Chapter 125
When he rushed back to the courtyard, Oghuz's men had already eliminated all the threats.
Ye Jia dismounted without a moment's hesitation, rushing into the courtyard to check on the study. Cheng Feng watched her hurriedly depart, his lips gradually curling. Before he could utter a final word, Ye Jia had already vanished through the doorway. He flicked the reins and slowly led his horse toward the small hut beside the courtyard.
Although Xiaoli and her team had packed up most of the information, Ye Jia was still worried about missing something. After confirming that nothing was missing, she immediately ordered someone to check the storage area for the experimental items. Only after confirming that nothing was damaged did Ye Jia feel relieved.
"Oguz, where is Chen Shiqing?" The sudden attack made it necessary to find out the specific casualties among the people.
This sneak attack had exposed Ye Jia to the Wuhuan's vengeful nature, but it also indirectly illustrated something else. The Wuhuan seemed vulnerable to provocation. Ye Jia sat at his desk, his fingers tapping on the surface. Whether it was war or daily life, it was ultimately a matter of human conflict. In other words, most issues involving human nature could be addressed with targeted solutions.
"Captain Ogus is at the base, counting casualties." Xiaoli had been running around since last night and had just returned. "Captain Chen and his men are comforting the nearby villagers."
Ye Jia nodded: "After the inventory, ask someone to come over immediately."
The Wuhuan issue couldn't be delayed any longer; the longer it was delayed, the greater the losses. Originally, Ye Jia had adopted a strategy of defense, not attack. After all, she was merely an intellectual working in civil engineering during peacetime, and she didn't dare to overestimate her ability to command a war. Therefore, she resorted to conservative counterattacks to protect Beiting from chaos. But now that the Wuhuan had breached Suiye Town's primary defenses, retreat would only allow them to gain further advantage.
This battle must be fought, even if we are not good at it. If we continue to adopt a defensive strategy, the covetous foreign tribes will soon discover that Beiting has no leader. After two or three attempts, they will sooner or later discover that Beiting is an empty city.
The locals suffered the most casualties. Ye Jia's courtyard, guarded by guards, hadn't suffered much damage. But the situation was different for the common people outside. The Wuhuan, unable to capture anyone useful as a threat, killed many locals to vent their anger. Chen Shiqing entered the study with a murderous aura, and it was clear that the number of civilian casualties was significant.
Ye Jia glanced at him and asked him to sit down first and wait for Ugus to come.
Oguz arrived, and Ye Qinghe also entered with a heavy expression. Ye Qinghe was now primarily responsible for the group of prisoners surrendered from the West Field, and he had grown considerably since taking charge. He was furious that he hadn't been able to arrive immediately after the Wuhuan attack.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Ye Jia's first words startled everyone present: "We must fight back."
Ye Qinghe was stunned for a moment, then stood up with a swift movement. Ye Qinghe had always been a rebellious person, his youthful energy was undeniable. He imagined the Wuhuan invaders were at his doorstep, and given his temperament, he'd chase them down and beat them until they cried for their parents. But since most of the Beiting troops had been transferred, a head-on confrontation would likely lead to disaster, so he held back his temper and said nothing.
"Sister, what are your plans?" Ye Qinghe's eyes sparkled.
Ye Jia didn't speak immediately. He raised his hand and pressed down before speaking, "The Wuhuan have already breached Beiting's first line of defense. Next, they're bound to attack Beiting's heartland. Simply defending won't guarantee we can hold the western frontier, and retreating will only boost Wuhuan morale. We must initially dampen their arrogance and let them know that the Beiting border troops are not to be trifled with. Conservative tactics must be temporarily shelved, and we should use offense as a defensive measure to intimidate them from the outset. This will also dispel the tentative intentions of those covetous forces in the northwest, killing two birds with one stone."
Taking the initiative to attack can cut off their options and restrain the Wuhuan from causing damage to important areas.
Ughuz agreed with Ye Jia's idea, but Suiye Town did not have enough troops.
"No problem." Previously, the Wuhuan hadn't taken Wusu Village, making it difficult for them to operate. Now that they had chosen a stronghold and established themselves, their advantage in the region could be put to good use. Due to Wusu Village's strategic location, Ye Jia had made key arrangements beforehand. Instead of building earthen bunkers, they dug underground passages, trenches, and transport trenches. These three passages formed a complex network. Without a map, even if one entered, there was no way out.
