Chapter 122
The people who went to investigate returned very quickly. Since the safety of Suiye Town was at stake, they naturally had to fight and resolve the issue quickly.
They quickly recorded everything they had discovered about Suiye Town's topography, even marking every nook and cranny. Since so many people had been dispatched, the information they returned with often overlapped. Ye Jia quickly synthesized this information, relying on his expertise to compare it with the map provided by Ughuz, and drew a more complete map of Suiye Town.
Map drawing, city wall repair and earthen fort construction were carried out simultaneously.
The city walls were relatively quick to build, requiring only high earthen walls to be built at the outer edges to minimize the impact. Oghuz's appeal had been quite effective, as Ye Jia had repeatedly provided aid to the people in times of crisis. By opening the granaries and releasing grain, Ye Jia enjoyed a high reputation among the people, especially those in Suiye. Oghuz's actions, under her name, were naturally effective.
"It would be great if someone is willing to help." Ye Jia was relieved to hear the news. "Then continue to give it to the people according to the conditions I promised. Strictly supervise the people working below. During this special period, lip service and corruption will be absolutely not allowed."
Oguz naturally knew this. As someone who had been leading troops for many years, he naturally understood the principle of keeping one's word and fulfilling one's promise.
With the help of the locals, construction was much faster. Considering the slow pace of earthen fortification, Ye Jia first focused on the city walls, watchtowers, and beacon towers. He then focused on digging tunnels throughout Suiye Town. These tunnels weren't intended to connect the entire town, but rather to penetrate key locations to facilitate quick escape in emergencies. Furthermore, Ye Jia focused on the river's condition.
If the Wuhuan intended to invade Beiting, or attempt to capture Suiye Town like the Turks had done before, the only places they could capture would be the villages on the westernmost edge of Suiye Town, and a water-based settlement would be highly likely. However, Suiye Town lacked many rivers. Aside from two tributaries from the Tianshan Mountains that provided water for the entire town, there were only four modest inland lakes.
Whenever Ye Jia had some free time during the day, he would go out and look for villages near rivers and lakes. He would build more tunnels or transport trenches around them. This way, even if an attack on the village occurred, the people could use them to escape.
They were already moving at breakneck speed, and Ye Jia, too quick to react, sensed the anomaly and immediately began making arrangements. But the Wuhuan's horses were even faster. On the day the Wuhuan cavalry stormed into Wusu Village, the westernmost village of Suiye Town, to plunder, Ye Jia had just spent the night refining the design for the earthen bunker. The Oghuz invaders stormed into Ye Jia's courtyard, demanding he immediately take his men and retreat eastward.
"My lady, you are of noble status, but you must not waste your time here." The person who persuaded her was the person Zhou Jingchen arranged in Suiye Town.
"Don't panic." Ye Jia wasn't someone who acted on impulse; she knew how to assess the situation. "What's the situation outside right now?"
"The Wuhuan have entered Wusu Village and killed many people."
Ye Jia's brain, which had been muddled by the night's sleep, suddenly cleared up and he asked in a deep voice, "First, explain the situation in Wusu Village to me in detail."
The man had previously been to the Anxi Protectorate with Zhou Jingchen and Ye Jia. Ye Jia didn't remember his name, but his face looked familiar. Ogus had already led his troops to Wusu Town, and their current situation was unclear. They had been left behind specifically to protect Ye Jia. With Zhou Jingchen away, protecting Ye Jia was their top priority. Ogus and the men Zhou Jingchen left behind would protect Ye Jia, even at the cost of their own lives.
"If the situation is unclear, go find out." Ye Jia's heart, which had been beating rapidly, returned to its normal position.
The Wuhuan arrived quickly, and they discovered their plan just as quickly. Although the earthen fort wasn't yet built, the watchtowers and beacon towers still served their purpose. Otherwise, based on previous experience, the Wuhuan might have already occupied Suiye Town by the time they realized something was amiss.
