The Huai Army launched a retaliatory counterattack for several consecutive days. Perhaps out of fear of the new weapons of the imperial army, the Huai Army did not attack the city in full force, but placed the catapult cart three or four hundred steps outside the city wall, and used the best catapult cart to complete the attack on the city wall of Xuzhou.

Strong crossbows, flying stones, and rockets are the main themes of the Huai Army's siege in the past few days.

Every soldier in the defenders spent the past few days in fear. Even though he knew that he would be hit by flying stones at any time when he stayed on the city wall, he had to hide behind the battlements while begging God and worshiping Buddhas. At the same time, he had to look at the movements of the Huai Army outside the city. After a few days, the Huai Army only used long-range weapons to attack Xuzhou, and none of the soldiers moved. The Huai Army didn't know where to find so many stones, as if they couldn't use them. When the truce was in the middle of the city, the civilians in Xuzhou had to risk their lives to clear the stones on the city wall. Once some buildings inside the city wall were burned by rockets, the civilians had to help put out the fire.

For the defenders, this was the most difficult few days since the war started. Not only did they have to worry about their own safety, but they were also hungry in their stomachs.

The food in the city is so short that it can only be eaten one meal a day, and this meal must be accompanied by wild vegetables and leaves. Exercise too much every day, but you can't eat enough, and you can't even drink water when you are hungry. The soldiers are exhausted. Some just hide behind battlements, not hit by stones, nor are they shot by flying arrows. They quietly closed their eyes and did not wake up.

Hunger is one thing, cold is another.

It was already winter. Xuzhou City is located in Jiangbei, unlike Jiangnan. It was not as late as the winter came later. On the 19th day of the winter month, it started to snow lightly. The weather was gloomy in the next few days. By the 21st of the winter month, a sudden heavy snow made the defenders of Xuzhou City miserable. Many soldiers of the defenders did not get clothes for the winter. They were wearing single clothes during the day and ran up and down the city walls. At night, a few people shrank together. The fire was on fire, and several people covered a blanket and were shaking all over their bodies.

In order to keep warm, the defenders gathered together to rest as much as possible, and the popularity was not so cold, but the soldiers were not allowed to do so. After all, the Huai Army that siege the city would use flying stones to the defenders in Yincheng at any time. Once they were too crowded, a stone would be ruined for several days. When it was cold, there was no clothes, and they were not allowed to get together to keep warm. The soldiers complained.

What the soldiers complained about was actually the damn Huai Army. Every day when meals came, the Huai Army would make fires outside the city walls around Xuzhou to make rice. It seemed to be built for the defenders in the city to see. Not only were there hot rice, but live pigs and chickens slaughtered and roasted to eat. Although it was far apart, they could still hear their laughter. The laughter was full of pride and superiority. They also deliberately laughed for the defenders. While the guards were trembling coldly, they also had to touch their empty stomachs, and no one told them about the sadness in their hearts.

Many veterans would sit down and chew the straw, saying that they would not feel too hungry, and the young people also learned it. Later, everyone in the defenders lived with straw in their hands. The comrades of the defenders who died in previous siege battles would habitually pull out the straw from their mouths and put it into their mouths. Sharing joys and sorrows and hardships. Under such difficult circumstances, the soldiers could only commemorate the deceased in this way.

The concerns of Xuzhou Prefect Min Shaoqing and the governor Ma Feng were increasing day by day. As the weather became cooler, the food decreased and the casualties of soldiers increased, deserters began to appear in the city. First, few people went down the rope from the city wall, and later they gradually became organized. At one point, there might be a fewer teams from the city wall. Min Shaoqing also arranged patrols many times to curb the trend of surrendering to the enemy, but the effect was very small. Now the siege battle is very tense every day, and the patrol team is hungry. When they see the Huai Army eating and drinking, they are blinded. Later, they can only monitor each other with supervision between the guards. There are deserters every day, but many soldiers are originally natives in Xuzhou. For the sake of their family, they will guard the city wall even if they die.

This is not only fighting for the court and the government, but also fighting for their families. This is a belief in the city guarding army.

But later, the belief of the defending army was not so firm. It was mainly because the Huai Army launched a propaganda and public opinion war. They publicly shouted under the city wall that as long as the defending army opened the city and surrendered, their emperor would not only not massacre the city or commit crimes, but also provide relief to the people in the city, and treat the defending army well. In order to prove their words, the Huai Army also invited the deserters in the city as demonstrations and ate rice with them and ate roast chicken and pork.

Looking at the hardship brothers who had lived with me a few days ago, now sitting in the enemy's camp, the defending soldiers will subconsciously touch their stomachs, chew the straw in their mouths, and look at the eyes of the people around them, and also have a desire, a desire to have enough food and clothing, and a peaceful life.

Min Shaoqing was most helpless about this. He could clearly see the desire of these soldiers to treat each other well, but he had no choice. He said that everything in the city is short of, and he could not provide the basic items needed by the soldiers.

"It's time to mention to the Emperor."

Min Shaoqing took advantage of the private time to say to Ma Feng that in the past few days, they have rarely had time to sit down and say something because of the fierce revenge of the Huai Army.

"Do you think the emperor can hear it?" Ma Feng's eyes were helpless. Now the emperor is lying in the palace, and he doesn't go out of the gate. He is simply a daughter in the boudoir. He said that the emperor would boost morale, but he did not see any results.

"How can I know if I don't try it?"

Min Shaoqing wrote a memorial overnight. As a minister, this was the first time he wrote a memorial so seriously, listing the suffering in the city in detail. He also hoped that the new emperor could see the current situation in Xuzhou City, at least show up, and encourage the morale of the soldiers. He did not dare to think about the others, nor could he think of it. Even if he saved the food of the new emperor alone, it would be a drop in the bucket to solve the problem.

After writing the memorial, Min Shaoqing got up early and went to the palace. It was the 24th day of the winter month. It was almost the twelfth month. The heavy snow a few days ago was still accumulated and it had not melted. Walking on the road, Min Shaoqing couldn't help but tighten his clothes. It was still like this when he came out wearing heavy clothes. It was hard to imagine how the soldiers survived the cold these days.

"Reinforcements, it would be great if the reinforcements could come." Min Shaoqing muttered, and when he arrived at the gate of the palace, he saw a figure, which was Qu Zhu, the commander of the Imperial Guard.

Hearing Min Shaoqing's purpose, Qu Zhu sighed and said, "What do you mean by Prefect Min? If you have any words, you will say to the emperor in person. As for the memorial, the emperor will not read it." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to Qidian (.) to vote for recommendations, monthly votes, and your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile phone users please go to m.. to read.
Chapter completed!