Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 372: Eating little and doing a lot, how can one survive for long?
river water.

In the night.

The ice surface emits a faint halo.

A group of soldiers lowered their bodies and stood on the shore, all staring into the distance.

Yao Xiong was wearing thick clothes, holding a spear, and standing among the crowd.
At this time of year every year, the people of Zhou and Qi would face a very embarrassing problem.

The frozen river directly eliminated the barriers between the two sides, allowing both sides to lead their troops to attack each other directly.

At this time, the best way is to chisel the ice.

In the past, it was the Zhou people who chiseled ice. It was not until the Gao Zhan period that the Qi people began to chisel ice.

By now, it was the Zhou people who started to cut ice.

Whoever breaks the ice is at a disadvantage.

The place Yao Xiong chose at this moment was the area near Hanoi in Bingzhou of the Han Dynasty. Firstly, the ice here was relatively solid. Secondly, the situation here was complicated, with three forces entrenched around. Many watchtowers were arranged around and they were on high alert, so there was no need to chisel ice.

Standing here, they could even see the brightly lit tower on the opposite bank. The enemy had set up at least six arrow towers on the opposite bank and built trenches and walls with the arrow towers as the center.

Walking all the way here, I can see that the defenses here are definitely the most stringent.

If you look to the south, there are outposts set up by Dugu Yongye's subordinates.

Yao Xiong led the army and just stared at the flames in the distance.

In the darkness, Dugu Jie walked out and looked at Yao Xiong seriously.

"General, I am willing to be the vanguard!!"

"It's dark and we can't hold a fire. Besides, the weather is getting warmer and the situation on the ice is still uncertain. And there are those patrolling bandits on the other side. Let me take care of it!"

Another officer also stepped forward.

Yao Xiong looked at the two of them calmly.

"No need."

"General Dugu, you stay here and take charge of the rear."

"I'll take the lead and cross the river."

Dugu Jie was shocked, "General Yao, you are the commander, how can you..."

"My lord, you are the ruler of a country, and you are leading the troops. What am I?!"

"When our lord ascends the throne, we shall present this military achievement as a gift to congratulate him!"

Yao Xiong's face was full of seriousness. He looked at the generals around him and whispered, "I will lead the troops in front, and you must follow me every ten steps. Don't make a sound. If I fall into the icy water or am shot by the enemy, Dugu Jie will lead the army. If Dugu Jie dies in battle, Captain Wang will command. If Captain Wang also dies in battle, Captain Heba will lead everyone to retreat!"

He looked at everyone seriously, "We are born as common people, and we are where we are today because of the grace of our lord. Even if we die here in battle today, our families will not be neglected, and our lord will take care of them!!"

"I hope you all will not be afraid of death and fight to the death with all your strength!!"

"only!!"

Yao Xiong picked up the spear, held a small shield in one hand, and took the lead to walk towards the ice.

Even in the daytime, it is not easy to walk across the ice, and in the middle of the night, when there is no fire, the difficulty increases dramatically.

The cold wind was biting and Yao Xiong was trembling slightly, but it was not because of fear. He poked the road in front of him lightly with a wooden stick and then moved forward step by step.

He tried to keep his body as low as possible and walked carefully.

Behind him, the soldiers slowly followed and moved forward together.

The biting cold wind blew from all directions and rushed towards Yao Xiong's body. Yao Xiong felt his whole face was numb. He was only wrapped in clothes at the moment and did not wear heavy armor.

Every step was taken carefully and in small steps.

"Click."

The moment he landed, Yao Xiong heard a faint sound.

He shuddered all over, and a chill rushed straight to the top of his head.

He stretched out his hand and whispered, "Stop."

The soldiers stopped at the same time, and Yao Xiong slowly lowered his body as if he was lying on the ground. He groped the ground and touched it lightly.

"Change direction."

Yao Xiong looked at the soldier behind him, and the soldier tiptoed and placed a wooden sign in front of him, indicating that the road ahead was not passable.

