Chapter 86: Heavenly Sand (I)
The Yongzhou army had already fought with Shi Monu's army. On the vast plains, the Hu cavalry exerted their greatest strength, causing Qin Jixun and Wei Dechang to suffer two setbacks. They had no choice but to withdraw their troops from the poplar forest and return to defend the city. The rebel army of Yang Tianzhe, which was originally stationed outside the Yongzhou city gate, was also able to enter the city.
"I think my memorial has been sent to Yunjing, but I don't know if the emperor will really do as you wish and send a suitable person to be the military supervisor of Yongzhou."
The bonfire was burning brightly, and the prefect Shen Tongchuan was holding a bowl of hot soup. It was wartime, and he had never changed out of his official uniform, which was not as neat as usual. "The government has never trusted military commanders. General Miao has made such great achievements, but he was dismissed from his military power. He was very prestigious among the garrison troops in Jianchi Prefecture. The government would definitely not let him come to lead the reinforcements. I guess this job is most likely to be given to the governor of Jianchi Prefecture, Tan Guangwen."
"This Tan Guangwen doesn't get along with General Miao. Under his rule, the Huning Army no longer has the power it once had. If he is combined with a military supervisor like Song Song, it will be difficult."
If there is a way to negotiate, the current emperor will never easily go to war with Danqiu. Shen Tongchuan and Qin Jixun pushed the emperor and his favorite conservatives into a dead end in Yongzhou where they had to fight, but they still had to be controlled by the military supervisor after Song Song, so this person is very important.
"Shen Zhizhou, don't you believe in your teacher?" Xu Hexue reached out and opened the clay pot hanging over the fire, and took a look at the bubbling porridge inside.
Hearing him mention Meng Yunxian, Shen Tongchuan looked up at the night sky dotted with sparse stars, "I haven't seen my teacher for many years. Before, when he was demoted to Wen County, he was unwilling to communicate with me. I know that he was afraid that I would be implicated by him. He finally returned to the court, but I am here and cannot go to Yunjing to see him. I don't know if my teacher is disappointed in me..."
In these years, he served as the prefect of Yongzhou. He ignored everything and made no achievements. He just vented his frustration on his own. He was no longer the person who had lofty ambitions in front of his teacher.
"Song Song is a proud minister of the emperor. You must be helpless here, Lord Meng." Xu Hexue's eyes fell on the wisps of hot smoke coming out of the pottery jar. He rested his hands on his knees, and the flames danced in his eyes. "Life is like morning dew, like lightning. If we have the chance to meet again, please don't let me down, Lord Shen."
Ni Su walked over wrapped in a cloak, and just when she heard him say this, she paused. Xu Hexue looked up at her, and then she walked closer again.
The glass lamp was right beside him, and the firelight reflected on his snow-white sleeves, giving off a lustrous luster. Shen Tongchuan watched him reach out to open the clay pot hanging over the fire and scoop up a bowl of porridge. Almost at the same time that Ni Sucai sat down, he handed the porridge to her.
"Shen Zhizhou, do you want it?"
Ni Su picked it up and saw Shen Tongchuan looking at it, so she asked.
"I have mutton soup."
Shen Tongchuan smiled and raised the soup bowl in his hand.
Ni Su was not used to eating mutton, and he didn't often drink the most authentic mutton soup in Yongzhou. Yongzhou City had been closed for more than half a month, and there was almost no mutton or beef left in the city. The bowl of soup in Shen Tongchuan's hand actually didn't have much mutton in it.
A jailer came hurriedly and whispered something to Shen Tongchuan, who immediately drank up the mutton soup, then stood up and straightened the wrinkles of his official uniform. "We must defend the plank road leading to Jianchi Mansion. The three-bow crossbow has been made by the craftsmen. I will go find Yang Tianzhe. According to what you had thought before, Master Ni, why don't we guard against the Hu people on the plank road at night?"
Shen Tongchuan led his men up to the tower. Ni Su looked at his back and turned back suddenly, "I still don't know what this three-bow crossbow made by Uncle Fan and the others looks like."
Fan Jiang is deft and good at carpentry. He can also make bows and crossbows. In recent days, he has been gathering with all the craftsmen in the city to make bows and crossbows.
"The arrows of the three-bow crossbow are like spears. If fired at close range, they will embed into the city wall. If fired at a distance, the crossbow can reach a thousand steps. However, it is too big, and it takes 30 people to pull it apart with three large bows. That's why it is called a crossbow."
