after another.
To resist the invasion and killing of the grassland barbarians.
In the field battle, the grassland barbarians were rampant.
But as long as there are cities, the farming people are invincible.
*****
Western Region, Jiaohe City.
Li Xiaogong was dressed in regular clothes, sitting in the duty room of the government office, handling official duties.
It's midsummer, and the Western Region is sweltering with unbearable heat. Through the open window, you can see the green grape vines in the yard, with bunches of unripe grapes hanging on the vines. The air seems to be stagnant, without any movement, and the scorching sun in the sky is baking the earth.
All water should be evaporated.
It was even more unbearably hot in the check-in room. In just a short time, Li Xiaogong's fat face was covered with sweat. The heat made him feel irritable. He dropped the brush, stood up, picked up the handkerchief from the shelf and dipped it in the basin.
He drank water and wiped his face and neck vigorously.
Then he stood up and opened the copper cabinet on the side, took out a small silver wine jug from a pile of ice cubes, raised his head and poured the cold grape wine in the wine jug into his mouth.
The sweet and sour grape wine flowed down his throat into his stomach. Li Xiaogong exhaled a long breath and finally felt better, and the heat disappeared.
Apart from other things, Fang Er is really talented at this kind of strange skill. If he hadn't invented the method of making ice with saltpeter, God knows how he could have survived the horrible weather in the Western Regions.
Two days ago, officials from the Anxi Protectorate reported to me that the climate this summer was measured and that the average temperature was much higher than the average temperature in the past twenty years, with less rainfall and a sharp drop in water volume in many rivers.
, and it is even likely to get hotter and hotter in the future.
Will this damn Western Region become a big furnace in the future?
Feeling a little cooler, he returned to the desk, picked up his brush, and frowned as he pondered the official document in front of him.
There was a sound of footsteps outside the door, and the scribe walked in softly and said respectfully: "I would like to inform the Protector, Sima Xue Rengui, to see you."
"Um?"
Li Xiaogong was stunned. He counted the time, wasn't Xue Rengui supposed to be patrolling Suiye Town, why did he come back at this time?