Reclaiming Wasteland: Carefree Mountain Farmer

Chapter 81 Tiger's Mouth Fortress

Hukoubao is a well-constructed fortress covering an area of ​​approximately 120,000 square meters, with walls 6 meters high and 1200 meters long.

The city wall has more than ten defensive structures, including watchtowers, corner towers, barbicans, and moats.

The city contained 20 government offices, centurions, armories, and more than 200 military and civilian houses.

The stables, well, temple, toilet, kitchen, and other facilities were all readily available.

Beijiwu rode his horse closer to Hukoubao, surveying the small fortress in the moonlight.

120,000 square meters, roughly how many three-bedroom, one-living-room apartments are that?
If we calculate based on one room being 100 square meters, we could build 1,200 of them.

This fortress, with sides measuring over 400 meters, is not small; it can house less than a thousand people from the entire mountain tribe.

The city gate was narrow, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. In addition, there should have been enough grain in the granary to feed more than a thousand people.

Once we take over this garrison, we won't have to worry about security for the time being.

Meng Hetong led his nephew Lang Wubing to the door.

The soldiers guarding the city shouted, "Who's there?!"

Meng Hetong shouted loudly, "It's me, Meng Hetong. Today, Gaoliuwei was driven back by the Shannong tribe. The commander sent us back to deliver a message."

Gao Dafu asked curiously, "An hour ago, a group of people from Gaoliuwei ran past the official road, saying they were defeated by the Shannong tribe. After hearing this, we withdrew from the roadblock to defend the city. How exactly did the battle take place?"

Meng Hetong said, "Yes, open the door quickly, I want to talk to the centurion."

Seeing that there was no one in the distance and that the people returning were from Hukoubao, Gao Dafu shouted down, "Open the gate!"

The heavy gate was opened by several soldiers, and Beijiwu led four people into the fortress.

From this point on, Tiger's Mouth Fortress had changed hands.

Gao Dafu came down from the city wall and looked at the people who came in from the barbican.

"Alright, close the door. How did you two manage to ride back? I find it a bit strange. Is it really your job to deliver a message?"

Gao Dafu found it increasingly strange. These two men were indeed from the Qianhu Office, but they weren't the Qianhu's confidants!
Beijiwu said, "I don't want to kill anyone. You can talk it over yourselves."

Gao Dafu and several nearby guards watched Beijiwu.

"Who is this boastful brat?" Gao Dafu looked at Bei Jiwu with an unfriendly tone, then at Meng Hetong.

Meng Hetong quickly drew his long sword and handed it to Beijiwu.

Lang Wubing shouted, "This is the Arctic Warrior of the Mountain Farmer Clan! He killed eight hundred people yesterday and three or four hundred today. We are all brothers, and I don't want you to die. Now, all of you should obediently follow the commander's orders!"

It was dark and the light was poor. They were inside the city walls, and when the group saw that the person who had entered was sitting cross-legged, they immediately shouted, "Traitor!"

Without saying a word, Beiji Wu quickly dealt with two soldiers who were stabbing him with spears. Then, he stepped on Gao Dafu's shoulders and jumped to the nearby city wall steps, reaching the city wall in just a few steps.

The dark clouds dispersed, revealing three corpses on the ground.

Gao Dafu broke out in a cold sweat, looking at the now-vanished Beijiwu, and then at the four former comrades in front of him.

Meng Hetong reminded him, "Come work with us."

Gao Dafu was covered in sweat, but he still angrily cursed, "Fuck your mother! My whole family is here!!!"

Meng Hetong comforted them, saying, "The clan chief said he wouldn't harm the people here. We passed through several places, and as long as they weren't there to attack us, no one was hurt or robbed."

Gao Dafu immediately retorted, "I don't believe it! You four scoundrels! You'll all die a horrible death!!"

Lang Wubing said directly, "Uncle, don't waste your breath on him. When he's drinking and eating meat, has he ever brought us along? His family is all here, but our family still has to come!"

Meng Hetong shouted, "Don't make any rash moves! Everyone stay where you are!"

Gao Dafu raised his knife and slashed at Meng Hetong, yelling, "I'll kill you all!"

