Your majesty is awesome

Chapter 703: An unexpected snowstorm and an unexpected siege
"What time is it..."

Gao Zhang suddenly opened his eyes and saw that the iron stove in the camp was still glowing with fire. He could even see the white steam coming from the kettle above through the fire.

"Sir, there are still almost two quarters of an hour before the turn of the year. Please sleep a little longer. I will wake you up when the time comes."

"No need, get me some water, just in time to wash my face."

"See if the snow has stopped outside."

Gao Zhang opened the cotton coat covering his body and sat up. The ground was covered with straw and leather mattresses, which could best ensure that he would not freeze at night.

Moreover, for every ten to twenty people in a tent, there will be a steaming iron stove inside the tent that distributes heat wantonly, ensuring that the temperature in the space is at least as high as possible so that people can sleep peacefully.

As for the material of the tent, it is also made of felt made of beaten wool.I have to say that the Liao State is really a good person. They have been doing wool trade with the Liao State in recent years.

As a result, the Song Dynasty obtained a large amount of wool to make various textiles. Naturally, good things like felt boots, also called Hu boots, to keep out the cold were indispensable.

Of course, felt tents are also indispensable, which are excellent tents used in winter.

However, the duck down sleeping bag took too long to prepare, and the preparation of duck down was quite troublesome. In the end, Gao Zhang had no choice but to give up his dream of having one duck down sleeping bag for every soldier.

Even so, after the above cold-proof equipment is equipped with an iron stove, the soldiers can still eat warmly while talking and laughing calmly on such a cold winter night.

At least from the first day until now, except for some soldiers who suffered from frostbite due to damaged cold-proof supplies.

So far, no soldier has died on the way to the Northern Expedition because of such cold.

After all, cotton coats, snow caps, cotton gloves, and cotton masks to keep out the cold made the soldiers of the Song Dynasty able to withstand the severe cold and reached the top level of this era.

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A bowl of mutton soup, paired with the fried noodles, both Gao Zhang and Han Shizhong on the side ate it extremely sweet.

"Commander Gao, you are so awesome. I didn't expect that you could find a new way to make military rations in this way."

“Since it is military food, the first requirement is that it should be portable, easy to eat, and have sufficient nutrition.

Only in this way can the soldiers have enough courage to withstand the wind and snow march in such a cold winter. "

Gao Zhang drank the mutton soup, swallowed the fried noodles in his mouth, and then spoke.

Holding the bowl of mutton soup, Gao Zhang stood outside the tent and looked at the heavy snowflakes falling from the sky.

Looking at the soft snow that was more than half a foot thick on the ground, coupled with the cold wind that was still howling, I couldn't help but look a little gloomy.

"How long has it been snowing?"

"Commander Gao, Gu Yuhou, who was on night duty just now, said that it only lasted for more than an hour."

Han Shizhong stood beside Gao Zhang, stomped his feet vigorously, and looked worried after taking a look at the sky.

"If we encounter such heavy snow in the depth of winter, I'm afraid it will be difficult to march today..."

Gao Zhang raised his head to drain the last mouthful of soup in the bowl and smashed his mouth.

"The original plan was to go straight to Xingqing Mansion today, but it seems that the plan has to be changed now."

Two quarters of an hour later, Zhong Shidao, Liu Zhongwu and other generals all gathered at Gao Zhang.

Look at the map spread out in the tent.

"Everyone, the soldiers who have been braving the severe cold for many days and arduously marching forward are very exhausted physically and mentally."

"Originally our plan was to pass between Jingzhou and Huaizhou and go straight to Xingqing Prefecture today." "But today's snowstorm will make our march to Xingqing Prefecture extremely difficult.

I'm afraid that the army, whose physical strength and willpower are about to reach their limits, may be reduced before they even see Xingqing Mansion. "

"So, I decided to change the plan. Today we will not go to Xingqing Mansion, but here..."

Gao Zhang pointed his big hand and landed on Huaizhou City on the map.

"We can take advantage of the wind and snow to surround Huaizhou and gain time to rest in the town."

"Wait until the snow stops, and then go straight to Xingqing Mansion. What do you think?"

Master Zhong stroked his long beard and nodded.

"Commander Gao's words make sense. We are still more than 60 miles away from Xingqing Mansion, and we are only more than [-] miles away from Huaizhou.

By capturing this place, the entire army would have a chance to rest and recuperate, and attack the Western Xia capital with full energy. "

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Jing Xun, the governor of Huaizhou in Xixia, was stumbling and running in the alley, protected by a group of personal guards.

But behind, the sounds of fighting and pursuit from the Song people were getting closer and closer.

Wang Xun even saw a few sharp arrows, with screams, passing over his head and ears.

The flying snow in the sky flew down from the dark clouds, and groups of Song Dynasty cavalry galloped into the completely defenseless Huaizhou City.

Zhong Shidao also took big steps with disbelief on his face, walked up to the city wall, and looked into the city. At this moment, groups of cavalry were spreading out along the streets, searching for those Xixia soldiers who dared to resist.

Outside the city, there are still two thousand cavalry divided into several teams, lying outside the city gates. Once the Xixia people escape, they will be blocked back directly. They will never be left to escape Huaizhou and go to Xingqing Mansion to report the news. Opportunity.

And at that time, Jingxun, the governor of Huaizhou in Western Xia, was finally driven out by several Song army cavalry and became a prisoner of war. His guards were all killed by the sword and fell to death on the snow.

Gao Zhang, who was struggling on his way, also received the good news from the master.

Until now, apart from laughing out loud, Gao Zhang is my destiny, and I really can't think of any adjectives that are more suitable for the present.

In Huaizhou City of Western Xia, in such windy and snowy weather, a team that went out to cut down trees for fuel was intercepted by most of the Zhongshi Road.

I found out that they were actually from Huaizhou and were about to transport firewood back to Huaizhou.

Moreover, because Huaizhou sent troops and horses south to assist the Xishou Baotai Military Division, there are now less than [-] garrison troops in the city.

Zhong Shidao, an old driver, decided to try without hesitation to see if he could completely take down Huaizhou City without using the flying thunder cannon.

As a result, Zhong Shidao played a cunning maneuver and replaced all the teams that went out of the city to cut firewood with his own people, leaving only a few Han woodcutters who were willing to cooperate.

He also hid the soldiers in the firewood trains on the more than ten vehicles, and put firewood on top to cover them.

In this way, almost fifty Song Dynasty Wu Ben entered Huaizhou City with ease.

The next step was simple. Fifty elites captured the south gate immediately.

Zhong Shidao immediately led the cavalry into Huaizhou City without even using a single thunder bomb.

This important city that guarded Xingqing Mansion, the capital of the Western Xia Dynasty, fell into the hands of the Song Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)