"Let's find out first. Meanwhile, order urgent rations of food and supplies." Ye Jia always managed to calm down quickly in critical moments. Since the Wuhuan were attacking, they had to fight back. Warfare required the right time, place, and people, and even more so, the availability of everything. Food, fodder, and medicine were essential. Without sufficient supplies, the Wuhuan would have to resort to surprise attacks.
Fortunately, Ye Jia had stockpiled food and supplies in advance, otherwise he would not have been able to get them all when needed suddenly.
They were providing support from the rear, but the battle between the Oghuz and the Wuhuan on the front lines had only just begun to reveal their formidable strength. The Wuhuan, from some unknown source, had acquired a collection of extremely sharp weapons, capable of inflicting fatal blows. Furthermore, the Wuhuan who had come to the raid were highly skilled fighters, generally young and strong. While they might not be able to defeat a hundred enemies alone, they were still more than enough to give the border troops of Suiye a hard time.
The Oghuz suffered heavy losses in this first battle. With fewer than 3,000 soldiers, they were no match for the warlike Wuhuan. However, they were fortunate that the first line of defense, along with the warnings provided by the watchtowers and beacon towers, prevented many of the villagers from Wusu Village from escaping.
A large number of villagers fled eastward, carrying their valuables. They were experienced in escaping, able to seize the opportunity to escape at the first sign of war.
The spies had to report back every other day. Ye Jia's nerves were stretched to the limit, but she couldn't make the decision to flee. If she and her men escaped, it would undoubtedly affect the morale of the troops on the front lines. After all, if you put yourself in their shoes, no one could accept that while they were fighting on the front lines, the support from the rear would abandon them and flee without a care for their lives.
"Master, if we continue to fight like this, the troops of Suiye Town may not be able to hold on."
Xiaoli and Huanpei stayed by Ye Jia's side day and night. The situation was critical, and they even had to stay in Ye Jia's room at night.
The flames of war spread rapidly, and Wusu Village was about to be lost. By the time the third scout reported back, Ye Qinghe had already led his troops from the north to reinforce. The only two major differences in combat power between Beiting and Wuhuan were their weapons and their horses. Zhou Jingchen had taken all the horses he had raised in the West Field. The Oghuz cavalry consisted of less than fifty men.
Without cavalry and horses, two legs are no match for four legs. Losing the advantage in speed and height, a head-on confrontation would only result in passive defeat.
"Weapons, weapons..." Ye Jia bit his nails and pondered the weapons.
She knew a wide variety of weapons, including swords, spears, clubs, and firearms. But what good was that? Those weapons weren't available in this era. Archers were still the most dominant force on the battlefield, as long-range shooting could more effectively secure both personnel and combat effectiveness...
After much deliberation, she concluded that the only option was to adapt existing technology to the times. Since she didn't understand steel forging techniques, she could improve the weapon's sharpness by utilizing its form and principles. Ye Jia was now thankful for her long education and diverse interests. While studying ancient architecture, she had gained some knowledge of ancient weaponry.
In terms of attack range, long-range shooting is naturally due to close combat. In ancient times, without firearms, long-range shooting naturally referred to bows and crossbows. However, bow and arrow use is not something that can be mastered overnight. First, shooting itself requires extensive practice to achieve accurate aim. Second, northern bows differ from southern bows in that they are made of hard, solid wood, making them difficult for those with limited arm strength to draw, let alone shoot far.
Crossbows are relatively easier to use, especially small ones. Utilizing elastic force can reduce the limitation of strength.
She had read a bit about the manufacture of ancient weapons. She also knew a little about hidden arrows and small crossbows. Since she couldn't currently improve the sharpness of a weapon, she could consider it from a chemical perspective, perhaps there would be a breakthrough. Poisoning might be a bit despicable, but at a critical moment, she couldn't be ruthless.
"Do you know where there is a doctor who specializes in medicine?" Ye Jia suddenly stood up, startling everyone in the room.
Speaking of which, Ye Jia had been staying in the study for three days since the Wuhuan people's sudden attack. Back in the guest room, she couldn't sleep.
