Chapter 98: Weapons of Defense
The autumn wind is bleak and the forest is dyed with colors.
The northwestern frontier gets colder earlier than the interior. It's only early September now, but Shen Yuexi can already feel the chilly wind.
She sat below Xiao Zhuo. The remaining seats in the tent had been cleared away, and all the generals had gathered together, each with a heavy expression.
The spy just brought back important news: the enemy's central army, a force of 10,000 people, is only three days away from Xiaogang Village.
Even if we exclude the 1,000 vanguards, the enemy still has 9,000 men. And 9,000 men is eighteen times the number of 500 men. With the enemy outnumbering us, we can be said to be overwhelming them.
She didn't know how to fight, so she just listened to the discussion and didn't interrupt.
Meng Yue clasped his hands together and said to Xiao Zhuo, "My lord, the Western Rong army will arrive in three days. We only have a little over 400 soldiers ready to fight. We are completely powerless to resist. They already know we have an ambush here and will definitely not be fooled again."
The enemy was no fool. The ambush at the pass could only be used once. However, there were no other strategic locations to defend. This meant that we had no choice but to confront the enemy head-on.
Qiu Liming also agreed: "I also think that the best option now is to temporarily retreat and avoid the enemy's army."
An army of nine thousand men is no match for one thousand. Even if each of their four hundred soldiers possessed divine power, they would not be able to withstand the fierce attack of the enemy.
Song Zhen waved his feather fan and pondered for a moment, then looked at Xiao Zhuo:
"My lord, everything General Meng and General Qiu have said is true. We are outnumbered by the Western Rong people. I hope you will leave this place as soon as possible and plan other plans."
Shen Yuexi frowned in dismay. Withdrawing now would be like letting the Xirong invaders in. Wouldn't that mean everything they'd done before would be in vain? But considering the enemy's numbers, perhaps everyone's suggestion was the only option.
Xiao Zhuo held the teacup in his hand, looking relaxed as he said calmly:
"No rush."
Meng Yue and Qiu Liming both looked at Xiao Zhuo in confusion.
Song Zhen didn't expect Xiao Zhuo to say that. He pressed on, "My lord, do you want to stay here?"
Although my lord is cunning in his military tactics and is adept at defeating larger forces with smaller ones, how can he still insist on staying in the face of an army of nearly 10,000?
Xiao Zhuo nodded slightly, his voice low:
"This place is originally the territory of Great Yan, and behind us are the people of Great Yan. If we leave, it will be tantamount to letting the Western Rong army rush in and massacre civilians. Have you ever considered the consequences?"
Everyone looked at each other.
He looked at them gravely and continued, "Have you noticed that quite a few people from nearby villages have come to Xiaogang Village to settle down? Have you ever thought about why they come here?"
Meng Yue said: "Of course it's because we repelled the Xirong army, and they feel that Xiaogang Village is safe."
Song Zhen lowered his head in thought. His lord's intentions were clear. The people of Xiaogang Village had contributed greatly to this victory. To abandon them now would seem unsympathetic and might even lose the people's support.
He was even more conflicted. If he didn't leave, how would he deal with the threat of the upcoming Western Rong army?
In the past, the worst that could happen was for the villagers to retreat to the border. There weren't that many of them anyway, but now the situation was different. The people of Xiaogang Village were attached to their homeland, lingering on, even in death. But this was a difficult situation.
Meng Yue and Qiu Liming also had the same idea as him.
As a general, Meng Yue was not unaware of the logic behind this. However, since his lord had decided to defend the city to the death, he stopped dwelling on it and asked, "Then, according to your lord, how should we defend it?"
He was only responsible for fighting, and his brain was not enough to think of other solutions, so he simply asked Xiao Zhuo for a solution.
Qiu Liming's thoughts were simple. He only obeyed his master's orders. As long as his master gave the order, he would be ready to go into battle at any time. He clasped his fists and said:
"My lord, please give me your orders. I will go through fire and water without hesitation."
