The struggle of the reborn prince

Chapter 180 Two Soldiers Approaching the City

In order to preserve their strength, Xia Jun is going to implement the strategy of "coordinate internally and externally, blossom in the center, and stabilize the river in the first battle". , Struggle to fill your stomach.

After Zhao Tang decided on the strategy of "braking with static", he just kept adjusting the fortifications, digging ditches and repairing villages, strengthening the defense force, and mobilizing food and grass. One after another, like hills, as if preparing to spend the winter here.With the improvement of defensive measures, Xia Jun, who is good at riding and charging, has become a woman with small feet, and the scope of activities is getting smaller and smaller day by day.

Song armies from all walks of life are now gathered in Zhuolunchuan. Together with the fan archers who cooperated in the battle, the total number of troops has reached 5. It is the first time since the start of the war that the number of troops has surpassed that of Xia's army. His mind became active again, and while he was training soldiers, he began to harass Xia Jun.

Zhao Tong ordered the main force of the army to stick to the camp and block all the crossings out of the river. Even the small roads that only allow single riders were sent to patrol regularly; Order an assault force to stand by and wait for the opportunity to come out when Xia Jun is tired, which often makes Xia Jun scrambled. When they are ready to counterattack, the Song Army, who has made a fortune, retreats back to the camp and does not fight them recklessly.After a few days, Xia Jun was full of rumors, and the trees and trees were all soldiers, and he could no longer find food with peace of mind. Who knows which attack of the Song Army was real?We can only stand on guard every day and strictly guard against death!

Soldiers came and went on the battlefield, making a lot of noise, but Xin Zhao found that the prince who was hiding in Liangu City for the summer was not happy, and often sat in the yard in a daze, and sat for a long time until the sun was setting and the stars were full. Genius sadly went back to the house to sleep, but often tossed and turned all night, which made him worry all the time, wondering if the prince had something on his mind?

. . . . . .

'Mau Us' is a Mongolian word, which means a place where no grass grows. However, Xiazhou City was built on the southern edge of the Mu Us Gobi, on the north bank of the Hongliu River in the upper reaches of the Wuding River. In ancient times, this area was rich in water and grass and pleasant in scenery. It is not only a good pasture, but also a lot of fertile land.However, with the increase of population, excessive development, coupled with climate change and war, the vegetation on the ground was completely lost, and sand was formed on the spot. Sand accumulation began in the Tang Dynasty, and the situation became more serious in the Song Dynasty.

At the beginning of the Song Dynasty, Xiazhou City was already deep in the desert, and the earthquake damage caused the city to be dilapidated. After Li Jiqian rebelled, he used it as the capital, but then moved to Lingzhou, and then moved to Xingzhou. In addition to political factors, Xiazhou’s natural conditions were harsh. , environmental changes are also important factors.With the relocation of the capital, Xiazhou's political status continued to decline, and it became an ordinary state and county in Xixia.

Xiazhou has always been the main traffic route from Guanzhong to Mobei. Every summer, many businessmen pass by here. Banjing Station is the last station from Fengzhou to Xiazhou, so a large number of business travelers gather.It is said that "when the wind is high and the fire is set, the moon is black and the night is killing people". It is the end of the month, the wind is high and there is no moon. Long knives surrounded them.The caravan traveled outside all the year round, and it was common to encounter thieves. There were many brave people among these people, but now they all lost the courage to resist, and squatted there dejectedly.

"I don't want to embarrass everyone. As long as you don't resist, we guarantee the safety of your life and property. But if you resist and make some small moves in private, those people will end!" The knife slashed twice and said ferociously, the murderous aura soaring into the sky made everyone shudder, squinting to see more than a dozen steaming corpses lying beside them with their heads lowered into their crotches.

"Commander, the entire station has been controlled, and no one slipped through the net!" A person ran to the speaker and whispered.

"Okay, Zhou Dutou, you immediately inform the governor that the Banjing station has been controlled by our department and you can enter!" Wang Heng nodded and said.

"Commander, what should we do with these people? Is it according to the usual practice..." Zhou Li ordered one of his men to deliver the letter. He glanced at the hundreds of people squatting on the ground, and said with a gesture of wiping their necks.

"No need, let's do less killing. These people are merchants. Find a yard and lock them up. As long as they don't run away, don't embarrass them!" Wang Heng shook his head and said.

"Ah?!" Zhou Li groaned as if he didn't understand, looked at the commander's face again, and confirmed that he had no other intentions before ordering people to drive them to a courtyard and set up a sentry.

"Du Tou, does the Commander want us to deal with them here?" After closing the door, a man came up to Zhou Li and asked. He knew from the armband that he was the captain.