Yao Xiong slowly moved sideways, avoiding the path he had just taken, then stood up and moved forward quietly.

"Pfft."

Suddenly, a sound was heard on the left, and someone fell into the water.

Yao Xiong hurriedly looked in that direction, but he couldn't see clearly in the darkness.

The soldiers at the rear hurriedly stretched out their sticks, but unfortunately, it had no effect.

Someone put up a wooden sign, and the soldiers in that direction began to change direction.

This ice surface is not that wide. On a bright day, you can even see the other side if you stand on this side.

But now, this road has become so long.

The soldiers advanced slowly, and from time to time they heard people falling into the water. The ice in some places was not as solid as expected, and sometimes the Zhou people would chisel the ice to catch fish, leaving some gaps.
Yao Xiong was no longer trembling. He just watched the lights in the distance grow brighter and bigger.

The fire burned in his eyes and his speed increased.

"who?!"

Suddenly a loud shout was heard.

The soldiers on the shore finally saw a figure in the distance under the light.

At this moment, the Zhou soldiers who were chatting were horrified. They screamed, raised their bows and crossbows, and began to shoot the enemy.

"kill!!!"

Yao Xiong raised his shield, shouted loudly, and rushed towards the enemy.

The soldiers roared, sped up, and rushed towards the other side.

"Whoosh~~"

Arrows flew and many Han soldiers were pierced and fell to the ground immediately. Yao Xiong's wooden shield sank and he felt as if he was hit by an arrow, but he did not feel any pain at this moment.

He rushed onto the shore with big strides, and the soldiers had no time to escape.

Yao Xiong thrust his spear forward, piercing a soldier in the face, and then continued to charge.

The entire Zhou people's front camp began to become noisy, with drums beating and more and more fires in the tents.

Arrows kept flying from the arrow tower in the distance.

Once we got ashore, we saw many ditches in front of us, which were used to stop cavalry charges.

There are many wooden thorns hidden in the ravines, which will pierce your body if you go in.

Yao Xiong threw the bodies of the soldiers into the ditch, and then crossed the ditch. There was not only one such ditch.

The soldiers used wooden boards, shields, stones and anything else they could find to find a place to stay and cross the ravine.

Wei Xiaokuan only arranged less than five hundred people here.

However, considering the natural dangers here and the various fortifications, these five hundred people might have too much to do.

Arrows kept flying and more and more soldiers fell.

Someone fell into the ravine and was stabbed through the body.

The casualties are increasing.

But the Zhou people were also panicked.

At this moment, the general stationed here was full of fear, and he frantically urged his men to shoot the enemy.

When General Zhou was ordered to guard this place, he never thought that the enemy would attack him from here.

Even Wei Xiaokuan had never thought of this.

After all, it is the most dangerous place along the coast, and the situation is the most complicated. Which normal person would cross the river to fight from here? ?

But when the enemy suddenly appeared on the shore, General Zhou was in a state of panic. He was clearly in an advantageous position, but seeing the enemy getting closer and closer to him, he was so scared that his legs went limp. Yao Xiong led the way, crossing several ditches and finally rushed to the outside of the fence wall.

At this moment, many Qi archers also came over. They occupied the ravines and shot at the Zhou people above, suppressing their output.

Yao Xiong and others began to destroy fences and city gates, and used wooden fences to make crude siege beams.

Yao Xiong held the thick sharp wood and rushed towards the gate with several soldiers around him, roaring.

"Boom~~"

The gate was knocked down.

Everyone rushed into the camp.

There were shouts of killing everywhere. Yao Xiong killed anyone he met and rushed all the way to the arrow tower. General Zhou shouted to fight back, but his troops were too few and scattered all over the place. Finally, he was caught up by Yao Xiong head-on. Yao Xiong threw his spear with force, and the spear pierced the enemy general's abdomen. General Zhou screamed and fell off the city wall.

