Chapter 101: Three Months of Siege, the End of Yanqi

This scene was not deliberately performed by Chen Huaian for the sake of showmanship, for the exotic beauty assassin Gui Nazha to see.

He didn't have the time, let alone the leisure to play a tender play, in order to try to move the assassin who attacked him at night, and to play a play of exotic beauty falling in love with me.

In fact, when he entered the village in the desert and saw a group of old, weak, women and children who were driven out of the cave by the vanguard scouts of the army, he immediately felt compassion.

The young people in the village, both men and women, were abducted by the barbaric Tibetans. They were either forced into the army as coolies or sold to various countries in the Western Regions to become playthings kept by local dignitaries.

The only old and weak children left were even more naked and hungry.

If Chen Huaian didn't lend a helping hand, the more than a hundred old and weak people in the village would definitely not survive this cold winter.

Because of this, Huo Qubing, the general who was in charge of exploring the way for the army, could not bear to kill the old, weak, women and children in the village even though he had received the military order. Instead, he handed over the right to deal with it to Jin Wang Chen Huaian.

Although, in the conversation between Chen Huaian and the old lady in the village, he had learned that they were the families of the assassins who assassinated him.

However, Chen Huaian still did not blame them.

Instead, he ordered the baggage troops to leave them enough food and tea bricks for the winter.

This is how the whole village, young and old, walked out of the village together and waved goodbye to the Longcheng Western Expedition Army.

This was an unintentional act by Chen Huaian, but it invisibly affected Gu Yina Zha, who wanted to assassinate Chen Huaian.

The army set out again. When Guyina Zha, who was tied to the baggage carriage and followed the army, looked at the tall figure riding on the yellow horse with her bright and deep almond eyes again, the hatred in her pupils seemed not so deep.

The Longcheng army continued to march in the desert full of yellow sand.

After passing Dunhuang, the army was divided into two.

One way, 30,000 tiger and leopard cavalry led by General Huo Qubing marched towards Yutian, one of the four towns in Anxi;

The other way, 70,000 infantry and cavalry led by King Jin Chen Huaian personally left Dunhuang, passed Gaochang, and lifted the siege of Yanqi, Qiuci, and Shule.

The eighth day of the twelfth lunar month in the first year of Lingwu was the traditional Laba Festival of the Chinese nation.

At this time of year in previous years, Yanqi Town, one of the four towns in Anxi, had already been filled with firecrackers and gongs, with a lively scene of welcoming the New Year.

The caravans traveling between the inland and the Western Regions often followed the local customs and transported a large number of red lanterns, couplets, candies and other items from the inland to the market in Yanqi City for sale.

The twelfth month and the first month of each year are also the most prosperous times for each town.

However, on the Laba Festival this year, Yanqi City was desolate.

Except for the Anxi frontier soldiers wearing armor and carrying swords, who patrolled the city from time to time and changed their guards on the city tower, there were few ordinary people in the huge Yanqi City.

There were only 20,000 Anxi frontier soldiers stationed in Yanqi City.

Outside Yanqi City, the 100,000 Western Region coalition forces led by Guli Peiluo, the Khan of Huairen of the Uighur Khanate, had surrounded Yanqi City.

Since the Tubo launched a large-scale attack on Hexi and Longyou in September of the first year of Lingwu, cutting off the connection between the four towns of Anxi and the court, and then the Western Region coalition forces besieged the city in late October.

The Anxi Frontier Army in Yanqi City has not had any contact with the outside world for almost three months.

Trade was completely interrupted after Guli Peiluo led his army to besiege the city.

At present, the reserves of food, grass and meat in Yanqi City can still last for three to five months.

However, the supply of tea bricks, fruits and vegetables had been cut off a month ago.

The reserves of fine salt are also about to run out of emergency.

If there were no fruits, vegetables and tea bricks to supplement vitamins, the soldiers and civilians in the city could still grit their teeth and hold on. If the supply of fine salt was cut off, within half a month, the soldiers would probably not even have the strength to defend the city with swords.

By that time, Yanqi City would fall without a fight!

On this day, in the meeting hall of the Yanqi City Garrison.

The highest military commander in the city, the third-rank lieutenant general Tan Li, was summoning all the generals of the Anxi Frontier Army under his command to discuss matters of defending against the enemy.

"General, I have personally gone to the baggage camp to count the food reserves!"

The speaker was Lin Chun, the deputy general of the Yanqi City garrison. In front of Lieutenant General Tan Li and a group of Yanqi garrison generals, he continued:

"At present, the food and baggage are enough for the soldiers and civilians in the city to eat for more than three months, but the tea bricks and fruits and vegetables have long been consumed. The number of people in the city who have scurvy has increased sharply in recent days, and a small number of soldiers in the military camp have also begun to fall ill."

"In addition, the fine salt reserves in the city are about to be exhausted, and at most they can only feed the soldiers and civilians in the city for one month."

"In recent days, I have thought of many ways and sent many elite soldiers out of the city for help, but I have not been able to break through the blockade of the Uighur enemy."

"It is difficult to complete the supply of scarce materials in the city by relying on the strength of the Yanqi City garrison itself."

In the meeting hall, Lieutenant General Tan Li, who was sitting on the main seat, nodded tiredly.

Then, he ordered: "Lin Lieutenant General, you will prepare a notice to inform the people in the city that from today on, the supply of fine salt for the people in the city will be changed from once every three days to once every seven days, and the fine salt will be given priority to the soldiers."

"If the common people don't eat salt for a few days, at best they will not have the energy to work."

"If the soldiers don't eat salt for a few days, I'm afraid this Yanqi city will not be able to be defended!"

Tan Li waved his hand and said: "The next topic is, is there any news from the messenger sent to the Anxi General's Mansion?"

In fact, as soon as Tan Li asked this question, he suddenly reacted.

At present, the 100,000-strong army of the Uighur Khan Guli Peiluo has already surrounded Yanqi City. Not to mention the messengers, even a sparrow can't fly over.

"Reporting to the general, no!"

Soon, the generals under his command responded to Tan Li.

Tan Li said again: "Today is Laba Festival. At this time in previous years, the army would kill cattle and sheep for the festival. This year, the situation is special. Tell the kitchen to make some Laba porridge for the brothers!"

"There are still some candies in my house. You can take them to the kitchen and give them to the chef later!"

As he said, Tan Li smiled bitterly and continued: "Perhaps, this is the last Laba Festival for everyone. Let the brothers drink a mouthful of sweet Laba porridge, which can be regarded as a kind of thought from this general!"

"Report--"

"Reporting to the general, the Uighurs sent an envoy to meet, just under the city wall!"

At this time, the voice of the messenger suddenly came from outside the meeting hall.

Oh?

Hearing this, Tan Li frowned slightly and said to himself: "Guli Peiluo is like a weasel paying New Year's greetings to a chicken - he has no good intentions!"

After saying this, he suddenly stood up from his chair and said sternly: "Come on, put on armor for me. I will go to the tower in person to meet with the Huihe envoys and see what tricks these Western barbarians have not used yet!"

"I have received your order!"