"How many people are left in the Chishui Army?" Shao Shude asked casually, looking down at the lush turnips and carrots in the mountain field.
"The Chishui Army has six thousand infantry, and there are still more than four thousand who are capable of fighting."
"Then don't retreat yet. Let's take over the defense in the Poppy Valley area." Shao Shude took the bamboo basket handed over by Su. The basket was full of washed carrots.
Su's hand was red with cold, Shao Shu pulled her hand and said: "Let the newcomers do the rough work from now on."
Mrs. Su glanced at Shao Shude gratefully and said softly: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your mercy."
"What kind of favor do you want me to thank you for?" Shao Shude said with a smile.
Su's face suddenly turned red, and when she cried out in pain and begged for mercy, the king indeed took pity on her.
Chen Cheng had quietly stepped aside and observed the vegetable patch carefully.
He was not very interested in the vegetables in the vegetable patch, but he was very interested in a crop planted next to the vegetable patch: a kind of wheat that King Xia had just obtained from Hu merchants in the Western Regions.
King Xia called this wheat "Afghan rye", and later changed his name to "Hezhong rye" - of course, this Hezhong obviously did not refer to the Hezhong on Hedong Road.
The King of Xia had "extensive knowledge" and said that this kind of wheat was produced in the river, Persia, and the Dashi area. It was very close to the "ancestral rye" and was later introduced to countries farther west. At first, people thought it was a weed and was harmful to small crops.
There was great fear when the wheat fields were invaded by the "weed" rye. However, over time, rye grew together with wheat and domesticated itself. It contained something called gluten and could be made into cakes that the locals loved, so some people began to cultivate it.
, breeding, planting.
Along with rye came a crop called oats.
The King of Xia said that this also came from Dashi, and was originally a "weed" called "wild oat". After it invaded the wheat field, it had a strong axis like rye, so that it and the surrounding wheat were destroyed.
Domestication. Western farmers accepted this "self-domesticator" and began to breed and cultivate it.
"What does Chen Changshi think of rye?" Shao Shude scratched Su's hand a few times, laughed and walked to Chen Cheng's side.
The women in Jinxian Temple basically accepted their fate slowly. Especially the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law of the Chu family, the Xie family, and the Su family. The Lu family and Jiang family's sister-in-law even accepted their fate earlier than them.
"This wheat doesn't seem to be anything special. Is it grown to feed war horses?" Chen Cheng asked doubtfully.
"This is Dashi oats, which is different from Guochao oats." Shao Shude said.
To be precise, Chinese oats are naked oats, also called "oats", which are different from oats native to the Near East.
"The other one is rye." Shao Shude added: "The yield per mu of rye is 30% higher than that of oats. I can't tell it now. I asked people to find this thing just to prepare for a rainy day. Chen Changshi found that this winter is special.
cold?"
"The commander-in-chief said..." Chen Cheng was a little unsure.
Shao Shude nodded and said: "It will be colder in the future, and the life in Saibei will be more difficult. The winter will become longer, and the places where wheat could be grown will no longer be able to be grown. But rye can be grown. If the winter is not cold, rye
It won’t grow well yet. It’s more suitable to grow rye in places that are too cold, too high, and dry, such as the old areas of Goguryeo.”
Chen Chengruo realized that the rye prepared by the commander may be for the future expedition to the Songmo Dudu Mansion area. This kind of crop has unparalleled advantages in the local area. Although corn and oats are cold-resistant, the yield per mu is not as good as that of rye.
Wheat has a higher yield per acre than rye, but is not as cold-resistant as rye, which is indeed a good thing.
Shao Shude carried the bamboo basket to the stable. Inside was a very splendid black war horse. When he saw Shao Shude, he came over affectionately and snorted.
Shao Shude fed the washed carrots to the horse and said: "I received a military report this morning that Yique Pass refused to surrender. The Tianxiong Army tried to attack twice, but failed and suffered heavy casualties. The prisoners were tortured and tortured.