Ever since he was summoned by Ye Jia last time, Cheng Feng had been hanging around Ye Jia all day. Since he had no second thoughts during this special time, Ye Jia didn't drive him away. He was a capable fighter, and Ye Qinghe said his fighting skills were quite high, or even very strong. Cheng Feng's eyes followed Ye Jia unconsciously, so intensely that the rings behind Ye Jia furrowed their brows. "Madam, are you going to poison your weapons?"
As soon as these words came out, Ye Jia looked at him, his eyes sharpening in an instant: "Why not? To be kind to the enemy is to be cruel to your own people. When necessary, it is justified to use any means necessary."
Cheng Feng was startled by her look, paused, and then laughed: "Madam, don't be angry. If you need to poison your weapons, my Cheng family has good experts."
"really?"
"Seriously!" Cheng Feng had a wild look to begin with, and when he smiled, his smile was as unruly as a blazing fire. "Not only do we have experts in poison making, we also have reserves of medicinal herbs. It's just that Libei Town is quite far from here, and a round trip would take six days without sleep."
"Six days is six days."
Ye Jia didn't think the Wuhuan would just attack once. Once they discovered the Beiting army was vulnerable, their ambitions would surely swell. "We must do it as soon as possible."
Cheng Feng glanced at Ye Jia, who had already hurried behind the desk. Xiaoli went over to grind for her, and Ye Jia spread out a piece of white paper and began to paint. Time was too short, and many things were unprepared. Even poisoning the weapons would take time and planning. Iron ore resources were not so common in ancient times, and weapons were not easy to obtain.
Cheng Feng put away his smile, nodded, and walked out. He was not alone this time, he was accompanied by a fellow apprentice.
He went out and looked for his junior fellow apprentice, whispered something to him, and then ordered his men to ride back to Libei Town as fast as they could.
As soon as the person left, the study became quiet.
The Oghuz couldn't return from the front lines, so Ye Qinghe led his men to support them. The only ones still in Suiye Town were the brothers Vadim and Varda, Oghuz's trusted confidants. Their martial prowess was undeniable, rivaling Bazatu's in combat. However, unlike Bazatu's rough but subtle nature, these two brothers fought with a certain frenzy. It would be best if they stayed behind to protect Ye Jia.
The Wuhuan's surprise attack on Suiye Town has already occurred. Given the speed of carrier pigeons, Libei Town should have received the news by now. However, Sun Yushan couldn't come for the time being. Libei Town is a more strategically important location than Suiye Town. If Libei Town were to be captured, the people from Dongxiang Town all the way to Luntai would suffer greatly. Ye Jia seriously suspected that the Wuhuan were attacking Suiye Town to lure the enemy away from their homeland, so Libei Town must not move. However, Dongxiang Town could provide some support. Bazatu...
Thinking of Yu Shi, Xiao Shubai, Ye Simei and others in Dongxiang Town, Zhou Jingchen left Bazatu to guard Dongxiang Town to maintain peace. Ye Jia's heart froze when he thought of the money he would have to pay after Bazatu was transferred from Dongxiang Town.
The military forces of Dongxiang Town cannot be mobilized. Once mobilized, she might be the first to lose her mind.
…Poisoning the weapons was her last resort, but it was ineffective. For now, the priority was to encourage the local people to join the fight. The strengths and weaknesses of both sides were clear, but Suiye Town wasn't entirely at a disadvantage.
Ye Jia took a deep breath and quickly calmed his overheated brain.
Beiting's advantage was that Suiye was their home turf. Being beaten and forced to flee in panic on their home turf would be too much of a humiliation. The Suiye people's familiarity with the terrain was their advantage. Furthermore, while not all of their tunnels were complete, most of the important ones had been dug. Using a guerrilla strategy, primarily harassment supplemented by attack, it would be easy to wear down the Wuhuan. After all, the Wuhuan had traveled thousands of miles from their homeland, and their baggage couldn't withstand prolonged wear and tear. Even young soldiers were still human, and they all tire.
The wait was excruciating, as if every breath was a long one. The sky darkened without me noticing, and the air outside the window felt stagnant. In a flash, it was early autumn again, and the trees had turned withered and yellow.