Meng Hetong, who had no weapon, immediately dodged and shouted, "Don't be impulsive!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Lang Wubing drew his knife and slashed at Gao Dafu's neck.

"Don't waste your breath on him. If he wants to do his job, then let him have it!"

Lang Wubing dealt with Gao Dafu cleanly and efficiently, without showing any remorse.

Meng Hetong looked helpless, wanting to say something to him, but he knew that now was not the time to say such things.

The gates of Hukoubao opened, and six or seven hundred people from afar surged in like a tide.

The city's garrison quickly gathered together and confronted these people.

The hundreds of men in Tiger's Mouth Fortress, holding torches, watched the hundreds of knights entering the city in the bright moonlight.

The centurions, realizing the situation was hopeless, shouted, "Who are you?"

“I am Arctic Martial,” Arctic Martial said, stepping forward. “Surrender. You don’t need to lay down your weapons. If you surrender, I will not harm anyone here.”

Centurion Wu Ying looked at Bei Jiwu and asked, "Are you telling the truth?"

Beijiwu said, "The six or seven hundred people around me are all from the Beiyuan garrison, just like you."

At this moment, Wu Ying looked at the other people nearby. As a centurion, he often went to Beiyuanwei to report his duties and found that many of the faces here were familiar.

Wu Ying pondered for two or three seconds, then quickly looked at Beijiwu.

"kill!!"

As he spoke, the man charged toward Arctic Martial.

With a single slash, Beijiwu severed the finger holding the sword, killing the helmeted man instantly.

A gash was torn open in the man's chest, and Beijiwu slowly walked forward.

"Does anyone else want to try? Let's do it quickly, so as not to keep everyone from getting rest."

Faced with the nonchalant attitude of the Arctic Army and the intimidation of six or seven hundred men, the garrison of this sturdy yet cramped fortress quickly chose to surrender.

Arctic Wu led a group to monitor these people who later surrendered.

"Why are there so many loyal people in this place? The one who came in and the one from just now, how come they are so loyal?"

It's strange that there are so many loyal subjects in this place, Arctic Wu.

Lang Wubing explained, "Commander Wu has recently acquired a beauty. He's probably worried that she'll be taken away after we surrender." Beiji Wu shook his head helplessly, "Being obsessed with women will not end well. Give the order that they must not disturb the people or harass the families of military households."

"Everyone should rest in the barracks tonight, and no one is allowed to go out except for those on patrol."

"Those who need to cook, go cook. Mu Chuanliang, go back and tell the people in the village to move here. I'll go back and pick you up tomorrow."

Mu Chuanliang quickly replied, "Yes, clan leader!"

Beijiwu rested on the tower of the city wall, also keeping order there.

The raid did not result in many deaths. The three or four hundred men remaining at Hukoubao surrendered smoothly, and two thousand craftsmen and their families were also given as a gift.

Arctic Warrior has more than three thousand men under his command, but they are extremely fragile and easily scattered.

These prisoners can't win when things are going against them.

But under Arctic Wu's leadership, they are not afraid of facing three times their number of enemies.

After a quick meal and a night's rest, the kitchen started cooking again at dawn.

Arctic Martial yawned and came down from the tower to warm up.

"It's early in the morning, and for some reason, I just really want to crawl into bed and sleep in."

Beijiwu sighed, "Being a village chief is actually quite good. I should have known better than to go and collect debts. It's all the Yang family's fault."

Ögedei led several Hu people onto the city wall.

"My lord, the brothers have all rested well. This is a food box prepared for you, containing the same food and wine that Commander Qian usually eats!"

Beijiwu took the food box, walked to the side, and began to eat.

I ate breakfast while watching the sunrise.

Wokoji and the others stood behind Beijiwu, serving as his personal guards and servants.

Bei Gong Dingbian ran back from a distance and shouted as he approached the moat, "Is the clan leader here?"

Beijiwu looked on and casually asked, "Are the villagers still alive?"

Whether his family members live or die, Beijiwu can accept it.

It's normal for rebellion to implicate one's family.

Bei Gong Dingbian shouted loudly, "It's only five or six li away, we'll be there soon!"