Ye Jia spread out the layout of the underground tunnels, trenches, and transport trenches she had dug in advance. She took a pen, dipped it in cinnabar, and marked the northern and southernmost locations.
To the north of Wusu Village lies the Ili River, and to the south lies the Suiye River. The Suiye River is the source of fresh water for Wusu Village and four nearby villages. From west to east, it crosses Suiye Town, and to the north lies the Tianshan Mountains. Given the topography, if the Wuhuan wanted to attack, they would most likely head south or east. The Tianshan Mountains are high and the terrain is steep. Therefore, if they wanted to intercept Wusu Village, they would have to attack from the east and south, forcing the Wuhuan to retreat northward. Then, using the natural barrier of the Tianshan Mountains, they would most likely be able to capture them.
"How many troops are there in the garrison?" Although they won the last battle against the Wuhuan, they also suffered many casualties.
Ogus was a veteran border garrison commander. As soon as Ye Jia drew the mark, he immediately understood what Ye Jia meant. He stared at the red stronghold for a long time before saying seriously, "There are approximately 3,200 soldiers stationed here. Over 3,000 infantry, and less than 100 cavalry."
Ye Jia looked at Chen Shiqing, who nodded. "Besides the lack of cavalry, we are also very short of arrows and weapons."
In other words, you can't win by brute force.
If brute force doesn't work, then outsmart it. Ye Jia had anticipated this situation and had prepared contingency plans for these dilemmas. Suiye Town's lack of manpower could be compensated by surprise. Sometimes war doesn't require absolute integrity; some tactics are necessary. Ye Jia firmly believed that any strategy, whether covert or covert, was a good one as long as it worked.
"Where are the Wuhuan people now?"
Chen Shiqing stepped forward, picked up the chess piece in the groove, and placed it on the map. "There are approximately two thousand Wuhuan people in Wusu Village. There is another stronghold thirty miles outside of Wusu Village, with at least two thousand people."
Thirty miles, a distance that could be reached in about half an hour at full speed. In other words, if they could eliminate the enemy in Wusu Village and retreat within half an hour, it would have been impossible in the past. However, Ye Jia had already ordered the tunnels dug. With the support of the tunnels and transport trenches, and with some personnel stationed on the ground to contain the Wuhuan stronghold, there was a high probability that they would be able to succeed.
"How many horses do the Wuhuan have?" The number of soldiers stationed in Suiye Town was small, but the difference in numbers with the Wuhuan wasn't too great. Their only disadvantage was their small number of cavalry. But if they could eliminate some of the Wuhuan's horses, their cavalry and infantry would be limited to running on the ground.
This question was asked to Chen Shiqing.
Seeing this, Ye Jia frowned: "Go check immediately and find out the number and location. Killing the horses can also ease the situation if necessary."
"Yes." Chen Shiqing responded immediately.
Ye Jia thought for a moment and said to Ugus, "Gather the local people. We need their support."
Ogus understood Ye Jia's meaning. The local people were familiar with the terrain, and many had participated in the excavation of the tunnel. If commanded properly, they wouldn't necessarily be inferior to the well-trained soldiers stationed there. Ogus clasped his fists and said, "I understand."
Ye Jia nodded and, using chess pieces as a metaphor, mapped out three scenarios on the map. A few days ago, Ai Shile and his men burned the granary in Wusu Village. The grain in Wusu Village could only sustain the Wuhuan for ten days at most. This meant they would inevitably expand outward within seven or eight days of rest. There were some pastures to the west and east of Wusu Village. If the Wuhuan wanted to raise their warhorses, they could only choose the western grasslands.
"Is there a doctor in this town skilled in making medicine? Where are the villagers of Wusu Village now?" Ye Jia remembered that there was also a tunnel under the western grassland. If they could get through from the south and sprinkle the grass there with medicinal powder, they could greatly weaken the Wuhuan's fighting power.
All the doctors in Suiye Town were recruited by the garrison to serve as military doctors and are now in the camp.
After finding out where the villagers of Wusu were, Ye Jia immediately summoned the village chief and the oldest person. Her plan was far from straightforward, but to protect Beiting, she had to be despicable. Fortunately, she had a hoarding habit and had spent a considerable amount of money over the past year to stockpile medicinal herbs. She didn't have many highly toxic herbs, but she had plenty of croton seeds.
