Chapter 171: Brutal

The green grass mixed with the fragrant smell of soil blows from the land in the north of Cangzhou City.
Outside the city of Cangzhou, golden sunlight is shining on the endless grassland, a path leads to the distance, and occasionally a collapsed thatched house on the side of the road tells the past here.
"After the barbarians captured Youzhou, they burned the houses and woods and captured the people. A prosperous land has been overgrown with weeds for ten years, and it has become a grazing land for Huyan Tuobuluo."
On the city wall, Niu ran towards the endless grassland, and his words were full of desolation.
Ten years ago, he stood on this wall and witnessed the barbarian cavalry galloping here, the flames will not extinguish for months, burning the sky as red as blood.
Zhan Xingchang was also on the city wall. After busying for more than two months, everyone else lost a circle. However, under the circumstances of tens of thousands of slaves, a majestic city wall appeared.
"It's a pity that King Yong guards Youzhou. He was once the most powerful clan king, but he couldn't resist the barbarians." Zhan Xingchang said.
Xiao Ming looked at the fertile soil outside the city, from Cangzhou City to Youzhou, a total of more than four hundred miles, and this Youzhou was the location of the modern Ming Dynasty Forbidden City.
Known as the emperor guarding the country gate, the Ming dynasty, where the emperor died of Sheji, disappeared from history like dust after the loss of Shanhaiguan, and the Emperor Yong was also trampled by the barbarians after the break of Shanhaiguan.
If it hadn't been for Niu Ben to defend Cangzhou City at that time, and the Western Regions encountered the Ottoman Empire, the barbarians would definitely not give up their plan to go south.
In this case, the Ottoman Empire inadvertently delayed the destruction of the Great Yu Kingdom.
"Don't raise the ambition of others and destroy your own prestige."
Xiao Ming said indifferently, Great Yu Nation has become savagely discolored. What is needed most at this time is morale. Now Xiao Ming has no way to retreat. If he doesn't defend Cangzhou, he will not be far from death.
Zhan Xingchang was awakened, and he fell into the same compassion and compassion as many scholars in Dayu.
Niu Ben nodded, "The barbarians are nothing to fear, they are also flesh and blood, there is nothing to fear, the only thing to worry about is that the soldiers are timid before fighting."
Zhan Xingchang looked embarrassed and said, "Let His Royal Highness and the general laugh."
Xiao Ming patted him on the shoulder and said, "But what you said is not entirely wrong. You must attach importance to the enemy tactically, and despise the enemy strategically."
"Hahaha... His Highness's sentence is a classic, but it can be written into the art of war." Niu Ben was taken aback and said suddenly.
After hearing this, Zhan Xingchang was lost in thought.
Xiao Ming said with a smile: "I didn't say these words, but a great man said, but these words are in response to the current situation with the barbarians."
As the three of them said, they patrolled the city wall. The city wall facing the grassland was 500 meters long.
Now Xiao Ming has transferred most of the fief's troops to Cangzhou City, the number is the same as originally expected, totaling 50,000.
In addition to the Qingzhou Army equipped with new-style plate armor and weapons, the other new troops are poorly equipped and can only serve as a backup.
After inspecting the city walls of Cangzhou, Zhan Xingchang basically realized the original idea.
Nowadays, every ten meters on the tower is a gun tower, and every fifty meters is a prominent battlement.
These battlements are perpendicular to the walls, so that soldiers can have more defensive positions.
At this time, bed crossbows and catapults have been arranged in the battlements, and crossbowmen are already in place, ready to fight.
At this time, the walls outside the battlements are still piled with rolling logs, stones, iron briers, long forks and other guarding tools. The long fork is used to push the ladder away.
And all the others are for throwing away.
Along the inner side of the city wall are hanging baskets leading to the city. Below the hanging baskets are more city defense materials. If the rolling logs on the top and the stones are used up, the upper ones will be picked up by the auxiliary soldiers.
At the same time, every twenty meters under the city wall is a large iron pot, which is filled with oil, also to deal with the climbing barbarian soldiers.
Under the wall outside the city is another scene.
A trench was dug along the city wall with a depth of three meters and a width of three meters. In the trench were buried raised and sharpened bamboo pieces.
In this era, the barbarian soldiers wore nothing but leather boots, and the soft bottom could not withstand such sharp bamboo pieces.
On the outer side of the trench are densely packed, half-person-high pillars, which are buried underneath the foundation, in order to prevent the barbarians from charging on a large scale, so that the barbarian soldiers pile together and become the target of artillery.
"His Royal Highness, there are many traps on the outside. These traps are covered with turf and are not easy to detect."
The defense strategy of the city wall this time is all being formulated by Zhan Xingchang, trenches, stone pillars and so on.
Niu Ben said to Xiao Ming: "This young man is good and sinister enough. Now the barbarians are here, but they are suffering."
Zhan Xingchang said depressed: "The Governor, are you complimenting me or hurting me."
"Of course I'm complimenting you." Niu Ben laughed. He is like Pang Yukun, who loves talents.
In his opinion, Zhan Xingchang is much stronger than many powerful children.
Xiao Ming was also very satisfied with Zhan Xingchang's layout, because between the stone pillars, Zhan Xingchang also used twine to trap the tung oil-soaked rattan on the stone pillars.
These rattans are very strong after being soaked in tung oil, and it takes a while to chop with a sword.
During this time, the crossbowmen on the wall can shoot at full force.
"Good job," Xiao Ming said with satisfaction.
Generally speaking, siege is relatively difficult, and it is difficult to win a siege with five times the strength.
The more obstacles set during the siege, the greater the loss of the siege party.
Turning around the city wall, Xiao Ming remembered not seeing Lu Fei and Luo Xin, he asked: "Old General, where are Lu Fei and Luo Xin?"
Mentioned that Niu Ben gave a wry smile.
He said: "Since receiving the binoculars from His Highness, these two people have not been idle. Instead, they take soldiers out to inquire every day. With this binoculars, UU reading www.uukanshu.com can discover the barbarians in advance every time. Scout, this makes it impossible for them to take a shot."
Xiao Ming shook his head helplessly. He took the binoculars and went out, just like a non-nearsighted bully.
The two were talking, saying Cao Cao, Cao Cao arrived, and saw a pair of cavalry in the distance. The two in front were Lu Fei and Luo Xin.
When they got closer, the two also saw Xiao Ming.
Entering the city, the two immediately went up to the city wall, and Lu Fei was panting: "His Royal Highness, the Huyantuo Tribe speeded up the march. It is estimated that they will arrive under the city at noon tomorrow."
"This time Huyantuo's entire tribe migrated to Cangzhou City. There is a lot of meaning to be stationed here. It seems that the barbarian army is behind. They are providing cattle and sheep for the subsequent army to eat."
Niu Ben asked: "What about the number of troops?"
"Only the Huyantuo Department has 20,000 cavalry, and there are countless slaves." Luo Xin looked solemn.
(To be continued.) Enable new URL