"What's the situation in Wusu Village now?" After an unknown amount of time, Ye Jia managed to draw the outline of the village he knew.
A crossbow is a bow with an arm, primarily composed of the arm, bowstring, bowstring, and trigger. While it takes significantly longer to reload than a bow, a crossbow offers a longer range, greater lethality, a higher accuracy rate, and lower user requirements. As a powerful long-range weapon in ancient times, later crossbows could reach a range of up to 600 meters, or 180 zhang (approximately 180 meters). Extra-large crossbows could even reach twice that range, making them a highly lethal weapon of the cold-weapon era.
Ye Jia's drawing was naturally for a small crossbow; a large crossbow would take too long to make. The materials weren't easy to come by. In an emergency, it would be difficult to create what she wanted. But since she had already drawn it, she might as well finish it.
Once she starts drawing, she becomes so focused that she even looks at me.
While waiting for news, Xiaoli and Huanpei kept a close eye on the outside world. If there was any sign of trouble, they would definitely take Ye Jia away. That day had passed incredibly long. No, it should be said that the last few days had passed incredibly long. The waiting was almost excruciating.
At some point, there was a noise outside. Xiaoli frowned and glanced outside the door. Before she could call Ye Jia, she heard a loud voice outside: Report -
Xiaoli and Huanpei looked at each other, and Ye Jia, who was drawing with his eyes lowered, had already put down the pen in his hand.
Having already reported once during the day, logically, there shouldn't be any news until tomorrow. Xiaoli's face changed, and she hurriedly ushered the man in. The spy's body and face were covered in sweat and blood, and his armor was a little tattered. Upon seeing Ye Jia, he fell to his knees and reported succinctly, "The Wuhuan have occupied Wusu Village, and the captain is leading his men back."
The light in the study flickered. Ye Jia sat behind her desk, her features blurred by the dim light. She waved her hand, telling the spy to retreat.
"Master." Xiaoli frowned, "Do you want to withdraw?"
Ye Jia lowered her eyes and stared at the blueprint on the table, wondering if she had missed anything. Although she had a natural talent for memorizing diagrams, and could practically remember everything she saw, she couldn't help but feel insecure in this critical moment, wondering if her memory was confused.
"Master..." Xiaoli was a little anxious. It wasn't that she thought Ye Jia was useless waiting here. But the situation was critical and she didn't care about others. She just wanted to protect Ye Jia from getting into trouble.
She was about to say something else when Huanpei grabbed her sleeve.
Xiaoli turned around, and Huanpei shook her head silently at her: "Don't make noise and disturb the master, the master is thinking."
"Go ask if Ogus is back?" Ye Jia's eyes were still fixed on the wet blueprints. Her voice was hoarse as she spoke. It had been so long since she spoke, her throat dry and hoarse it was painful to hear. "And ask about the casualties."
Xiaoli glanced at the ring pendant, bowed and left: "Yes."
The situation in Suiye Town was dire, and it wasn't much better in Yanjing either. Yanjing City truly lived up to its centuries-old status as the capital of Great Yan. Its walls were so thick they remained unmoved, no matter how many times heavy stones pounded upon them. From above, archers were replaced in succession, and powerful crossbows fired several exploratory shots. Zhou Jingchen patiently waited outside the city, awaiting the day when the city's food and fodder would run out.
Faced with Zhou Jingchen's army approaching the city, Zhou Ye went from being at ease at first to gradually becoming anxious.
In reality, Zhou Jingchen was waiting for the city's food and fodder to run out, and Zhou Ye was waiting for Zhou Jingchen's to run out. In terms of the situation, the Imperial Guards were well-trained, well-equipped, and possessed the finest weapons and equipment. The city's population was vast, but the imperial treasury in Yanjing was always well-stocked. While ordinary people might starve to death, the powerful and the royal family never did. Zhou Jingchen's border troops had come a long way, battling battles all the way to this point, and were naturally exhausted.