The villagers who had fled Wusu Village were gathered and organized into three teams. The able-bodied men would follow the assault team through the underground tunnel and launch a late-night surprise attack on Wusu Village. The elderly, unable to move, would stay behind to grind croton powder, which would be sprayed on the western grasslands from the transport trench in the south. The women of Wusu Village would handle logistics, care for the wounded, and provide food.
During this wartime, no detail can be overlooked. A healthy diet is essential. It would be a disgrace if soldiers' diets led to battlefield defeat. Painkillers have been delivered, and the Cheng family's arrows have also arrived.
"Xiao Li, have the small bows and arrows been made?" There is no bamboo in the north, and all bows and arrows are made of solid wood.
Solid wood bows are much more difficult to make than bamboo ones, and they are also harder, requiring more strength from the user. Considering that most people don't have shooting training, Ye Jia specifically requested sleeve arrows, which can be propelled by elastic force to reduce the restrictions on the user.
"We've already made a batch of hidden arrows and crossbows," Xiaoli replied immediately. "Large crossbows are a bit complicated, and we only have one working properly. We haven't done any specific testing on its effectiveness yet. But we've already made fifteen catapults and can be brought over anytime."
"Yeah." As long as a batch is made, Ye Jia felt a little more confident.
"Master." Xiaoli took out a letter from her sleeve and presented it to Ye Jia with both hands. "A letter has arrived from Dongxiang Town."
Ye Jia hadn't been back to Dongxiang Town since she finished her confinement. Half a year had already passed in the blink of an eye, and she missed little Shubai terribly. Hearing it was a letter from Dongxiang Town, Ye Jia immediately took it and tore through the entire letter. Her frown deepened after reading the letter, but then her face lit up with joy. Ye Jia took a deep breath, and her eyes suddenly sparkled.
After so much experimentation, the firecracker makers finally created a firecracker with an extremely powerful explosion. This was exactly what Ye Jia wanted. It was said that the largest firecracker made by Master Liang could explode through a wall when lit, and if thrown onto a pile of earth, it would send the dirt flying two feet high.
Ye Jia was so happy that her tense heartstrings relaxed. She walked around the room before suppressing her excitement.
Even without reinforcements now, they will not lose this battle!
The instructions were passed down in an orderly manner. They also had to prepare appropriate defenses. The Wuhuan were living people, after all, not just standing still and waiting to be shot at. Ye Jia had to prepare a contingency plan in advance to avoid losing more than he gained if the situation changed. The worst-case scenario was that the Wuhuan discovered the existence of the tunnel. If they blocked the entrance or exit, the situation would definitely turn around.
Therefore, all forces couldn't be concentrated in one place. Three or four countermeasures had to be prepared, flexibly cross-utilized. Therefore, Ye Jia's second countermeasure was to transform logistics into combat personnel. Crossbows and catapults were the key.
The women of Northwest China hold up half the sky. Ye Jia urgently gathered a group of women whose families had been devastated by war and were left with nowhere to turn, forming a women's defense team. The previously crafted sleeve arrows came into play; it didn't matter if they couldn't draw the bow, as long as they could shoot accurately. The women's defense team reported directly to Ye Jia, with Xiaoli and Huanpei leading the shooting training. While training might not yield optimal results in a short period of time, the poisoned arrows sent by the Cheng family proved crucial. They didn't need to kill instantly; even a scratch on the skin would inflict a fatal blow.
Besides the women's defense team, the third plan was to bury bombs at designated locations near water sources and granaries. Trenches and traps were set along the Wuhuan's path, capitalizing on the locals' natural hunting abilities. Besides the usual traps, bomb craters were also created.
Ye Jia just didn't believe that with the three plans linked together, this group of Wuhuan people could break through the defense line of Poye Town and enter the heart of Beiting.
That night, Ai Shile and the son of the Wusu village chief crossed the southern tunnel to the western pasture. Sure enough, the Wuhuan people kept their horses there. Just as Ye Jia understood the importance of horses, the Wuhuan people naturally understood it even better.
Hundreds of horses were kept here, guarded by dedicated personnel. Five-man patrols were set up late at night to prevent the horses from being attacked.