There is a Tianju Mountain to the south of Yongzhou City. The mountain is steep and rugged, reaching into the sky, and it is considered a dangerous pass. There is a plank road on the Tianju Mountain, which was built by Jiang Xianming when he was the prefect here. It was built to prevent Yongzhou from being caught in war again. Other roads were blocked by the Hu people, resulting in the inability to transport food and news, making Yongzhou an isolated city again.
The Bird Path on Tianju Mountain is unique and easy to defend but difficult to attack. It is a way of survival that the Yongzhou Army must not give up. Fortunately, when Jiang Xianming was in charge of the construction of the bird path, he set up several key lookout towers on it. Xu Hexue asked Shen Tongchuan to draw Tianju Mountain and the bird path on its cliff, and he came up with the idea of placing a three-bow crossbow on the lookout tower, which is much more powerful than an archer shooting an arrow with a bow.
"Do we also need to place three-bow crossbows on the city walls here?" Ni Su looked up. The city walls were tall, and patrolling soldiers were walking back and forth on them.
"Yes, it is indispensable whether you are attacking a city or defending it. When attacking a city, you can shoot crossbows at the city walls so that the soldiers can climb up. When defending a city, you can shoot multiple people with crossbows from a thousand steps away."
Xu Hexue thought of the blueprint that Fan Jiang brought back for him to see. "I remember that sixteen years ago, the three-bow crossbow had not yet reached the level of this crossbow. At that time, it could only shoot at a maximum of seven hundred steps."
"Do the Hu people also have crossbows?"
Ni Su asked, holding the bowl of porridge.
"Yes, I've seen it! It's the crossbow they stole that was made for them by the Qi craftsmen." Suddenly a voice was heard. Ni Su turned around and saw Fan Jiang walking towards them with a crutch.
"Uncle Fan."
Ni Su immediately put down the bowl of porridge and picked up a clean porcelain bowl beside her to scoop hot porridge for him.
"I dare not trouble Miss Ni..."
Fan Jiang wanted to go forward and serve himself some porridge, but he saw Ni Su quickly served the porridge, so he had to take it, thanked her repeatedly, and sat down next to Xu Hexue. "Back then, most of Yongzhou City was burned down, and I also saw the damaged crossbows after the war. To be honest, young master and young lady, although I am a carpenter, I am actually very interested in making these things in my heart, but I dare not make them privately, so I can only figure it out at home. I didn't expect that now I can make crossbows with others."
"Qingqiong said that his father had very skillful hands and could make anything with ease." Ni Su looked at the felt tent not far away where Qingqiong was sleeping peacefully. He had been in poor spirits lately, always feeling sleepy and weak.
Ni Su's acupuncture was of no avail.
"Him,"
Fan Jiang held the hot bowl of porridge in his rough hands and looked at the lighted tent. "Normally he always blames me and his mother for giving birth to him. It's only in front of you that he is willing to praise me as his father."
"But I really feel sorry for him. I gave birth to him but failed to take good care of him."
Ghost fetuses are different from ordinary people after all. The chill that Qingqiong suffers in the autumn and winter actually comes from the cold air in Youdu. His flesh and blood body and soul are damaged. He is destined to live in pain and not live even half the lifespan of ordinary people.
"Qingqiong is used to bickering with you like that," Ni Su thought for a moment and continued, "He often talks about you in front of us. I think he is happy to be your and his mother's child."
"I know he is just harsh in words. He has the same personality as his mother."
Fan Jiang smiled, ate half a bowl of porridge, and hesitated for a long time before he spoke tentatively, "Sir..."
Seeing that he was hesitant to speak, Xu Hexue said, "Just say whatever you want to say."
"I'm not afraid of you two laughing at me if I tell you this,"
Fan Jiang was a little embarrassed, "I actually want to try to improve our bed crossbow."
He was not a craftsman who made weapons properly. He was just a temporary recruit because there were not enough craftsmen in Yongzhou City to make up the number. He did not dare to say anything more.
"Uncle Fan, this is a good thing."
Ni Su said.
Fan Jiang had spent a lot of courage to say this, "Miss Ni, do you really believe that I can make it? I'm just a carpenter, I actually, actually may not be able to make it..."
"How can we know if we don't try? What's wrong with the carpenter? Didn't you build the crossbow with others? Who says that those who repair the shabby house can't support the big house?"
Ni Su looked at him.
Fan Jiang had not read much, so he did not quite understand her last sentence. Just as he was about to ask, he heard Xu Hexue beside him say, "According to your idea, how many steps can the improved crossbow reach?"
"Now it's one thousand steps. I," Fan Jiang stretched out a hand cautiously, "I think if it works, I can at least add another five hundred steps."
One thousand five hundred steps.