Yet, after so many days, the rabble outside seemed invincible. Not only had their arrogance not subsided, but they hadn't even run out of food. Meanwhile, in Yanjing, the wealthy and powerful, though barely starving, continued to lavishly indulge in delicacies. But the common people couldn't afford to wait any longer.
The ordinary people's surplus food had long been depleted. With nothing to eat and no fertile land to farm, they could only buy food from the rice shops on the street. However, the situation in Yanjing was so dire that the rice shops would rather not make any money and keep all the food for themselves, refusing to sell at all. Even some desperate individuals took advantage of the situation to make unscrupulous profits, driving up the price of rice to an outrageous level, making it unaffordable for ordinary people to buy even if they sold everything they had.
Once the people had no food to eat, the situation in the city became chaotic.
As the situation became chaotic, conflicts escalated. The people, starving to death, had little time for other matters; they naturally fought for their lives. Suddenly, large numbers of people, with their families, fled the city. If the gates wouldn't open, they would dig holes to get out. Some courageous individuals, unable to escape but unwilling to die, began looting the city's shops. Most of the shops in Yanjing were under the control of powerful individuals. The bloodshed sparked by these looting incidents escalated with each passing day.
The court was in turmoil over this matter. Some advocated opening the city walls and engaging Zhou Jingchen in battle. Some advocated releasing grain from the granaries and appeasing the people. Most advocated sending troops to suppress these unruly people and teach them a lesson with thunderous measures.
Zhou Ye, who had previously had some leisure time to talk about love, was now completely overwhelmed by the entanglement. He had not been to the harem for quite some time.
At the same time, Gu Mingyue was anxiously waiting for Zhou Jingchen's reply.
She sent people out daily to inquire, fearing she'd miss any news about Zhou Jingchen. After waiting for two full months, Zhou Jingchen didn't agree to her request. Instead, she learned from Gu Mingxi a piece of news that shook her to the core—the seemingly heartless and indifferent young man had already married in the bitter cold of the northwest. It was a country woman, uncouth and unrefined, yet gifted with a brilliant and captivating face. From what Gu Mingxi had said, Zhou Jingchen loved her like a treasure, fearing she'd break if he held her in his arms, or melt if he held her in his mouth.
It has to be said that Gu Mingxi's words almost drove Gu Mingyue crazy.
Her first reaction was naturally disbelief, but even after she smashed Gu Mingxi's face, Gu Mingxi still didn't change his words: "The woman's surname is Ye Jia. When brother Yun'an saw her, he couldn't see anyone else..."
Gu Mingyue refuted: "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Brother Yunan is like the moon on that horizon, he won't fall in love with anyone."
No one knew Zhou Jingchen's coldness better than Gu Mingyue. Even when Zhou Jingchen and Gu Mingxi were childhood sweethearts and planning a marriage, Gu Mingyue knew Zhou Jingchen disliked her. She never believed a single word of what others said. It was precisely because of this understanding that she didn't envy Gu Mingxi and Zhou Jingchen's childhood sweetheart relationship, believing she was Zhou Jingchen's destined wife.
Now, that bitch Gu Mingxi actually said that Brother Yunan had married someone else. Gu Mingyue beat her up and then calmed down. She exhaled: "I don't believe you. You are a fool. You can't even see that Brother Yunan looks down on you. What do you know!"
After hearing these words, Gu Mingxi's body on the ground suddenly stiffened and he raised his head: "Who do you think Brother Yunan looks down on?"
"you."
Gu Mingyue looked down at the woman and said sarcastically, "Brother Yun'an hates you, don't you know?"
"You, you... you're talking nonsense!" The color drained from Gu Mingxi's face in an instant. Her face was pale, her pupils constricted. As if someone had forcibly plucked out her last trump card, her body trembled uncontrollably. "Brother Yun'an and I have been childhood sweethearts for over a decade. How could he possibly look down on me? He clearly ignores everyone else and only ever sees me. He's just angry. Angry that I didn't ask my parents for help when things happened at Prince Jing's mansion, and that I didn't see him off on the day he was exiled... How could that be possible? You're talking nonsense! You're talking nonsense!"