Kunzamu, the village chief's son, led his men on a long detour, finally avoiding detection by approaching the river from the north. But the situation wasn't as easy as they'd imagined. There were so many horses, and the pasture was vast. If the croton seeds they carried were spread widely, they wouldn't be able to cover the area overnight. Furthermore, if the seeds were spread so diluted, they wouldn't be effective if eaten by the horses.
Seeing that the patrol was about to discover them, Ashler made a quick decision and chose an area to focus on spraying pesticides. However, the choice of this area was very important. If no horses came to feed, their hard work that night would be in vain.
Fortunately, Kunzamu knew the grass in the western area was more fertile, a favorite for livestock. They spread all their medicinal powder on the most fertile patch. The next day, before Ashler could even send the signal, the Wuhuan launched a surprise attack. They didn't follow the expected schedule, and thanks to Ye Jia's quick response, she had all her arrangements in place by the time the battle began.
Their target was the large granary at the easternmost part of Suiye Town. The Wuhuan had already located the granary during their previous attack on the town. Because the Oghuz troops arrived just in time, they had found it but failed to take it away, a fact that the Wuhuan had long regretted.
It must be said that Ye Jia had good luck. The Wuhuan people had avoided the first plan, but failed with the second.
A large number of trenches, traps, horse pits, and caltrops immediately killed many war horses. Before the Wuhuan who fell into the traps could even scream, they were pierced through the chest by the spikes below. The empty town lay before them, but seeing the large-scale ground collapse, the reckless Wuhuan stopped in their tracks and became alert.
The Wuhuan had brought no more than a thousand war horses to Beiting this time. A third of them had been left behind at their stronghold, leaving around five hundred of them in Wusu Village. They cautiously held onto their reins and circled around the town's entrance.
Oghuz recruited a group of soldiers with particularly foul mouths, lined them up in a row, and stood at the entrance of the town, cursing in the Wuhuan language.
The Wuhuan were the most vulnerable to provocation, and a group of young and energetic men rushed forward recklessly. Their charge caused the cursing group to retreat. A powerful crossbow, mounted high above, aimed its sharp point at the Wuhuan and fired. In front of the crossbow stood a row of stone-laden slings. Chen Shiqing, the flag bearer, led the cavalry to flank and intercept the Wuhuan from behind. Suddenly, a torrential downpour of stones rained down upon the Wuhuan.
A massive rock flew through the air in a parabola, landing on the ground, leaving four or five people covered in blood. The rock's impact sent a cascade of dust and sand flying, creating a resounding crash. Not only the people, but also the horses, irritated by the noise, began to run wildly.
At this moment, a row of petite women stood up on the roofs on both sides and started shooting sleeve arrows at the group of Wuhuan people.
This maneuver gave the Wuhuan no chance to relent. Screams rang out one after another, and in the blink of an eye, the ground was stained red with blood. The Wuhuan had completely unprepared for the brutality of this group of warriors, who refused to engage them head-on. Traps and hidden arrows rained down upon them. As their horses raced in panic, they stepped on even more traps.
The large number of casualties and screams instantly suppressed the arrogance of the Wuhuan people.
Ye Qinghe and his men laid ambushes at various locations where traps were buried, closely monitoring the direction of the Wuhuan's retreat. Seeing them panicking and following their leader westward, Ye Qinghe made a subtle gesture, and countless support soldiers hidden in the trenches set fires. The Wuhuan's retreat route suddenly seemed to be blown open, and the horses and the men on them were instantly torn apart.
The battle was so intense that within a single day, more than half of the Wuhuan people in Wusu Village were killed or wounded. They dared not return to Wusu Village and instead turned around and fled towards the outposts outside the village.
When the news of the great victory in the first battle came, Ye Jia relaxed his heart for a rare time and ate two bowls of rice in a row.
The people of Suiye Town cheered with joy, eager to deify Ye Jia, the mastermind behind this plan. Even veterans like Ogus were astounded by Ye Jia's ingenious ideas, repeatedly lamenting that this was the first time in his entire combat career that no one had died or been injured. The courtyard was filled with laughter and joy. Ye Jia pinched his bloodshot eyelids and slumped heavily onto the couch, "Finally, we've secured the first step..."