"The enemy general is dead!!!"

Yao Xiong, covered in blood, raised his wooden shield angrily and roared.

The Shuozhou soldiers shouted loudly, and the Zhou army lost their morale and fled. The camp quickly fell into Yao Xiong's hands.

Pseudo Zhou Dynasty, Xiazhou, Honghua City.

It was daybreak and the city was still quiet. The city gates were closed and the soldiers stood on the city walls, looking around.

All the trees around the city were cut down.

It's endless and there's no place to hide.

The city wall has been reinforced a lot. Outside the city wall, seven or eight ditches have been built. These ditches are larger than those along the river, making them more difficult to fill and attack. The city wall itself has been reinforced and raised. Many places have been designed to prevent vehicles from being thrown away, and even straw has been tied to reduce collisions. On the outer layer of the city wall, many wooden spikes have been set up, which can effectively block ladders and battering rams.

It can be said that the entire city has been reinforced to a terrifying degree, making it daunting.

Wei Xiaokuan applied all he had learned in his life here.

Perhaps he knew in his heart that when facing the enemy, the possibility of defense was greater than offense, so he would rather sacrifice some offensive attributes and max out the defense.

At this moment, a cavalry suddenly appeared in the distance, galloping towards the city at a rapid speed.

They did not hide themselves, and the defenders immediately discovered them.

Following their warning, the cavalry slowed down and approached slowly.

They bypassed the ravines at an extremely slow pace and it took them a long time before they finally reached the city gate.

This complex defense system would make even our own scouts cry.

The city gate was opened, and the scouts quickly entered the city. After registering at the city gate, they quickly headed towards the government office.

There was a dead silence in the city. Wei Xiaokuan moved the people from several important cities close to the enemy to the rear and turned the front cities into garrison cities like Wuchuan. Most of the people in the cities were soldiers, with only a small number of people engaged in logistics.

The roads within the city were also built, making it a complete military fortress, a smaller version of Yubi City.

After the scouts arrived at the gate of the government office, armored soldiers led them in to meet the highest-ranking official there.

In the inner courtyard of the government office, Wei Xiaokuan was wearing thicker clothes than before.

The long beard was completely gray.

Wei Xiaokuan will be celebrating his 60th birthday next year.

When he was young, he beat Gao Huan, then beat Gao Cheng and Gao Yang, and now beat Gao Changgong.
One person beat three generations of the other person.

He still sat in the upper seat as usual. In front of him were many officers. They were very serious. Wei Xiaokuan was holding a document in his hand and telling them a story.

"The enemy general, Poduo Luoku, is a Boling Xianbei, thirty-five years old, with a hot temper. He is good at riding and shooting, and can command troops. He probably grew up in Boling, so he values ​​scholars. He lacks his own opinions, and is close to bandits like Cui Gang. He has many disagreements with the Wuchuan Xianbei."

"The enemy general Heba Cheng is from Yecheng, a descendant of a famous family, the nephew of Heba Ren, thirty-three years old, introverted, and average in leading troops in battle. He loves fame and respect, and cannot stand provocation."

"Enemy General Li Qihu"

Wei Xiaokuan spoke slowly, and an officer below looked around with disdain.

Wei Xiaokuan stopped immediately and looked at the other party directly, "Why, do you have any objection?"

The young man stood up in a hurry and said helplessly: "General, we were willing to listen to what you said about Gao Changgong, Hulugu, and Wang Lin. We also felt that it was helpful when you mentioned Yao Xiong, Kou Liu, and Zhang Heizu. But we have never heard of the people you are talking about now. If you hadn't told us, we wouldn't have known that Dugu Qi had these people under his command. I really don't know what's the point of getting to know them."

Wei Xiaokuan was not angry. He said calmly, "Intelligence is always the key to victory. Don't underestimate any general. Once they go to the battlefield, even if they are not famous, they can still kill people with a knife. The more you know about them, the more you can make the right choice. You must be familiar with your opponents, know their personalities, understand their preferences, and grasp their shortcomings."

