Men, listen, grab the top of the mountain and stand in the center position

Wangshu smiled and said, "Uncle Tang, are you thinking of getting married?"

"Ahem!" This is totally unrelated! Tang Bo coughed and carefully folded the paper with the signature and seal. "Madam, Old Tang is already past that age."

Wangshu stood up and walked out. Old Tang stood two steps away from her as usual, her skirt swaying on the ground. He had privately reminded the young master to change his wife's clothes. He said: "The skirt is too narrow, which is not conducive to escaping danger."

What the young master said was, "Uncle Tang, you must stay within two steps away from her." He was so biased that he was at the very core of her heart.

It's so heartbreaking that your wife still despises you!

The weather had suddenly turned cold. A thin layer of ice had formed in the low-lying areas of the Jing River where water had accumulated. Sometimes naughty children would throw stones there to listen to the crisp sound of the ice breaking.

Information was blocked and the post stations were not accessible. Only the supplies sent by the logistics department were connected to the first batch of returning logistics soldiers. Although the news they brought back was not very detailed, the army should have arrived in Kaifeng. It can be seen that the army was moving very fast. Those who could not keep up or were injured often stayed in the newly captured cities. The brave and fearless soldiers continued to keep up, following their general and rushing towards their destination, Chang'an.

Kaifeng is the center of the capital area. Looking north from the city wall, smoke curls up in the morning mist, sinking down in the early winter chill, unable to rise up. The people in the city are making fires to cook breakfast, and small white eggs can be seen everywhere, densely packed and vaguely visible.

Zhang San rested his right hand on the sword at his waist, gazing for a long moment at the ever-changing bustle of life. Inside and outside the city gates, civilians lined up on either side, waiting for their turn to enter or leave. Scholars, peddlers, porters, donkey carts, ox carts, and handcarts—men and women in groups, stamping their feet, chatting and laughing. The bustle was so lively that it seemed unreal, a thriving and unreal place.

Entry into the city was more strictly controlled than before, with gatekeepers and sniffer dogs. These animals, though illiterate, had sharp noses, and would bark warningly at the slightest sign of blood, hidden possessions, or concealed swords. Two lieutenants took turns guarding the gates, daring not to let their guard down for even a moment.

"I'm afraid it will snow heavily in a few days." The weather is getting colder and the whole day is gloomy.

Hearing this, Zhang San nodded to the adjutant behind him who was reminding him, "The sky is overcast and the clouds are low. Brothers, please watch out for each other and don't freeze to death."

"Yes! I wonder how the general and his brothers who went north are doing?" The adjutant sighed. Fortune and wealth must be sought through risk. He should have been braver at the beginning.

Who would have thought that the general would have such thoughts overnight? He is indeed a real man!

Zhang San turned his head to look at the adjutant. He and Tang Bo were ordered to stay and defend the city. In fact, he was more willing to follow the general, so he understood this sigh.

"The general is invincible in every battle." Having never met an opponent, he was a natural battlefield prodigy. Furthermore, the continuous flow of logistical supplies, with cotton clothing, food, and swords being sent north immediately, further strengthened his power.

Yes, the adjutant was convinced. "The north is full of hidden talents, and the aristocratic families are deeply rooted. I'm afraid they will come up with many insidious and cunning methods..."

A general can fight a war, but the darkness of the world is not limited to real swords and guns. "It is easy to block an open spear, but difficult to guard against an arrow from the dark."

Zhang San wasn't worried, "The general is surrounded by martial arts disciples."

The relationships between the aristocratic families are complicated and tangled, and "power, money and beauty are alluring." The adjutant also studied for a few years, and many of those who rebelled and entered the city were unable to remain calm and defend the city.

"Don't say such groundless words again." Zhang San said, staring at the guards who were changing shifts on time.

The adjutant choked, thinking about the general who had indeed been beyond reproach over the years, and said, "Yes." "Yes, shut up."