Although they had defended Wusu Village, the main force of the Wuhuan was still there. Given the Wuhuan's vindictive nature, they would certainly not give up.
Ye Jia didn't bother to rest, summoning Ogusi, Chen Shiqing, and others overnight. Besides the local soldiers from Suiye Town, Cheng Feng was also present. The Cheng family had made significant efforts in setting traps and providing weapons. While this inflicted heavy damage on the Wuhuan, they also lost a significant amount of weapons. Subsequent production would undoubtedly be slower, requiring sheer manpower.
"We can't let our guard down even a little bit," Ye Jia never underestimated any enemy. "We must ensure that every battle is fully prepared."
In Beiting Suiye Town, Ye Jia was busy making arrangements for the next step. In Yanjing, after Zhou Jingchen closed the city gates, he quickly cleared out the noble families who had been entrenched in Yanjing for hundreds of years.
These idlers, who had been idling away their time and energy, were thrown into prison by the border guards without a chance to escape Beijing. Aside from those with exceptional abilities who would be of great use in the future, those in special positions that Zhou Jingchen would not move for the time being, and those in key positions that could not be replaced in the short term, all the powerful and influential people who had become rotten to the core were marched to the Meridian Gate and publicly beheaded.
Zhou Jingchen's methods were ruthless, leaving the aristocratic families no chance to argue. In less than two weeks, he had killed more than half of the civil and military officials in the imperial court, and the rain in Yanjing was red.
Suffering the infamy of murder in his previous life, Zhou Jingchen publicly recited the indictments of every person he had killed in this life. He listed them all, one by one, publicly revealing them. These people didn't even die with a good reputation. Along with their executions, their wealth was confiscated. The seizure of the private vaults of the five great families alone could have filled the depleted national treasury in an instant. This shows just how greedy these parasites are!
Not to mention how many people Zhou Jingchen's actions intimidated, the Gu family had already lost their confidence in foreseeing the situation, and they wanted to crawl at Zhou Jingchen's feet and cry bitterly. The head of the Gu family even pushed out the second and first branches to vent his anger on Zhou Jingchen.
However, Zhou Jingchen didn't have the time to deal with them for the time being, as he was searching the entire city for Zhou Ye's whereabouts.
He attacked the city at a breakneck speed, and sealed it off even faster. Even if Zhou Ye ran as fast as he could, he couldn't escape in that time. This group must still be in the city. But Zhou Ye was truly good at hiding, and even after searching Yanjing, no trace of him could be found.
"Where is Lin Zeyu? Any news?"
Ajiu shook his head. It seemed as if Lin Zeyu had disappeared from the world during this period of time, and there was no news at all.
"Keep searching."
Yanjing's ownership changed, but Great Yan could not be destroyed. A large number of corrupt officials were brought down, but the government system of Great Yan had to continue to operate. Zhou Jingchen had secretly sent people to Beiting to bring back some important officials who had been unjustly exiled, and he immediately held a special examination.
While rectifying the court, he promulgated a law abolishing the practice of favoritism in the Great Yan court, opening up avenues for all students in the Great Yan through regular examinations and filial piety laws. Through various means, such as reinstating capable officials and recruiting a wide range of talents, he sought to recruit talent without any restrictions. In just one month, students from all over the country flocked to Yanjing. Zhou Jingchen was working at top speed to restore the vitality of the Great Yan.
At the same time, the very thing he had been worrying about actually happened. After the autumn harvest season, a drought really struck south of Lingnan.
Initially, it was simply thought that the weather this year was exceptionally hot, much hotter than usual. However, farmers in Lingnan waited for rain all summer, but not a single drop fell. Months of scorching heat had already killed the crops, and after September, no harvest was harvested. For four months, the Lingnan and Anxi armies remained locked in a stalemate along the Lingnan front. Unable to repel each other, the drought revealed the Lingnan army's decline.
The Lingnan Army's food and fodder began to run out. Seeing the time was almost up, Liu Yuan seized the opportunity to force the Lingnan Army southward. Huang Xuanyun still wanted to hold out, but when news of the fall of Yanjing arrived, Zhou Ye's escape from the city pierced the Lingnan Army's morale like a sharp sword, and they were completely defeated.
After the Anxi Army defeated the Lingnan Army, a large number of Lingnan disaster victims began to flee northward.
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