The top management of the Ma family discussed for several days whether Zhangye County was worth holding on to. Some people insisted on fighting, while others did not support continuing to fight.
At this time, the land in Liangzhou was covered with snow. It was already very expensive for Zhangye County City to mobilize surrounding troops. Now that 120,000 troops were around Zhangye County City, the food consumed every day was an astronomical figure.
If these soldiers are returned to their local areas, they can continue to be supported by the local food reserves, but when they are gathered in Zhangye County, even if they mobilize nearby food and grass, the food crisis will still not be solved.
Because the troops transporting grain and grass also need to consume grain and grass, and they consume a lot of grain every time they come and go. Moreover, it is winter, so when people are dispatched, they must be fed.
The consumption of grain transportation and the consumption of soldiers dispatched in the cold winter have made Zhangye County's grain reserves in a hurry.
Another point is that before sending a large army to fight the Xiliang army, Zhangye County has already consumed a lot of food, and now it can no longer support large-scale legion battles.
What faced them was either to buy grain from the Han family, or to mobilize from the distant Fufeng County, or to retreat to the county behind with the Xiliang army.
Most of the river has frozen, but the troops in the middle have not. As long as they guard a few bridges, they can block the attack of the Xiliang army!
Waiting for the beginning of spring, unite with the Han family to destroy the Xiliang army that has occupied Zhangye County!
Ma Teng did not want to retreat. He believed that the city of Zhangye County was eight feet high, had a moat of two feet, and there were many soldiers and civilians in the city. Even if Xiliang's 200,000 troops came, they would never be able to capture the city of Zhangye County.
If this city falls into the hands of the Xiliang Army, it will be very difficult for them to take it back.
Because of the huge naval force in the Xiliang Army, the beginning of spring is also when the river thaws. At that time, the Xiliang Navy can go straight up the river. Even if they intercept the land everywhere, what about the land and water?
They don't have a navy, so how can they deal with the Xiliang navy coming from the river?
With the strength of the Xiliang Navy, even the Sanshui City Navy cannot compete with it.
At present, these problems are before them, making them feel very difficult.
It can be defended, but it can easily arouse public anger. The civilians of Xiliang are not the civilians of other places.
Food represents life on the land of Liangzhou. At this time, the Xiliang army was about to attack Zhangye County with great momentum. The civilians all knew that a huge battle was coming.
Each of their families put on leather armor and carried weapons. They were guarding against the soldiers of the Xiliang Army, as well as the soldiers of the Majia and other surrounding families!
There have been few wars in Zhangye County over the years, but not for these civilians. They often go to the border to fight with the Qiang, Xianbei and other ethnic groups, and their folk customs are fierce.
Colleagues, because they are located in a war-torn place, they are well aware of the wars taking place in other places and know very well what will happen once the city is besieged.
Now Zhangye County City is about to be surrounded, and the frontline troops are being wiped out by the Xiliang Army one after another.
All the troops from the surrounding areas of the county were mobilized to the surrounding areas of the county. They were consuming food every day and they knew very well that the county's treasury would not be able to sustain it for long.
Once the army is short of food, they know exactly where to look.
They have prepared to defend their food from a high position. Everyone must live, and food is what they need to survive.
If grain is given to Ma Jiajun, what will they use to feed their family?
If the Ma family wants to rob, then the knife must be sharper!
Li Xiang didn't know the Ma family's predicament. After the other party gathered 120,000 troops in Zhangye County, Chen Huaihe knew that it was impossible to attack by force!
Because the Xiliang army is not as numerous as the opponent, if the two sides engage in a field battle, the Xiliang army can completely defeat the opponent, but when attacking the city, the opponent's tall city wall has a large number of formations drawn on it, and the psychic cannon is severely restrained.
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It would take less than a month or so to break down the city wall with a functioning trebuchet. It would be too difficult to transport stones from Xiliang. It is not a mountainous area and there are stones everywhere.
If you want to use stones, you have to transport them from other places.
Therefore, Prime Minister Li decided to besiege rather than attack. He wanted to wait for the troops in Zhangye County to take action first and expose their weaknesses before the Xiliang army counterattacked. Anyway, they had enough food.
