Mo Lingchen ordered, "Distribute the winter clothing to the soldiers."
"It has already been sent out."
In the dead of night, the cold wind howled, and the tent rattled loudly in the gale, making it even harder for Mo Lingchen, who already had trouble sleeping, to fall asleep.
Such a wilderness, such a cold wind, such cold weather, always makes people feel inexplicably uneasy.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from outside the tent. A soldier came to report that several guards had frozen to death.
Mo Lingchen hurriedly got up to check, his expression grave.
Although the temperature dropped sharply, he distributed cotton-padded coats immediately. He saw that the coats were very thick and bulging.
Besides, with shifts changing every two hours, it's unlikely anyone would freeze to death, right?
Just as Mo Lingchen arrived, Deputy General Li also came. Several frozen soldiers were already lying on the ground, still wearing brand-new, thick cotton-padded clothes.
"Where is the army doctor?"
"Your humble servant is here."
The military doctor, carrying a medicine box, ran up, panting.
After the diagnosis, the military doctor shook his head regretfully: "There was no pulse; he definitely froze to death."
Mo Lingchen's face was grim. How could someone freeze to death in his camp?
They didn't die in battle, they froze to death!
Mo Lingchen looked around at the people with a gloomy expression. What exactly went wrong?
Such a thick cotton coat can still freeze people to death. Are you suggesting we wear two layers?
Putting aside whether there are two, how can one fight a war while wearing two clumsy cotton-padded coats?
Perhaps his hands and feet are no longer able to move properly?
Mo Lingchen looked at a soldier shivering from the cold and walked over to ask, "Is it really that cold?"
I was wearing a cotton-padded coat myself, so why didn't I feel like I was freezing to death?
Could it be because he had just gotten out of bed while the soldier in front of him had been standing in the cold wind for two hours?
The soldier wanted to speak, but his teeth chattered so badly he couldn't utter a word; he could only nod stiffly.
Mo Lingchen frowned as he looked at the soldier's hands, which were red, swollen, and purple from the cold.
He reached out and touched the soldier's cotton-padded coat. It was indeed very thick and bulky, but it was ice-cold, as if it did not keep him warm at all.
The man took out his dagger and slashed the soldier's sleeve. Some white fluff drifted in the cold wind, seemingly lighter than the snowflakes falling from the sky.
Everyone's expression changed drastically. This...this isn't cotton!
Mo Lingchen's face darkened: "What is this?"
Lieutenant Li's face also darkened: "This looks like reeds!"
As Lieutenant Li spoke, he made a cut on the bodies of several soldiers who had frozen to death. Without exception, all of them were covered with reeds!
"Who is so bold as to use reeds to impersonate cotton?"
"The northern desert is bitterly cold; it's deadly."
Mo Lingchen's face was icy: "Go and investigate, see how many substandard winter clothes there are!"
"Also, give the order that those who have brought their own cotton-padded clothes should wear their own first."
"If you don't have a cotton-padded coat, wrap yourself in a quilt first."
"Patrols and sentries must not be relaxed in any way to prevent enemy attacks."
Although he had never fought in a war, he knew that a dark and windy night was a good time to kill!
Such extremely harsh weather conditions provide an opportune moment for an enemy to launch a surprise attack.
"yes."
Chu Zhongyuan didn't sleep a wink that night, and the more he investigated, the uglier his face became.
Statistics show that about 90% of soldiers' winter clothing was filled with reed fluff.
Only a small portion is cotton; it's probably just for show to avoid random checks.
Lieutenant General Li looked very distressed: "General, what should we do?"
"It just snowed, so it's not the coldest time yet."
"In another two months, it will get really cold; even stones will crack from the cold."
"If we submit a memorial now, it might not be in time!"
"By the time the imperial court's winter clothing arrives, most of the people in the camp will be dead."
"Should we go to the homes of people in the surrounding towns and borrow some warm clothes?"
Mo Lingchen frowned deeply: "How do you intend to borrow it?"
Lieutenant Li's eyes darted away guiltily, which naturally indicated that he had forcibly demanded it.
Winter clothes are precious items; in this harsh, cold place where people can't even get enough to eat, not every family has them.
Most families without winter clothes stay indoors all winter and don't go out.
Even slightly wealthier farmers only have one winter coat that they can wear when going out, and whoever goes out wears it.
In wealthy families in town, owning one piece of clothing was considered quite respectable, and there were almost no extras to replace it.
They forcibly took away the people's winter clothes, and it was the people who froze to death.
Mo Lingchen resolutely refused to do such a despicable thing!
"Then what do you suggest we do?"
"We can't keep wrapped in blankets forever. What will we do when the enemy attacks?"
"Running away wrapped in a quilt?"
Mo Lingchen frowned deeply; this was a cruel reality he had to face.
A day or two is fine, but if it goes on for too long, the enemy will know their current predicament and will definitely take the opportunity to attack.
This battle is doomed to defeat!
Regardless of success or failure, since these tens of thousands of lives have been entrusted to him, he has a responsibility to protect them.
"Give me some time to think about it!"
"Why!"
Before Mo Lingchen could come up with a good solution, he received even worse news.
"General, something terrible has happened."
Mo Lingchen jumped to his feet, thinking that the enemy had arrived.
He gripped the sword at his waist and realized that the person who had come was Xiao Bei.
"What is it?"
Xiao Bei threw a bag of grain on the ground and opened the sack to show him that more than half of the rice was mixed with sand and gravel.
"This is a supply of food that was just delivered yesterday."
"I only discovered today that all of these were mixed with sand and gravel."
Lieutenant General Li followed closely behind, carrying two sacks in.
"These are the better ones; another 30% of the sacks are full of mud and sand."
Mo Lingchen's face was gloomy, and Li Quan cursed angrily, "Is the imperial court trying to cut off our livelihood?"
"While we were fighting to the death on the front lines, they were stabbing us in the back like crazy."
"What kind of mess is this? These damned civil officials, they're like a bunch of bastards."
Li Quan only noticed that Mo Lingchen's expression was off after he finished cursing. Mo Lingchen was also a civil official.
"General Mo, this humble general... cough cough... this humble general did not insult you, you are a good official."
Mo Lingchen's dark expression wasn't because of Li Quan's words, but because of the things those corrupt officials had done.
Previously, he would have been furious if he had heard a military officer scold a civil official like that.
Now he not only understands, he even wants to join in the cursing!
You sons of bitches, a bunch of parasites and scum who only know how to indulge in pleasure.
After finishing his tirade, Li Quan scratched his head anxiously, asking, "What should we do now?"
"We don't have enough cotton-padded clothes, and we don't have enough food. How can we fight this war?"
"Screw him, he might as well just slit his own throat."
Mo Lingchen knew how bad the situation was. The grain was adulterated, so they could still eat for a few days, but the problem of cotton clothing was really urgent.
Otherwise, within half a month, his 50,000 men would surely be dead.
Even if he immediately wrote a memorial and sent it back by express courier, it would be too late!
Even so, he still had to send the urgent report back to Beijing immediately!
Xiao Bei stood to the side, looking hesitant, unsure whether he should mention that he had money.
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