But after Zhang Wuji left, Qu Feng's expression was no longer firm as before. Instead, he frowned again and sighed, and then began to direct the defense of the city.
"I pay my respects to Concubine Chen, Concubine Su, Her Royal Highness the Eldest Princess of Huainan, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Qin." In the main hall of Prince Su's palace, Zhang Wuji bowed to the screen and said.
"There is no need to be polite, Guard Zhang. Business is more important." A clear female voice came from behind the screen: "What did Qu Feng say?"
Zhang Wuji recognized the voice of Concubine Chen, bowed and said, "In response to your concubine's words, Commander Qu said that the city is absolutely safe and we will definitely be able to defend it."
"This is great!" Another gentle and charming female voice sounded: "His Royal Highness Prince Su trusts Commander Qu very much. Since he said it is foolproof, he will definitely be able to hold it. The city should be able to hold it."
"Well," the crisp voice from before sounded again: "It seems that's what happened. Guard Zhang, please step back."
The soft and charming female voice and the laughter of a child came to his ears again, but this time Zhang Wuji did not answer, but bowed his head and saluted, and then withdrew.
But not long after, he appeared in another room in the palace. When he entered, he glanced at Concubine Chen Xu Miaojin and Princess Huainan Yun Zhi, who were not covered by a screen, and immediately knelt down to salute.
"Okay, Guard Zhang, there are only a few people here, so there is no need to salute." Yunzhi said: "Just now you said that the conductor will guarantee that everything will be perfect, so I believed it. But my sister-in-law said that your expression was not quite right. You should
There is another secret. So we called you here to ask again, whether the city can be defended?"
"Your Majesty, your highness, Commander Qu indeed said that it is absolutely foolproof and that it will be able to be defended. But according to the situation in my opinion, this is not the case."
Zhang Wuji lowered his head and said: "Commander Qu said that at least three to four thousand bandits have been eliminated and more than two thousand people were seriously injured. I still believe this. Commander Qu, as a general whom His Highness Prince Su trusted very much, will definitely not be here."
This is a lie."
"But from what I can see, although the bandits have suffered 15% casualties, their morale has not dropped, and the average bandits are not as unwilling to attack the city as he said. When I went there today, I saw that there were not many bandits.
The siege equipment only relied on the newly built ladders, but many people were still brave enough to attack the city fiercely without fear of death."
"Besides, after these three days of defending the city, the soldiers at the guard station also suffered a lot of casualties, so we can only barely hold on."
"According to your words, this city cannot be defended?" Xu Miaojin held down Yunzhi's hand, which was a little excited, and asked.
"My dear, I don't dare to say for sure. After all, in addition to the guardsmen and soldiers, there are also people who have been recruited in the city. And it's hard to say when the reinforcements will arrive. According to my wishes, there may be more people who can defend the city." Zhang Wuji added.
Xu Miaojin murmured softly, raised her head and told him: "I know, please step back."
"Wait a minute, remember to send the things I asked you to prepare before as soon as possible." Yunzhi suddenly interrupted.
"Yes, Your Majesty, Your Highness." Zhang Wuji bowed again, bowed and stepped back.
After he retreated, Xu Miaojin said to Yunzhi: "What do you want those things for?"
"Make preparations!"
"Even if we have all these preparations, what's the use?"
"It's better than being unprepared at all! Brother Huang has always taught us not to just sit back and wait for death!"
"That's all, since you are willing to prepare, then prepare. Remember to send a few pieces to my sister-in-law. My sister-in-law also practiced martial arts when she was at home."
Xu Miaojin said this helplessly, and her face immediately became serious again, and she murmured in a low voice: "Why do these bandits still have morale despite so many casualties? When they were bribed by Timur, my husband had already sent people to investigate.
However, they are indeed bandits, and they are not pretended to be people sent by him. Even if there are a few generals sent by him, they will not be able to make the bandits fight so hard."
"Sister-in-law, what's the use of thinking about this?"
"It's really useless, but you and I have never commanded a war. Besides thinking about these, what else can we think about?"
"What my sister-in-law said does make sense. Then my sister-in-law and my sister-in-law thought together: Why do the bandits have such morale despite so many casualties?"
…
…
"Actually, it's not that complicated. I just told them the truth." At this time, outside Ganzhou City, a man with a lustful appearance said while raising his head and looking towards the city.
"Tell the truth?" The person listening to his words laughed: "Telling the truth will make them fight hard?"
"You don't believe it? But I didn't lie to you."
The man said: "I just tell them: First, you have always been at odds with the generals of the Ming Dynasty. During this period, you looted the items that the Ming Dynasty wanted to transport to Yiwu, which greatly offended the Ming Dynasty court.
.The war has ended at this time, and it is normal for an army of six to seven hundred thousand soldiers to kill a bandit on its way back."
"Second, don't think that this bandit suppression is the same as usual and that you can escape. You have offended the Ming Dynasty so hard. I am afraid that the emperor of the Ming Dynasty will hate you so much that he will let you go? And at this time, the north and south of the Hexi Corridor
The Mongolians and Tibetans have already surrendered to him. They may not be willing to ask them to help suppress the bandits, but they will still agree if they just ask not to accept you. The food that people eat in the Mongolian grasslands and Qinghai grasslands is not that easy to get.
Without their protection, do you think you can survive?"
"Third, although Timur Khan was defeated and died in Yiwu, the Kingdom of Samarkand will not perish and will continue to exist. Since you can no longer stay in the Hexi Corridor, it is even more difficult to go to the Ming Kingdom in the east.
Death is certain. If you want to survive, you can only survive by following us to the country of Samarkand, crossing the Tarim Basin, and then crossing the Pamir Plateau to the city of Samarkand."
"Four, this road is very difficult to walk, and there is no food along the way. If so many of us want to successfully escape to the city of Samarkand, we must have enough food. At this time, the entire Hexi Corridor has only
There is enough food for so many people in Ganzhou City for several months, so we must break Ganzhou City and seize the food in the city, so that we can truly survive!"
"Tell me, am I telling the truth?" the man finally said.
"What you said is indeed the truth, but not the whole truth." The person who listened to him laughed and said: "They have another way to survive, which is to disband the gangs, run away and ask to join the tribes on the grassland.
Now the Mongolian grasslands and the Qinghai grasslands are not monolithic, there will always be tribes that accept them."
"Do you think the people who came with me to attack the city can't think of it?" The first man also laughed: "It's just that from now on, they can only raise horses and graze, and live an ordinary life. How many people who are bandits are willing to live like this?
day?"
"Those who were willing had already left, and the rest were unwilling. So, I persuaded them with the truth."