Chen Qing came to the material warehouse again. All the warehouse doors were opened. You could see that each warehouse was piled with various weapons and defensive weapons, which looked very messy.
The warehouse is so messy that nothing special can be seen at all.
Chen Qing frowned and asked, "Why is it such a mess?"
Du Min said with a bitter face: "These are all kinds of weapons captured by the Jin soldiers in Longzhou. They were not placed in Qianyang County. They were all piled up in Guancheng. The former treasurer was killed because the things were too messy. I just
I just took inventory of the grain and grass warehouse, and I haven't had time to tidy it up yet. I'm so busy these days that I don't even have time to drink."
"water?"
Chen Qing suddenly realized that the important thing he wanted to ask about just now was water.
"How do you solve the drinking water problem here?"
Du Min pointed to the cliff behind the warehouse, "There is a cave over there, and there is a fine spring in the cave."
“Go check it out!”
Everyone walked towards the cliff together. Chen Qing stopped Zheng Ping and said, "You are injured, go and rest!"
"It's been bandaged. It's fine. It's just a little flesh wound." Zheng Ping said nonchalantly.
Chen Qing's eyes widened and Zheng Ping's calves trembled. He quickly bowed and turned around to leave.
The cave is dark and very humid, about ten feet deep, and the sound of dripping water can be heard.
After walking about seven or eight feet, Du Min pointed to a corner, "That's it, be careful there is a pool below!"
Chen Qing saw the pool on the ground, which was in an irregular octagonal shape. It had been soaked by running water all year round. It was covered with moss and the rocks had become very smooth. It looked like a natural bathtub.
"How deep is the pool?"
"I haven't measured it, but the soldiers said it seems to be four to five feet deep!"
He didn't see the rushing spring water, but saw that the rock wall was covered with moss. Chen Qing stretched out his hand and touched the moss. At his fingertips, a stream of water flowed down the moss and poured into the pool silently.
"Commander, please look here!" A soldier pointed to the ground about a foot away.
Chen Qing walked over and saw a stream of spring water flowing from the pool, and finally gurgled into the crevices of the rocks.
From this spring, we can know the amount of water on the stone wall.
"Is there any stored water?" Chen Qing felt a little sad that the spring water was flowing away in vain.
Du Min shook his head, "No?"
"Is there any water container in Guancheng?"
Du Min thought for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up, "Yes, there are hundreds of empty wine jars!"
"Clean the wine jars carefully and fill them with water!"
After walking out of the cave, Chen Qing said to Yang Hua again: "Arrange two brothers to stand guard at the entrance of the cave. No one else is allowed to enter except the soldiers fetching water."
Chen Qing glanced at Du Min and said, "Pay special attention to this person!"
"The humble position suggested that he be released from the city. It is still a bit dangerous to keep him."
Chen Qing shook his head, "No one knows our details now. Either kill this Du Min, or keep him to work for us."
"Reporting back to the commander, I specifically asked him just now that he is a student from Liyang County. I feel that...it might not be a good idea to kill him."
Chen Qing thought for a while and said: "Let's do this! Leave him here and be responsible for writing letters home to the soldiers. He is not allowed to go near the warehouse or water source. No matter who he is, he must have a token to enter the warehouse and water source."
"I humbly obey orders!"
Chen Qing got on his horse. At this time, Yang Yuanqing urged the horse over and asked with a smile from afar: "Commander, do you have enough food and grass?"
"There is enough food and grass, but there are too many weapons and supplies and they are too messy. Please organize the brothers to clean it up. I hope we can get a surprise!"
"Then what to do with the copper coins and gold and silver found?"
"Distribute it all to the brothers, and kill a dozen donkeys together. Let's reward everyone tonight!"
...........
Both Zhang Junhe and Wu Jie made a strategic mistake when judging the distribution of enemy forces. They greatly underestimated the number of surrenders of the Song army.
After the Battle of Fuping, Wanyan Zongbi and Wanyan Zongfu led an army of 30,000 to sweep across Guanlong. The Xiang army from various states and counties surrendered in defiance. In just one month, twenty imperial troops and Xiang troops from Guanlong surrendered.
Thousands of people.
After they surrendered, they were reorganized into various Han armies by the Jin soldiers.
