Frost for a Thousand Years

Chapter 101 Two Hundred and Twenty Thousand Men, the Army at the City Gates
More than 20,000 new laborers were recruited, 12,000 troops were reorganized, and more than 10,000 original Shuofeng civilians were also recruited.

In total, there were 45,000 people.

It is more than double the population that the north wind can accommodate.

Therefore, all the cloth and scraps of fabric in the city were collected by Song Shi'an using the money he had just plundered from the powerful clans and made into tents and beds.

It's just barely enough for this summer.

After losing around 10,000 men, the cold winds from the north will arrive, and we should be able to hold out until winter.

There's no other way; although it's hellish, we have to make this consideration.

But the actual number of people lost should be more than 10,000.

So by then, we won't be too strapped for cash.

Sufficient amounts of things like food, which cannot be produced out of thin air, are enough.

Then, five large reservoirs were built to prevent excessive evaporation, even in the sweltering summer. As long as there is rainfall to replenish the water supply, there is basically no need to worry about water shortages.

Even during the dry season, by being a little frugal, they can be self-sufficient.

"Master, we have already harvested all the mugwort and artemisia within a radius of dozens of miles, leaving not a single hair."

A long caravan transported the mugwort and artemisia piled up on horse-drawn carriages, resembling small mountains, to the city.

Song Shi'an picked up a tender green herb shaped like a snowflake, examined it carefully, and asked, "Are you sure this is artemisia annua?"

“How could I be mistaken? This stuff grows all over my neighborhood.” A centurion said confidently, then asked curiously, “But this stuff is considered low-grade among herbs. What do you need it for, Master? And so much of it?”

"Why ask so many questions? Let's go, let's go."

Song Shi'an waved his hand without offering any explanation.

Next, he prepared to take the three dogs to inspect the construction of civilian tents in the city.

Because there were so many people, everywhere you looked, there were people living on the ground.

Dense, it's frightening.

This concern is inevitable, but there is no solution.

To defend a city, you need a population.

On the main street, someone was beating a gong and shouting, "By order of the Emperor! No one in the city may drink raw water. All water must be boiled in a large pot and left to stand before use. If there is no firewood, there are firewood sheds at every street corner, and ten households can collect firewood for free."

"Your Excellency." San Gou was curious about Song Shi'an's series of somewhat 'meddlesome' laws and muttered in a low voice, "You are the first Your Excellency I have ever met who cares so much about the common people."

"Nonsense, what if you get sick?"

Shuofeng is actually a medium-sized city.

But it's really too small to hold 45,000 people.

If a bomb called 'Plague' were to explode in this city, it would be disastrous.

Ji Yuan was different; he was in the wild, and his activity range extended for hundreds of kilometers. The same infectious disease would be far more devastating to Song Shi'an.

While defending a city does result in lower casualties than attacking it, being trapped inside poses greater risks.

Natural disasters include:
Plagues, floods caused by insufficient drainage capacity during the rainy season, and droughts.

Man-made disasters still exist:
The plague was caused by human intervention; the water source was poisoned, and the city was flooded.

Fortunately, no river flows through this city of Shuofeng.

Water is mainly obtained from nearby lakes, wells in the city, and rainwater stored during rainfall.

The reason for building the city in this way was that during wartime, it would be too easy for the enemy to exploit the Chishui River.

Just as Song Shi'an was patrolling the city, Xin Yue suddenly rode up on horseback through the narrow streets and said to him, "If you have something to say, come to the city wall."

"Alright." Song Shi'an immediately agreed upon seeing this, and ordered the three dogs to "bring me my horse."

"If it's important, get started immediately."

Xin Yue immediately reached out her hand.

Song Shi'an had no choice but to grab her hand, step on the stirrups, climb up, sit behind her, and hug her waist tightly.

Xinyue's horse galloped away.

The three dogs were left standing there, watching this scene with envy. They also wondered what it would feel like to hug a beautiful woman's waist.

.........

Song Shi'an and Xin Yue climbed to the top of the city wall together.

At this moment, Wei Wusheng, who was on the city wall, saw him coming and immediately said sternly, "Shi'an, look."

Song Shi'an quickly walked over and saw that about 300 meters away, a person was holding a staff and surrounded by several Yu soldiers.

“He was discovered by scouts several miles away. They said he was an envoy of Ji Yuan, carrying a large box, and wanted to see me. Then he was brought here blindfolded, but I haven’t agreed to let him into the city yet,” Wei Wusheng said.

It's probably all about mindset.

"Yes, meet him briefly and then rush back. Don't worry about him, and don't let him find out any information," Song Shi'an said cautiously.

This battle is inevitable.

There is no possibility of compromise.

Since a fight is inevitable, there's no need for negotiation.

At this point, what's the point of maintaining wartime etiquette? Let alone entering the city, even glancing at the city defenses would be a sin. Let alone letting him spread rumors and incite unrest.

If you dare to talk nonsense, I'll cook you right here and now.

"Should I go see this person?" Wei Wusheng asked.

Song Shi'an nodded and said, "Your Highness, I'll accompany you."

"it is good."

And so the two of them descended from the city walls, mounted their horses, and slowly approached the surrounded envoy under the watchful eyes of all the civilians and soldiers outside the city.

