Chapter 145 Ice City
Shen Yuexi wrapped herself in a cloak, stamped her feet on the spot, and tried to persuade the dark crowd in front of her with kind words.
"My fellow villagers, it's so late and so cold outside. You should all go back and prepare to evacuate."
After discussing with Qiu Liming, she felt that there was no chance of winning, so she asked Qiu Liming to lead the soldiers to notify the villagers of Xiaogang Village, telling them that the enemy had prepared siege weapons, and asked the villagers to flee to Baixiu Mountain overnight.
She also packed up and prepared to go down the mountain.
The night was extremely cold, and the Western Rong did not play any tricks, as if they were waiting for daybreak to attack.
It was impossible for him to defeat the enemy with fewer troops like Xiao Zhuo. The enemy had suffered losses at Xiao Zhuo's hands before, so they were prepared in every way this time.
Once the battle began, soldiers would take cover behind the arrow-proof carts pushed forward. From the city walls, it looked like a two-story-high pile of wooden planks covered in iron sheets were bearing down on them, impenetrable to crossbows. Once the enemy reached the walls, they would climb up the ladders and engage in a fierce fight.
It was impossible to hold the city against an enemy force of 20,000 with less than 2,000 soldiers. Furthermore, her universal fabricator had not yet fully charged.
If Xiao Zhuo were here, with his battle experience, he would surely be able to come up with a clever tactic. But for her, who had always relied on the power of technology, even thinking about it made her head hurt, and she hadn't come up with any good ideas. The best thing to do was to run away.
As soon as she left the tent, she saw dense flames on the road below the mountain rushing towards her.
Qiu Liming's attempt to persuade the villagers to leave seemed to have the opposite effect.
Even the village headman came running in the freezing cold, and everyone arrived at the camp on the mountain, clamoring to see the Crown Princess. The villagers firmly believed that under the protection of the gods, even the enemy with siege weapons could not breach the city walls.
"Princess, we in Xiaogang Village have the protection of the gods. We will definitely repel the enemy," the village head said, speaking for everyone. "You must also trust in the gods' instructions and never again talk of retreat."
Shen Yuexi really wanted to tell everyone that the god was actually her.
The problem is that if she tells it, she needs to provide proof to convince others. But Big Bear hasn't started yet.
"The enemy has prepared siege weapons, and our city walls can't stop them." She had no choice but to persuade him, "Perhaps the gods want us to evacuate."
"Impossible! The gods are prophetic. If they knew we would evacuate, why would they build the city wall?" The village head shook his head. "Besides, if the gods want to tell us something, they usually possess someone and tell us."
Shen Yuexi didn't know whether to laugh or cry when she heard this.
Before her were all the villagers who firmly believed in the gods' blessing. It seemed that if she wanted to convince the villagers of the gods' will, she had to perform a show herself.
Shen Yuexi was a little embarrassed.
The idea of spirits possessing people has only been seen in history books. The possessed people have disheveled hair and gesticulate, and are almost indistinguishable from mental patients.
She didn't want to do that. She wasn't good at singing or dancing to begin with, and now if she had to pretend to be possessed by a spirit, she wouldn't know how to dance. She couldn't bear the thought of looking like a fool in front of so many villagers.
But if, for the sake of his own reputation, he did not evacuate the villagers in time, and the Xirong army breached the city wall during the day, these thousands of people would die.
In order to save everyone, I don’t care about face or anything else.
As the saying goes, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. She pretended to be possessed by a spirit and asked everyone to evacuate, saving thousands of lives, which is like building a ten-thousand-story pagoda.
Thinking of this, Shen Yuexi made up her mind, looked around, and saw a high platform built on a slope.
She had to stand on a high place so that the villagers could see her clearly.
"Village head, please wait a moment." Shen Yuexi said and walked towards the platform.
Just as she stepped onto the slope of the platform, her foot slipped, Shen Yuexi screamed, and fell face down on the ground.
Damn, it was like a double whammy. Countless golden stars flew in front of my eyes.