I know that in addition to a thousand long straight troops in Guancheng, there are also more than a thousand state and county soldiers and more than a thousand native Tuan villagers. It is useless to attack by force. Let Zang Du protect and Niu Li give up."
"As ordered." Chen Cheng bowed his hands, then stared at the horse, tutting in wonder.
"I'll reward you if you like it!" Shao Shude laughed.
After laughing, he pulled the woman who was digging carrots in the vegetable patch next to her, held her in his arms, and said, "Except for my trophies in this Golden Immortal Temple, Chen Changshi can ask for anything he likes."
The woman being held in her arms was blushing with embarrassment, and it turned out to be Mrs. Zhu from Pengcheng County who had just arrived a few days ago.
Although this woman's appearance is not bad, she is definitely not stunning. Moreover, she is thirty-two years old, and her hands have calluses from farm work. She is not comparable to a woman like Chu who comes from a wealthy local family.
"You can't take the king's reward in vain." Chen Cheng stroked his beard and said: "In the battle of Heluo, the general's army broke in, and 120,000 people clenched together like a fist and pounded Luoyang hard. The Liang people fortified themselves everywhere.
, defenseless everywhere, divide and surround me, use more to defeat less, and finally defeat the stubborn thieves. If Quan Zhong still hasn’t learned his lesson, someone has a plan——"
"What's the plan?" Shao Shude raised Zhu's chin and asked cooperatively. I want to melt with you for a long time.
"After all the armies have been reorganized, the commander-in-chief does not have to rush to attack Ruzhou. It is better to transfer part of the Feilong Army back, or send elite soldiers and generals directly into Xuzhou, so that the 30,000 people from Dinghui in Ruzhou can become a turtle in the urn."
Chen Cheng suggested: "Ruzhou only has more than 10,000 households, and the Liang army cannot continue to support them. They can only drink from the northwest wind, and there will definitely be chaos."
Shao Shude thought for a while and praised: "Chen Changshi's plan is quite promising. We can discuss it with the generals of Du Yu Housi and formulate a feasible strategy."
Large range and deep penetration are the most suitable tactics for mounted heavy infantry, and it is also Shao Shude's favorite style of play now.
Mrs. Zhu listened on the sidelines, her body trembling slightly.
"Don't worry, I'm not a cruel and murderous person. What do you, a woman, have to worry about? You can give birth to children for me with peace of mind, and you, Mrs. Zhu, may have a good ending." Shao Shude put down his hand and said.
Zhu's tears flowed down.
Chen Cheng had already walked to the stables and looked carefully at the horse's teeth, studying them very deeply. Gu Ai
…
The last trace of sunset also fell on the horizon.
Lights were also lit in Jinxian Temple, and the sound of silk and bamboo could be heard faintly.
The Chu family from Luozhou, the Su family from Mengzhou played the harp, and the Lu family from Shouzhou wore small-sleeved dance clothes and danced a soft dance.
Chen Cheng hurriedly left the gate, shaking his head as he walked: "Concubines, concubines, princes and grandsons, resigned from the downstairs hall, came to Qin in a chariot, sang in the morning and played in the night, and became a member of the Qin Palace..."
It is said that Jinxian Temple is the Bronze Sparrow Tower. Could it be the Epang Palace in the future?
However, it is still much less ambitious than the first emperor. "Every time the Qin Dynasty defeated a prince, he wrote about his palace and placed it on the north slope of Xianyang... The beauties from the princes and bells and drums were obtained to fill it."
Every time Qin Shihuang conquered a country, he imitated its palace in Xianyang, and all the concubines, concubines, royal ladies and ladies of the six kingdoms moved into the palace. Every woman was "extremely beautiful, unobtrusive, far-sighted, and happy". As a result,
There are so many people that "there are those who have not been seen for thirty-six years."
What a conquering spirit!
After returning to Wangwu County, Chen Cheng met the Wuwei Army who was passing by and camping here, and invited the military envoy Lu Huaizhong to have a drink with him.
