Shuozhou, outside the city.

There were people shouting and neighing at horses. In less than a few months, this important town that was hanging around and unreliable was already changing.

The village wall, which was not short, has been raised again. In this area, there are not many other areas, but many stones.

It turned out that the rammed earth wall had been wrapped with newly harvested stones. The outer layer had not been polished, and the stone stubble was exposed.

The trench was also dug out, deep and wide. Water was also drawn in. It was more than one meter deep and more than two meter wide. There were sharpened wooden stakes buried under it. If it fell, it would be dead.

Even if you ride in, you will end up with both personal death.

The people of Shuozhou fought hard, and no one knew how many traps they had dug in a few months.

Facing the endless plunder of the northern alien races, Daqi ignored it in the past few years.

The people are suffering so much that they cannot gather even if they want to resist, because you will be sentenced to gathering people to rebel if you accidentally.

Finally, the court was a little more powerful, and began to take care of them, and began to refuse to give up on everyone. Shuozhou was united in his heart and wanted to protect his family. Four big words were painted with vermilion paint on the wall at the highest point: No inch of land was allowed.

Many of the strong men patrolling the city walls were dressed in messy clothes. They were not soldiers. The people here were tough and the weak were cruelly eliminated during the Huma's journey south again and again. If they wanted to survive, they had to have some skills.

This time, the support of the court was something that these bitter and cold men had never seen before. Not only did they have enough weapons, but the food and grass were also transported continuously. The military and horse supplements were slightly insufficient, but the whole people here were soldiers, so everyone didn't care much.

In the city near the city wall, someone set up a temporary stove to clean up various garrison war equipment on the spot. Sheds were set up under the walls of the city, and there was a hot white air in the sheds, but the fire-tou army was preparing meals.

Rounds of steamed grains that can make your throat hurt face, and hot soup comes out. As long as you come to guard the city, you can not only eat it yourself, but also bring some for your wife, children and parents.

Chen Shou's original words to Yuan Xiannian were that it was how much food could be eaten. After someone broke the city and was all taken away by the Mongols, the food was considered in vain. After defeating these beasts, let's go to the grassland to eat sheep and cows.

So this time, the northwest was open to fight, and the whole family was under pressure to eat, but it was impossible to completely destroy the Mongolians.

Wu Laosan leaned against the wall, looked at the dim sky in the distance, and sneered, "As the saying goes, things are just three. These Tartars come to rob, kill people, prevent fire, and slaughter the village again and again. This time, we want to see if the Mongolians' necks are made of flesh, will they bleed when they are cut on the knife, and will they die."

People around him knew about his past. In the 11th year of the Yuan Dynasty, the Tartars invaded the border, and his whole family was killed by the Mongolian Tartars, including his youngest son whom he loved as life. These years have passed, and he has been depressed and can't say a few words a year.

An older man advised: "Wu Lao San, the situation is getting better now. After this battle, the second uncle will find a good wife for you. Isn't it still going to live a life?"

Wu Laosan glanced at him and smiled and said, "Uncle Li, I have been waiting for this battle for a few years."

"San brother, you are right. What's the point of not avenging this revenge? Don't worry, if I don't die, I will restrain my bones and put them on your grave."

Old Man Li was anxious and cursed: "Don't you, you are from the same village, and you are also persuaded to die. You are the only young people in our village, and you have to live for me. But old man, I am old and I am ready to kill a few Tartars this time..."

A general passed by and sighed in his heart. There were many people present like this.

After they entered the battle, they might not be able to beat Mongolian soldiers. After all, those people started to be sensible and rode their knives and horses to kill and loot.

Not only did they kill Han people, but they were also so cruel. Many Mongolian Tartar soldiers, in fact, had already killed people in their teens.

They have limited food and can't farm, so they can only eat according to the weather.

Once there is a blizzard, many people may starve to death, and the weak will be killed by the strong to divide up their survival resources.

This is the grassland, this is the world where the strong prey on the weak. There is no civilization at all, just a group of talking beasts.

Just around Shuozhou, in an atmosphere of generous battle, Hebule led his army to slowly come to this land full of hatred.

---

"Shuozhou?"

Chen Shou was startled and slapped the table and said, "The Thiefs, I want to cut off my Western Regions business road."

Chen Shou had two supply lines. When the war in Daqi has been in full swing for years and food is in short supply, these two lines are life-saving lines.

One is the Qiantang Chamber of Commerce on the sea, and the other is the Western Regions Commercial Road.

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Now the situation in the Southern Tang Dynasty is tense, and the sea routes have been blocked by the navy. If the Western Regions are also cut off, Chen Shou will be a little nervous if he wants to support so many soldiers.

However, there is no way. After all, after he implemented the new policy, the fertile land under his rule was fully developed, and the grain tax paid was dozens of times higher than before.

Because of the fewer bad gentry colluding with the government and evading taxes, ordinary people are already grateful for their food. They are very active in paying taxes and dare not pay less.

"Mr. Marquis, don't worry, we still have some food storage. In recent years, we have also begun to try to raise horses in Daming Mansion. There are also more craftsmen, iron ore and coal mines from all over the world. Even if people from the Western Regions cannot get through, we can still hold on."

Chen Shou nodded. Not only that, no one present knew that he had also hoarded a large amount of supplies, right in the back mountain of the Taoist temple and the summer palace.

However, Chen Shou is a person who is prepared for danger in times of peace. What he wants is not to live a life of silence or to live a tight life. Since the war has begun, he will be able to use thunder to form a huge advantage over the enemy, hoping to end the war as soon as possible and unify the Great Qi.

His opponent is not very strong, which is the most fortunate thing. If he met a cruel person like Chen Youliang and Zhang Shicheng, life would be much harder. After all, Chen Shou asked himself that he was not as handsome as Zhu Yuanzhang.

The people present had already given up Shuozhou in their hearts and placed their hopes on Yanmen Pass.

Chen Shou looked around and said, "Shuozhou is also a big province. I think it is necessary to increase troops and support it and protect the Western Regions business roads, which is crucial to me."

"Where can we have reinforcements?" Liu Zhiying sighed: "There are countless small fronts in the front and back. If we really can't draw troops, we must stay 70,000 troops from Bianliang."

Chen Shou narrowed his eyes and said, "There are soldiers and horses... not without them."

PS: Happy New Year to everyone!
Chapter completed!