"Hurry, hurry and help the Crown Princess up!" the village head anxiously ordered the women in the crowd. "Alas, young people are so careless when they walk. They don't even watch their step."
Several women rushed forward and helped Shen Yuexi up.
"Is it okay?" asked one.
"I think I hit the back of my head, but there's no bleeding." The other one replied.
Shen Yuexi sucked in a breath of cold air, covered the back of her head with her hands, and looked down at the slope.
Some blind soldier had been pouring water on the slope, and it had frozen in the cold night, and she hadn't noticed. The fall had made her head buzz, and it hurt like hell.
The village head ordered, "You guys, quickly help the Crown Princess to her tent to rest. We'll see if we can raise the city wall another level tonight."
Shen Yuexi raised her hand and said, "No need, I've figured out a way!"
At this time, Qiu Liming also came up the mountain and came closer. Shen Yuexi said to him with a happy face: "General Qiu, quickly gather all the people you can, I have a plan to defend the city."
Qiu Liming looked at Shen Yuexi in disbelief: "Does the mistress really have a solution?"
He originally wanted to take Shen Yuexi to visit Xiushan, but Shen Yuexi changed his mind and said that he could defend the city?
Shen Yuexi asked the women to move aside and said to Qiu Liming:
"General Qiu, this must be done immediately. Since everyone is here, please listen to my instructions."
As she instructed, one thousand villagers dug earth from the hillside, while five hundred carried it outside the city walls. Soldiers then descended in the darkness and piled the earth into a large slope. The slope grew higher as they approached the wall. All this had to be done quietly, without torches, to avoid alerting the opposing Xirong army.
The villagers all started working as instructed. Qiu Liming felt that Shen Yuexi had fallen and looked stupid.
Originally complaining that the city wall was not high enough, Shen Yuexi actually asked everyone to pile up soil under the wall. Was she going to let the Xirong people climb up the city directly?
After Shen Yuexi explained this strategy to him, Qiu Liming slapped his thigh and gave a thumbs-up: "Madam, your plan is so clever. Even the Lord has never used such a clever plan."
Shen Yuexi smiled and said, "Don't rush to praise me. This matter requires the right time, right place, and right people. It must be completed as soon as possible."
Qiu Liming said, "Don't worry. I've ordered the soldiers to dig out a water source in the mountains. They are currently transporting water to the foot of the city wall, using torches to heat the water so it doesn't freeze."
There had always been a water source on the mountain above Langya Pass. Before Xiaogang Village dug a well, villagers drew their water from here. Under Shen Yuexi's instructions, the villagers and soldiers moved overnight, preparing for defense according to her plan.
The watchtower of the Xirong army noticed the opposite side's actions and reported it to Sumonai and Xiumuye who were drinking in the tent in time.
"There are torches all over the hill opposite. It seems like they are transporting something."
Sumonai put down his wine bowl and asked Xiumuye, "What are they up to?"
"Don't worry, General," Xiu Muye said, raising his wine bowl to urge him to drink. "It's so cold, drink more wine to warm yourself up. We'll attack them at daybreak. No matter how hard they try, they won't be able to create an army."
"But I'm a little worried..."
"Haha, it's nothing more than preparing some rolling logs and rocks to defend the city. Xiao Zhuo has already used these tricks." Xiu Muye put down the bowl and cut the barbecue with a knife. "Xiao Zhuo is not here now, how much trouble can they make?"
Xiu Muye's ideas were always reliable, so Su Monai felt relieved and asked, "Have the ladders for the arrow defense vehicles been installed?"
"Don't worry, General. It's all installed long ago. With the iron sheet protection, even if the enemy attacks with rockets, there's no way the car will catch fire."
Xiu Muye chewed the meat in his mouth and stabbed the knife on the table. "It's just that, with the ladders and iron sheets, the arrow-proof cart is much heavier and slower to push."
The next morning, the cold wind was still raging, and Sumonai was still sleeping soundly when he was awakened by the Xirong soldiers.
When he and the Xirong generals left the camp and saw the city wall opposite, they were all stunned.
The city opposite was turned into a city covered in ice overnight, and under the city wall was a slope shining with white light.
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