A few days later, the heavy snow stopped, and the temperature dropped to the point where dripping water turned into ice.
Such weather is a great opportunity for the Chu army to take advantage of the water dragon cannon.
Yan Liang then passed down the decree and ordered all the troops to go out. He set up two thousand water dragon cannons at the four gates of Ye City and launched a flood attack on Ye City day and night.
As a result, countless white streams of water roared into Yecheng from all directions, mercilessly hitting the defenders at the top of the city.
Even though the Han army was well prepared for this and had plenty of things to protect themselves from water and cold, but under this intensive attack, many Han soldiers were still frozen to death and suffered frostbite.
After two days of attack, the entire city was covered with ice, and the ground was slippery and difficult to walk on. If you were not careful, you might fall down the inclined ladder and be seriously injured.
After the first line of the city wall was frozen, the Chu army adjusted the range of the water dragon cannon and targeted the city.
In the next few days, two thousand water cannons took turns bombarding the houses along the city wall, freezing all the houses more than thirty steps away from the city wall into igloos.
Although Zhuge Liang had made preparations before and ordered the relocation of soldiers and civilians within ten steps of the city, he did not expect that the water dragon cannons used by the Chu army this time were very different from those used in Liyang, but had been improved.
The range of subsequent water dragon cannons was at least twenty steps longer.
Because of this, due to lack of preparation, many civilians were injured by the icy water. For a time, there was a loud howling in the city, and the sound of ghosts continued day and night.
At this time, Yecheng, like Liyang City, is running towards the goal of the Ice and Snow Ghost City.
Yan Liang was not in a hurry, he just drank wine by the fire and watched Zhuge Liang's suffering with a smile.
A few days later, the three concubines Zhen Mi, Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao also arrived at the frontline camp, and Yan Liang's life became even more cheerful.
During the day, besides handling military affairs and inspecting the siege situation, Yan Liang had fun with several beauties.
After nightfall, the cold wind blew outside, but inside the imperial tent, after Yan Liang had vented his feelings, he could hug three human stoves and fall asleep as comfortably as the spring breeze.
Yan Liang was comfortable outside, but Zhuge Liang and his Han people in the city were in misery.
The food in the city can still last for four or five months. What Zhuge Liang is worried about now is not the problem of food and grass, but the problem of heating.
Firewood is necessary for heating, and firewood is much larger than grain and grass. Naturally, it cannot be stocked for four or five months like grain and grass.
Before the siege of the city, the firewood stored by each household in the city was only enough for half a month at most. Most of the firewood used in daily life was obtained from farmers outside the city who came into the city and sold it.
Now that Yecheng is under siege, the supply of firewood has been cut off. Both the army and the civilians in the city can only use the stored firewood.
After the temperature dropped sharply, when all the firewood they had stored was used up, they could only dismantle tables and other utensils. When the table and furniture were also dismantled, they could only dismantle windows and doors, except for the beams.
Everything that could be burned was taken down and stuffed into the stove.
After the doors and windows were removed, they could only be replaced with curtains, but how could they block the pervasive invasion of the cold wind.
After the siege entered the deep winter, people in Yecheng finally froze to death.
Zhuge Liang's only good thing was that after winter, the trenches dug by the Chu army were blocked by ice and became useless decorations. It seemed that the connection between Yecheng and the outside world could be restored again.
But what makes Zhuge Liang feel depressed is that Yan Liang calmly and calmly built a nearly two-foot-high earth wall outside the ditch in the few months before the river froze, connecting the surrounding blockhouses.
They stood up and formed a second tight perimeter.
The Han army could easily cross the frozen ditch, but it was difficult for them to cross the second earth wall.
As a result, the connection between Yecheng and the outside world was still not smooth, and Zhuge Liang still didn't know what Liu Bei in Handan had to do with his report.
However, the constant phenomenon of freezing to death in the city has caused people to complain and morale to be low.
The common people were able to endure the cold, but the soldiers couldn't stand the cold and began to make a fuss.
For several days in a row, soldiers from each camp were reported to be fighting each other for the limited firewood, and some even killed people.
Before the Chu army attacked the city, the Han army showed signs of civil strife, which naturally made Zhuge Liang anxious.
It’s called Prime Minister’s Mansion.
Zhuge Liang was pacing in the hall. It was freezing cold. He was still waving his feather fan, but his brows were furrowed, looking worried.
There was a sound of footsteps, and the servant came to report that Cao Ren was out seeking an audience.
Cao Ren's coming here will definitely mean nothing good.
Zhuge Liang frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment, and then ordered Cao Ren to be recruited.
He then sat on the main seat, gently swaying his feather fan, and regained his calm and calm demeanor.
A moment later, Cao Ren hurried in, his face full of anxiety.
After seeing the ceremony, Cao Ren said in a deep voice: "Prime Minister, in recent days there have been frequent armed fights in the army due to competition for firewood. There have been nearly a hundred dead and countless injured. If this continues, I am afraid that the morale of the army will collapse early. Please help me."