A messenger ran up to the city gate, handed over a letter, and lowered his head to deliver the message: "Madam has an order: Snow is coming. Anti-skid chains and shoe nails are being produced at a rapid pace. For now, the northbound supply shipment is suspended. Order the soldiers defending the city to fill their hot water bottles and keep warm."

Anti-skid chains are put on the wheels of carts, and shoes are put on horse hooves. It is snowing in the north now, and no one knows when it will stop. The soldiers who returned said that they could not find their way in the snowy and foggy weather.

The army can only move forward, but once the food and grass are cut off, the front will be in danger!

Zhang San took the letter and looked at it. The crooked handwriting was indeed the signature of his wife, who had stayed indoors due to the cold weather. "Ji Wangshu." The final hook under the thin goose-quill pen directly strung together three characters, revealing the sharp personality of the person.

Qin Mansion.

"Cough! Cough!" A dull cough like a bellows was heard. Wangshu, who was lying in bed, stroked his throat which was in great pain every time he coughed. He couldn't even swallow his saliva smoothly. His face was grim and his ears on both sides were buzzing with pain.

Drinking more hot water has been a tradition since ancient times. I slept all day yesterday, but nothing improved. Now my head is buzzing and my throat is sore, but I can't sleep. I just keep drinking the warm water that's brought to me over and over again.

When Zhang San came to visit, Tang Bo walked with him into the main hall. Knowing that Zhang San was still coughing, he asked someone to stew some pear soup and kept their conversation short.

"...you can arrange for people to clear the snow trails along the way, but the supply must not stop." If the army were to advance deep into the enemy's territory alone and without logistics, they would be in great danger of death.

Wangshu, who was sitting at the head of the group, covered his mouth and nose when he heard this. "Ah!" He coughed hard, and his throat instantly felt burning and painful. He closed his eyes, supported his head, and waited for the pain to subside.

Xiaoqing handed him some warm water, but Wangshu shook his head and had difficulty swallowing, unable to drink it.

"Send the doctor over to take another look?" Zhang San and Tang Bo looked at each other. He couldn't even drink water, so the problem must be serious.

Wangshu frowned and shook his head. His voice was dull and he spoke in a duck-like voice, "I've seen it. When the general arrives in Luoyang and other cities, he can rely on the local people to provide food and clothing. It's freezing cold, and it's too dangerous to send him from Jingzhou."

Local power? Isn't this exploiting the people...

A winter expedition to the north was ill-considered. "Taxes in the north are heavy, and after years of war, the granaries are probably empty."

Hearing what Zhang San said, Wangshu tried to open her mouth, but her throat itched and she started coughing loudly again. "Cough! Cough!" She couldn't move her breath while sitting, so she stood up and coughed towards the corner of the table she was leaning on, her coughing choking. Zhang San saw how uncomfortable she was and didn't care about anything else. "Xiaoqing, give Madam a couple of hard pats on the back."

Tang Bo quickly reached out to stop her, but the young man didn't use any force, clenching his fist and hitting her back lightly when she bent over and coughed again. "Madam, I'm sorry."

The salty taste of a thousand-year-old phlegm filled his mouth. Wangshu breathed a sigh of relief, and the tingling in his throat eased a lot. He covered his mouth and wiped it, then ordered, "I want some cold water."

Xiaoqing looked at Tang Bo who nodded, and went down as instructed.

"The landlord always has surplus food. The general will adapt to the situation. Once we have taken anti-slip measures..."

The three of them continued to talk about the matter. The news of the northern expedition reached Yongzhou. Although the news sent back by Bazhou recently only reported good news and not bad news, the situation was not optimistic as the army was approaching the city.

"...the newly recruited 20,000 troops are going with these newly made bows and arrows..."

"...There have been no recent abnormalities in southern Yunnan... If troops are dispatched..."

"...Madam, there's a rumor that Xie Miao is lobbying the King of Chuanzhou, and I'm afraid he's planning a powerful alliance."

Wangshu drank a few sips of cold water to cool down her hot head. Listening to the two of them talking back and forth, each word was about rivalry, she wondered if it was too rash to send the man to the north to compete for supremacy. There were many people who wanted to steal the house.