It is true that the Jurchen army in Longyou and Hehuang only had 20,000 troops, but in addition to the Jurchen army, there were also 80,000 Han troops. This was an unexpected factor that Zhang Jun and Wu Jie did not consider.
Even the Jin soldiers' plan to attack Monk Yuan and Dashan Pass did not include these Han troops. They did not deploy the Han troops as armies at all, but only used them as slave armies.
But throughout the battle, these Han soldiers inevitably appeared.
On the third day after capturing Jianxiao Pass from Chen Qing, a Han army of 3,000 men arrived in Mianyang County escorting 20,000 shi of grain.
This mighty grain transport team consists of a thousand carts.
If it was in the Tang Dynasty, the value of Jianxiao Pass was not great. Both merchants and transporters could board ships from Miyang County and enter the Wei River via the Lishui River. At that time, Guanlong had a mild climate, abundant rainfall, and river transportation was very busy.
But by the end of the Tang Dynasty, with the climate change in Guanlong, precipitation was scarce, and severe sediment loss on the Loess Plateau led to river siltation, so that the rivers in the Guanlong area basically had no shipping value in other seasons except summer.
All goods and materials could only be transported by land by means of carts pulled by mules, donkeys and other livestock. The strategic position of Jianxiao Pass began to become highlighted.
In the morning, a businessman and seven or eight men driving more than a hundred donkeys wanted to enter the customs from Beicheng, but the soldiers refused. However, Yang Hua found that the businessman's goods seemed to be what they needed, so he immediately sent a soldier
Run to find Chen Qing.
"Commander, look at his goods. Do we need to keep them?" Yang Hua asked outside the city.
Chen Qing walked out of the city and took a closer look at the goods. This businessman was actually selling water tanks. There were hundreds of large tanks inside small ones. It was indeed the goods they needed most.
When the merchant saw that the goods had been detained, his face suddenly turned pale. He quickly stepped forward and clasped his fists and begged: "General, I have a small business and I have to support my family. Please let me go!"
Chen Qing laughed dumbly, "Yang Dutou, didn't you explain it clearly to him?"
Yang Hua stepped forward and patted the merchant on the shoulder with a smile, "You're so scared. Do you think we want your water tank without paying for it?"
The businessman wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "I don't dare. I was really frightened by those Han soldiers yesterday. They ate and took for nothing everywhere in Miyang County without giving them a penny. They also injured many shopkeepers and shopkeepers."
Man, the local government and the garrison don’t dare to mess with them.”
"Where did the Han army come from?"
Chen Qing immediately heard that something was unusual. There were only 200 local troops stationed in Mianyang, and their reputation was not bad. The businessmen were obviously not talking about them.
"The soldiers who arrived yesterday afternoon to transport food were all Han troops."
"How many people are there? How much food?" Chen Qing asked.
"I heard that there are three thousand people, I don't know how much food, about a thousand carts, and it is estimated to cost more than 20,000 stones."
"We all want your water tank. According to the market price, we won't lose you a penny."
Chen Qing told Yang Hua a few words, turned around and went to the top of the city, looking towards the distant Mianyang County. There were actually three thousand Han troops. Is the test coming so soon?
………..
The chief general of the Han army who was guarding the grain was called Xia Jin. He was originally a commander of the Jingyuan army. He was captured and surrendered in the Battle of Fuping. Wanyan Zongfu saw that he had some ability, so he promoted him to the commander of the Han army and asked him to assist in completing the task.
Yan Wulu reorganized the Han army.
This time Xia Jin followed the order of his commander Wanyan Wulu and led an army of 3,000 to escort 20,000 shi of grain to the Weinan camp. But as soon as he arrived in Miyang County, he heard news that Jianxiao Pass had been captured by the Song army, and the city
The yellow-bottom flying dragon flag of the Song Army was erected above the head.
Xia Jin did not know the details of the Song army, so he immediately sent an eagle letter to the Jinbing camp in Pingliang Prefecture to ask the coach Wulu for instructions on the next step.
After all, he is a grain guarding army, not a combat army. In his opinion, protecting the safety of grain is far more important than attacking Jianxiao Pass.
Either he retreats to Pingliang Prefecture or waits for reinforcements in Liyang County.
At noon, Xia Jin received a reply from coach Wulu. There was only one sentence in it: 'Conquer Jianxiao Pass and continue southward!'