If they could have this range, the Yongzhou Army would have a few more advantages in the battle to defend the city. Xu Hexue nodded slightly and looked at him, "Okay, I will mention this to General Qin. Please join the weapons camp and help improve the bed crossbow."
“Xu…”
Fan Jiang's lips trembled, and he blurted out the word "Xu" before he immediately stopped talking and changed the subject, "Sir, do you really believe me?"
Xu Hexue turned his head and glanced at the girl sitting next to him, "Those who repair the hut can also support the building."
There were a few sounds of fire in the fire, and Fan Jiang looked confused: "...What does that mean?"
"That is to say, we all believe that you can build a crossbow with a range of 1,500 steps." Ni Su smiled with curved eyes.
Suddenly, a dull horn sounded, and Ni Su's smile froze on her lips. She stood up almost at the same time as Xu Hexue, and saw figures running back and forth on the tower, with firelight flickering, and someone shouting, "Shi Manu is attacking the city again!"
There was a slight fluctuation in Xu Hexue's eyes, and he immediately thought of Yang Tianzhe who had gone out of the city to install the bed crossbow on Tianju Mountain in the south. He picked up the glass lamp and quickly went up to the city wall.
"Uncle Fan, please go back to the tent!"
Ni Su turned around and said to Fan Jiang, and raised her voice to remind Madam Zhong and the others who were drying the fine cloth outside to go back quickly, and then followed Xu Hexue's footsteps.
"Ni Su, don't follow me."
Xu Hexue walked up the city wall with one hand, turned around and saw her, and said.
"Then I'll be down there."
Ni Su retracted her foot and stood at the bottom of the stairs. She was afraid that if she went up, she would cause trouble for the soldiers. It would be inappropriate to protect her alone if she was not able to fight in time.
It’s just the distance between the two towers, will he be restricted by the ban?
"I'll be fine."
Xu Hexue saw through the concern in her eyes. He comforted her hastily and went up to the city wall. Torches were burning like clusters. The wind and sand were heavier in the cold night. The hunting falcons of the Hu people were circling in the night, making occasional calls.
"Brother, Yang Tianzhe and the others have already gone out! What if they are discovered by Shi Manu?" Wei Dechang looked out from the city wall with an anxious look on his face.
Xu Hexue walked up to the two of them and looked down. The flags of the Danqiu royal court were fluttering in the wind, and the black armor of the Hu people made them look like a ball of dense black ink flowing rapidly towards the city gate.
The sound of horse hooves trampling on the vast plains continued to vibrate everyone's eardrums.
"It's Shi Manu's horse archers!"
Duan Rong could vaguely discern the Hu vanguard rushing in the front.
"Yang Tianzhe and his men are carrying crossbows, which makes it difficult for them to move. If they are discovered by the Hu people, the rebel army will be in danger of being wiped out," Qin Jixun pressed his sword with one hand and gave a decisive order, "Dechang, pass the order down, go out of the city to fight!"
Only in this way can we buy time for Yang Tianzhe.
"yes!"
Wei Dechang took the order and immediately went down to pass on the message.
Xu Hexue looked down at the black mass of Hu cavalrymen moving towards him. "The archers are not the elite troops under Shi Manu's command. He wants to use the vanguard camp to consume our already small number of cavalrymen, but we can't fall into the trap so easily."
Qin Jixun nodded, "Yes, if our cavalry is consumed in this battle, we will only be able to use infantry to block their elite troops."
"The newly made double-bow crossbow is much lighter than the triple-bow crossbow, and it has a windlass. We can carry it out of the city to fight, and use carts to form a city. It can not only resist cavalry, but also kill people with crossbows." Xu Hexue held a burnt branch in his hand. When Qin Jixun gave the order to Wei Dechang, he drew a simple military formation on the city wall. "In this way, we can also protect the south and prevent the Hu soldiers from going there for the time being."
"good!"
Qin Jixun watched Xu Hexue moving back and forth on the battle formation diagram several times, and he immediately understood what was going on. He became more spirited, and immediately turned around and went down the city wall to assemble the troops.
Xu Hexue was isolated in the spot, looking down at the Danqiu Hu soldiers who were getting closer and closer. Soon, the city gate below was opened with a slow and heavy sound.
Accompanied by the shouts of the Yongzhou army, the war drums were beaten.
The Hu people had originally launched a surprise attack at night to attack the city, but they obviously did not expect that the Yongzhou army, which had been closed for more than half a month, would suddenly open the city gates and engage in a head-on battle. They were a little surprised, but quickly adjusted themselves, and the vanguard camp in the front calmly pounced on the Yongzhou army.
Inside the city, Ni Su leaned her back against the city wall. She heard the dense beating of war drums and the deafening sound of fighting outside. She looked up and saw clusters of flames.
