spend time

"Princess, was it the imperial court or the border troops who sent the news?" Chen Jinyu asked in a low voice.

Jiang Shaohua said, "General Yu sent a letter. The Rouran cavalry surrounded Sizhou. If the border troops do not leave the city, there will be no trouble. Once they leave the city and fight the Rouran cavalry, they will be defeated and suffer heavy casualties. Right now, morale is very low."

The Rouran cavalry was fierce and powerful, and the border troops were no match for it in a head-on confrontation, so they could only defend themselves in the city. However, the Rouran people were cunning and cruel, so they used the strategy of dividing their troops. Half of them surrounded Sizhou, and the other half of the cavalry went around looting and burning and killing.

Five counties had already been razed to the ground by the Rouran cavalry. Countless civilians were killed or wounded, and an alarming number of young men and women were abducted.

The Rouran cavalry tasted the sweetness and expanded the battlefield, heading towards Youzhou. There was a garrison of 6,000 people in Youzhou, and the garrison commander did not dare to show his head at all, hiding in the barracks, and did not even intend to send troops.

Chen Jinyu didn't know anything about war and subconsciously looked at Song Yuan.

Song Yuan looked solemn, and whispered: "If this continues, the Rouran people will fight to support themselves, and they won't have to worry about food. They can just kill and rob as they go."

Unless they have killed and robbed enough, they will not stop. This group of foreign cavalrymen, as ferocious as hungry wolves, treat the people of Daliang like cattle and sheep to be slaughtered. It is really hateful.

Jiang Shaohua remained silent, turned and looked to the north, as if he saw the bloody scene of people being slaughtered thousands of miles away.

With a slight force of her right hand, the bamboo tube turned into powder and floated down from between her fingers.

If possible, she would like to lead the troops to kill the Rouran cavalry herself!

The reality is that as the Princess of Nanyang, she can only send the Nanyang Army to support the enemy. She can go to the capital to say that she cares about the emperor's health and accompanies the Empress Dowager. A vassal king does not have the right to lead troops. Once he mobilizes his troops, it will be a rebellion!

My mood, which had been much more relaxed, fell into gloom again after reading this letter.

"My Lord, I don't know anything about war." Magistrate Cai unexpectedly consoled her, "However, the imperial court has spent a large amount of money and food to support the border troops. Now is the time for the border troops to fight and die for Daliang and the people."

"The imperial court has sent 40,000 reinforcements. When the reinforcements arrive, the border troops will join forces with the reinforcements and will be able to drive the Rouran back."

"The princess has donated military rations and sent the Nanyang Army to support us. This is already very impressive, and she has done everything she could. Next, there is nothing that should or can be done. You might as well wait patiently."

Jiang Shaohua hummed: "Don't worry, this princess won't run to Sizhou on impulse."

This joke is a bit dull.

Although he said he wouldn't go, at least he had thought about it in his heart.

Chen Jinyu coughed and said, "It's getting late. The princess has been out all day, so it's time to go back and rest."

Jiang Shaohua nodded slightly.

After returning to the county government office, Jiang Shaohua had a quick dinner, then went into the study and took out a map. This map included Sizhou, Youzhou, Bingzhou, Pingzhou, etc., and marked the terrain and official roads of each state, with many small circles on it.

Each circle represents a county.

Five circles have been painted around Sizhou.

Jiang Shaohua took out a charcoal pencil and painted the sixth circle black. This was also the news that Yu Chong sent back in the letter. The Rouran cavalry occupied another county town. …

Sizhou.

The city wall, which is more than ten feet high, looks like a giant dragon or a solid armor in the dark night.

Under the city wall, there were soldiers with tired faces. They had guarded the city wall for a day and repelled two attacks from the Rouran. They killed more than a hundred Rouran cavalrymen, but their side suffered more casualties, at least twice as many as the Rouran.

The dead soldiers were dragged down the wall, leaving behind winding bloodstains. In fact, the bloodstains on the wall had not completely dried up, and the soldiers' nostrils were filled with a thick smell of blood. The wounded soldiers, some seriously injured, were carried to the side, and more than a dozen military doctors were busy treating the wounded. From time to time, there were cries of pain or shrill screams.

After so many days, the soldiers have become so accustomed to it that they are numb.

Suddenly, some different noises reached my ears.

"General Fan is here!"

"The general is here to see us. Everyone cheer up."

The soldiers managed to cheer themselves up a little, stood up straight, and tried their best to show their best side.

General Zuo had led the frontier army for more than ten years, and now General Fan was suddenly replaced as the commander. Many soldiers were dissatisfied. General Fan paid the soldiers full wages for three consecutive months and ensured that the soldiers were well fed and clothed, which barely stabilized the morale of the army.

If things continued like this, in two or three years, the border troops would be completely loyal. However, the Rouran cavalry launched a massive attack, and the border troops won a victory at the beginning, but then suffered a series of defeats. The soldiers suffered many casualties, and their morale was low. Some people even spread rumors that General Fan deliberately sent General Zuo's confidants out of the city to attack, in fact, he wanted to use the Rouran people to eliminate dissidents.

This rumor, which came from nowhere, spread throughout the border troops in just a few days. The morale of the border troops was like being poured with ice water, and it became even lower.

General Fan hated those who spread rumors and shook the morale of the army. He ordered a thorough investigation into where the rumors came from, and then personally patrolled the city walls to calm the troops.

General Fan is over fifty years old this year. He is tall and strong, with a short beard on his face and a pair of small but particularly bright eyes.

He had led troops for many years and had won many battles. He was a famous general with real skills. At this moment, he walked with a brisk pace and a calm face, and comforted the soldiers with a gentle voice. His demeanor was impressive.

When he arrived at the wounded, General Fan's eyes turned red as he looked at the soldiers with broken arms and legs or wounded in the back and abdomen. He shouted, "You are all warriors of Daliang. You have fought hard for Daliang. Now you are injured. You should all take good care of your wounds. When you recover, I will ask for merit for you! Please reward you from the court!"

This gesture and words finally boosted morale. All the soldiers shouted in unison: "Thank you, General!"

Yu Chong, who had always been following General Fan, saw this scene and couldn't help but admire him secretly.

The court replaced the chief general and let General Fan take charge of the border army, which was not wrong. Unfortunately, the Rouran people saw the opportunity to send troops, and General Fan was unable to control the entire army, and suffered a series of defeats. It was really not General Fan's fault.

The dozen or so generals who followed General Fan were the backbone of the border army. Among them, seven or eight out of ten were the confidants promoted by General Zuo. General Fan had been in the border army for only half a year, and he only replaced two of them. Before he had time to divide and win over the rest, the Rouran people sent out troops.

General Fan walked around the city wall until late at night before returning to his tent.

The generals left one by one, leaving only two of General Fan's trusted aides and Yu Chong. (End of this chapter)