Zhangye County supports 120,000 troops every day, which is not a small amount.
After stabilizing the troops at the rear, Li Xiang led the team and set off. Also accompanying the Xiliang army were some prisoners of war. They needed to help the Xiliang soldiers transport supplies.
The night attack caused the Xiliang army to lose a lot of tents. Those tents were not the tents used by the Daqian army. They were tents made from the skins of ferocious animals in Xiliang. They were much better at keeping warm than the tents used by the Majia army.
Now those tents are gone. Although the troops behind them also brought a large number of tents, they are far from enough. Li Xiang can only build a new tent, a three-layer tent. The tents captured from Heishui County are superimposed.
After three floors, there is also a large amount of firewood and wood for building the camp, all made by prisoners of war!
This means that the weather has become warmer these days, otherwise a large number of people would have died tragically on the road. But even so, a large number of civilians fell every day. Taoist priests from Xiliang were treating these fallen people every day.
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If you want to be technically good, you need guinea pigs!
When Li Xiang arrived at a vast white grassland with 30,000 prisoners of war, 20,000 Xiliang cavalry, and 3,000 soldiers from the Shenji Battalion, Zhangye County began to panic!
The main force of Xiliang came anyway, braving the cold and coming to the grassland.
On the other side, the Xiliang reinforcements are also on their way. They are not very far from the front troops, only about a day's journey away.
After leaving the mountainous area, Li Xiang led the army to Zhangye County, five kilometers outside the city, and began to set up camp, waiting for the arrival of the army from the rear.
There are quite a lot of troops coming this time. In addition to the 30,000 infantrymen from the headquarters, there are also 30,000 prairie cavalry and 60,000 horses. In addition, there are 20,000 Xiliang cavalry who have been on the battlefield before and can still fight.
Wanqi cavalry and a group of infantry went to Lingfeng County) This time the Xiliang army was finally no longer far behind in numbers.
Both sides had about the same number of troops, and Prime Minister Li didn't want to attack the city, so he wanted to lead the Xiliang cavalry to surround the city.
He is bound to win Zhangye County. The snow is melting now. It will take about a month or so for the snow to melt away.
That time should be when the Ma family's army counterattacked, but he was not afraid!
As long as the opponent wants to defend Zhangye County City, the cities behind Zhangye County City will be surrounded by the Xiliang army. Currently, most of the troops in those cities have been mobilized by Zhangye County City. The defensive forces of major cities
Very weak.
Xiliang's army couldn't take down Zhangye County City. Could it be that the city behind him couldn't be taken down?
Surround Zhangye County City and attack the cities behind him. If the army in Zhangye County City retreats to Zhangye County City and retreats to several important cities behind it, Prime Minister Li will immediately capture the county city. As for the small cities and county towns behind him,
Let's wait until the Xiliang army secures Zhangye County and the city.
Prime Minister Li wanted to take a look at how to choose the garrison in the city, whether it was Zhangye County or the city behind.
With the help of prisoners of war, the Xiliang army camp is gradually becoming larger and stronger.
Seeing that the camp of the Xiliang army outside the city is getting bigger day by day, the debate among the top leaders of the Ma family in the county is becoming more and more intense. At this time, one move can determine the future development of the Ma family.
Ma Teng wanted to accept it, but the other elders decided to retreat. They did not think that the current Ma family army could stop the Xiliang army. Even if it could, the problem of food was still firmly on their heads.
Some civilian families in the city have begun to experience a food crisis. The major grain merchants in the city have fallen into a situation where they have no grain to sell. In previous years, their grain was also very popular. However, as time goes by, in this day that is about to enter spring,
, they usually have a lot of food left.
After the beginning of spring, people who enter the city to escape the cold will go to the grasslands to make a living. The demand for food is not very big. This year, because the Xiliang army came to kill them, the granaries are clean at this time, and there is no trace of food.
Fortunately, they left enough food for themselves and others, otherwise they would starve to death because they had no food to eat. This would be the most ironic!
"Chief, I think we have to withdraw!" The second elder and Ma Teng were discussing in the secret room.
Ma Tengtuan breathed: "Second Elder, it's not that I don't want to retreat, but you have thought about what will happen to the civilians in the city if we retreat, and what will happen to the families who contributed all the food stored by the family to us?