Shi Manu also brought a crossbow, but it was a three-bow one. If it was not used for attacking the city, it would obviously become a burden. He immediately ordered his men to abandon it, raised his golden knife, and shouted: "Kill!"
Qin Jixun did not let the cavalry go into battle first, but ordered the infantry to rush forward first, divided into two teams, one team occupied the south, and the other team occupied the middle. They pushed out several crossbows to surround the soldiers in the center and used crossbows to meet the Danqiu Hu people.
Although the Danqiu archers were not the most elite cavalry of Shimonu, they were all very brave. They approached and drew their bows. Arrows from both sides flew back and forth like a woven net. Wei Dechang ordered from behind the chariot formation: "Raise your shields!"
The soldiers who were protected in the middle of the two chariot formations immediately stepped forward, and protected the soldiers drawing the bows behind their shields to block the arrows of the Hu people.
The soldiers who were drawing the bows did not stop. Even though their vision was blocked by the shields, they still did not forget to draw their bows and shoot randomly, preventing the Hu people's cavalry archers from moving forward for a while.
But the Hu people did not retreat. They formed a battle formation, with the cavalry archers in the front fighting against the crossbows of the Yongzhou army, while the cavalry on the other two sides took advantage of the situation and advanced.
"Change!"
Seeing this, Wei Dechang immediately shouted.
The Hu people who were approaching the chariot formation with great force saw that the soldiers holding shields on both sides of the chariot formation immediately retreated a few steps. Then, armor-piercing spears almost simultaneously shot out from the gaps in the shields. When they got close to the crossbows, they hit their horses' legs. Immediately, the strong war horses stretched their necks and neighed loudly, causing the Hu people on horseback to fall off the horses and be pierced by the spears.
Shi Manu was riding a horse behind, and when he saw this scene, he couldn't help but frown. The chariot formation changed several times and was like two hedgehogs, which were very prickly.
Although bows and crossbows can fire continuously, there is a time to change arrows. Shi Manu was not in a hurry. He continued to order the archers to shoot arrows as cover, and then ordered the cavalry to rush into the middle of the two formations of the Yongzhou army, so as to cut off their coordination, and then besiege and eat them separately.
Wei Dechang saw this intention, and he immediately ordered the chariots to move to the center, and ordered a team of cavalry armed with hook-and-sickle spears to move forward to fight against the Hu cavalry.
The closer the chariot formation moved to the center, the more it squeezed the Hu cavalry's formation. The two sides continued to fight, and the Hu people's powerful attack made the Yongzhou cavalry unable to cope. Wei Dechang had no choice but to order a retreat.
The two chariot formations coordinated with each other to protect the Yongzhou cavalry in the middle as they retreated. The drums beat rapidly and the horns of the two sides intertwined.
Xu Hexue stood on the city wall. Because he was the only one with a glass lamp in his hand that was lit by Ni Su, he could not see the battle situation below clearly . However, he could hear Wei Dechang's orderly instructions and make judgments in his mind.
The battle lasted almost until the sky in the east began to turn pale. Xu Hexue's knees were numb from the pain. The candle in the glass lamp went out. With the help of the light from the sky, he could finally see the situation below clearly.
Shi Manu ordered the cavalry to launch another attack, forcing the Yongzhou army's chariots and cavalry closer and closer to the city gate. Qin Jixun walked over quickly and shouted, "Duan Rong!"
Duan Rong immediately waved his hand downwards, and the soldiers who were pulling the three-bow crossbows on the city wall immediately let go, and the sharp arrows with iron feathers flew towards the approaching Hu cavalry.
For a moment, people and horses were thrown to the ground, and dust was flying.
Shi Manu and Wei Dechang spent most of the night like this. Although the Yongzhou army used the chariot formation for defense and did not cause too many casualties to the Hu people, it prevented them from approaching the city wall. Instead, the horses were tired and the warriors were about to be exhausted.
On the city wall, Xu Hexue looked at Shi Monu with a gloomy face below. He saw that Shi Monu suddenly snatched the bow and arrow of a horse archer while being surrounded by the Hu cavalry. Xu Hexue looked in the direction he pointed. Wei Dechang was still commanding the army. He immediately took the bow and arrow from Duan Rong, strung it, and pulled the bow. His cold eyes revealed a fierce background.
At a critical moment,
The arrow pierced through the cold wind and accurately blocked the feather arrow shot by Shi Manu.
Both arrows fell into the dust.
Shi Manu suddenly raised his head.
On the wall of Yongzhou city, there was a man with a long scarf covering his face, a frosty white robe fluttering in the wind, and a longbow in his hand.