"I came late and didn't win a single battle." Lu Huaizhong raised his head and downed a glass of wine and said with a wry smile.
Yes, he is very trusted by Shao Shude. But because of his trust, the task of staying in the old nest often falls on him and Wuwei Jun. What should be done?
But this cannot be said yet. If other troops want to stay behind, they have no chance. Generally speaking, the Heyuan Army and the Shunyi Army staying in Hezhong have a very small chance, because the King of Xia is not worried.
What happened, alas!
"General Lu, why should we sigh?" Chen Cheng said with a smile: "We have been fighting for more than ten days now, and many of the ministries have suffered battle losses. The Wuwei Army is a fresh force, and there is still a chance."
This is basically the current plan.
Those on the front line who are crippled will retreat directly to Jinjiang for replenishment; those with greater casualties will retreat to Heyang for replenishment and serve as reserve forces; those with minor losses will continue to fight on the front line.
As the first unit to withdraw from the war, the Tiande Army has already embarked on its return journey.
The Chishui Army will continue to hold on to the front line for a while, and it is impossible for the Tianxiong Army, the German Returned Army, and the Dingyuan Army to withdraw.
"Will the king send people south?" Lu Huaizhong was a little doubtful and said: "Heyang is empty. Except for the Fan soldiers from Guanbei and the soldiers from prefectures and counties, all available soldiers have been sent out. Even the Tutuan countrymen have mobilized tens of thousands.
"
Chen Cheng was stunned for a moment. Unexpectedly, Lu Huaizhong saw through his words of comfort.
"Don't lie to me." Lu Huaizhong smiled and said: "Tell me the truth, are you worried that Wei Bo will send troops? There are too many pots and pans in Heyang, so I don't dare to gamble."
It is nonsense to say that Wei Bo will not go abroad to fight.
During the chaos in Chao, Wei Bo's military commander Han Jian took Heyang to the west, attacked Yan and Yun to the east, and actively expanded externally, which shows that Wei Bo's military officers are willing to go out to fight in the town. Not to mention, in the early years, Wei Bo Town had many times
Send troops to help the court quell the rebellion.
"The commander-in-chief intends to bring back some of his troops and re-adjust the deployment." Chen Cheng said.
"Where to mobilize the troops?"
"Flying Dragon Army."
"Qibi Zhang?" Lu Huaizhong smiled: "After being out for so long, they have already gone wild. If they don't come back to straighten things out, will they listen to Qibi Zhang or King Xia in the future?"
Tuoba Renfu and Li Renyu never came back, which made Shao Shude worried about Qi Bizhang. Recently, he had revealed to Chen Cheng the idea of bringing Qi Bizhang back, but there would still be an army left in the east.
, he preferred his son-in-law Liang Hanyong. He asked Liang Hanyong to take Qibizhang's place, lead the cavalry and mounted infantry eastward, break into Puzhou, and continue to harass Quanzhong's rear.
"So, the people making trouble in the hinterland of Bianzhou are not going well?" Lu Huaizhong poured another glass of "brandy", picked it up, smelled it, and said with a smile.
"The mission has been completed." Chen Cheng said: "Liang people's soldiers are pressing down on the border and squeezing them in all directions. There is no need to continue to fight with them. While the encirclement net is not completed yet, jump out first and run eastward with Xue Li's tribe. As for
Qi Bizhang, please find a way to return by a detour. Your Majesty wants them to go south to the Huai River, take a tour of Yang Xingmi's territory, and then enter Shouzhou..."
"This method is not bad." Lu Huaizhong said: "When the Feilong Army comes back, why do I feel that it is not just for rectification, but also useful?"
Chen Cheng hesitated for a moment.
What I just talked about with Shao Shude this afternoon has not been revealed yet. It is just a strategic idea. There is still a lot of work to be done before it is perfected.
"That's all, it goes without saying." Lu Huaizhong drank the wine in the glass and said, "I can guess that the next step is to target the 30,000 Liangjun in Ruzhou."