Once we lose the support of the people, we will be the only ones unlucky. Families in other cities know that the major families in Zhangye County and Chencheng contributed their family grain reserves to Ma Jiajun, and Ma Jiajun ran away with the grain!
You said that if the whole two states knew about this, it would be of no benefit to our Ma family at all!"
"So you plan to lead 120,000 soldiers to live and die with Zhangye County for these people?" The second elder said a little strangely: "When did you, Patriarch, become so loyal?"
There was no change on Ma Teng's face: "This is not about loyalty, but our obligation. They contribute food and materials, and we are responsible for protecting them!"
The second elder shook his head: "You have been carried away by hatred!
We are all very sad about Ma Jin's death, but you have to know that the Ma family is not only Ma Jin, but also thousands of descendants. Even if you don't think about yourself, you should think about them!
Although Zhangye County is very good and is also the capital of Liangzhou, we no longer have enough troops and physical presence to guard it.
Once there is a slight difference between the 120,000 troops in Zhangye County, our Ma family will have no choice but to withdraw from Zhangye County, without the ability or opportunity to fight back!"
The second elder said, his voice gradually becoming colder: "If you are the patriarch and you can't make a choice, then let us help you make a choice!"
The second elder is not greedy for power, but he sees from the current layout of the Xiliang army that the Xiliang army has two options, and the other side is waiting for them.
The opponent has a large number of cavalry and can easily reach the cities behind Zhangye County. It would be fun if there were a large number of soldiers guarding those cities before. After all, cavalry is not good at attacking cities.
But now the troops from major cities have gathered in Zhangye County. There are not enough soldiers to guard these cities. The Xiliang army only needs to spend a small price to capture the cities.
At that time, Zhangye County City will be surrounded!
If the defenders of Zhangye County retreated, Prime Minister Li would lead his men to the city and begin to reinforce the defenses.
The second elder didn't believe that the clan leader couldn't even see this. The clan leader could see it, but he just pretended not to see it, because he wanted to avenge his son, and these 120,000 troops were his capital.
This is also his last chance. If he returns to Fufeng County, the position of clan leader will change hands, so he wants to avenge his son while he still has the power.
"What you want to do is your own freedom!" Ma Teng said solemnly: "What I want to do is also my own freedom, so don't disturb me. I will not use the 120,000 troops.
I will only use my men and horses!"
"You can leave with your people and food, and Zhangye County will be guarded by my 30,000 men!" Ma Teng has lost the motivation in life. At this time, he only has one idea, and that is to kill Li Xiang.
Or be killed by Li Xiang!
Wow wow wow!
The huge blessing boat sailed on the vast Tongtian River. This section of the Tongtian River was wider and larger than the Tongtian River in Xiliang. Standing in the middle of the river, you could not see both banks.
The huge Fu Chuan is just a small boat on the Tongtian River, and other smaller boats are like ants.
This smallness is compared with huge rivers like Tongtian River. Compared with humans, the smallest warship of Xiliang Navy can carry ten soldiers.
Following Xiliang Navy were the dowry items, sent by Emperor Daqian.
"Your Highness, this is the information I got from contacting the Imperial City Department outside the port!" The very beautiful maid squatted down and handed a note without any handwriting to Her Royal Highness the Princess.
The princess took the note and sprinkled it with special tea, and they saw the various things written on it.
"The Xiliang army conquered the Qiang fortress and approached Heishui County!"
"The Xiliang army surrounded Heishui County. Prime Minister Li was attacked by the three heroes of the Ma family. The three heroes retreated!"
"Xiliang's army captured Heishui County and occupied the entire territory!"
"The Xiliang army is approaching Zhangye County. Both sides are mobilizing their armies. Zhangye will be determined in one battle!"
This is the unique writing method of the Imperial City Department. They first list a broad title, and then write down the detailed information collected.
After seeing Li Xiang's route to attack Liangzhou and his boldness in sending troops in the cold winter, despite the heavy snow, the princess felt Li Xiang's madness.
It’s not impossible to send troops in the cold winter, but in a head-on fight in the ice and snow, with less to defeat more, Xiliang still won!