"What did Ji Yuan send you here for?" Wei Wusheng asked.

Upon hearing this, the blindfolded messenger, who held the ceremonial staff in one hand and the box in the other, smiled and replied, "My Emperor is sending General Wei something."

This 'General Wei' made everyone around him very unhappy, and they all had a fierce look on their faces.

But it also conforms to the etiquette of social interactions between enemy states. How could a man from Qi address the prince of Yu as "Your Highness"?

"I am the General of the Five Offices," Wei Wusheng said.

The envoy nodded and said, "Please."

Then, Wei Wusheng's attendant took the box.

“Open,” Wei Wusheng said.

One attendant held the box while another opened the lid.

When it was uncovered, there was a human head covered in blood and with a deathly pale face.

“General Han!” an officer recognized him.

The next moment, everyone drew their swords, glaring at the blindfolded envoy with murderous intent, all of them enraged.

"That scoundrel Ji insulted me! Kill him!"

"Cook him!"

"How dare you defile General Han's remains!"

Even if they are masked, anyone can feel this hostility and danger.

He remained remarkably calm, holding the imperial staff firmly in one hand, and said, "In war, envoys are not to be killed. General Wei, are you going to kill me?"

Song Shi'an, who had been staring at the head, then looked at Wei Wusheng.

The Sixth Prince was indeed taken aback for a moment when he saw it. But he quickly regained his composure.

He then dismounted.

Song Shi'an also dismounted.

Taking the wooden box containing the head with both hands, Wei Wusheng said to the messenger, "Tell your emperor that he thanks him for bringing General Han's head here."

Everyone was surprised by Wei Wusheng's reaction.

"I will," the messenger replied with a smile.

"Send him to the other side."

Wei Wusheng, holding the box, turned around.

Song Shi'an and Xin Yue followed behind, one on each side.

Further back were the accompanying officers.

As they slowly walked towards the city wall, and reached the outside of the moat, Ran Jin, Zhu Qingzheng, and the others also stood still and looked in their direction.

Upon learning that it was Han Yuan's head, Zhao Xiang, who had been lying there listlessly, immediately got up, looked over there with a stiff expression, and seemed at a loss for what to do.

Wei Wusheng put Han Yuan's head down.

Then, facing him, she slowly knelt down.

Everyone behind him also knelt down.

Wei Wusheng prostrated himself and solemnly kowtowed to Han Yuan.

The crowd followed suit and knelt in worship.

Zhao Xiang clenched her fists, bit her lip, and didn't look up for a long time...

"Make a wooden body for General Han, wrap his body in horsehide, bury him in the city, and erect a monument to him," Wei Wusheng ordered after rising.

"Yes!"

Someone immediately went to carry it out.

After resolving the issue, Wei Wusheng and Song Shi'an walked into the city, both of them feeling quite depressed.

"Your Highness is very calm, and this is the right thing to do," Song Shi'an praised.

"Hmm." Wei Wusheng's mood was still somewhat low, but he didn't make any judgments. "The news of Ji Yuan's massacre of the army but spared the civilians has arrived. Although the north wind has blocked the way, some soldiers still know about it. What should we do?"

"Spread the word that all the soldiers and civilians in Wuwei have been slaughtered."

Song Shi'an knew very well that Ji Yuan's actions were a means of conquest and had nothing to do with his "people-oriented" philosophy.

The purpose was to prevent Xiao Wei from gaining popular support.

"Won't this cause problems?" Wei Wusheng asked.

“The only ones who know the truth are the soldiers and scouts who are out on the front lines,” Song Shi’an said to him definitively. “Soldiers, generals, nobles, civil officials—the fates of everyone are intertwined.”

Since there is no longer any chance to escape, even powerful clans will do their utmost to protect the hearts and minds of the people.

“Okay.” Wei Wusheng nodded, then asked, “When do you think Ji Yuan will arrive?”

Looking at him, Song Shi'an said confidently, "Soon."

.........

After the fall of Wuwei, the Prime Minister of Qi moved 30,000 troops, along with 100,000 civilians, to the area, and also sent a large number of civil officials.

Because of the policy of killing soldiers but sparing civilians, the remaining four counties in Hebei did not fire a single arrow in resistance; everyone surrendered.

The task of calming people down was handed over to the transferred civil officials.

Ji Yuan didn't stop for a moment and replenished the army to 100,000 men.

Together with the 80,000 laborers conscripted from Beishuo County and the 40,000 laborers from Qi, a total of 220,000 people crossed the Chishui River.

The army has arrived at the gates of Shuofeng City.

Upon arrival, the Qi army was collectively stunned.

Even including the half-month period during which Zhao Xiang ordered the construction of a project involving only 10,000 people, it still took less than two months for a magnificent, deep, and wide moat to surround the entire area outside Shuofeng City.

It was like a branding iron, leaving a huge mark on the earth.

The excavated soil was used to build nearly a hundred enclosed column towers around the city, made of rammed earth and surrounded by bricks.

Ji Yuan, on horseback, and Wei Wusheng, atop the city wall, gaze at each other from afar.

Then, at the same time, he slowly drew his sword from his waist, emitting a clear, resonant dragon's roar.

(End of this chapter)