"If you really meet these generals you despise now, will you be able to temporarily find out their information?"

"These documents in my hands were obtained by countless brave warriors who sacrificed their lives. Even if you don't trust me, you shouldn't let their hard work go to waste."

The young man blushed and bowed to Wei Xiaokuan.

"I know I was wrong."

Wei Xiaokuan nodded, asked him to sit down, and then continued his story.

"Enemy General Liu Chengcai"

Just as Wei Xiaokuan was speaking seriously, several scouts rushed into the yard, their faces full of fatigue.

Seeing the scout, Wei Xiaokuan immediately closed the document in his hand.

"You guys discuss it among yourselves first, I'll be back soon."

Wei Xiaokuan hurriedly stood up and led the scouts into the inner room.

The generals looked at each other.

"Do you think this is really useful? We have learned from so many people. Will we really meet them in the future?"

"The Duke of Yun said it's useful, so it must be useful. You'd better memorize it quickly."

"There are already more than fifty people involved, right? Why did Dugu Qihai really recruit so many people?!"

"Who knows? I heard that the Duke of Yun plans to talk about the counselors first, and then the generals. There are more of them!"

While the generals were chatting, Wei Xiaokuan had already sat down in the house, looking seriously at the scouts in front of him.

"What happened?"

"Duke Yun! Something bad has happened!"

"Last night, the enemy Han army attacked the front camp of Danliu, and the front camp fell. Then they attacked all the way to Suizhou. Before we left, the three garrisons in front of Suizhou had been breached."

"what?!"

Wei Xiaokuan stood up suddenly, and his hands couldn't help shaking.

"Attack Danliu Front Camp?"

"They crossed the river from Danliu Front Camp?"

"Yes, we crossed the river at night and headed all the way to Suizhou. The troops of Suizhou were previously used to attack Danzhou. There are not many troops inside and outside the city. Please ask the Duke for help!!"

Wei Xiaokuan took a deep breath and frowned.

He is really stubborn and not afraid of death at all
Now it's troublesome.

If Yao Xiong dared to land, then Huluxian on the opposite side must have known about it. Although Huluxian was not as good as his brother, he was also a fierce general.

If there is no quick rescue from Suizhou, there will be big problems. Yao Xiong will definitely not miss this opportunity because his own food and supplies are all in Suizhou and Yinzhou.

But if I withdraw a large number of troops now, then Hulu Xian in the front...
Wei Xiaokuan hurriedly looked in the direction of the courtyard. If there was a brave general to help lead the troops, Yao Xiong would definitely not be able to bring too many people. Just an elite cavalry could repel Yao Xiong, and then besiege him on the shore and annihilate him.

but
Wei Xiaokuan couldn't find such a candidate for a while! !

Yuwen Yong asked him to garrison here to defend against the enemy, and also gave him a lot of support in terms of food and troops, but he didn't give any to anyone.

Yuwen Yong attached great importance to people and wanted to hold all the talents in the world in his hands. He did not want local generals to get close to each other, forming a superior-subordinate relationship or a separate faction.
No one is available!!

Moreover, given Wei Xiaokuan's personality, he always likes to do everything himself. This kind of personality is fine for guarding a city, but once it becomes several states,
Wei Xiaokuan did not dare to hesitate, and walked out quickly and came in front of the generals.

Everyone was shocked and looked at him.

Wei Xiaokuan searched among the crowd for a long time.

"The enemy is crossing the river to fight."

"I will personally lead the troops to protect Suizhou and Yinzhou. Xiazhou will be handed over to you. No one is allowed to attack without my order. Follow the strategy I specify and defend with all your strength. No mistakes are allowed. I will be ready for you. You must contact me in time. You must follow my arrangements in everything and are not allowed to act on your own."

"only!!!"

(End of this chapter)