"Nonsense, watch them carefully, one of them ran away and put your head on top!" Zhou Li said with a glare, but he also murmured in his heart, asking how did the killer change his mind today and become a Bodhisattva.In fact, it is no wonder that the subordinates thought too much. After the desert camp was divided, they entered the desert and served as the forward. In addition to normal duties, they also had to perform tasks such as exploring roads and finding campsites.

Along the way, in order to keep secret, they could not take the traditional "green corridor", but kept walking in the depths of the desert, avoiding the crowds they might encounter, but it was inevitable that they would encounter patrolling soldiers of the Xia army, lost caravans, The troops also had to replenish drinking water and find forage for the horses and camels, so the people who met them had only one end, and that was death.This is how they came here. Facing the unarmed, old, weak, women and children, and begging businessmen, they have never seen their commander soften their hearts, but today they said such a thing!

The large group of people and horses quickly entered the Banjing Station, the livestock were scattered in the surrounding woods, and people entered the station, so the streets of the town were full of dusty soldiers, and the people and merchants in the town wanted to go out to see what was going on, but they were all ordered to stay in a daze Do not go out a step at home.All the police sentinels sent by the scout battalion were replaced with Xia Jun's clothes, and those who entered the security area were carefully inspected, and they were not allowed to leave if there was no problem.

"The governor, wash your face!" Wang Heng let Zhao Ren into a private courtyard, and said with his own hand to fetch a basin of water.

"Wait, is the water here enough for the entire army?" Zhao Ren retracted his outstretched hand and stood up and asked.

"Don't worry, there is a river here, not only enough for people to drink, but also for horses and camels!" Wang Heng said with a smile. It has been half a month, and the army has made strict regulations on water use as soon as it entered the desert. Restriction, the drinking water provided from top to bottom is treated equally, including of course the supreme leader Zhao Ren, the water provided is not enough to drink, let alone wash his face.

"Hehe, I was sick when I sat down. When I looked at the water in the washbasin, my first thought was not to wash my face, but to drink the water!" Zhao Ren licked his lips and smiled embarrassedly.

"I've already ordered people to make tea and prepare meals, and I'm in charge to enjoy them today. You've worked so hard for these days!" Wang Heng's heart warmed up. Everyone usually stayed overnight during these days. Ancient fortresses, abandoned castle checkpoints, and even barren sandy ridges, you face boundless yellow sand, long journeys, and unbearable hunger and thirst every day.In order to carry more ammunition, their supplies are all compressed dry food invented by the prince. Wang Heng has tasted that taste as early as in the capital, and the water he can find is often bitter salty water, which is also limited. , Not everyone can drink it every time, often the people in front drink it, and the people behind can only wait until the next drinking point.

"Wang Heng, you have learned to be polite now. I think we all ate in the same pot when we were training in Beifu. We are all brothers. What are you polite? Later, Zhao Yong and Zhao Zhong will be brought here. Let's eat together, everyone is so hungry, the thing invented by the prince is not bad, but eating it often is really unbearable!" Zhao Ren shook his head and said with a wry smile.

"Hehe, when I think about it, it feels like yesterday. I trained with the prince every day, and if I failed, I would be punished. I felt very bitter at that time, but now looking back, it was the happiest time we spent... I don’t know the prince. What's going on now, he only has half of the troops in his hand, but he has to face Brother Cha's army of [-], I'm really worried!" Wang Heng looked at Zhao Ren and said.

"Don't worry, the lord is very special, nothing will happen. I have sent someone out to contact, and I will know the news from the lord soon!" Zhao Ren patted Wang Heng on the shoulder and comforted him. Wanting to be the same as Wang Heng, as the prince's deputy, he understands that dealing with Cha Ge's army is more dangerous than crossing thousands of miles of desert, and if he is a little careless, he will be doomed. . .

Banjing Station is only forty miles away from Xiazhou City, and Qiliping is only twenty miles away. The vast sea of ​​sand, here is still a paradise, the rolling Wuding River nourishes this land, the old canals of the Han and Tang Dynasties are still there, and the rice fields are criss-crossed, but since the day Taizong decided to destroy the city and emigrate, 20 people moved south, and here Lost the prosperity of the past, declared its downfall.

In the evening, Zhao Ren finally came to the city of Xiazhou and saw this majestic white city. It had existed as the capital for 25 years, and it had been 500 years since it was destroyed. The sun's rays dyed the dark gray sky red, thousands of miles of yellow sand cast off the blood-colored face of the setting sun, and the raging wind unscrupulously walked through the ruined walls of Baichengzi, just like the Huns who slaughtered Chang'an in those days. Their long smiles shocked the Mu Us Shahai in front of them, but their arrival will turn this place into a battlefield of blood and fire again, and the army of the Great Song Empire will once again set foot on the towering city!