"I'm talking nonsense?" Gu Mingxi felt uncomfortable, and Gu Mingyue felt relieved. "Do I need to talk nonsense to you?"
Gu Mingxi's tears fell in large drops, and before she knew it, her face was covered in tears. She clasped her hands to the ground, her fingernails digging into the tiles. Her head was filled with the rumbling of thunder, shaking her to the point of collapse.
"Gu Mingxi, please stop deceiving yourself, okay? Brother Yun'an is such a smart person, what is there about you that makes him like you?" Gu Mingyue unceremoniously peeled off all the fig leaves. "Your identity is fake, your talent is fake, and even your face is not as good as mine. You are greedy for fame and fortune, afraid of death, irresponsible and heartless. Do you think Brother Yun'an's clear eyes can't see through you? Does he admire your shallowness? Or does he like your selfishness? Or does he just like your identity as a servant's daughter?"
"I'm not, I'm not! I'm not a servant's daughter, I'm the legitimate daughter of the Gu family!"
"Bullshit, you can only deceive yourself with such words."
Gu Mingyue laughed wildly, "The first person in the world who saw through your true nature was Brother Yun'an. He's not like those idiots in the Gu family whose eyes are covered with shit. The reason he didn't break the contract and treated you well is simply because Brother Yun'an keeps his promise."
Gu Mingxi's body went limp as water, crouching on the ground. She shook her head, refusing to believe it. But subconsciously, she actually believed it.
Gu Mingyue, however, no longer had the heart to waste time talking to Gu Mingxi. She had calmed down from her anger and her mood had calmed down. Yes, Gu Mingxi didn't understand anything at all. Her words were untrustworthy. Gu Mingyue quickly left Zhongcui Palace, her face still gloomy. Although Gu Mingxi's statement that Zhou Jingchen had a crush on someone else was unlikely to be true, the fact that they were getting married was definitely true. Marriage cannot be faked.
Brother Yun An might have married a local village girl for survival, or he might have had an accident and had to take responsibility for the village girl. Gu Mingyue's eyes were filled with poison. She would not allow lowly people to taint her moon. She wanted to eradicate that Ye family.
…
Ye Jia didn't know that she was being targeted. After Ugus came back, she immediately called a meeting with everyone.
There's good news. Ye Qingshan, far away in Luosang Town, received news of the incident in Suiye Town and dispatched Chen Shiqing with a cavalry unit to provide support. The number wasn't large, only sixty men. But these cavalrymen were incredibly powerful. Besides being skilled in close combat, Chen Shiqing's cavalry were also skilled marksmen. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that each of them could shoot an arrow through a target from a hundred paces away.
Chen Shiqing was a little surprised that Ye Jia was the one in charge, but he also felt it was within his expectations. He had known for a while that Ye Jia was no ordinary person.
Suiye Town had a granary, located at the town's easternmost edge. Ye Qinghe and his men had burned it down during a previous Turkic attack. Unbeknownst to them, Wusu Village, situated at the far western edge, bordered another country and was frequently harassed by nomadic tribes and foreign powers. Households were reluctant to hoard food; any available grain was stored in a granary near the town.
After waiting for everyone to arrive, Ye Jia made two decisions: burn the granary and launch a surprise attack.
"Once they discover there's no food in Wusu Village, they'll definitely try to find out. The granary is about the same distance from the village as it is from the town. By late at night, the Wuhuan will most likely send someone there." Ye Jia was incredibly calm, as if she had cast off all fear and timidity. She said in a deep voice, "Send someone to keep an eye on them. When they try to move the food, we'll give them a heavy blow."
Ye Jia's eyes shone with a sharp light. At that moment, everyone forgot that she was only seven feet tall. "Hurry up if you can. If you can't win, run away. Never fight to the bitter end. Remember, our main goal is to burn and transport food."
Cheng Feng stood in the shadows with his eyes surprisingly bright, and his heart was beating so fast that it almost jumped out of his chest when he looked at Ye Jia.
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