Xiao Zhuo looked at everyone with admiration in his eyes. He took a sip of tea and said, "Last night, we discovered an iron mine at the pass. I've asked my wife and Yang Cong to find craftsmen to mine the iron ore and make bows, crossbows, and arrows. The pass is now blocked by rocks. If the enemy wants to pass, they will have to climb the mountain. Then, we can use our crossbows to shoot down and defeat ten of them with one."
All the generals in the tent, including the military advisor Song Zhen, were unaware that Xiao Zhuo had a cheat named Shen Yuexi.
As soon as Xiao Zhuo finished speaking, the three of them looked at Shen Yuexi.
Facing the three people's confused gazes, Shen Yuexi nodded confidently, "Yes, I have already instructed Yang Cong to invite a master to make bows and arrows at the pass."
Since Xiao Zhuo had decided to stay and protect the local people, she naturally had to help him. For her, who possessed a universal manufacturing machine, it was just a matter of one night.
Song Zhen waved his feather fan, suddenly realizing something, and said happily, "If that's the case, then we can use this strategic location to repel the Western Rong army?"
As long as there is a steady supply of bows and arrows, it is really possible to stop the Western Rong army.
Meng Yue held the sword at his waist. He did not feel as happy as Song Zhen. He still stared at the map with a frown. Xiao Zhuo was not in a hurry either. He waited for Meng Yue to speak.
"What's wrong? General Meng, do you still have any doubts?" Song Zhen saw Meng Yue's distressed expression and slowly walked to his side. He followed his gaze to the map and said, "Tell us all about it."
Song Zhen didn't know how to fight a war; he just assisted Xiao Zhuo and handled government affairs. Seeing Meng Yue's serious expression, he knew he had other concerns.
Meng Yue asked, "If we want to resist the enemy, assuming all five hundred soldiers are archers, each of them needs at least a hundred arrows. But can we make fifty thousand feather arrows in three days?"
The lord had already begun preparing for the aftermath of the battle before it was over, demonstrating his foresight. However, with only three days to spare, he had never seen anyone produce so many bows, crossbows, and arrowheads.
He didn't think that Shen Yuexi and Yang Cong could get the craftsmen to produce so many arrowheads at once.
Xiao Zhuo lowered his eyes, his tone unquestionable: "Don't worry about this matter, I have my own way."
This was the first time Meng Yue had heard Xiao Zhuo speak in this tone, and he was stunned. In the past, when they didn't understand something, the lord would always explain the specific countermeasures in detail. Why was the lord so vague and evasive this time?
Xiao Zhuo did not give Meng Yue too much time to think. The army was coming and they had to prepare immediately.
"General Meng, for the next three days, you will lead one hundred soldiers and patrol the north after leaving the pass. Keep an eye on the movements of the Western Rong. If any enemy spies come to investigate, they will be killed on the spot."
The voice was light, but it carried a murderous intent.
"I will obey your command." Meng Yue took the order and left.
Here, Shen Yuexi was already racking her brains. If they wanted to make bows and arrows, they had the wood and iron ore, but the feathers for the arrow tails were hard to come by. Only a few feathers from a chicken would meet the requirements. So, even if they plucked all the chickens and ducks in Xiaogang Village, they still wouldn't have enough.
What if we use crossbows instead of bows and arrows?
Crossbows don't need tail feathers; you can just point your head at the enemy and fire. You don't need to stand up and draw the bow, so even if the enemy uses a bow to shoot back, they will be at a great disadvantage.
Thinking of this, Shen Yuexi took out the "Story of Heavenly Craftsmanship" from her arms and turned to the chapter on the method of making bows and crossbows.
"...it holds ten arrows, each eight inches long, and is a repeating crossbow...it's a weapon for defending camps, not for marching."
It’s decided to make a repeating crossbow.
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