It’s up to the Prime Minister to come up with an idea.”
Cao Ren had a good way of leading troops to fight, but when faced with such non-military problems, he was powerless.
"Hasn't the firewood rationing system been implemented in the army? Why are there still people fighting for it?" Zhuge Liang asked rhetorically.
Cao Ren sighed and reluctantly told the truth.
In the Han army, except for the soldiers on duty at the top of the city, they are also provided with firewood during the day. The rest of the soldiers who are not on duty are only given firewood at night to let them spend the night.
This means that during the day, most of the soldiers can only endure the torture without fire.
It was also dark. At night, the meager amount of firewood would not burn vigorously. It would burn out before dawn.
As a result, the soldiers would naturally wake up from the cold, and they could only endure the cold until dawn, waiting for the sun to come out and give them some warmth.
Such painful torture lasted only a day or two, but as time went on, some soldiers could no longer bear it. When their tempers broke out, they openly robbed others of their firewood.
If this is the case, it will naturally be difficult for a fight to occur and a fight to the death over a bundle of firewood.
At the beginning, although Cao Ren issued strict orders, any soldiers who dared to compete for other people's firewood or cause trouble would be severely punished, and they would even be beheaded in public.
But how could the threat of military law overwhelm people's instinct to survive? So after a brief period of calm, the soldiers who couldn't bear the cold and didn't want to freeze to death in the night began to fight for firewood again.
.
This kind of competition for firewood soon spread from one military camp to another, from ten people to hundreds, and even thousands of people.
When the situation reached such an extent, Cao Ren naturally could no longer suppress it by beheading people in public, otherwise it might lead to a mutiny.
In desperation, Cao Ren had no choice but to seek help from the wisest man in Ye City, their Han Prime Minister Zhuge Liang.
After hearing Cao Ren's complaint, Zhuge Liang sighed: "If the emperor had listened to my advice and ordered to hoard more firewood like he hoards grain and grass, we would not be in the predicament we are in today."
Zhuge Liang put all the responsibility for the lack of firewood on Liu Bei's disobedience.
Cao Ren didn't know if Zhuge Liang had ever made such suggestions to Liu Bei. After Zhuge Liang said this, he felt some complaints towards Liu Bei in his heart.
"The matter has come to this, and there is no point in regretting it. Prime Minister, you should think about how to solve the problem at hand." Cao Ren urged anxiously.
"Let me think about it, let me think about it."
Zhuge Liang stood up, shook his feather fan lightly, and walked back and forth.
Cao Ren's face was full of anxiety, looking back and forth at Zhuge Liang, walking back and forth in front of him.
After a while, a coldness flashed across Zhuge Liang's face, and when he turned around, that cold expression had turned into a kind of helplessness.
"At this point, there is no other way. General Cao, order your soldiers to demolish the houses of civilians and use the wood as firewood."
Cao Ren looked shocked and said in a serious voice: "Prime Minister, if we do this, I'm afraid more civilians will freeze to death."
The people have now gone to the fields to tear down doors and windows and light fires to keep warm. Just like this, many people freeze to death every day.
If we demolish all the beams of their houses now, it will be equivalent to destroying their last dependence on covering the sky and snow. In this way, the people who are exposed to the cold wind and already short of firewood will accelerate their destruction.
freeze to death.
Zhuge Liang's move was to sacrifice the people to save the army.
"I am a great man who governs the country with benevolence and righteousness. How can I bear to harm the people? But at this time, if I don't protect the army first, if the Chu thieves attack Ye City, the people in the city may not be able to escape the butcher's knife.
By doing this, you are actually saving them."
Zhuge Liang was helpless and found a righteous reason for himself to "save the people".
Cao Ren gradually fell into silence, seemingly acquiescing to Zhuge Liang's reasons.
"For the sake of the overall situation and to save more people, we have to sacrifice a few people now. It's time to go ahead. Zixiao, don't hesitate any longer." Zhuge Liang said seriously.
Cao Ren was slightly shaken and paused for a moment. He cupped his hands and said, "I understand what Prime Minister Zhuge means. I will do it right now."
With a bow, Cao Ren left in a hurry.
After watching Cao Ren leave, Zhuge Liang secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
At this moment, a voice came from behind: "Liang'er, how could you do this? Those are all innocent creatures."
Zhuge Liang was shocked and turned around suddenly, only to see his stepmother, Mrs. Song, walking in at some point.
Listening to her words and looking at her expression, it was obvious that she accidentally overheard the conversation between Zhuge Liang and Cao Ren just now.
The Song family eats fasts and chants Buddha's name, and has a kind heart. When Zhuge Liang heard that Zhuge Liang wanted to sacrifice the lives of the people to protect the army, of course he couldn't stand it.
Zhuge Liang frowned, rolled his eyes, and thought of ways to deal with his stepmother.
Zhuge Liang straightened up immediately and said seriously: "What my mother said is wrong. I don't want to sacrifice those people. I want to fulfill those people and help them become Buddhas as soon as possible."
After hearing this, Mrs. Song was confused. (To be continued.