"No one from Beiyuanwei came out all night! The villagers all drove their cattle over. Luckily, they had donkeys and cattle, and more than 30 households moved over overnight!"

Upon seeing this, Beiji Wu led his men out to greet them.

Two kilometers away from Hukoubao, we saw more than 30 vehicles and more than 100 men and women.

“Sir!” Li Hong was finally relieved to see that Empress Wu of the Arctic was at ease.

As Beijiwu approached, he asked, "Was the journey smooth?"

Jiang Rong replied, "Since you were going to attack the county town, we all started packing our things. We were originally going to hide in the mountains, but after Mu Chuanliang came back in the middle of the night and told you to wait here, the villagers loaded their carts and headed here overnight."

"Thank God, I've finally seen you again, sir!"

Jiang Rong thought she was going to die this time, but she didn't expect that Beijiwu would have more than a thousand subordinates and a city in just one or two days!

Beijiwu nodded and said, "Alright, go inside and rest."

Li Hong said, "Sir, we're still in time. We didn't bring much food with us; all the food at home is stored in the cellar."

Beijiwu laughed and said, "It's alright. There's enough food here to feed more than 3,000 people until next year. Both granaries are more than half full of food, as well as salt, spare iron pots, linen and silk."

Beijiwu, who owned a thousand households, also possessed most of the wealth that a thousand households should have.

The people in the mountain village had been living in fear all day. After entering Hukoubao, they went to the empty houses to rest, ate a hearty meal, and then finally got a good night's sleep.

Arctic Martial gathered more than a thousand men together.

"Whether they are newcomers or newcomers, it's only a day or two difference. Let me tell you about the treatment of the mountain farmers."

"Soldiers who fight receive one tael of silver and one dan of grain per month."

"If you win, there will be a reward, but you must not plunder or harass the people."

"Now, every ten people will elect a banner chief, and every hundred people will elect a hundred households. Whoever is capable, can fight and command troops, will become a thousand households."

"You can choose for yourselves. I'll come back in half an hour."

Beiji Wu suddenly remembered something, "By the way, who is in charge of the treasury? How much silver and grain do you have here?"

The crowd quickly quieted down, looked around, and began searching for the person.

Before long, a thin man was pushed out by the others.

Wang Qing quickly knelt on the ground, his head bowed nervously: "Reporting to Lord Wu, there are 6,000 shi of grain and 1,000 shi of beans in the two granaries of Hukou Fort, all of which are this year's new grain. There are also 5,500 taels of silver and 1,000 strings of copper coins in storage."

"There are less than a thousand bows, 33,000 arrows, a thousand spears, a thousand short swords, a thousand sets of armor, mainly leather armor, a hundred horse lances, and fifteen sets of bright armor."

"Because the cavalry have all gone out, the treasury only has thirty packhorses."

"In addition, there are 100 jars of wound medicine, 200 jars of strong liquor, 50 sacks of herbs, 5,000 catties of smoked meat, 200 jars of pickled vegetables, and 300 shi of salt."

Upon hearing this, Beijiwu cursed, "These corrupt officials! They have money but don't distribute it. Are they waiting for the New Year? Come on! Follow the clan chief to the treasury. Everyone will receive one tael of silver as military pay!"

"From now on, pay will be issued on time on the 15th of each month. Register who has family members in their household. If you serve in the army, your families will definitely not go hungry!"

The more than 1,000 officers and soldiers who had just surrendered now all thought that being a soldier meant receiving a salary!

There's no need to raid the city after it's been breached; you can get paid just for doing your regular duties!
"Yes, sir!!!" a group of people shouted excitedly, responding with all their might.

***
On the other side, the fleeing Gaoliuwei soldiers quickly joined up with the Tongzhouwei soldiers who were on their way.

After hearing Gao Liuwei's description, Niu Zhifu and Ma Weiming realized how troublesome this matter was.

"Send scouts to explore first. Ten cavalrymen will clear the way and check for ambushes. The rest of you will advance in formation, with archers in front and cavalry and spearmen on the flanks!"

"Hukoubao is still standing. Advance quickly, rest at Hukoubao at noon, and rendezvous with Beiyuanwei in the afternoon!"

(End of this chapter)